All Chapters of PLAYING PRETEND: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

"This is the place where Ms. Everett went missing. We found no signs of struggle or fight near the car. She was probably taken away in an unconscious state." The assistant said.Xander had a cold expression the whole time as if a storm was brewing within him.The assistant lowered her head and dared not think of breathing loudly.Just then, some people rushed over with some surveillance videos from the traffic authorities.Their faces were filled with fear and apprehension.On the surveillance footage, Xander could see that Callie had been carried to a car with some men in black. The whole process happened quickly. I think this person had this planned out.Xander watched very closely and saw Callie being taken away, his face turned dark."Have you found out what happened next?" Xander asked. "It's people from the Dark Club,” The assistant replied as the corner of her mouth twitched.Xander and Dark Blade were sworn enemies.He wondered what kind of danger Callie might be in and how

The ride back home is silent for a while. As the driver drives, she can only stare out the window and wonder what could have happened if Xander didn't show up to rescue her. She felt loved and thankful. The real world is full of wickedness. She thought as she placed her head on Xander’s shoulder. “I love you so much,” Callie says with tears in her eyes. She moved his hand closer and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest. “I'll remember this moment forever," she says, looking up at Xander. He leaned in and kissed her on her forehead, feeling guilty. He knew this incident happened because of him, she went through all this just because his former girlfriend was desperate and evil. Xander held her tight and placed a kiss on her cheek and the top of her hair. “I love you more and will always protect you from danger.” He said.Callie put her face near his head and breathed in the scent of him, sighing with contentment from that familiar smell, she peacefully

Callie sat at her desk, her eyes fixed on the blinking cursor on her laptop screen. The glow from the monitor felt too bright, almost accusing. She was supposed to be reviewing the final batch of proposals, but the numbers and paragraphs blurred together. No matter how many times she blinked, her mind stubbornly wandered back to this morning, to the way Xander had looked at her and said those words. You are worth more than just a piece of land.Her chest tightened. It should have been comforting. It was comforting. But it also made guilt churn deep inside her. She knew what that property meant to him, how long it had been in his family, and the fact that he had traded it without hesitation… for her.What if it’s too much? she thought, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the rim of her coffee mug. What if he ends up resenting me one day?The sharp buzz of her phone on the desk startled her. She glanced at the screen “ Aiko.”She answered quickly, hoping for a distraction. “Hey.”Aiko di

The next morning began like any other for Callie coffee, emails, and a to-do list longer than she cared to admit. She had almost convinced herself that yesterday’s confrontation was behind them, that maybe Veronica would lick her wounds quietly and move on.But the universe had other plans.Her phone buzzed with a notification. She glanced at the screen, expecting a calendar reminder. Instead, it was a news alert from Pearson Media.The headline made her stomach drop.CALLISTA EVERETT ANALYTICS INC’S “ICE QUEEN” UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR FRAUDULENT DEALSHer heart pounded as she tapped the article open. The piece was laced with just enough truth to sound believable a vague mention of her recent projects, claims that she manipulated contracts for personal gain, whispers about her “cozy” relationship with certain clients. There were no facts, no proof… but there didn’t need to be. The damage was already done.Her office door burst open without a knock. Aiko stood there, wide-eyed, holdi

The storm had passed by morning, leaving the city washed clean, but for Xander, the sky could have been black as midnight. He sat at the head of the conference table in a private meeting with his most trusted inner circle Aidan, his legal adviser, and two senior members of his security team.“We’re not playing defense anymore,” Xander began, his voice low but edged with steel. “If Veronica and Alaric want to believe they’ve cornered me, I’ll give them exactly what they want a reason to think they’re winning.”Aidan leaned forward. “Meaning?”“Meaning we feed them just enough information to make them reckless. The more confident they feel, the sloppier they’ll get. And when they get sloppy, I’ll have the proof I need to take them down without giving them leverage against Hudson Corp.”The security chief slid a small folder toward him. “We’ve already set up a dummy account in Callie’s name. It’s secure, untraceable to us, but will look just authentic enough to catch their attention if t