All Chapters of BETRAYED ONCE: FROM NOTHING TO BILLIONIARE POWER: Chapter 11
- Chapter 15
15 chapters
Chapter 11: Marcus
Sunlight hit Ryan's face like a blade. He blinked, squinting his eyes, but the glow blurred his vision. The ceiling above him was high and unfamiliar, and for a moment he didn't know where he was. A groan escaped Ryan's parted lips as the memory of yesterday slowly crept in. He remembered the penthouse, black card, and signature. The figure of Harrison slowly came forward. He remembered his voice, one that he would have never believed. ‘You have a sister,’ One he never knew under the Volkovs' control. “The Will reading is today!” Ryan said, sitting up so fast that his head spun. The bed was so soft it felt like he was drowning. He averted his gaze to the window forty floors down; the city was waking up, and cars crawled below like ants. Ryan, taking a deep breath, returned his gaze to the huge TV screaming, displaying a muted video. The familiar figure of his ex-wife dressed in black flashed on the screen; she wore a look he had never seen on her face, one that told him she
Chapter 12: Old Debt
Ryan stepped into the expanse of Selene's lobby. Apart from the chandeliers, which he was sure had recently been changed, the atmosphere felt different. The reception desk was staffed by a new woman, nervous, watching him with wide eyes. When he caught her gaze, her head instantly dropped to her screen while her hands trembled as she pretended to type.From her expression Ryan could tell she knows what happened to the last receptionist.A cold satisfaction curled in his chest. He didn't smile or acknowledge her but rather walked past but not far enough not to hear the breath she was holding.“Is that him?” Ryan overheard a female whisper; the curiosity in her voice was loud.“Don’t stare at him; he might get you thrown out,” another voice replied. The fear lacing his tone gave Ryan a hint he must have witnessed the scene from yesterday.Giving into his curiosity, he narrowed his gaze to their direction. Ryan furrowed his brow when he noticed it was the same man who had confronted him
Chapter 13: A Dead Man's Son
Ryan held Marcus’s gaze with uncertainty now creeping in. “And you’re willing to die for a dead man’s son?” he asked, with a subtle astonishment lacing his voice.Marcus didn’t blink or hesitate. “Your father saved my life. I owe him a debt, and I pay my debts.”The weight of the words hit Ryan; he barely knows this man, and yet his words were simple and unquestionable, like being carved into stone.Ryan allowed the residing lump to drop down his throat. “What’s your full name?”“Marcus Stone,” he replied.“Where are you from?" Ryan asked, with several towns running through his mind before he could answer."I'm from here,” Marcuse replied.Ryan might have shifted his gaze but said nothing. “How old?”“Forty-seven.”“And lastly, are you married?”Marcus’s eyes flickered for the first time, a crack in his armor. “I was,” he stated.Ryan couldn’t help but feel his face wrinkle with curiosity. "Your divorce?"A silence stretched, thick. Marcus’s jaw tightened, with his hands curling into
Chapter 14: Marcel
The Selene’s private garage sat two floors below the lobby. Ryan followed Marcus into the elevator going down, and neither of them spoke to each other. They stood in the cold silence of the elevator, and anybody could agree the silence was awkward.The elevator doors opened onto a wide space. The lights shined ahead, flickering off and on at the end of the garage. Cars sat in neat rows, with Porsches, Ferraris, and a Bentley that looked like it hadn’t moved in months; its dust almost became a part of. Ryan’s each step echoed, but Marcus's didn’t. The man moved like he was made of smoke, hanging half a step behind Ryan’s right shoulder.‘He’s checking my blind spot, already working the job as a professional,' Ryan thought when he noticed Marcus's eyes wandering ahead.They stopped at a black Mercedes S-Class, the kind of car that costs more than a house in some poorer neighborhoods. “This is yours?” Ryan asked, although he already knew the answer from Harrison.“Harrison’s,” Marcus c
Chapter 15: Will Reading
Marcel furrowed his brow, but he didn’t argue. Just disappeared into the back and came out with a garment bag. “Rush job, one suit, ready now. The rest in a week.”Ryan took the bag. “Thanks.”Marcel smiled; it was small but real. “Mr. Cole said you’d be interesting. He was right.”Ryan, not knowing how to acknowledge that, nodded his head and then proceeded towards the exit.Marcus leaned against the Mercedes when Ryan came out. His eyes swept different directions of the street before landing on Ryan.“Done?” He asked.“Almost.” Ryan held up the bag. “I need to change.”Marcus pointed down the block. “Public restroom. There.”Ryan walked. Marcus followed, half a step behind, still scanning.The restroom was very small, and it smelled like bleach and old piss. Ryan locked the door and opened the bag.The suit inside was black and expensive. It felt like water when he touched it.He stripped off the thrift store clothes and pulled on the suit. The fabric was cool against his skin and f