Married To The Famous Devil

Chapter 5: The Betrayal and the Fallout

The silence between Lucas and I stretched out after that kiss. I couldn’t understand it—the intensity of it, the way he kissed me like I was something he couldn’t get enough of, only to pull away as if he regretted it. His face had been unreadable, but there was something in his eyes, something I couldn’t quite grasp. It left me on edge, wondering if I’d misread the entire moment.

I couldn’t stop thinking about it as I lay in the guest room that night, staring at the ceiling, my mind spinning. Was it a mistake for him? Or was it something more? Something real? I kept asking myself if I’d somehow misinterpreted the whole situation, but nothing made sense.

The next day, the real blow came.

The call came just before I was about to walk out the door. A voice—deep and menacing—spoke through the receiver.

“Claire Bennett,” the voice rasped. “I suggest you back off from this whole arrangement with Lucas Knight. You wouldn’t want to see what happens to your family’s company if you don’t.”

My stomach twisted into a knot, and the call ended abruptly, leaving me standing there, staring at the phone in my hand, too stunned to react at first.

What was going on? Why would someone threaten me over Lucas?

I couldn’t shake it, that feeling of unease crawling up my spine, following me all day. I should have gone to Lucas, asked him if he knew anything about this, but I didn’t. I couldn’t.

Instead, I tried to focus on the business, on the one thing I could still hold onto—the company I was so desperate to save. But my mind kept returning to that phone call. To the warning. And to the kiss.

Later, that same night, the last thing I expected to hear came from the study.

I had been passing by Lucas’s office when I heard voices—low, urgent. At first, I thought it was just business, but as I leaned in closer, I could make out words. Lucas and his lawyer were talking, discussing something I hadn’t expected to hear.

“…hostile takeover,” Lucas’s voice was steady, calculated. “It’s almost time. We’ll move in once we’ve acquired the last of the shares. I want it done quickly.”

My heart dropped into my stomach. I leaned against the wall, my breath catching in my throat as I heard more. They were talking about another company. The same company that had been in the news recently for their rising stock value—someone who had once been a competitor of the Bennett family. Someone who could prove to be more trouble than they were worth.

And yet, here was Lucas, casually plotting a takeover. The same Lucas who had promised to save the Bennett company.

I couldn’t stop myself from walking into the room. “What’s going on, Lucas?” I asked, my voice sharp with disbelief.

He looked up, his eyes flashing with irritation. “It’s nothing,” he replied curtly, like I had just interrupted something trivial. But I could see the tension in his jaw, the way his gaze flickered for just a moment before he regained control.

“Nothing?” I repeated. “You’re plotting to destroy another company, Lucas. After everything you said about saving mine, you’re—” I paused, my throat tightening with frustration. “What are you really after?”

Lucas’s expression darkened, his lips curling into a tight line. “I never promised you anything more than this,” he snapped, his voice colder than I’d ever heard it. “This marriage is a business transaction. Don’t forget that.”

The air seemed to evaporate around me, and I stood frozen, my mind reeling. A business transaction. Of course, that’s all it was. I had known that from the start, hadn’t I? But somewhere, deep down, I had convinced myself that there was more to this marriage—more to him.

I felt my world shattering, piece by piece. His cold words were like ice water poured over my heart, numbing me.

“I… I should have known better,” I murmured, feeling a sudden surge of self-loathing. What had I been thinking? That he could actually care? That he might somehow care about me?

I turned to leave, my breath shallow, but just before I reached the door, Lucas spoke again, his voice softer but still laced with something unreadable.

“If you think you can handle this, Claire… then go ahead and walk away. But be careful. This world is dangerous. You’re not the only one with a stake in this game.”

His words were like a punch to my gut. I didn’t look back, but I could feel his gaze burning into me as I left, the weight of his words following me all the way to my room.

What did he mean? Was he warning me, or was he trying to push me away?