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THE GAME BEGINS
Last Updated:
2025-03-16 08:35:55
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The next morning, the world was waiting for Liam Carlyle’s response. The media was in a frenzy, stockholders were panicking, and social media was ablaze with speculation. Would Liam admit guilt? Would he go into hiding? Or would he fight back?Inside Carlyle Tower, tension crackled like a live wire. Liam stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office, gazing down at the city below. His expression was unreadable, but the storm inside him was brewing.Lily sat on the leather couch, her stomach twisted in knots. "Liam, are you sure about this? Your father’s already poisoned the public against you. Whatever you say next..""will determine whether I lose everything or take him down with me," Liam finished, turning to face her. His voice was steady, but the fire in his eyes was unmistakable. "I won’t let him win."A knock at the door interrupted them. William entered, his expression grim. "Sir, the press is already gathered in the main hall. Security is tight, but your father’
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Screams erupted. Cameras dropped. Reporters scattered like panicked birds.Lily’s breath hitched as her gaze snapped to Liam her heart stopped.Liam staggered back, his hand flying to his side, fingers pressing against the crimson stain spreading across his crisp white shirt.For a moment, time froze.Then, chaos shattered it.“Liam!” Lily’s voice cracked as she lunged toward him, her body moving before her mind could catch up.Security swarmed the stage, shouting orders, guns drawn, shielding Liam as another shot rang out. The sharp crack of the bullet sent people ducking, shrieking. It shattered the microphone stand beside him, sending sparks flying.William tackled Liam to the ground just in time. “Stay down!”Liam gritted his teeth, clutching his side. The pain burned, hot and relentless, but his mind remained razor-sharp. He forced himself to focus.Who did this?His father’s men? A competitor with a grudge? Someone else he had crossed?Footsteps pounded around them. Security gua
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Lily sat in the dimly lit room, her fingers curled t ightly around the edge of the armchair. The tension in her chest had not eased since Liam left hours ago, his words still echoing in her mind. "You can't run from this, Lily. You're already in too deep." In too deep. She exhaled sharply, tilting her head back against the chair. The weight of the past few weeks had settled over her like a suffocating blanket. From the moment she had stepped into Liam Montgomery’s world, her life had spiraled into something she no longer recognized. Every choice she made now felt like walking a tightrope, with danger lurking below. Her phone buzzed against the table. Her pulse quickened as she reached for it. A part of her hoped against all reason that it was Liam. But the name flashing across the screen made her stomach clench. Unknown Number. She hesitated, fingers hovering over the screen. A warning bell rang in her mind, but she ignored it, pressing the phone to her ear. "Hell
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Lily’s hands trembled as she clutched the edges of the marble countertop in the vast, sterile kitchen. The cool surface did nothing to ground her. The tension in the air was suffocating, thick with unsaid words and unspoken truths.Across the room, Liam stood like a statue carved from stone rigid, unyielding, unreadable. His silver-gray eyes burned into her, sharp as a blade, and his jaw ticked with the effort to keep his fury in check. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his slacks, a calculated move, she realized, to keep from revealing any weakness. But it was there, crackling beneath the surface, barely restrained."Say it again," Liam’s voice was low, dangerous. "Tell me exactly what you just said."Lily’s throat burned, but she lifted her chin, refusing to shrink beneath the weight of his anger."I didn’t have a choice, Liam. I never did."Silence stretched between them, thick as smoke.Liam took a slow step closer, closing the space between them. His presence swallowed he
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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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Lily’s heart pounded as she stood in front of Liam, gripping the file with trembling fingers. The weight of the paper felt heavier than it should, as if it carried something far more dangerous than ink and numbers. She could feel the heat of his gaze sharp, unyielding, daring her to push further. But she wasn’t backing down. Not this time. “You’re protecting someone, aren’t you?” Her voice was softer now, not accusing but searching. Liam’s jaw tensed, his stormy gray eyes flashing with something unreadable. His body was rigid, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “Drop it, Lily.” She exhaled, steadying herself. “I can’t.” A dark chuckle escaped his lips, void of humor. “Of course, you can’t.” Lily swallowed hard, gathering her courage. “Who is it, Liam? Who are you sending all this money to?” She lifted the file slightly, her hands shaking from both fear and frustration. Liam took a slow, measured step toward her, his presence overwhelming. “You don’t want to know
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Lily stood frozen in the middle of Liam’s study, her heart hammering against her ribs. The name Margaret Carlyle echoed in her mind, a puzzle piece that didn’t fit anywhere in the version of Liam she knew.Who was she? And why had Liam reacted as if her name alone had the power to rip him apart?Her eyes darted to the scattered pages on the floor. With shaky hands, she knelt down and gathered the papers, her breath hitching when she caught sight of the bank transactions again. Liam had been wiring large sums of money to someone under that name. But why?The door slammed shut, making her jump.Liam was gone.The tension that had filled the room just moments ago still clung to the air, thick and suffocating.Lily exhaled slowly. She had pushed him tooLily’s hands trembled as she clutched the edge of the marble countertop, her reflection staring back at her from the grand mirror in the lavish bathroom. Her heart pounded so hard it drowned out the sound of the running water.She had bare
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Lily stood at the edge of the balcony, the cool night air brushing against her skin as she stared out at the sprawling city below. The lights twinkled in the distance, like distant stars, but nothing seemed to shine as brightly as the turmoil within her chest. It had been days since the gala, and the weight of her choices felt like an unshakable burden on her soul.She hadn’t been prepared for any of this least of all for the pull of attraction she felt for Liam. She should have been angry, bitter, and hurt. After all, he had used her, manipulated her into a contract that no one in their right mind would agree to. And yet, every time he looked at her, every time his voice dipped into that dangerous yet seductive tone, she felt a pang in her chest.Liam had changed the rules without her consent, and now, with every passing day, she found herself tangled in emotions she had no place feeling. The whirlwind of being thrust into his world—the luxurious penthouse, the power, the secrets—was
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The morning air was thick with silence. It wasn’t the peaceful kind that came with dawn it was the kind that warned of an approaching storm. Liam stood at the balcony of his study, overlooking the sprawling grounds of the Carlyle estate. In his hand was Marcus’s journal, the pages now worn from sleepless nights spent poring over secrets that could ruin everything.The old ledger they’d uncovered was now locked in a hidden compartment beneath the floorboards of his study. But even as he tried to move forward, Liam couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was already ten steps ahead.Behind him, the door creaked open.Lily stepped in, barefoot, her silk robe brushing the hardwood floor. “You haven’t slept,” she said softly, walking to his side.He didn’t look at her at first, but when he did, there was something in his eyes something she hadn’t seen in a long time. Vulnerability.“I thought finding the truth would bring peace,” Liam said. “But it’s like opening one door only reveals five
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The old Carlyle family graveyard sat in the farthest corner of the estate forgotten by time, swallowed by ivy, and seldom visited. The air was colder there, as though the earth itself held its breath beneath ancient stones and buried secrets.Liam stood at the edge of a crumbling headstone, a lantern in one hand and Marcus’s decoded journal page in the other. The words still echoed in his mind: The truth lies buried beneath our oldest grave.Beside him, Damien scanned the names etched into the moss-covered stones. “This one,” he said finally, pointing to a weathered grave that read: Edward Carlyle – 1792 to 1853. “He’s the first of the line. The one who started the empire.”Liam dropped to one knee, brushing away dirt and vines. “If Marcus left us this clue, it has to be here.”They worked in silence, digging with tools Damien had brought. Minutes stretched into an hour. Then thud. Damien’s spade struck something solid.Liam knelt down, clearing the soil. A rusted metal box, sealed sh
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The fallout from Zoe’s exposure echoed far beyond the Carlyle estate. News outlets retracted stories, public opinion shifted, and Carlyle Enterprises’ stock which had dipped following Zoe’s fake exposé began to recover. But within the estate walls, not all wounds healed as swiftly as headlines faded.Lily sat alone in the rose garden, the scent of blooming petals swirling with the memory of secrets unearthed. The sun filtered through the vines overhead, casting lace-like shadows on her lap. Her fingers traced a flower’s soft edge, but her mind was far from serene.Elias approached quietly, not wanting to startle her. She sensed him before he spoke.“You didn’t come to breakfast,” he said gently.Lily looked up, offering a small, tired smile. “I wasn’t hungry.”He sat beside her, careful to give her space. “You’ve been quiet since the press conference.”“I just needed to breathe,” she murmured. “It’s been too much. Too fast.”Elias nodded, his voice low. “I owe you an apology.”“For wh
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Rain lashed against the windows of the Carlyle estate as the family gathered once again in the grand study. Tension clung to the air like a second skin. The fire crackled in the hearth, but no one felt its warmth.Elias stood near the shelves, staring blankly at the swirling storm outside. Inside him, a different storm raged of betrayal, identity, and the weight of every decision he was about to make.“So what now?” he asked without turning. “Do we expose her?”Liam folded his arms, his posture rigid. “Not yet. If Zoe’s planning to go public with your name as the heir, then we let her. We let her think she’s won.”“But won’t that mean you lose everything?” Elias turned, eyes searching Liam’s. “The company, the shares your position as CEO?”Liam gave a half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I built this empire with my blood, not my last name. And I don’t intend to lose it. Zoe underestimates how deep this family goes.”Damien nodded in agreement. “If she wants to play dirty, we give h
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The wind howled through the corridors of the Carlyle estate like a restless spirit, echoing the storm brewing within its walls. The chandelier in the main hall swayed gently as Liam paced across the study, his phone clutched tightly in his hand.“Is she safe?” he asked Damien, who stood just a few steps away.“We’re not sure yet,” Damien replied. “Declan and two men from my security team are en route to the facility now. We need to move fast before Zoe catches wind.”Liam’s jaw clenched. He didn’t like feeling powerless—especially not when it came to Emily, a woman whose betrayal had once fractured him, but whose safety still stirred something in the locked chambers of his heart.“She was trying to protect something,” Liam muttered, almost to himself. “Maybe even me.”Damien gave a subtle nod. “And she may have just become our strongest piece in this game.”Meanwhile, in the secured facility Zoe had chosen for secrecy, Emily struggled against the ropes digging into her wrists. Her bod
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The private jet coasted across the Atlantic, leaving the stormy skies of London behind. Liam sat by the window, his eyes unfocused as the clouds drifted below. Across from him, Elias sat in silence, earbuds in, pretending to be engrossed in the music on his phone. But Liam could feel the tension thick and undeniable settling between them like an invisible wall.It was one thing to discover a long-lost half-brother. It was another entirely to trust him.Liam had grown up in a world where loyalty was transactional and trust, a weapon that could turn into a blade. Elias, on the other hand, had lived a life stripped of luxury but anchored in truth or so he thought. Now both stood at a crossroads, each unsure whether they were about to gain an ally or invite in another enemy.“You ever been to New York before?” Liam finally asked.Elias glanced up, removed one earbud, and shook his head. “No. Just seen it in movies. Looks… loud.”A dry chuckle escaped Liam. “That’s one word for it.”There
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The silence in the office was thunderous. Liam stood rooted, his mind reeling from the revelations Damien had just laid before him. A hidden heir. A forged will. And a father who had manipulated everything..even Lily. The room felt colder, the walls tighter. Damien leaned against the glass table, arms folded. “I didn’t want to believe it either. But the documents we decrypted… they don’t lie.” Liam slowly sat down, fingers steepled beneath his chin. “So what you’re saying is, my father had a second family?” Damien nodded. “Or at least a child he kept hidden. There are bank transactions brecurring ones made to an unlisted name. And some travel records that suggest he flew to London frequently, always to the same address.” “Do we have a name?” Lily asked, her voice laced with disbelief. Damien opened the tablet again. “Elias Thorn. Born nineteen years ago. His mother, Marianne Thorn, was once Marcus Carlyle’s personal assistant. She resigned under suspicious circumstances and mov
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The storm outside mirrored the one brewing inside Liam’s mind. Rain hammered against the windows of the Carlyle estate as thunder cracked through the sky like a warning. But Liam paid no attention to the weather. All he could focus on was the photograph of his father and Emily.It haunted him.He stared at the fire dancing in the fireplace, his jaw clenched, mind racing. How had Emily ended up beside Marcus Carlyle? What did she know? What had she done? More importantly what had his father done?Behind him, Lily emerged from the hallway, wrapped in a silk robe. She hadn’t said much after the revelation. They were both stunned. But the silence between them wasn’t distant. It was heavy with thought and concern.“Liam?” she said softly, approaching him. “I’ve been thinking… if my sister worked with your father, it must’ve been before the wedding was even arranged. Before you and I ever crossed paths.”“That means your sister didn’t just disappear for no reason,” Liam said darkly. “She va
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The following day began with a heavy air at Carlyle Holdings. Everyone walked on eggshells, their movements hushed, eyes filled with nervous curiosity. The tension had become a permanent resident in the sleek hallways, following Liam wherever he went.He entered the boardroom early, before any of the executives arrived. The footage had been secured, and Damien was working on getting a strategic release to the media. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. He needed to know the truth and it started with Emily Grant.She arrived minutes later, perfectly punctual as always. Her ash-blonde hair was tied in a neat bun, and her dark navy suit was unwrinkled despite the storm swirling around the company. Her calm demeanor hadn't changed.“You wanted to see me, sir?” she asked, setting down her briefcase.“Yes. Please sit,” Liam gestured, motioning toward the seat across from him.Emily took her seat, watching him closely. “Is this about the leak?”“It is,” he said, folding his hands. “Our
