All Chapters of THE HUSBAND THEY BULLIED, THE KING THEY FEARED: Chapter 31
- Chapter 40
138 chapters
CHAPTER 31: COLD CALM
CHAPTER 31COLD CALMThe figure hunched forward for a long moment before suddenly straightening. Damien’s body went rigid and his muscles tensed as he tried to study the shadowed face of the man. His grip on his seat tightened and for a split second, he thought of standing up to find out who he was. But before he could finalize the decision, the figure stepped back and walked away. Light from the overhead fixtures spilled over the desk to reveal Lina leaning forward, a small paper in hand. Her eyes were lowered as she read whatever was written on it. She then lifted her head, clearly startled to see that the hooded figure was gone. She turned slightly, uneased at first, then placed the paper into her pocket, moved a few documents on her desk, and returned to her laptop.Damien didn't blink. His jaw tightened as he studied her–tracing the way her shoulders relaxed, the way her features had softened, the way her hands moved. Just moments ago, she was jittery. But now… she seemed sti
CHAPTER 32: THE WRONG DESK
THE WRONG DESKLina remained still at her desk, her eyes occasionally traveling to the squeezed paper in the bin. “Two days,” she muttered under her breath as she paused typing. "I'll do it now.”She closed her laptop and lifted a file from her table. Beneath it, laying on a stack of papers was a small drive, one she had purchased on her way to work. All she had to do was log into the company's server and download all the information she… Sebastian needed. Her gaze traveled to the computer before her. She couldn't log in from her own account. If they were to trace the copied files, it'd lead back to her. She had to do that from someone else's. She reached for the drive and froze, hesitating. From the glass walls, she could see Elara still busy with Damien, engrossed in the discussion they were having. Steadying her breath, she grabbed the drive, hid it in a file and stood from her seat.The chair screeched as it dragged along the marble floor but she didn't stop. Pace steady, she
CHAPTER 33: POWDER AND GLASS
POWDER AND GLASSThe penthouse pulsed with an electric feel that seemed to charge the very air. Light flashed all around in streaks of violent colorsh–blue, red, violet–cutting through streams of smoke that rose to the ceiling. The very floor trembled and glass walls rattled with the bass of music thundering from the hidden speakers. Bodies crowded every corner; women naked, draped over couches, countertops… each other. Some one laughed in the corner. Another screamed as someone ate from between her legs. Champagne bottles lay overturned on the floor, the rugs soggy with foam that stuck to designer heels. Sebastian sat at the center of it all, like a king lording over a banquet. Sweat sticked to his neck. His shirt hung looseley from his shoulders, collar crooked and rumpled, chest rising and falling heavily, too fast. A glass table sat in front of him, dusted white with cocaine, different pills scattered all over the top. He bent forward, placing a tube over his nose as he drew i
CHAPTER 34: LEASH
LEASHThe city lights passed by in a blurry, smearing across Sebastian's windshield as he drove. Neon lights from street signs bled into the wet asphalt as the streetlights stretched into thin lines the longer he stared. The night had fully settled now–dark clouds orbiting the sky, the moon peeking through the shades–and Sebastian constantly fought the urge to throw up as he gripped the steering tight. The high was gone and he was fully sober, the fire the cocaine had lit inside him.had dimmed out, leaving behind a dull ache that kept on traveling from behind his eyes to the back of his head. It was a feeling he despised, and now he was subjected to it while driving. He sucked in air through clenched teeth, nervously glancing at the rearview mirror. A black sedan followed comfortably behind him. Brooks. As if summoned by the thought of his name, his phone–mountes on the dashboard–crackled to life, a voice bleeding out the speaker. “You know, Sebastian," Brooks’ voice came throug
CHAPTER 35: A BODY FOUND
CHAPTER 35A BODY FOUNDA faint scent of vanilla from the candle burning in the dining filled the room and the city hummed with life outside. The apartment was quiet and Sebastian couldn't ask for anything more. He leaned back against the couch, one arm draped along the cushions behind Vanessa, the other flicking the remote, searching through channels. News. A cooking show. A pointless sitcom that forced laugh tracks where it wasn't needed. None stuck. Vanessa sighed as she sank into his arms, legs tangled with his. “Nothing catchy is on," age murmured lazily. "Story of our lives,” Sebastian responded as he yawned. “Might as well just head to bed." The channel flicked to a movie and Vanessa quickly stopped him. "Let's see this,” she said, clutching tightly his arm. "Give this one a try.”Sebastian kissed her forehead, dropping the remote. "Alright, then.”The movie played on but neither of them really watched it. A cliche romance movie that sent them scrolling through their phones
CHAPTER 36: DEAD BODIES AND BULLET HOLES 1
DEAD BODIES AND BULLET HOLES 1Damien pulled open the door and Elara stepped down, a warm smile on her face as she muttered a ‘thank you’. Taking her hand, he led her into the restaurant. The building was warm and quiet inside, a stark contrast to cold, chaotic nightlife buzzing outside. Clinking cutlery and low laughter filled the room as they walked toward the counter. The smell of spices and grilled meat greeted them and their bellies responded with growls. “You picked this place?" Elara asked, smiling. "You complained about the hotel food being bland,” he replied, smirking. "I remembered.”She laughed softly at his comment. "It is nice that you did.”They ordered quickly–Damien picking Chinese takeout with a few extra sides, Elara asking for Mexican and desserts she didn't need but bought anyway. The cashier cracked a joke about over-ordering as she carried their request to the kitchen. Elara laughed and Damien couldn't help but smile. Their conversation carried on as they wai
CHAPTER 37: DEAD BODIES AND BULLET HOLES 2
DEAD BODIES AND BULLET HOLES 2His eyes never left the body, his hands never left the steering. He watched as water streamed down steadily from its side, spilling onto the tarmac. The firefighters and police officers struggled as they dragged it fully onto the bridge, their nose scrunching in disgust. The rug tied around it dug deep into the material, marking the outline of the body. “Sir," the officer called again, his voice firmer now. He dropped a hand on the door. “You need to turn back now, sir." Damien barely heard him. His gaze shifted from the wet bag to the other men standing behind the tape. He looked past the flashing cameras, reporters murmuring into microphones, police lights that coated the bridge in an array of bright red and blue–then he saw him. Jim Harper. Commissioner of police.The man stood behind the tape, hands shoved in his coat pockets. His white moustaches twitched as he turned away from the bag, bald head glistening under the lights. He glanced in Damie
CHAPTER 38: DEAD BODIES AND BULLET HOLES 3
DEAD BODIES AND BULLET HOLES 3Jim walked in front, hands in pocket as they approached the bag. He talked casually, as though they were at a meeting and not a crime scene. “It's been a while since we last saw, Damien," he said, smiling. “Not since our last case in New York." “Been busy with work," Damien replied, shrugging. "Haven't had the time to play catch-ups.”Jim chuckled, draping a hand over Damien's shoulder. "I can see it's not just work you've been busy with." He looked over his shoulder at Elara. “I guess that's Vanessa's replacement, huh? Your new girl? She's cute." Elara's cheeks flushed at Jim's compliment, though her chest tightened at the tag he had given her–Vanessa’s replacement. “Thanks," she said, grinning. “But we're–" “She's my business partner," Damien cut in before she could finish. “Elara Veyra. Owner of Veyra Holdings. She just rang the Nasdaq bell." Jim's smile faltered as he squinted. "Oh,” he muttered, his smile widening. He turned to her, stretching
CHAPTER 39: DRAWN LINES
DRAWN LINESDamien parked the car in front of the hotel and handed the keys to the valet. Elara leading him this time, they both made their way into the building, up the elevator and into the penthouse. They walked inside, the cold air from the air-conditioning stinging their skin as the door closed softly behind them. “Oh, what a day," Elara groaned as she stretched. She slipped her purse from her shoulders and dropped it onto the console table without looking back. Her heels came off I'm one go and she walked barefoot into the kitchen. The light came on automatically, its golden glow spilling over the marble Island. She stopped there and rested her palm on the cool top as she exhaled. Damien stood by the door, back relaxed against the wall as he watched her. He noticed the way her shoulders slumped as she moved. The way her cherry lips glistened under the light. The way her hair flowed naturally behind her. “Did you bring the food with…” She paused as she turned and found Damien
CHAPTER 40: BLOODIED PLANS
BLOODIED PLANSElara remained in her bed, blinking hard as she tried fighting back tears. The room had suddenly gone cold and the quiet seemed loud in her head. She sighed, pushed the duvet off her body and came down from the bed. Her bare feet twitched on the cold marble floor as she looks slow steps towards the window. The city sprawled beneath her like a colony of ants. Pulsing lights scattered the place and people moved like living dots. She still spotted him easily amongst the specks below–Damien. He had just stepped out of the building with his phone pressed against his ear. Her breath caught as she watched him stop short before the valet.Was he going to come back? She smiled. Maybe he was coming back. He looked up and even though their eyes didn'th-couldn’t–meet, she felt his gaze reach her. Her heart lifted with hope as she placed a palm against the glass pane. Waiting. Watching. But then he brought his gaze back down and walked toward the valet. Her smile vanished as sh