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
Ray stirred as the first light of dawn filtered through the curtains, casting a soft, golden hue over the room. He blinked, slowly waking from a deep, dreamless sleep. His body was warm and relaxed, the usual tension in his muscles absent. As his senses sharpened, he became acutely aware of the soft, steady breathing next to him and the warmth of another body pressed against his side. Lilly. A wave of emotions washed over him as he turned his head slightly to see her still asleep, her face serene and peaceful in the early morning light. The memories of the previous night flooded back, and a deep sense of contentment settled over him. There was something about waking up next to her that made everything feel right. The chaos of the world outside, the responsibilities waiting for him—they all seemed distant and insignificant in this moment. Ray couldn’t help but reach out, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. His fingers lingered on her cheek, marveling at the softness of h
Helena’s hands trembled as she gripped her phone, her eyes scanning the latest message from her best friend. The evidence was undeniable—a screenshot of a blog post, now deleted, showed the mysterious woman in the same dress Liliana had worn to the ball. But what chilled Helena to the bone was the uncanny resemblance between the woman’s facial features and that bitch. “This can’t be happening,” Helena muttered under her breath, her fingers tightening around the phone until her knuckles turned white. The anger that had been simmering inside her since last night erupted, her chest heaving with each shallow breath. How had she missed this? How could that emotionless corpse be with her Ray, let alone in a relationship with her Ray? She was so caught up with her hubby that she didn’t even notice that bitch. Why, why, why! Helena’s thoughts spiraled into a dark, twisted place. She couldn’t fathom how someone like that bitch —a woman who was supposedly an emotional vagabond and had the em