Don't fool me, Ex. I'll never marry you (again). のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 31 - チャプター 40

My footsteps echoed through the vast Onyx lobby. Inside the briefcase clutched tightly under my arm, Dominic’s micro-wiretap chip felt as heavy as a block of lead. My heart pounded wildly, but my face had to maintain the mask of composure of an obedient fiancée.​The moment I stepped out of the building's glass doors, the twilight turning into night welcomed me. A luxury black sedan with deeply tinted windows had already stopped in the drop-off area, slightly away from the glare of the lobby's main lights. Its engine purred softly, ready to speed off instantly.​There was no wave. No horn. Mike was too cautious to draw attention in front of his business rival's headquarters.​I quickly quickened my pace and stepped into the silent cabin of the car. The pungent scent of Lucy’s perfume immediately greeted my nose, mingling with a thick tension. In the driver's seat, Mike's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. His eyes constantly scanned the rearview mirror, making sure no one from

The morning sky was shrouded in a bleak gray hue, as if the sun itself was reluctant to show its face from behind the thick layer of overcast clouds. This gloomy weather perfectly matched the atmosphere of my heart, cold and full of a storm ready to explode.​I entered the office and began my morning routine as usual, acting as if there were no burden whatsoever on my shoulders. Outside, Mike’s hired detective was probably still watching from the parking lot, thinking I was under their complete control, without knowing that inside this grand building, the fuse to Mike’s destruction was being prepared to be lit.​All day long, I deliberately immersed myself in a pile of administrative documents, playing the role of the obedient and focused-to-work Bella. Right at five o'clock in the evening, when office hours ended, the ringing sound of the internal telephone on my desk shattered the silence.​Kring...​I picked up the receiver without hesitation. Dominic’s deep voice was heard on the

I accepted his outstretched hand. The strength in Dominic’s arm pulled me up with ease, but before I could draw back my fingers, he squeezed them gently for one crucial second. It was an unspoken gesture of confirmation, as if to say our conversation was far from over.​"We’re inside, Arthur!" Dominic called out. His voice boomed again with sheer authority, leaving not a single trace of the intimacy that had just sparked between us seconds ago. "What's the situation?"​"The main generator has been running for ten minutes, Sir! But because the elevator stopped suddenly between floors, the safety sensor system instantly engaged the hydraulic brakes from the central computer," Arthur answered from behind the gap in the iron doors. "The technicians are releasing the locking system manually right now. We’ll get you out in two minutes!"​The ear-splitting sound of grinding metal began to echo from above. The building’s internal tech team was fighting to pry the doors open from the outside.

This silk pastel dress feels like a suffocating shackle. I know exactly why Lucy chose this color—so I would look pale, withered, and inconspicuous beside her, as she glows in her fiery red dress tonight. She wants to ensure that at a charity event as grand as this, I will be the one drowning in the shadows, while she shines as the "real" companion of Mike. Good, I think with a thin, invisible smile. The less conspicuous I am in their eyes, the easier it is for me to move without being suspected.​Mike holds my waist possessively. His rough fingers press into my skin not out of affection, but because he wants to show off the "property" that belongs to him to the big-shot investors in attendance. He laughs boisterously, his arrogant baritone voice dominating the room as a prominent businessman praises his strategy.​Suddenly, the crowd in front of us piles up. A man in a black suit—Arthur—walks quickly from the opposite direction, cutting through the density of the guests. Thud. He bum

The world didn't end with a bang, but with the muffled click of the steel door at the end of the service corridor.My breath was ragged, my lungs feeling as if they were burning from the sudden rush of cold air. In front of me, Lucy was still gripping my arm painfully—as if she were trying to instill her fear into my skin. However, it wasn't the roar of the crowd behind the ballroom doors that made my knees tremble. No. It was the figure standing there, in the shadows of the emergency corridor.Jack.He stood leaning against a concrete pillar, appearing in stark contrast to the chaos we had just left behind. His black tuxedo was still sharp, but his bow tie was undone, giving the impression of an elegant rebellion.Lucy gasped violently, nearly falling had she not grabbed my arm for support. Her face, which had been deathly pale from panic, now transformed into a mask of pure horror. "Jack?" she hissed, her voice nearly lost to the commotion behind the wall. She wasn't afraid of the i