"You chose this path, Claire," Nathan continued, his voice now a low, dangerous growl. "I could have revealed my identity to you a thousand times, and it wouldn't have made a difference.""You never would have believed me. You were so blinded by your greed, by your ambition to climb higher, that you couldn't see the truth right in front of you.""You chose to betray me, to side with a man who fed you nothing but lies, and now you’re paying the price for your own ignorance."Claire’s breath hitched in her throat, her anger now mingled with a creeping sense of guilt and despair. "But… but I loved you," she whispered, her voice breaking as if clinging to some last shred of hope.Nathan laughed, a bitter, mirthless sound that sent a chill down the spine of everyone present. "Loved me? Is that what you call love? You didn’t love me, Claire. You loved what you thought I could give you—status, power, influence. "You loved the idea of being married to a man who could elevate you, but when yo

Nathan settled into the back seat of his sleek, black car as he drove to the Cloud mansion. He had not been home for the past three years.The events of the day played over in his mind—the applause, the admiration—everything turned out as he had planned.It was no longer a secret that he was Lord Cloud, the most powerful man in Prescott, and he now had an alliance with Vanessa's Royal Corporation.The car glided smoothly through the city streets, the headlights cutting through the darkness. Nathan stared out the window, his thoughts distant when something suddenly caught his eye. A figure, faint and almost ghostly in the dim light, stood in the middle of the road ahead."Stop the car!" Nathan barked at the driver, and the driver reacted instantly, slamming on the brakes just as the car came to a halt a few feet from the figure. Nathan leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make out who it was.The figure was a woman, her clothes disheveled, her hair falling messily around

Ivan's eyes narrowed as he took in Liam, anger immediately beginning to course through his veins. He was the last person he wanted to see right now."You’ve got some balls showing up here, Liam," Ivan sneered, his voice cold and filled with rage"You!!!""You have the audacity to come here!""After everything you’ve done, you actually have the nerve to come here?"Liam’s heart sank further as he heard Iva's voice, but he tried to stand his ground, even though his legs felt like they could give out at any moment, especially what he had already been through in the hands of those brutal security men. If not that they had something urgent to attend to, they wouldn't have stopped beating him. "Ivan, please…"" I know I’ve made terrible mistakes. I know I’ve hurt your family, but I have nowhere else to go.""I’m begging you… please, just let me speak to Claire."Ivan’s eyes flashed with anger, and he took a step forward, towering over Liam. "Speak to Claire?""Are you out of your mind?""D

Nathan's car came to a stop in front of the entrance of the Cloud mansion. Finally, he was home.The driver got out of the car and hurried to the car door. He opened it with a respectful bow, and Nathan emerged from the car, his aura exuding nothing but power. He was a king returning to his own kingdom.James, the Cloud family's butler, was waiting at the top of the steps leading to the entrance."Welcome back, Lord Cloud," James said, his voice a smooth, practiced tone that gave away nothing of what he might be thinking.He bowed slightly, a gesture of respect. James was filled with happiness that his master had finally returned. There were few people in the world who knew Nathan well, and James was one of them.James’s mind went back to three years ago when Nathan left the Cloud mansion to get married into the Wilson family. He remembered that day like it was yesterday. He tried to discourage him from leaving, but Nathan refused, saying he loved Claire and that once he revealed hi

Vanessa continued to desperately cry for help, but her voice was barely audible over the storm as she stood in the rain, drenched and shivering from the cold. Her eyes darted around, desperately searching for anyone who could assist her.Suddenly, she could smell fuel from the car despite the rain.Her eyes widened in terror as she saw flames start to form. The crash had caused a fuel leak, and the vehicle was very close to igniting.“No, no, no!” Vanessa gasped, scrambling back toward Mark. She tried to drag him further away from the wreckage, but her strength was fading, and he was too heavy for her alone. The flames were growing.Panic washed over her as she did not know what to do. Suddenly, a car skidded to a stop on the roadside, and two men rushed out, seeing a woman in distress.“Get away from the car!” one of them shouted, as they both immediately came down from the car to rescue her. One of them grabbed Vanessa by the arm, pulling her back as the other man lifted her driv