Chapter 14
Arthur rang the doorbell with trembling hands, his usually confident demeanor now crumbling into desperation. A housekeeper answered and without hesitation, he dragged Bella inside like a discarded rag doll.
The loud crash of Bella hitting the floor startled me, but what came next was even more shocking. Arthur dropped to his knees before me, his eyes bloodshot and filled with despair.
“Don’t lie to me anymore,” he begged, his voice breaking. “I know you‘ re Lilly. You‘ re not Sheren. I know everything now. Tell me how to atone for my sins! How do you want to punish Bella? Whatever it is, just do it!”
For a moment, his words struck a chord. I thought I had moved on, that my heart had grown cold to these people and their
betrayals. But as I stood there, staring
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down at Arthur and Bella, a sharp pain surfaced in my chest, a reminder of the past I couldn’t entirely bury.
The Findley Family was on the brink of collapse, Arthur was a shadow of his former self and Bella had become a pariah, despised by all. My plans had succeeded in dismantling everything they held dear. Yet, as I looked at the ruins of their lives, the victory felt hollow.
I took a deep breath, forcing my voice to remain calm and steady. “I don’t need your atonement, Arthur. You‘ ve already received the retribution you deserve. As for Bella, she committed murder. The law will deal with her–there’s nothing more for me to do. I don’t want to see either of you ever again. Leave.”
But Arthur wasn’t ready to let go. He
crawled to me, his hands wrapping tightly around my legs. His voice cracked,
pleading desperately.
“No, Lilly! I’ve been a fool–a blind,
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pathetic fool, deceived by this vile woman! But you loved me once, didn’t you? I love you, too, I always have. Please, don’t abandon me. Come back with me and
let’s start over. We can be together again, I promise-”
I stepped back, shaking my head. My voice was icy and unyielding. “From the moment you chose to believe Bella over me, my love for you died. It’s over, Arthur. And now, I’ve fallen for someone else. My fiancé isn‘ t you anymore. Go.”
Before he could respond, Daniel appeared. by my side. He wrapped a protective arm around me, pulling me close as he stared
down at Arthur with disdain.
“Mr. Arthur,” Daniel said coolly, “don‘ t you have bigger problems to deal with? You
still owe me five billion dollars. It’s due
today. If you can’t pay it back, you‘ 11 have to auction off every last asset the Findley Family owns. Maybe you should focus on that instead of harassing my
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fiancée.”
Arthur’s face twisted in rage and confusion. His voice rose, shaking with accusation. “You–Daniel! I see it now. You’re the one behind all this, aren’t you? And your name–it’s not even Daniel, is it? Who are you really and what grudge do you have against the Findley Family?”
Daniel smirked, raising an eyebrow as he chuckled softly. “Ah, so you‘ re not
entirely stupid, after all. Think harder, dear nephew. Surely, by now, you‘ ve figured it out.”
“N–nephew?” Arthur stammered, his face turning pale. Beads of sweat began to form
on his forehead as realization dawned on him. “You… You‘ re Mike! My father‘ younger brother–the uncle who disappeared years ago!”
Daniel–or rather, Mike–nodded, his grin widening. “Bingo. Took you long
enough.
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The room fell into tense silence as the weight of the revelation sunk in.
XXX
Later that night, Daniel–Mike–shared his
story with me.
Fifteen years ago, the Findley Family patriarch had been grappling with a difficult decision: who would inherit the
family empire. The two contenders were the steady, reliable eldest son, Michael and the ambitious, prodigiously talented second son, Mike.
Despite Mike’s brilliance, the old man leaned toward Michael. Mike was only fifteen at the time, still in junior high and though his potential was undeniable, many family elders sided with the elder brother, citing stability and experience.
However, the patriarch wasn’t entirely convinced. He argued with the family elders late into the night, contemplating a bold move to name Mike as the heir
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instead. But by morning, everything
changed.
Mike had vanished.
A ransom call came soon after, but when
the money was delivered, the kidnappers didn’t release him. Instead, word spread that a fisherman had spotted a body being thrown into the sea. The patriarch’s heart broke and he resigned himself to the belief that Mike was gone forever.
But Mike hadn’t died.
And now, he was back–with years of pain, betrayal and resentment driving him to dismantle the very family that had turned
its back on him.
For the first time, I fully understood the depth of his grudge–and the dark storm that had brought him into my life.
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