บททั้งหมดของ Fool Me Once: บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

Jeffery’s POVThe air in the apartment had shifted.Cassie lay asleep beside me, her body draped beneath silk sheets, her chest rising and falling in a rhythm that used to calm me. Her curves, bare under the soft fabric, were like a siren’s secret—the way her hip dipped into the mattress, the dark waves of her hair trailing over my arm. I watched her in the dim light, tracing the slope of her back with my eyes like I used to sketch her from memory. But I wasn’t calm. Not tonight.I was planning a war.Every fiber of me was coiled like a spring. The man I used to be would’ve stormed into Edward Richards’ boardroom and punched him squarely. But I wasn’t that reckless kid anymore—not with Cassie to protect, not with so much at stake.Still, the pressure in my chest built until I couldn’t lie there anymore.I quietly got up from the bed, careful not to wake her. The cool floorboards met my bare feet as I crossed the room to my laptop. My reflection in the black screen stared back—green ey

Jeffery’s POVI should’ve known Edward wouldn’t go down without a final play. The old man had spent decades sculpting himself into a symbol of invincibility—a myth wrapped in tailored suits and ruthless ambition.Now that I’d ripped the mask off, he was more dangerous than ever.I stood in the vault room beneath the downtown R.R. annex, where we stored legacy files that weren’t on any digital registry. It smelled like dust, paper, and cold steel. The kind of place secrets went to hibernate.But I wasn’t here for dust.I was here for proof.Something had shifted after that boardroom ambush—Edward had gone silent, vanished from his offices and his country club haunts. Which meant he was planning. And if Edward Richards was planning, bodies might soon start dropping—metaphorically or not.I ran my flashlight along the rows of secured drawers, my free hand stilling when I spotted it—an old file marked with red wax: Chrysalis Holdings.Cassie flagged the name in one of our earlier audits,

Jeffery’s POVJust before chaos strikes, there's a moment when everything slows down.That's how walking into R.R. Conglomerate's New York headquarters was felt for the first time since delivering Edward's downfall to the board. Only this time, the tension wasn't just in the air and my bloodstream. Every step I took felt heavier like gravity had tripled.The sleek marble floor stretched ahead like a warpath. My reflection in the glass elevator doors was a perfect lie: clean-cut suit, slicked-back hair, and calm green eyes. No one would've guessed I was carrying the truth of a black-ops project designed to cripple markets and erase people from history.Project Argon wasn't just an illegal cover operation—it was a weapon.And my father had built it using my name.Now, he wanted me erased, too.As I stepped into the elevator, the doors closed with a whisper. I tapped my foot once, twice. The ride was too smooth. Too clean.And that's when I knew.He was already watching.When I reached t

Jeffery’s POVThere are moments in life when the difference between safety and danger narrows to mere seconds. This was one of those moments.My pulse raced, each beat echoing like thunder in my ears as Cassie and I moved through the labyrinthine tunnels beneath the city. The darkness surrounding us felt oppressive, an ominous shadow pressing closer with every hurried step we took. I felt Cassie's presence beside me; her hand gripped mine with strength and desperation.Her breathing was heavy but determined, the quiet sound syncing with mine as we navigated the murky corridors, guided only by my phone's dimly flickering light. I glanced sideways at her, the subtle glow outlining her delicate features, her expressive eyes wide yet fiercely resolute.Cassie was remarkable; her body was as strong as her spirit, and each curve was a testament to her feminine grace. Even amidst the chaos, I couldn't help but notice the elegance with which she moved, how the gentle sway of her hips echoed h

Jeffery’s POVMy chest burned with each wheezing breath, the adrenalin smoldering as we sped along at impossible velocities along the alleyway. Cassie's hand trembled in mine yet was firm and resolute. Our feet pounded earth to the same rhythm—accelerated yet unbroken, as though our own hearts pounded within us while the tumult behind us closed shut.The shadows on the ground were distorted by streetlights that twisted before my eyes. Each shadowed corner was danger, each sound amplified under the looming specter of impending calamity. I looked over my shoulder, my body covered in coarse, tattered material. My pounding heart was filled with the sound of people moving along the dark alleys, their unbalanced footfalls, and subdued sounds closing the gaps between us."They're closing in on us," breathed Cassie, her rough, resolute tone barely over her own ragged breaths. Her wide, pursed lips separated, and short, shallow puffs of air burst past them. Despite what was happening, somethin