Masuk
BETRAYAL HURTS
I’m about to use a spare key to open my boyfriend's apartment door, when i hear loud moaning and banging coming from inside. "Oh yeah, right there baby!". "Don't stop fucking me with that big dick, please!" My heart clenches. What could be going on in there? With trembling hands, i insert the key and turn it slowly. The lock clicks and i carefully push the door open. The scene that greets me, makes my blood run cold. My boyfriend Jake is naked on the couch, thrusting wildly between the spread legs of another woman. Jake is grunting and sweating as he pounds into her roughly. He doesn't even notice me standing there, mouth agape in shock. The floozy wraps her legs around his waist, pulling him in deeper. "Mmmm fuck yeah, I'm gonna come all over your dick! Don't stop!" she screeches. I stand there frozen, hot tears welling up in my eyes. Finally, Jake looks up and spots me in the doorway. His face goes pale. "Oh shit," he stammers, scrambling off the woman. "Baby, this isn't what it looks like!" I let out a harsh laugh, wiping away angry tears. "Really? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you just fucked another woman on the couch!" I scream. The skank sits up, completely unashamed. She even has the nerve to give me a smirk. "I trusted you!" I cry, feeling my heart shatter. "I can't believe you would do this to me!" “Melissa—wait, I can explain—” Please baby, I love you! I fucked up, but this was a huge mistake!" “Explain?” I let out a bitter laugh, my voice shaking with anger. “I’ve been trying to reach you for two weeks! Two damn weeks! I thought something happened to you, so I came to check. But you were just busy pounding another woman?” He reaches out like he can fix this, but I step back, clutching the key in my hand, the same key I once used to walk into his life. I throw it at him, hard. It hits his chest and falls to the floor with a sharp clink. “Keep it,” I snap. “You’ll need it for your next girl.” My chest burns, eyes stinging, but I don’t let him see me cry. I turn for the door, my voice breaking with rage. “Fuck you,” I hiss, slamming it behind me. I rush out of the apartment, tears already blurring my vision. My hands shake as I wave down a taxi, voice cracking when I give the driver the address. Athenora Royal Hotel, please. The driver glances at me through the mirror, maybe noticing the mess I am, but says nothing. The city lights blur past the window, gold and cold, mocking me for ever thinking love was safe. When the car stops, I pay him quickly and head inside. The hotel’s familiar scent of perfume and polished floors hits me, but tonight, it doesn’t feel like home. I walk straight to the staff dressing room, and the moment the door shuts behind me, the tears fall hard. I lean against the locker, shaking, my chest tight with pain. I call my best friend, voice trembling. “He cheated on me, Mia. I saw him. With her. On his couch.” She gasps, her voice breaking through the phone. “Oh my God, Mel. Come home. Please. Don’t stay there tonight.” I wipe my tears with the back of my hand. “No. I need something to distract me. I’ll be fine.” Before she can argue, I hang up. I take a deep breath, open my locker, and pull out my uniform , black skirt, white blouse, name tag shining under the light. I change quickly, fix my hair, and stare at my reflection. My eyes are red, but my face is set. I’m not going to cry anymore. I step out of the dressing room, push open the heavy door, and walk out. The hotel corridors are buzzing with life tonight. The soft thump of music from the royal club mixes with laughter from guests passing by. Everyone seems to be having a good time. Everyone but me. I push my service cart through the hall, pretending to focus on work, but my mind keeps replaying what I saw, him, with her, on his couch. My heart aches all over again. I stop outside one of the VIP suites to deliver a tray of champagne. When I knock and step in, the sound of soft music and giggles greets me. Two couples are cozy on the couch, kissing, laughing, their happiness spilling into the room like sunlight. The sight makes my stomach twist. I force a polite smile, but my hand shakes as I pour a glass. A little of the drink spills on the lady’s dress. She jerks up immediately. “Are you blind?” she snaps. “I’m so sorry, ma’am,” I say quickly, reaching for napkins. Before I can say more, my supervisor steps in, his expression tight. “Melissa,” he sighs, “you’re not yourself tonight. Go home and rest.” I nod quietly, holding back tears. “Yes, sir.” But I don’t go home. I wheel my cart back toward the staff bar, heart pounding. “Two glasses of tequila and one vodka,” I say to the bartender, keeping my voice steady. He nods, thinking it’s for a guest. The moment he turns away, I slip the drinks onto my tray and head for the dressing room. Once inside, I lock the door, slide to the floor, and stare at the glasses. My reflection in the mirror looks like a stranger, red eyes, trembling lips, heartbreak written all over my face. I grab the first glass. It burns going down. The second one feels smoother. By the third, the pain starts to fade, replaced by a dizzy calm. I laugh softly, though it sounds broken. “To heartbreak,” I whisper before finishing the last one. And just like that, I start drinking myself into a blur that I’ll regret by morning. The hallway spins as I stumble out of the dressing room, my heels clicking unevenly on the marble floor. The world feels soft around the edges, like it’s floating. I try to remember the way out, but the corridor looks longer than usual. Every turn feels unfamiliar, every gold door identical. I giggle quietly to myself, hiccuping as I walk. “Left… or right?” I mutter, swaying a little. I keep going up, searching for the exit, but instead of finding the staff lounge, I end up in the royal wing. The carpet is thicker here, the air quieter, like even the walls are holding secrets. My head throbs, and I reach for the nearest door handle, mumbling, “Maybe I can rest here… just for a minute.” The door creaks open, and I slip inside, closing it behind me with a soft thud. The room smells different, expensive cologne, whiskey, and something darker. Music plays low, deep and slow, like a heartbeat. Then I see him. A man sitting in a half-open shirt, broad shoulders glinting under the golden light. A glass of liquor in his hand. He’s too handsome, too intense, like trouble wrapped in royalty. His eyes lift from his drink, finding me instantly. They’re sharp, dark, and curious. He tilts his head slightly, voice low and smooth. “Who let you in?”CHAPTER NINETY EIGHT "As much as I hate to tell you this,” I whisper, my voice barely steady, “your lives are in danger. And I want to keep you all safe.” The room feels smaller. Then my father speaks—soft, but already certain. “They are coming for my grandson, aren’t they?” “Yes,” I say, the word heavy. I hear him inhale, then exhale slowly. It’s the sound he makes when he’s trying not to break. “And if you’re protecting all of us,” he asks, quietly, carefully, “who is protecting you?” The question hits deeper than any threat ever could. Silence stretches between us. The rocking chair creaks beneath me. Zaiden shifts against me, his tiny fingers curling into my shirt, warm and trusting. I stare at him, then close my eyes. I hadn’t thought about myself. Not once. I swallow and force a small laugh, a thin shield over fear. “Well, Dad… remember when I was seven, and Grandma was playing cards?” I say. “She told me I had a long life span. We were just playing, b
CHAPTER NINETY SEVEN "Of course. I’ll keep you updated,” he says. I nod once, then walk out of his office like I’ve just signed a declaration of war. The taxi ride home feels calm. The city glows outside the window—cafés, laughter, normal lives but none of it feels like my life. My world has narrowed to survival. When I step into the apartment, Nina looks up from the couch. “You’re home early.” Her eyes narrow, scanning me for injuries. “What happened? Are you okay?” “What about Zaiden?” I ask, dropping onto the couch, exhaustion settling into my bones. “He’s napping. Peacefully.” She moves closer. “Mel, are you okay?” I lean back, staring at the ceiling. “Let’s say I’m… awakened.” She frowns. “Awakened to what?” “There are rumors. They’re spreading fast. My past is resurfacing at work.” My jaw tightens. “The hunt is on again.” Her lips press into a thin line. “That’s not good. So what do we do? Move again? Disappear?” I shake my head slowly. “No. Running i
CHAPTER NINETY SIX I flag down a taxi and give him Mr. Dave’s address, my voice steady even as my mind races. Inside, my thoughts won’t slow. I need to go about all this the right way and make sure I’m claiming my hotel by getting the public on my side. My image has already been dragged through filth and lies. Power revealed too early is power wasted, and if I’m going to fight this war and win, I have to be smart, strategic and ruthless.” And I need to protect my family. They are the only leverage my enemies can use to tame me but I won’t give them that opportunity. I map moves in my head—legal angles, quiet allies, exits, leverage. By the time the taxi slows, the panic has been buried beneath resolve. “We’re here,” the driver says. I pay, step out, and instinct takes over. My eyes sweep the street. Parked cars. Reflections in windows. Lingering figures. Nothing screams danger—but danger doesn’t always announce itself anymore. Does it ? Only when I’m satisfied do
CHAPTER NINETY FIVE You all have finally won, I think bitterly. You’ve dragged the cruel Melissa out of hiding. And now I’m going to play dirty with all of you and I won’t hold back, never again. I turn toward the door, my fingers already grazing the handle when Jake’s voice cuts through the room, sharp and threatening. “If you walk out that door,” he says coldly, “say goodbye to your job. And remember how much you need it.” I stop. For a heartbeat, the air holds its breath. Then I turn back. I look at him—really look at him and something in me settles. Calm, unapologetic, and mean. “We’ll see who gets to keep a job,” I say, a slow smile curving my lips. And I walk out. I don’t bother closing the door behind me. The hallway feels different now. Quiet and unwelcoming. Whispers ripple as I pass, hushed voices colliding with the sound of my footsteps. Eyes follow me—some curious, some satisfied, some cruel. I keep my head high, even as something inside me shre
CHAPTER NINETY FOUR It’s a new day and a new week. I step into the hotel and feel it instantly. The air shifts strangely. Eyes follow me as I walk past the lobby. Conversations dip. Smiles stiffen. A few people look away too quickly, like they’ve been caught staring. Strange. Maybe I just look exceptionally good today, I think dryly. I keep walking. At the elevator, I press the button and step inside just as two staff members rush toward it. They’re almost in—until they see me. They stop. Exchange a look. And instead of stepping in, they stay back, watching as the doors slide shut in front of them. Okay… that’s weird. Very weird. My reflection stares back at me in the elevator, nothing out of order. Is there something on my clothes? A stain? A tear? Something I missed? The elevator dings. I step out, unease settling in my stomach. No. Something is off. I quicken my pace toward the staff room. Whatever this is, I need to see it for myself—befo
CHAPTER NIGHTY THREE MELISSA’S POV I pay off the taxi, juggling ice cream cup and a small bag of snacks as we step inside. “A perfect day for a tiny ice-cream date,” Nina says, nudging the door shut with her foot. I smile. “I’m just going to finish mine before I start prepping dinner.” Zaiden immediately declares war on my hand, his tiny fingers reaching, grabbing, and demanding my ice cream cone. “Easy, baby bear,” I laugh. “Just a little taste—” The doorbell rings. Nina and I freeze at the exact same time. “…Did we forget something in the taxi?” I ask, scanning the room like an answer might appear on the wall. The bell rings again. Longer and Insistent. Nina moves first. She walks to the door, peeks through the peephole—then turns back to me, her face drained of color. “Who is it?” I whisper. Instead of answering, she opens the door. And the air in the room changes. My eyes lift. Frederick. He stands there like a memory that refuses to stay buried—b







