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Chapter 34: The Heart of the Storm
Last Updated:
2025-01-22 23:41:47
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"Clara, wait!" Lucian's words echoed over the low cave.Clara's was heart beating, her hands balled into fists. "You've talked enough, Lucian! You feel you can twist anything and convince me of this?"Lucian got closer, his hands lifted in resignation. Clara, pay close attention to me. You do not know what's at risk of being lost; I adore you." "What could be lost?" Clara snarled, her voice dripping with anger. "You mean my trust?" Mine? Lucian, you already wrecked. I'm done hearing your lies!"Lucian's look softened, thoughts of anguish flashing in his eyes. "I was attempting to protect you. Everything I've done was for you." "Protect me?" Clara made fun, her voice cracking. "You exploited me, Lucian. You lied to me about Isabella, about everything!" "She and Alexander are controlling you!" Lucian responded, his voice increasing in agitation. "Isabella isn't who you think she is. She's dangerous, Clara. She's been playing you all along!" Clara glanced at him, her wra
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"Clara, you're making a mistake!" Lucian's voice echoed behind her as she stormed down the dimly lit tunnel, holding the glowing crystal tightly in her hand.She didn't look back. "A mistake? The only mistake I made was trusting you!" she shouted over her shoulder.Listen to me!" "You don't grasp what you're dealing with!" Lucian shouted, hurriedly increasing his pace in an attempt to reach her."stop following me behind me, Lucian!" Clara whirled around, her eyes blazing with intense fury. "You deceived me." You toyed with my emotions of love, leading me to believe in something that wasn't genuine. "I'm done with you."Lucian stopped in his tracks, his face a mixture of guilt and frustration. "I didn't have a choice, Clara. If you knew--""I am not interested in your excuses," she interrupted him, her voice trembling with resolve. "I'm now taking charge of my own life." "be far from me.”Before Lucian could respond, a figure stepped out from the darkness, and Clara's breath caught in
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"You're wasting your breath, Lucian." Clara's tone was piercing, her arms firmly crossed as she gripped the crystal. "I don’t know who to trust."Lucian's shoulders sagged, but his look didn't shift back. "Clara, I realize I have made so many mistakes." I deceived you and hid matters from you, yet all my actions were meant to keep you safe. "Kindly, trust me.""I meant to protect you?" Clara let out a hollow laugh. "You mean to protect yourself. Or maybe protect whatever you have not me"Lucian moved at her words seeing how emotional she was but took a step closer. "You have all right to be angry, Clara. You have ample reason not to trust me. At this moment, the crystal is altering you, and if you fail to learn how to manage it, you will be risking your safety.""I never requested your assistance," she retorted, turning her back to him. "All of you regard me as a pawn." I'm done being controlled."Before Lucian could respond, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the ro
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“You let her go,” Alexander muttered as he stormed back into the room, his glare fixed on Isabella. “She’s out there alone, and the crystal is unstable. “If something happens to her, you will be held responsible.”Isabella leaned casually against the table's edge, arms crossed. “And what exactly would you have done, Alexander? Dragged her back She’s not a child.”Alexander's hands tightened into fists, his frustration boiling over. "You fail to understand what’s at stake." That crystal is dangerous, and Clara doesn't know how to handle it."She possesses more strength than you know," Isabella stated softly, though her voice carried a touch of resistance. “You’re so focused on handling everything, but you fail to recognize when it’s time to let go.”“Don't talk down on me,” Alexander replied sharply, moving nearer. "You’ve been undermining me from the beginning, and now you pretending to be the voice one should reason?"Isabella's gaze tightened, her composed facade faltering. “Underm
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“Do you always have to be so stubborn?” Isabella asked, her voice breaking the silence as they trekked through the dense forest.Alexander looked at her, his eyebrows knitted together. "And you’re always right, aren’t you?"She halted in her steps, turning to confront him. “You behave as if you’re shouldering the world's burdens by yourself that have turned you into some sort of martyr.” It no not, Alexander. "You have to have trust in others."“Trust?” he echoed, his tone laced with anger. "That's amusing to hear from you, Isabella." "You've built a career by doubting my decisions every time."“Perhaps it’s because accepting your strategy has been unbearable!” she retorted, her hands clenching into his.Walking a few paces behind, Lucian rolled his eyes but said nothing, his envy simmering as he watched the heated exchange between them. He had noticed the romantic moment between Alexander and Isabella several times, and it gnawed at him in ways he didn’t want to admit.Alexander’s
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“I can’t sleep?” Alexander's voice broke the silence of the night, capturing Isabella's attention.She looked up from her chair near the fire, her face glowing with the fire flames. "Not with all that’s on my mind," she confessed quietly.Alexander moved closer, taking a seat next to her. The warmth of his presence was comforting and disturbing, awakening feelings she wasn’t certain she desired to face.“maybe discussing might be of help,” he suggested, his tone calming.She paused briefly, then moved her head. “Talking won't make a difference, Alexander.”“It might not change the situation,” he said, his gaze steady on her. “But it might change how you feel about it.”She sighed the weight of their mission and their complicated relationship pressing down on her. "I have no idea where to begin."He extended his hand, gently moving a lock of hair from her face. The gesture was so loving that it caused her heart to race. "Start with what’s inside," he said, his hand lightly resting on h
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"You've been observing him the entire evening," Isabella said, glancing at Alexander. Alexander didn’t take his eyes off Lucian, who sat by the fire. “I don’t trust him, Isabella. He’s up to something.” “He’s just confused,” Isabella said, even if she distrust t her own words. Alexander’s gaze went to her. Isabella opened her lips to speak, but a startling snap of a stick from the outside of the camp caught their attention. Both turned immediately, their senses heightened. “Who’s there?” Alexander cried out, his voice loud. The atmosphere got heavier, weighted with an unsaid tension that sent chills down Isabella’s spine. “I’m not fond of this,” she mumbled, unconsciously edging close to Alexander. “Remain here,” he instructed his tone providing no space for debate. He rose, his hand reaching to the knife at his belt as he headed towards the direction that the sound was coming from. “Alexander, wait!” Isabella shouted, but he didn’t stop. The firelight flickered
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"Isabella," Clara's voice was filled with a lovely tone as she approached the office door, her shoes tapping on the polished floor. "Alexander's been seeking for you. He needs to discuss the new merger plan with you."Isabella barely noticed her, still engrossed in the documents she was digging through on Alexander's desk. Her eyes wandered across the room. The item on his desk was a reminder of everything that had gone before his ambition to accomplish great things, his choices, and their future together. But it was the envelope, tucked under a stack of documents, that attracted her eye.She paused for a second before she carefully took it up. The envelope was sealed but contained no return address, simply her name written, tidy with familiar handwriting. Clara tried to distract her by bringing up a discussion."Clara, I'm not in the mood for gist," Isabella remarked, her voice stern. She had seen enough of Alexander's past with Clara, the tension, every time she was around, b
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"Lucian, I need answers." Isabella’s voice quivered as she stood before him in the dimly lit study. Her pulse raced, and she tightened her hands to firm her determination. “No more games, no more cryptic warnings. Tell me the truth about your past with Alexander and why you're doing this”Lucian sat back in his chair, a dark smirk pulling at the edges of his lips. “Ah, Isabella. You finally come seeking the truth. But are you sure you can take it?”“Don’t say that I asked of it,” she hissed, edging closer. “If you want me on your side, then stop hiding behind riddles. What is the feud all about?”Lucian laughed, twisting the tumbler of whiskey in his palm. “The feud, as you call it, isn’t just about Alexander. It’s about justice. Your dear Alexander didn’t simply harm my family—he destroyed it and you’ve been playing into his hands all along.”Her stomach twisted at his words, but she refused to back down. “If that’s true, why haven’t you shown me some proof? You keep da
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“You’ve been meeting and seeing Lucian behind my back?” Alexander’s voice pierced through the room. He stood at the window. His hands were fixed in his trousers pocket, and his stare drilled into Isabella, who had just entered the room. Isabella paused mid-step, the allegation striking her like a slap. “Alexander… I can explain.” Her voice trembled, exposing her anxieties. “Explain?” He smiled, his tone filled with anger. “What could you possibly explain? That you’ve been conspiring with the same guy trying to ruin me? That you’ve been lying to my face this entire time?” “I wasn’t plotting anything with him!” Isabella yelled. “Lucian approached me, and I was trying to figure out what he wanted. I did it for you!” “For me?” Alexander's laughter is devoid of humour. “That’s a good one, betrayal in the name of protection? How noble of you, Isabella.” “Betrayal?” She took a step forward, her voice increasing. “You’re the one I should tag a betrayal. How many secrets
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" what more are you hiding from me, Clara?" Isabella’s voice quivered with anxiety. Her arms were crossed firmly as if she might hide herself from yet another discovery. "First, you confess to knowing secrets about Lucian, and now this? I feel like I’m drowning in falsehoods." Clara scratched her forehead, breathing forcefully. "Look, Isabella, I realize this is overwhelming but if you keep questioning me, we might lose time to attach up with him. Lucian isn’t waiting around for us to sort things out. He’s already ahead of the game." "Is that supposed to be comfort words to me?" Isabella shot back, her tone dripping with disdain. "Because it doesn’t. For all I know, you may still be working with him of which I can’t even tell. Maybe this is all part of his plan." Clara slapped her hands on the table. "I told you; I am not loyal to that serpent! He wrecked my life like he is doing yours. Fine. If you don’t want my assistance no problem, but stop behaving as if you could
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“Clara,” Isabella’s voice was low. “Why are you helping me?”Clara stood by the wall, folded her arms, and smiled broadly. "Do you believe I’m doing this just because I’m kind-hearted?" she asked, her voice soaked with mockery. "No, Isabella, I'm assisting us because I also have an issue with Lucian. At this moment, we both have a shared enemy.”Isabella glanced at Clara, confusion twisting in her thoughts. "Lucian? What do you know about him?"Clara’s grin faded, her eyes hardening. “More than you think. But right now, you need to listen closely, because this goes deeper than you could ever think. Lucian has been tugging the strings behind all of this—between you, myself, and Alexander. He’s been manipulating us, setting us against one other.”Isabella took a step forward, her pulse hammering. “No... you’re lying. Why would he do that?”“Because he knows that the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” Clara remarked with a gloomy chuckle. “He’s been manipulating us both to weaken
ECHOES OF DECEPTION Chapter 44: Threads of Deception
"Isabella," Alexander's voice broke through silence, as he came into the room. His look fixed upon hers. "What's going on with you today? You’ve been avoiding me since in the morning."Isabella glanced up from the papers in front of her, her heart beating. She had spent hours pondering Lucian's offer, caught between the weight of his words and her strong love for Alexander. Now, the time had come. "I want us to talk," Isabella began, her voice firm but frigid. "It’s about your past. About what you've been hiding."Alexander’s countenance tensed, his eyes blazing with something unreadable. “What are you talking about? You’re being theatrical, Isabella.”"No," she answered, her voice barely above a whisper as she took out the folder she had been holding all morning. The file seemed like it weighed a ton in her hands, each paper within it a piece of the truth she had unearthed. “I’m not being dramatic. You lied to me, Alexander. All these years, you’ve been hiding things fr
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"Lucian," Isabella's voice quivered as she stood frozen awaiting Lucian's arrival at the office corridor after closed work, her facial expression was more of confusion. "What do you mean by that earlier?"Lucian’s face remained unreadable, his eyes focused upon hers. The quietness between them stretched like something heavy in the air. Finally, he began, his voice calm yet tinged with something deadly."I meant exactly what I said, Isabella." Lucian's tone changed a sparkle of something more personal flashing under his ordinary ace. "Your loyalty will be tested, and when the time comes, you’ll have to decide who you stand with."Isabella could feel her pulse rate go up, the weight of his words sinking deeper. "Stand with who? You or Alexander?"Lucian moved a step closer as if every action was planned. "What if I told you Alexander isn't who you think he is? What if I told you he’s been playing both sides all along? The reality you’ve been so anxious to ignore… it’s there in
ECHOES OF DECEPTION Chapter 42: Secret of Merger Plan
"Isabella," Clara's voice was filled with a lovely tone as she approached the office door, her shoes tapping on the polished floor. "Alexander's been seeking for you. He needs to discuss the new merger plan with you."Isabella barely noticed her, still engrossed in the documents she was digging through on Alexander's desk. Her eyes wandered across the room. The item on his desk was a reminder of everything that had gone before his ambition to accomplish great things, his choices, and their future together. But it was the envelope, tucked under a stack of documents, that attracted her eye.She paused for a second before she carefully took it up. The envelope was sealed but contained no return address, simply her name written, tidy with familiar handwriting. Clara tried to distract her by bringing up a discussion."Clara, I'm not in the mood for gist," Isabella remarked, her voice stern. She had seen enough of Alexander's past with Clara, the tension, every time she was around, b
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"You've been observing him the entire evening," Isabella said, glancing at Alexander. Alexander didn’t take his eyes off Lucian, who sat by the fire. “I don’t trust him, Isabella. He’s up to something.” “He’s just confused,” Isabella said, even if she distrust t her own words. Alexander’s gaze went to her. Isabella opened her lips to speak, but a startling snap of a stick from the outside of the camp caught their attention. Both turned immediately, their senses heightened. “Who’s there?” Alexander cried out, his voice loud. The atmosphere got heavier, weighted with an unsaid tension that sent chills down Isabella’s spine. “I’m not fond of this,” she mumbled, unconsciously edging close to Alexander. “Remain here,” he instructed his tone providing no space for debate. He rose, his hand reaching to the knife at his belt as he headed towards the direction that the sound was coming from. “Alexander, wait!” Isabella shouted, but he didn’t stop. The firelight flickered
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“I can’t sleep?” Alexander's voice broke the silence of the night, capturing Isabella's attention.She looked up from her chair near the fire, her face glowing with the fire flames. "Not with all that’s on my mind," she confessed quietly.Alexander moved closer, taking a seat next to her. The warmth of his presence was comforting and disturbing, awakening feelings she wasn’t certain she desired to face.“maybe discussing might be of help,” he suggested, his tone calming.She paused briefly, then moved her head. “Talking won't make a difference, Alexander.”“It might not change the situation,” he said, his gaze steady on her. “But it might change how you feel about it.”She sighed the weight of their mission and their complicated relationship pressing down on her. "I have no idea where to begin."He extended his hand, gently moving a lock of hair from her face. The gesture was so loving that it caused her heart to race. "Start with what’s inside," he said, his hand lightly resting on h
