Chapter 140: Bound By Blood And Fire

Chapter 140: Bound By Blood And Fire
A single, mocking message from the Unknown Man:
"How does it feel, Princess? To finally know you were never good enough for him?"
Lexi deleted the message without replying.
But the words stuck in her chest like knives.
She wasn’t the villain here.
She wasn’t.
She had just... made mistakes.
Big ones.
Fatal ones.
And now she was paying the price.
—
Three days later, the real blow fell.
Lexi was sitting in the living room when Julian came down the stairs, suitcase in hand.
She stood up, heart hammering.
"Where are you going?"
He didn’t meet her eyes.
"Business," he said shortly. "Don’t wait up."
"Julian—"
He stopped at the door, hand on the knob.
When he finally turned to face her, the look in his eyes made her stomach twist.
It wasn’t anger.
It wasn’t even hatred.
It was disappointment.
"You made your choice," he said quietly. "Now live with it."
Then he walked out.
And this time, Lexi knew he wasn’t coming back.
Not the way he used to.
Not the way she needed him to.
—
Hours passed.
The penthouse felt colder without him.
The air heavier.
Lexi sat curled up on the couch, staring at nothing, trying not to cry.
She had no right to cry.
Not when she had caused this.
But it still hurt.
God, it hurt.
A soft knock broke the silence.
Lexi looked up, startled.
She crossed the room and opened the door.
Emma stood there, rain-soaked, clutching a crumpled piece of paper.
Her eyes were red from crying.
Lexi’s heart sank.
"Emma?"
The girl thrust the paper into her hand.
"I found this in Dad’s office," she whispered. "You need to see it."
Lexi unfolded it.
It was a letter.
From the Unknown Man.
A threat.
Promising to expose Julian’s darkest secrets — unless Lexi helped.
Emma's voice shook. "He set you up. I heard him on the phone. He’s the one who sent the photos."
Lexi stared at her, numb.
It hadn’t been Julian’s mistrust that had destroyed them.
It had been manipulation.
From the very beginning.
A setup.
A trap.
And she had walked right into it.
—
Lexi’s knees gave out and she collapsed onto the floor, the letter falling from her hands.
Emma knelt beside her, crying too.
"I’m sorry," she sobbed. "I thought you were using him. I didn’t know—"
Lexi pulled her into a hug, tears streaming down her face.
None of it mattered now.
Only one thing did.
She had to fix this.
She had to get Julian back.
No matter what it took.
Because despite everything —
She loved him.
And she wasn’t giving up.
Not this time.
Lexi wiped her tears away, the crumpled letter trembling in her hand.
No more running.
No more crying.
She had been manipulated. Used. Torn apart.
But not anymore.
She would end this.
She would fight for Julian — for their love — even if he no longer believed in her.
Especially then.
"Emma," Lexi said, her voice steady despite the chaos inside her. "I need your help."
Emma wiped her own tears, sniffling. "Anything."
Lexi smiled bitterly. "Good. Because we’re about to set a trap."
—
The plan formed quickly.
Lexi had one advantage: the Unknown Man still thought she was broken. That she would do anything to keep her own secrets hidden.
She picked up her phone, her fingers trembling slightly as she crafted a message.
Lexi:
You win. Tell me where to meet. I’ll bring the real files.
Seconds later, a reply came.
Unknown Number:
Tomorrow. Midnight. The abandoned Westwood Warehouse.
Perfect.
Lexi put the phone down and looked at Emma.
"You’re sure you can get him to show up too?" she asked.
Emma nodded fiercely. "I’ve been following his men. I know how to lure him out."
Lexi exhaled slowly.
This was dangerous.
Terrifying.
But it had to be done.
Because otherwise, Julian would never know the truth.
And she would never forgive herself.
—
Meanwhile, across the city, Julian sat alone in a darkened office.
Whiskey untouched on the desk.
Phone silent beside it.
He stared at the photographs again.
Each one stabbing deeper than the last.
Her smile.
Her eyes.
The way she leaned toward the Unknown Man, trusting, soft.
Had it all been a lie?
Had she ever truly loved him?
A soft knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.
Mark, his closest friend, stepped inside.
"You’re still here," Mark said, voice low.
Julian said nothing.
Mark crossed to the desk and dropped something onto the polished surface.
A USB drive.
Julian frowned. "What’s this?"
"Security footage," Mark said. "From the night those photos were taken. I had my guys dig deeper. Something felt... off."
Julian hesitated, then inserted the drive into his laptop.
The footage played.
He watched Lexi at the café — but not smiling.
Not laughing.
She looked stiff. Nervous. Uncomfortable.
She handed over the folder — but the Unknown Man snatched it roughly, leaning in with clear aggression.
Not a meeting between lovers.
A transaction.
A threat.
Julian's blood ran cold.
"Check the timestamps," Victor said quietly. "And the audio."
Julian did.
And he heard it — faint, distorted, but clear enough.
The Unknown Man’s voice, low and threatening.
"You’ll regret this if you don’t cooperate, Princess. Remember your father."
Lexi’s reply, terrified.
"I’m doing what you asked. Please don’t hurt him."
Julian slammed his laptop shut, his hands shaking.
He had been wrong.
So horribly, disastrously wrong.
Lexi hadn't betrayed him.
She had been protecting him.
Risking everything for him.
And he had destroyed her for it.
Julian stood up so fast his chair toppled backward.
"Where is she?" he demanded.
Mark looked grim. "Setting a trap. Tonight."
Julian didn’t wait to hear more.
He was already moving.
Already praying he wasn’t too late.
—
Midnight.
Westwood Warehouse loomed against the sky, broken and abandoned.
Lexi stood alone near the center of the vast, empty space.
Her heart hammered against her ribs.
Every instinct screamed at her to run.
But she stayed.
For Julian.
For herself.
A soft scrape of footsteps echoed behind her.
She turned.
The Unknown Man emerged from the shadows, a cruel smile on his face.
"You really are predictable," he sneered. "So eager to throw yourself at my feet."
Lexi forced herself to smile. "You wanted the files. Here I am."
He stepped closer, circling her like a predator.
"I don’t need the files anymore," he said. "I have everything I need to ruin both of you."
Lexi's stomach twisted.