CHAPTER 79

HOW IT STARTED...

The memory began like a ghost, creeping back into Luke’s mind late at night when he least expected it. Sometimes it came as a faint whisper, other times as a full storm but this time it arrived so clear, so sharp, it was as if he was living it all over again.

Years ago, before Abigail had even stepped into his world, Obetta was everything Luke thought he wanted. She was dazzling, the kind of woman who could command a room with a glance. Her laugh was bold, her confidence unshaken, and her beauty polished to perfection.

Luke had met her at a gala his family hosted. She wore a crimson gown that seemed to pull every eye in the hall. But it wasn’t just her beauty that drew him in it was the way she leaned close when she spoke, like he was the only person in the world worth listening to.

That night, they talked until the music faded, until the candles burned low. She asked him about his dreams, his fears, his childhood questions no one else dared to ask. And he, guarded as he usually was, found himself answering.

In Obetta’s presence, Luke felt seen. Not as the heir to an empire, not as a man carrying the Vandell name but as Luke, flesh and blood, full of flaws.

It was intoxicating.

Within weeks, they were inseparable. He took her to dinners in the city, to horse rides on the Vandell estate, to late-night drives when neither of them wanted to sleep. She teased him when he grew too serious, laughed at his dry humor, and kissed him like she owned him.

Luke gave her his heart without hesitation.

The First Betrayal

The first crack in their love came a year later. Luke still remembered the sting as if it had just happened.

He had returned early from a business trip wanting to surprise her like he had always done. He had carried flowers, a bottle of her favorite wine, and the kind of restless excitement that only came from missing someone deeply.

But when he entered her apartment, the air told him something was wrong.

Clothes lay scattered in a way that wasn’t hers. A glass on the table still held the trace of a man’s drink. And then her laughter, from the bedroom.

The door wasn’t fully shut. He pushed it open, and there it was.

Obetta with another man.

The sight had frozen him. His heart had stopped, his body refusing to move even as his mind screamed. Betrayal was a sharp knife, and in that moment, it cut deep.

Obetta had seen him then her smile fading instantly, her eyes wide. The man scrambled out, muttering excuses Luke never heard.

“Luke, wait please,” Obetta cried, clutching the bedsheet around her. “It wasn’t what it looked like. Please, don’t leave me like this.”

He had turned to go, his chest hollow, his breath burning. But she ran after him, barefoot, tears streaking her face.

“Luke, I made a mistake,” she sobbed, catching his arm. “I was stupid, I was weak. But I love you. Don’t throw everything away because of this one moment. Please. Please.”

Her voice cracked, her hands clung to him desperately.

And against all logic, against the pain tearing him apart, Luke had stopped.

He loved her. God help him, he loved her.

So he forgave her.

It wasn’t easy. The nights after were filled with doubt, with flashes of her in someone else’s arms. But she swore to him it would never happen again. She promised she had seen her mistake, that she knew now what losing him would mean.

And because his heart was still hers, he chose to believe her.

Trying Again

For a while, things seemed better. Obetta was softer, more attentive. She showered him with affection, whispered apologies long after he had stopped asking for them.

Luke convinced himself they had weathered the storm. He wanted to believe love was enough to mend broken trust.

There were moments when it almost felt true like when they lay together under the stars, her head on his chest, and she whispered, “I don’t deserve you, Luke, but I’ll spend the rest of my life proving I can.”

He had kissed her then, silencing her doubt, certain they could move forward.

But deep down, a shadow lingered.

The Second Betrayal

It was later too soon, though Luke couldn’t have known that the truth shattered him again.

This time, he hadn’t stumbled upon it by accident. This time, it was deliberate.

He had grown suspicious small things didn’t add up. Obetta coming home later than usual. The smell of a cologne that wasn’t his lingering on her clothes. Her sudden need for privacy with her phone.

At first, he had brushed it aside, telling himself he was being paranoid. But the doubts gnawed at him until one night, he decided to follow her.

He trailed her discreetly, his car a shadow behind hers. She drove to a hotel far from the city, far from where anyone might know her.

Luke’s heart pounded as he watched her step out, her coat pulled tight around her, her steps quick like someone hiding a secret.

He followed her inside.

And there, in the dim hallway of the hotel, he saw her meet another man. She kissed him like she once kissed Luke hungry, reckless, full of passion.

The world tilted.

He didn’t confront her then. He couldn’t. The weight of it crushed him too much to move. He turned and walked out, his chest hollow, his hands trembling with fury and grief.

Later, when he did confront her, Obetta didn’t deny it.

Her eyes filled with tears, her voice soft. “I’m sorry, Luke. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I can’t seem to stop making mistakes. But you….you’re the one I love. You’re the only one who matters. Please, don’t leave me.”

But this time, the apology cut shallow.

This time, the words sounded practiced.

Luke had stared at her, his heart breaking. He wanted to scream, to demand why she had thrown away what they had. But no answer could fix what was already destroyed.

And yet… he hadn’t fully let her go. Not then.

The love he once felt still tangled him in chains. He had walked away that night, yes, but his mind had not stopped returning to her. The memories of her laughter, her kisses, her warmth they haunted him.

Even in betrayal, she had a hold on him.

And that was what made it so hard.

Because Luke Vandell, who had built his life on strength and control, who had faced down rivals and enemies without fear, could not control the weakness that tied him to Obetta.

The break between them had begun, cracks spreading through what they once were but it had not yet fully shattered.

Not yet.