Page 320 of Hateful Games

A painful sting hits me in the chest.

“Let’s hope it’s enough to make him reckless or things will have to get more messy and bloodier.”

After one last lecherous look that churns my stomach, he leaves.

The lock clicking into place.

A second later, darkness descends.

Too bad, he doesn’t know I’m no longer scared of it. I thrive in the dark and this time, he and Dad will be the ones who won’t see me coming.

Luck has never been on my side.

Perhaps God will take pity on me.

I just pray that Nova doesn’t act rashly and if he does, that I’m fast enough to stop him in time.

Chapter Eighty-two

Nova

Two days have passed since Mihir’s ultimatum.

He’s yet to make good on his threats.

Though, he keeps texting me that time is ticking.

No one more than me is aware of the fact. Because it’s been the slowest, most suffocating, and dull forty-eight hours of living without Rose—returning to an empty house, desolate of life. I’ve been on autopilot as I convince my heart of the depths of her betrayal and to harden it into granite against softer human emotions.

Otherwise, I’ll never be able to go through with my plan.

To bring to light the truth about Jasmine.

Lily’s transgressions.

To even the score.

The devil chirping on my shoulder taunts me that Rosalie didn’t think twice about selling me out to my biggest enemy, so why should I? Everything is fair in love and war, they say.

However, every time I’ve come close to picking up my phone and sending the proof to all the media outlets, my fingers become paralyzed.

A force stopping me.

Because a part of me believes there’s still a chance, albeit miniscule, of Rosalie and I reconciling. Her regretting and becoming mine again. I haven’t even returned her things, secretly hoping she’ll come demanding them and I’ll have one more glimpse of her.

It’s like I’m chasing the ghost of her.

She’s ceased to exist.

I was desperate enough to almost call Nathan and beg him to ask Iris if she’s heard from Rosalie. But it’ll lead to questions from my best friend that I’m not ready to answer. One second, I had it all, and now, I have nothing.

Instead, I’ve put all my focus on battling against Mihir.

My father is working tirelessly on saving the port from Mihir’s greedy hands and before he blasts the pictures.

Meanwhile, I’ve searched every inch, nook, and cranny of my firm’s building for proof of how he’s receiving all his information. Each desk and computer has been investigated, every employee from top to bottom interrogated. Nothing incriminating has been found.

Feeding information manually is impossible.

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