Inicio / Romance / The Rise From Betrayal / Chapter 172 : The Things That Didn’t Add Up

Compartir

Chapter 172 : The Things That Didn’t Add Up

Autor: Cynthia
last update Fecha de publicación: 2026-09-21 17:18:49

By late morning, Steve and Dan had been through the same files so many times that the words had started to blur.

They had interviewed people from Sterling Board of Industries. Executives. Senior managers. Employees who had been there long enough to know what happened behind closed doors.

And one thing kept coming back.

Dominic had been given thirty days.

Thirty days to clean up his image.

His personal life.

The mess surrounding Laura.

Anything that could damage the company further.

Dan
Continúa leyendo este libro gratis
Escanea el código para descargar la App
Capítulo bloqueado

Último capítulo

  • The Rise From Betrayal    Chapter 172 : The Things That Didn’t Add Up

    By late morning, Steve and Dan had been through the same files so many times that the words had started to blur. They had interviewed people from Sterling Board of Industries. Executives. Senior managers. Employees who had been there long enough to know what happened behind closed doors. And one thing kept coming back. Dominic had been given thirty days. Thirty days to clean up his image. His personal life. The mess surrounding Laura. Anything that could damage the company further. Dan dropped another folder onto the desk. “Thirty days.” Steve looked up. “What?” Dan tapped the folder. “That was how long they gave him.” Steve glanced at the papers. “We know.” “I know.” Dan opened the file. “But now look at everything that happened after.” Steve leaned forward. Dan turned the pages one by one. “His marriage was falling apart. The company was under pressure. Laura was becoming a bigger problem by the day.” He stopped. “And then Ethan.” Steve’s expression changed.

  • The Rise From Betrayal   Chapter 171 : The Things We Couldn’t See

    The next morning, Dominic went to the hospital with the divorce papers in his hand. He had spent the drive thinking about what he would say. He had imagined walking into Laura’s room, placing the papers in front of her, and finally asking the question that had been sitting inside him since everything began. Why? Why had she done it? Why had she gone this far? Why had she turned his life, Emma’s life, and now Ethan’s life into something so twisted? But when Dominic reached the nurses’ station, the doctor was already waiting for him. “You’re here to see Mrs. Sterling.” “Yes. Address her Laura, not Mrs. Sterling.” The doctor nodded. “She is awake.” Something inside Dominic tightened. “Can I see her?” “You can. But I need you to understand something first.” Dominic waited. “She understands what’s being said to her. She can respond. But she’s still extremely weak, and her throat hasn’t recovered enough for her to speak properly.” Dominic glanced toward the closed door at

  • The Rise From Betrayal   Chapter 170 : The Next Move

    Dominic was still in his home office when his lawyers arrived. The mansion had gone quiet. Beyond the closed door, the faint sounds of the household continued—the distant footsteps of staff, the soft click of a door, the hum of the air-conditioning. Inside the office, there was only silence. Dominic sat behind his desk, his sleeves rolled to his forearms, a glass of water untouched beside him. He looked exhausted. But the uncertainty was gone. One of his lawyers opened his folder. “Mr. Sterling, before we proceed, I need to confirm exactly what you want us to—” “Divorce.” The word came without hesitation. The lawyer stopped. Dominic met his eyes. “I want the papers ready tonight.” “We can have the initial petition prepared by tomorrow morning.” “Tonight.” His voice remained calm. That somehow made it more final. The lawyer nodded. “Of course.” Dominic leaned back. “I want everything concerning Laura reviewed.” “Everything?” “Every communication. Every financial

  • The Rise From Betrayal   Chapter 169 : What I’m fighting for

    Dominic drove home without remembering the journey. The city passed beyond the windows in a blur of lights, traffic, and unfamiliar faces, but none of it reached him. The detectives’ words kept replaying in his head. Donor sperm. The dates match. Ethan isn’t your biological son. And Laura. Everything she had told him. Everything he had believed. Everything he thought had been real. By the time he stepped inside his house, he felt hollow. He didn’t stop in the living room. Didn’t ask where anyone was. He walked straight to his home office and closed the door behind him. For several minutes, he simply stood there. Then there was a soft knock. The daytime nanny stepped inside cautiously. “Sir?” Dominic looked up. “When you were gone…” she began, a small smile appearing on her face, “…Ethan did something wonderful.” Dominic stared at her. “What?” “He was on his tummy, and he tried to lift himself.” Her smile widened. “He actually held his head up for a few seconds.”

  • The Rise From Betrayal   Chapter 168 : What Was Never His

    The call came just after Steve left the interrogation room. Dominic answered immediately. “Hello?” “Dominic.” Steve’s voice was unusually serious. “Please come to the precinct as soon as you can.” Dominic’s stomach tightened. “What happened? Have you found the kidnapper?” “I’d rather explain when you get here.” “Is it about Laura?” A pause. “Yes.” Dominic was already reaching for his keys. “Give me twenty minutes.” ——————- He arrived in less than half an hour. The moment he stepped inside, his eyes searched the precinct. Steve was waiting for him with Dan. Dominic walked toward them, his face tense. “What did you find?” Steve studied him for a moment. “Come with us.” They

  • The Rise From Betrayal   Chapter 167 : The Resemblance

    Dan moved beside him. “What did they find?” Steve looked at his phone again. “The IT cell traced Laura’s other number.” Dan’s expression changed. “Where?” Steve turned the screen toward him. “They found where the number was registered.” Dan read the report. “A fertility clinic?” “Across town.” “Laura used that number there?” “That’s what they’re checking.” Steve slipped the phone into his pocket. “Go check it yourself. We can’t waste any more time.” Dan was already reaching for his jacket. “And the other number?” Steve looked at him. “The one found on Laura’s second phone. The same one found on Brian’s.” “They traced it too?” “Yes.” Steve’s jaw tightened.

  • The Rise From Betrayal   Chapter 5 : The File

    Morning in the Sterling mansion did not arrive with sunlight. It arrived with silence. Emma woke to stillness so complete it felt curated. The curtains were half drawn, the light filtered into something pale and artificial. The air smelled faintly of Dominic Sterling’s cologne….dark, expensive,

  • The Rise From Betrayal   Chapter 4 : Mine

    The hospital smelled like antiseptic and fear. Emma hated it. She went alone. She doesn’t have the energy to deal with him. The white walls. The hushed footsteps. The way nurses spoke softly, as if grief might be contagious. She sat on the edge of the examination bed, hands folded in her

  • The Rise From Betrayal   Chapter 3 : You Belong To Me

    Dominic did not sleep. He stood in his study long after Emma locked herself in the guest bedroom upstairs. The house was silent, but the silence was wrong. Too heavy. Too distant. For four years, this house had responded to her. Her perfume in the hallways. Her voice instructing st

  • The Rise From Betrayal   Chapter 2 : After The Fall

    The elevator doors closed. And Emma collapsed. Not dramatically. Not loudly. Just slowly ….like something inside her had unplugged. Her back hit the mirrored wall, and she slid down until she was crouched on the polished floor, heels digging into marble, sobs tearing out of her che

Más capítulos
Explora y lee buenas novelas gratis
Acceso gratuito a una gran cantidad de buenas novelas en la app GoodNovel. Descarga los libros que te gusten y léelos donde y cuando quieras.
Lee libros gratis en la app
ESCANEA EL CÓDIGO PARA LEER EN LA APP
DMCA.com Protection Status