All Chapters of By Chance, By Fate: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

72AlexI stood frozen for a second, staring at the black SUV and the woman sitting inside like she owned the world. Her dark red lips curved into a smirk, her posture relaxed yet commanding.“Get in,” Charlotte repeated, her voice sharp, her perfectly manicured nails tapping impatiently on the car door.I scoffed, stepping back. “Not a chance.”“Alex,” Elena hissed beside me, tugging at my sleeve as she glanced nervously at the horde of journalists swarming us like locusts. “We need to go. Now.”“We’ll find another way,” I muttered stubbornly, gripping her hand tighter and pushing through the crowd. But it was pointless. The reporters were relentless, their microphones thrust so close I thought they’d hit me in the face.“Alex, do you deny the allegations?”“Is Charlotte blackmailing you?”“Will the Nightshade family take control of your father’s empire?”The barrage of questions pounded against my ears, drowning everything else out. Cameras flashed wildly, blinding me with every ste

74LiamI didn’t know how, but I ended up falling asleep. The weight of everything—Victor’s words, my mother’s fury, Anders’ hostility—had pressed down on me so hard it felt like my mind had shut off just to escape it all.When I woke up, it was pitch dark. The silence of the palace was unsettling, the air thick with something I couldn’t name. My chest ached as I slowly sat up, wincing when the sharp pain in my side flared up again. I looked around the room, my vision adjusting to the darkness.“Father?” I called out softly, hoping he’d still be there.Nothing.I tried again, my voice a little louder this time. “Victor?”Still nothing.Panic began to creep in. I forced myself to move, ignoring the dull throb that radiated through my ribs, but the moment I swung my legs off the bed, pain lanced through me like a blade. I sucked in a sharp breath and slumped back onto the mattress, my hand clutching my side.“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath.That’s when I noticed it. A small piece

76Alex The tension in the room was palpable. The fire crackled and popped, casting flickering shadows on the stone walls. But the warmth it offered couldn’t soothe the chill running through me. Damon Nightshade, as smug and composed as ever, sat in his chair, his dark eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.Beside him, Charlotte leaned back in her seat, a glass of red wine in hand, her smile far too pleased. I stood there, arms crossed, trying to keep my emotions in check. I had been dragged here under duress, but there was no way in hell I was going to make it easy for Damon or Charlotte.Damon leaned forward slightly, his gaze never leaving mine. “Alex, I know this isn’t easy for you. But sometimes, life forces you to make hard decisions.”“Hard decisions?” I scoffed, my voice filled with disbelief. “What the hell are you talking about? You think I’m just going to roll over and play your game?”He didn’t flinch, his lips curling into a smile. “I don’t think you have much of a choice,

78LiamWeeks had passed, and I could feel myself getting better. The wound had healed completely, though the emotional scars from everything that had happened were far from fading. But now, there was something else weighing on me—something even more pressing and annoying.My mother had been relentless in her insistence that I marry Sophia. We’d been pretending to be a couple for months now, all so I could keep my secret—my real identity hidden from the world. She had warned me about the consequences if I didn’t comply, but I had begged her, and as always, she couldn’t refuse me. So here I was, stuck in a game I didn’t want to play.Today, we were all gathered around the grand dining table in the palace. My mother, ever the queen, was seated at the head. Anders, my wicked brother, sat beside his equally wicked wife—Evelyn. She had a name that seemed to fit her too perfectly, like the kind of name you’d give to someone who knew how to make your life miserable with just a smile. And the

80AlexWeeks had passed since I walked out on Charlotte and Damon, and now the weight of the situation was beginning to settle heavily on my chest. The tension in our family had only grown, each day making me feel like a bad son. The guilt gnawed at me like an insistent pest, threatening to swallow me whole. I could barely sleep without the nagging thought that I had somehow failed them all. But I couldn’t undo what I had done, no matter how much it haunted me.I was walking through the hallway of the mansion when I heard my father's voice booming from the study. His words were sharp, and the anger behind them was unmistakable. I paused for a moment, feeling the tension build, knowing I had to face him."You've put me in a hell of a position, Alex!" My father's voice rang out, his tone like a whip, crackling with fury. "I had everything under control until you decided to act like a damn child!"I could feel my heart race in my chest as I approached the door, the air in the house thic