From “Clingy” to Gone My Independence Was His Biggest Regret novel Chapter 69

stra clicked in on her heels, looking all happy and excited.

ec, quit throwing money at that crazy white haired bitch. It’s been days–she’s shark food by now. Dead is dead, and honestly? Good! We don’t have to deal

th her anymore! Finally we can stop hiding our relationshipt About the wedding…”

fore she could finish, Declan’s crazy red eyes scared her into silence.

didn’t respond to her excitement, just stared at that huge diamond ring on her finger, voice rough as hell:

ou were wearing that… when you took her away?”

erra felt creeped out by his stare, nodding without thinking:

eah, that white haired bitch even said the ring was pretty! Said she’d give us Sterling Manor as a wedding gift!”

he actually SAID that?!”

eclan’s voice shot up, shaking with disbelief.

Juh! Then she took off in the boat, so we didn’t have to…”

>idn’t have to WHAT? What exactly were you planning?!”

erra backed away, freaked out by the scary look in Declan’s eyes.

Dec, didn’t we agree to make her disappear? Disappear means…”

erra made a throat–slitting gesture.

BULLSHIT!”

eclan smashed his bottle against the ground, glass flying everywhere.

When did I ever say making her disappear meant killing her?!”

le clenched his fists, wanting to punch Sierra in the face.

ut he knew it was his fault for making Sierra think that.

n the end, he was the one who screwed up,

le pointed at the ring on Sierra’s finger, voice ice–cold:

Give it back! That’s hers. You don’t deserve to wear it!”

ierra froze, then hid her hand behind her back:

Dec, what do you mean it’s hers? Don’t forget, everything the Sterling family had is MINE now!”

beclan’s anger exploded, and he punched the wall hard.

I designed that ring for HER! Sterling Manor was her parents‘ blood and sweat! How could she give it to you?!”

These past five years, my complete trust and everything I gave him compared to Sierra’s endless demands–it all hit him like a knife through the heart.

He broke down screaming like a wounded animal, ripping that ring he should’ve put on my finger right off Sierra’s hand.

“GET OUT! Stop pissing me off!”

LEVAR

Chapter 6

Mierza wwe furious but stenvered her red hand and stormed out

Leaving Derian collapsed on the floor, gently touching that ring

Hariny. I’m torry…I errewed up. I didn’t protect you

te had to admit he was the one who pushed the woman who loved him with her life over the edge

fegret wrapped around his heart like vines, making it hard to even breathe,

bedian wouldn’t give up the search. He spent days and nights in that freezing ocean looking for any trace of me, fingers bleeding and sells torn off, best hum wouldn’t stop.

even days pasted, sull nothing

taring at that empty ocean, he suddenly remembered me screaming “her dad killed my entire family in that hospital room, the desperate look in my eyes.

le rushed back to the hospital and pulled the room’s security footage.

in screen, Sierra was whispering in my ear, my eyes went wide with shock, I shot up and slapped her.

ind later, when he threw me back onto that bed, the completely broken look in my eyes.

ill those images, plus that underground footage, made him suspicious of Sierra

He had people secretly investigate Sierra and her family.

Money trails showed up first. Several of his offshore companies had huge amounts flowing through complicated channels, ending up in overseas accounts ontrolled by the Collins family.

le slammed the security footage in front of Sierra.

Explain.”

0942