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Twenty Five: Collaboration
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2022-10-29 22:22:02Related chapters
Unfaithful: Web of Betrayal Twenty Six: Opening Night
The gallery opens to a foyer blocked by a white wall. The first piece that welcomes the visitors was a glass case, inside it was a row of blue flames that was fueled by gas. It was burning softly and steadily, the bottom part was opened because that's where the gas pipe was hidden inside the white display table.A woman greeted them by the reception desk on the left, she handed everyone a pamphlet that contains the list of items that were exhibited that night. The interior was a typical art gallery with wide spaces, paintings hanging on the walls, and glass displays in the centers of each part of the rooms divided by thin walls.Many of the pieces there were artworks from various artists, The Blue Flame was Roman's and when they walk further inside they find other of his works. Some are paintings, others are pieces of objects that were explained by the Head of Sales to the potential buyers.She raised the scarf around her neck when a breeze of air conditioner blew past her shoulders.
Last Updated : 2022-10-29Unfaithful: Web of Betrayal Twenty Seven: Adele Leighton
It didn't take him long to realize that Adele Leighton was not her real name. He searched for it on Google, and every social media platforms imaginable. He even searched for it in the Lancaster city directory. Adele Leighton was not the woman he was with on that ship.It broke his heart to even smaller pieces. How could she have lied to him like that? Leave him without a trail to find her again?He was a traveling artist. He worked freelance here and there and took him on an interesting journey for years. But Ludus had changed him profoundly. He went to Japan afterwards, that's where he learned the Kintsugi technique. The idea of The Heart of course came from his personal experience that left a permanent scar.Roman likes to think that the piece he made depicts his struggle to repair his broken heart. Mending the ceramic with gold took him two years to perfect, mending his own heart was a different story.While creating his masterpiece, he took on other adventures that led him back to
Last Updated : 2022-11-07Unfaithful: Web of Betrayal Twenty Eight: The Wives Club
"Let me see it ... let me see it," Gloria Hanson extended her hands to Olivia.Everyone wanted to see her ring again, even though they'd seen it at her birthday party. It was astonishing jewelry, Declan had gone to lengths to custom-made it months prior to their anniversary."My God ... look at that," Gloria turned Olivia's hand to the left and right, the stones flickered against the light at the cafe.It was the unofficial wives club. They gathered every once a week or two weeks at the same cafe not far from Olivia's studio. Ever since she opened her business on Pioneer Crest, it was harder for her to get away from the brunch meeting with the wives. Talking about other people was not her favorite thing to do, and they never seem to run out of gossip."What did you do to him to get this giant of a stone," Helena Nordstrom was there too. "Look at the intricate detail, how much do you reckon?" she asked Regina.Regina rolled her eyes, "That is easily 8-carat blue diamond, depending on t
Last Updated : 2022-11-07Unfaithful: Web of Betrayal Twenty Nine: The Tour
She'd been dreading the tour ever since she agreed to do it. A private tour means more time alone with him. She wasn't ready to talk about it yet. Is he going to bring it up? But she needed to know if he had told anyone about them, now that they are working and living in close proximity. Now that they have mutual friends. They're not strangers anymore. It was silent in the gallery. The only sound she could hear was the humming from the air conditioner and her footsteps walking into the spacious building. It was a little after 7 PM, the gallery was closed to the public and all the employees had gone home. A soft floral scent soothed her sense of smell. The dim lights made the place feel homier. Then she remembered that Roman actually lives there, and she was entering his home. She took a deep breath and hugged herself from the chill. She should've asked him to do the tour in the daytime when there are people around. The whole setting felt too private, she was getting cold feet. As s
Last Updated : 2022-11-07Unfaithful: Web of Betrayal Thirty: Alone
She took off her ring and put it on the counter beside the sink. She washed the plate she just used to have her meal. Alma had cooked a very nice chicken dinner for two with salad on the side. She left Declan's half on the dining table.The music was on, it's always on when she's home by herself. It felt different listening to her favorite music alone. When Declan is around, he usually talks over it, he wasn't into music the way she is. She kept her champagne glass full, trying to wash down what was said in that gallery.She put up her legs on the sofa armrest, her mind wandering to that big bright blue eyes, the dark lines around them, and the black dot in their centers. His eyes were hypnotizing, and they were always looking at her in a way that made her feel ... adored."I miss you so much," his words replayed in her head.She closed her eyes. Those simple words had thrust deep into her because she felt it too. She gulped down her champagne and poured some more. She drew herself a
Last Updated : 2022-11-17Unfaithful: Web of Betrayal Thirty One: Do You Want To Come Over?
Olivia ...When he found out her real name, where she lives, who her husband was, and where her new studio was, it went snowballing from there. He wanted to know more about her life and what she tried so hard to hide from him.It wasn't hard to find information about the couple since Declan was quite well-known in the business industry. There were articles about him, his family, and the diamond company they own. There were articles about how he married the beauty queen from one of the pageants his company funded. There were pictures of 22-year-old Olivia as a beauty queen, 25-year-old Olivia on her wedding day, and then not much else after that. As if she had retreated to the background and the only news he could find was about Declan's achievements and his company's major deals.He wasn't satisfied with that. So he hired a private investigator to dig further. That's when he found out about Sienna. The woman Declan was having an affair with. Then he dug in deeper about her too. She wa
Last Updated : 2022-11-17Unfaithful: Web of Betrayal Thirty Two: Takeout Dinner
It's been two weeks since she ran out of that door in a hurry. "You can't run away from your own feelings." She remembers him saying. It's true. It was stupid. She was afraid of her own feelings and fled as if he was the one who scared her away.Roman had been nothing but friendly to her. Although he insist that he wasn't her friend. They were business partners now, and things have been doing fine. He'd been trying to get her to spend more personal time with him, but she declined every time.But that night she felt ready. She was tired from working all day and hungry. The thought of having to go home and eat by herself felt stale. Declan won't be home until late as he had been for weeks. The raincheck to have dinner at Sebastian's was gone and forgotten.She walked into Ludus. The place was different at night, more private, and personal, and felt like home. She loved it for that, and the smell of the floral diffuser was delightful.She got to The Heart and looked at the room from the
Last Updated : 2022-11-17Unfaithful: Web of Betrayal Thirty Three: Client Visit
Kelly Thomas had just gotten divorced from her husband of 21 years, Greyson Thomas. She found out he had been living a double life with a mistress for the past 4 years, and to top it off, it wasn't his first mistress. She decided to leave the house she had been living with Greyson and bought a new one as part of her divorce settlement, and she had been working with Olivia to do the interior of her new home.She wanted to go big with the house's decoration, and since Greyson was obliged to pay for everything, she wanted to have artwork around the house. That's where Roman comes in."It's not even enough to pay back what I've lost for 21 years," Kelly snarled. "That bastard had the audacity to bring his tramp to our house and used all my stuff ... they even slept on our bed, can you believe that?" she scoffed. "That's how I found out, you know? I had no idea ... I guess if he wasn't that stupid to bring that bitch to our house, I wouldn't have found out 'til later."Olivia swallowed har
Last Updated : 2022-11-30
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Unfaithful: Web of Betrayal Seventy-Eight: London
The moment they arrived in London, a call came in. The family lawyer informed them that their brownstone house in Lancaster had burned. The lawyer would contact the insurance company, and an investigation was underway. Declan left the matter to his lawyer's hand. He told them they could not return because they had just arrived and Olivia was not feeling well. They will have to do all interviews and communication through video calls. A few days after that, the news broke. Bodies were found in a family home in Chestnut. A mother and an 8-year-old boy they assume were her son were found in their car. It seemed like they had been dead for a few days. The police were looking for the husband. The scene indicated that the two deceased people had died from asphyxiation, an apparent murder-suicide inside the car. However, the car was already turned off when they found them. Someone was already there and failed to report the incident. Gil Isaac was now a wanted man.
Unfaithful: Web of Betrayal Seventy-Seven: Departure
Somewhere in Chestnut lies the body of a mother and son that had yet to be discovered. They had to go on knowing this and not do anything about it. They had to act as if everything was normal and they were leaving for London as scheduled. Their bags were packed for a month's stay, they left their instructions to their employees and gave their house staff a paid leave. Declan leaned on the doorway while Olivia was already waiting in the car. He looked around one last time to see if they had everything they needed. His eyes fell on the Blue Flame. He had bought the piece from Roman early on when he didn't know what it truly meant for any of them. "A blue flame represents many things to many people. It represents illumination and enlightenment. It could mean destruction and renewal, spirituality and also damnation ... it depends on which aspect you can relate to." Roman's voice echoed in his mind. "While blue is a color that presents coolne
Unfaithful: Web of Betrayal Seventy-Six: Confession
Declan ... my love ...If you're reading this ... that means I'm gone ...I have been contemplating this decision for the longest time.Our last meeting convinced me there is no hope for me ever to be together with you again.I don't want to live without you, especially when you love someone else on this earth.God knows I tried to do that, and it's killing me inside. It might as well kill me forever.Damien is such a sweet boy. He doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve an unhappy mother who's always bitter and angry because she couldn't be with his father, who has no love for either of us.He doesn't deserve to be in a world where he is not loved and treated like he didn't matter. I couldn't give that to him because I can't convince you to be the father he deserves.So I'm not leaving him behind. He is mine. He is my heart and soul.I promise this won't hurt. Not as much as knowing that you don't love me.I hope you find what you lost wit
Unfaithful: Web of Betrayal Seventy-Five: Silence
The silence was deafening. The clock on the dashboard said 3.30 AM. They had probably been cleaning since 12 AM. She could still smell the blood though she couldn't pinpoint where it originated. She scrubbed herself clean almost to the point where she scratched off the first layer of her skin. But the scent remained. They drove for almost an hour when Declan pulled to a construction site. She took a glance at the sign as they entered the area. It was one of his company's ongoing projects. They were building a factory. Heavy equipment was parked all over the site. The land was dug up in the middle. She started to get the idea of what Declan was planning on doing. "They're scheduled to dump the soil in the morning ... they had done the inspection yesterday. I'll dig a shallow grave, and they'll cover it up with tons and tons of soil in the morning," he sounded confident. She looked at him with an empty stare, still unsure about everything they were doin
Unfaithful: Web of Betrayal Seventy-Four: The Stranger
"What?" Olivia froze. Her relief was short-lived when she realized it wasn't Roman. Panic sets in almost immediately. "Who the hell is that?" she was reluctant to look closer. The sight of blood on a dead body was not something she wanted to observe. Declan was breathing heavily. He shook his head and stroked his hair. "Get the tarp, Livy ... get some tapes and plastic, whatever we have ... hurry!" She ran down the stairs. She wasn't thinking anymore. She just did what Declan told her. "Oh ... God!" Declan muttered to himself. He rubbed his face with both hands. He was sure it was Roman when he first saw the dark images on the CCTV monitor. He checked the pockets of the dead man in front of him. He took everything he could find from the corpse. Gil was dead. Blood was still leaking out of his wounded head through the soaked cap. Declan would've seen a clearer image through the monitor if he hadn't worn that cap. Or not. His
Unfaithful: Web of Betrayal Seventy-Three: The Scene
She was in a haze. Everything was blurry. It was as if her mind was filled with fog, and tears were filling up her eyes. Declan was talking. He held her by the side of her arms. She remembered screaming, and Declan put his hand over her mouth. This was not really happening. The next thing she heard from Declan was, as the fog was getting clear, "We can do this ... you and me ... we'll clean this up, get rid of the body, and no one will know." He nodded profusely as if to get her to agree with him. "I did this for us ... don't you see? He gave me no choice ... I love you, Olivia, this is the only way we can be together peacefully ... he won't leave us alone ... he'll never leave us alone." She pushed his hand off her mouth, "You're crazy ... you'll never get away with this." Her breaths were heavy from the immense pressure of his crime. "You killed him." "You did too ... you think you'll be free of this? I didn't kill him ... we did." The realization o
Unfaithful: Web of Betrayal Seventy-Two: Murderer
She woke up in a daze by a beeping sound from the computer. It took a few seconds for her to recall that they had fallen asleep on the floor of his study. Declan was sitting in front of his computer. The look on his face sobered her up. "What's wrong?" she asked as she gathered and put on her clothes. "Sshh ..." he put his index finger to his lips. His eyes were nailed to the monitor as he clicked away with his mouse. "Someone's in the house." Her heart fell to her stomach. "What? What do you mean?" she whispered and hurried to dress. Declan stood abruptly from his chair and switched the light off. She looked at the computer monitor to see what he had been looking at from the CCTV, but it was turned off. "He's upstairs ... he's going to the bedroom," he walked back to his desk and got a key from the drawer. She was numbed by fear. "What are you doing?" He didn't reply, but she immediately knew he was going for his
Unfaithful: Web of Betrayal Seventy-One: Husband And Wife
He said it. It was done. He had severed the tie that bound him with his entire life, his family. But Livy was his family. She had been for more than 15 years. She was the family he chose for himself. He had done more to keep his relationship with Olivia than anything he'd ever done to be a Hunt. Was he an idiot, like his mom said? Maybe. Whatever Olivia did with Roman made him even hungrier to win her back. It was his nature. It was how he strived to be the best in business. It surprised him. The relief he felt after telling his mom. He was free now. No more judgment of who he chose to be his wife, why they had not yet had a child, or what he decided to do with his marriage. His life was finally his own. He couldn't believe he waited that long to do the one thing that could've saved his marriage from the start. He walked into the silence of their home. It was the only thing that mattered from then on. To build back what had collapsed beneath their feet. The woman he
Unfaithful: Web of Betrayal Seventy: Mother And Son
Declan sat in the dining room, waiting for his mom to enter in her fashionably late manner. This time she brought some files with her. Her sumptuous smile subsided when she saw her favorite son looking scruffy and worn out, as if he hadn't showered or eaten in days. "You look like you just crawled out of a cave ... what happened?" she sneered. He stood up and kissed his mother's cheek, "You look lovely as always, Mom. How are you?" "I'm as well as I can be," she sat on the chair next to him and put the files on the table. She turned to him with a concerned look on her face. She touched his arm, "Is there something wrong with your business?" "No ... business is good," he said. She raised a brow and turned away, "It's your home then ... where is your pageant wife, anyway?" Mimi started to look through the papers in front of her. He rubbed his temple. He was not in the mood for his mother's cynical remarks. "Why am I here, Mom?"
