Chapter 9 The Fight Wouldn't Be Boring
Bella’s POV
The living room was bathed in a cold, artificial blue light that emanated from the massive wall of monitors. I sat in the center of the room, my fingers digging into the leather armrests of my chair.
My eyes were fixed on the screen, heart hammering against my ribs with a frantic rhythm. It was the live stream of the press conference, at the same hotel, the same place where I had been discarded like trash just twenty-four hours ago.
Seeing Lucas’s face in high definition made my skin crawl. He looked really pathetic and I felt disgusted by the fact that he had applied makeup to make his eyes look swollen, playing the role of the heartbroken husband for the world to see.
But I knew a hollow, profit-driven heart that beat behind that expensive suit. Beside him, Sasha was putting on a show of her own, her fake sobs echoing through the speakers.
“Look at them,” I whispered, a dark thrill of excitement racing through my veins. “Look at how hard they’re trying to lie.”
Then, the screen behind them flickered. The "grieving" atmosphere was shattered instantly as a video began playing. Sasha, drunk and screaming, celebrating my downfall.
The silence that hit the press hall was deafening even through the monitors. I watched Lucas’s face drain of color and watched his eyes dart around, searching for an escape as his carefully constructed narrative crumbled in real-time.
“Yes,” I hissed, a fierce smirk stretching across my lips. “Panic, you bastard. Feel the floor falling out from under you.”
The raw joy of seeing them squirm was unlike anything I had ever felt. For three years, I had been the submissive, quiet wife, always bending to Lucas’s will, always seeking the validation of a family that saw me as a commodity. Seeing them exposed and humiliated felt better than any diamond he had ever bought me.
I turned my head slightly toward Ethan and saw him leaning against a console, his arms crossed over his broad chest as he watched the live conference as well. His expression was unreadable, his grey eyes fixed on the screen with a predatory stillness.
“Ethan,” I said, my voice trembling slightly with a mix of adrenaline and curiosity. “That video… the timing was too perfect. When did you get a hold of it? You had someone following them the second they left my birthday venue, didn't you?”
Ethan didn't look at me, he just reached for a glass of water on the console. “I have eyes everywhere, Bella. I made sure my people tracked both Sasha and Lucas the moment they left the party. Information is power, I just wanted to keep them in check.”
I studied his profile and a thought flickered in my mind suddenly. The angles of the video and the close proximity… it clearly wasn't just a simple following. “You were there,” I said, when I came to a realization. “You didn't just have someone follow them, you were actually at the Hilton that night, weren't you?”
Ethan’s jaw tightened and he finally looked at me, his gaze cold and calm. “Don't be ridiculous, I had a high-stakes meeting with a client at the venue that evening. It was a business arrangement that had been planned for weeks. I didn't spend my night watching you play house with a sociopath.”
I looked back at the monitor, a small, knowing smile playing on my lips. I let him off the hook, as I definitely didn't believe him, because I knew for a fact that the entire hotel had been reserved exclusively for my birthday party that night.
So, no business meetings could be held there that day unless the person was a guest. Ethan had been there and had watched me be humiliated, and for some reason, he was denying it.
My attention snapped back to the screen as a reporter had stepped forward, clutching a manila folder.
“I have proof! A signed contract between the Riccis and the Morettis!”
The air in the room seemed to vanish and my breath hitched. That was the contract. The paper that proved my father had sold me like a piece of livestock for three years for corporate projects.
Seeing it in that reporter’s hand made my blood boil with a fresh wave of rage. My own father and the man I loved, had treated my life like a lease agreement.
“He’s going to open it,” I whispered, leaning so far forward I was almost touching the screen. “He’s going to expose them all.”
“He won't get the chance,” Ethan said, his voice low, but filled with certainty.
On the screen, the reporter reached for the flap of the folder. I looked around but there wasn't any sign of Lucas. I was excited for them to be exposed but I knew Lucas wouldn't just let that happen. He will do anything to protect the Moretti family's name.
BANG!
The sound of the gunshot exploded through the speakers. I was startled and jumped in my seat as I wasn't expecting Lucas to use such a desperate means. The camera jerked, the image dissolving into a blur of screaming people and overturned chairs, as the hall was in a total frenzy.
“There it is,” I said, my voice filled with an extreme coldness. “He did it.”
“Professional work,” Naomi noted from the tech station. “One shot to the ceiling to trigger a stampede. It’s the easiest way to snatch someone in a crowded room.”
I watched the screen intently, searching for the reporter. But he was gone, swallowed by the sea of panicked bodies.
“Lucas did that,” I said, turning to Ethan. My eyes were wide, flashing with fierce anger. “The moment that man mentioned proof, his fate was sealed. Lucas wouldn't let his secret be exposed and he'd kill every reporter in that room if it meant keeping that folder hidden.”
Ethan nodded slowly. “He’s moving fast and knows he’s being hunted, even if he doesn't know who yet.”
“He’s taking him to the warehouse,” I said, the memory of Lucas’s secret locations flashing through my mind. I spent three years listening to his muffled phone calls and watching him leave in the middle of the night. I knew how he handled ‘problems’ but I chose to act clueless.
“He’s going to kill that reporter, Ethan,” I said, my voice filled with unhinged excitement. “He won't just take the file, he’ll make sure that man never speaks again. Lucas is just that heartless and he’s a manipulative, profit-driven monster who thinks he can delete people like they’re old files on a computer.”
I felt a sudden rush of excitement for the scale of the monster I was fighting. The fight will definitely not be boring with such a good opponent.
For three years, I had been married to a man who could order a hit in the middle of a press conference without blinking an eye. I had slept next to him and loved him immensely. The disgust I felt for my past self was a bitter poison in my mouth.
“He thinks he’s won,” I muttered, looking back at the darkened screen. “He thinks he’s silenced the only person who knew the truth.”
“Let him think that,” Ethan said, stepping closer to me. His presence was overwhelming, a reminder that I wasn't alone in this fight. “The more he thinks he’s in control, the sloppier he gets.”
“I want him to suffer, Ethan,” I said, turning to face him fully. My eyes were filled with madness. “I don't just want him dead, I want him to watch his empire crumble. I want him to feel the same betrayal I felt when I realized my whole life was a lie and I want to be the last thing he sees before the lights go out.”
I want blood and the chance to use the knives to cut all of them into pieces. I just couldn't wait for the opportunity to finally introduce them all to Eva, they will regret ever messing with me.
“He’s ruthless,” I repeated, my voice dropping to a cold whisper. “But he hasn't met me yet.”
I looked back at the monitors, watching the news cycle already trying to make sense of the shooting. Lucas was probably in his car right now, feeling triumphant, thinking has eliminated the threat completely and feeling smug with himself.
But I was watching, waiting and unlike the reporter, I knew every single one of his secrets. I knew where he hid his money, I knew who he bribed, and I knew exactly how to hurt him.
“Let him go to his warehouse,” I said, a dark, predatory smirk returning to my face. “Let him play his games for one more night. Because very soon, I’m going to show him what real ruthlessness looks like.”
I stood up, the adrenaline finally settling into a hard resolve. The panic and fear were all gone with my other personality. All that was left was the fierce, unyielding determination to get my revenge. The Morettis and the Riccis had created this version of me, and now, they were going to have to live and die with the consequences.
“Paige,” I called out to the youngest sister, my voice authoritative. “Trace Lucas’s GPS. I want to know the exact moment he reaches that warehouse.”
“On it, Eva,” she replied with a grin.
“No need for that, just let him have his little fun” Ethan said with a calm voice.
“You know he will definitely kill that reporter right?” Naomi said with a frown from the side.
“I personally made the plan, so I've already taken care of everything” he said with a tone of finality which none of us would dare to disobey.
We all kept quiet and then he looked in Paige’s direction “ Push Sasha’s video to the number one trending on all social platforms and ensure it won't get deleted easily”.