All Chapters of EXCEPTION: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

32 Chapters

Chapter 1. Hiding from the Abuser

Agonizing pain ripped through my body, fire searing every vein as tears carved trails down my cheeks. My chest begged him to stop, but Blaine’s face had already morphed into something inhuman—monstrous eyes lit with fury. I folded into myself, arms tightening around my ribs, muffling the sobs that tore free.  “Please... Blaine, stop.” My voice cracked, fragile. “I-I just want to eat. What am I supposed to do? I’m starving, my stomach hurts...” My eyes flicked toward him, desperate for a flicker of mercy. But there was none—only flames in his gaze. Then, without warning, he ripped the leather belt from his waist and slashed it down as though punishing a mortal sin.  “You stupid, worthless bitch! How many times do I have to say it? Don’t eat anything!” His roar rattled the walls, each word savage. “The grand party’s tomorrow night—you’re meant to look flawless! You think stuffing your face will help? Food will make you fat. Useless. Ugly!”  The words dug deeper than the belt’s bite

Chapter 2. Take me with you

The door swung open with force, and in the threshold stood a man—his glare cut sharp, his eyes cold, and the furrow of his brow carried a weight that unsettled me to the core. He looked at me like a man who could read souls, and mine was stripped bare under his gaze.  “Who are you? Why did you break into my house? And why did you run from your husband?” His voice rose like a blade scraping steel—each word precise, accusatory, unyielding.  Panic coursed through me, seizing my breath. My chest heaved as I staggered a step closer, voice breaking. “Shhh... Please, don’t shout. He might hear us and come back. I can’t take it anymore.” My body shook, prayer spilling silently from my trembling lips that he might understand.  But he remained still, arms folded like iron across his chest. His eyes, sharp as daggers, studied me as though dissecting every hidden thought. “Speak. You’re in my house. You owe me answers.”  “Please, just let me stay here... and don’t tell him if you see him agai

Chapter 3. In the middle of chaos

Courtney didn’t say a word. He just caught my hand and pulled me out of the house, fast, like the walls were burning behind us.  “Courtney! Where the hell are we going? Why are we running?” My voice shook with fear, lungs burning from the sprint.  A gunshot cracked the night—loud, ruthless. My heart lurched as if the bullet had kissed my skin. I didn’t dare look back.  “What is happening?!” I shouted again, breathless. “Why won’t you answer me? Where are you taking me?”  His face stayed locked, jaw tight, eyes like steel. The silence between us felt heavier than the gunfire chasing our steps.  We burst through the trees, finally ducking under a thick shadow of branches. He shoved me behind cover, his grip still iron on my wrist. His other hand raised a gun—dark, loaded, unapologetic.  A knot formed in my stomach. God... what if he’s one of them?  “You!” My voice cracked with anger and fear. “Tell me! Who’s after us? Where the hell are you dragging me? Answer me—”  He kissed me.

Chapter 4. His Quiet Dominance

Thirty minutes had passed since that strange quarrel. The car rolled to a halt in front of a building that looked as if decades of ruin had chewed through its bones. Bare concrete and brick stood exposed, scarred and left to rot. The place reeked of rain-soaked rust and silence that clung like a curse.  I studied it with a mixture of curiosity and unease. The walls were coated in layers of graffiti—some wild, some deliberate—like warnings carved by hands that refused to be forgotten. A gang’s den, perhaps? A graveyard of secrets?  We stepped out of the car. Cold air struck my face as I glanced around. The structure had two doors on the left, mismatched, beaten down. The only other door—on the right—stood slightly ajar, as though inviting us in. Behind it, a staircase curled upward and downward to places unseen. No windows broke the walls. No hint of light spilled out. But why would Courtney bring me here?  I did not notice him staring until he cleared his throat.  “Be careful when

Chapter 5. The Price of Treachery

Courtney’s POV  Almost thirty minutes had passed since I ordered Oliver to assist Adeleine. That woman—she is beyond belief. The fact that she entrusted her life to me… the most unforeseen thing I have ever encountered. And now I am fucking accountable for her safety.  I will admit, the moment I first laid eyes on her, something stirred—something unfathomable. She is beautiful. But not in the shallow way most women are called beautiful. Hers is a different breed. A rare kind. And judging from what I witnessed earlier, her life in the hands of her husband was nothing short of ruin. That much was clear.  But no matter how much she unsettles me, I know this cannot last. My life is not a game, and fate has always dealt me a cruel hand. A woman like her has no place in it. I must send her away—soon, and to somewhere safe. Out of danger. Out of my world. Right now, I have another matter to settle.  I stood face to face with the man who murdered the former president of Viasco Corporation

Chapter 6. No going back

Adeleine’s POV  Not a single word escaped my lips as I stared—disbelief clawing at my chest—at the man bound before me. Courtney had been tormenting him for hours, and I thought it was nothing but business. But the moment my eyes locked on his face, the world tilted.  Fredrin.  The bastard.  One of the devils who had broken me. Besides Blaine, he was the nightmare etched into my bones.  “How the hell did you manage to stay hidden this long?!” My voice cracked with fury, the words ripped straight from my gut. I could feel the rage building, burning through me like wildfire. “I know Blaine helped you. Just admit it!”  My hands trembled—pain and rage feeding each other—as his face dragged me back to nights I had fought so hard to bury.  He looked wrecked, bloodied and worn, bullets having already torn through his flesh courtesy of Courtney. His shirt was stained, his hair tangled, his eyes heavy.  “Answer me, you bastard!” My scream rattled the walls. “How the hell did you escape?

Chapter 7. A Dangerous Haven

Morning finally came. My head throbbed like it was splitting in two. Memories hit me all at once, sharp and unrelenting.  Holy shit.  My hands flew to my mouth. The memory hit me like a freight train—last night, I’d kissed Courtney. Drunk, reckless, without thinking, without him even giving a chance. Panic flared. How the hell was I supposed to explain that? Worse, I remembered how he kissed me back. The heat. The intensity. Just thinking about it made my cheeks burn. But I couldn’t dwell on it. I had to act like it was nothing. Just a drunken mistake.  I took a breath, sat up slowly. The bed creaked under me. My eyes fell on three paper bags on the floor. Curiosity got the better of me. Inside, neatly folded clothes, soft, stylish… the kind only Courtney would pick. A small smile tugged at my lips. Thoughtfulness. That’s what he had.  But reality hit. The clock. Ten a.m. Already. And me? A mess. What would he think? What could I even say? Anxiety bubbled in my chest, but I squared

Chapter 8. Blood and Oaths

Courtney looked at me like I’d lost my bloody mind. His disbelief lingered, sharp as a blade, before shifting into something else—something colder, more curious.  “Watch your mouth,” he muttered, voice low but cutting. He stepped in close, close enough that I caught the faint scent of smoke and steel clinging to him. His hand clamped around my chin, rough, forcing me to hold his gaze. “Takes real strength to surrender, y’know. Don’t let pain decide where you end up.”  The words stung, not because they were cruel but because they were calm—too calm. Like a man who had seen far worse and knew my defiance was only a spark compared to the fire he’d walked through.  Then, slow and deliberate, he let go. His hand dropped, and without another word, he turned his back. The sound of his footsteps echoed against the marble floors, heavy, unyielding.  I froze, my chest tightening as if my voice had been knocked out of me. But then panic set in—he was leaving, slipping further out of reach. I

Chapter 9. Bullseye

A week had passed, and truth be told, my recovery was faster than I ever imagined. The wound had healed, my body stronger, and even the lingering ache in my hands felt faint. Courtney had urged me to use the knife, to prove my words, and while that thought alone had made my stomach twist, I couldn’t bring myself to blame him. Not for pushing, not for demanding. If anything, I was grateful. For the first time in forever, I’d felt what it meant to be cared for—truly cared for—by someone who wasn’t just performing a duty. That kind of attention, that raw protectiveness, had been liberating. It had lessened the weight pressing on my shoulders, even if just a little. In this life, treacherous and bloody as it was, that little relief felt like a miracle.  Two doctors took meticulous care of me. One focused on my physical injuries, cleaning, stitching, and checking every mark left on my body. The other tended to my mind, coaxing the anxiety and trauma from my system with gentle persistence.

Chapter 10. Incursion

The trepidation inside me weighed like a boulder pressing down on my chest. Every breath felt deliberate, heavy, and necessary. Words refused to leave my mouth, especially when a fleeting image of my abusive husband flickered across my mind. Just a second, yet it left a cold shiver in its wake. But that shadow disappeared the moment I heard Courtney’s sharp, commanding voice.  “All of you, get over here!” he barked. The sound ricocheted off the walls, and my head snapped toward him. My eyes widened in disbelief as men—more than ten—emerged from corners, behind pillars, even from behind doors I hadn’t noticed before. Their movements were swift and precise, as if they had rehearsed this countless times. They lined up, awaiting his orders like soldiers to a general. So they were here, the entire time, while he taught me to shoot. Not a single trace I could sense.  “We’re facing an unknown threat,” Courtney continued, his voice low but razor-sharp. “I need adaptability. Mobilize our elit

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