Shadows Drift Beyond Memory by Xarin Vale novel Chapter 49

The chaos cut off like someone pulled the plug.

In the awkward, eerie silence, I pulled up my pants without expression.

As I turned to go, Marissa grabbed me, eyes vicious:

“You hit Drew and think you’re just walking out?”

Before I could respond, Drew pulled her hand away.

Marissa’s face stiffened in disbelief:

“Drew, you’re still protecting her?”

Drew ignored her, just held his swollen cheek and stared at me:

“Lucia, you hit me in front of all these people.”

“We’re getting married tomorrow. Don’t you care about my feelings at all?”

A gleam of satisfaction crossed Marissa’s eyes as she sidled up, adding mockingly:

“Drew, marrying someone like her will ruin your whole life!

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

When they humiliated me, it was all just “messing around.”

But the second I fight back, suddenly I’m ruining lives?

I couldn’t take it anymore. I raised my hand and slapped Marissa hard across the face.

The sharp crack echoed through the room.

Her head snapped to the side, a red welt blooming instantly on her cheek.

Everyone gasped in shock.

Marissa clutched her burning face with one hand.

With the other, she grabbed Drew’s chin in a vicelike grip and snarled:

“Drew Sullivan! Your fiancée just hit me–and you’re just going to stand there?!”

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IIis eyes brimmed with disappointment and anguish as he pressed his forehead against Marissa’s.

Gazing at each other with deep longing, they looked like star crossed lovers torn apart by cruel fate.

But back then? All of Portland knew the Sullivan and Vaughn families were sworn enemies.

Years ago, Drew Sullivan photoshopped explicit pictures of Marissa Vaughn and spread them everywhere.

Nearly drove her to suicide from depression.

The families fought in court for five years after that.

Waged cutthroat business wars for seven or eight rounds.

At the worst point, Marissa cut his brake lines–almost killed him in a crash.

Drew retaliated by having her kidnapped, nearly harvested her kidney while she was still alive.

It wasn’t until both families were drained dry and on the brink of bankruptcy-

That they finally called a public truce.

But the private warfare? Never really stopped.

And now, Drew was forcing me to bow down to his tormentor.

“Lucia, we were just playing a game. How could you actually hurt someone?”

“Apologize right now, or your life is over!”

I said nothing, just stared at him coldly.

Years ago, after his car accident, I was the one who stayed by his hospital bed. I helped him through every single day of rehabilitation.

I remembered it clearly.

The day he could finally walk independently again, his eyes were venomous:

“I’m going to destroy Marissa Vaughn. Ruin her reputation, make her suffer worse than death!”

“She owes me that much!”

From that day forward, he threw himself into work obsessively.

Built Sullivan Corp into a powerhouse, used every means possible to crush Vaughn Industries-

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All for revenge.

But now? Where did all that hatred go?

He was actually forcing me to apologize to that bitch.

“In your dreams! See you in court!”

I threw the words over my shoulder and turned to leave.

But Drew grabbed my wrist, voice ice–cold:

“Lucia Hayes, if you don’t apologize, I’m reconsidering this whole marriage.”

My heart sank to the pit of my stomach.

He was threatening me with our wedding–just to protect his enemy?

But this time, I wouldn’t cave.

I ripped my arm free.

“Fine! I’ll let you two cheating scumbags have each other!”

Drew froze in place, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He never imagined that I–who had always indulged his every whim–would walk away so resolutely.

The moment I turned away, tears streamed down my face.

How could I not be heartbroken?

He was the person I loved most.

We were about to get married–how did it come to this?

I wiped away my tears and walked toward the door.

Just then, Drew’s phone rang.

One glance at the screen–his whole attitude flipped.

Suddenly he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around me from behind.

“Lucia, don’t go.”

“Please don’t take what I said seriously. I can’t lose you!”

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“From now on, I’ll keep my distance from all women. I won’t do anything to upset you again.”

“Please, just give me one more chance!”

Then he whipped around and glared at Marissa, voice sharp

“Apologize! Now!”

“You pulling this stunt–are you trying to sabotage us on purpose?”

Marissa bristled, jumping up:

“Drew Sullivan, you’re making me grovel for this loser?”

Drew advanced on her:

“Otherwise, I’ll expose every detail about how you nearly killed me back then.”

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