The CEO's Rejected Wife And Secret Heir novel Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Chapter 64

Aria pov

"So were the security team Marcus got past," Damien said coldly, his jaw clenched tight.

Martha’s jaw tightened, a muscle twitching near her temple. "I’ll be in touch," she said curtly before turning on her heel.

She left, her partner following quickly behind. The house fell quiet again except for the muted sounds of security patrolling outside.

"You can’t seriously be considering this," Damien said, his voice low and strained as he turned to face me.

"I’m considering anything that ends this nightmare," I replied, moving away from him, needing space to think. My mind raced with possibilities, each one more dangerous than the last. "Marcus is terrorizing us. He’s threatening our son. If there’s a way to stop him"

"Not by putting yourself in danger," he interrupted sharply, following me across the room.

"I’m already in danger!" My voice rose, emotion cracking through my control, then immediately dropped when I remembered Noah sleeping upstairs. I pressed my palms against my temples, trying to steady myself. "He’s watching us, Damien. He got into this house several times. He knows where I work, where I go, who I see. I’m already a target."

"Which is why we need to protect you, not parade you around as bait," he argued, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Or we end this now," I countered, facing him fully. My heart pounded, but my voice remained steady. "One operation, controlled by the FBI. We draw Marcus out and catch him. Then Noah is safe, I’m safe, and we can all move on with our lives."

"And if something goes wrong?" he demanded, his voice rising with desperation. "If Marcus outsmarts the FBI like he’s outsmarted everyone else? What then?"

"Then you were right and I was stupid," I said, crossing my arms defensively. "But at least I tried to end this instead of hiding behind security guards forever."

We stared at each other, locked in a battle of wills. His chest heaved with barely contained emotion.

"I can’t lose you," he said again, quieter this time, his voice breaking. "Aria, please. Don’t do this."

"It’s not your choice," I said firmly, though my resolve wavered under the intensity of his gaze.

"Like hell it isn’t," he snapped, taking a step forward. "You think I’m going to stand by while you walk into a trap? You think I’m going to—"

My phone rang, the shrill sound cutting him off mid-sentence. An unknown number flashed on the screen.

We both stared at it, the ringing seeming impossibly loud in the tense silence.

"Don’t answer," Damien ordered, his hand reaching out as if to grab the phone.

But I knew who it was. Knew what ignoring it would mean. My hand trembled slightly as I reached for it.

I answered, putting it on speaker, my voice steady despite my racing heart. "Hello, Marcus."

"Aria!" His voice was cheerful, manic, unsettlingly bright. "I’m so glad you picked up. I was worried you might be too busy kissing my brother in cars to talk to your favorite brother-in-law."

"What do you want?" I asked coldly, watching Damien’s face darken with rage.

"What do I want?" He laughed, the sound unhinged and wrong. "I want justice. I want Damien to suffer the way I’ve suffered. I want to take everything he loves and destroy it in front of him."

"I’m not afraid of you," I lied, lifting my chin defiantly even though he couldn’t see me.

"You should be," he said, his voice dropping to something darker, more menacing. "Because I’ve been very patient, Aria. Very restrained. But my patience is running out. Soon, very soon, I’m going to make my move. And when I do, not even all of Damien’s money and power will save you."

"If you touch her—" Damien started, his fists clenching at his sides.

"Ah, brother!" Marcus interrupted gleefully. "I was hoping you were listening. Tell me, Damien, what’s it like knowing you can’t protect them? Knowing that no matter how many guards you hire, no matter how many cameras you install, I can still get to them whenever I want?"

"You’re insane," Damien said through gritted teeth, his whole body tense with barely controlled fury.

"Maybe," Marcus mused, his voice turning contemplative. "Or maybe I’m just done playing by the rules you set. You took everything from me—our family, my inheritance, my life. Now I’m taking everything from you."

"I didn’t" Damien’s voice broke, raw emotion bleeding through. "Marcus, I was a kid. I didn’t know what Father did to you. I didn’t understand."

"You didn’t want to understand!" Marcus screamed, the sudden volume making us both flinch. "You were so comfortable being the perfect son, the heir, the chosen one. You never questioned why I was gone. Never fought for me. Never cared."

"I did care. I do care," Damien pleaded, his voice thick with desperation. "Marcus, please."

"It’s too late for please," Marcus hissed, his breathing harsh and ragged. "It’s too late for everything except revenge. So here’s what’s going to happen. Tomorrow night, midnight, the old Blackwood warehouse on Fifth Street. Come alone, both of you. No FBI, no guards, no weapons. Just you two."

"And if we don’t?" I asked, my throat tight with fear.

"Then I start killing everyone you love," he said, his voice suddenly calm now, matter-of-fact, which somehow made it more terrifying. "Your friend Olivia. Your assistant Jennifer. That lawyer you like so much. One by one, I’ll make them suffer while you watch helplessly. Until you finally understand what it feels like to lose everything."

"Aria" he started, shaking his head. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify