Chapter 16
A gnawing sense of unease twisted in Vanessa’s gut. She no longer bothered to slow her steps–she bolted for the front
gate.
Something was seriously wrong. He hadn’t invited her here to propose. Whatever “surprise” he had planned–it wasn’t
anything good.
He really has found something out!
Panic kicked in. Vanessa ran full speed, only to find no one stopping her.
Just when she thought she could make it out, the locked, electrified gate loomed ahead–an iron cage trapping her inside.
She collapsed to her knees, stunned, her eyes wide with disbelief.
“No… this can’t be happening. Let me out! I need to get out of here!”
“Save your breath. After everything you did to Celeste, did you really think I’d let you walk away?”
Lucian’s voice–low, icy, nightmarishly calm–came from behind her.
Vanessa jolted, her whole body trembling. She nearly passed out from sheer terror.
It took her a moment before she could find her voice again, already scrambling to defend herself.. “Lucian… I swear, I didn’t do anything! I don’t know what you’re talking about. Please, just let me go–please?”
Lucian didn’t flinch. Without a word, he threw a thick stack of papers at her feet.
Every single thing she’d done to sabotage Celeste–every plot, every setup, every cruel little move–was detailed inside.
Vanessa’s hands shook as she picked up the pages. Her vision swam with panic.
How? How could he have found all this? Lucian had never believed Celeste. He never would’ve checked on his own. What
had changed?
It was her. Celeste must’ve gotten to him, somehow. That had to be it.
Vanessa’s face turned chalk white. She’d lost. She’d miscalculated. Celeste had won.
And now it was all over.
Lucian gave a single glance to the bodyguards nearby, a wordless order.
“Take Vanessa downstairs. Lock her in the basement. I want guards rotating shifts to rough her up. Don’t kill her. I’ll tell
you when to stop.”
“If she gets close to dying, call the private doctor. Keep her alive. Whatever she made Celeste suffer–she’s going to pay
for all of it. In full.”
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked away, dialing Connor to locate Celeste’s whereabouts.
Vanessa watched his cold, unfeeling back fade into the distance, her last sliver of hope slipping away.
She was dragged down the hallway, about to face the same despair and torment that Celeste had once endured.
She broke free from the bodyguards and dropped to her knees, sobbing and begging. “Lucian–please! Please let me go!
Chapter 16
16.49%
I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt her–1 just… I just wanted to be with you!”
“You said you liked me. I love you! I’ve loved you this whole time! I just didn’t have the courage to be with you–I kept stalling. That’s all! No girl wants to be a mistress!”
“I just… I loved you too much. I wanted you all to myself. Please–please don’t do this to me. I can’t take it!”
She threw herself at him, grabbing onto his pant leg with all the strength she had left, sobbing uncontrollably.
The once–polished, perfect Vanessa looked like a homeless wreck.
But Lucian didn’t feel an ounce of sympathy–only the fury of betrayal.
He stared down at her, eyes dark and stormy, then mercilessly pressed his foot down on her hand–grinding it in without
hesitation.
“You should’ve known this day would come the moment you lied to me. You betrayed me. You hurt Celeste. I will never
love you.”
“Your love, your possessiveness? I want none of it.”
“Aaaghh-!” Vanessa screamed. Her bones nearly cracked beneath his shoe.
She cried out in agony, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“I know I was wrong! I swear I do! Please–please let me go. I’ll give you anything you want. I’ll apologize to Celeste- anything. Please, don’t do this to me!”
For the first time, her voice was truly sincere as she begged–because for the first time, Vanessa was truly afraid.
Chapter 16
