Chapter 136 A Man Falling Apart
chapter one hundred and thirty six
Stefan’s POV
When I woke up that morning, I didn’t know what day it was.
My head felt heavy, my mouth was dry and the smell of alcohol hung thick in the air around me. It was the first thing I noticed before I even opened my eyes.
Then I felt the pain.
It ran through my skull like a dull hammer. Every small movement made it worse.
I groaned and forced my eyes open.
The room was dark even though the curtains were half open. Sunlight pushed through them in thin lines, but it only showed the disaster around me.
My living room looked like a storm had passed through it.
Empty bottles covered the tables and glasses lay on the floor. One of them had shattered. Papers were scattered everywhere. Some were reports from the company. While others were legal documents.
My jacket was lying on the couch. My shirt was wrinkled and stained.
I slowly sat up.
My body felt weak. My back hurt from sleeping on the couch and my mind felt slow.
For a moment I just stared at the mess. This house used to be perfect. Everything used to be clean and controlled.
Now it looked like the home of a man who had given up.
And maybe I had.
I rubbed my face and tried to think clearly. The last few weeks had destroyed everything. The scandal with Natasha had spread everywhere.
She had gone to the media. She had cried in front of cameras. She had claimed that I used her and abandoned her. She had accused me of ruining her life.
The internet loved the story.
The news channels loved it even more. They painted me as a monster. They called me a powerful CEO who took advantage of women and then threw them away.
Even though the truth was more complicated, the damage was already done.
Investors started pulling out. Partners stopped answering my calls. The board of directors began asking questions about my leadership. Our company's stock dropped again and again.
Every morning I woke up to new losses. Millions disappearing. Years of work collapsing. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.
I grabbed one of the bottles on the table.
It was empty. I laughed quietly to myself. Of course it was. I had finished it sometime during the night.
The memories came back slowly. I remembered sitting here alone, drinking glass after glass and staring at my phone.
And then I remembered the moment everything became worse.
The news about Val.
My chest tightened as the memory returned. Yesterday morning I had woken up and checked my phone.
At first I thought I was still drunk when I saw the headline. Valenticia Dykstra engaged to Lucas Ryder.
I had read the headline again.
And again.
And again.
At first I thought it was fake. But then I saw the photos. Val standing beside him. Both of them looking calm and serious. I saw a statement released by his company and one released by hers.
It was official.
My stomach twisted when I remembered that moment. I stood up slowly and walked toward the kitchen. My steps were unsteady and the floor felt cold under my bare feet.
The kitchen looked just as bad as the living room. There were take out boxes. Dirty plates and more bottles.
I grabbed a glass and filled it with water. Then I drank it all at once.
My throat burned but it helped a little.
I leaned against the counter and closed my eyes. When I first saw the news, I thought about Dimitri. He had always been the man I worried about. Her ex-husband.
The man who still circled around her like a shadow. I knew he still loved her. I knew he wanted her back. I believed he was the real danger. But this engagement changed everything.
Now there was someone new.
Lucas Ryder.
A man who appeared suddenly. A man who convinced Val to marry him. It didn’t make sense. Not to me. Not after everything that had happened.
I remembered the way Val had looked when we last spoke.
She had been strong and angry. But still clear. She wasn’t the kind of woman who rushed into marriage. Especially not a contract marriage.
Something about it felt wrong.
Very wrong.
I walked back to the living room and picked up my phone from the table.
The screen was cracked. I didn’t even remember when that happened. Maybe I dropped it last night. Maybe I threw it. I honestly didn’t know.
There were dozens of notifications.(Emails.News alerts. Messages from the company.Messages from the legal team.)
I ignored all of them. I only cared about one thing. Understanding Lucas Ryder.
Last night, before the alcohol took over, I had called someone.
A private investigator who was one of the best.
If anyone could dig into a man’s life, it was him. My phone vibrated suddenly in my hand. It was an incoming call.
The name on the screen made me straighten slightly.
It was him.
I answered. My voice sounded rough as we spoke for several minutes. While he talked, I walked slowly across the room.
Each word he said made me focus more. He had already started looking into Lucas Ryder. He had checked business records. Financial history. Public reports. The man’s professional reputation.
From everything he could see, Lucas looked clean. He was a successful businessman with a strong company growth, no scandals, financial crimes or legal troubles,
Investors trusted him. Banks trusted him. Even the public trusted him.
On paper, Lucas Ryder looked like the perfect businessman. But the investigator kept talking. And then he mentioned something interesting. Lucas had been married before.
My heart beat faster. The marriage had ended years ago.The divorce was quiet with no public scandal.
But during the separation, the ex-wife had made accusations.
She had claimed Lucas had a violent temper.
She had told people that he could become dangerous when he lost control. The claims were never proven. And there were no charges, no police records and no court conviction.
Eventually the story disappeared and Lucas’s career continued to grow. But the accusation had existed. And hearing that changed everything in my mind.
After the call ended, I lowered the phone slowly as the room felt silent again and my thoughts began moving fast.
Val had just agreed to marry this man.
A man who had once been accused of violence. A man she barely knew. A man who suddenly entered her life during one of the hardest moments she had ever faced. Right after her grandmother’s death.
Right when she was grieving. Right when she was vulnerable. I ran my hand through my messy hair.
Something was wrong.
And I could feel it. Val wasn’t stupid. She wasn’t careless. She wouldn’t just fall into a marriage like that. Unless she had a reason.
Or unless someone was pushing her.
My jaw tightened at the thought.
Maybe Lucas had pressured her. Maybe he had taken advantage of her grief. Maybe he had made threats. Maybe the marriage wasn’t really her choice.
The more I thought about it, the more it made sense in my mind.
Val was strong.
But even strong people could be trapped. Even strong people could be forced into situations they didn’t want. My chest filled with anger. Not the wild anger from alcohol. This anger was sharp.
If Lucas Ryder was forcing Val into this marriage, I would not allow it.
I pushed the empty bottles off the table with one sweep of my arm.
They crashed loudly onto the floor and the glass rolled across the tiles.
I didn’t care.
My mind was clear for the first time in days. Val needed help. And I was the only one who could see the truth.
Dimitri would only make things worse.
That man was emotional and reckless. If he tried to interfere, he would create chaos.
But me?
I could handle this carefully.
All I needed was to talk to her. Just one conversation. If I could see her face and hear her voice, I would know the truth.
I knew Val well enough to read her. If she was in danger, I would see it immediately. I grabbed my phone again. My hands were steady now.
For the first time in days, I felt a clear purpose. I was going to find her. I was going to speak with her.
And if Lucas Ryder was threatening her or controlling her in any way, I would make sure she got out of that situation.
No matter what it took.
I stood in the middle of my ruined living room. The mess around me didn’t matter anymore. The company losses didn’t matter right now. The scandal didn’t matter.
Only Val mattered.
I looked toward the window where the sunlight now filled the room.
I would find her.
And I would save her from whatever trap she had fallen into.
Even if it meant going to war with the man she had just agreed to marry.