4

CHAPTER 4

My chest tightened as I walked through the glass doors of my company the next day. I had been gone for three years, while I left the company in Derrick's hands.

My name was still emblazoned across the wall in bold gold letters. It was my father’s legacy, the only thing I had left of him.

But the moment I walked into the lobby, I knew something wasn’t right. The receptionists wouldn’t even meet my eyes.

And once I got into my office, I saw some men in black suits waiting for me.

“Mrs. Clara.” One of the men said as they rose from the couch.

I frowned. “And you are?”

They exchanged glances, then handed me a leather folder. “We are representatives from Merry Loans, and we're here to discuss repayment.”

“Repayment?” The word tasted bitter on my tongue. I hadn’t borrowed a dime in my life.

So what was going on?

When I opened the folder, my heart stopped in my chest as I saw the outrageous numbers scrawled across the papers.

It was the type of loan that would bleed a company dry.

And at the bottom was my company’s name.

“This..” I whispered. “This... this isn’t possible. I didn’t sign this.”

They exchanged glances.

“Oh, but your husband did.” The taller man said smoothly. “Derrick Anthony applied for a loan, using your company as collateral. And now, madam, the debt falls on you.”

I felt the world spin as my knees threatened to buckle.

Derrick. Always Derrick.

How could he do such cruel things to me? Was this what he meant by I don't have the means?

“How much time do I have?” I asked. My voice was steady, even though my hands trembled against the folder.

“Three weeks.” The shorter man replied. “Either you pay, or the company is ours.”

Three weeks?

What the hell?

I had just three weeks to save a company worth generations of sweat and sacrifice?

I could almost hear my father’s voice telling me never to let the Laurent name fall into ruin. And yet Derrick had dragged it into the mud, just as he had done to me.

When the men left, I collapsed into the nearest chair. My fingers pressed into my temples as a massive headache ripped through my skull.

I flipped the items in the mahogany desk in front of me and pressed deeper into my forehead.

I..

..I will not cry.

||

That evening, I found myself standing before my parents’ graves in the rain. My hair clung to my face, my dress was soaked through, but I didn’t move.

Instead, I knelt in the mud, my tears mixing with the rain. “Father.. Mother.. I don’t know what to do anymore.”

I continued sobbing. “I gave him everything. And now, he wants to take even the only thing you left me. Tell me, how do I fight this? How do I win?”

I don't think I can do this. Why did you both leave me, huh? My breath hangs as I hiccup with tears rolling down my face profusely.

At some point, exhaustion descended on me, and I didn't know when sleep came.

I woke up with my cheek pressed to the muddy ground. I’d slept off on the sand.

I groaned as I tried to stand up, and that's when my phone rang.

It was an unknown caller ID.

“I know what Derrick did. And I can help you.” A distorted voice booms from the other end immediately after I accepted the call.

My breath caught as I quickly sat up. “Who are you?”

“Meet me, and you’ll find out.” The voice said and hung up. A message came in a few minutes later.

It was an address.

||

The address led me to a secluded villa.

When I rang the doorbell, I froze as I stepped into a scene I wasn’t prepared for.

I should have waited.

A man and a woman were tangled in sheets, gasping in ecstasy. The man’s face was hidden behind a black mask, and when he noticed me, his movements stopped.

“Leave.” He ordered the woman.

She quickly gathered her clothes and left, leaving me alone with him.

Clearing my throat, I crossed my arms. “Who are you? And what do you want with me?”

He rose from the bed and put on a robe. His mask concealed everything except his lips, which were currently smirking at me.

“What I want..” He drawled, “..Is to help you.”

I scoffed. “Help me? And what do you want in return? My body? My soul?”

“You think so little of yourself.” He murmured, stepping closer. “I already have more power than you realize. If I wanted your body, I would take it.”

I took a cautious step backwards. “What is it?”

There was silence, and then, he slowly removed his mask.

My blood ran cold immediately.

“Spencer..”

He smirked. “Hello, Clara.”

It was like seeing a ghost. Spencer Anthony—the rebellious son of the Anthony family and Derrick's twin was standing in front of me whilst the world believed he was dead.

My heart hammered. “You.. you’re supposed to be—”

“Dead?” His laugh was bitter. “That’s what Derrick wanted. That’s what he made everyone believe.”

I staggered back, confused.

“Derrick framed me for the drug dealing,” Spencer said. “He painted me as the disgraceful son so he could rise in Father’s eyes. And when I went to prison, he sent someone to kill me. But fate wasn’t on his side. That man owed me his life, and instead of ending me, he faked my death.”

He leaned close, his eyes burning into mine. “And now, the time has come.”

He tucked a handful of my hair behind my ear. “..To make him pay. Gravely.”

It suddenly dawned on me that these were the same eyes I’d seen the cathedral.

“You were at the church.”

“Yeah, not a bright move you did there. But at least I got to see his blood.” He shrugs, his lips tilting into a wicked smirk.

I swallowed hard. “So you want revenge.”

“I want justice.” Hd corrected. “I’ll destroy Derrick. I’ll strip him of everything he ever stole, just as he did to me. And you, Clara.. you’ll have your daughter, your company back, and your life back.”

I stared at him, my thoughts spinning.

“Clara..” He came closer. “These aren't just empty words. I'm now the CEO of Debris

Consortium. And I also own Merry Loans, which means I can cancel your debt.”

“What do you want in return?”

This sounded too good to be true.

His lips curved as his hands went round my waist. “You.”

My chest clenched, and I pushed him away. “Never. I will never go back to the man who cheated on me.”

“You still don’t know the truth, do you?”

What truth?

Spencer smiled.

“Merge your company with mine. I’ll erase the debt. Together, we’ll rise above Derrick, and the courts will have no choice but to see you as the rightful guardian of Rose.”

My heart twisted. Was this salvation or another trap?

I drew a sharp breath and met his gaze. “If you betray me again, Spencer, I swear—I’ll be the one to bury you.”

His smirk deepened.

“I.. I would never.”