Chapter 150: One Secret Out. WILLIAMS The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the air conditioner. I sat on the couch with a glass of red wine, watching the chaos unfold on my phone screen. Every blog, every gossip page… they were all talking about her. Vicky. My sweet, stupid ex-wife. The hashtags were trending: #GoldDiggerVicky #RueDeservesBetter I scrolled, taking in every nasty comment with a smile that kept stretching wider. “Why would Rue marry his employee’s ex-wife? Desperation much?” “She probably trapped him for money after using Williams.” “Men should avoid women like Vicky.” “ Her Ex Husband must have gone through a lot in that marriage “ God, this was perfect. I didn’t even have to break a sweat. Just one little push and the internet did the rest for me. I chuckled and reached for the wine bottle, topping off my glass. I picked up my phone again and stared at the pictures I posted earlier, the ones from our last wedding anniversary. The
Chapter 149: Chaos VALERIE The TV was loud. Too loud. “…breaking news, chaos erupted at the highly anticipated event hosted by Victoria Rogers , when an unknown gunman opened fire, injuring at least two people. One victim , Her Husband…Rue Rogers …” I grabbed the remote and switched it off. I couldn’t listen to any more. My hands were trembling as I dropped the remote on the couch. Rue was still in surgery. It had been hours, but it felt like days. Every second stretched like a year, and the only thing keeping me from collapsing was the hope that he would come out alive. I stood up and walked slowly to Valerie’s room. My steps were heavy, like my body was carrying the weight of everything that had happened tonight. When I pushed the door open, Valerie was lying on the bed, her leg wrapped in bandages. Her face looked pale, but she managed to smile when she saw me. I pulled a chair closer and sat beside her. “How are you feeling?” I asked softly. “I’m fine,” she said, her vo
Chapter 148: The ShootVALERIE I sat there, pretending to listen to Vicky’s speech, but my stomach was tight with unease. Something wasn’t right.Sienna leaned closer. “Val, what’s wrong? You’ve been twitchy since we got here.”“Nothing,” I muttered, forcing a smile. But it wasn’t nothing.Williams wasn’t here. At all. I had been searching for him since we walked in, and he was nowhere. And then… I saw Reed.Reed. Of all people. Williams’ old friend—the one everyone hated. Trouble followed him everywhere, and Williams still kept him around for his dirty jobs.If Williams wasn’t here and Reed was… this wasn’t just a coincidence. This was the surprise Williams was talking about.I turned back to the stage. Vicky was speaking confidently now, thanking everyone for coming. She looked so calm, so unaware. My heart started racing.I scanned the room again, and my eyes caught Reed moving toward the side entrance. He was leaving the main hall. My instincts screamed.“Excuse me,” I told Sienn
Chapter 147: Golden Drama. VICKYRue leaned in, his brows knitting together as he glanced at my phone buzzing on the table. “You’re not going to check that?”I picked up the phone, saw Valerie’s name flashing on the screen, and locked it immediately. “It’s nothing,” I said flatly, tossing it back into my clutch.Rue didn’t look convinced. “Nothing doesn’t call three times in a row.”“She’s probably just trying to stir up drama,” I muttered, crossing my legs and pretending to adjust the slit of my dress. I didn’t need him asking more questions, not tonight.Rue leaned closer, lowering his voice so only I could hear. “Vicky, what’s going on? First you tell me William’s didn’t attend , now Valerie is suddenly desperate to talk to you?”I forced a smile that felt heavier than my earrings. “I don’t know, Rue. Maybe she wants to make a fuss about her ending relationship with Williams, Or something i don’t know …She is probably using that to get my attention “ He didn’t laugh. He just star
Chapter 146: Breathe QueenVICKYI stood in front of the mirror for what felt like the hundredth time tonight, smoothing down the silk folds of my dress even though it didn’t have a single wrinkle on it. My palms were clammy, and no amount of deep breathing was helping.Rue stood a few feet away, leaning casually against the dresser like he didn’t have a care in the world, he was here for both emotional, physical and any support he can provide. His suit was perfect, of course it was and the way he was watching me through the reflection made my heart beat louder than the music playing softly in the background. “ You look like a princess ….” He wrapped his hands around me and i sighed . “ Do i ?” “You’re nervous,” he said simply, not even asking.I rolled my eyes, reaching for my clutch. “What gave me away? The way I’ve sighed a million times or the fact that I look like I’m about to pass out?”“Neither,” he replied with that lazy smirk of his. “It’s the way you keep pressing your l
Chapter 145: Tick …Tick . WIlliam’s Pov . I woke up earlier than usual, my head still buzzing from the mess of last night. No hangover, thank God…but the anger from yesterday? Still burning like hellfire in my chest.First thing I did was grab my phone and call Reed. He picked up on the second ring, his voice low and rough like he’d been awake all night.“You ready?” I asked, pacing the length of my room.“As ready as I can be,” he muttered. “But listen, Williams… this isn’t some street job. The security for that auction is tight. I checked the location—”“I don’t care!” I snapped, cutting him off. “I didn’t bring you into this for excuses. You get the job done, Reed. You hear me? The job. Done.”He went quiet for a second, probably deciding whether to argue or not. Bad idea if he did.“I hear you,” he said finally, his tone flat.“Good,” I muttered, already typing on my phone. “I’m texting you the address now. I’ll send my invite too. You’ll use that to get in, pose as me. I’m not