All Chapters of THE HUSBAND THEY BULLIED, THE KING THEY FEARED: Chapter 161
- Chapter 170
178 chapters
CHAPTER 161: FRACTURES 2
FRACTURES 2After what felt like forever of business words and unfocused nods, the deal was finally struck. Hands were shaken and smiles were exchanged as everyone used their polite words to wrap everything up neatly. But just as they finished up, right as they stepped out of that room, Sebastian felt it at the very moment. There was a shift and the silence landed hard–one that wasn't empty, but loaded with words unspoken. Vanessa kept her pace quick and steady, walking ahead of him as her heels clicked sharply against the marble floor. She clutched her purse tight, her fingers digging into the chic fabric and leaving its mark as she walked faster than usual. Sebastian, aware of his mess up, followed slowly closely behind her, making sure to silence his phone and slip it into his pocket now. For a few seconds–that seemed way longer than it should have–none of them said a single word. As they walked, the hallway seemed to stretch longer and more quieter, the glass walls lining the s
CHAPTER 162: FRACTURE LINES
FRACTURE LINES“Ugh!" Damien grunted as they shoved him into the space. The door slammed shut behind him with a finality that echoed longer than it should have, leaving behind a dull ringing in his head. The sound was cold and absolute and Damien didn't move for a long moment. He just stood right in the center of the narrow cell, his shoulders squared. His chest rose slowly beneath the thin orange fabric of his prison shirt, the number etched at the breast wrinkling and straightening with every breath. The dying overhead bulb flickered once, then twice, before settling into a weak, humming dim glow that barely reached the dark corners of the small room. This was it for him–solitary in a concrete box that had no window and bounded by bars cold to the touch. No sound was heard in the tiny space but the faint drip of a leak unseen and the low electrical buzz from the bulb above. Behind him, the guard who had tossed him in took a step back, his boots scraping against the cement floor
CHAPTER 163: JUST RETHINK IT ALL THROUGH
JUST RETHINK IT ALL THROUGHDamien stood there for a few more minutes before taking a step forward. He walked to the other side of the cell and sat down on the tiny bed. The metal underneath creaked softly under his weight with the strain. He put his hands on his knees and sat quietly on the cement slab of a bed, slightly hunched and looking straight ahead as the dim light cast shadows along his face.The silence lasted for a second and then the memories came.Brooks.He could still see that face, that condescending gaze and the posture, suggesting he knew something the rest of the people in the courtroom wouldn't find out for months.And then the tattoo.The image made Damien clench his teeth and ball his hands into fists. He wasn't letting go of the memories they brought either–the blood, the screams, his mother's voice cut short so ruthlessly.He closed his eyes but it wasn't to block it all out. It was to relive it and feel all the anger, pain, and betrayal again. He didn't get ca
CHAPTER 164: THE FALSE ASCENT
THE FALSE ASCENTThe lights were blindingly bright, as they usually were.Vanessa stood a little bit off from the center of the stage, smoothening whatever wrinkles lay on her dress with her fingers as she stared into the mirror hanging on the wall. The illumination from the overhead bulbs was making her pale skin glow, erasing whatever imperfections laid, enhancing her angles. She now seemed to be bestowed with the look that she so desperately needed, one that depicted how untouchable and in control she really was. Behind her, people worked harf in preparation for the event, arranging microphones and podiums, fixing camera angles for the hundredth time. The soft buzz of voices filled the room, creating an atmosphere that was so unique and just for her. "Ten minutes," a voice spoke from behind her.Vanessa didn't bother turning her head. Instead, she simply nodded at her reflection in the mirror, staring into those eyes that had stared down the dragon, Liang, and had him kissing he
CHAPTER 165: PRESS CONFERENCE: THE LIE
PRESS CONFERENCE: THE LIEApplause broke out around her in waves. At first, they all seemed hesitant and uncertain, but then the clap gathered strength and became a powerful force, directly feeding Vanessa’s energy and boosting her ego with every passing second.She stood tall and confident behind the podium, her fingers gently touching its surface as she waited for the wave to die down a little so she could make way for her next moves.Cameras were clicking furiously, taking shots from all the angles possible. Every single second of this announcement was being recorded, and soon Vanessa would make sure it would be the talk of the day.Everything was working out just as she had planned.She smiled gently, with just a hint of her famous charisma that could easily captivate any audience.“Thank you, thank you,” she started when the room became quiet. Her voice sounded rich and deep through the microphones, perfectly carrying to everyone who attended the presentation. “As I understand it
CHAPTER 166: FREE FALL
FREE FALLThe atmosphere in the elevator seemed suffocating, pressing against her on all sides. Vanessa stood within, motionless, watching her reflection being distorted and reflected in the polished steel surfaces surrounding her. Her breathing was heavy and labored, coming in short, sharp spurts, before easing into slow, uneven breaths.Then there was complete silence.No one in the elevator had spoken since the descent-not the assistant who was standing right beside the far wall or the two members of her security guards posted next to the doors. Not even Sebastian, who had stayed surprisingly silent for the first time.The only thing one could hear was the whirr of the cables as the elevator went down. Soon, the elevator doors chimed open, and Vanessa left the elevator immediately.With quick, sharp, uneven steps, she walked through the hall until reaching her office. Staff scattered as soon as they spotted her coming. And without even being told, people left her way clear.The m
CHAPTER 167: THE PRISON SHIFT
1
THE PRISON SHIFT 1Something had happened in the prison and even though nobody said it out loud, they all knew.It was a change in the prison’s atmosphere, something that could be sensed, seen. Damien felt it when people's eyes lingered just a little bit too long and when footsteps slowed down whenever he walked by.It was there from the moment he entered the courtyard, spreading through the space like a virus. Nothing had really changed on the surface, at least not with the guards. They still treated him the same, yelled the usual commands, acted like there was no connection between what he did outside and inside the prison.However, this was where things were very different.Walking through the concrete yard with steady steps, Damien kept his usual indifferent demeanor as the sunlight beat down on him, drawing long shadows across the cracked cement. Some conversations in the courtyard grew quieter as he passed by. They didn't drop to a dead silence, but they seemed more subdued now
CHAPTER 168: THE PRISON SHIFT 2
THE PRISON SHIFT 2The room designated for visitors at the prison was notably chillier than the rest of the prison–both in temperature and ambiance. Everything in the room was bare—white walls, stark lights buzzing above them, a long metal table permanently bolted to the ground that neatly split the room in two. And lining one side of the wall was a mirror that reflected everything within the room–one that Damien was sure overlooked another room with the officers in them. Jim was waiting across from him on that same table and Damien took in all of these details before lowering himself into the empty seat on the other side. There were slight differences about the commissioner now. More than the obvious was the fact that he was still alive, breathing, and present.But he now wore a weariness that seemed to go beyond the physical, all clear testaments of the damage sustained in the shootout. They were shown in the form of thick bandages on both his sides, wrapped just below his rib ca
CHAPTER 169: ELARA’S COUNTERMOVE 1
ELARA’S COUNTERMOVE 1For the first time in many days, the city seemed to sleep. Or rather, it seemed to… shift. Power moved differently now. It no longer came in declarations or statements in desperate press conferences, nor did it come from staged confidence or meaningless promises. Rather, it moved in the silence, breeding in well-thought-out decisions made behind the glass walls and closed doors, when no cameras could catch anything and no applause was needed for it.And in the middle of it all was Elara. She stood at the edge of her office, staring through the glass overlooking the endless skyscrapers visible through the enormous window that stretched from ceiling to floor, lit in the soft morning light. Her reflection stared back, still and serene, unaffected by the chaos around her. Behind her, there was another screen, which showed a completely different story. It displayed the stats of Vanessa's company falling even more. The graphs weren't plummeting as fast anymore, yet,
CHAPTER 170: ELARA’S COUNTERMOVE 2
ELARA’S COUNTERMOVE 2Elara inspected them meticulously, going through the papers one by one with her usual intense concentration."Liabilities?" she began, keeping her gaze fixed on the rest of the papers in front of her."Secured," her advisor responded as he tossed another file in her direction. “We have protected ourselves from every danger. Even in the most difficult situation, our exposure will not exceed the minimum.""Very good,” she replied as she picked up the file and flipped the page immediately. "And regulatory risks?""All handled," the man replied. “We have done our best in advance. There won't be any interference from the side of authorities."Elara simply nodded. Everything was really unfolding according to plan. She had made sure it was all carefully structured, calculated, and meticulously distanced from every trace that could lead them back to her company.But however, even at that moment, Elara's eyes did not rest only on the papers on the table. She paused for a