Chapter 108 up
“So it’s true? You really… with her?” Elara stood in the middle of Clark’s workspace, her face flushed, fists clenched. Her voice wasn’t screaming, but every word struck like a dagger.
Clark stared at her, frozen. No words could soften the storm of anger now consuming the room.
“No… it’s not like that,” Clark tried to start, but Elara’s cold gaze cut him off.
“Not like that?!” Elara’s voice rose, though still controlled. “Clark, I saw it with my own eyes! You were at the hotel with… with Nyla! And now you want to make excuses?”
Clark opened his mouth, swallowing the words he wanted to say. He knew that any explanation would sound like lies. Every effort to defend himself would only strengthen Elara’s suspicion.
In the corner of the room, Nyla stood, slightly bowed, maintaining her composure. She wanted to speak, to explain the trap that had been set for her—but Elara wouldn’t allow a single word.
Elara stepped closer, the distance between them shrinking to a few paces. Her eyes pierced Nyla like she wanted to see straight into her soul.
“Do you think I’m stupid? You think I don’t see your game? I won’t stay silent while another woman destroys my marriage!”
Nyla raised her head slowly, her voice calm but clear: “I haven’t destroyed anything, Elara. I was set up. I—”
“Set up?” Elara slammed her hand on the desk. “Set up? You deliberately slept with my husband to get what? Wealth? Status?”
Vincent, standing behind Nyla, stepped forward, trying to defuse the situation. “Elara, please—”
“Please? Don’t! I don’t need help!” Elara spun toward Clark, her anger erupting. “You didn’t even see it! You chose Nyla over me! And now you’re standing here, trying to deny it?!”
Clark swallowed hard, his chest tight. He felt cornered—not by the same adversary as before, but by his wife’s wrath, a fury that no longer cared about truth, only about victory.
Selena, watching from a distance through a monitor streaming the online meeting, smiled faintly, recognizing her plan unfolding perfectly. Her emotional game with Clark and Nyla was yielding results: chaos where each was pitted against the other.
“Clark, you’re just standing there? I want to see you defend me! Or maybe you prefer Nyla?” Elara lunged closer, her hand pointing at Nyla, then sweeping toward Clark, circling them like a lion stalking prey.
Nyla stayed calm, her voice cutting through the tension: “Elara, I didn’t come here to destroy your marriage. This was a trap, and you—”
“Shut your mouth!” Elara screamed this time. “I don’t want to hear a single word! Do you think I’m stupid? You think I can’t read the game? I know your motives, Nyla. You’ve always wanted what’s not yours. But I… I will not lose.”
Clark hung his head, realizing that Elara would never hear his side. Everything he said would be taken as justification or a lie. Every move Nyla made would become a reason to condemn him.
Vincent exhaled, looking at Elara. “Elara, listen carefully. I know this hurts, but Nyla—”
“Listen to what, Vincent? Don’t pretend to be wise!” Elara cut him off, her eyes blazing with anger. “I want Nyla to pay. I don’t care about the excuses you make. I only want justice for my marriage, and Nyla—you know it—you are the culprit.”
Nyla felt her body tense, but she restrained herself. No emotional reaction could help her now. Elara didn’t want facts. There was only directed anger, full of hatred, and the desire to win at someone else’s expense.
Finally, Clark spoke, his voice broken: “Elara… listen to me. It’s not what you think. I—”
“Too late!” Elara’s gaze burned with fire. “I don’t want to hear your excuses! I’ve seen enough. Nyla, you are a woman who will pay dearly. And you, Clark, don’t think you can escape. I will not be a foolish woman again!”
Nyla swallowed hard, feeling every word pierce her bones. She knew her reputation was now a direct target—not just in front of Clark, but in Elara’s eyes, a woman she respected and who now saw her as a threat.
From afar, Selena sipped a quiet, victorious smile. She didn’t need to step in, didn’t need to intervene. Both parties—Clark and Nyla—were trapped in the emotional game she had orchestrated. As Elara’s anger peaked, Selena realized one thing: manipulation, when designed carefully, could cut sharper than any confrontation.
Clark bit his lip, searching for a way to defuse the situation, but he knew it was no longer about compromise. Elara didn’t want compromise. She only wanted Nyla to pay.
Nyla glanced at Clark for a moment, then returned her focus to Elara.
“I will not attack you, Elara. But I cannot allow your accusations to destroy my career and reputation. All of this—”
“Silence!” Elara slammed the desk again, her voice echoing. “I don’t want facts! I want you to feel guilt and fear! And you, Nyla, you will feel it!”
Vincent looked at Clark, his expression tense. He knew if this continued, everything could spiral out of control. He had to hold himself—and hope Nyla could maintain her composure too.
Nyla drew a deep breath. In her mind, she began planning her next steps. This was not just an emotional battle—it was a war of reputation and strategy. She knew one small mistake could give Elara a reason to destroy her.
A faint smile of Selena’s flickered in her mind. She realized one thing: this game was unfolding exactly as planned. While Nyla and Clark were trapped in Elara’s fury, Selena could stay out of the spotlight, monitor everything, and wait for the next move.
“If the world wants to bring me down,” Nyla murmured internally, “I will not fall. I will stand—even if everyone sees me as the enemy.”
Elara still stood before her, breathing hard, fists clenched, eyes glinting with anger. Nyla looked at her one more time, and for the first time, felt a calming certainty: she could not control Elara’s rage, but she could control her own response.
Clark hung his head, feeling as if he were on a battlefield he never imagined. All attempts at explanation were futile. He realized that love, trust, and reputation could be destroyed by carefully directed anger.
Outside the window, a drizzle added to the somber scene. Nyla stared at the dark sky, her eyes sparking with resolve. She would not remain silent. She would not surrender. Even when enemies seemed everywhere, she knew one truth: the greatest control lay within herself.
And in a distant corner of the world, Selena smiled, ensuring all her moves unfolded perfectly. The game of revenge she had started years ago was showing results—Clark, Nyla, and Elara, each moving exactly across the field she had chosen for them.
“Welcome to my game,” Selena whispered internally, no need to appear in person.