Semua Bab Betrayed by the One I Loved: Bab 1 - Bab 10

I returned to my bedroom feeling hollow and defeated. It was nothing more than a cramped space at the end of the second floor—right next to Damien’s.I could still hear his voice in my head.“The size of the room doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re close to me! This is just temporary. Once I finish renovating the wedding room, we’ll get married.”Eight years had passed, and now the wedding room he’d once prepared so carefully no longer belonged to me.I opened my suitcase, ready to pack my clothes, when the door suddenly burst open with a loud crash.Vivian strutted in, her belly prominent, chin lifted as she scanned the room with disdain.“So this is your bedroom? It’s even smaller than the bathroom in my suite. How pathetic. You’ve clung to my husband for eight years and still have no title. He even gave me the wedding room he promised you. What are you still hanging around for? Don’t you feel ashamed?”Her voice dripped with mockery and triumph.I shut the suitcase w

The next day, right on time, I stood at the entrance of the villa as Damien stepped out, carefully supporting Vivian as though she were something fragile.A flicker of guilt flashed across his face when he saw me.“Estelle, Vivian has never worn a wedding dress in her life. She just wants to tag along and take a look. Don’t worry, she won’t get in the way.”I nodded without saying a word.Damien kept one hand protectively behind her back like she was made of glass.“Watch your step.”“The sun’s strong. Put your hat on.”“Walk slowly, don’t tire yourself out.”Each word of concern felt like a dull knife, slicing me over and over again.Even after we got in the car, Damien would not stop fussing over her the entire ride.“Don’t wander off. You need to do exactly as I say, even at the bridal boutique.”When we arrived at the store, he told the staff to bring out the wedding dresses for me to choose from. However, he hovered anxiously by Vivian’s side.“These dresses are heavy.

Racing home at breakneck speed, Damien ran five red lights.He refused to believe what the butler said. ‘She was fine yesterday. Why would she suddenly leave?‘It was impossible!’The moment he flung open the door to my bedroom, his heart plunged.The room was empty. Not a single trace of me remained, not even my personal belongings. Everything was gone.“Estelle! Estelle!”Panic surged through him. His voice cracked as he called my name again and again. He tore through the entire villa, flinging open every closet and every drawer, desperate to find some sign that I hadn't left.There was nothing.What crushed him even more was seeing the gifts he had given me over the years all left behind. Neatly packed away in boxes. Untouched.“Estelle… Have you given up on me?”Then his eyes landed on the wall that had once been covered in photos of us together.Now it was bare.Damien sank to his knees in despair, combing through every corner of the room, searching for anything of m

When Damien’s cold, stormy figure appeared at the door of the private room, only one thought flashed through Vivian’s mind: ‘It’s over!’Landon stumbled back onto the couch in fright. The Gray family might have had Mafia ties too, but they were nothing more than a minor house beneath the Jones family. They didn’t stand a chance against the Joneses.Damien stepped inside with calm, measured steps. Landon jumped to his feet and immediately gave up his seat.“Talk. What the hell is going on here?”Damien’s voice was dangerously calm as he sat down.“Mr. Jones, have some tea first. Cool down a bit!”Landon forced a smile and handed him a cup of tea.“This has nothing to do with me, I swear! Sure, I was involved with Vivian, but you have no idea how wild that woman is. You can’t blame me! When she got pregnant, I even gave her two million to handle it. Who knew she’d keep scheming like this? She played both sides. I’m a victim too!”“You’re saying Vivian legally married me but kept

I moved out of my little apartment above the café and into Julian’s home.His place wasn’t far, just a ten-minute walk from the shop. Each morning, I strolled to the café to open up, and every evening, Julian came to walk me home. We’d stop at the grocery store together, picking up ingredients for dinner and little things for the house. Life had become simple, peaceful, and warm.Back when I was with Damien, it had felt like I was suffocating. He was the head of the Jones family—a powerful mafia clan weighed down by generations of responsibility. The burden of that world pressed on me every single day.All I had ever wanted was to own a little café and live quietly with someone who loved me.When I fell in love with Damien, I gave it all up. I reshaped my entire life around him. I became softer, more tolerant. I learned to stand quietly behind him.That evening, Julian and I were walking hand in hand through the supermarket, chatting about what to cook for dinner. Now and then, he