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A Deal with a Demon
Last Updated:
2024-01-07 04:15:10
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The Rich and the Loved A Letter
I stood in the middle of my father's empty study and shivered. My father had given me a chance, a new life, and his love. I felt as if I had betrayed him just by standing there. It was proof that I didn't believe he was innocent—not entirely. Then there was this hopeful and perhaps naïve part of me that believed it wasn't as simple as all might think. Maybe… Maybe he was protecting someone—something. Or maybe I wouldn't find anything at all because he genuinely had nothing to do with that plane's explosion. I needed that hope, even if my instincts told me otherwise.I moved my feet forward to his desk—a large piece of old wood with carved drawers and side cabinets, all locked. Fortunately, I knew where the key was. The voice inside my head told me to stop before it was too late. It tried to prevent me from opening something that could be as dangerous as Pandora's Box. But it was already too late. I had decided. My hand moved to the wooden surface under the large drawer spread across t
Last Updated : 2024-01-08The Rich and the Loved Proceed as Planned
DARREN“Have you gone completely insane?!” Mia roared, slamming the door right after she entered my office at Eques Gold Corporation.“And good morning to you too, Mia dear.” Lucien chuckled from my sofa. “Coffee? Tea? Freshly heated blood of the virgin?”“Screw you, Lucien,” she barked as her long legs ate the distance between the door and my desk. “Not only did you not want me to touch her, but now you collaborate with her?!” She frowned at me.I knew that she would be pissed, but frankly, I didn't care. It was my call—Lucien's idea but my call. She couldn't do anything about it. I bet that this was the exact reason she was currently glaring at me and seething in rage.“Lower your voice and sit down,” I said, meeting her gaze.Her frown deepened. “The hell I will—”“Sit. Down. Now.” My voice remained calm, but I made sure she heard and felt its sharp edge.Her mouth clamped shut, and like a sulking kid, she marched to my three-piece suite and slumped on the armchair, huffing.“Coffe
Last Updated : 2024-01-08The Rich and the Loved Meeting Her Ex
The door opened, and that foolish asshole stepped inside. “Mr. Knight, I appreciate that you agreed to meet—” He cut himself off as soon as his eyes landed on me, his face draining of color. Interesting, amusing even. It seemed like the poor fucker hadn't done his homework. He hadn't known who I was back then at the gala, and he was still too stupid to match the name to the face before he confidently strode into my office. That confidence was now gone, and what stood before me reeked of anxiety. “Have a seat, Mr. Kenneth,” I said simply, pointing at the chair in front of my desk. Kenneth Welch stumbled forward, almost knocking the water pitcher off the coffee table. “I'm sorry,” he mumbled, quickly recollecting himself and walking to the seat I had pointed. His lips twitched into more of a weird grimace than a smile as his eyes landed on me. “I feel… like I need to explain myself.” He let out a nervous chuckle. “That day at the Youngs' gala... I'd been taken by surprise, and you mig
Last Updated : 2024-01-09The Rich and the Loved The Wicked Side Of Me
LILLYI turned out to be a coward. I hadn't reached out to Darren after finding the letter from Ansel Holloway. I hadn't come to Hayes Global Group to look for more evidence in my father's office either. I was too terrified to look any further or ask more questions.Every word from Ansel Holloway's letter to my father haunted me, cursed my sleep, and stole my focus during the day. I memorized each sentence and tried to turn it around, find a different angle, dig out a hidden meaning... But no matter how I stretched my brain cells, I ended up with one conclusion: my father had done something unforgivable.Of course, the letter didn't say a word about the explosion, the bomb, or killing people, but the words used there were enough to suspect a lot. I knew that my uncle would call it circumstantial evidence. It wasn't enough to arrest my father, but perhaps it would have been sufficient for the police to reopen the investigation. That was what Darren wanted; I knew it well. But this wasn
Last Updated : 2024-01-09The Rich and the Loved The First Part of the Revenge
My father left on a business trip on Thursday and wasn't going to return until Monday afternoon. It left me a lot of time to prepare for the lovely Sunday dinner with the Welch family without his interference. Certainly, I'd told him about my plan. He'd reacted with a chuckle and a raised thumb.“Good luck. Get the justice you deserve,” he'd told me then.My chest squeezed each time I recalled his words. Could a person who wanted me to fight for justice commit a crime as despicable as murder? I didn't want to believe that. Perhaps I was just fooling myself. Or perhaps I should have just confronted my father, told him I knew about the letter, and then demanded answers. I should have braced myself and done everything to find out the truth. I had done no such thing. Again—coward.Fortunately, I had no issues crafting a plan to get my revenge on Kenneth and his family. On the contrary, I was certain that I would enjoy every drop of its sweetness. There was only one problem: I needed to ac
Last Updated : 2024-01-10The Rich and the Loved The New Stage
“And then what happened?” Raven's eyes shone in excitement as she listened to my story.A wide grin spread across my lips. “Mr. Lacroix punched Kenneth. He practically knocked him out. Then they all started to fight, throwing plates and cursing each other.” I sighed and shook my head as I recalled that scene. “It took five guards to separate them. It was… quite brutal.”Raven snorted. “I wish I could see this.”“Actually, you still can.” I winked at her before taking a sip of wine. “I didn't turn off the cameras when I left, so I have the entire footage.”“You naughty girl.” She laughed and clinked her glass with mine. “Bravo!”“I learned from the best,” I admitted, pointing at her. Then we both laughed, the sounds of our voices traveling from the terrace to the far corners of the residence's garden."So, what's your next move?” Raven asked after a moment.I smirked and took another sip of my wine. “The real beauty of it is that I don't have to do anything until court trial. The Welch
Last Updated : 2024-01-11The Rich and the Loved Celebrating
“Congratulations on your success!” Callan exclaimed, raising his glass of champagne.“Thank you.” I clinked my glass with his and took a generous sip, savoring every drop.We finally went on our long-awaited second date, and I had to admit that the location Callan had chosen had everything I could have dreamed of. We were in a restaurant called Alberto's Heaven. Its owner, Alberto Dettori, was Callan's friend. The table where we were sitting was on the small patio, surrounded by plants and colorful flowers. Several dozen lanterns hanging high above our heads illuminated the space, forming a little bit of a starry night even on cloudy days. The soft tones of classical music blended with the gentle rustling sounds of leaves. The tables were placed some distance apart, granting privacy and what I needed most—peace.My poor muscles relaxed for the first time in a couple of weeks. I leaned back in my seat and let the sparkling liquid take away all my tension. Callan observed me with a soft
Last Updated : 2024-01-12The Rich and the Loved A Little Problem
On Monday afternoon, Darren's caller ID popped up on my phone screen. I flinched in my seat as I watched the phone buzz. I didn't dare answer it. I knew I couldn't avoid him forever, but I needed just a little more time. That was what I told myself, even though I knew that another week of stalling wouldn't change anything. Still, I didn't know what to tell him. I knew that I couldn't tell him about the letter, and I had no reasonable explanation for why I hadn't searched for evidence in my father's office at the company.The phone stopped ringing, and a text from Darren came a moment later. “Lilly, I've given you time. I hope you used it right. Let me know what you found. I'm waiting.”I swallowed hard. I could almost feel his impatience and annoyance dripping from every word he wrote. I drew a shaky breath and typed a short reply. “I searched and found nothing.”I held my breath as I sent the message. Perhaps I feared that he would see through me, that he would see the obvious lie in
Last Updated : 2024-01-12
Latest chapter
The Rich and the Loved The Wealth of Love
LILLY Four Months Later “One more signature at the bottom, Ms. Hayes.” The smiling lawyer pointed at the empty dotted line on the last page. “Of course.” I drew a deep breath and signed my name where he wanted me to. Then I rose to my feet, and so did the man sitting in front of me—Doctor John Pearson. “Congratulations,” he said, not without a hint of sadness in his voice, before extending his hand toward me. “The clinic is officially yours.” “Thank you, Doctor Pearson. I promise I will take good care of this facility,” I told him. A soft smile appeared on his lips. “I do not doubt that you will.” I still couldn't believe it happened. John Pearson Clinic—soon Lillian Hayes Clinic—finally belonged to me. Of course, it was going to take a while before I would implement my plan and make the necessary changes, but I was already madly excited… and so was Raven. “I've never been friends with my boss before.” She chuckled, catching me as soon as I walked out of the meeting room where
The Rich and the Loved For Her
DARRENI didn't want to believe what that son of a bitch had told me. I had to trust that Lilly was alive. Nonetheless, after Almarri's confession, I told Chris to leave the room. I gave Almarri a moment to recollect himself until I beat the shit out of him, breaking at least five of six of his bones in the process. He was still breathing until I left the room. Chris had friends in the CIA, and we promised to try delivering Almarri to them in exchange for covering whatever was going to happen at his casino. It took most of my willpower to stop myself before I delivered the final blow. It had nothing to do with being merciful; Chris assured me that the CIA had no intention of granting him anything but torment.Once I wiped Almarri's blood off my knuckles, I stormed through the long corridors. I swore that I would find Lilly, and only seeing her lifeless body would have stopped me from burning everything in my way to get to her.Chris caught me at the end of one of the corridors. “We ch
The Rich and the Loved Run
LILLYI couldn't move. My body's exhaustion turned opening my eyes into an almost unbearable struggle. It took me a while before I lifted my eyelids and instantly winced at the light filling the room. I blinked several times before I established what I was looking at… Ceiling. A bright, well-lit ceiling.I needed an additional minute or two to acknowledge that this wasn't a dream. I was lying on a bed with an IV drip connected to my arm. The bed had multiple pillows and fluffy sheets, as if someone cruelly decided to give me a moment of questionable luxury before turning me into a slave.Another white cotton dress replaced the old, stained one. My body had been cleaned from all the sweat and dirt. I didn't have the strength to wonder who bathed me and dressed me. I felt violated enough without acknowledging how many hands touched my body.I could have died. Perhaps it would have been a blessing if that had happened. Now I was lying numbly on a bed, waiting for more torment to come. Sl
The Rich and the Loved Rage
DARREN I paced around the hotel room in Doha, waiting for Naila to arrive and deliver what she promised. The adrenaline kept pumping in my veins, increasing the restlessness that kept me awake the entire night. Unlike me, Lucien was napping on the sofa whenever he found a moment of silence. I couldn't even close my eyes without seeing Lilly locked up somewhere, tormented, scared… “God…” I dragged my hands down my face before glancing at the time. It was seven in the morning, which meant that we had fourteen hours before the auction started. I kept telling myself that they needed her alive and unharmed to sell her, but what if I was wrong? Those what-ifs were driving me insane, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that, even at that moment, she was greatly suffering. The soft knocking on the door snapped my head toward it. Lucien's opened his eyes and instantly leaped to his feet. He nodded my way and cautiously opened the door. Naila silently sneaked inside, and he closed it behind
The Rich and the Loved Agony
I lost count of how many times I had been stabbed with a needle, and I wasn't sure my veins could withstand another injection. I quickly realized how pathetic my relief was after Callan told me I wouldn't be beaten, cut, or burned. The torture he had designed for me went far beyond the physical pain…Every inch of my body burned from within. My blood turned into a living flame, scorching my veins. My skin covered with an itching rash I couldn't scratch. It lasted for hours. I didn't want to give Callan satisfaction, so I remained silent, biting my lips until they bled. But the third or fourth dose of the drug broke the final restraint… A scream tore through my throat, and I kept screaming until my vocal cords gave up. I quietly begged Callan to stop. I thought he would if I told him I was ready to give him what he wanted. I thought that if I pretended I wanted to cooperate, he would give my tormented body a break… He didn't. He just walked closer and served me another drug dose.I los
The Rich and the Loved On His Mercy
LILLY“Wake up, sleepyhead.” The voice I heard filled me with nausea, and the soft laughter that followed sent chills down my spine.Slowly, I opened my eyes, blinking until the sight adjusted to the dim light. Every inch of my body felt sore, and I quickly realized why. I was sitting on a chair with my legs tied with a rope to its wooden ones and my hands restrained at the back. Another rope was tied around my waist, keeping me in a still position most likely through the long hours I had been unconscious.I was cold. The freezing concrete hurt my bare feet with the slightest touch and the simple cotton dress resembling a cheap nightgown formed no barrier against the low temperature and humidity of the room I was in. I didn't even want to think who dressed me and if I was naked underneath…Drawing a shaky breath, I looked to the sides. This place must have been some kind of a basement. The room seemed to be nearly empty, or at least I couldn't see any furniture from my limited perspec
The Rich and the Loved Running Out of Time
DARRENMy lungs filled with a greedy push of air. My eyes opened wide and roamed around, hectically trying to process my situation. The car, I was inside the car… My car was upside down, and I…Everything hurt, including my weak attempts to breathe, but I knew I had to ignore the pain. I had to live. I had to get out of there.My consciousness gathered the pieces of memory together. Someone had rammed me, pushing me off the road while I had been driving to the residence. The fuckers had chosen a part of a perfectly secluded road to do it. Perhaps it was fortunate that they hadn't been as thorough as to check whether I had been dead or not.My limbs weren't broken, although at least one of my ribs was. I clenched my teeth and crawled out through the broken side window. My car lay in a ditch on the side of the road, with not a single building around.How long had I been out cold? The returning memories painted an ominous picture that slowly filled me with dread. Lilly had been waiting f
The Rich and the Loved Trapped
LILLYIt had been three days since Uncle Norton's funeral and the fight with my father. My heart still ached whenever I thought about it, but I finally felt that my chest had loosened, allowing me to breathe.Darren's presence had become my remedy. His touch and warmth soothed me, healed me, and filled the hollowness that appeared after Uncle Norton's death. I didn't even want to think about what I would have become without having him close.Since the danger had become more palpable than ever, each member of my team was assigned their own security team. Of course, Darren organized two new bodyguards for me as well. I hadn't protested, even if I hated buying groceries accompanied by two men in black suits.My mood significantly improved after Kenneth's and Doctor Rogers's trials finally ended. Kenneth had been sentenced to fifteen years in prison for assault and attempting murder, and another five years for terminating the pregnancy against my will. For all his deeds, Rogers received t
The Rich and the Loved Her Anchor
DARRENI found Lilly sitting in the precinct's corridor, staring down at her hands that limply rested on her lap. Dried blood covered the sides of her palms and fingertips. My chest tightened as I saw her in her numb state. I rushed forward, pushing through the policemen standing in the way, until I pulled her up from her seat and wrapped her in my arms. Only then did she start crying, and her tears kept falling long after I brought her back to the penthouse.Rage filled every inch of me. I wanted to kill everyone responsible for Lilly's state. If only I could get to New York sooner. If only I could somehow prevent this, protect her better, spare her from the pain and anguish...I left Lucien in Qatar to deal with our end of the bargain with Naila. He wasn't happy about it, but I gathered enough people and resources for him to plan a flawless rescue mission. Getting Naila's brother out of Almarri's residence wasn't going to be easy, but I knew that Lucien would figure out how to do it
