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Chapter 8: Five Years later
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2024-10-02 06:00:25FIVE YEARS LATER
The sun glistened off the surface of my $100 million car as I pulled up to the headquarters of Amadeus Multi-Company in its towering headquarters. The car was slick midnight blue, and the purr of the engine sounded like that sated feline lying on the couch watching TV-because that is exactly what those years and hard work and determination had done: transformed my life. When I stepped out, there was this sense in the air, this sort of excitement spreading through the stream of employees congregated in the parking lot.
The moment I tapped my heels on the pavement, heads turned and even whispers went through the ranks of the employees.
Then I heard a voice repeat it once again: "It's her," laced with wonder and adoration. Respect in their eyes was strange, yet exciting. I was no longer the poor, gullible woman who had endured the cruel arm of betrayal; no one addressed me by that title, but another-a name said with r
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I immediately walked away because I feel something at her words. Victoria followed me on our way to the car. The woman’s world still bothered me while I’m looking at the window.The car ride home felt heavy with an inexplicable tension. Victoria remained quiet, but her sideways glances made it clear she thought I was being absurd. Her irritation lingered, and she finally broke the silence when we reached the driveway.“That woman,” she said, wrinkling her nose, “she’s weird. You shouldn’t bother with people like that, Amethyst.”I clenched the steering wheel, breathing slowly to calm my racing thoughts. Victoria’s words seemed shallow in contrast to the gnawing feeling in my gut. “Weird,” maybe, but there was something more to that encounter. Something unsettling."I have a bad feeling," I admitted, trying to piece together the fragments of my past. "I think that woman read my future five years ago. What she said back then—it lines up with what’s happening now. I understand what she m
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-10-02Kneel Before Me, Ex-husband Chapter 10: Invitation
It was as if all blood had frozen in my veins. I sprang upright, a palpable rhythm pounding in my ears. For a moment, I thought I was mistaken. But no. There it was staring back at me on my computer screen.Gideon. And Alexa. A "happy married couple," the article read. People who tore my life apart five years ago.Alexa Sanchez-my step-sister. And Gideon Grayson, who has once been my husband, the man who betrayed me, orchestrated my imprisonment and set in motion the steps to make it fall. And now they flaunt their perfect lives-and Alexa is pregnant with his child. The child that should be mine.I opened the article, each word like a knife twisting deeper into my gut. They'd announced it last night at some gala event, their smiles wide and perfect for the cameras. Gideon beamed with pride to her side, his arm thrown around Alexa's waist as she paraded her belly around.My chest tightened. I could hardly breathe. The pain of the betrayal stood as fresh an
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A second passed and then blinked. I gave nothing away in my expression to reveal my brief wonder. In my head, however, gears whirred as all this weighed through my mind. Marriage? Playing the power play? Was he really infatuated with the Amethyst Amadeus image I've built? Does he really believe I would roll over and just fall into his arms like some kind of trophy to be won?I leaned back in my chair, fingers drumming lazily around the rim of the glass. Studying him very, very carefully, before I'd ever open my mouth and say a word."Mr. Montero," I said, my voice steady and cold, "you and I both know that I don't need a man in my life to secure my position, further my success, or define my power. I've built everything I have from the ashes of betrayal, and I've done it alone."He furrowed his brow slightly, but he remained composed, waiting for me to continue."Call me no longer Mr. Montero, Nicolai, please" he said softly."Marriage isn't somethi
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-10-03Kneel Before Me, Ex-husband Chapter 12: Connection
Those words settled heavy, each one like a stone, sliding into the silence of the room. My heart pounded faster, and I felt the weight of her look settling on me, as if challenging me to contradict her. My grandmother was a wise one, always saying things that got her point across without seeming to; these three words, however, shook me off center."Use him?" I repeated, stumped as to what exactly that meant. Was that some kind of test? Some game I wasn't yet seeing clear? The idea of manipulating Nicolai made my blood run cold, even for me. He was strong, rich, and far more than equipped to play his own games. So was I. And Eleanor knew this world better than most. She'd come up from nothing, just as I had.She saw things I often failed to catch at once.She placed her knitting down on her lap, never raising her eyes from mine. "Yes, my darling. Use him to your advantage. Nicolai Montero is more than simply a man of power-he has something much more valua
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A chorus of voices began to rise from inside, filling the air with an unexpected softness and cheerfulness in a melody:"Happy birthday to you…"I just stood there in awe. My office is filled with my employees. They were smiling, holding balloons and confetti poppers. Center stage was a gorgeous cake that was so white with gold decorations on it with lit candles and my name beautifully written across the top.My birthday?The thought struck me like a tidal wave. How could it be that I had forgotten that today was my birthday?On beholding this scene, teardrops pricked the corners of my eyes, and I could feel the emotion inside rising like froth on a stormy sea. With a quick blink, I pushed my sentiments far back, yet the warmth of the moment didn't let me do so. It had been so completely drowned out with work, lost in the never-ending tedium of keeping my empire afloat and productive that I'd forgotten something as mundane, even pe
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The second Nicolai flashed across my screen, and I knew just what he was going to say. Just like what my grandmother said, Men like him were predictable—eager, always ready to please, thinking they were one step ahead. I picked up the phone, letting a slow, deliberate smile spread across my lips even as he couldn't see me."Amethyst," his voice vibrated through the line, full of hope. "I got your message. I'd love to have dinner with you."I sat in the silence for one beat, let him hang there. Let him coat himself in the anticipation. Control wasn't something I possessed; it's something I wielded. Effortless."Good," I said, my voice as smooth as silk. He was already under my thumb, but I had no intention of making this easy for him."Let me come and pick you up," Nicolai offered, his eagerness spilling over. "I can be at your place in twenty minutes before 8pm—""No," I cut him off sharply, the word hanging between us like a blade. "I'
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The night air cladded around us as if refreshingly cold among the coziness of an intimate dinner we had just shared the moment we stepped out of the restaurant. Nicolai's hovering hand lingered at the bottom of my back, guiding me toward his car, but I stopped some distance from there. My back remained straight, my chin slightly raised, standing firmly in control of the moment."I can take myself home," I told him firmly, my voice leaving no doubt as to the subject of this conversation being closed.Nicolai looked at me. His eyes searched mine for a second, perhaps for a crack in the armor. I held my ground, letting the brief silence between us stretch long enough for him to understand.A small smile tugged at his lips as he inclined his head, hands dropping into his pockets."You always do like to be in charge, don't you?" His tone was playful, but the respect seemed to ring through.He was accustomed to women fawning over him, bending themselves
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-10-05Kneel Before Me, Ex-husband Chapter 16: Comparison
I sat near the fire, tracing the curve of an empty wine glass with the fingers of my right hand as I glanced over at my grandmother, Eleanor. Her eyes had always been warm and bright, but I could see a reserve growing in them now, and I didn't need it today."How about Nicolai's invitation?" she whispered. "Are you ready for that, my dear?" The voice was gentle but a steady reminder of who I once was, like it seemed to come from her lips, but rather from some place deeper.A smile spread over my face, but deep within me was a mile runner always setting his step according to the plan. "I'm thinking and realized that I've been ready for a long time, Grandma. Gideon won't know what hit him." I let the glass sit on the table. Standing up to give her a peck on the cheek ended that harsh line of thought for me. Her hand had reached out to gently squeeze mine into reality in this rare moment of softness."Just remember," she wh
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-10-06
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The door to my office slammed behind Nicolai, his presence still lingering in the air like a storm cloud. I stood there, fists clenched, heart racing, as the sound of his footsteps echoed down the hallway. For a moment, I thought I might collapse under the weight of his words. “You owe me, Amethyst. You’re not getting out of this.”I tried to steady my breathing, tried to push the anger and frustration aside. I was done with him. Done.But even as I forced my thoughts to calm, I could feel the storm inside me building. Nicolai hadn’t come to talk—he had come to control, to make sure I stayed trapped in a deal I had made in a moment of weakness. He wasn’t going to let me walk away, but that didn’t mean I had to roll over and let him take everything.I grabbed my coat, my movements sharp and deliberate as I marched out of my office, my heels clicking on the floor with the same intensity that burned in my chest. As I reached the elevator, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Nicolai’s eyes
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As the finality of the words echoed in my mind, I slammed the phone down onto the passenger seat, my breath coming in sharp, uneven bursts. The engine hummed louder in the quiet, but it did nothing to drown out the storm brewing in my chest. My grip on the wheel tightened until my knuckles were white, the car speeding through the dark streets as though the road could outrun my thoughts.Gideon. Nicolai. Both of them seemed to be haunting me, lurking at the edges of my mind, tugging at the threads of my past like they thought they had any claim to me. But they didn’t. I wouldn’t let them.I had promised Nicolai I would marry him. I hated how his words echoed in my mind, how they pushed into my thoughts no matter how hard I tried to ignore them. He had helped me bring justice to my mother, had fought alongside me when I needed it most. And in exchange, I had given my word—my promise—that I would marry him. A deal sealed in the chaos of a moment, but a deal nonetheless.I closed my eyes
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As I drove through the empty streets, the cool night air creeping through the cracked window, I focused on keeping my grip firm on the steering wheel. The hum of the engine was a dull noise against the thundering thoughts in my head. My pulse still raced from the confrontation with Nicolai, but my mind was more preoccupied with the man who had shown up uninvited: Gideon.I shook my head, trying to clear the confusion swirling in my chest. It had been so long since I’d seen him, and yet, here he was, right when I least expected it.Gideon. I could still feel the weight of his gaze, the way his presence seemed to fill every space between us. But no matter how much he tried to be the hero in my life, I wouldn’t let him back in. Not after everything.The past was filled with too many scars, too many broken promises, for me to entertain the idea of letting him slip back into my life. What he did to me, what we had, couldn’t be undone. I wasn’t some helpless girl waiting for him to save me
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Nicolai groaned, shaking his head, clearly dazed from the punch. Blood dripped from his split lip as he glared up at Gideon, struggling to get to his feet. “You think you can just show up and play the hero? You don’t know what’s going on, Gideon.”“I don’t need to know the details,” Gideon shot back, taking a step closer to Nicolai, his presence towering over him. “I just know you’ve hurt her enough. And I’m not going to stand by and let it happen again.”I stood frozen, still reeling from the shock of the scene unfolding in front of me. Gideon. Gideon was the one who had intervened. It had been so long since I’d seen him, let alone spoken to him, and now here he was, protecting me—when I least expected it.Nicolai, still on his knees, wiped the blood from his chin and glared up at both of us, his voice dripping with venom. “This isn’t over,” he spat. “
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“Meet me at Marble diner,” I replied.Later that evening, I found myself waiting in a quiet café downtown, the place I had arranged to meet Nicolai. It was a small, secluded spot—ideal for a conversation I had no intention of backing down from.My phone buzzed in my pocket. Nicolai’s name flashed on the screen. My thumb hovered over the notification for a long moment. Should I answer? Should I make him wait?Finally, I clicked open the message.I’m here.I took a deep breath and stood, my posture straight, my expression set. No hesitation. I wasn’t about to let my emotions get the best of me.It didn’t take long before he appeared, cutting through the crowd like he owned the room. Nicolai’s eyes locked with mine instantly. Despite everything, I could still feel the old pull between us—but it was no longer enough to make me falter.He reached the table, his usual confident stride faltering for a split second when he saw the steel in my gaze. I didn’t move as he sat down across from me.
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Days had passed since that conversation with Nicolai. The days felt like a blur, a haze of conflicting emotions and unanswered questions swirling in my mind. Every time I tried to focus on something, my thoughts inevitably drifted back to the phone call with Gideon, and the way Nicolai’s voice had cracked with emotion when I’d confronted him.It was almost like I was living in two worlds. There was the world with Nicolai, where everything felt so close to being perfect, where I wanted to believe in us again. And then there was the world with Gideon, a world full of regret, accusations, and a past I couldn’t seem to outrun.I tried to push it all aside, to focus on the present. I had to move on. I couldn’t let Gideon’s words—or Nicolai’s mistakes—ruin everything.But when I arrived home that evening, something felt off.I pulled my car into the driveway, the sound of the tires crunching on the gravel a familiar comfort. I grabbed my purse and walked towards the door, my mind still tang
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The days that followed were suffocating, each moment heavier than the last. Alexa moved through the house like a shadow, her presence only a reminder of what we had lost, what I had lost. She continued her routine—making breakfast, cleaning, pretending that the life we had built together was still intact. But the more I watched her, the more I realized it was all just a charade.I stayed distant. I couldn’t bring myself to be near her, not after what had been said, not after the truth had finally come out. I kept to myself, retreating into the silence of my own mind, where the weight of the last few days pressed down on me like a physical force. The house felt colder than it ever had before, as if it were rejecting me, as if I were rejecting it. And Alexa? She felt like a stranger now.One morning, I found her sitting at the kitchen table, the same spot where we used to share coffee and talk about our days. Her hands were wrapped around a cup, her eyes distant, lost in thought. I stoo
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“Alright,” I said, the words slipping out like a vow I’d made to the devil himself. “But after this, it’s really over. No coming back. No regrets.”The relief that flashed across her face was brief, almost imperceptible, but I caught it. And then it was gone, replaced by the resolve that had brought her here in the first place. She pulled out the papers from the pocket of her robe and set them on the desk with a crisp rustle. The sound echoed in the room, loud and final. I glanced at them, the ink on the page both freedom and a death sentence.With a steady hand, she signed her name, the motion so deliberate, so final, that it made my stomach twist. My heart squeezed in a way that made no sense, as if the world were shifting beneath me, changing forever.“It’s done,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.The weight of those words settled deep into my bones, and I stood there, rooted to the spot, as she turned and walked out of the room. The silence she left behind was deafening,
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The tension in my chest was suffocating as I stared at the bartender, the question ringing in my ears: Was it worth fighting for?My jaw clenched, the stinging ache of regret and desire coiling deep inside me. I took a deep, shaky breath and looked at the amber liquid in my glass, the fire of the whiskey biting at my throat, numbing the chaos in my mind.Amethyst. Her name brought an ache that felt like it would crack my chest open. She deserved so much better than me. And yet, the thought of losing her forever was unbearable.I knew it was stupid, reckless even, but I couldn’t stop myself. I would fight for her, no matter how many times Nicolai pushed his way into her life, no matter how many times I screwed up. She was worth every battle, every scar. But I was running out of chances, out of time.“It’s worth fighting for,” I finally admitted, my voice barely more than a whisper, raw and vulnerable. “But I don’t know i
