CHAPTER 8: A HEART SHATTERED INTO PIECES

Arabella Rose Montgomery thought she had already cried enough.

But heartbreak had a cruel way of returning when she least expected it.

She sat alone beside the window of her apartment, staring at the engagement ring resting on her dressing table. The ring had once represented a promise of forever. Now, it was nothing more than a painful reminder of three years she could never get back.

Alexander's confession continued to echo in her mind.

Almost a year.

He had been seeing Vanessa for almost a year while making Arabella believe they were building a future together.

She pressed her trembling fingers against her lips.

"How could you do this to me, Alexander?"

A tear slipped down her cheek.

She had defended him whenever her friends questioned their relationship. She had trusted him even when his late-night meetings became excuses and his sudden absences became normal.

Now, she wondered how many times he had looked into her eyes and lied.

Her phone vibrated.

A message from an unknown number appeared on the screen.

Unknown Number: You should know that Alexander isn't the only one who has been keeping secrets from you.

Arabella frowned.

Before she could respond, another message arrived.

Unknown Number: Stay away from the Blackwood family. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into.

Her stomach tightened.

Was someone threatening her?

She immediately took screenshots of the messages before blocking the number.

She had enough problems without allowing another stranger to frighten her.

But one question remained.

Why had the sender mentioned the Blackwood family?

The following afternoon, Arabella visited a small boutique where she had previously worked part-time.

Her former colleague, Melissa, welcomed her with a warm smile.

"Arabella! It's been so long. How are you?"

"I'm fine," Arabella answered, forcing a smile.

Melissa studied her face.

"Are you sure? You look like you haven't slept."

Arabella hesitated before finally admitting what had happened.

"Alexander cheated on me."

Melissa's smile disappeared.

"What? After everything you've done for him?"

Arabella nodded.

"I caught him with Vanessa. Apparently, they've been together for almost a year."

Melissa shook her head in disbelief.

"That man doesn't deserve another second of your life."

"I know. I just wish I had discovered the truth earlier."

Melissa gently held her hand.

"Don't blame yourself for trusting someone you loved. His dishonesty was his choice, not your failure."

For the first time in days, Arabella felt that someone understood her pain.

She spent the afternoon helping with the boutique's inventory. Keeping herself occupied was better than sitting alone with painful memories.

Before she left, Melissa handed her a cup of coffee.

"Promise me something."

"What?"

"Don't let what Alexander did convince you that you're not worthy of being loved."

Arabella smiled faintly.

"I'll try."

But as she walked toward the exit, her phone vibrated again.

This time, it was a notification from a social media account.

Her heart sank when she saw the photograph.

Alexander and Vanessa were standing together at an expensive restaurant, smiling as if nothing had happened.

The caption read:

Some people are meant to be together.

Arabella stared at the screen.

The photograph appeared to have been taken recently.

Her fingers trembled, but she refused to cry.

"Enough," she whispered.

She closed the application and continued walking.

She would no longer allow Alexander to decide how her day would end.

Meanwhile, inside Blackwood Corporation, Dominic stood beside the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office.

The anonymous message he had received the previous night remained on his mind.

He had instructed his security department to investigate its origin, but the initial findings had revealed nothing useful.

His office door opened.

Alexander entered, looking increasingly irritated.

"Have you thought about what I asked you yesterday?"

Dominic turned.

"If you're referring to Arabella, I have nothing to discuss with you."

Alexander clenched his jaw.

"She's my former girlfriend."

"Exactly. Former."

"She's not someone you should be involved with."

Dominic's expression hardened.

"Interesting. You seem concerned about a woman you betrayed."

Alexander looked away.

"Things between us weren't perfect."

"That doesn't excuse what you did."

"Father, you don't understand."

Dominic approached his desk.

"Then explain it to me. Why did you allow another woman into your relationship while promising Arabella a future?"

Alexander remained silent.

Dominic continued, his voice firm.

"You cannot expect everyone to forgive you simply because you regret the consequences of your actions."

Alexander's face darkened.

"Are you planning to marry her?"

The question hung between them.

Dominic studied his son before answering.

"That is not a decision you have the right to make for her."

Alexander stepped backward, visibly frustrated.

"This family is becoming a joke."

"Then stop making it one."

Alexander stormed out, leaving Dominic alone with his thoughts.

He knew his son's jealousy was growing.

But something else worried him more.

The mysterious message about Eleanor.

Across the city, Vanessa Claire was reviewing the financial documents on her laptop.

She had received another message from the unidentified person who had contacted her previously.

Unknown Contact: Dominic is beginning to investigate. Make sure the records disappear.

Vanessa's smile faded.

She glanced at the folder containing Eleanor's name.

"You're asking me to clean up someone else's mess," she muttered.

Her phone rang.

It was Alexander.

"What do you want?" she answered.

"We need to talk."

"About what?"

"Stop posting photographs of us. You're making everything worse."

Vanessa laughed bitterly.

"Now you're worried about your reputation?"

"Just stop, Vanessa."

Her expression turned cold.

"You should be more worried about your father, Alexander. He's becoming very interested in Arabella."

Alexander fell silent.

"What are you talking about?"

"Perhaps you should ask him."

Before he could respond, Vanessa ended the call.

She closed her laptop, but her mind continued working.

If Dominic discovered the truth behind Eleanor's records, everything could collapse.

And she wasn't prepared to lose the luxurious life she had worked so hard to secure.

That evening, Arabella received an unexpected call.

It was Dominic.

"Good evening, Arabella. I hope I'm not disturbing you."

She looked at the phone before answering.

"Not at all, Mr. Blackwood."

"Please, call me Dominic."

She smiled faintly.

"All right, Dominic."

"I wanted to check whether you're doing better."

Arabella glanced at the photograph she had saved earlier.

"I'm trying. Some days are just harder than others."

"That's understandable. You don't have to pretend you're fine when you're not."

His gentle words brought an unexpected warmth to her chest.

"Thank you. I appreciate your concern."

There was a brief silence.

Then Dominic spoke again.

"Arabella, there's something I need to tell you. I don't want you to feel pressured, but I would like to see you again."

Her heart skipped.

She knew Dominic had been unusually kind to her, but she wasn't ready to understand what that kindness meant.

"Perhaps another time," she answered carefully.

"Of course. Take all the time you need."

After ending the call, Arabella placed her phone beside her.

She looked at herself in the mirror.

Her heart was still wounded, and she wasn't certain she could trust another man.

But somewhere deep inside, she knew her story wasn't over.

What she didn't know was that another message had just reached Dominic's phone.

Unknown Number: If you continue pursuing Arabella, your son's secrets will become her punishment.

Dominic slowly tightened his grip around the device.

This was no longer simply a family disagreement.

Someone was deliberately targeting the people he cared about.

And he was determined to discover who was behind it.

To be continued...