Chapter 148
The first time Lothario tried to approach me after my father’s press conference, I barely even noticed him.
It was late, the city lights casting a golden glow against the wet pavement as rain poured heavily from the sky. The storm had been raging for hours, but I had stayed in my office, watching reports of my father’s public statement burn through the media.
Alexander Anderson’s only daughter.
Me.
My entire past, rewritten with a single press conference. The world now knew my name, but more importantly–they knew who I was. The real heiress. The woman Alessia had tried to erase.
And yet, as I stepped out of my building, heels clicking sharply against the pavement, the sight of him made my breath hitch.
Lothario stood there, drenched from head to toe, his expensive suit clinging to his broad frame like a second skin. He looked nothing like the man I once knew.!!
Gone was the confident, untouchable businessman. In his place stood something almost… broken. But I didn’t slow down. I had expected this moment. Hell, I had prepared for it.”
And yet, when his dark eyes locked onto mine, filled with something dangerously close to regret, something sharp and ugly twisted in my chest.
I ignored it. Pain was for the weak. And I was not weak. Not anymore.
“Pearl,” Lothario called, his voice hoarse, barely cutting through the rain.
I didn’t stop.
“Wait,” he tried again, stepping closer.
I reached the door without hesitation.X
“Pearl,” he said more firmly, his tone raw, almost pleading. “I was wrong.“W
I finally paused. Not because I wanted to, but because a sick, twisted part of me wanted to hear it.”
I turned slightly, just enough for him to see the cold amusement in my expression. “Wrong?” I echoed, tilting my head.
He exhaled harshly, running a trembling hand through his soaked hair. “I–I should’ve never-“”
I let out a small, cruel laugh, cutting him off. “Save it, Lothario.”
His jaw tightened. “Please, Pearl. Just listen-”
But I was already stepping inside, my heels clicking against the marble floor as the door shut behind me.[ I didn’t look back.
Let him drown in the rain. Let him suffer in the silence.!
If he thought a few words could undo years of betrayal, he was an even bigger fool than I thought.
The next morning I barely finished my first cup of coffee when my phone rang. Taurus.
I smirked, answering the call. “Don’t tell me you miss me already.“”
His chuckle was low, edged with irritation. “Not quite, sweetheart. We have a problem.”
I leaned back against my office chair, intrigued. “Do we?“!!
“He’s sabotaging my business, Taurus said bluntly. “Three of my deals collapsed overnight. Lothario’s been pulling strings behind the scenes. And before you ask–yes, I could crush him myself, but I figured I’d let you have the honor,”
I twirled my pen between my fingers, already calculating my next move. “Jealousy makes men stupid,” I murmured, enjoying this more than I should.%
“That it does.” Taurus agreed. “So, what’s the plan? Should I handle it, or would you like the first shot?”
I took a slow sip of my coffee, my lips curling into a smile.X
“Oh, Fl handle it.”
That night, the stock market shook
Lothario’s company in Canada–a critical part of his empire–collapsed overnight. His shares took a devastating hit, investors pulling out faster than rats fleeing a sinking ship. By morning, the media was swarming like vultures, tearing apart his reputation with ruthless efficiency
I watched it all unfold from the comfort of my penthouse, a satisfied smile playing on my lips as i sipped my wine. This wasn’t just revenge. This was justice.
My phone buzzed with a message from Taurus
L
“He’s spiraling. Expected.”
I typed back:
“Good.”
Later that night, another message arrived.
This time, from Lotharios.X
“Pearl, please. Give me a chance
I stared at the screen, my chest tightening despite myself. I could picture him–sitting in his office, whiskey in hand, haunted by his own failures.
I could picture him in the apartment we once shared, the same place where I used to cook dinner while he buried himself in work. I could see him lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling, clutching the ultrasound report and hospital records I had thrown at him during his engagement party.
I wondered if he finally understood. If he finally felt what I had felt all those years.!!
I deleted the message without responding. Let him drown in the loneliness he created.
Let him suffer the way I had suffered. Because this wasn’t just about me anymore.
It was about every woman who had ever been discarded, every person who had ever been used.X
Lothario had once taught me that love meant nothing when power was involved. Now, I was teaching him that regret was the most painful lesson of all.
11:33 AM » ct •
-ALESSIA’S POV-
I was done playing nice.
