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Finding Leverage
Last Updated:
2024-09-14 02:27:02
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Resisting 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 : 2024-09-15Resisting My Ex-Bully The Truth Revealed
KILLIAN“I have a few important things to tell you,” Josie said, uneasiness threading her voice.She called me around eleven o'clock, and when we finished talking, it was way past midnight. She told me about her meeting with the reporter, David Scott, and what she had learned from him. I wasn't sure I was breathing as she revealed the new, far more terrifying version of what had happened over a decade ago.I needed to tell my father... although I didn't know how. Maxwell Blair was a cold, calculated son of a bitch most of the time, but I knew that he had loved his brother. Learning that he had given money to his killer would be a devastating blow for him.Kaiden had to learn about it, too, and God only knew how he would react to that. Would he blame my father? Probably. Would he try to beat the holy shit out of him? Most likely.There was one thing I could be certain, though: after hearing the news, both, Kaiden and my father, would definitely want Yan Hao dead. Yet killing Yan Hao mi
Last Updated : 2024-09-15Resisting My Ex-Bully Motherly Love
“I believe you still owe me an apology, Killian.” Mother strode toward me as I left Father's study. “I think you finally know what a lying wench your ex-girlfriend is. It would have been so much easier if you'd just believed me those years ago.”I faced her, holding her stare for a moment before lowering my head. “I apologize. I admit… I misjudged your motives. Yet I still don't approve of the methods you used.”She folded her arms across her chest. “Fair enough,” she muttered, pushing past me and walking toward her orangery.I watched her in growing disbelief. “And that's it? You just want to end our years of cold treatment this way?” I stepped toward her, my hands fisting into balls. “Not to mention, after everything you've just heard... you're just going to walk away and drink tea?!”She halted and turned around. “What do you want me to do? Scream? Slap your father for being so foolish?”I nodded. “I might have called it a quite normal reaction.”A bitter laugh escaped her. “You do
Last Updated : 2024-09-16Resisting My Ex-Bully A Tiny Bit Of Hope
JOSIEThe moment Killian told me Gunner got the evidence we needed, I almost cried in relief. It was like the most important piece of the puzzle, and we finally had it. The next day, Gunner contacted his friends at the FBI, and the wheels were put into motion.Soon. That one word rang in my head. It was supposed to bring hope, but it also carried a great load of restlessness. The what-ifs swirled in my mind. After everything Killian and I had been through, getting that recording from the informant seemed suspiciously effortless. Of course, I might have been just paranoid, or I had grown too bitter and pessimistic to accept our luck. But I couldn't help it. There was an urgency within me—a need to know more, to be prepared for everything that Yan Hao might use against us.I hadn't slept for three days working on the Eye. I had used Tony's knowledge and contacts to buy the necessary equipment. Of course, my shopping had made him curious beyond the limits of sanity. He had spent a few ho
Last Updated : 2024-09-17Resisting My Ex-Bully Send Him Behind Bars
KILLIANSpecial Agent Samuel Brooks cautiously scanned every detail as Gunner, him, and I watched the horrifying footage of Yan Hao's murder. It was my third time watching it, but my stomach churned nonetheless.It was an execution. Two men dressed in black, with black caps obscuring most of their faces, dragged a beat-up man to the back of an industrial building. Yan Hao, dressed in an elegant black three-piece suit, stepped out of the car and walked over to his victim. The beat-up man's mouth opened as he said something to Yan Hao. The recording had no sound, but none of us had any doubts this was his plea. The man begged for his life as Yan Hao's two minions pushed him to his knees. Yan Hao waited, watching the poor bastard writhe in his minion's grip, crying. Then he pulled out his gun.It wasn't a quick death. Yan Hao took his time, shooting the man's thigh first, then his shoulder and stomach. None of the shots were lethal—he made sure of it—but they were all agonizing enough fo
Last Updated : 2024-09-18Resisting My Ex-Bully Not Over Yet
JOSIE“Yan Hao was arrested.”It took me more than a minute to acknowledge Killian's words. A relief relaxed the long-coiling tension deep inside me. It slowly traveled to every inch of me, erupting into tendrils of joy. I laughed. For the first time in weeks, I let myself laugh. A few tears followed, and then my body began to rattle, as if all the restlessness inside me tried to escape me at once.“I… I don't know what to say,” I breathed out finally. “You promised it will be over soon... and that's happening, right?” Another laugh escaped me, but Killian remained silent.“Well… it's not over yet,” he said after a moment, his voice grim.Some of the tension in my chest returned. “Do you think he can somehow get away with it?”Killian let out a long sigh. “Agent Brooks claims that the prosecution will need an excellent face recognition program and a specialist who can testify in court.”My heart lurched and my lips twitched into a smug smile. “I can give them the program Kei and I cre
Last Updated : 2024-09-19Resisting My Ex-Bully Before the Hearing...
KILLIANI had just entered my hotel room in Paris when Gunner called me, and somehow I knew it was bad news before I answered.“I... I don't know how to tell you this,” he started. This man had been trained to give only clear and short answers. The fact that he struggled to find the words couldn't mean anything good.My whole body tensed. “Just say it.”“We lost it,” he said tightly. “We lost the copy of the recording.”My blood began to boil. “How the fuck was that even possible?”Gunner inhaled sharply. “One of the guards... Yan Hao got to him, bribed him. I bet that he was the one who told Yan Hao's man about our informant.” He cleared his throat. “Josie… She's working on a special system. She let me know that the warehouse had been compromised. When I got there, I found the place empty and eight bodies lying on the ground.”I cursed and dragged my hand over my face. “Have you caught the traitor?”“Not yet,” he strained through his teeth. “But we will. I'm going to grant him a very
Last Updated : 2024-09-19Resisting My Ex-Bully Grave Mistake
I heard Josie weep over the phone after I had told her that Yan Hao would stay in prison—the sound of relief. Surely, she denied that she had even shed one tear, and I pretended to believe her. The eruption of her emotions was natural. I knew she was tired; we all were. We also knew that sending Yan Hao to prison wasn't going to clear up the fucked-up situation we were in. It was the first step—a huge step, a crucial step, but one merely marking the beginning of a long road.“If Yan Hao has been locked... does it mean my exile is over?” A nervous laugh laced her voice.“Well… his army might still lurk around,” I said. “But if you follow Gunner's instructions, I'm sure you can at least come to New York... and stay in the penthouse.”“Are you inviting me to your apartment, Mr. Blair?” she purred, and my lips instantly stretched into a mischievous grin.“Our apartment,” I corrected. “Unless you'd like something... bigger. I'm sure that my mother would welcome you in the residence.”She g
Last Updated : 2024-09-20
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
