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Closer to a War
Last Updated:
2024-09-09 18:26:16
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Resisting My Ex-Bully The Article
JOSIEI kept pacing around our office, thinking, trying to put the pieces together. My mind was overloaded with grim thoughts. Our system was supposed to be impenetrable, and yet the image presented in the article looked so real...“The reporter claims that his informant found that offer and the ‘free sample’ on one of the dark web forums,” Ashley said.I bit the inner side of my cheek. “Someone might have put it there just to bait the press,” I mused.“That's possible,” Kei agreed before turning to Ashley. “Do we know how much this seller wanted for the database?”“One million,” Ashley said, smiling grimly. “The offer disappeared after an hour. We don't know if it was because someone bought the database.”“It would have been easier if the reporter gave us the name from the formula in this ‘free sample.’ We could at least verify whether or not this user actually exists,” Martin grumbled, folding his arms over his chest.“He can't.” Ashley gave him a look. “It's all because of the prot
Last Updated : 2024-09-10Resisting My Ex-Bully Dodging the Bullet
I strode through the corridor, heading to the conference room where my trial had already started... without me. It must have been convenient to throw accusations when I wasn't there to defend myself. Cowards.All Blair Digital board members demanded this meeting, so Killian had no choice but to agree. As the CEO of the company, he was supposed to be neutral and calmly evaluate whether the board's arguments were reasonable or not. All for the sake of the company. I knew that once I entered that room, I would be on my own.Brandon McConnell's snarling tone boomed across the long corridor, not even the meeting room's thick door could stop it. The words were muffled, but I was certain that all his vicious sounds were aimed at me. I decided that knocking was unnecessary, so I just turned the door handle and entered.“—yet you placed some idiotic hopes in the hands of an immature wench who knows nothing about business!”I closed the door behind me, and all heads snapped toward me. McConnell
Last Updated : 2024-09-11Resisting My Ex-Bully For the Sake of the Company
I stared at the man before me, the man who looked so much like Killian. Even in this simple chair, he resembled a king—a powerful ruler facing his subject. Whenever I appeared in front of him, I saw the stunning confidence and strength, but now all I sensed was tension and exhaustion.I gave him a wry smile. “I was just about to leave…”“I wouldn't have come here if it hadn't been important and urgent,” he said tightly, gesturing at the three-piece suite for me to sit in.I eyed him warily before walking over to the sofa. He followed me and sat in front of me. Faint tendrils of irritation clawed their way out to the surface, finally pushing the words out of my throat. “Mr. Blair, I know you don't like me. This was a long and seriously crappy day for me, and if you want to say something that could annoy me beyond the nonsense I heard from some of the board members—”“I didn't come here to argue or insult you,” he stated calmly. “However, I'm afraid you won't find my words... pleasant.”
Last Updated : 2024-09-11Resisting My Ex-Bully A Moment Before Parting
I told Killian I had one more thing to do before I went back to my apartment. I needed time to calm down and clear my head. I had promised I wouldn't tell Killian about my agreement with his father, but that didn't mean I would keep my friends in the dark as well. My team had the right to know what was about to happen, and I was about to tell them...The emergency meeting was taking place in Ashley's and Aaron's apartment. I waited until everyone, including Aaron, was present. We all sat in the living room. Ashley and I sat on the sofa. Mancy and Kei took the chairs on the opposite sides of the coffee table while Martin and Aaron decided to sit on the fluffy carpet in front of the sofa.Then I told them about the conversation I'd had with Maxwell Blair. I described what I'd seen in the pictures—Yan Hao's army. When I finished, silence filled the room. It lasted for about a minute or two. It was Mancy who spoke first.“I want to see your agreement,” she demanded. “As a lawyer, I cannot
Last Updated : 2024-09-12Resisting My Ex-Bully Her Choice
KILLIANI unwrapped Josie layer by layer until I could fully admire every stunning inch of her skin. Then I laid her down on the bed and traced every peak and valley with my fingertips. I could feel the gentle shiver coursing through her as I reached the curve of the breasts. Then my mouth replaced the fingers, and I took my time worshiping the sensitive pink skin of her nipples. She moaned as I nibbled on the hardening peak, and I couldn't help but smile.Her hands restlessly traveled down, gripping the hem of my tee and dragging it up. Chuckling softly, I pulled it over my head. She bit her lip as her fingers explored my chest and abdomen as if she wanted to memorize every muscle in my body. Her expression changed suddenly, and she sucked in a sharp breath.“What's wrong?” I whispered, lowering my head to kiss her.Her lips stretched into a smile, but her eyes filled with sorrow. “I love you,” she murmured.My brows knitted. “That's not an answer.”“Nothing's wrong,” she muttered, h
Last Updated : 2024-09-12Resisting My Ex-Bully My Exile
JOSIEThree Days Later“Thank you! Goodbye!” I waved my hand and smiled at the two men who had just finished carrying the final piece of furniture into my new apartment.I closed the door, feeling absolutely exhausted, as if I were the one doing all the heavy lifting instead of the bulky men who had just left. I took a few steps and slumped on the sofa in the center of my new spacious salon. My eyes drifted to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Rittenhouse Square, and I let out a long sigh.The view was lovely, and so was the entire apartment, but I missed New York. Perhaps I was an idiot for choosing Philadelphia instead of somewhere further away. Perhaps I should have moved to the West Coast... or to Alaska, but I didn't think I could bear being that far away from Killian.It was the third day of my "exile,” and I was already going crazy. The restlessness was eating me alive. Only now did I realize what a perfect distraction my job had been. Without it, all I could do was thin
Last Updated : 2024-09-13Resisting My Ex-Bully Finding Leverage
Hope. It filled every inch of me. I could hear it hum beneath my skin, satiating me with warmth. I felt it long after I put down the phone and went to bed. It might be over soon. I would return to New York, to Killian, to my friends... Soon.My smile remained as I closed my eyes, trying to drift into sleep. But the sleep didn't come, and as I tried to find a way to travel into unawareness, my anxieties crawled out to the surface again.What if something went wrong? What if the evidence turned out to be fake? What if it wasn't fake but still not enough to convict Yan Hao? Suddenly, I couldn't breathe again. There were too many variables. Too many aspects that we might not even know about...“He is always a few steps ahead,” I muttered, recalling what Maxwell Blair had said about Yan Hao. It was as if that bastard had his eyes everywhere…The realization hit me, and suddenly I was on my feet, running to my computer. My heart thundered in my chest as I entered my virtual drive, going thr
Last Updated : 2024-09-14Resisting My Ex-Bully Rumor Has It
I wasn't sure if I was more annoyed or curious when I was on the way to meet David. We had chosen a different place this time. We needed a place with private rooms and soundproof doors. It turned out there was a place like this in Philadelphia—a restaurant owned by one of Gunner's old friends.It took me more than thirty minutes to get to the restaurant in Chestnut Hill. I wasn't particularly happy, knowing I would waste more than an hour moving around the city—the time, which should be consumed on working on my newest project. Now I could only hope that whatever David was about to tell me would be worth wasting that time…The restaurant was called Himitsu, meaning Secret in Japanese. The name was quite adequate since the entrance looked like the porch of a neglected house with no signs mentioning the restaurant outside. As soon as I passed the threshold, a smiling concierge led me to long, round stairs going down. Yep, it turned out the restaurant was in the deep basement... I cursed
Last Updated : 2024-09-15
Latest chapter
Resisting My Ex-Bully Irresistible
Four Years LaterYan Hao, Estelle, and Isabelle had become nothing more than a bad memory. Lou Zichen had been quickly convicted and sent to prison. Estelle and Isabelle landed behind bars six months later. The remains of Yan Hao's army and all his collaborators had been caught one by one. Special Agent Brooks made sure they all ended where they belonged. As if sensing there was no more danger around us, Aria, our beautiful daughter, was born a day after the final trial ended.My once filled with dread and nightmares life had become nearly blissful. Certainly, large areas had needed to be rebuilt, but Killian and I had pieced it back together. I had never returned to Blair Digital. After a year, Blair Digital merged with Tony's company, becoming Blair & Melton Interactive. Killian and Kaiden had recreated the Blair Consortium, making it twice as profitable as before. Of course, they both had wanted me to work for the consortium, assuring me I would find a place there. I'd refused. Inst
Resisting My Ex-Bully Following the Plan
Killian didn't like my decision. He'd spent hours trying to make me change my mind, but I knew that this was the only way to end this. Since my leading doctor refused to let me out of the hospital, my team moved into my room, computers and other tech gear included. Killian brought me a laptop table so I could work while lying in bed. Well, at least I wasn't breaking the doctor's orders, not entirely.In two days, we managed to add over fifty more locations to the Eye. We focused on private airports, harbors, and train stations. Then we slowly began to plug as many traffic cameras as we could. The area watched by the Eye extended its range with every second, but it still wasn't enough to find Yan Hao.“Ryuu should have helped us search for his former boss,” Ashley grunted, her eyes locked on the computer screen.I let out a long sigh. “Ryuu has done enough. I cannot blame him that he took his mother and left. Now they can be family again.”Ashley shook her head. “Still, he should have—
Resisting My Ex-Bully Almost Safe
JOSIEHe had come for me. He had found me. I remembered his lips on mine. I remembered a vague smile curving his lips. I remembered my voice cracking. I remembered the tears mixed with laughter… Then the sounds and images became blurry. Killian's voice softened and faded.I must have fainted afterward.Returning to awareness was followed by the pain. It pulsed through different parts of my body, but it didn't bother me that much. Perhaps I owed it to painkillers, or perhaps I felt that way because I knew I was safe.Despite the ache, my lips curled up slightly as I opened my eyes. I was lying in bed—a hospital bed—covered with soft sheets. A drip was connected to my arm, most likely the reason the pain I felt was almost acceptable. But none of that put a smile on my face or filled my chest with warmth. Killian's touch did it.He was sitting by my bed, his hand holding mine. His head rested next to our joined hands, his eyes closed. I slowly rose to sit, carefully not to move my hand o
Resisting My Ex-Bully The Countdown
After carefully analyzing the route and comparing it with the plans Tony had found before, we continued through the woods according to Ryuu's instructions. We climbed a small hill and finally saw it—a ten-foot-tall barbed wire fence with watch towers.“Son of a bitch,” Kaiden breathed out as his eyes took in the ridiculously well-guarded facility. “I've seen prisons with less security.”My lips formed a thin line. “Well, now we know for sure that the tunnels are the only way in.”I contacted Gunner and the rest of the groups searching other areas, informing them of what we found. I looked at my watch, and my stomach churned. We had less than twenty minutes, and that was only if Yan Hao decided to stick to his own rules. A part of me knew he might choose to kill Josie sooner...My chest tightened at the thought. I needed to get inside. I needed to find her. Now. “How long until you get here?” A low growl rang in my tone.“Three minutes,” Gunner replied, panting. I knew that he was prob
Resisting My Ex-Bully Calculated Risk
KILLIANThree Hours EarlierThe Happy App, Josie's creation, no longer existed. Yan Hao must have gotten desperate to get money, and he most likely forced some poor bastard to hack the system, using all means necessary. As Ashley and Kei explained to me, the hacker had entered the system thanks to a small device planted in the server room. Of course, that meant someone from Yan Hao's army must have broken into Blair Digital... I made a mental note to fire the head of security upon hearing the news.This attack might have ended in a huge disaster. I didn't even want to imagine the chaos such a monstrous leak of data could have caused. Certainly, Josie had created a drastic solution in case everything went south. She anticipated the worst scenario. She might have sacrificed her dearest creation, but she sure as fuck saved the entire company.I loved her for it... and for many other reasons... and perhaps a few more I still couldn't remember. Now I could only hope the rest of my memories
Resisting My Ex-Bully A Heartbeat From Dying
My body began to rattle as I stared at Ryuu. Again, his expression was unreadable. Was it just a part of an act, an improvised solution, or did he decide not to respect the deal we made?“You bastard,” I breathed out.Ryuu responded with a cold smirk. “We both know Killian will do anything to have you both back... alive. Let's make him hope he'll get to see you again.”Yan Hao looked at me before bursting into cold, disgusting laughter. “Then should we let history repeat itself? Should I let him pay a generous amount of money before slitting your throat? It would be quite poetic, don't you think? Like father like son. Maxwell Blair thought he was saving his brother... I bet that his son will pay just as eagerly.”A shudder rushed through my body, and my eyes filled with tears. I didn't even know if Killian was conscious. They didn't know that either. Then again, this was a way to buy more time. If Yan Hao wanted Killian's money, he would need to wait for his answer, probably send proo
Resisting My Ex-Bully The Sliver Of Hope
JOSIEI tried not to think about what was happening on the upper floors. I tried not to think about that arrogant hacker or that the Happy App might no longer exist had he decided to break into our system. Instead, I tried to make those hours count. I talked to Mrs. Satoh, slowly establishing her condition and if there was a chance either of us could escape her cell. The good news was that she wasn't cuffed or otherwise restrained; the bad news was that she had already tried everything, scaling the wall to find a single loose rock included. Well… shit.“So you've been talking to my son?” Mrs. Satoh's voice cracked slightly. “I haven't seen him for more than three years…”My chest tightened. “How long has Yan Hao held you captive?”“I lost track of time,” she murmured. “But I wasn't always locked in a cell like this. Sometimes, I was given a nice room. I was fed well too. My conditions changed depending on…” She trailed off, but I knew what she was about to say.“Depending on Ryuu's ob
Resisting My Ex-Bully Almost There
KILLIANI stared at the large map displayed on the wall-size screen. The red dots marked the places where Yan Hao's men were recently seen—the possible places where they gathered. We had today's war meeting at Gunner's base, in his office. The base, seldom occupied by more than twenty people at a time, was currently filled with more than two hundred. We all could sense that Yan Hao had been preparing for his final strike, and we had to make sure we could respond to whatever he came up with.The door opened, and Samuel Brooks entered the room. The FBI agent gave Gunner, Kaiden, and me a tight smile before walking over to the map and stopping beside me. “Good to see you alive and well,” he muttered by way of greeting.“Good to be alive.” I smiled wryly.Gunner rose from his chair behind the desk and stepped toward us. “I hope you left your badge outside like I told you to, Brooks,” he warned, giving the agent a firm stare. “If you're not certain whether you'd like to be part of this, be
Resisting My Ex-Bully Buying Time
“What do we do now?” I choked out when Ryuu finally opened the bathroom to let me out.“We need to go.” He grabbed my arm and started pulling me toward the door.Panic surged in an instant. “I can't! I don't even know if the encrypted message passed! I didn't find your mother either!”Ryuu grabbed my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. “We don't have more time. If I don't bring you to Yan Hao now, we're both as good as dead.”I sucked in an uneven breath, ineptly trying to calm down and failing. “So... what will happen now?” I finally managed.He exhaled slowly and looked me up and down. “You'll have to lie, and you'll have to be very convincing. You'll have to put on your best act, as if your life depends on it because it will.”I swallowed a thick knot in my throat. “Tell me what to do,” I breathed out.“First of all, you'll have to act like you're disoriented,” he said. “A few people saw me when I carried you here. You'll have to pretend as if you were unconscious most of the t
