Elijah’s pov ;
As I strode into the office, my eyes imdiately fell on Vanessa, perched in her chair with a smug smirk playing on her lips. My jaw clenched at the sight of her, my blood boiling with anger that threatened to spill over. But I forced myself to remain calm as I approached her.
"Vanessa," I said, my voice steady but cold. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Don’t play dumb, Elijah," she sneered, gesturing to her bandaged hand. "You know exactly why I’m here. How dare you have my charges dropped?"
I ignored her words, my eyes fixed on her injured hand. The urge to throttle her for all the pain she had caused Ash surged within , but I pushed it down. "What do you want from , Vanessa? Money? Deals? Companies? Na your price and I’ll make it happen."
Her smirk widened, revealing her true colours. "Now we’re talking." She crossed her legs, her gaze glinting with satisfaction. "But I don’t want any of those things."
My patience was wearing thin as I leaned forward, eting her sharp gaze. "Then what is it that you want?"
She leaned even closer, her voice low and dangerous. "I want you to marry , Elijah."
A disgusted sneer twisted my features, my contempt for her oozing from every pore. "Marry you?" I scoffed, unable to even fathom the idea. "Vanessa, do you even hear yourself? Soone like you, who changes n as often as they change their underwear, dares to think you could marry ? You’re nothing but a gold digger, chasing after rich n whether they’re married or not."
Her face flushed with embarrassnt, but she quickly masked it with anger. "Marry or I’ll make sure everyone knows about this online and ruin his career."
I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest. "Go ahead and try," I challenged her, trying to keep my voice steady. "I’m not afraid of your threats. Do you really think I’d let anyone co between and my spouse?"
Her eyes narrowed as realisation dawned on her. "Spouse?"
"Yes, Ash is my husband," I replied confidently, not keeping the details of our relationship vague anymore. "And nothing you do or say will change that."
"He..He’s your...husband?" She shifted in her seat, realising her leverage was slipping away. Her expression hardened as she tried to regain control. "But...you can get a divorce. Divorce him and marry . As simple as it sounds. And if you don’t then my father has enough connection to ruin you."
Leaning forward, my voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "You have no power here, Vanessa," I hissed at her. "Do you think your empty threats scare ? I own this city. My connections are leagues above yours. One wrong move and you’ll find yourself ruined beyond repair."
The veins in her neck bulged as her eyes widened in shock and rage. Her face contorted into a mask of pure fury, her teeth bared like a wild animal ready to attack. "You can’t do this to , Elijah! I won’t let you get away with this. He broke my hand!" she seethed.
I leaned back in my chair, my expression unruffled by her outburst. "I just did, Vanessa. And I’ll do it again if you continue to push ."
She slamd her fist on the desk, gritting her teeth against the pain in her bandaged hand. "I have connections too, you know. Powerful people who will listen to ."
A dark chuckle escaped my lips. "Oh, I’m sure you do, your affair, right? But let tell you sothing. Even though my connections are far more extensive and influential than yours could ever be, I don’t even need them to destroy soone like you. Any move you make against will be t with swift and decisive action."
She glared at , her lips trembling with rage. "You’re bluffing. You don’t have the guts to take on."
I raised an eyebrow, my expression calm and collected. "Am I? You’re welco to test that theory. But I can assure you, it won’t end well for you."
She opened her mouth to retort, but I cut her off with a raised hand. "Save it. I’ve had enough of your empty threats." My gaze never faltered from hers as my words landed like a cold slap in the face. "Now, I suggest you leave before I have you escorted out."
She stood up abruptly, her face reddening even more with anger. "How dare you insult like this?!" she spat.
I smiled coolly, my eyes gleaming with amusent. "Actually, Vanessa, I have a little surprise for you since you’re not ready to back down." My tone was almost taunting, fueling her anger even more.
Her curiosity was piqued, but she hesitated, her eyes darting back and forth between and the phone in my hand. With a click of a button, I played a video for her to see. It showed her in a compromising position with a wealthy, older man, their bodies entangled and lips locked in an intimate embrace.
As she watched, her face went pale and her hands began to tremble. "What is...this?" she stamred.
I maintained my calm composure as I replied, "This is you being a howrecker. Having an affair with a married man. And before you even think about making a move against on the internet, let assure you that this video will spread like wildfire. Imagine the scandal, imagine the ruin it would bring upon your carefully crafted reputation. Think carefully before you make your next move."
"You...you can’t do this!" she protested, her voice shaking with fear.
"Oh, but I can," I retorted with a cold smirk. I already asked my PR team to find this since I already knew she would do sothing like this "And I will. Unless you want this video to go viral and destroy everything you’ve worked so hard for."
She stared at in disbelief, her bravado quickly crumbling under the weight of my threat. "You’re bluffing," she said weakly.
"Try ," I replied, my voice dripping with dark confidence. "You see, Vanessa, you underestimated who you were dealing with. You thought you could manipulate , but you’ve miscalculated. I protect what’s mine, and I will not hesitate to destroy anyone who tries to hurt what belongs to ."
Her eyes widened as she finally realised the gravity of the situation. Fear crept into her voice as she whispered, "Don’t think this is over."
"But it is," I said firmly as I stood up and opened the door for her. "Now get out before I make good on my promise."
Without another word, she hurriedly left the office, slamming the door shut behind her. In that mont, I knew I had won the ga and secured my power over her. The taste of victory was both bitter and sweet as I watched her retreat with a mixture of satisfaction and disgust.
For soone like Vanessa, a daddy’s little princess who was used to getting what she wanted through manipulation and deceit, being outplayed by soone like must have been a humbling experience. But for , it was just another day in the cutthroat world of high society.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. Vanessa was finally out of the picture, at least for now. A sense of satisfaction washed over as I watched her leave in fear, but a part of still wanted to do more for what she had done. I had to resist that urge. For now, I had handled it.
As the door shut behind her, leaving alone with my thoughts once again, my mind quickly shifted to Ash. The hospital had called monts ago, informing that he was awake and asking for . Without hesitation, I rushed to his side, my heart pounding with worry and anticipation.
In the car on the way to the hospital, my thoughts were a jumbled ss. So many people had hurt Ash, including myself. But from this mont on, no one would be allowed to harm him again. I vowed to protect my love and husband at all costs.
When I arrived at the hospital and entered Ash’s room, my heart shattered at the sight before . He sat up in bed, tears streaming down his face while the doctor tried to comfort him. My love for him grew even stronger in that mont.
"Ash," I whispered, my voice full of tenderness and concern.
His eyes widened in surprise and relief as he imdiately reached out for . I rushed to his side and enveloped him in a warm embrace.
"Why are you crying, my love? Are you hurting sowhere?" I asked softly, stroking his hair and kissing his forehead.
He clung to tightly, his voice trembling as he spoke. "I didn’t an to attack her. Please don’t leave . I was so scared." Tears welled up in my own eyes as I held him close, vowing to never let anyone hurt him again.
I held him even tighter, his warm body pressed against mine as I tenderly planted a kiss on his head. "Why would I ever leave you? I’m here for you, Ash. Always and forever. I had to step away briefly to take care of sothing, but now I’m back by your side. You have nothing to worry about."
A wave of joy washed over knowing that he still wanted despite all the challenges we faced. "You’re safe with , baby," I assured him, running my fingers through his hair in a soothing motion. "No one will harm you while I’m here."
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I pulled him closer to , feeling his heartbeat against my chest. "Let’s make you comfortable, okay? You need rest."
With gentle hands, I helped him lay back down and fluffed up the pillows behind him for support. Taking out the prescribed dication from the doctor, I handed them to him one by one and made sure he swallowed each pill without trouble.
"Here, take these. They’ll ease your discomfort," I whispered softly. I then brought a tray of food over, encouraging him to eat so bites. "You need to keep your strength up. Just a little bit for ?"
Managing a small smile, he tentatively ate a few spoonfuls of food while never taking his eyes off of mine.
"Thank you," he murmured.
Returning his smile, I wiped away a stray tear from his cheek. "Anything for you, love. You are my top priority now."
The rest of the evening passed in a blur as we remained by each other’s side. I spoke softly, weaving tales and jokes that elicited warm chuckles from him. My gaze never left his form, constantly monitoring for any sign of discomfort or unease.
As the night progressed and the moon rose high in the sky, he began to unwind and relax in my presence. The warmth of my embrace and gentle whispers seed to soothe away his worries. And as he drifted off into a peaceful slumber, I held him close, vowing silently to protect him from any harm.
In that mont, with him sleeping soundly in my arms, I knew that nothing would ever co between us again. No one could hurt him while I was there to defend and shelter him. With determination burning in my heart, I promised to always be there for him, no matter what challenges may co our way.
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