2025-03-20 16:18:18Serena didn’t move. She sat there, her bare skin pressed against his sheets, her body tangled with the man beneath her. She didn’t even bother to cover herself. Her lips curled into something cold, something cruel.
Nate’s heart pounded so hard it hurt. His breaths were short, sharp. His fingers twitched at his sides, his body screaming for him to do something, but he couldn’t move. Serena sighed, tilting her head. “You’re early.” Early? His stomach twisted. The man beside her stretched lazily before sitting up, completely unbothered by Nate’s presence. He ran a hand through his hair, the same dark hair that Nate had seen since childhood. It hit him like a punch. “Lucas?” His voice barely came out. His cousin. Lucas chuckled. “Took you long enough.” He leaned against the headboard, watching Nate with amusement. “I was starting to think you wouldn’t show up at all.” Nate’s nails dug into his palms. His skin burned. His throat ached. “You… you’re my family.” Lucas snorted. “And? What does that mean to me?” Nate felt sick. His own blood. His own flesh. Sleeping with his wife like it was nothing. His chest tightened. He coughed violently, doubling over as blood splattered onto the floor. Serena sighed again. “Ugh. That’s disgusting.” His legs almost gave out. He gripped the doorframe, struggling to breathe. He looked at her, desperate for something…anything. Guilt. Remorse. A sign that this was some sick mistake. There was none. She just stared at him, bored. “You don’t look so good,” Lucas said, shaking his head. “But I guess that’s not surprising.” Nate swallowed. His throat felt raw. His mind raced. “Why?” His voice cracked. “Why would you do this?” Serena rolled her eyes. “You really want me to spell it out?” His hands clenched. He thought about everything…every late night, every time she held him, every promise she made. “You said you loved me.” She laughed. Actually laughed. Lucas smirked. “Come on, Nate. You were never that stupid, were you?” His heart pounded. His vision blurred. Serena swung her legs over the bed, standing up without an ounce of shame. She walked toward him, completely unbothered. She grabbed the silk robe from the chair, slipping it on like this was just another evening. “You were never supposed to be here this early,” she murmured. She looked him up and down, her lips twitching into something almost amused. “Guess it worked faster than I thought.” Nate’s body stiffened. His fingers curled against the doorway. “What?” Serena smirked. “The poison.” The air left his lungs. His stomach turned violently. Serena leaned in, her breath warm against his ear. “You were supposed to die in your sleep tonight.” His heart stopped. No. No, that couldn’t… She pulled back, crossing her arms. “You really thought you were sick, didn’t you?” She let out a slow breath, shaking her head. “It was so easy. A little something in your tea every night, a little talk with your doctor to confirm a fatal diagnosis…” She shrugged. “And just like that, poor Nate was doomed.” Nate staggered back, his whole body shaking. His chest heaved. His head spun. “You—” His voice caught. His throat burned. Lucas leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “It was fun watching you fall apart,” he admitted. “The business, the money, the friends…” He whistled. “You lost everything. And you didn’t even fight back.” Serena scoffed. “You made it too easy.” Nate’s breaths turned ragged. His skin was cold. His fingers felt numb. Everything…everything…had been a lie. His sickness. His failure. She had planned it all. He thought she was his Serena. His anchor. The one person he had left. But she had never been his. His stomach twisted. His body swayed. Serena smiled. “I put the last dose in your tea this evening.” Her head tilted. “You’re dying, Nate.” His chest caved in. His pulse pounded in his ears. Lucas grinned. “Guess you won’t be around much longer.” Serena sighed. “What a shame.” Nate’s knees nearly buckled. He pressed a hand against the wall, his body barely holding on. His vision blurred. The pain was unbearable. And yet, through it all, one thing remained. The rage. It burned beneath his skin. It clawed at his chest. They thought this was over. They thought he was over. Serena smirked, stepping closer. “You actually believed you had pulmonary fibrosis?” She laughed. “God, you were so easy to fool. You coughed up blood because I made you. Every night, for months, I fed you poison. Every morning, you woke up weaker, sicker, and I watched you struggle. And you just…took it.” Lucas leaned back, shaking his head. “Pathetic.” Serena smiled wider. “You should’ve seen your face when the doctor confirmed it. Poor, dying Nate, thinking his body was giving up on him.” She let out a small, satisfied sigh. “I paid him well for that diagnosis. And you never even questioned it.” Nate’s blood turned to ice. It hadn’t been fate. It hadn’t been his body betraying him. It was her. His vision blurred with rage. Serena tilted her head. “You should sit down. You don’t have much time left.” His lips parted. His throat burned. But the only sound that tore through the room was his own voice. “SERENA!” Nate's body lurched as a violent cough tore through him. Blood splattered onto the floor, warm and thick, staining his shirt, his hands. His legs wobbled, and before he could steady himself, he collapsed onto his knees. Serena’s laughter filled the room. Cold. Amused. Heartless. Lucas grinned, standing beside the bed, his arms crossed as he watched. “Looks like it’s time.” Nate gasped for air, his chest squeezing with unbearable pain. His vision blurred, red and dark spots dancing before his eyes. His body convulsed as another round of coughing wracked through him, sending more blood spilling from his lips. Serena crouched in front of him, her face mere inches from his, a smirk playing on her lips. “It hurts, doesn’t it?” she whispered mockingly. “Months of slow, painful decay, and you never even saw it coming.” His hands clawed at the ground, desperate for something…anything…to hold onto. His whole body trembled. His breaths turned shallow. He was dying. And they were laughing. Lucas chuckled. “I thought you’d last longer, but I guess even your will to live wasn’t strong enough.” Serena sighed, feigning disappointment. “Such a shame.” She reached forward, running her fingers through his damp hair. “You really thought you were so strong, didn’t you?” His lips trembled. His eyes burned. Not from the poison. But from the betrayal. The woman he had loved. The woman he had trusted more than anything. She had done this. Tears welled in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He wouldn’t give them that satisfaction. But his body was betraying him, shaking uncontrollably as the poison took its final hold. Serena stood, dusting off her robe like he was nothing more than a mess on the floor. “You should let go now, Nate. No one’s coming for you.” His heart clenched. His eyes grew heavy. The room was spinning. His fingers twitched as he tried to hold on…hold on to something, anything. But there was nothing left. He had lost everything. His vision darkened. The last thing he saw was Serena’s cold smile. The last thing he heard was their laughter. Then, nothing. His eyes closed. And Nathaniel Aldric took his final breath.
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Laughter.Loud. Familiar.Nate’s eyes snapped open. His breath hitched.He wasn’t on the cold floor. He wasn’t coughing up blood. He wasn’t dying.He was sitting at a large dining table, surrounded by people.His heart pounded as he looked around. The room was bright, golden light bouncing off the chandelier above. Plates of untouched food sat before him. Wine glasses clinked. The air smelled of roasted meat, expensive liquor, and cologne.Ethan Maddox sat across from him, laughing as he leaned back in his chair. Owen Carter, on his left, smirked at something someone had said.His hands clenched the edge of the table. This wasn’t right.He was supposed to be dead.But everyone was here. His friends. The ones who had betrayed him.Nate’s pulse raced. He swallowed hard, his throat dry. He pinched his own arm under the table. Hard.Pain shot through him. His stomach churned.This was real.He was here.But how?Ethan’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “Damn, Nate, you really just p
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Nate stood, gripping his phone so tightly his knuckles turned white. The cold night air bit at his skin, but he barely noticed. His mind was set.He scrolled through his contacts, his thumb hovering over a name he had never dared to call before.Vincent Blackwell.A man with men.Men who didn’t ask questions.Nate had known about him for years. People whispered his name in the darkest corners of the city. He was the kind of man you only contacted if you wanted something done.Before, Nate had always believed in handling things the right way. The legal way.But that version of him was dead.Without hesitation, he pressed the call button.The phone rang twice before a deep voice answered. “Aldric.”No greetings. No fake pleasantries.“I need something handled,” Nate said, his voice steady.Vincent chuckled. “Well, well. Didn’t think I’d ever hear from you.”“I want Liam Grant dealt with.”A pause. Then, “Who the hell is Liam Grant?”Nate’s grip on the phone tightened. He took a slow bre
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Nate stepped into the conference room, and just as expected, the entire room fell silent. They had been talking, discussing, whispering, probably scheming…until he arrived. Now, all eyes were on him. He could feel their confusion, their unease. They weren’t looking at the Nate Aldric they had once dismissed. They were looking at someone else entirely. And sitting at the far end of the table, looking as if he owned the place, was Lucas. His cousin. The same man he had put in that position. The same man who had betrayed him. Nate’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t let his smirk slip. No, he wouldn’t give them that satisfaction. Lucas sat there, back straight, hands folded in front of him, trying to keep his expression neutral. But Nate saw the hint of discomfort in his eyes. Good. This was the same man he had once trusted. The same man he had supported, defended, treated like a brother. And yet, when Nate had walked into his own bedroom, Lucas had been there…with Serena. The
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Nate woke up feeling lighter than he had in years.His mind was sharp, his body well-rested. No nausea. No dizziness. No sluggishness weighing him down. It was the first night in a long time that he had slept without that poison creeping through his veins.He sat up, glancing around the unfamiliar bedroom. He had chosen to sleep in one of the guest rooms…far away from Serena. Sharing a bed with his killer had never been an option.He threw off the covers and walked into the bathroom, turning on the lights. The mirror reflected back a man who barely looked like himself.His hair was overgrown, messy in a way that made him look unkempt rather than rugged. His beard was thick, uneven. And his clothe…wrinkled, dull, a size too big. He looked nothing like a billionaire. More like someone who had given up on himself.He let out a breath, gripping the counter.That was the old Nate. The blind fool who had let himself be played.That man was dead.He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
Six
That night Ethan stepped into the hospital room, his jaw tightening the moment his eyes landed on Liam Grant.The man was unrecognizable.Bandages covered his face. His right eye was swollen shut. His lips were busted, stitches lining his cheek. His legs were raised, both wrapped in thick casts. His arms, too, were covered in bandages, and from the way he lay there…motionless, hooked up to machines…Ethan knew it was bad.He slowly turned his gaze to the men standing by the window. They looked battered, their faces bruised, arms in slings, but they weren’t nearly as bad as Liam.Ethan shoved his hands into his pockets, his voice sharp. “What the hell happened?”The men exchanged nervous glances. One of them, a stocky guy with a deep cut on his forehead, let out a bitter breath. His voice was shaky, like he was still rattled by what had happened.“It was an ambush,” he muttered.Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “Ambush?”The man nodded stiffly, licking his dry lips before speaking again. “We were
Five
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Four
Nate stood, gripping his phone so tightly his knuckles turned white. The cold night air bit at his skin, but he barely noticed. His mind was set.He scrolled through his contacts, his thumb hovering over a name he had never dared to call before.Vincent Blackwell.A man with men.Men who didn’t ask questions.Nate had known about him for years. People whispered his name in the darkest corners of the city. He was the kind of man you only contacted if you wanted something done.Before, Nate had always believed in handling things the right way. The legal way.But that version of him was dead.Without hesitation, he pressed the call button.The phone rang twice before a deep voice answered. “Aldric.”No greetings. No fake pleasantries.“I need something handled,” Nate said, his voice steady.Vincent chuckled. “Well, well. Didn’t think I’d ever hear from you.”“I want Liam Grant dealt with.”A pause. Then, “Who the hell is Liam Grant?”Nate’s grip on the phone tightened. He took a slow bre
Three
Laughter.Loud. Familiar.Nate’s eyes snapped open. His breath hitched.He wasn’t on the cold floor. He wasn’t coughing up blood. He wasn’t dying.He was sitting at a large dining table, surrounded by people.His heart pounded as he looked around. The room was bright, golden light bouncing off the chandelier above. Plates of untouched food sat before him. Wine glasses clinked. The air smelled of roasted meat, expensive liquor, and cologne.Ethan Maddox sat across from him, laughing as he leaned back in his chair. Owen Carter, on his left, smirked at something someone had said.His hands clenched the edge of the table. This wasn’t right.He was supposed to be dead.But everyone was here. His friends. The ones who had betrayed him.Nate’s pulse raced. He swallowed hard, his throat dry. He pinched his own arm under the table. Hard.Pain shot through him. His stomach churned.This was real.He was here.But how?Ethan’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “Damn, Nate, you really just p
