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SCATTERED ILLUSIONS

Author: D.N odunukwe
last update Last Updated: 2025-03-18 05:13:12
Lily stood frozen in the kitchen long after Liam had left, her heart slamming against her ribs. His expression before he answered that call it wasn’t just tension. It was something deeper. Something dangerous.

She swallowed, her fingers gripping the cold countertop as a wave of unease crept over her. She knew Liam wasn’t an open book. He was a fortress, built from years of distrust, betrayal, and whatever dark past had shaped him. But she had seen a crack in that armor tonight. And it terrified her.

After a moment, she pushed away from the counter and followed the faint sound of his voice. She found him in his study, his back to her, his fingers pressed against the desk as if holding himself together.

“I don’t care what it takes,” Liam said into the phone, his voice sharp, controlled. “Handle it.”

A beat of silence.

Then, his fist slammed against the desk. “No. That’s not an option. I want a name.”

Lily’s breath caught in her throat. Whoever was on the other end of that cal
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    In the early dawn, the city was covered in a soft mist, but beneath it, danger slithered unseen. Vincent Delacroix was not a man who took humiliation lightly, and the raid on his shipment was a direct insult to his power.He would not let it stand.Vincent sat in the dark, the glow of the city outside his penthouse windows reflecting off the whiskey in his glass. His eyes were cold, his jaw tight as he replayed the footage sent by one of his spies.Sebastian Hale. Damien. Scarlett.“They think they’ve won,” Vincent sneered, swirling the drink before setting it down. He turned to his right-hand man, Viktor, who waited silently.“Bring her in,” Vincent ordered.The door opened, and a woman was shoved forward. Her hair was tangled, eyes red from crying. It was Nina, Edward’s nanny and Scarlett’s friend.“Please… don’t hurt me,” Nina begged.Vincent leaned forward, his voice calm, cold. “You’re going to deliver a message for me.”Scarlett was in the kitchen with Edward, trying to keep his

  • THE BILLONIARE UNWANTED SUBSTITUTE BRIDE   THE NIGHT OF THE RAID

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  • THE BILLONIARE UNWANTED SUBSTITUTE BRIDE   GATHERING STORMS

    Thunder rumbled above Manhattan as rain splattered against the penthouse windows, drumming like war drums for the storm brewing in their lives.Sebastian stood before the wall of screens in Damien’s hidden operations room, maps, shipment schedules, and satellite images displayed in real-time. Every detail was a piece of the puzzle they needed to finally corner Vincent Delacroix.Scarlett entered, damp from the rain, her hair curling around her cheeks. She dropped a bag on the table, her eyes meeting Sebastian’s with calm determination.“Edward called,” she said, handing him a burner phone. “He’s ready. He has everything, but he’s terrified.”“Good,” Damien muttered, glancing up from the laptop he was monitoring. “Fear makes people honest.”Scarlett shot him a look before turning back to Sebastian. “This is our chance. Once we take Vincent down, the families aligned with him will scatter.”Sebastian nodded, his eyes scanning the map highlighting the shipment dock at Pier 47. “The shipm

  • THE BILLONIARE UNWANTED SUBSTITUTE BRIDE    UNMASKING THE LEGACY

    Sebastian stood at the tall windows of the penthouse, the city lights glittering below, mocking the storm brewing inside him.Scarlett sat silently on the couch, arms wrapped around herself as she tried to process the weight of what Dr. Harlow had confessed. Every breath felt heavy, every memory of her mother’s laughter tinged with the realization that it was stolen because of greed and the Carlyle name was tied to it.“Sebastian.” Her voice broke the silence, soft but unyielding.He turned, his jaw tense, eyes red-rimmed. “Scarlett, I didn’t know. I need you to believe that.”“I do,” she whispered. “But you need to understand what this means.”His hands clenched at his sides. “It means that everything I thought I knew about my father was a lie.”She rose, walking toward him until she was close enough to feel the warmth of him. “And it means that taking Vincent down will tear apart what’s left of your family’s empire.”His eyes met hers, dark and determined. “Then let it burn.”A knoc

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    The room was cold, but sweat still dripped down Dr. Harlow’s face as he sat tied to the chair, the harsh light above illuminating every tremble of his lips.Damien leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his eyes sharp and unforgiving. Lena stood by with her tablet, recording everything.Scarlett paced slowly in front of Dr. Harlow, the sound of her boots on the concrete floor echoing with every step. Sebastian stood by the doorway, his gaze fixed on Scarlett, ready to intervene if she lost control.“Start talking,” Scarlett said, her voice calm, but her fingers twitched with restrained fury.Dr. Harlow swallowed hard, his eyes darting between them. “Your mother… she was investigating Vincent’s trafficking and laundering. She found out that some of the funds were being siphoned through accounts connected to your father’s associates, Miss Hayes.”Scarlett’s brows furrowed. “And?”Dr. Harlow’s voice cracked. “Those accounts were connected to the Carlyle family… Sebastian’s father. They w

  • THE BILLONIARE UNWANTED SUBSTITUTE BRIDE   THE BETRAYAL WITHIN

    Scarlett stood in the dimly lit room, her eyes fixed on the map pinned to the board. Red circles marked Vincent’s known warehouses, and a single blue pin marked Dr. Harlow’s last known location a private clinic in the outskirts of the city.Damien adjusted his watch, his face expressionless but his eyes sharp. “Tonight, we bring him in. Quietly.”Sebastian leaned against the table, arms folded, his gaze flickering to Scarlett every few seconds as if reassuring himself she was truly here, truly alive.Lena tapped on her tablet. “The clinic is guarded, but not like Vincent’s main base. Harlow feels untouchable. We’ll use that.”Scarlett’s jaw tightened. “He watched my mother die and lied to me about it for years. I want him alive, Damien. I want to look him in the eye when he confesses.”Damien glanced at her, nodding once. “Alive. But don’t hesitate if things go wrong.”She met his gaze, her green eyes hard. “I won’t.”The black SUVs rolled to a silent stop. The night air was cold, win

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