Page 123 of My Ruthless Husband

Something tells me this isn’t just about business rivalry anymore. It’s deeper, more twisted—far more complicated than it appears.

If he really is behind all this then I’m afraid he might not be content with simply ruining Melissa or her family. No. He’s after everyone connected to my dad, every business partner and even their respective families. It’s a systematic dismantling of not just a business empire, but of lives and livelihoods.

My only question is… why?

I don’t know how, but I find myself standing inside the grand foyer of the mansion. I don’t remember leaving the pub, don’t recall the journey home. All I know is that now I’m here.

I begin walking numbly.

“River…” Vicky calls out.

“I’d like to be alone for a while.” Without waiting for a response, I turn and let my feet carry me through the expansive hallways.

As I reach the end of the corridor, I come upon a pair of sleek, modern doors. With a gentle push, they swing open effortlessly.

In front of me is an indoor, state-of-the-art pool, its clear surface glowing from the soft underwater lights, casting gentle ripples of light across the room.

I step out of my shoes. With trembling hands, I peel off my alcohol-drenched clothes. Then dive into the water naked.

The shock of the cool water momentarily distracts me until the same thoughts plague me again. I resurface, gasping for air, my heart pounding in my chest.

I swim laps with a fierce determination, each stroke propelling me forward, driving away the thoughts that threaten to consume me.

But no matter how hard I swim, no matter how fast I push myself, the weight of Damian’s betrayal suffocates me.

It’s my fault. I let myself hope that I’d gotten it wrong about Damian. When he refused to explain, I thought it could’ve been innocent, that maybe digging into my father and his partners was nothing more than curiosity. I even let myself believe that allthose details he had about me were because he wanted to know me on a deeper level.

How foolish was I? Clinging to excuses that didn’t exist. Seeing Melissa tonight, hearing her speak, stripped away every last shred of doubt. The truth couldn’t be clearer now. He didn’t marry me for love. He married me for a purpose, one I was too blind to see.

The water around me blurs with tears as I swim, my movements becoming sluggish and uncoordinated. Exhaustion begins to set in, both physical and emotional and I finally pause.

Resting my forehead on my folded arms on the tiled rim, I pant. Swallowing hard, I turn to begin again.

“You’ve done enough swimming for one night, angel.”

Everything freezes, I forget how to draw another breath as I lift my head and stare into a pair of all too familiar dark as night eyes. “Damian!”

Chapter Thirty-Two

Past

It’s unfair. And absolutely wrong. Being fooled by a man who means the world to you. Dad shouldn’t have done this.

When I received Dad’s message asking me to meet for dinner, I reluctantly canceled my date with Damian. After my hasty exit from his celebration party three weeks ago, I’d been avoiding his calls. That had put a strain on our relationship because I never went without talking to him for three weeks straight. I was sad and I knew Dad felt the same way. He wanted to mend the rift between us, and this dinner was his attempt to reach out.

Despite my reservations, I knew it was needed. After all, I couldn’t blame him for Nadine and Melissa’s behavior. I love him too much to let this divide us any longer.

As I stepped into the lavish, dimly lit restaurant, two impeccably dressed hosts immediately approached me and led me a secluded, elegantly set table in a corner.

My heart stopped for a second when I found Edward waiting for me instead of my father. It hit me like a ton of bricks—I’d been set up.

When Edward rose from his seat, his smile wide and confident, I had to keep my composure. It was hard. This was bad. And yet I couldn’t blame Edward. He was clearly very excited to see me. What dad did wasn’t fair to me but it wasn’t Edward’s fault.

That’s why I instead of leaving, I decided to stay. I wanted to reach for my phone and call Dad. I wanted to confront him but I couldn’t.

I should have seen it coming when Dad asked me to be Edward’s date for the party back then. He must have been trying to set us up all along.

Edward reaches across the table, his hand gently covering mine. I can’t help but flinch slightly at the unexpected touch. He doesn’t seem to notice, or if he does, he doesn’t say anything.

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