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Chapter 43
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2024-11-22 23:20:52Related chapters
Beyond the betrayal Chapter 1
“Move already!” I muttered under my breath, frustration bubbling over as I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel, staring at the taillights of the car in front of me.The traffic hadn’t moved in what felt like an eternity.I leaned forward, peering through the windshield as if somehow that would make the line budge. Nothing. Finally, I slammed my hand on the horn, earning a scornful look from the driver to my right.I was hopelessly impatient, though I didn’t like to admit it. I couldn’t say this was atypical behavior for me, but I had a good reason.Today was my marriage anniversary.Marcus and I had been married for two years, and seventy percent of the time, he was the perfect husband.He knew all the most romantic restaurants in town, still surprised me with flowers, and when he asked about my day, he actually listened to my answers and asked appropriate follow-up questions.But thirty percent of the time, he was so stubborn, I could scream.Lately, there had been a few hiccups
Beyond the betrayal Chapter 2
My head spinned as I saw and heard his reaction to the news I told him. I had been expecting him to be as surprised as I was but this new coldness was surprising. He knew what was going on.“Babe, what do you mean by that,” I asked with a straight face but inwardly I was scared of the answer I was going to get because I had a vague idea of what he was going to say.“There’s this new business idea…,” He started to say but I cut him off before he could continue.“Oh no, not again. I thought we were over this. You promised it would never happen again without you consulting me first.”The hiccups in our marriage so far had been arguments about finances. Marcus had a small investment company which he had started shortly before we got married. Though he was very secretive about the details of how it ran, it was clear that it wasn't fetching much. It wasn't the only business he had, there were several other things he began and left halfway. Since he had access to my accounts, thousands of do
Beyond the betrayal Chapter 3
The world came back to me, blurry at first but gradually sharpening into focus. I was surprised to see myself on the floor, my back against the bed frame. As I tried to stand up, my head throbbed sharply and I ceased moving instantly."Anna, are you okay?" I heard Marcus' voice. I blinked, trying to steady myself, and saw him kneeling beside me, a damp washcloth in his hand.His face hovered above mine, his expression unreadable. His brow furrowed in what might have been concern but it was hard to tell from this angle."What happened?" I murmured, feeling disconnected from everything around me."You fainted," Marcus said, his tone curt, as if stating a fact rather than expressing worry. "It seems you passed out sometime when I was away. It's been three hours since I left. When I came back, you were out cold."I struggled to sit up, and he helped me into a sitting position. My eyelids were heavy when suddenly the incident that had happened before I lost consciousness came back to me. T
Beyond the betrayal Chapter 4
Marcus handed me the papers without a word. His expression was calm and there was no warmth or regret in his face. It was as though he had rehearsed this moment. I stared at the stack of documents, my heart thudding in my chest. Divorce papers. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it after everything that had happened, but seeing them in front of me drove home the feeling of abandonment.I had been thinking that it was something I could work out but this was the end."Sign them," he said coldly.I couldn’t speak a word and my hands shook as I reached for the pen he offered. My eyes went to his face, searching for any sign of hesitation but there was nothing. Just that blank, indifferent stare.As I resolved to sign it, I thought about all the times we’d laughed together, the nights we had stayed up talking about our future, and the promises we’d made. I thought about how I’d loved him, even after the arguments, after the lies, after everything. Each stroke of the pen felt like anot
Beyond the betrayal Chapter 5
Dorian's POV The view from my office window never gets old. A skyline of glass and steel, lately it has become something of a hobby of mine to watch the view every day. It is therapeutic, to say the least. It was just when the rest of the working populace was starting their day and as I looked down on them from my vantage point, I tried to guess what they did for a living. One would think you could size up the working force by their clothing but you'd be dead wrong. The higher-ups sometimes wore scrawny outfits, while those at the bottom dressed sharply to impress. You could usually tell by their walking pace, their eyes, and, of course, their cars. Not that I later found out if I was right or not, I could be wrong for all I know. With a heavy sigh, I turned away from the window, letting the heavy silence of my office settle over me. The day was just beginning but I was already bored. My spacious office is a symbol of wealth—Italian leather, rare art pieces, polished mahogany
Beyond the betrayal Chapter 6
Anna’s POV“You can go on now, he's ready to see you, his office is that door over there,” The lady with a tablet who I assumed to be Dorian's P.A told me after speaking into an intercom.“Thank you,” I said, rising to my feet. I was relieved as I prepared to go in. It was a good thing I had come early because I had been stopped and interrogated severally on the ground floor before making my way up here.They took security seriously which was understandable given their large size. Dorian was a household name when it came to business as a whole as they dabbled in different things. It was a surprise that I had never associated Daniel with the family while in school. It only showed how humble he was or maybe it was for his own security as our school hadn't exactly been Ivy league worthy.I watched the girl scurry away to attend to other business as she jabbered to someone through the airpod she was wearing.I reached the office, inhaled deeply and then knocked. I had a baritone voice f
Beyond the betrayal Chapter 7
Anna's POVI was trying to process what had happened at the office with Dorian. I had gone to his office to seek help and had gotten a job offer instead. Something in his tone suggested to me that it wasn't just a passing thought or a hasty decision done in the heat of the moment. Dorian seemed like someone adept at reading people and who only took decisions after carefully weighing his options. He was serious, and that both excited and scared me.As I walked down the street, I fumbled with my phone, pulling up Daniel's number. I needed to talk to someone, and who better than the person who has linked me up with Dorian in the first place.The phone rang twice before his familiar voice came through. "Anna? How did it go?"I exhaled, leaning against a lamppost as the busy city bustled around me. "It went... different than I expected," I admitted, my voice still a little shaky from everything I was feeling."Different how? Did he turn you down," he asked. His tone was soft, but I cou
Beyond the betrayal Chapter 8
Dorian's POV The traffic on the road was light and I was grateful for it. The last thing I wanted after a stressful day was to get stuck in traffic. It also helped that I wasn't the one having to deal with the road directly as my driver was the one doing the driving.I gauged our speed by how fast we moved past the landmarks in the city as I was in the backseat of my white Rolls-Royce.All things considered, it was a smooth ride and I was just about to doze off when my phone rang. I would have ignored it and be none the wiser but it was from my private line which very few people had access to so I knew it had to be important.A partition separated the driver from me so I didn't have to worry about privacy or the lack of it for that matter.“It's Jeff, something interesting just happened,” A gruff voice said on the other end of the line.“Alright. Bring me up to speed,” I said, surprised to hear his voice as I hadn't been expecting any update from him anytime soon. I had put him on
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Beyond the betrayal Chapter 43
ANNA'S POVBrenda looked at me and shook her head, "Mr Dorian is not in his office," She gently replied, and I frowned. "What do you mean? Mr Dorian entered his office a few minutes ago, and everyone saw him. What are you saying?" I was getting annoyed. Could it be that Dorian was really avoiding me?"He's not. I don't know where you heard that fake rumor from, but the boss is really not around at the moment," She lied again. A smirk formed on my lips as I stared at the door behind her, "Then, can I go in to check for myself?" I asked, staring at her face. Brenda's expression changed, and she turned cold. "You are a worker here, Anna. Going into your superior's office without his consent and behind his back could land you in trouble, and it could even cost you your job," She warned. "I don't care," I replied frankly. "I don't care if I lose my job or not. Why are you lying when he's clearly in there? Does he not want to see me? You can just tell me that!" I shouted, no longer abl
Beyond the betrayal Chapter 42
Anna's POV Immediately, I headed straight to the bathroom, removing my clothes. I turned on the hot water and stepped under the shower, letting it wash over me. I closed my eyes, letting myself relax, just for a second. But that feeling of unease didn’t go away, even with the water pouring over me.When I finally got out, I wrapped myself in a towel, staring at myself in the mirror. My face looked pale, eyes tired, but I couldn’t stay here staring. I had to get ready. This wasn’t some big date where I’d be dressing up to impress someone; it was just a conversation with Dorian. Casual. Simple. But I was very nervous.I slipped into a fresh pair of jeans and a plain blouse, pulling my hair back in a simple ponytail. Not too fancy, nothing that would draw attention. But still, I wanted to look put together. Just enough to feel like myself again, or at least pretend to. One last look in the mirror, and I was out the door, heading back to my car.I drove to the restaurants, and as soon
Beyond the betrayal Chapter 41
Sarah's POV Lily rushed quickly to his side and held him while he coughed out blood.It was clear that she was distressed over his condition as she threw caution to the wind not caring that she was in the midst of a battle.“Are you okay? How's your breathing? How many fingers am I holding up,” She inquired as she looked him over.Neron didn't know which of the questions to reply to as he found her reaction to be over the top.Even though he was hurt, he wasn't at the point of death or anything to warrant the care she was showing.He appreciated her concern but he wanted to tell her to concentrate on fighting but he couldn't bring himself to form the words.As she busied herself with inspecting him, the scarf on her head came undone and her red hair flowed freely.Below her, Neron gasped in surprise as he saw her face clearly for the first time.She quickly grabbed the scarf back and put it on but the secret was already out.It was really Serah just as he had suspected.He couldn't d
Beyond the betrayal Chapter 40
Anna's POV “Neron!”Lily shouted out as he got to his feet and fell down again.She rushed quickly to his side and held him while he coughed out blood.It was clear that she was distressed over his condition as she threw caution to the wind not caring that she was in the midst of a battle.“Are you okay? How's your breathing? How many fingers am I holding up,” She inquired as she looked him over.Neron didn't know which of the questions to reply to as he found her reaction to be over the top.Even though he was hurt, he wasn't at the point of death or anything to warrant the care she was showing.He appreciated her concern but he wanted to tell her to concentrate on fighting but he couldn't bring himself to form the words.As she busied herself with inspecting him, the scarf on her head came undone and her red hair flowed freely.Below her, Neron gasped in surprise as he saw her face clearly for the first time.She quickly grabbed the scarf back and put it on but the secret was alrea
Beyond the betrayal Chapter 39
Anna's POV Neron gasped in pain as he clawed at the ground in an attempt to stand up.His strength was fading as the miasma's poison coursed through him. The more he tried to stand up, the more his legs gave way and after a few futile attempts, he gave up entirely.Each breath was a battle and each slight movement he took tormented him. The Beast circled him drawing closer as though it was playing with a meal.Its eyes were glowing with malice and it was buoyed by its victory over the numerous slain Adventurers.Neron knew that he couldn’t fight anymore in his present condition—for one his body refused to obey him, and his vision swam in and out of focus.“Nero!” A feminine voice cut through the haze, panicked but resolute. His ears quickly picked up the voice and his heart grew warm as he recognised Serah.He had been worried about her as he feared that she was one of the many Adventurers that littered the ground.She stumbled toward him, coughing violently, her hands glowing fa
Beyond the betrayal Chapter 38
Anna's POV The sun beat down on a lone figure as he trekked through the vast expanse of a desert. The plentiful mana within him had dulled down to the point where he could no longer feel it as he appeared to have used up a great part of his reserve. The intoxicating surge he’d felt while fighting during the dungeon battle now seemed like a distant memory.He had been traveling for weeks, though he had long since lost track of time. His mind was focused on survival now—something as mundane and exhausting as putting one foot in front of the other.The sand stretched endlessly in every direction he could see and sometimes it shimmered in the midday heat. His throat was dry and parched beyond what healing magic could fix.He hadn’t eaten in days, and though he’d managed to conjure small amounts of water using his abilities, it wasn’t enough to keep his strength up. His legs felt like they were made of lead and it was with an effort that he dragged it through the dunes.With each step,
Beyond the betrayal Chapter 37
Dorian's POV Staring at the time, I realized it was quite late already. I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. This was one of the days I got to the office late and the feeling wasn't nice at all. "Do you want to rest for today?" My driver asked. I opened my eyes and shook my head. "There's no need to stay at home. I need to work," I replied and picked up my phone. There were several missed calls on it, but none of it belonged to Anna, and that made my heart sink. I stared at my phone for a while, remembering what she said to me last night. The sadness that crept into my heart was indescribable, making me feel the need to leave the office for the day. I swallowed and kept my phone, "Let's go," As much as I didn't feel like going to the office, I knew staying at home wouldn't help either. Anna was someone who had taken root in my heart, and a day off from everything wouldn't uproot her from there. I needed to live my life like I had always done without having to think of h
Beyond the betrayal Chapter 36
Anna's POV Styling my hair, I felt slightly nervous. My mind wouldn't stop replaying last night's scene, and I sweated. Seeing Dorian again was something I hadn't truly prepared for, and it made me feel anxious. I let out a deep breath and picked up my phone. It was time to leave home, time to see... Dorian again~ I pressed a finger on my lips and rubbed it gently. Heck, this is hard! I shook my head and dropped my bag on my shoulder. The time wouldn't have waited for me, and as a worker, I needed to get to the office as fast as I could. Leaving the house, my mind wouldn't stop replaying last night's incident, and the more that happened, the more I felt conflicted and wondered if I should just return home. I stared at the company, hiding the thoughts in my mind, but my legs refused to move. A part of me wanted to go in, but a bigger part wanted to run away. It wasn't as if I didn't want to see Dorian... but, Shit! Too nervous~ Way too nervous ~ I hit my forehead and decid
Beyond the betrayal Chapter 35
Dorian's POV I held my ground as the mob boss pointed the gun at me. The silly smirk was still plastered on his face and I wanted nothing more than to wipe the smile off his face.“What is this, really? If this is about showing off, you’ve done enough already. So why don’t you tell me what you actually want. What problem do you have with me when I don't even know you.”He chuckled, clearly enjoying my irritation. “You think I’m in charge here? No, I’m just following orders,” he replied with a shrug. “We see everything you do as we have been watching you for a long time. For now, the boss is just toying with you. He wants to see what you’re made of.”I narrowed my eyes, searching his face for any hint of what he was playing at but he appeared sincere which made me all the more confused and annoyed. “And who is this mysterious ‘boss?”He chuckled again, clearly amused by my questions. “Let’s just say he knows you a little better than you’d like. And he doesn’t need you pretending to be
