All Chapters of The Bet That Ruined Us : Chapter 91 - Chapter 100

182 Chapters

CHAPTER NINETY

Grayson's hands tightened on the tablet, his knuckles going white as the blood drained from them. The screen seemed to burn into his retinas, that thumbnail image searing itself into his brain where he knew it would haunt him forever.Shayla. His Ayla. With another man.For a moment, he could not breathe. He could not think straight nor do anything except stare at that damning image while his entire world collapsed around him.Then the shock gave way to rage.Pure, white-hot, all-consuming rage."Get out," Grayson said, his voice so cold it could have frozen hell itself.Monica blinked. "Sir?""I said get out!" Grayson roared, the tablet clattering to his desk as he shot to his feet. "Get out of my office right now!"Monica backed away quickly, her eyes wide, and fled through the door. It slammed behind her with enough force to rattle the windows.The moment he was alone, Grayson's hands went to his desk, gripping the edge so hard his fingers hurt. He wanted to flip it. He wanted to t

CHAPTER NINETY ONE.

The voice cut through the fog like a lifeline. Shayla looked up to see Ruby running toward her, her face streaked with tears, her arms already outstretched.Ruby must have seen the video. She must have dropped everything and raced here the moment she saw it. Just like eight years ago when the bet video had surfaced and Ruby had been the one to find Shayla crying.History repeating itself in the cruelest way possible.Ruby crashed into her, pulling Shayla into a crushing hug. Shayla stood there for a moment, frozen, unable to process what was happening. Then, like a dam breaking, everything came pouring out."That is not me," Shayla gasped against Ruby's shoulder, her words coming out in a desperate rush. "Really, Ruby, I would never do that to Grayson. I cannot even remember it. I do not understand. I do not understand what is happening.""Shh, I know," Ruby said, her own voice thick with tears. "I know you would not. Let us get you out of here."But Shayla could not stop. The words k

CHAPTER NINETY TWO

"Stop it right now," Ruby said sharply, giving her a small shake. "Listen to me. You were drugged. There's something about the video, your movements are sluggish. Anyone with half a brain can see that something is wrong with you in that video.""But what if Grayson does not see that? What if all he sees is me with another man?""Then we will make him see it. We will get the video analyzed. We will prove that you were drugged. We will find Nathaniel and make him confess to what he did. We will fix this."Shayla shook her head, her tears falling faster. "You do not understand. If he breaks up with me, I will die. I cannot lose him, Ruby. I cannot. I really love him. I did not do that. I swear to God I did not do that. I would never hurt him like that. Never."Her breathing was coming in short, panicked gasps now, her chest heaving as she struggled to get air into her lungs. Ruby recognized the signs of a panic attack and immediately shifted into crisis mode."Breathe with me, Shay. In th

CHAPTER NINETY THREE: The crack.

Grayson walked past Shayla without a single word. His footsteps were heavy on the marble floor, each one echoing through the living room like a hammer striking glass.Shayla stood frozen, watching him climb the stairs. Her hands trembled at her sides, her breath catching in her throat, her face still wet with tears that would not stop falling.He had looked right through her. Like she did not exist.She turned to Ruby, shaking her head frantically, her eyes wide with terror. "He did not even...""Go inside and meet him," Ruby urged, standing up and gently pushing Shayla toward the stairs. "You need to talk to him.""What do I do?" Shayla's voice cracked, rising with panic. "What do I say? Did you see his face, Ruby? He would not even look at me. What am I supposed to..."Ruby gripped Shayla's shoulders, forcing her to focus. "Just go meet him, Mama bear. Talk to him. That is all you can do right now.""I do not know what to say.""Then figure it out when you get up there." Ruby's voic

CHAPTER NINETY FOUR: The crack continues

Shayla stood in the kitchen at six in the morning, her hands moving mechanically as she flipped pancakes on the griddle. She had barely slept, an hour spent on the floor of the master bedroom before finally dragging herself to the guest room door where she had cried herself into a fitful doze.Her eyes were swollen and red, dark circles underneath them making her look like she had been in a fight. Her hands trembled slightly as she worked, but she kept going.She would make breakfast. Grayson loved her pancakes.Ruby had left early, before sunrise, apologizing profusely but explaining she had a live television appearance and then back-to-back photo shoots that had been scheduled for months. Shayla had assured her it was fine, had hugged her tight and told her to go, even though the thought of facing today without her best friend made her want to disappear.Now she carried the stack of pancakes into the dining room and began setting the table. The sound of small feet on the stairs made

CHAPTER NINETY FIVE: Ayven's Tears

[GRAYSON CROSS MANSION]The clock on the wall read nine PM when Grayson finally walked through the front door. His tie was loosened, his jacket slung over one arm, and he looked exhausted in a way that had nothing to do with physical tiredness.Shayla was sitting on the couch in the living room, her body turned toward the entrance like she had been waiting there for hours. Which she had. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, her knuckles white from the pressure."Are you okay? I have been trying to reach you," Shayla said, her voice coming out nervously, almost timid in a way that was completely unlike her.Grayson stopped. His eyes met hers and Shayla felt her breath catch because he was finally seeing her, finally acknowledging her existence.His expression was blank, that same carefully controlled mask he had been wearing since the whole thing started. But Shayla did not miss the hurt in his eyes. It was there, raw and bleeding beneath the surface, impossible to hide completel

CHAPTER NINETY SIX

[THE HALE MANSION]Laurette came down the grand staircase pulling a large suitcase behind her, another bag slung over her shoulder. She was dressed for travel, her face set with determination.Melissa sat in the living room with a cup of coffee, perfectly composed as always. She looked up when she heard the suitcase bumping down the stairs."And where are you going?" Melissa asked, taking a delicate sip of her coffee."I am traveling back," Laurette replied, not stopping her progress toward the front door.Melissa set down her cup with a soft clink. "Benjamin has found out Shayla is alive. And you think traveling is the next thing to do?"Laurette paused, her hand tightening on the suitcase handle. "I need some fresh air, Mother. I am not going to sit here and...""Go back inside, Laurette."The command in Melissa's voice was absolute. Laurette turned to face her mother, rebellion clear in her eyes."If you think you can ruin my plans by running away, then think again," Melissa contin

CHAPTER NINETY SEVEN

The video started and Grayson felt his stomach turn. It was clearly filmed in the doctor's quarters at the hospital. The angle was from a hidden camera, probably set up in advance.Shayla was there. But she was not herself. Her eyes were glassy and unfocused, her movements sluggish and uncoordinated. She swayed on her feet like she might fall over at any moment.Nathaniel was there too, his face clearly visible. He was talking to her but Grayson could not hear what he was saying. Then Nathaniel was guiding her, his hands on her body, positioning her.Shayla was not fighting. But she was also clearly not capable of consent. She looked drugged out of her mind, barely aware of what was happening before she lost consciousness completely.Grayson's hands clenched into fists. He wanted to stop watching but he forced himself to keep going, to see the full extent of what had been done to her.When it was over, he opened the second file. The one that had been posted online.This one was differ

CHAPTER NINETY EIGHT

[GC GROUP OF COMPANIES - GRAYSON'S OFFICE]Grayson finished the coffee and set the mug down on his desk. He stared at his laptop for a moment, his mind still processing everything Trevor had told him. The video. The drugs. The manipulation.He needed to get home to see Shayla and apologize for being such an idiot.But something felt wrong.His vision started to blur at the edges. Not badly, just enough to notice. He blinked hard, trying to clear it, but it did not help.Heat. There was heat spreading through his body, starting in his chest and radiating outward. His skin felt too tight, too sensitive. Every nerve ending was suddenly awake in a way that was not normal.He tried to stand but his legs did not quite cooperate. His movements were sluggish, his thoughts starting to scatter like leaves in the wind.What the hell?The door to his office opened. Monica walked in without knocking."Ms. V, I did not call you..." Grayson's words came out slurred. When had his tongue gotten so hea

CHAPTER NINETY NINE

"Shayla, it is Laurette."Shayla froze. She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it like the device itself had transformed into her stepsister. Her brain stopped working for a second, unable to process what she was hearing.Laurette. Laurette Hale was calling her.She brought the phone back to her ear slowly. "Laurette?""It is me, Shayla. I know you probably do not want to hear my voice but please listen..."Silence stretched between them. Shayla could hear Laurette breathing on the other end, could hear what sounded like traffic in the background like she was outside somewhere."I do not have much time," Laurette said, her voice low and urgent. "There is something I need to tell you. You have to be careful but I can only tell you in person. We have not heard from Dad in days. My mother... no, your mother..."There was silence again…like she was hiding or caught herself saying what she shouldn't have."What are you talking about?" Shayla asked, confusion mixing with the s

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