2025-08-05 00:24:32The moment shattered like glass under pressure.
“Will you let go of me!” Anna screamed, her voice echoing off the surrounding buildings as Noel dragged her by the arm. Her body thrashed against his grip, heels scraping the pavement, hair disheveled, her face twisted with fury and fear.
“No!” Noel barked, his grip tightening as he yanked her forward.
Before she could process the next second, his hand whipped across her face.
Slap.
The sound cut through the air like a gunshot.
Anna staggered, stunned, her cheek already reddening. Tears welled in her eyes—not just from the pain, but from the sheer humiliation. She looked at him, trembling, unable to believe what he had just done.
“Jerk! Let go of her hand!” came John’s voice, loud and booming, filled with rage. He broke into a sprint, Collins following close behind, as Noel continued dragging Anna away from the crowd.
It was chaos.
The night that had just crowned a mysterious masked winner now turned into a disturbing scene of public aggression.
Students were stunned. The few who remained outside the venue were frozen in place, whispering anxiously, afraid to intervene.
Anna kept trying to wrestle herself out of Noel’s grip, but his strength overpowered her. His fingers were locked around her wrist like steel, and the more she pulled, the tighter he clamped down. Her knees hit the ground. Still, he dragged her.
“Let me go!” she cried now, tears flooding down her cheeks. She had hoped somewhere in the deep crevices of Noel’s ego, a spark of compassion might dwell.
But all she received was silence.
Until he stopped.
He froze.
Still holding her wrist, he turned and looked into her eyes. That moment—quiet, intense—felt heavier than the noise that preceded it. He reached for her shoulders and steadied her.
Anna’s breathing was erratic. Her heart pounded in her ears. She didn’t know if he was about to kiss her or kill her. Her skin crawled at the very thought of him getting any closer.
Then he spoke.
“Why are you behaving so ignorant?” Noel snapped. His voice was raised, but now laced with something dangerously close to mock concern.
“What are you talking about?” Anna asked, her voice laced with disbelief and exhaustion.
Noel’s lips curled into a smug, sickening smile. “Our families have already signed our marriage contract in the business deal. In the next 24 hours, you will be my wife.”
Her entire body went still.
Time slowed.
Every muscle in her body locked. Her mouth opened slightly in a disbelieving gasp.
“Your wife?” she echoed in disgust. “Over my dead body!”
Without a second thought, she spat—right in his face.
Silence.
Then, slowly wiping the spit from his cheek, Noel laughed—a dry, broken, devilish sound.
“I’ll still marry that dead body,” he said coldly.
He raised his hand like he was about to strike her again, but he stopped mid-air. Then he lowered it, straightened his collar, and scoffed.
“You’re mine. No one can stop me.”
He released her abruptly. Anna collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Noel turned and walked away, like he had just won something—like he had claimed a trophy, not just broken a girl.
John and Collins rushed in, finally reaching Anna’s side.
“Anna! Anna, we’re here,” Collins said, kneeling beside her with wide, worried eyes.
Anna clutched her arms tightly around herself, her body shaking as she cried on the ground.
“Why am I being punished?” she sobbed into her hands. Her voice was weak, broken, coming from somewhere deep inside her chest.
“Don’t talk like this,” Collins murmured, his own voice trembling now with suppressed anger.
Anna turned to him, her face streaked with dirt and tears. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Collins! Look at me! Is this not pathetic?!”
Collins looked down, crushed. “It is,” he admitted softly. “But we’ll find a way around it.”
“You don’t know Noel,” Anna replied with bitterness. “He’s not just arrogant. He’s… dangerous. He can’t handle losing. If you embarrass him, he’ll make you pay. I dated him, Collins. I know what he’s capable of.”
John, who had been silent until now, suddenly stepped forward and knelt beside her. “I don’t care who he is,” he said quietly but firmly. “We will find a way around it. I promise you, Anna—you’re not marrying him.”
She looked up at John. His voice wasn’t shaking. His eyes weren’t blinking. She wanted so badly to believe him.
Collins extended his hand. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up and fed.”
But as Anna tried to stand, she collapsed again, too weak to keep herself upright.
Without hesitation, John scooped her into his arms.
Her body was light, almost weightless in his arms, but her pain was a weight of its own. He held her close, carefully, protectively. She leaned her head against his chest, sobbing softly.
John didn’t flinch. He just carried her to his car as Collins ran ahead to open the door. Once she was carefully seated inside, Collins got into his own vehicle to follow them back.
As they drove, Anna remained silent, curled into herself.
John reached for her hand.
“You’re safe,” he said, his tone gentle. “And I mean it. I will never let him touch you again.”
“You say that,” she whispered bitterly, “but the marriage contract is signed. It’s legally binding.”
John didn’t waver. “So? Contracts can be broken.”
She turned to look at him. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“I do,” John said. “Just trust me. For once.”
Anna stared at him for a long time. Then, without a word, she nodded faintly.
He dropped her off at her home, but she hesitated to get out.
“I don’t know how I’ll face my parents,” she said quietly.
“You don’t have to say anything tonight. Just rest. Eat. I’ll have food delivered,” John promised.
She finally got out, her legs wobbling under her. As she stepped onto the porch, she turned around.
“Thank you… John.”
He smiled gently. “Always.”
She entered the house, and John drove off.
As the engine purred beneath him, his fingers tightened on the steering wheel.
“Noel…” he muttered. “You just made the biggest mistake of your life.”
The road blurred beneath his tires, but his mind stayed crystal clear.
Once he got home, he changed into more comfortable clothes, took a shower, and collapsed on his bed.
But sleep didn’t come.
He tossed and turned, overthinking every second of the night. Every word Anna said. Every tear she shed. Every bruise she now had because of that monster.
He knew what Noel was capable of. He’d seen men like him. Rich. Entitled. Violent. And worse—protected by contracts and connections.
But John wasn’t going to sit back and do nothing.
Not this time.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this angry. This helpless.
Until now.
Eventually, after hours of restless tossing, John dozed off out of exhaustion—but his eyes shot open the next morning as soon as he remembered what he needed to do.
“Gosh! I overslept!” he gasped, checking the time on his phone.
But that panic lasted only a second—until he remembered his mission.
Anna.
Noel.
The contract.
There had to be a way to tear it all apart.
He picked up his phone and tapped his most trusted contact.
Grandpa.
RING...
RING...
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 45 : Main hall or Terrance view
“The young master is really lucky” Jamal said as he was pissed off by how John's grandfather interrupted their plan on listening to their conversation.Jamal had been a silent observer for years, listen to Agnes sides and also to the other enemies sides to know what is happening and to help him decide which side to be on when the time was right but both sides kept logging him off when he was so close to getting solid evidences to use as leverage and today was also one of those days.“I will try again until I see my path.” Jamal said as he consoled himself over a glass of scotch near his laptop.At John's room, the makeover crew was there to help him look his best while preparing for the auction event because it was an elite event only attended by people who had $500million and above as their networth.John was honoured to be attending such an important event and really looked forward to being acquainted with his grandfather’s ally.On his way to the auction party,there were a lot of s
Chapter 44: The Auction
The sun had begun to tilt westward, casting soft gold over the ranch when John and his grandfather walked quietly toward a shed near the estate’s private stadium. Compared to the lavish halls of the Raymond mansion, the shed was modest—wooden beams, earthy scent of hay, a faint scent of polish and leather—but it was functional and, oddly enough, warm in its simplicity. A small table sat between two well-worn chairs, and on it were two tall mugs and a jug of chilled beer that the chief butler had placed there just before leaving them in peace.John’s grandfather sighed as he lowered himself into one of the chairs, stretching his back slightly as though releasing the weight of old years. He glanced over to John and motioned toward the drink.“Sit, John. And tell me what’s bothering you.”John sat down heavily, his thoughts still turning over the last twenty-four hours. He reached for the mug in front of him and took a deep gulp, letting the cool bitterness settle the tightness in his ch
Chapter 43: Enemies Seen and Unseen
The gathering had ended, and the grand hall began to empty, but not without new performances unfolding behind every handshake and smile. John remained in the room longer than necessary, observing the board members now shedding their stiff, corporate masks and slipping into something more personal—strategic, even seductive.Several of them approached him with warm, congratulatory words and polished grins that didn’t quite reach their eyes. Hands were extended, pats on the back given generously. Some invited him to their exclusive lounges upstairs for a celebratory drink, casually hinting at “getting to know each other better.” Others, less subtle, handed him gift cards to expensive spas or offered free enrollment into elite professional development courses abroad.John accepted each gesture with the grace of a man who knew too well that most offerings had an undertone. He smiled, nodded, and said all the right things. But his mind wasn’t fooled. He knew what they were doing—testing him
Chapter 42: Gathering of the Forsaken
Agnes sat in the backseat of her sleek black sedan, eyes fixated on the passing lights as the city blurred past her window. The smile that played on her lips was subtle but deadly. She had done it again. Another successful manipulation, another secret uncovered, another profitable move made without lifting a gun or raising her voice.She had found out about a hidden clause buried deep in one of the Raymond estate’s offshore contracts. The kind of clause that only a trained eye could catch and only a trained mind could exploit. And exploit it she did.But now it was time to return—not just to her lavish reality but to the inner circle that had remained invisible to the rest of the empire. A council of betrayal. A group of ambitious, brilliant, and dangerously forsaken individuals determined to see the Raymond dynasty brought to its knees.Her destination was a familiar one. A grand five-star hotel tucked in the heart of the city. Ironically, it was a Raymond property, one of their flag
Chapter 41: The Beginning of the Web
The boardroom was still buzzing with half-muted conversations and rustling papers. The official meeting was over, but it was only the beginning of something far more intricate.As was customary, smaller cliques began to splinter off, heading to their favorite restaurants and lounges. The real decisions—the kind made in whispers and wine-stained promises—were always done afterward. That was where true power moved: not in boardrooms, but in private booths and candlelit corners.Among them was Emily. The quiet one. She always sat at the back, barely spoke unless necessary, and her expressions were blank slates. You could pass her in a hallway and forget her by the next turn. That was her strength. That was her shield.But Emily wasn’t innocent—far from it.She was a wolf dressed so well in sheep's clothing that only someone equally dark could see her for what she was. That someone was Agnes.Agnes had been watching her for months. She hadn’t always suspected her, but the pieces fell toge
Chapter 40: The Contract
Agnes crossed her legs and tilted her head slightly, her gaze settling on Bobby before darting to John. The room still carried the weight of John’s loud interruption from earlier, and though the tension had slightly eased, curiosity had replaced conflict. Everyone was waiting for John’s next move. Agnes, in particular, was eager to see how the young heir would walk the tightrope between diplomacy and authority.John, on the other hand, felt like his lungs were barely keeping up with his heart rate. Every beat echoed in his ears like a ticking time bomb. It was his first time taking charge in such a heated room, and though he was determined to make a mark, the pressure was immense. Every eye, every breath, every pause in that room was pointed directly at him.But he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, stood to his feet, and let it all out in a steady voice.“First, I must commend all of your efforts in building this glorious empire,” John said, his voice calm and sure. “My desire is t
You may also like
Secretly Rich Son in Law
Banin SN187.2K viewsInvincible Billionaire Heir
Chanhlee79.7K viewsBillionaire in Disguise
Faith121.7K viewsThe Ruthless Son-in-law
Bella Starr136.4K viewsHEIR TO THE NOAH’S EMPIRE(son-in-law)
Trevor.M.Muma2.3K viewsAbel Scott, Back from the Dead.
Liam Philip104 viewsRevenge Looks Good In Gucci
Storybygloria496 viewsReincarnated Trillionaire Tycoon
Dreamerz2.6K views