Chapter 144: The D-Day . VICKY. I lay there staring at the ceiling, the room wrapped in a soft glow from the bedside lamp. Rue was beside me, his breathing deep and steady, and for a moment, I envied how easy it was for him to sleep. How does he do that? Just close his eyes and drift off, like the world isn’t about to burn tomorrow.I turned slightly, careful not to wake him, but luck wasn’t on my side tonight. His body shifted, and then those sharp blue eyes opened, finding me in the dim light.“You’re still awake?” His voice was low and husky from sleep but i could tell he was surprised.I froze for a second, then gave a small shrug. “Yeah.”“Vicky…” He pushed himself up on one elbow, his gaze fixed on me. “Why aren’t you sleeping? You need rest. Tomorrow’s a big day.”I didn’t answer immediately. What was I supposed to say? That my chest felt tight, that every time I closed my eyes, I saw flashes of things going wrong? That the silence in this room felt louder than a gunshot?In
Chapter 143: Tomorrow Night. Williams. The auction was tomorrow. Vicky’s big day. Her moment to shine and rub her perfect little life in my face.Not happening.I pulled my phone out and sent a quick message to the only person who could help me with this.Where you at?Seconds later, the response came through.The bar. Same spot.I grabbed my keys and left the house without another word. Smith was still hanging around in the living room, probably scrolling through his phone like the useless bastard he was, but I didn’t care. I had bigger things to handle, if he wasn’t going to help, i would get help . The bar was lively , a place where men like us came to disappear, to make plans that never saw daylight. And there he was, leaning against the counter with a glass in hand, looking like prison hadn’t done a damn thing to humble him.“Reed,” I said, walking up.He turned, smirk curling on his lips. “Williams. You look like shit, man.”“Save it. I need you.”“Yeah?” He raised a brow, al
Chapter 141: The Morning Before the Auction VICKY I woke up to the steady rhythm of Rue’s heartbeat beneath my ear. His chest rose and fell slowly, i monitored his heart beating for a while , For a moment, I just stayed there, eyes half-closed, letting myself feel… safe. A rare feeling lately. But even that safety couldn’t chase away the different thoughts in my head , I saw the Doctor, his face when he walked out, that smirk like he knew something I didn’t. I ran after him, calling his name, feet pounding against the marble floor, but he didn’t stop or even responded to me , it was really awkward. He didn’t even turn. He vanished into the night . What did that mean? Was he lying to me? Or… avoiding me My throat tightened. I didn’t even realize I was clutching Rue’s shirt until his voice broke the silence. “Good morning, beautiful.” His tone was husky and lazy, laced with a teasing warmth that pulled me from the thoughts in my head. I looked at him. He was already awak
Chapter 141: Was it worth the stress ?VALERIE.The cold night air slapped against my face as I stepped out of Williams’ house. My hands were trembling, but not from the weather. That man , That God , that man, had the audacity to humiliate me in front of Smith, to call me a…a hoe, like I was some cheap whore off the street. My chest burned with rage as I tightened my grip on the small overnight bag I’d managed to grab before things got ugly. If Smith hadn’t stepped in, I don’t know what would’ve happened.Maybe I would’ve clawed his smug face off. Maybe I would’ve ended up on the floor again. Either way, I couldn’t stay there anymore. Not tonight. Not ever.Melanie’s apartment wasn’t far. I knew she’d be awake; that girl lived on caffeine and gossip. When she opened the door and saw me standing there, she didn’t look surprised. She just raised her brows, took one look at my swollen cheek, and said, “Wow. So it’s finally over?”I pushed past her into the apartment, too exhausted to an
Chapter 140: FracturesWilliams . I couldn’t stop pacing. My head was a battlefield of thoughts, some loud, some whispering, all dark. The auction was in two days, and every second that ticked by made my blood boil hotter. I wanted her gone. Not humiliated. Not ruined. Gone. Permanently.The living room lights cast a pale glow on the floor as my footsteps dragged back and forth across the rug. Smith sat on the couch, elbows on his knees, watching me like I was some wild animal about to break free from its cage.“You keep pacing like that, you’re gonna dig a hole in your floor,” he muttered, his voice low, uneasy.I ignored him. My mind was already at the auction, imagining her in that glittering dress, smiling, laughing, acting untouchable while I burned.She wouldn’t be smiling for long.I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms. “It has to happen there,” I said finally, my voice flat. “The auction. That’s where she feels safest. Surrounded by her people, her guards, her
Chapter 139: A plan. Williams.Smith stared at me for a long second, his brows shooting up. “Kill her? Williams, are you even listening to yourself?”I clenched my fists so tight my knuckles turned white. “I’ve been listening to myself for the past three months, and guess what? It’s not helping! Talking isn’t helping! Waiting isn’t helping! Do you know how it feels to have everything you ever wanted ripped away and then watch her watch Vicky, parade around like she’s untouchable?”Smith exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Bro, calm down. You’re not thinking straight.”“I’ve been calm for too long!” I barked, slamming my palm against the wall so hard the sound echoed through the room. “I was calm when she came back better , I was calm when Rue married her. I was calm when Valerie left me and took everything with her. And what did it get me? Nothing!”Smith’s lips pressed into a thin line as he walked toward the couch, sinking into it like he needed a moment to process this