LOGINShare
Grim Assumptions
Last Updated:
2024-08-02 22:08:34
Related chapters
Resisting My Ex-Bully Ultimatum
Three hours after Farid Talpur had left, I still couldn't regain my composure. Thousands of questions ran through my head as I began to recall everything I could remember from that time. As a twelve-year-old, I wasn't involved in company matters, but I remembered that on the day of the accident, my father stayed at home. He'd spent hours on the phone, cursing and shouting at whoever had been on the other side of the line. Was it possible that my aunt's and uncle's deaths hadn't been an accident but a well-orchestrated assassination? Could my father be the one behind it?My body was still tense as I returned to the penthouse. I wanted to see Josie. At some point, she had become my anchor, my remedy, my balance, and right now, I needed her more than ever. I realized how selfish I was. I hadn't talked to her since our fight, and I should have apologized first, but right now, wrapping my arms around her and kissing her senseless was all I could think about.“Josie?” I called out as I ente
Last Updated : 2024-08-03Resisting My Ex-Bully Apology
JOSIEI wished I could say that the insane amount of alcohol I had drunk the night before had helped me find a solution to all my problems. It hadn't. After the moment of blissful ignorance, the hangover came with a vengeance, and if it hadn't been for Aaron's magical potion—something with a lot of turmeric and ginger—I wouldn't have crawled out of bed until noon.“I hate Estelle,” Ashley grumbled before slurping her Americano.“I hate her too,” I mumbled, wondering how my coffee would taste if I added mint chocolate ice cream to it. Then I stopped wondering and added a spoonful of ice cream to my cup, hoping that sugar dopamine and caffeine would help me restore my energy.Ashley watched me as I tasted my mixture. Then she shrugged, grabbed a spoon, and added ice cream to her coffee too. She took a sip and sighed. “Best breakfast I could think of right now.”I breathed out a laugh. “You say it now. We'll probably regret it later.”Ashley gave me a look. “Do I look like I care?”I shoo
Last Updated : 2024-08-03Resisting My Ex-Bully Breaking Up
I felt just like that day when Killian's friends poured a bucket of ice cubes over my head. Only this time, it was my heart that felt the hit the most. Killian's embrace began to burn my skin. I pressed my hands to his chest, trying to push him away and free myself, but he shifted his arms around me, pulling me close again.“Josie, please… Let me finish,” he said softly. “I don't want to leave you. I don't want to hurt you…”“Then... what do you mean?” I choked out.He breathed out slowly, dipping his head and hiding his face in the crook of my neck. “I'm a bastard for starting our conversation like this... but there's no time left.” He kissed his way up to my jaw before raising his eyes to mine. “We need to hide our relationship for a while. We need to officially break up. That's the only way I can force my father to lower his guard. Then I will do whatever I can to stop the merger.”My brows knitted. “So... what was this?” I pointed at our naked bodies. “A goodbye sex?”He tilted hi
Last Updated : 2024-08-04Resisting My Ex-Bully Torn
KILLIANI kept reminding myself that I was doing the right thing. I was keeping her safe. I kept her off the radar. So why did everything about that false breakup feel wrong?It felt even worse when I returned to my penthouse. This apartment had never felt more empty than now after she had left. Her scent weakened by the second, and my chest tightened at the thought she wouldn't be here for the next few weeks or more.My hands curled into tight fists. I hated this situation. I wished I could say my father and Yan Hao could go fuck themselves, but acting this way would have been utterly reckless. If my father had ordered to kill, or at least scare, Farid Talpur just because he had heard a part of his conversation with Yan Hao, I didn't want to think about what would have happened to Josie if someone had decided her presence threatened the merger. I would have never risked finding out.I knew that Josie didn't want this, I hated forcing her to pretend. Nothing about it seemed fair, and
Last Updated : 2024-08-05Resisting My Ex-Bully Following the Plan
“You are an idiot.” Tony glared at me as he refilled our whiskey glasses. “The Killian I know would have never done what you did.” He clicked his tongue before sitting on the sofa in my study.“And what did I do that is so unlike me?” I snatched my glass from the coffee table and took a decent drink.Tony frowned. “You are playing someone else's game! You're not attacking, you play in defense! Furthermore, you've taken a few steps back and given them the field!”My brows rose. “Seriously? You're the one talking about attack and defense?”“You know damn well what I mean,” he grunted, rolling his eyes. “You care about Josie, so why are you pushing her away… again?”I gave him a look. “I'm not pushing her away. I'm protecting her.”He gave me a thin-lipped smile. “I believe she sees breaking up differently.”“It's not a real breakup,” I argued.“But she had to move out, and you cannot see officially each other. That's pretty much like a REAL breakup,” he reasoned.I ground my teeth. “I k
Last Updated : 2024-08-05Resisting My Ex-Bully Not a Victim
JOSIEI crawled out of bed and stumbled toward the row of wall-to-ceiling windows overlooking the East River. The view from my bedroom was stunning, and so was my entire new apartment, but I couldn't find even a sliver of excitement within me.Sighing deeply, I pressed my hands to the window and blankly stared at the Manhattan skyscrapers. I instantly wished I could be on the other side of the river instead of here, where I felt as if I were exiled. A few months ago, if I'd been given such an apartment, it would have been like winning the lottery. Right now, I couldn't care less about where I lived. I only wanted Killian to be there with me.Letting out another sigh, I moved away from the window, grabbed a few clothes, and started preparing for work. I debated whether or not I should apply any makeup, but the dark circles under my eyes told me I should.“Don't crawl into your shell. Don't crawl into your shell. Don't crawl into your shell…” I kept repeating my mantra as I stared at my
Last Updated : 2024-08-06Resisting My Ex-Bully Coffee Time
A moment later, we were sitting in the shade of colorful tropical trees, listening to the gentle melodies sung by the birds flying by the glass dome high above our heads. “This place is beautiful,” I murmured, looking around in awe.Mrs. Rendall chuckled. “I'm glad you like it. I built this place because I wanted to have my own oasis, a place where I could recharge my batteries and get rid of bad energy.”My lips formed a wistful smile. “I wish I had a place like this sometimes.”“You should have,” she said before gesturing at a waiter, who nodded and disappeared somewhere behind the tall, flowery bushes. Not a minute passed, and the man returned carrying a tray with two coffee cups and some kind of dessert. “Espresso, no sugar, right?” Mrs. Rendall smiled as the waiter placed the cup in front of me.I blinked. “Right… but how did you know?”She chuckled and pulled the gray strand of her hair behind her ear. “I wouldn't have earned millions if I hadn't known how to gather information.
Last Updated : 2024-08-06Resisting My Ex-Bully Getting Stronger
Veronica told me a little more about her life and her passion for art. Then she shared how she met her husband and how she was too naïve and in love to notice all the red flags before it was too late. In return, I told her about my studies, my unfortunate relationship with Dylan, and how it all ended. She was easy to talk to, and I only noticed time passing when the sun above our heads began to set.“So… Josephine Clairmont, tell me about your ambitions.” Veronica grinned, refilling my flute with more champagne.I smiled wryly. “I don't think I have any.”“I think you do,” she said, squinting her eyes at me. “You just never admitted you have them. Fortunately, you don't have to be shy in front of me. So take a deep breath, think for a minute, and then tell me, if you could do anything you desire, what would it be? Would you like to create apps and games for the rest of your life?” When I shook my head, she laughed. “Then what would you want to do?”I did as she said and drew a deep br
Last Updated : 2024-08-07
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
