All Chapters of Dark Fate: The Useless Son-in-Law’s Vengeance: Chapter 21
- Chapter 30
55 chapters
The Confrontation
The living room felt smaller than it had any right to, oppressively so, as if the walls themselves were closing in.Adrian sat on the sofa beside Sophia, his posture relaxed, one arm draped casually along the backrest behind her. He’d changed into the spare clothes she’d given him…a simple black shirt and dark jeans that actually fit reasonably well. His hair was still damp, pushed back from his face, and he looked… composed. Completely, maddeningly composed.Sophia, on the other hand, sat rigid beside him, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She’d changed into a cream-colored blouse and slacks, but her discomfort was palpable. Her eyes kept darting between her mother and the door, as if calculating escape routes.Across from them, the situation was decidedly less calm.Sophia’s mother…Mrs. Laurent…sat in the armchair with her spine straight and her expression caught somewhere between shock and fury. Her designer suit was immaculate, not a thread out of place, but her face had gone
Promises and Plans
The door clicked shut behind Mrs. Laurent and Aunt Marie ,as they walked out angrily.Sophia stood frozen in the middle of the living room, staring at where they’d been moments ago. Her shoulders were rigid, her breathing shallow.Then, slowly, she turned to face Adrian.Her cheeks puffed out…a childish gesture that looked oddly endearing. Her eyes filled with tears that spilled over almost immediately, tracking down her face in hot streams.“I’m so sorry,” she blurted out, her voice breaking. “I know you didn’t want to marry…I’ll sort it out, I promise. It’s only to keep them at bay. I’ll tell them it was a mistake, that we’re not actually…”“Sophia.” Adrian’s voice was quiet.She shook her head, still crying, words tumbling out. “I’ll fix it. I promise I’ll fix it. You’ve already done so much for me, and I just trapped you, and that’s not fair…”Adrian crossed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms.She collapsed against his chest, her small frame shaking with sobs.
The Fall
Adrian lay on his bed, with one arm draped across his eyes, his body finally surrendering to the exhaustion he’d been ignoring for days. The afternoon sun filtered through the curtains, casting warm shadows across the room.His phone rang, shattering the quiet.Adrian groaned softly but didn’t move to answer it. The ringing stopped. Blessed silence returned for exactly three seconds before it started again.With a resigned sigh, Adrian reached out blindly, his hand finding the phone on the nightstand. He brought it to his ear without opening his eyes.“This better be important, Marcus.”“Sir, I apologize for the interruption.” Marcus said. “But I’ve completed the investigation on Alexander Chen.”Adrian’s arm remained over his eyes. “And?”“He does work for us. Vice President of Operations at Stellar Tech Industries.” Marcus paused. “Though I should clarify…Stellar Tech is one of our smaller subsidiary branches. The company is worth approximately eighty million yuan. Compared to our o
The Unraveling
Victoria sat in the boardroom surrounded by men in expensive suits who wouldn’t look her in the eye.The emergency meeting had been going on for two hours. Two brutal, humiliating hours where every word felt like a knife cutting into her.“The IPO suspension has caused irreparable damage,” the CFO was saying. His voice was flat, and businesslike. “Eight major investors have withdrawn completely. Our stock value has dropped sixty-three percent. We’re hemorrhaging capital.”Victoria’s hands were clenched in her lap under the table. “We can recover. Once the regulatory review is complete…”“The review shows evidence of bribery, Mrs. Cole.” The lead board member cut her off. His tone was cold. “I didn’t authorize any bribes.” Victoria’s voice came out stronger than she felt. “I had no knowledge of…”“That’s either a lie or gross negligence.” Another board member leaned forward. “Either you knew and you’re culpable, or you didn’t know and you’re incompetent. Neither is acceptable for a CE
The Dinner from Hell
The restaurant Mrs. Laurent had chosen was, predictably, excessive.Crystal chandeliers hung from vaulted ceilings. White-gloved servers moved between tables efficiently that showed years of training. The prices on the menu had no numbers…just descriptions of the food that suggested if you had to ask, you couldn't afford it.Adrian and Sophia arrived fifteen minutes late…deliberately so, at Sophia's insistence. She'd needed the extra time to steel herself for what was coming.The moment they stepped through the doors, Sophia's stomach dropped.The private dining room Mrs. Laurent had reserved. What was supposed to be an intimate family dinner had transformed into something else entirely.Mrs. Laurent sat at the head of the long table. Derek lounged in the chair beside her, that insufferable smirk already plastered across his face. Aunt Marie was there too, her sharp eyes tracking Sophia and Adrian's entrance like a hawk spotting prey.But it was the other occupants that made Sophia'
The Public Disgrace
“Enough!” Mrs. Laurent slammed her hand on the table, rattling the silverware. “Both of you! This is completely unacceptable behavior…”A commotion outside the private dining room cut her off.The sound of raised voices echoed from the main restaurant area…one clearly belonging to a server, the other slurred and belligerent.“Sir, I’ve already explained. You cannot enter this establishment. Your name is on our restricted list…”“Restricted list? RESTRICTED LIST? Do you have any idea who I am?”Mrs. Laurent’s face tightened with irritation. “What on earth is going on out there?”The argument grew louder, and closer. Other diners in the main area had gone quiet, clearly interested in watching the spectacle unfold.“Sir, please lower your voice. If you don’t leave immediately, I’ll have to call security…”“Call them! CALL THEM! I don’t care! I just want a meal! One meal! Is that too much to ask?”Derek leaned back in his chair, craning his neck toward the doorway with obvious curiosity.
The Humiliation
Victoria stood backstage at the Grand Meridian Hotel, checking her reflection one final time.She looked perfect.The navy Armani suit hugged her curves in all the right places. Her hair was styled in an elegant updo, diamond studs glinting at her ears. Her makeup was flawless but still looked effortlessly natural.She needed to look perfect. After the IPO suspension, this press conference was her chance to take back control of this whole mess.“Ms. Cole?” Her assistant Jenny appeared nervously. “They’re ready for you.”Victoria nodded, smoothing down her jacket. “How many showed up?”“Um… seventeen outlets were confirmed.”Victoria’s smile tightened. She’d sent invitations to over sixty media organizations. Seventeen was insulting.But she kept her voice calm. “That’s fine. Let’s begin.”She walked onto the stage, her heels clicking confidently against the floor. Camera flashes exploded in her face. The small crowd of reporters looked… bored. Several were on their phones.This was alr
Breaking Point
Vincent stared at his phone screen long after the call ended, his jaw clenched so tight it ached.The silence in his apartment pressed down on him. Outside, the city hummed with evening traffic, but inside there was only the sound of his angry and barely controlled breathing.“I need SunCore. I need your connections. I need, I need, I need.”Always demanding. Never once asking if he was okay, if he needed something. Just constant pressure, constant expectations, like he was some kind of miracle worker who could fix her trainwreck of a life.Vincent hurled his phone across the room. It hit the wall with a satisfying crack and clattered to the floor.His hands squeezed into fists, knuckles going white.He couldn’t wait to be done with her.The thought came clear and cold. Once he extracted whatever money she had left, once he’d bled her dry like he’d done to the others, he’d disappear, and change cities again. Probably find another desperate beautiful woman with money. Start over somewh
Special Delivery
Sophia sat cross-legged on her couch,with her laptop balanced on her knees, a bowl of instant noodles cooling on the coffee table beside her. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun, and she wore an oversized sweatshirt that had seen better days.She’d been at this for three hours now…researching SunCore Publishing, taking notes, trying to understand what kind of partnership proposal might catch their attention.The company was impressive. More than impressive…it was legendary. A subsidiary of Meridian Industries, which meant it had resources most companies could only dream of. Their digital infrastructure division alone was worth billions.Sophia scrolled through another article, highlighting key phrases on her screen. Sustainable technology. Innovation. Long-term viability. She jotted notes in the margins of her notebook, her handwriting getting messier as her excitement grew.This could work. Stellar Dynamics’ technology was exactly what SunCore was looking for. If she could just get
Desperate Measures
Victoria walked into the penthouse she now shared with Vincent, her mind still churning over what she’d seen. The Maison Delacroix van. Élise Fontaine herself making a personal house call. Right here in this very building.She found Vincent in the living room, scrolling through his phone with a glass of whiskey in hand.“Vincent,” Victoria said, dropping her purse on the marble counter. “Who else lives in this building? Anyone we know?”Vincent looked up. “Why are you asking?”“Because I just saw Maison Delacroix making a delivery. Victoria crossed her arms. “That’s not the kind of service they provide to just anyone. So who lives here that would warrant that kind of attention?”Vincent’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. “That woman. The one your ex-husband is sleeping with now.”Victoria froze. “What woman?”“Sophia Laurent. She lives on this floor. A few units down.” Vincent took a slow sip of his whiskey. “I see Adrian around here often because of her.”“Sophia Laurent?” Victori