Chapter: Chapter 19 - UnwaveredLianne Smith (Elara Vale)Ethan didn't flinch, instead his fingers which were on my jaw drifted down to the hollow of my throat, his thumb pressing gently against the frantic, erratic beat of my pulse. A slow smirk spread across his lips."The man who broke into the mansion wasn't looking for money, Elara," Ethan whispered, leaning down until his lips brushed the shell of my ear. "He was sent by Celeste’s cleanup crew".“She is suspecting something” he continued and I just looked on at him, my brain whirling with questions on what she might be suspecting.**********The digital alarm on the nightstand rang shrilly but I was already awake. I swung my legs over the edge of the king sized bed, the cold floor against my bare feet. I walked into the bathroom, the cold water from the shower head cascaded down my body as I arranged my schedule for today in my mind, i have a meeting to attend at Adrian's company.I finished bathing quickly and walked into the adjoining walk in closet, I dress
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-09
Chapter: Chapter 18 - Panic AttackEthan“Check his body for any means of identification” I ordered Nicole as I took off the gloves on my hands. “Check if there's any hidden device on him”“Yes”, he replied and put on a pair of gloves that he pulled out of his pockets. He ransacked his body quickly, “Nothing”“Prepare to dump his body in a dump site, inside the ocean or burn it” I ordered him dismissively.Before he could reply the door to the basement opened and in came the butler came in with a letter held in his hands.“I'm really sorry for barging in, sir. A letter arrived just now for you”. The butler reported with his eyes kept lowered to the ground, not for a single second moving them to check out the room.I collected the letter from him, it was a sealed envelope, sealed with a golden wax. I unsealed it with a snap of the seal and saw an invitation card with a small note attached to it. It was a letter from Adrian Cooper, an invitation to an upper class auction tomorrow.LianneI walked to the mansion, with the
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-10-07
Chapter: Chapter 17 - Interrogating the intruder.Ethan's POV“I have limited time to spend here” I began “Who sent you?" I asked, going straight to the point "and what is your purpose for coming here, to this mansion?" I asked while staring at him. He didn't answer me, he glanced at me then lowered his head back on his chest, his breath shallow and somehow laboured, as if he didn't hear what I just said. "Raise your head while I'm speaking to you”, I commanded.“I'm not here to chat with you and I would love it”, I paused, “I would very much love it if you answer my question without wasting much time”.“The quicker you answer me, the faster you'll get out of here don't you think?” “And if you choose the hard way too, I'll be more than happy too comply with you" I stood up and walked round him, the rhythmic tap of my shoe against the floor being the only sound present in the room. lowly, he raised his head and looked at me hard"Who sent you to try to break into the east wing of this mansion?" I asked in a cold and authoritative
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-12
Chapter: Chapter 16 - The intruderEthan's POV I closed the door, shutting out the noise behind us. “You did great out there” I said softly, my thumbs gently brushing the skin of her collarbone."Right" she whispered and looked back at me “Thank you for your support earlier”.Before I could give her a reply, a sound resonated through the room. It was my phone. I groaned in frustration, pulled the phone out, while at the same time keeping one hand steadily on Elara’s shoulder. It was a text message that came in, a text message from Nicole. He is one of my intelligence team that manages the security of the mansion, so him contacting me now which he usually doesn't do could only mean that something important that warrants my attention must have happened. I clicked on the message which reads “An intruder was caught trying to get into the east wing of the mansion”. The message was just a one line sentence that put me on the alert immediately.The east wing, that is where all important information pertaining to my company
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-10
Chapter: Chapter 15 - The messageLianne (Elara Vale) Adrian stopped dead in his tracks as soon as his eyes met mine, he looked as if he just saw a ghost, his face devoid of any colour. I maintained eye contact with him, studying his every expression. He blinked rapidly at first, probably surprised to realize that I'm the same person as the investor who had invested in his company. "Miss Elara," Adrian called out like a fool that he is, calling me by my maiden name even though it is obvious to the entire world that I am now married. He extended his hand for a handshake awkwardly. ‘It is Mrs. Vance now,” I corrected him with a small smile that didn't reach my eyes. He then continued, “Oh.. okay. I'm truly sorry about that” he replied with fake enthusiasm “Even though we have met before I must say that you look quite different today Mrs Vance. Very similar to someone I used to know." Someone he used to know, that is the term he used to describe me, which made me wonder if he had ever loved me. I clenched my han
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-09
Chapter: Chapter 14 - Meeting my enemies 2I knew she felt it too, my palm burning her skin through her gown, a quiet promise that I'm right beside her. We moved up the wide staircase, pausing a little bit for the photographers. Elara smiled on cue. I kept my gaze ahead, focused as we moved. We finally got to the top of the stairs and I felt Lianne stiffen beside me. She took in a sharp breath while staring at a particular part of the museum. But they have already met once during the contract signing, so why is she reacting this way, I wondered. Or maybe she has been keeping her fears in check during that period. Just past the pillars of the museum stood Adrian Cooper and Celeste Smith. Adrian was dressed in a black suit, his blonde hair swept back with gel looking every bit the arrogant heir, even though the faint dark circles under his eyes betrayed his stress. Beside him, stood Celeste clothed in a shimmering silver dress, her petite frame leaning affectionately into Adrian's arm. I felt a tug on my arm, and looked do
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-09-08
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