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Shattered Illusions
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Unveiling Secrets
The boardroom fell silent as all eyes turned to Travis. Damian’s words hung in the air, heavy with implication.“What do you mean, ‘not your grandfather’s blood’?” Travis repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.Damian’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Uncle, or should I even call you that? Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?”He pulled out another file from his briefcase and slid it across the table. Travis’s hands shook as he opened it, his face draining of color as he read its contents.“This... this can’t be true,” Travis stammered.“Oh, but it is,” Damian replied, his voice calm. “DNA doesn’t lie, Uncle. You’re not a Blackwood by blood. My grandfather knew, and that’s why he left everything to me.”The other shareholders murmured in shock, their earlier complaints forgotten in light of this bombshell revelation.“I’ve been preparing for this day for a long time,” Damian continued, addressing the entire room. “Each of you has skeletons in your closet, and I know every sin
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Threads of Deception
Damian stood at the window of his office, gazing out at the city horizon. The boardroom confrontation had gone exactly as he’d planned, but he felt no satisfaction. His phone buzzed constantly with notifications about the scandalous article concerning Elara.A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. “Come in,” he called out.Henry entered, his face grave. “Sir, the PR team is waiting for your instructions regarding the article about Mrs. Blackwood.”Damian turned, his expression unreadable. “Tell them to prepare a statement. We’ll deny everything and threaten legal action against the publication.”“Yes, sir,” Henry nodded. “There’s something else. Your mother is here to see you.”Damian’s jaw clenched. “Send her in.”Moments later, Serena swept into the room, a look of fake concern on her face. “Darling, have you seen the news? It’s absolutely dreadful what they’re saying about Elara.”“Spare me the act, Mother,” Damian said coldly. “I know you’re behind this.”Serena’s mask slipp
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Unmasking the Game
Elara’s hands trembled as she set down the tablet. The vicious lies in the article had shaken her to her core, but a steely courage was beginning to form within her. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—let them destroy her like this.A soft knock on her door startled her. “Come in,” she called, quickly composing herself.Aiden entered, his face a mask of concern. “Mrs. Blackwood! I’ve just received word from Mr. Blackwood. He’s calling an emergency press conference to address the article.”Elara nodded, a plan forming in her mind. “Thank you, Aiden. Please have the car ready in fifteen minutes.”As Aiden left, Elara moved quickly, gathering her thoughts and preparing herself for what was to come.Across town, Damian stood before a sea of flashing cameras and shouting reporters. His face was a mask of calm, but inside, he was seething with anger—at his mother, at the press, and at the situation he found himself in.“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, his voice steady and authoritative. “I stand before
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Cut deep
Her world stopped spinning the moment she heard Charles Montgomery’s name. The air in Damian’s office suddenly felt thick and suffocating. She gripped the arms of her chair, her knuckles turning white as the implications of Jackson’s words sank in.“Charles? Are you certain?” Her voice came out as a whisper.Damian’s eyes were fixed on her. “Elara, who is Charles Montgomery?”She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “He was... he is... my mentor. The man who gave me my first real chance in the corporate world.” The words tasted bitter in her mouth.Memories flooded back unbidden: Charles’s encouraging smile on her first day, his patient explanations, his teachings, and the pride in his eyes when she closed her first major deal. Each recollection was now tainted by the knowledge of his betrayal.Elara stood abruptly, needing to move, to do something to quell the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. She paced back and forth in Damian’s office, her heels clicking on t
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride The Fall of House Regars
The newsroom of The Daily Chronicle was a frenzy of activity. Phones were ringing non-stop, keyboards were clattering, and voices were raised in excitement and disbelief. Marina Chen, the paper’s top investigative reporter, was at the heart of it all, her eyes wide as she scrolled through the explosive documents on her computer screen.“This can’t be real,” she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. “How could their son do this, and they chose to cover it up? I still can’t believe it.” As she delved deeper into the mountain of evidence before her, the truth became increasingly undeniable. The once untouchable Regars empire was on the brink of collapse. She pondered over who could have the power to orchestrate such a downfall.Across town, in the Blackwood company, Damian stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office.“Damian,” Elara called as she walked into his office. “Have you seen the news?”“It’s done,” Damian said, his voice low and controlled. “Jackson’s just confirmed
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride The Court of Public Opinion
The morning after the Regars scandal broke, the city awoke to a changed world. The revelations about Daniel and his family had spread like wildfire overnight, dominating every conversation from subway cars to coffee shops, from university lecture halls to corporate boardrooms.By dawn, a crowd had gathered outside the Regars Enterprises headquarters. What began as a few curious onlookers quickly grew into hundreds of protesters. Their angry chants echoed off the glass and steel exterior of the once-proud building.“Shame on Regars! Justice for the victims!” they shouted, waving hastily made signs bearing slogans like “Corrupt Regars Must Fall” and “No More Corporate Criminals.”Sarah Lin, a former Regars employee who left the company two years ago due to harassment, was among the protesters. She stood at the front of the crowd, her voice hoarse from shouting.“I tried to speak up,” she told a cluster of reporters, her hands shaking slightly. “But they silenced me, threatened me with m
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Justice Prevails
Elara’s phone buzzed as she rolled over in bed. She slowly opened her eyes and picked up her phone, her friend’s name flashing on the screen.“Hello, baby girl,” Tessa’s cheerful voice rang out. “Don’t tell me you’re still sleeping.”“Yes, I am,” Elara replied, rubbing her eyes.“Do you know what today means?” Tessa asked, excitement lacing her voice.“About what?” Elara mumbled.“Today is the downfall of the Regars!” Tessa screamed.“Oh, right!” Elara’s eyes flew wide open. Today was the day—the day Daniel and his family would finally fall. “I need to get ready.”“You should,” Tessa agreed. “I won’t be able to come. My parents didn’t allow me.”“Okay, make sure to watch the news,” Elara responded before ending the call. She quickly jumped out of bed and stripped off her clothes, heading for the bathroom. After a quick shower, she dried off, applied lotion, and slipped into a short, elegant dress. She combed her hair, then hurried out of her room.“Hurry up, Damian,” Elara called impa
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Reckoning
Elara’s footsteps echoed in the empty lobby of her former firm, the polished marble floors gleaming under the harsh fluorescent lights. As she rode the elevator to the top floor, her heart pounded in her chest—a mix of trepidation and determination coursing through her veins.This was it—the moment she had both dreaded and anticipated. After weeks of careful planning and strategizing with Damian, the time had come to confront Charles Montgomery, the man she had once trusted with her very future. The same man who ruined her life.The elevator doors slid open, and she strode down the familiar hallway, her heels clicking with purpose. She paused briefly outside the ornate double doors of Charles’ office, taking a deep, steadying breath before pushing them open.Charles looked up from his desk, his eyes widening in surprise at the unexpected visitor. “Elara! What a...” his voice trailed off as he took in her deadly expression. “What can I do for you?”“Save it, Charles,” she said, her voi
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The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Vera
The tension in the room intensified as Vera broke away from the kiss, her gaze fixed on Jackson’s face. His expression was gentle and vulnerable, just as she had hoped. She reached out to touch his cheek, a deliberate move to draw him further into her grasp.“I’ve been so lost without you,” she whispered. “There’s something I need to tell you, something important.” She led him to sit beside her on the plush sofa, her movements deliberately hesitant. “It’s about Elara.”Jackson stiffened at the name. “What about her?”“I’ve heard... troubling things.” Vera’s voice trembled perfectly. “About her connection to certain criminal elements. People who’ve been released from prison recently.” She watched his expression shift, doubt creeping in like a shadow.“She isn’t the type.”“Are you accusing me of lying, Jack?" she interrupted, cutting him off. “You’ve known me since we were kids.”“Vera.”“You don’t trust me, do you?” She stopped. “Or do you still believe I have feelings for Damian and
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Out
Daniel Regars stood outside the towering iron gates, a free man for the first time in years. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the crisp air of freedom, but it did little to soothe the rage simmering beneath his calm facade. Freedom meant nothing to him, not when his family was shattered, his father dead behind prison walls.He didn’t know why he was released so soon, but he could take this opportunity to destroy both of them.Daniel clenched his fists, a dark smile flickering at the corners of his mouth. “They’ll pay,” he murmured to himself. “For my father, for my family. They will both pay.”He didn’t know when or how, but vengeance had been his only thought, the one idea keeping him alive in that cell, counting down the days to his release. Who knew he could be released sooner? Now he was out, and nothing would stand between him and retribution.Daniel didn’t waste time. He knew he would need allies, someone who shared his hatred for Elara and Damian. His mind circled back
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Elizabeth
Elizabeth’s living room settled into a delicate quiet, broken only by the baby’s soft coos and the gentle tick of an antique clock on the mantel. Her hands trembled slightly as she smoothed her skirt, decades of stolen life weighing heavily in the air between them.“You must have so many questions,” Elizabeth said, her voice carrying the weight of unbearable loss. “About what really happened. About her.”Damian sat on the couch beside Elara, who was still cradling their son. His eyes hadn’t left the baby’s face, as if memorizing every detail he’d missed. “Start from the beginning,” he said, his voice tight. “Start with how Serena stole everything.”Elizabeth’s composed demeanor cracked, revealing raw pain beneath. “She was Father’s illegitimate daughter. My half-sister. But being Father’s secret child wasn’t enough for her – she wanted everything. My life. My identity.” She paused, struggling with the memories. “The day you were born, son... the happiest day of my life became my worst
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Mother
Damian’s car wound through the quiet streets of the suburban neighborhood, each turn bringing them closer to the address Ghost had provided.Elara’s fingers drummed restlessly against her thigh, her heart pounding in her chest with each passing moment. The sun cast long shadows across the pavement, a reminder of how their world had shifted since Nina’s revelation just days ago.“It’s just around this corner,” Damian said, his voice tight with an emotion Elara couldn’t quite place. He had been unusually quiet since they’d left the house, lost in thoughts he seemed reluctant to share. His knuckles were white against the steering wheel, betraying the tension coursing through him.The car slowed to a stop before a modest two-story home, its white exterior pristine against the backdrop of a well-maintained garden. Rose bushes lined the walkway, their blooms adding splashes of color to the serene setting. Elara reached for the door handle, but Damian’s hand caught her wrist, stopping her.“
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride My child
Elara felt Damian tense beside her, his hand tightening around hers.“The baby,” Nina said, her voice barely above a whisper. “The one my mother had killed... he’s alive.”The words hung in the air, seeming to suck the breath from Elara’s lungs. Alive? How could that be possible? She had mourned that child, had borne the devastating grief of his loss for months.“What are you saying?” Damian asked, his voice tinged with a desperate hope that Elara dared not give in to.“I overheard her,” Nina explained, her gaze fixed on the ground. “Giving instructions to the assassin, Ghost... she wanted the baby dead, to sever the last tie between you and Elara. But I... I couldn’t let him do it. I begged him, pleaded with him, until he agreed to spare the child’s life.”Elara felt the world tilt on its axis, her heart racing as the implications of Nina’s words sank in. Their child, the one they had been robbed of, was alive. Alive and out there, somewhere, all this time.“Where is he?” she demande
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride The truth
“Nina, my daughter,” Serena called as she spoke softly to her. “Thank you for coming.”Nina smirked, studying the frail woman before her with cold eyes. She hadn’t come out of concern or love. The only reason she was here was her mother’s manipulative threat of self-harm. The text message still burned in her mind: Come see me, or I’ll end it all. Another one of her mother’s desperate plays for attention.A bitter smirk twisted Nina’s lips. She may have been forced here, but that didn’t mean she had to pretend this was a happy reunion.“What do you want?” she asked, her tone sharp and irritable.“I know you must be angry with me, my dear daughter,” Serena said.She cut her off. “What do you want?”Serena drew a theatrical sigh, her shoulders slumping. “Please forgive me,” she whispered, her voice honeyed with practiced remorse. Her fingers clutched at the fabric of her sleeve. “You need to get me out of this place. I don’t belong here.” Her eyes darted around the stark walls before fix
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Healing the Blackwood name
After the trial, the city of Blackwood experienced a sense of relief, as if it had finally escaped the shadow of the Blackwood dynasty. The streets, once under the family’s influence, were now vibrant with a renewed energy and hope for a brighter future.Damian, driven by his own painful past, assumed leadership at Blackwood Industries, spearheading a transformation with Elara and their loyal allies. Together, they tackled the challenging mission of rooting out the long-standing corruption within the company.“It’s going to take time, but we’re committed to making this right,” Damian told a gathering of employees, his voice steady and resolute. “Serena’s crimes may have shattered the Blackwood name, but we’re going to rebuild it - piece by piece, if necessary - into something this city can be proud of once more.”The road ahead was not an easy one. Restoring the company’s reputation, repairing the damage done to its financial standing, and regaining the trust of both customers and sha
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Ashes of the Empire
In the days following Serena Blackwood’s arrest, the city seemed to hold its breath, awaiting each new revelation that would shake the Blackwood empire to its core. The carefully crafted public image Serena had cultivated for decades had crumbled, and now the full extent of her crimes was being laid bare.At the center of the unfolding scandal was Detective Morrison, the man who had worked tirelessly to bring Serena down. As the FBI sifted through the trove of evidence seized from Blackwood Tower, Morrison began piecing together the connections that would ultimately unravel Serena’s web of deceit.One name kept surfacing in the financial records and encrypted files— Travis Blackwood, Richard’s younger brother. “We always suspected there was more to Travis’s role than simply being Richard’s brother,” Morrison told reporters, his stern expression betraying none of the triumph he surely felt. “But the depth of his involvement in the Blackwood family’s downfall is staggering.”According to
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride The truth
The morning dawned cold and gray over the city, a fitting backdrop for the day that would shatter the foundations of one of its most powerful dynasties. The first news alert came at 6:47 AM: “BREAKING: FBI RAIDS BLACKWOOD TOWER.” By 7:15, every major network had camera crews positioned around the gleaming skyscraper that had long stood as a monument to Serena Blackwood’s power.They were all there to witness her fall.Inside her penthouse office, Serena stood perfectly still as federal agents swept through the room, methodically dismantling the careful façade she’d maintained for thirty-one years. Her signature pearls – Elizabeth’s pearls, really – lay in an evidence bag, along with the contents of her private safe: passports, birth certificates, and a single, faded photograph of two sisters smiling on a Swiss mountainside.“Sarah Winters,” the lead FBI agent read from her warrant, “you are under arrest for identity theft, conspiracy to commit murder, fraud...”The list continued, but
