CHAPTER 23 ELIZABETH’s HEARTBEAT Elizabeth's automobile hums throughout the city, and the consistent engine rhythm provides little solace. The world outside blurs; shadows of buildings, flashes of light, and faces she will never see again all vanish into the distance. She cannot concentrate on anything except the terrible quiet within her. Simeon's words weigh on her chest like a stone. He left her behind. Once he trusted her, she was nowhere. Nothing except a blemish on the business he created, a name to clear from his life. Her hands shake against the wheel, and she grabs it tightly to help her to ground herself. But it serves no use. Tears are starting to flow here. Not yet; she will not let them drop. Not while she is still driving and acting as though she is in charge. Every street she drives feels like a personal insult, and every brake squeal reminds her of her failure. She thought of him as trustworthy. She came to believe in him. And he has completely erased her from his
CHAPTER 24: ALEX TRIES AGAIN.Elizabeth expects less, but the knock on the door echoes louder than she could have imagined, rattling the empty flat and squeezing her chest. She cannot understand this tightness. She pauses, peering at the door half-hopingly for anyone else but him. She does, however, know deep inside. Only one individual would be brave enough to turn up without an invitation. She inhales deeply and then opens it with her fingers, caressing the handle. He exists when the door swings open. Alexander. Like a force of nature, he stood there staring at her with the kind of will she had not seen in a long time. "I know you're angry," he adds, his voice quiet but firm. But Elizabeth, you need not be alone in this. We can cooperate. We can mend everything. His comments felt to her like a tsunami slamming on the coast. He presented her with the same proposition before, but this time, it was tinged with urgency, as he believed it more than ever. She looks at him for a minute
CHAPTER 25: ELIZABETH’S CHOICE Elizabeth walks into her flat, and the door closes behind her. Everything seems colder and emptier than it did: the familiar smell of wood and leather, the faint echo of quiet. Her hands still shaking with the weight of her choice, she tosses her keys onto the kitchen counter. She inhales long and looks about the room. The place she previously occupied with aspirations, hopes, and the guy she believed she would create her future with now feels like an echo chamber. Her walls are not closing in on her, only the silence around her. The silence tastes different for the first time. Not feeling choked. Not excessive. It has the sensation of tranquillity. With her fingertips gliding across the couch, she settles down. Though unsure about the future, she is sure now is her moment. She selects herself at that moment, moving into a life she defines. She starts to dream of Simeon through the past. Everything she could have had if she had stayed in that environ
CHAPTER 26: SIMEON REGRETS HIS ACTIONS Eyes concentrated on the empty seat across from him, Simeon reclines in his leather chair. Elizabeth's place. Though it has been weeks, the hole she left behind runs across the workplace like a gaping wound. Though the solitude within is intolerable, the buzz of the city below penetrates through the windows. The board had decided upon something. No, he had agreed as well. He let her leave and signed the paperwork. Convinced himself, that was the only path. Still, the assurance that once felt so unquestionable has turned into doubt. His fingers hover over his phone. He could hear her voice once more, one tap. One word, and maybe just possibly, he could correct it. But what might he perhaps say? Reiter? I did something wrong. He runs a hand through his hair and exhales sharply. His pride struggles with the weight in his chest, a fight he loses every moment. His eye is drawn across his desk to a framed picture shot during last year's gala. Eliza
CHAPTER 27: ELIZABETH REBUILDSElizabeth enters her new workplace, and a warm ray of light from the oversized windows spills across the floor. Apart from the faint hum of the city below, the room is still. Her fingers quell as they sweep the desk's clean surface, a fresh start hovering before her like a road less traversed. She has only been here a few minutes, yet it feels like she walked out of the building where her aspirations were once dashed a lifetime ago. She has this chance. She gets both excitement and a chilly, gnawing anxiety just thinking about entering a realm of corporate power. She knows she has to keep on even if she is leaving behind everything known: Simeon, the treachery, the job that almost consumed her. Her former existence is a chapter ending without a resolution; now, she must write her own. The door opens, and her new supervisor walks in, grinning like someone who has already found her impressive. "Having you on board makes me happy, Elizabeth. Based on wha
CHAPTER 28: THE TRUTH COMES OUT.Leaching forward, Simeon pours over the company's financial documents, narrowing his eyes. He clicks around the spreadsheets, statistics pouring across the computer, and his fingers quell somewhat. Every disparity he finds threads him farther into the maze of treachery. Late, probably too late; he cannot stop right now. The weight of what he is learning settles on him; every discovery seems more damaging than the next. Karin had been his right hand in everything, his dependable friend. But today? She seems to be meticulously arranging her dishonesty right beneath his gaze now. How long has she been pulling money off the books? She had been using him to obtain what she needed, and she was playing him for what length? On his screen, the numbers are appalling: unauthorised transactions, faked documentation, money flowing in directions it shouldn't have. His digging helps the bits fit more precisely. His fingers tighten into a fist as he clicks on the
CHAPTER 29: A DESPERATE APOLOGY.Breath shallow, heart thumping in his chest, Simeon stands outside Elizabeth's flat. Every breath he takes feels like an apology he cannot quite pull out of the weight of his mistakes. He believed that firing Karin would get things right and that facing her falsehoods would solve everything, but it only made him realise how he had screwed Elizabeth. Not the one he threw aside; she is the one he should have battled for. His hand pauses above the doorbell as though pressing it might send him into a realm of repercussions he is not ready to negotiate. When She opens the door, he has no idea what to say. What could he possibly say to rectify things? How does he even start to explain the inexplicable? He stands there motionless in the dull glow of the corridor light, the seconds stretching. He recalls her sadness in voice as she informed him it was over, the fire in her eyes when she left his life. The recollection strikes him like a blow to the belly
CHAPTER 30: THE LAST GOODBYE. Elizabeth stands at the threshold of her flat, her past now securely closed at her door. Though the weight of the choice still rests on her shoulders, the doubt that once tormented her has vanished. She exhales gently, savouring the silence around her as the last traces of her former existence vanish. She accomplished it. The career she had developed with Simeon vanished, along with the trust she had in him—the treachery, the heartbreak, fading with every moment. She is now here, poised on the brink of something fresh, hers. She is free here. Her fingers close the bag's strap; the leather cools against her fingertips. Though not now, she has always been terrified of letting go and entering the future. She is pulled towards her potential today, the possibility of a life she can mould free from the influence of others. The delicate rustle of leaves in the trees outside her window motivates her forward and promises change carried by the breeze. She's le
CHAPTER 60: The True Beginning Its soft hum mingles with the repetitive wave slap against its hull, and the boat slices through the blue waters. Elizabeth inhales the salty air and feels the warm sun stroke her skin. Beside her, Simeon casts a shadow with his big shoulders to protect her from the midday heat. As intense and unrelenting as the boat under them, his presence is reassuring.A sanctuary of unspoiled beauty, the island looms ahead with white sandy beaches bordered by lofty palm trees. There are no distractions here, no reminders of the world they departed behind. Alone on the great expanse of the ocean, just the two of them beginning a new chapter.Elizabeth's hand slides into Simeon's as they near the shore. The boat slows, and the sand gently laps at the water. Looking down at her, his black eyes mirror the tranquillity of the landscape.His look today is warm and intimate, sometimes obscured by the turmoil of their history. They are free now."Are you ready?" he enquire
CHAPTER 59: The Wedding at Last Her eyes wander to the man behind her. Simeon is Strong, solid, and always there, but today... today... he is still reflecting on her anxiety. He approaches her carefully; his footfalls faint on the floor as he gently rests a hand on her shoulder.Elizabeth whispers, "Simeon, this is happening." Staring at the reflection of the two of them in the glass, she raises the dress and pushes it closer to her body, her fingers shaking. At last, we are here.Leaning in, Simeon's breath warms against her ear, softening his look. I told you I'd make it accurate. I am present now. You are present. Though his voice is constant, its subtle intensity says a lot.The moment's finality affects her heart. All the trials they have undergone, the betrayals, the adversaries vanquished, have brought them here, one wedding, a fresh chapter. Yet under the thrill, Elizabeth experiences a twinge of uncertainty, a nagging feeling that something is lacking. She locks it behind a
CHAPTER 58: The Last Stand They can no longer run. This is the moment they struggle for all they nearly had, all they have lost.Reaching for Elizabeth's hand, Simeon gently and steadily grounds her, stroking his fingers over hers. Quick and unyielding, she can feel his pulse matching hers. His touch promises that we are in this together.He continues, quiet but confident, "We're going back." His brow creases in resolve, his jaw firm. There is no more concealing.Her heart pounding, Elizabeth looks up at him. The church, where it all started, where they had vowed to each other forever, is now the battleground for their future. She understands what this entails. Returning to the church and entering the lion's den isn't only about love. It's about getting back all the world has sought to steal from them.Stepping outside, the night air cools, and the burden of their choice hangs heavy. Though they understand the dangers, there is no turning back. The streets are strangely quiet, as t
CHAPTER 57: The Enemy Revealed Simeon and Elizabeth face their adversary's towering presence. The event's gravity crackles with tension in the air like an electric charge. Though her hold on Simeon steadies her, Elizabeth's heart races in her chest. Her mind races: who could have planned everything?The enemy scoffs, his wicked eye gleaming, causing Elizabeth's stomach to turn. A tall, slim man with a confidence bordering on arrogance, his sharp suit hardly creases as he moves forward. He radiates strength, a strength that is both private and risky.The man sneers at Simeon, his voice silky yet sharp, "You're out of your depth." You don't know who you're fighting against. He pauses, allowing the words to linger between them before saying, "The worst is yet to come."Simeon's jaw tightens. 'The worst' strengthens his determination. He grumbles beneath his breath, "We'll see about that." His eyes fix on the foe, the rage in them obvious.Elizabeth observes Simeon, the man she believed
CHAPTER 56: The Wedding Day Begins The early light, softly filtering through the drapes, casts a golden glow. Elizabeth stands before the mirror, breath caught in her throat. Delicate and complex, the dress clings to her body strangely yet soothingly. Though it's a sign of her change, a fresh chapter in her life, the burden of what it stands for is difficult to ignore.As she raises her hand to touch the fragile lace at the neckline, the dress's silky fabric brushes against her skin. Every action seems intentional, almost too slow as the expectation rises. Outside, the day's hustle and bustle plays out.Wedding guests are coming, last-minute décor touches are being applied, and Elizabeth stays planted, her head spinning with the magnitude of what is about to occur.Her mirror image seemed nearly foreign. Standing at the edge of eternity, this woman seems different from the one who entered Simeon's life several months before. She is still uncertain but stronger now. A fantasy she fer
Chapter 55: The Wedding DayAnticipation hangs thick in the air. Though the morning of Elizabeth and Simeon's wedding breaks bright and clear, tension permeates every area of the magnificent venue. It's a strange type of quiet before a storm when everything seems great, but you can't help but think something is about to go wrong.Standing by her dressing room window, Elizabeth observes the guests trickling in, laughing and conversing, almost reaching her ears. Though her heart races faster every second, she observes the flowers being arranged, the cars pulling up, and the last touches being applied. Something seems off.For the tenth time, she smooths down her wedding dress. The lace clinging to her curves, the fabric soft and delicate under her fingers, fits precisely. But the outfit seems unusual, odd, and out of place, as if it doesn't fit this time.Imagining herself walking down that aisle causes her breath to catch. Thinking about the vows, the promises they have made, and the r
Chapter: 54 The Wedding Crisis The enthusiastic wedding planners and friends are filling the air with enthusiastic conversation, and the rehearsal is in full swing. Every thread of lace reminds Elizabeth, standing near the altar, of how far she and Simeon have gone as she adjusts her dress.Though the mood is heated, as if everything is about to change, the setting is lovely—flowers in full bloom, the golden tones of the chandeliers gently illuminating the space.Simeon walks beside her, his hand soft yet deliberate, brushing a lock of hair off her face. His voice is a constant anchor in the chaos of preparations; he tells her, "Everything's going to be perfect."The door opens suddenly, starting them both as they discuss the last details. A tall figure—a guy older, with an air of familiarity that sends a cold shudder down Elizabeth's spine—steps inside the doorway, and the room goes quiet. Though he is dressed smartly, and his presence demands attention, what disturbs her is the fri
Chapter: 53 The Wedding Plans Planning starts like a fantasy. Sitting at a little café, Elizabeth and Simeon talk about the wedding, their fingers interlaced. The sky is clear, and the sun has a gentle golden tone. Ideas rush, wild and uninhibited, the ceremony on a cliffside, the flowers bursting in every conceivable color, the attire as simple as it is magnificent. Every aspect of the guest list, who will sit on velvet pillows, is meant to show their affection.Yet under the thrill, a quiet dread simmers. The risks and danger constantly loom in the background, never letting them enjoy their moment. The idea of their foes still observing, waiting for a time to attack, keeps coming into their heads. Simeon sees the change in her demeanor and the frightened flash in her eyes.Though he is battling the same internal struggle, Simeon tightens his hold on her hand to comfort her. "El abeth, we'll have our day," he adds, his voice calm yet resolute. It will be ours." No one can rob us of
Chapter:52 The Final Decision The silence in the room is almost palpable, stifling, as if the weight of the world is pushing down on them. Elizabeth rests next to Simeon, her head tucked against his chest, the constant beat of his heart, a soothing cadence under her ear. The world outside is peaceful, and stillness is only found when all is on the verge of change. City lights' soft glow flows through the window, creating long shadows across the room.Once so unclear, their future lies before them like an uncharted map ready to be explored. Yet in this quiet, Elizabeth has a growing dread of the unknown that no degree of assurance or love can completely erase. Though the path forward is still uncertain, they have come a long way and battled through much.Her fingertips run over the outline of his shirt. She lets a gentle breath, and her mind is in a knot. She feels as though she is peering down into an abyss from the edge of a cliff. Beyond this now, what is there? What remains to be