All Chapters of THE HUSBAND THEY BULLIED, THE KING THEY FEARED: Chapter 11
- Chapter 20
21 chapters
CHAPTER 11
A BANQUET FOR THE BROKENThe crowd behind erupted in laughter, but Damien stood calm. Elara’s heart clenched. With everyone watching, heat crept up her neck, and she lowered her head as shame washed over “Your pass, sir," the guard repeated, stretching his hand out. “How do we intend to identify you without your pass?" “I don’t need a piece of paper to prove who I am,” Damien said evenly.For a moment, silence fell over the hall.The guests stared at Damien, eyes blinking in disbelief.“What did he just say?” someone whispered.“He doesn’t need proof?” another murmured, confused.The guard pulled out his baton and jabbed Damien’s shoulder with it. “Oh right,” he sneered, mimicking Damien’s earlier calm tone. “Maybe we should call the host over and let him personally escort you in, huh?” He tapped Damien again, smirking. “That way your stay here might actually be valid, Mr. Important.”That was all it took to send the room shaking with laughter.From the crowd, Sebastian called out,
CHAPTER 12
ENDS OF REEDS, RISE OF VEYRA“Veyra Holdings? Elara muttered as she laughed dryly. "My company? No, this must be a joke." New murmurs began to fly as heads snapped toward Elara, then back to Vanessa, then back again. Some people leaned in closer, eyes wide, while some stepped back like they were afraid of her. Elara turned to Ryan, staring, searching his eyes for anything–anything that'd tell her that he was joking. But he held no emotion of that sort. She knew he was serious, but the ridiculousness of the entire timing felt like it was nothing but a show. It wasn't until her gaze traveled to the display board towering above the bell, flashing real-time market data, that it fully dawned on her. Everyone turned their gaze too, watching as Veyra Holdings slowly crept up, its stock prices flickering upwards before surging past Vanessa's. The entire hall fell silent as the Veyra Holdings symbol flashed vibrantly at the number one spot. “W-what?" Vanessa breathed, her voice cracking as
CHAPTER 13
LIKE DAUGHTER, LIKE MOTHER. “Fucking let go of me,” Vanessa shrieked, struggling wildly against the guards. "Don't you know who I am? I am Vanessa Reed, owner of–” Her words were cut short as the guards slammed her to the ground. She landed hard on her arm and a sickening crack echoed in her ear. Teeth clenched, she looked up at the two guards, the pain from her arm seeping into her expressions. “You will pay," she spat, her matted hair flying in each breath. “You hear me? You both will fucking pay for this." The guards said nothing. They just stood there, staring down at her like she was trash. The awe and respect they once had in their gazes were gone, cold indifference replacing them. How did things change so quickly?...“Stay out," the one at the front said in a voice that sent chills down her spine. “You try to come back in…” he tapped the baton held to his side, "... and we won't be so merciful.” Vanessa tried to speak but her words died before they could reach her lips th
CHAPTER 14
WOLF IN SAVIOR'S CLOTHINGThe ceiling fan creaked as it swirled above them, filling the air with the same musty smell that settled on the seats. A cricket chirped at a corner, filling the silence that had already settled in the room. Sebastian sank into the seat, holding his breath as he scrolled through his phone. Vanessa paced back and forth, her voice echoing off the walls as she shouted. “What did you even do to put you in there?" she said, covering her face with her hands as she shook her head. "It had to be something bad, of course. And you had to pull your friends in too. Do you know how much stress you put me into?" She paused, turning to her mother who was silent the entire time. “Are you even listening to me?" Margaret hissed, her face squeezing as she placed the icebag on her black eye. Theresa's claw marks on her skin still stung and moving did nothing to help. She could only sit still, taking in slow breaths as she stared at the varnish table in front of her. “Why did
CHAPTER 15
TARGETS AND FEELINGS Elara dropped onto the couch, her eyes fixated on the television in front of her. Her fingers tapped the remote as she scrolled through the channels. Every single one carried news of her company’s sudden listing. Videos of her slamming the ceremonial bell played on every channel, yet a different feeling stirred within her as she watched.The sudden listing had the entire world watching her now, and the attention filled her with a mix of joy and anxiety. “Looks like you're popular now," a calm voice came from behind her. Elara jerked, snapping toward the sound of clinking glass. Damien stood by the bar, an empty glass in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other. She had been so focused on the news that she had forgotten he had followed her home. His soft eyes looked up to meet hers as he arched a brow. “Care for some?" he asked, lifting the glass. Flashing a weak smile, she gave him a short nod before turning back to the TV. She picked up her scrolling,
CHAPTER 16
SHE TEMPTSDamien plopped the last bite of steak into his mouth, chewing deliberately, slowly as he stared at Elara. She had been silent and had refused to look at him since he came in. The silver fork clinked against the ceramic plate as he set it down. Elara's eyes dropped to his empty plate then returned back to hers without a word. He noticed it. Swallowing, Damien grabbed the napkin from before him and wiped his mouth. With a low grunt, he finally rose from the stool. Her eyes never leaving her plate, she leaned back into her seat and exhaled. “Um… where are you going?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.Damien didn't answer immediately. He just lifted his hands and began adjusting the cufflinks of his sleeves. “I need to meet with Ryan, my subordinate," he said as he straightened the color of his shirt. “We need to discuss some matters regarding one of my other companies." “One… of…" Elara whispered. Damien, raising a brow and glancing down at her shocked express
CHAPTER 17
FRACTURESVanessa did her best to arrange her messy hair, button her shirt and clean off the excess lipstick smeared across her cheeks as she walked across the lobby. Her heels struck the marble floor with sharp clicks, announcing her presence to whoever was nearby. “Oh, hold… hold on,” Sebastian muttered as he hurried after her, one step behind. “Vanessa, please… whoa.” He did his best juggling her purse, tablet and everything she hadn't realized she was dropping into his arms. “Ms. Reeds," someone from the reception desk greeted, standing up as Vanessa walked past. “Good morning." Vanessa didn't respond. Didn't slow down. Didn't even give her as much as a glance. “Ms. Reeds, I have some reports—” another voice tried from the side corridor but her reply was the same as the first. Ignored.She pulled out her phone, jaws tight and shoulders squared as she watched another call from the directors go to voicemail. Sighing, she stuffed it into the pocket of her jacket and made her way
CHAPTER 18
CAUGHT IN THE OPENSebastian tossed Vanessa's things into the car–her purse on the passenger seat, her tablet into the compartment, her jacket thrown across the back. One hand shoved into his pocket, he slammed the door and rested against the car. As he waited for her to finish up, his mind replayed everything that had happened in the meeting. He could still see the way the directors had looked at him and the way Vanessa hadn't. She’d dismissed his idea like his words were mere dust on her sleeve. “A waste of time and resources," he muttered under his breath. The words burned. He had stood beside her all this while. Had her trust with him–and now, she was slipping away. Footsteps echoed across the lot and he looked up. Vanessa, phone pressed to her ear, emerged from the elevator lobby. Laughter spilled from her lips in a way that felt warm. Familiar. Too familiar. He straightened unconsciously, eyes narrowing as she drew closer. “... don't say that," Vanessa said into the pho
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 19BLOOD ON CONCRETE Sebastian closed the door and started the engine. It roared to life and he quickly pulled out of the parking lot, merging with the traffic. Vanessa sat in the passenger seat, face red, arms crossed. And Margaret leaned forward from the backseat as though she wanted to crawl straight into the front. For a moment, there was silence. But the old woman didn't let it last. “Can you believe it?" Margaret began, scoffing and shaking her head. “That bitch, Anna, had the audacity to… brag about her good-for-nothing son, knowing exactly what happened to me. And Theresa has been backing her ever since that girl–that demon–took your position.”Vanessa said nothing and Margaret somehow took that as encouragement to keep going. “No one could compare to me, Sebastian,” she continued bitterly. “I was at the top. Everyone adored–hell, they feared me. And that fucking Damien Hale waltzed in with his new fuck mate and they're suddenly handed our position like it belonged
CHAPTER 20
BLOOD DEBT“I need to see Don Rafael." Blood pooled down his knuckles and his chest rose and fell as he breathed heavily. The man under him groaned as the other guards rushed to help him up. His face was a mess–missing teeth and a bloodied face. Every air he took sounded like a wet gurgle. Sebastian, hands still raised, looked up at the corners of the ruins where the red lights were coming from. Three shooters at the top left and five scattered across the pillars. Any sudden movement and he'd be dropped dead. There was no fighting his way out of this one. “I just want to talk," he shouted as he calmly dropped down to his knees. “It's Sebastian." At first, there was silence. Then slow clapping echoed from inside the structure. “Well, well, well," a deep voice drawled from within followed by the sound of heavy, steady footsteps. “If it isn't the prodigal son." A tall man stepped into the light–lean, sharp-eyed, dressed completely in black. He had a long scar that ran from his lef