Helena’s heart soared with triumph, but before she could bask in her victory, her eyes shifted to the woman beside Ray. A flash of annoyance crossed her mind, but she pushed it aside. The next part of her plan required precision, and she couldn’t afford any distractions. Ray was hers now, she just needed to get rid of the pesky woman who had latched onto him all night. Helena's mind raced as she considered her options. She could cause a scene, but that would draw unwanted attention. Instead, she decided on something subtler. Her eyes landed on a group of well-dressed women nearby, all of whom had been eyeing Ray throughout the night. She recognized one of them as Amanda, the daughter of a prominent politician and an insufferable gossip. Helena approached Amanda with a smile that was equal parts sweet and calculating. "Amanda, darling, you won't believe what I just heard." Amanda's eyes lit up, her curiosity piqued. "Oh? Do tell." Helena leaned in, her voice low and confidential.
Chapter 56: Humiliation---Helena's mind was awash with a foggy haze, her body no longer her own. The drug coursed through her veins, twisting her thoughts and desires into something unrecognizable. She barely registered the man, older and grizzled, standing before her. He was a stranger, yet in her drugged state, he was all that her body craved. Her vision blurred further as she stumbled forward, her hands reaching out instinctively.The man’s rough hands caught her, his grip firm as he pulled her close. Helena’s breath hitched, her senses overwhelmed by the foreign touch. A part of her mind screamed to stop, to resist, but the drug had stripped away her control, leaving only base desires in its wake."Come here, you little whore," the man slurred, his voice thick with lust and the effects of the drug. His grip on her tightened as he pulled her closer, his hands roaming over her body with reckless abandon.Helena’s upper body was draped over the back of the couch, her arms clutching
Lilly stood at the edge of the ballroom, with Ray meeting her gaze.“That was unnecessary, you know,” Lilly said, her tone neutral.“I couldn’t help it. No one plots against me and gets away with it,” Ray replied. This was who he was—a man who never showed mercy to anyone who schemed against him or someone he loved. His greatest fear at the beginning had been Lilly hating him after discovering his true nature, but he no longer feared that. He knew his baby girl was incapable of hating anyone. Why hide your true nature when you can be your real self?“That was part of the plan, but why get Mr. Blackwood involved? He had nothing to do with us, so why drug him?” Lilly asked, a little confused. Mr. Blackwood had nothing to do with them, so why drug him?“The moment he decided to lend Helena money for the ball, he became involved,” Ray said.That was an unreasonable logic—destroying a man’s reputation just for his act of kindness. Looking at Ray, Lilly felt like he was being unreasonable.
Derek’s fingers flew across the keyboard as the screen in front of him displayed the explosive news of Liliana Anderson’s return. Chloe stood beside him, biting her lip in worry.“Derek, this is bad,” Chloe muttered. “Everyone’s talking about it, and your job was to make sure any news related to her didn’t get published.”She should have contacted their team of hackers rather than depend on him. Well, her boss chose to listen to her boyfriend, and now this happened.Derek frowned, his focus sharp. “I didn’t even notice it until you showed me,” he admitted, his tone frustrated. The fact that something so significant had slipped past him was troubling. He prided himself on being aware of everything that happened online, especially when it related to his boss. Now he had failed to carry out the order effectively; this was definitely going to come back to bite him. He knew that for sure.“Can you take it down immediately?” Chloe asked, her voice a mix of hope and urgency.“I’m already on
When they finally arrived home, Ray didn’t wait a second longer. His need for Lilly was a wildfire that had only grown hotter during the drive, fueled by the remnants of the drug still coursing through his veins. He couldn’t quench it any longer. He swept her into his arms as soon as they stepped through the door, his grip both possessive and tender, but with a slight edge of desperation that hadn’t been there before.Lilly raised an eyebrow but didn’t protest, her usual composure intact. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her upstairs, their destination clear. Ray’s heart pounded in his chest, the erratic beat matching the intensity of the desire raging inside him. He could feel Lilly’s steady heartbeat against him, a calming rhythm that sharply contrasted with his own storm.As they reached the bedroom, Ray set Lilly down on her feet, though his hands lingered on her waist. The room was bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight, casting long, mysterious shadows. For a
Chapter 60Jerry had always prided himself on his ability to spot details others missed. So when he saw the news about Liliana Anderson all he could notice was the blurry, image of his brother and a woman who maybe the dead Liliana Anderson he knows that man features very well, his instincts kicked in. Most people wouldn’t have given it a second glance, but Jerry knew better. The man’s posture, the way he held himself—even in the fuzzy photo—screamed *Ray*.“What the hell…” Jerry muttered to himself, staring at the screen. He clicked on the image, zooming in and out, trying to get a clearer view, but the more he looked, the more certain he became. His brother was with a ghost. That had to be the only explanation. The infamous ‘Ice Queen’ had died—he was sure of it, well not that sure. Yet here she was, or at least someone who looked eerily like her, standing next to Ray.Ray hands were around the ghost so that means she is the mysterious girl, wait a minute, does that mean his elder
Chapter 61:### Chapter 61Jerry couldn’t wait to tell his mother the news, so as soon as he parked in front of the Manchester estate, he dashed inside, taking the stairs two at a time. The house was quiet, the hour late, but Jerry was too wired to care. He knew his mother would be up, probably sipping tea in her sitting room or reading one of her novels.He burst into her room without knocking, grinning from ear to ear. “Mom! You won’t believe this!”Michelle Manchester looked up from her book, a soft smile playing on her lips. “Jerry, darling, do you realize what time it is?” She set the book down and shook her head, though her eyes sparkled with amusement. “Barging in here like a wild man… what could be so important that it couldn’t wait until morning?”Jerry plopped down beside her on the bed, his energy infectious. “You’re never going to guess who Ray’s dating.”Michelle’s eyebrows arched in interest. “Oh? Is this about that mysterious girl he’s been so secretive about? Do tell,
Chapter 62 Helena groaned as sunlight crept through the curtains, her head pounding from the previous night’s indulgences. Her body ached, a reminder of the intense encounter she’d had. She grimaced, her thoughts tinged with disgust. I can’t believe I slept with that old man, she thought, although grudgingly admitting he had been surprisingly good. As she sat on the edge of her bed, Helena’s anger began to bubble up. A sudden thought struck her like a cold splash of water—the reporter. Her mother had arranged for reporters to capture her and Ray during their supposed intimate moment. Panic surged through her as she recalled the events of the previous night. Did they see? The thought made her stomach churn. She remembered Mr. Blackwood’s hands on her, the two of them lost in the heat of the moment in one of the secluded rooms upstairs. She had been so confident that everything was under control, that no one would dare interrupt her. But what if the reporter had followed her? Wha
Fairy tales didn’t exist. Ray had always known that. And yet, he had let himself believe. Believe that after everything, he could finally have his happy ending. That Lily would come back, that they would put all the chaos behind them and just… be. But four months had passed. Four months, and she was nowhere to be found. And in those four months, she had caused more destruction than she probably even realized. The Anderson family was gone. The Manchester family had been silenced. The power structures that once dictated everything had crumbled beneath the weight of her actions. And yet, the world had gone eerily quiet. The media barely spoke about it. There were no reports, no scandalous headlines, no outrage. It was as if the universe had conspired to erase all traces of her, making her untouchable. He couldn’t reach her. He couldn’t speak to her. He couldn’t even see her. It was hell. And the worst part? It was starting to feel like the version of hell he had
The silence stretched between them.Lilly and Jerry—two people who had seen death, caused death, lived among death—now sat here, unable to make sense of the one loss that actually hurt.Lilly swallowed the lump in her throat.“I thought I could tell you that time would heal this. That one day, you’d wake up, and the pain would be gone.”Jerry gave her a hollow stare, waiting for her to continue.“But that would be a lie.”Her voice broke slightly, but she pushed through.“The truth is… you won’t wake up one day and magically feel okay. You’ll carry this pain with you. Every damn day.”Jerry’s jaw clenched. He knew that already, he knows deep down he will never get over losing his love right before it could even blossom.Lilly reached out and placed a hand over his.“But you’ll learn to live with it,” she whispered. “Because that’s what Chloe would have wanted. She didn’t fight this hard, endure this much, just for either of us to fall apart when she’s gone.”Jerry let out a ragged bre
Ray stared at her, his heart pounding in his chest.“One… m-m-month?” His voice cracked. “That’s too much, wifey.”His grip on her hands tightened, as if afraid that if he let go, she would disappear before his eyes.Lilly’s lips trembled, but she held her ground.“At least this way, you won’t be married to a woman who is mentally unstable, Ray,” she said softly. “And worse—a woman who shares her new body with her dead twin’s split personality.”Ray’s body stiffened.“Split what?” His brows furrowed, convinced he had misheard.Lilly sighed, wiping the stray tear that escaped her eye. “I’m sure you’ve already guessed it, Ray. You’ve seen it. You’ve felt it. Lia and I… we aren’t just one person. And I need to do this—for myself, for you, and for our baby.”Her voice wavered.“I need to be able to give you the same love you’ve given me. To birth our baby in a safe place. Please, Ray… please.” She squeezed his hands, her tears falling freely now.Ray felt something twist in his chest.Lil
The room felt unbearably heavy.Jerry sat still, his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands.And then, without warning—A sob tore through him.“Haaaaaa~~~” he yelled out. For the first time in life he felt like someone was trying to zap life out of him.The kind that clawed out from the depths of his soul, ripping past the walls he had spent years building.Tears streamed down his face. He didn’t even bother to wipe them.This wasn’t grief.This was devastation.This was an unbelievable moment, it was only aFew days ago that he realized the extend of his live for Chloe and now she dead.Dead just like that.This was the feeling of watching the one person who made life feel like more than just blood and war—slip through his fingers.He had lost Chloe.And now, what was left of him?Nothing.Nothing but this unbearable silence, this emptiness that no amount of vengeance could ever fill.He clenched his fists.He had always thought himself untouchable, someone who laughed in the fa
The room was too quiet.The kind of silence that made the air feel heavier, pressing against their chests like an unbearable weight.Lilly sat frozen, her eyes staring into nothing.She wasn’t crying. She wasn’t speaking.She just sat there, lost in the void.Ray was right behind her, not touching, not speaking just there.Because what could he say? What could he do?There were no words for grief like this. No bandage for wounds that cut this deep.On the other side of the room, Jerry knelt beside Chloe’s bed, his hands gripping hers with a desperation that made his knuckles turn white.His lips moved, whispering something under his breath.A prayer.Jerry Manchester the man who had never feared death, who had laughed in the face of danger—was now begging.To a God he didn’t even believe in.“Please—”His voice cracked, his fingers tightening around Chloe’s.“Please, don’t take her.”Tears burned at the corners of his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.He didn’t cry. Not Jerry Man
The scent of iron was thick in the air.Lilly’s eyes, cold and unyielding, swept across the men standing by. Their hesitation irritated her.“What the hell are you all waiting for?” Her voice cracked through the tense silence, sharp as a whip.The men snapped to attention.“Get him out of there. Now.”She didn’t need to say it twice.Two men rushed forward, reaching into the trunk and dragging David Deluca’s battered body out. His weight was dead, limp, his blood smearing against their gloves.“Take him to Damon.”Her tone left no room for argument.The men moved swiftly, disappearing into the building with their barely breathing cargo.Lilly stood still, her breathing measured, her fingers clenched so tightly her nails bit into her palms.She should feel satisfaction.But for some reason—She didn’t.Inside, the air was suffocating.The rhythmic beeping of the life support machine filled the room—until suddenly, the sound changed.The sharp, rapid BEEP—BEEP—BEEP sliced through the ai
Lilly inhaled sharply.Ray cursed under his breath.Jerry looked up, his expression wild, desperate. “We need to stop the bleeding!”But his hands were unsteady, his mind a mess.Lilly took over.“Move,” she ordered, her voice firm.Jerry hesitated, unwilling to let go, but Ray grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back.“Let her work.”Lilly worked fast, grabbing supplies from the medical kit. She cut away the fabric around the wound, assessing the damage. The bullet hadn’t passed through it was lodged inside.“Shit.”With gloved hands, she cleaned around the wound, applying pressure to slow the bleeding. Her movements were steady, precise years of training kicking in.Jerry could barely breathe.“Is she going to be okay?” His voice cracked.Lilly didn’t answer immediately. She grabbed a hemostatic gauze and pressed it firmly against the wound.“This will slow it down until Damon gets here,” she murmured.Ray kept his focus on Jerry, who looked like a man on the verge of breaking.“She’l
The shockwave rattled the car, and Chloe instinctively ducked.“What the fuck—?!” Jerry shouted, glancing at the rearview mirror.One of the enemy vehicles was now a burning wreck.And behind it—The Alpha Team had arrived.Meanwhile, in the Shooter’s Car…Matt watched in horror as one of their vehicles went up in flames.He gritted his teeth, his fingers digging into the seat.“Stop shooting!” he roared.His men hesitated, confused.But one look at Matt’s expression—twisted with fury and frustration—was enough to make them obey.Clark, sitting beside him, turned with a scowl.“Boss, I thought you said they wouldn’t have backup until we reached the city.”Matt’s jaw clenched. His hands balled into fists.“Well, are you fucking blind?” he snapped. “Or just too dumb to realize we’re already in the city?”Clark stiffened.“They own this place,” Matt muttered, his voice low and furious. “This is their fucking territory.”Clark exhaled sharply, running a hand down his face.“Then why the h
Jerry’s hands gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning white. His mind was spinning, Chloe’s words echoing in his head.“You never miss a chance to make me feel like an object.”“But guess what, Jerry? I’m not an object.”His jaw clenched.“When have I ever treated you like an object?” he asked, his voice unusually quiet—almost confused.Chloe scoffed, rolling her eyes.Jerry, however, wasn’t done.His mind raced, trying to piece together where the hell he had gone wrong. Is that why she won’t give me a chance? Does she really think I see her that way?For the first time in his life, Jerry Mancini found himself questioning his own actions.And in doing so—He completely forgot they were being followed.A loud bang erupted behind them, and the car jolted violently to the side.Chloe snapped her head around, eyes widening as she saw the dark SUV gaining on them, its headlights like glowing eyes in the night.“Jerry, focus!” she shouted.Jerry’s head whipped back toward t