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Chapter 46: Betrayal Unmasked
Last Updated:
2025-01-29 20:27:46
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ECHOES OF DECEPTION Chapter 47: The Breaking Confession
“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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"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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In the lavish library of the Peterson mansion, Alexander Steele was sitting down, skillfully swirling the amber-coloured liquid in his glass. The gathering continued in the large ballroom, while Alexander found solace in the calm library, away from the excessive presence of guess. His image as the merciless head of Steele Enterprises came before him, and tonight was no exception. Everywhere he looked, he sensed insincere smiles, the tactful strategies of people trying to win his approval or form alliances. His needs were far greater and far more desperate.The terms of his late father’s will were clear: to secure control of Steele Enterprises, Alexander had to be married within three months. Failure to comply meant the company would fall to his cunning and manipulative uncle, Richard Steele, a man Alexander despised. Richard had spent years scheming to undermine Alexander’s authority, waiting for this moment to seize power.Alexander refused to let that happen. The company was his lif
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Alexander Steele stared down the reporters, his mind racing as the unexpected question hung in the air: “Is your marriage a pretence?” He felt a sudden surge of anger, but his face stayed emotionless. He was skilled at concealing his feelings, but this was a unique situation where one mistake could undo all his efforts.The cameras snapped continuously, with the lights flashing as fast as lightning bolts. Isabella stood next to him, her hand shaking slightly as he held it. Alexander glanced at her, searching for a clue to her thoughts, but her face was a mask of defiance.“The only thing shameless here,” Alexander said finally, his voice steady and cold, “is Richard Steele’s desperation. My wife and I have nothing to prove.”Before the reporters could throw another question, Alexander’s security team moved in, creating a path through the chaos. He tugged Isabella’s hand, leading her toward the waiting car. She followed, her chin held high, but Alexander could feel the tension burning
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The atmosphere at night was tense, with the glowing city lights faintly visible in the distance while Alexander Steele walked back and forth on the penthouse balcony. The occurrences from that night were constantly on his mind, each moment fueling his anger. He had fiercely battled to defend his reputation and empire but watched as his carefully crafted image hovered on the brink of being damaged.Isabella was seated on the edge of the leather sofa indoors, with a pale and strained expression on her face. She held a wine glass in her shaking hands, but she hadn't drunk from it yet. The penthouse, typically a place of lavishness, now seemed like an imprisonment.Alexander rushed back indoors, his intense stare fixing on Isabella. "Will you be honest with me now?”.She responded her voice steady yet lacking confidence, "I've shared all my knowledge with you."Alexander snapped and slammed his fist against the wall, warning him not to lie. The sound echoed, making her flinch. “That man,
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Alexander Steele stared out of his penthouse window, at the wonderful city below with its radiant early morning sun. His reflection glared back at him, a stark reminder of how unsafely close he stood to losing everything. The image, the message, and the recollection of Isabella's shaky refusals echoed in his thoughts like a skipping record.He couldn't rid himself of the feeling that his life was falling apart uncontrollably. Alexander Steele was completely reliant on control.Meanwhile, Isabella sat in the guest room, staring at the ceiling. She hadn’t slept all night. The memories of her past with Greg haunted her like unwelcome ghosts. The café meeting captured in the photograph which she was innocent, but the timing of its resurfacing was deliberate. Someone wanted to destroy her marriage.The question remains who really could be responsible for this?Her thoughts shifted to Clara, Alexander’s vulture-like business rival. Clara had always been ruthless, but Isabella doubted she wa
Last Updated : 2025-01-02
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ECHOES OF DECEPTION Chapter 48: Emotional Struggle
"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
ECHOES OF DECEPTION Chapter 47: The Breaking Confession
“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
ECHOES OF DECEPTION Chapter 46: Betrayal Unmasked
" 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
ECHOES OF DECEPTION Chapter 45: My Enemy
“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
ECHOES OF DECEPTION Chapter 43: A Dangerous Proposition
"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
ECHOES OF DECEPTION Chapter 41: A Risky Disclosure
"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
ECHOES OF DECEPTION Chapter 40: The Brewing Storm
“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
