The piercing scream left my mind blank.On the phone screen, I saw myself being abused by Henry night after night, the man mercilessly beating and kicking me. Every time I tried to fight back, he would hurl insults at me. My heart pounded in my throat as I quickly shut off the phone, unable to bear another second. When did Henry even record this?Glancing briefly at the security guard standing at the door, I hurried back to the bedroom, throwing everything within reach onto the floor.Chaos surrounded me.Ignoring the pain in my ankle, I scanned every corner of the bedroom. Behind the picture frames, near the power outlets, even behind the vases—hidden cameras of all sizes, capturing every angle, emitted faint red lights.Furious, I yanked out all the cameras, horrified at the thought of when these had been installed. How long had people been watching me suffer, with these videos eventually making their way to Tanya?Rage flooded through me as I stomped on the cameras, desperately tr
The downpour blurred my vision, and I hastily wiped the rain from my face. The mountain path was slick with mud, overgrown with weeds, and sharp branches occasionally scratched at my legs. Each scrape sent stinging pain through the rain-soaked wounds.The sharp gravel dug into the soles of my bare feet, but I couldn't stop. The security guards were closing in behind me, relentless in their pursuit.Under the faint light of the moon, I could barely make out the path ahead. Dark shadows flitted through the trees, and birds with eerie cries swooped above, their wings cutting through the stormy sky. I glanced back in panic, seeing the guards gaining on me, closing the gap quickly. My heart raced as my foot slipped, and I fell hard onto the ground. The cold, wet earth pressed against me, and I let out a pained groan as I scrambled back to my feet.Just as one of the guards was about to grab me, my foot missed a step, and I tumbled down the slope.The world spun around me. Tree branches wh
It was precisely because Lucy's lie had been exposed that she decided to burn everything down, supporting Henry and completely turning against Pierce. Two people who had nothing to do with each other were now united by a shared goal.Both wanted to drag Pierce down into the abyss, but in the end, I was the one who suffered.As I was lost in thought, Tanya quietly closed the bedroom door and sat beside me, her expression serious as she handed me her phone.A vile sound filled the room.My eyes widened, shock written all over my face.The video showed a dimly lit hotel room, and on the bed were none other than Henry and Lucy, tangled together. I could hardly believe it—they were actually in such a close relationship.Seeing my disbelief, Tanya pushed the phone into my hand. "I paid a lot to get this from a paparazzo. What happens next is up to you."My grip on the phone tightened and my lips pressed into a thin line as the desire for revenge surged through me.But I didn’t act on impuls
Tanya sat across from me, noticing my thoughtful expression. She cleared her throat as if testing the waters. “Florence, are you wondering who caused the Caldwell family to go bankrupt?” she asked, cautiously.I simply nodded quietly.Tanya let out a long breath and, true to her lively nature, moved closer to me, squeezing my shoulders. "Well, I’ll tell you, but don’t get mad."After I promised, she finally revealed the truth."It was Pierce."I wasn’t exactly surprised when I heard his name, but it still stirred something deep inside me. Henry had constantly targeted Pierce, so it made sense that Pierce would retaliate.Just as I was processing this, Tanya handed me a cup of tea. “Actually, Pierce has…” she trailed off, her brow furrowed, hesitating. Her indecision was frustrating, making me lose my patience.“What about him?” I snapped, my voice suddenly louder.Any mention of Pierce seemed to trigger me as if the anger I harbored for him and his past actions was something I could
Before the two employees could finish, the receptionist standing beside me cleared her throat, cutting them off. The moment they saw me, they instantly shut their mouths and hurried away with their heads down.I watched them leave, confused by their panic. What were they whispering about? What had happened with Pierce that got his employees talking like that?But work came first. I pushed aside my curiosity and extended my hand toward the older gentleman approaching me.I’d heard that he was the backbone of the company, especially with Pierce being away—apparently on a business trip.His eyes lit up when he saw me, a smile spreading across his face. "Miss Lambert, it’s been a while. You’ve changed quite a bit."The meeting went smoothly, and the old man was surprisingly warm and full of praise. It was hard not to feel pleased with how well things were going. I was relieved that my history with Pierce hadn’t affected the deal.Just as I was about to leave, the older man called out to me
The moment I heard the news, my entire body trembled. I crouched down, hugging my shoulders tightly. My eyelashes fluttered as something cold slipped from my eyes, like icy water pouring over me, drenching me to the bone and chilling my heart to the core.Why…Why did Pierce have to bear it all alone?I finally understood why he kept pushing me away, only to return time and again—begging, helping, even pleading with me not to marry someone else. He loved me, but he believed he couldn’t afford to love me. He saw his love as a burden to me.So, Pierce began weaving his lies. He deceived me into thinking he’d fallen out of love, that he was moving on, that he was getting married and even having a child. His indifference, his disdain, and the way he played with my emotions—all of it was an act.He did it all to drive me away, to make sure I’d never look back.Pierce didn’t want me trapped under the shadow of his death. He figured that if I hated him enough, then when his time finally came,
I stumbled back a step, tripping over the overgrown weeds and crashing to the ground. The gravel bit into my palms, sending a sharp pain through my hands. With a groan, I quickly stood up, eyes darting to the balcony.It was empty.But I knew Pierce was there.Swallowing hard, I didn’t hesitate and called out to the vacant balcony, "Pierce, can we meet? Please?"There was no response."Pierce, I know everything now. Stop lying to me. It was me who misunderstood you and hurt you time and again. I’m the one who should apologize."My voice broke, tears spilling freely as all the bitterness and regret that had built up inside finally burst free."Pierce, just meet with me, please. I’m begging you."I stood there, gasping for breath, hoping desperately for a response. Finally, his voice came, cold and distant."Go away. I don’t want to see you."The words hit me like a blow, and I collapsed to the ground. My eyes grew hollow as memories of our time together flashed through my mind. I cover
Pierce had finally agreed to see me.I followed Grace into the estate. The house was dim, filled with an eerie silence. Despite the presence of several family doctors, not a word was spoken. As I entered, all eyes turned toward me. I gave a slight nod and made my way upstairs to the last bedroom. The strong scent of medicine hit me the moment Grace pushed the door open, and my legs almost gave out beneath me.It had only been a few months, but Pierce’s face was gaunt, his cheeks hollow, and his pale lips barely clung to life. He struggled to sit up in bed, his expression twisted with pain. Tiny beads of sweat covered his forehead, and every small movement seemed to bring him agony.Unable to accept the sight before me, Pierce didn’t even look at me. Instead, he stared blankly out the window, watching the rain fall.My soaked clothes dripped steadily, forming a small puddle at my feet as I trembled and slowly stepped toward him.Tentatively, I reached out to take his hand, but he pul