26
Miguel stepped out from the shadows, his expression dark and heavy
A flicker of surprise flashed across Saoirse’s face, but she quickly composed herself.
“So, you heard everything?”
Miguel’s fists clenched so tight that blood oozed from his palms.
“You’ve been lying to me this whole time…”
Saoirse smirked, toying with her hair smugly.
“So what?”
“I have the Pearson family backing me. And you? Just a so-called Movie King.”
“Guess what? If I call the paparazzi and spill your secrets, do you really think you’d still have a place in this industry?”
Each word stabbed Miguel straight in the gut.
Fury burned in his eyes, but after a few deep breaths, he forced himself calm.
“You’re right,” he said quietly, backing away like a man surrendering. “Then I’ll just leave first.”
He turned and walked off without a backward glance while behind him, Saoirse and her friend burst into mocking laughter.
Saoirse, drunk and staggering, made her way down a deserted street.
Suddenly, a hand reached out and dragged her into a dark alley.
When she regained consciousness, she found herself in an abandoned warehouse, her hands and feet tightly bound.
‘You’re awake.” Miguel walked over slowly, gripping her chin tightly as he examined her.
Saoirse instinctively frowned. “What do you want from me? My father won’t let you get away
with this!”
‘If you’re smart, you’d-”
But before she could finish, her gaze landed on the baseball bat Miguel pulled from behind him.
Fear finally crept into her expression.
She forced a trembling smile in an attempt to pacify him. “Brother Miguel, you’re a big star now and your career is doing great. Shouldn’t you be thinking about your future…?”
‘My career? None of that matters.”
‘Everything you did to Belle… you’re going to pay for it, one by one.”
‘Ah-!”
Her screams echoed through the night, sharp and raw, yet not a single soul stirred.
In Canada, I was preparing breakfast.
Ever since that last incident, the villa’s security had doubled, and Marcus had shifted his work
completely to home.
When the morning alarm rang, he buried his head in my arms, his voice muffled.
“Belle… stay with me a little longer-”
I let out a soft laugh, patting his back.
“President Murphy, don’t you have a company waiting for you?”
“The company can run without me.”
Marcus answered lazily as his fingers traced along my skin.
His voice turned husky. “Let’s do something more interesting instead…”
Marcus took his time, relentless and unrestrained until I finally whispered for mercy.
Unsurprisingly, we ended up sleeping in.
With lingering resentment, I stood in the kitchen making breakfast, forced to delay my morning schedule.
“Marcus! Bastard!”
Fuming, I squeezed an entire tube of wasabi onto his toast.
My phone rang. Thinking it was my assistant calling about work, I quickly wiped my hands and picked up.
But instead, it was a video from an unknown number. The second I opened it, a blood-curdling scream erupted from the speaker.
Startled, I staggered back and dropped my phone.
Marcus had heard it, too, and came rushing in.
His eyes filled with alarm as he wrapped me in his arms and checked me over. “Are you okay?”
shook my head and pointed at the phone, signaling for him to watch the video.
The image on the screen was unmistakable: Saoirse.
She had already been tortured beyond recognition.
My stomach flipped. I couldn’t hold it back. I gagged.
