All Chapters of From Doormat to Tycoon: The Rise of the Useless Husband: Chapter 231
- Chapter 240
259 chapters
Chapter 231
Anthony pulled up to the grand entrance of the Riverside Hotel, his heart pounding with nervous anticipation. He'd rehearsed what he wanted to say to Vivienne at least a dozen times during the drive, but none of his practiced words felt quite right.He took a deep breath and stepped out of his car, straightening his jacket as he walked through the elegant lobby. The hotel staff greeted him with professional smiles, but he barely acknowledged them as he headed straight for the elevators.When he reached Vivienne's floor, he found her suite and knocked firmly on the door. His palms were sweating despite the cool air conditioning in the hallway.No answer.Anthony knocked again, harder this time. "Miss Ashford? It's Anthony Williams. I need to speak with you."Still nothing.He waited a full minute before knocking one more time, but the silence from inside the suite was absolute. Either she wasn't there, or she was deliberately ignoring him.Anthony's stomach sank. Had she already left f
Chapter 232
Celia studied Anthony's dejected expression with growing concern. She'd never seen the confident CEO of Vespera Corporation look so defeated before. His shoulders were slumped; his usual composed demeanor had been completely shattered."Mr. Williams," Celia said gently, sliding back into her seat across from him. "What exactly did you want to tell Miss Vivienne?"Anthony looked up at her, hesitation written across his face. Part of him wanted to keep his feelings private, to nurse his disappointment alone. But another part of him desperately needed to talk to someone about it."I wanted to tell her how I feel," he admitted quietly. "That I've had feelings for her for years. That watching her leave without knowing the truth was killing me inside."Celia's eyes widened with understanding. "You're in love with her.""Yes," Anthony replied plainly. "I've been in love with Vivienne Ashford since the first time I met her. But I never told her because the timing was never right. First, she w
Chapter 233
Lucas’s hands clenched into fists so tight his knuckles turned white inside the cell. The small television mounted in the corner of the common area had been broadcasting the Sterling family scandal nonstop for hours, and every single update made his blood boil hotter. Lucas wanted to smash that television into a thousand pieces. He wanted to grab the smug news anchor by the throat and make him shut up. But all he could do was pace in his tiny cell, trapped behind bars while his entire world collapsed around him. His mother was arrested. The one person who had always protected him, always fought for him, always made sure he had everything he needed, was now locked up just like he was, maybe in an even worse situation than his own. "How am I supposed to get out of here now?" Lucas muttered to himself, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "Mom was working with lawyers, pulling strings, making deals. She was going to get me out within days. But now she's arrested too
Chapter 234
The van pulled up to the Thorne mansion's circular driveway with a sharp screech of tires. John opened the back door and stepped aside as the two men dragged Serena out, her body still fighting against their grip despite the exhaustion clearly showing on her face."Let go of me!" Serena screamed, her voice hoarse from shouting during the entire drive. "You can't do this! This is kidnapping!"The men ignored her protests and half-carried, half-dragged her toward the front entrance. Serena's feet scraped against the gravel driveway as she tried to slow them down, but their strength far exceeded hers.Michael stood waiting at the front door, his arms crossed over his chest and his expression dark with barely controlled fury. He watched as his men brought Serena closer, her disheveled appearance and tear-stained face doing nothing to soften his hardened features."Bring her inside," Michael commanded coldly.John nodded and gestured for the other men to continue. They pulled Serena throug
Chapter 235
Tessa pressed her phone against her ear as she tried calling Serena for the hundredth time. The call went straight to voicemail again, just like all the others."Damn it!" Tessa threw her phone onto the couch in frustration. "That bastard Michael must have taken her phone away."She looked around the destroyed living room, broken wine glasses still scattered across the floor from where John and his men had forcefully taken her daughter. The memory of watching them drag Serena away while she stood helpless made rage burn fresh in Tessa's chest."He can't just take her like that," Tessa muttered to herself, resuming her pacing. "They're not married yet. He has no legal right to hold her against her will. This is kidnapping, plain and simple."The front door opened suddenly, and Mr. Vance walked in carrying his briefcase. He stopped immediately when he saw the state of the living room and his wife's agitated expression."Tessa? What happened here?" Mr. Vance asked, his eyes sweeping over
Chapter 236
Celia sat on a weathered wooden bench in the small park overlooking the river, her arms wrapped around herself against the evening chill.The sun had set over an hour ago, painting the sky in deep blues that were now fading into darkness.She'd been sitting here for almost three hours, ever since leaving the restaurant where she'd spoken with both Vivienne and Anthony. The park was quiet at this time of night, with only the occasional jogger passing by and the distant sound of traffic from the main road.Her phone had buzzed countless times with messages and calls from her parents, but she'd ignored every single one. She didn't want to go back home yet because she knew, they would still want to talk about Damon, about his identity as Damon Sterling, about what this meant for their daughter's future."They're probably thrilled," Celia muttered to herself, staring out at the dark water. "Their daughter is dating one of the wealthiest men in the city. They must think they've hit the jac
Chapter 237
Celia walked quickly down the dimly lit residential street, she was only a few blocks from home now, and the familiar sight of her neighborhood should have made her feel safer, but the uneasy feeling from the park still clung to her like a shadow.She glanced over her shoulder for what felt like the hundredth time, her eyes scanning the street behind her. A few people were scattered along the sidewalk, mostly residents returning home from work or evening errands. Nothing seemed out of place, but her instincts kept screaming that something was wrong.“You’re imagining things,” Celia muttered to herself, quickening her pace. "Just get home and you'll be fine."An elderly man she recognized as Mr. Bennett from two houses down was walking about twenty feet ahead of her, carrying a bag of groceries. The sight of her neighbor made some of the tension in Celia's shoulders ease slightly. She wasn't completely alone on this street.Celia focused on Mr. Bennett's shuffling gait, using his pres
Chapter 238
Detective Harris stood up from his desk at the police station, the USB drive containing the security footage clutched in his hand. He'd just finished watching the video of John and his men forcing their way into the Vance mansion and dragging Serena away against her will."This is clear-cut kidnapping and forcible confinement," Detective Harris said firmly, looking at Tessa and Mr. Vance who sat across from him. "The footage shows everything. Your daughter was screaming, fighting back, and obviously being taken against her will.""So you'll help us get her back?" Tessa asked desperately, leaning forward in her chair."Absolutely," Detective Harris confirmed. "I'm going to take two officers with me to the Thorne mansion right now. We'll bring your daughter home safely."Mr. Vance stood up, relief washing over his features. "Thank you, Detective. We really appreciate you taking this seriously.""This kind of thing can't be tolerated regardless of how much money or influence someone has,
Chapter 239
The van pulled to a stop in front of a half-finished building complex on the outskirts of the city. The area was completely deserted, with construction equipment scattered around and not a single light visible in any direction.Brick opened the back doors of the van and gestured with his gun. "Get out. All of you."Celia and her parents climbed out shakily, their legs barely able to support them. Mrs. Greene kept one arm wrapped protectively around her daughter while Mr. Greene positioned himself slightly in front of both of them.The younger man grabbed a flashlight from the van and led the way toward the largest unfinished building. The concrete building stood against the night sky, with dark, empty windows facing them."Move," Brick commanded, prodding Mr. Greene forward with the barrel of his gun.They walked through the construction site, their footsteps crunching on gravel and scattered trash. Brick directed them to the center of what would probably become a large room. "Stop h
Chapter 240
The sound of a car engine broke the tense silence in the unfinished building. Its headlights moved across the concrete walls as it stopped outside, and soon, footsteps started echoing inside.Serena appeared in the doorway, her face illuminated by the younger man's flashlight. She was smiling, a cruel expression of triumph that made her look almost unrecognizable from the woman Celia had once known."Well, well, well," Serena said, walking slowly into the room. "Look at you, Celia. Not so confident now, are you? Not so superior."Celia stared at her in disbelief. "Serena. It really is you. You actually hired people to kill me.""Of course I did," Serena replied cheerfully, as if they were discussing something as ordinary, as the weather. "Did you really think I'd just let you have Damon Sterling? Did you think I'd stand by and watch you live happily ever after with the man who should be mine?""He was never yours," Celia said, her voice shaking with a mixture of fear and anger. "You d