LOGINShare
Chapter 3
publish date:
2026-05-27 18:24:15Ahtisa’s Pov
My eyes snapped open. Air rushed into my lungs like my head had been inside water for a long time. My chest rose sharply as if my body had forgotten how to breathe. My fingers curled against the cold surface, nails pressing into the wood. Wait, I was sitting. I wasn't lying on the floor dying. “... Officer Vale?" The voice sounded familiar but still, not too familiar. I blinked trying to get my vision to focus. Then it started coming in fragments. White walls. Metal table.. I was in an interrogation room. My heartbeat stuttered. “No…” I said under my breath. It couldn't be… “Are you alright?" The same voice asked again, worried. I turned my head to the voice and froze. He was there, sitting across from me looking composed. Not the same man who had held me. His gaze fixed on me. Lucien Blackwell. My breath caught. I had just died. I remembered dying. The blood. The pain. Adrian's voice. Lucien's arms around me. My chest tightened. “... This isn't real," I murmured. Lucien's brows furrowed. “If this is your idea of a strategy, it's not going to work." I looked around again, more carefully this time. Everything was exactly as I remembered. Three years ago. I was back to the day I made my first mistake. The day I destroyed the person who loved me most. My stomach twisted. “... Officer Vale?" Someone called again, firmly this time. I exhaled. Once. Twice. I needed control. My gaze lifted back to Lucien. He still hadn't looked away and now that I was truly seeing him. There was something in his eyes that I hadn't noticed before… as if he knew something wasn't right and was just playing along. “You said you didn't do it," I said, trying to steady my voice. Lucien leaned back slightly, chains shifting the way he moved. He shrugged. I stared at him blankly. He sighed. “I didn't do it" My throat tightened. In my past life, I hadn't listened. I hadn't given him a chance. I had just walked into this room already convinced he was guilty because Adrian told me so. Because I had trusted him blindly. My hands curled slightly under the table. Not this time. “Then explain," I said. Lucien tilted his head, eyes glinting. “Didn't Adrian tell you my offense?" A chill ran down my spine. He held my gaze. "I want to hear it from you,” I said, crossing my arms. I swallowed. “Start from the beginning," I said, firmer now. “The allegations against you involve financial misconduct, illegal transfers and breach of corporate trust. If you are innocent, then explain the discrepancies." Lucien stared at me for a moment, then shifted. "Who gave you the case?” "Answer my question,” I replied. "And you answer mine,” he countered. The silence between us stretched and I knew he wasn't going to talk if I didn't. "Adrian.” I said "Then he can answer your question.” My breath caught. "Do you want to be ruled guilty?” A smile curved up his lips. "If he says I am," he said, shrugging. “It's not like you are going to believe me” I sighed. Everything had changed. I wasn't that same girl again but I didn't know how to say that to him. Then the door opened, my assistant came in and whispered in my ears that Adrian was waiting for me outside the room. The air in the room shifted. What could he be doing here? I stepped outside and there he was, standing in the doorway like nothing had ever happened. Like he hadn't watched me die. Like he hadn't left me on the floor… bleeding. My heart started to beat fast as the memory crashed over me again. She will be dead soon. My fingers trembled at my sides. “Adrian." I forced it through my mouth. He occupied the doorway like he owned it, his gaze briefly flicking to Lucien inside the room before settling on me. “I heard you were handling the case personally," he said. “I just thought I should check in" I searched his face for anything that resembled the man I had seen in my last life. But nothing. He looked the same. The same man who I had once trusted with everything. “Just check in?" I scoffed. “You don't need to be here" He lifted his brows. “I think I have a right to be involved… you know, I brought the case to your department” And in my last life, it was the last case I worked on before my profession started to threaten him. You had a right to kill me too, didn't you? The thought came uninvited. I pushed it down. “This is an official investigation" Adrian laughed then his face changed when he saw my face. I was serious. "You've always taken your job too seriously,” he said, clearing his throat. "It's one of the things I admire about you” Really? I didn't say anything. “But this case is straightforward," he continued. “There's no need to drag it out. He stepped closer, placing a file in my hands. I clutched it tightly. I knew the file. I had signed it before without doubt. I hadn't even thought about it. “You have everything you need right there," he continued. “Evidence, statements, financial records. It's all been verified" I smiled. "Where did you get them from?” I asked. A question I hadn't bother asking the first time but this time, I wouldn't make the same mistake. "It doesn't matter,” he said smoothly. "Just sign.”
Latest chapter
Too Late for Regret, Mr. Vale Chapter 75
The chaos that erupted inside the grand auditorium after the ledger went public was immediate and overwhelming.Dozens of international delegates stood up from their velvet-cushioned seats at once, shouting over each other as journalists rushed down the central aisles with cameras flashing like lightning storms. The presiding tribunal chairman banged his heavy wooden gavel three times in rapid succession, trying to restore order to a room that had completely slipped out of control.On the raised mahogany stage, Julian Vance looked like a man who had just watched his entire world collapse into dust.His face was completely drained of color, his silver hair looking suddenly untidy as he stared blankly at the giant projection screen behind him. The glowing audit logs from Zurich continued to scroll down the display, showing every illegal transfer, every frozen account, and every bribe receipt he had spent decades hiding behind thick layers of corporate protection.He reached out with a
Too Late for Regret, Mr. Vale Chapter 74
The grand auditorium of the international convention center was a cavernous hall of polished glass, towering steel pillars, and tier upon tier of velvet-cushioned seats. Hundreds of international trade ministers, corporate delegates, and independent shipping executives filled the space, their low murmur of conversation echoing against the high ceiling like a restless sea.I walked through the heavy side doors with my shoulders back and my head held high, flanked closely by Lucien, Victor, and Elara.As we moved down the central aisle toward our reserved front-row seats, the ambient chatter in the hall began to taper off. Dozens of curious eyes turned to track our progress, whispering behind cupped hands. Some looked at me with open skepticism, wondering how a young foreign heiress had managed to survive a direct assault from Sovereign Syndicate. Others looked at Lucien, recognizing the dangerous, unyielding reputation of the Blackwell name walking right beside me.I didn't flinch un
Too Late for Regret, Mr. Vale Chapter 73
Wednesday afternoon brought a sudden shift in the London weather, rolling thick, bruised storm clouds over the city skyline and turning the midday light a dull, metallic grey.Inside our secure penthouse office on the river, the air felt charged with a quiet, intense focus. We weren't looking at stock charts or bank accounts anymore. Spread across the long glass conference table were printed copies of the official delegate lists, speaker schedules, and security floor plans for the International Maritime Summit scheduled for Friday morning.I stood by the window, watching the rain begin to streak across the glass in long, jagged lines. My reflection stared back at me, calm and composed, entirely different from the frightened girl I had been in my past life."The Swiss regulators just confirmed the permanent asset seizure," Elara announced, looking up from her laptop with a bright, triumphant grin. "Julian’s primary corporate accounts have officially been locked down. His secondary she
Too Late for Regret, Mr. Vale Chapter 72
Tuesday morning broke over London with a heavy, grey fog that clung tightly to the glass towers along the River Thames. The air outside was damp and biting, but inside the secure penthouse, the atmosphere was sharp, focused, and alive with quiet energy.I stood by the floor-to-ceiling glass wall, holding a cup of hot black coffee while watching the early commuter traffic crawl across the bridge below. My mind was clear, my thoughts entirely centered on the next step of our counter-attack.Across the room, Elara sat at the main glass table with her laptop open, her fingers flying across the keys as she monitored the live financial feeds out of Zurich and Frankfurt."The Swiss regulators acted fast," Elara announced, her voice bright and victorious as she spun her screen around so Victor and I could see the graphs. "Thirty minutes ago, the federal banking commission officially issued a temporary asset freeze on three major subsidiary accounts tied to Aegis Maritime. That is Julian’s pr
Too Late for Regret, Mr. Vale Chapter 71
The private jet touched down on the tarmac just as the evening mist rolled in over the edge of the airfield.Outside the cabin window, the city lights of London stretched out across the dark horizon, blurred by a fine, cold drizzle that coated the wing. I pulled my dark coat tighter around my shoulders, exhaling a slow breath as I waited for the cabin door to open.Lucien reached across the aisle, his warm fingers brushing against the back of my hand."Ready for this?" he asked, his dark eyes fixed on mine with a steady, reassuring warmth."Always," I said, offering him a small, faint smile as I stood up to grab my bag from the overhead rack. "Julian Vance thinks he brought me into his home turf. He doesn't know what's coming."Thirty minutes later, our car pulled up outside a secure high-rise building overlooking the River Thames.The penthouse apartment was sleek, quiet, and entirely glass-fronted, offering a sweeping view of the dark water below where glowing barges drifted silent
Too Late for Regret, Mr. Vale Chapter 70
Late evening had settled over Lucien’s harbor villa, bringing a quiet calm that made the stress of the city feel miles away.Outside, a soft sea breeze rustled through the trees in the courtyard, while the distant rhythm of gentle waves washed against the stone base of the cliff below. Inside his private study, warm yellow light filled the space, casting a soft glow across the large glass desk near the balcony windows.Spread out over the smooth surface of the desk was a massive paper map of global trade routes. Bright red ink marked the main sea lanes connecting our city’s harbor to major ports in Europe, Asia, and North America.I stood beside the desk, leaning down slightly with my hands resting on the edge as I traced a bold line running from our home port straight to London."Look at these secondary routes," I said, pointing to a series of smaller blue lines weaving through the northern island channels. "If Sovereign controls these narrow passes, they can delay our cargo ships fo
Too Late for Regret, Mr. Vale Chapter 1
Ahtisa’s Pov“Look at this mess! Still can't clean a table properly?" Elena, my mother in law, voice echoed. “Then what are you good for?"I quickly bent down and started picking up the broken plates with my bare hands.My throat tightened. “I'm sorry, mother"The word came out of my mouth before I
Too Late for Regret, Mr. Vale Chapter 4
Ahtisa’s Pov"Get out.”Adrian blinked, clearly not expecting it. "What did you just say to me?”I pushed his files in his hands."I said get out,” I repeated, calmly. "This is my case. I will handle it.”I turned to leave but then his voice rose. "Ahtisa, don't be difficult”I stopped. "And don't
Too Late for Regret, Mr. Vale Chapter 2
Ahtisa’s PovAdrian's hands were buried in another woman's hair. The woman's back arched into him with an ease that says she had been there before.For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.“Adrian…”Adrian turned and his expression hardened the moment he saw me."... Ahtisa?” He said, moving away fro
Too Late for Regret, Mr. Vale Chapter 17
The news of Adrian’s business collapse traveled fast, hitting the city news stands by the middle of the afternoon. When I returned to the mansion later that evening, the entire house felt strangely cold and empty. The usual loud noise of the television was gone, and none of the servants were walki
You may also like
HIRED AS A BILLIONAIRE'S WIFE
Rossy693.0K viewsAccidentally Yours
Shayla HArt1.9M viewsMy Bestfriend's Brother Shouldn't Know How I Taste
Demiah13635.1K viewsSir Ares, Goodnight!
Yan An1.1M viewsRegrets Behind a Tycoon Marriage
B.B. Knox89 viewsReclaiming My Ex Wife
Faithywrite54 viewsDADDY'S DIRTY SECRETS
Darkchoco60 viewsThe five who were never meant to love me
Kim J92 views
