AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And then there were Colton and Jaxon. My heart thudded painfully at the thought of them—of their smiles, their warmth, their touch. Were they just like Lydia? Did they see me as just another commodity to be bought and paid for?
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the memories of our dates—the laughter and conversations that now felt tainted with deceit.
The ping of my phone startled me from my thoughts. A message from my bank glowed on the screen: Deposit of $2,000,000 received. For a moment, I couldn't breathe. The numbers seemed to dance before my eyes in some cruel mockery of joy.
With trembling fingers, I logged into my bank account online. The balance stared back at me—a figure so surreal it could have been part of a dream. But this was no dream. It was a nightmare manifested.
Two million dollars—the price of my unwitting complicity in Lydia's scheme.
I couldn't keep it. This money wasn't mine. It was the chains that would bind me to Colton and Jaxon under false pretenses.
If I annulled the exclusive contract now, I'd owe them three million more—the commission that should have gone to Lydia and the club. A sum so vast it made me dizzy just to contemplate it.
Nausea churned in my stomach as reality set in. Once the money hit Lydia's account—or Marcus Trenton's at Alpha Gold Club—they wouldn't return it even if I canceled the contract, as Lydia had bluntly stated.
I lay there for hours, staring blankly at the ceiling as shadows lengthened across the room and night fell. My mind raced through every possible scenario—each one bleaker than the last.
After what felt like an eternity, clarity began to cut through the fog of my indecision. If there was one thing I knew for sure, it was that I couldn't continue this charade with Colton and Jaxon—not with this weight on my conscience.
It took days for me to gather enough courage to act on that clarity. Days during which I barely ate or slept, racked by guilt and uncertainty.
Finally, with resolve steeling me from within, I composed a message on my phone—a simple but heartfelt apology.
Mr. Sterling,
I must apologize first for what may seem an abrupt message. It has come to light that there have been... misunderstandings regarding our acquaintance through the Alpha Gold Club.
Recently, I discovered that my involvement at these events has been under false pretenses; a fact unbeknownst to me until now is that I've been presented as some form of treasure—a term I find both disconcerting and disheartening.
I have genuinely enjoyed our time together. Your company has been one of kindness and respect. However, given these revelations, it would be disingenuous for me to continue without acknowledging this new understanding.
It is with regret that I must request we meet to discuss canceling our exclusive contract. Please know this decision is not reflective of any ill will toward you or your brother—it is purely an act of conscience on my part.
Sincerely,
Delcy
With each word typed out and each sentence formed, a piece of the heavy burden lifted from my shoulders. It wasn't absolution—not yet—but it was a step toward reclaiming myself from those who sought to use me as a mere token in their games of wealth and power.
I hit send before doubt could seize me again.
A sense of satisfaction filled me—a rare feeling amidst the chaos of recent days. For perhaps the first time since this whole sordid affair began, I felt like I was taking back control over my life.
Exhaustion soon washed over me like a tide receding after a storm. My eyelids grew heavy with sleep long deferred by anxiety and fear.
As sleep claimed me at last, it was with a lighter heart than I'd carried in weeks. There were challenges ahead—I knew that much—but facing them head-on seemed far less daunting now than continuing to live a lie had been.
For tonight at least, there was peace in truthfulness—and in that peace, finally some semblance of restful sleep.
colton
Colton's fingers danced across the keyboard with the grace of a seasoned pianist, his focus laser-sharp. Around him, the controlled chaos of Sterling Enterprises hummed along efficiently. Emma shuffled through a stack of papers, her eyes scanning each document before adding it to the growing pile on her boss’ desk.
“The Singapore deal projections, sir,” she said. Colton gave her a cursory nod, already engrossed in the numbers on the page.
The hum of productivity continued to fill the room until the ping of a text message cleaved through the air, sharp and intrusive. Emma glanced up, concern knitting her brows as Colton's focus fractured. His hand froze mid-motion, his gaze locked on the screen of his phone. A frown etched itself onto his features as he read, and she felt a twinge of alarm.
“Emma, that'll be all,” his voice cut through the silence, abrupt and final.
