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Chapter 15 : Checkmate
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2025-03-06 19:21:36
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Bound by deception Chapter 16 : The Lesser Evil
The underground garage is quiet. Too quiet. The pulsating sound of overhead fluorescent lights does not alleviate the tension in my chest. Then—. A phone rings. Not mine. Not Ethan's. One of his men, who is standing near the SUV, responds. His expression hardens instantly. He becomes stiff, his eyes moving towards Ethan.. “Sir, we've a problem.”. My wrist becomes tighter as Ethan holds onto me. With a raspy voice, he moves forward. "Talk." is the response. "The guard maintains a steady breath and then grimaces. "Security breach." is the response. A person made an effort to enter the penthouse elevator.' A previous access number was employed. Hence, Ethan's entire body tenses. “Whose?”. The guard hesitates. “Yours.”. The air shifts. A frigid, fatal silence fills the air. Upon exhaling, Ethan's head is raised. "Substantiate.". The guard continues: "Your personal access code was used by someone else. It didn't work, but they tried it a few more times and then just left.". My
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-06Bound by deception Chapter 17 : A Deal with the Devil
No sound can be heard from the underground parking garage, except for the low hum of nearby vehicles. My spine is shaken as a cold breeze travels through the air.'". I barely notice it. Ethan is my sole focus. His entire body goes still. His jaw muscles flex, and for a moment his grip on my wrist snaps. Still, he remains attached to it. The frigid and sane eyes flicker backwards as they hold out for an immobile call. Ethan snatches it without hesitation. He has a sharp, clipped voice. What the hell is going on? The guard doesn't answer. Nodding away from the phone, he does it instead. The sound is made louder by Ethan touching it. A pause. The other end is murmuring in a low voice.?... Ethan ejects through his nostrils with a sharp sound. He tense his fingers while talking to the phone. "I'll take care of it.". After that, he puts the device in his pocket and heads towards me. The tone of his voice is illegible, but his gaze has been altered. I see it. The flicker of someth
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-06Bound by deception Chapter 18 : A Dangerous Truth
“No.”. The word slips out before I can stop it, sharp and final.Ethan’s brow lifts slightly, like he wasn’t expecting me to refuse. “No?”Despite the constant heartbeat, I maintain my composure. This game is finished, Ethan.' His eyes become sharper, their hues becoming unreadable. A risky situation. Isabella, this isn't a game. My head shakes, my fists compelled towards me. "Unfortunately, it's not true.". You have been weaving around me since the moment we first met.'". His jaw tightens. That's the embers of something he doesn't want me to see. Guilt. But I push on, he keeps pushing the walls between us. “You didn’t just pop in here, did you?” My voice cracks as I continue thinking: “We both knew what to do with each other.” Then there were the words that followed. You've known all along.”. He experiences a muscle tick in his cheek. His silence is my answer. My stomach twists. Despite my need for distance, Ethan follows me, his presence too strong to resist. "You have be
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-06Bound by deception Chapter 19 : A Name That Kills
“Who?”. I can barely contain myself.'"... I feel a fast pulse, my hands resting on the ground. Looking up, Ethan's eyes grow sharper and more determined. "You're not prepared.". My laugh was intense and unfunny. "Not ready to do anything?". I was told by you that my life is not worth living because my father has been murdered and I am now the next one to be killed. Can you please let me know when you're ready?". "This isn't about you, it's about me." Ethan ejaculates forcefully. I raise my voice. "What the fuck is?" What does she mean? His teeth tighten. "As for your dad, he was Alexander Moretti.". "I twitch back like I got hit by him.". That's not—”. “It is.”. The name lingers in our minds, heavy and asphyxiating. Moretti. I know that name. Everyone does. The family's ownership of power was not their own. Deals made in shadows. People who crossed them disappearing overnight.? A name that is whispered like a curse. My stomach knots. “That's impossible.”. With a keen eye
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-06Bound by deception Chapter 20 : Nowhere to run
The bullet rips through the air.I don’t have time to react—only to feel the sting of shattered glass slicing my cheek.“Down!”Ethan’s voice is sharp, commanding.I don’t think. I just obey.Another shot. The window explodes behind us. Wind rushes in, carrying the distant hum of city traffic.“Sniper,” Ethan mutters, dragging me down behind the couch. His grip is firm, unyielding.I duck lower, chest heaving. “Who the hell—”“Not the time, Isabella,” he cuts in. His eyes scan the room, calculating.Another shot. The lamp beside us bursts into pieces.“Move!”I don’t hesitate. Ethan yanks me up, shielding me with his body as we sprint toward the hallway.“Where are we going?” I pant.“Out.”A bullet slams into the wall beside us. Plaster rains down, dust stinging my eyes. My heartbeat is a violent drum, my breath shallow.Ethan doesn’t stop. His grip tightens as he pulls me forward, moving with ruthless efficiency.We reach a door. He punches a code into the keypad.“Hurry,” I hiss, g
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-13Bound by deception Chapter 21 : A Step Ahead
Ethan’s grip tightens around the phone, his knuckles going white. His entire body goes rigid, the tension rolling off him in waves.“Who the hell is this?” His voice is sharp, controlled, but I can hear the fury simmering beneath the surface.A low chuckle filters through the speaker. Smooth, confident. Mocking.“Come on, Sinclair. We both know I don’t need to introduce myself.”Elias.A chill creeps down my spine, slow and suffocating. My fingers curl into the leather seat, my nails digging in as my heartbeat thunders in my ears.“You’re getting sloppy,” Elias continues, his voice laced with amusement. “I expected better from you.”Ethan’s jaw flexes. “What do you want?”Outside, the city blurs past in streaks of neon and shadow, but inside the car, the air feels stifling, thick with unspoken threats.Elias hums, as if considering his words carefully. “You took something from me,” he finally says. “Now I’m taking something from you.”My stomach twists.Ethan leans forward, his voice
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-13Bound by deception Chapter 22 – Too Late
Ethan’s foot slams against the gas pedal, the growl of the engine barely masking the storm raging beneath his exterior. His knuckles whiten against the wheel, jaw set like stone, his entire frame locked with tension. The city blurs past, neon lights streaking against the dark as we race toward the inevitable.But I can’t think about the speed, the reckless urgency.All I can see is that image.Elias, standing in Ethan’s penthouse, a smirk stretched across his face like he owns the place.The text beneath it chills me to the bone.You’re too late, Sinclair. Hope you said your goodbyes.Ethan’s hand jerks as he grips his phone, hitting the dial for Damien. The moment the call connects, his voice is sharp, controlled—but barely.“Tell me you’ve got men there already.”Damien doesn’t hesitate, but there’s something in his tone that sets my nerves on edge.“I sent them as soon as I traced the location. But, Ethan—” He exhales sharply. “He’s not alone.”A cold fist wraps around my stomach.
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-13Bound by deception Chapter 23 – A Game of Blood
“Maya, stay with me.”Ethan’s voice is raw, stripped of its usual control. He crouches beside her, pressing down hard on the wound in her side, his hands already slick with blood. It spreads fast, soaking into the expensive carpet, dark and unforgiving.I drop to my knees, my pulse hammering. “Maya,” I whisper, my voice breaking as I reach for her trembling fingers. “Look at me.”Her lashes flutter, barely lifting. Pain clouds her dark eyes, but she tries to focus. Her lips part, a weak, breathless sound escaping, but the words never form.Ethan’s jaw tightens, the muscle ticking as he glances down at the growing pool of blood beneath her. His eyes darken with something lethal, something dangerously close to losing control.“Damien,” he growls into his earpiece, his voice sharp as a blade. “Where the hell is that medic?”The radio crackles. “Two minutes out,” Damien replies. “But, Ethan—”A pause. The kind that makes my stomach drop.“This was never about Maya.”I already know what he
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-13
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Bound by deception Chapter 49 – Unseen Chains
“The woman at the center of the storm.”Logan Pierce’s words hung in the air like an omen, sinking into the dimly lit room like a fog, thick and suffocating.I forced my expression to remain neutral, though every nerve in my body was on edge. The way he said it, like he already knew me. Like I was some predetermined piece in a game I hadn’t agreed to play made my skin crawl.“That’s dramatic,” I muttered, keeping my voice flat.Logan’s smirk deepened, the corners of his mouth curving with something that wasn’t quite amusement, wasn’t quite malice. “Isn’t it?”Ethan wasn’t amused. “Sit.”He didn’t direct the order at Logan. He meant me.For a moment, I considered defying him. Just to remind him I wasn’t some pawn he could push around. But the weight of exhaustion settled deep in my bones, and I knew I had to pick my battles. So, I sank onto the leather couch, my arms crossing over my chest.Logan, completely at ease, took his time settling into the chair across from me, stretching out
Bound by deception Chapter 48 – Into the Lion’s Den
The SUV sliced through the night like a silent predator, devouring the miles between us and the city. The hum of the tires against the road was the only sound filling the tense silence inside the car. Ethan sat beside me, his jaw tight, his fingers drumming against his knee in a steady calculated and controlled rhythm. His mind was somewhere else, far ahead of us, mapping out the next move, anticipating every possible threat. I stared out the window, watching as the towering skyscrapers and flickering neon lights of New York faded into darkness, replaced by vast stretches of highway and dense, looming trees. The further we drove, the more it felt like we were leaving civilization itself. A cold knot twisted in my stomach. Finally, I exhaled, breaking the silence. “Where exactly is ‘home’?” Ethan’s gaze flicked to me, but his expression remained unreadable. “Somewhere safe.” I let out a hollow laugh. “Safe? There’s no such thing anymore.” He didn’t argue. He didn’t need to
Bound by deception Chapter 47 – No Safe Haven
The room felt like it had been drained of oxygen. I stared at the phone in my hand, my fingers curled so tightly around it that my knuckles turned white. The screen flickered, casting a pale glow on my face, but all I could focus on was the image. The bold, jagged letters scrawled across my apartment door like a bloody warning. Nowhere is safe. A shiver crept down my spine. The words weren’t just a threat. They were a promise. I sucked in a shaky breath, but the air felt thick, heavy, as if the walls were closing in. Ethan moved first. His hand shot out, snatching the phone from my grasp. His grip was tight, controlled, but the muscle in his jaw ticked. A sign that the control was hanging by a thread. His gaze flicked over the image, scanning every detail, and then, with a sharp inhale, he turned to me. “Pack a bag.” I blinked, my mind still trying to catch up. “What?” “You’re not staying here. You’re not going back to your apartment.” His voice was clipped, edged with
Bound by deception Chapter 46 – The Line We Can’t Cross
“Let go of me, Ethan.” I kept my voice steady, but my body betrayed me. My hands trembled. My pulse hammered against my ribs, each beat screaming at me to run. Ethan’s grip on my wrist didn’t tighten, but it didn’t loosen either. His fingers, warm and solid, were the only thing anchoring me in place. He stood rigid, his jaw ticking, his body wound so tight it looked like he might snap. “I can’t.” A shiver rippled down my spine. Elias let out a low whistle. “Oh, this is getting good. What’s next, Sinclair? You gonna lock her up in your penthouse?” Ethan didn’t even spare him a glance. His gaze was locked on mine, intense and unyielding. “If that’s what it takes to keep her safe.” A sharp, bitter laugh escaped me. “You don’t get to decide that.” His grip flexed. Just a twitch of his fingers but I felt it everywhere. “I do when Damien Cross is hunting you.” Elias exhaled dramatically. “And there it is. The Sinclair control complex.” He smirked, shifting against the des
Bound by deception Chapter 45 – The Truth That Shatters
The room felt like it was closing in. The walls seemed narrower, the air thick with something I couldn’t name. The grainy video on the screen played in an endless loop, the scene burned into my mind. Ethan. A silencer. A body collapsing to the floor. Blood spreading like ink across white tiles. My breath came fast, uneven. It was like my brain refused to process what I’d just seen. “Tell me that wasn’t you.” My voice barely sounded like mine. It was strained and fragile on the verge of breaking. Ethan didn’t move. He didn’t speak. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes… God, his eyes. I had seen them dark before, filled with anger, with lust, with unspoken emotions I never had the courage to name. But this? This was different. His gaze was a void. Hollow. As if the man I thought I knew was locked somewhere inside, just out of reach. Something inside me cracked. I stepped back, shaking my head. “Say something.” Ethan finally exhaled, slow and control
Bound by deception Chapter 44 – Torn Between Devils
“Put the gun down, Ethan.” Elias’s voice was smooth and calculated like a snake slithering through the darkness, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He stood in the doorway with the ease of a man who owned the world, his fingers lightly brushing against the frame. His other hand was tucked in his pocket, casual, almost lazy, but I knew better. Nothing about Elias Carter was ever lazy. Every move was deliberate. Every word, a weapon. Ethan, however, was a fortress. His stance was unwavering, shoulders squared, his gun aimed with lethal precision. He wasn’t just holding a weapon. He was a weapon. “You’re trespassing.” His voice was razor-sharp. Elias smirked. Smirked. Like none of this mattered, like he hadn’t just shattered the world I’d built with his sudden presence. “And you’re holding something that belongs to me.” The words sliced through the air, thick with meaning. My breath caught. Me. Ethan’s hold on the gun tightened. “She doesn’t belong to you.”
Bound by deception Chapter 43 – Shadows of the Past
I shook my head, my chest rising and falling too fast. “No.” Ethan didn’t move. Didn’t blink. “Yes.” My pulse pounded against my ribs like a trapped animal. I took a step back, needing distance, but Ethan was relentless, closing in, his presence thick like a storm cloud about to break. “Elias is gone,” I whispered. “He has to be gone.” Ethan tilted his head slightly, studying me like he was waiting for me to figure out the truth on my own. “Do you really believe that?” I wanted to. God, I wanted to. But Ethan’s voice carried the weight of something inevitable, something unshakable. I clenched my fists at my sides. “He used me. Lied to me. Left me.” I swallowed against the tightness in my throat. “Why the hell would he want me back?” Ethan’s eyes flickered with something unreadable before he spoke. “Because you’re the only thing he ever lost.” The words slammed into me. For a moment, the room faded, replaced by the ghosts of memories I had fought to bury. Elias’s hands
Bound by deception Chapter 42 – The Only Way Out
I stumbled back, shaking my head, my breath coming too fast. My heartbeat slammed against my ribs, a wild, frantic rhythm that made my chest ache. “You’re lying.” Ethan didn’t move, didn’t blink. “Am I?” His voice was maddeningly calm, like he was talking about the weather and not completely tearing my world apart. I wanted to believe that. Needed to believe that. But the video kept replaying in my mind, every detail slicing through me like a serrated knife Elias smirking, rolling that damn cigarette between his fingers like I had been nothing more than a business deal, an asset. A job. My stomach lurched. “How long have you known?” My voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper. Ethan exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over his jaw like he was debating how much to say. “Long enough.” I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “And you just let me keep believing he cared?” He arched a brow. “Would you have believed me if I told you earlier?” I opened my mouth, ready to snap ba
Bound by deception Chapter 41 – The Target
The walls of Ethan’s hidden room closed in around me, suffocating, too full of secrets I wasn’t ready to face. My pulse pounded in my ears as his words echoed inside my skull. “You were a job.” It wasn’t possible. It wasn’t real. I took a step back, gripping the edge of the desk to steady myself. The folder with my name on it sat between us like a loaded gun. My life, reduced to paper. Dates. Records. A complete history. Ethan watched me with maddening patience, as if waiting for me to process the truth or waiting for me to break. I wouldn’t. I lifted my chin. “You’re lying.” He sighed, rubbing a hand along his jaw. “I don’t lie, Isabella.” Something in his voice made my stomach churn. He sounded tired, almost resigned, but there was an underlying certainty that terrified me. I turned my back to him, gripping the folder so tightly my knuckles ached. I flipped through the pages again, my eyes scanning too fast, desperate for something. Anything to prove him wrong
