Chapter 69 A MONSTER
Chapter 69 A MONSTER
"All that has been said is true," Ricky said as he faced the cameras, "she laced my drink and I was not in my right frame of mind when I climbed into her bed."
"She then proceeded to blackmail me with videos and photos for a continued affair. I was afraid to let my fiancee know because Tessa truly is a manipulator, a very dangerous one. So I was caught between a rock and a hard place. This is the truth," Ricky stated eyes red rimmed like a man broken, garnering sympathy.
Sonia could not believe her eyes and ears, she kept looking at the T.V hoping someone will shout, hey its april fool, but nothing like that occurred.
Ricky had ultimately played her for the world's greatest fool.
Sonia stared at her phone intensely, as if it were a living thing that had suddenly turned against her.
The message from Ricky burned across the screen, each word a dagger.
Her chest tightened, breath catching in disbelief. She had expected conflict, tension, manipulation from the Mendez camp—but never this. Never
him
"Sonia, it’s over. Everything we shared, everything you trusted me with… it was all part of the plan. You were invulnerable, untouchable, and your emotions were your only weakness, and I used that to my advantage. Consider this goodbye."
Her fingers shook as she read the words again. He didn’t just cut contact—he dismantled the bridge between them with brutal precision. Every memory of late-night strategy sessions, whispered confessions, and the raw moments of intimacy now felt like a lie she had believed blindly.
I… I trusted you,” she whispered to herself. The words sounded hollow, even to her own ears. The betrayal wasn’t just professional—it was personal. He had penetrated her walls, slipped past her armor, and then… shattered everything
Pain twisted in her chest. Her mind raced through every interaction, every touch, every shared laugh. Had it all been a manipulation? A calculated act of cruelty? The thought made her stomach churn. She had felt invincible with him by her side, untouchable—but now she felt exposed, foolish, and achingly human.
Ricky stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse, city lights casting a cold glow across his face. He had rehearsed this moment countless times, had tightened the knot of his resolve until there was no room for doubt. Sonia had to fall. She had to break.
He typed the final message to her, eyes hard and unflinching. Every word was precise, deliberate. He couldn’t afford hesitation—not now. Not when Helena and Tessa’s pressures weighed on him, and the threat to Camila still hung like a guillotine above his head.
"You thought you were untouchable. You probably thought sleeping with me gave you power. It didn’t. It never did. I’ve gained everything I needed from you. From now on, you’re a tool in the past. Goodbye, Sonia."
He hit send and immediately felt a bitter taste in his mouth, like ash. But there was no turning back. This was survival—his way or theirs.
Sonia sank onto the edge of her couch, phone clutched like a talisman she had once believed was powerful.
How could I have been so blind?
she thought.
He looked into my eyes… he smiled… he laughed… every touch, every word, every plan… I was falling for a mirage.
A wave of anger surged through her. Not just at Ricky—but at herself. She had been careful, meticulous, calculating. She had survived Tessa, Helena, even Greg’s complicated loyalty—but Ricky? She had let herself feel safe. She had let her guard down—and he had exploited it.
“I trusted you,” she whispered again, the words a sharp, brittle thing. “And I… I was stupid.”
Her hands balled into fists, knuckles whitening. The betrayal cut deeper than any threat from Helena could have. Ricky wasn’t just playing the game—he had played her.
A ping on her secure line startled her. Ricky’s name flashed, an unfamiliar icy edge attached to it. She hesitated. Part of her wanted to scream at him, to demand an explanation—but another part feared what she already knew.
Ricky’s voice came, smooth, controlled, and utterly unfeeling.
“Don’t answer me,” he said, cutting through the tension like a blade. “You’re already part of the past, Sonia. Don’t make it worse by pretending there’s something left between us.”
Sonia’s chest tightened. “You… you used me,” she said, voice trembling but laced with venom. “Every plan, every touch… every word. You used me.”
Ricky’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I did what I had to. You were untouchable—smart, calculating, untouchable. I needed to break the pattern. And I did. That’s how the world works, Sonia. Only the strong survive.”
“You’re… a monster,” she spat, fury mingling with heartbreak. “I let you in… I trusted you… and you throw it all away like it’s nothing?”
“It’s not nothing. It’s strategy,” Ricky said evenly, voice like ice. “Feelings don’t win wars. And this… you… were an obstacle. You were my obstacle. And now you’re removed.”
Sonia’s hands trembled. “I can’t… I can’t believe I let myself… feel…”
“You shouldn’t have,” he said flatly. “I warned you. And you chose to ignore it. That’s on you.”