Page 102 of Endless Love

I put every piece of the puzzle in its place in concocting this plan. Not posing a threat is one, but she must also pay for what she did.

My patience vanishes, I want nothing more than to be done with her and return to my wife and babies. I glimpse at my smartphone screen—a picture of the three of them—and my heart leaps in my throat.

I knock and her eyes widen when she opens the door and lets me inside. Heavy bags circle her eyes, her complexion frail and yellowish.

“Surprised to see me?”

“What do you want? You made your point. You can stop fucking with me.”

“Hmm, let me think about it. No, I haven’t made my point,” I smirk, and she clasps her hands together, tilting her head to the side.

“All I wanted was your love.” Her voice lowers to mousy, and she backs into a corner while I tower over her.

“You had my friendship.”

“Why her and not me?”

I scoff and stare at her—all those years of friendship, only one-sided. I would have done whatever I could for her as I assumed she was loyal. But my anger wins. She cost me Bria once, and I’ll kill her myself if she ever comes near her again.

“You could also ask why her and not the rest of the world? Because there never was and never will be someone else for me.” I don’t have to answer her but do to enjoy witnessing her hurt.

If it’s the rest of the world, the entire human race depending on me not choosing Bria, I would say I am not sorry and choose her. Everyone makes a choice, mine will forever be Bria, above everyone and everything else.

“I always had to fight for what I have, and she always got everything she wanted. She just had to ask for it. Everyone loved her, even my parents were smitten with her.”

“You mean skimming and stabbing the backs of the people who loved you? Fight is when your opponent also knows there’s a battle going on.” I rein in my anger. She will land exactly where delusional people should be.

“I have nothing . . . she has everything. I’ll kill her either way.”

Bria is protected by the best private security money can buy. Monica’s threats are hollow as there’s no way she could even approach her. It’s a futile attempt to rile me up. I remain calm, and sheer panic transforms her face.

“You have learned nothing, have you?”

As I expected and according to plan, my presence disconcerts her enough to let her emotions get the best of her. Her anger sparks in her eyes and she yanks a closet door open, grabs the gun she purchased illegally, and points it at me. Little does she know we changed the bullets out for blanks. Still, the hairs on my neck rise as chills run down my spine at the satisfied, evil grimace on her face.

“I changed my mind. I want you both dead,” she says. “Time to call Bria to let her know. If I can’t have you, neither will she.”

I lunge toward her just as a loud bang hits my ears. I steady myself as her eyes widen.

“You should be dead,” she screams, blinking while I knock the gun and phone out of her hands.

“You could have had everything, and now you’ll get nothing but me controlling your pathetic little life.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Everything will be clear in a moment.”

The door flies open as men in black uniforms storm in and subdue her. She will spend her life in a psychiatric ward, and they’ll provide regular reports to me. Everything has been pre-arranged, including the statement from our family to inform the public of her mental disorder.

While I tell her what will happen to her, her entire body shudders, and she pleads for forgiveness. Too late now. I haven’t overcome my own demons and become someone you don’t want to cross, only to be threatened by her. Her jealousy turned her crazy. Mine made me ruthless.

Men drag her away, her eyes never wavering off me, shock muting her. I smirk at her and breathe, relieved. When I’m in the jet, I remove my jacket. I will soon be home with my wife and babies. My phone rings with an incoming call from Alex.

“The good news is she won’t be a problem anymore, the bad news is Bria knows. As you can imagine, she’s not happy.”

“Fuck. I thought I got to her before the call connected,” I groan and drag a hand down my face.

“No, it went through just as the gun went off. A warning, she’s mad as hell at you even though I told her everything.” Almost according to plan.

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