Tainted Love

Chapter 21

Inside the Luxurious Home of the Dary Empire

The silence in the mansion was so thick that even the soft click of Emilia’s heels echoed like whispers of dread. The walls, painted in ivory and gold, seemed to close in around her as she paced back and forth, her heart pounding with every step. Her thoughts ran wild …tangled and restless ….just like her trembling fingers that clutched the edge of her silk robe.

She was scared. Terribly scared.

Something about her husband’s recent behavior didn’t sit right with her. His sudden coldness, his watchful eyes, the way he lingered at the door whenever she spoke on the phone …all of it made her uneasy.

“Is he… suspecting me?” she whispered, her voice barely audible. The question hung in the air, unanswered. But deep inside, everything screamed yes.

Because of that gnawing feeling, she hadn’t dared to visit Pascaline for the past month. She couldn’t risk it …not now. The walls of the Dary Empire had ears, and one wrong move could destroy her completely.

She sat at the edge of the bed, her mind spiraling. If he finds out… if he ever learns the truth… it’ll be the end of me.

No one … not even him …. must ever discover the secret she carried.

⸻

In a Small Village

The sun dipped low over the horizon, painting the sky in streaks of orange and gold. The rhythmic crash of waves filled the air as David came home from work, his clothes smelling of salt and sea. His son, Daniel, ran toward him with open arms.

David laughed, lifted the boy, and sat him gently on his lap. His rough hands, scarred from years of fishing, stroked Daniel’s curly hair.

“Daniel,” he began, smiling with pride, “I have great news for you.”

Daniel’s eyes widened, brimming with excitement.

“Your dream has come true, my boy. From now on… you’ll be going fishing with me.”

For a moment, Daniel froze …then he jumped off his father’s lap, laughing and spinning with pure joy. “Really, Papa? For real?”

David nodded, grinning at his son’s happiness. “You’ve earned it. You’ve been patient.”

At the far corner of their modest kitchen, Eric …David’s wife … stood stirring a pot of soup. A warm smile tugged at her lips as she listened to their laughter. Her heart swelled with pride.

Her husband was a good man ….humble, hardworking, and loved by everyone in the village. He was known as the “King of the Catch,” a fisherman whose nets always came back heavy with the sea’s blessings. The villagers admired him not just for his skill, but for his selflessness.

And as the fire crackled and their laughter filled the room, the simple family radiated a happiness that money could never buy.

⸻

Inside the High-Class Apartment of Victor

Vivian tore through the drawers, her hands shaking as papers scattered across the polished floor. She searched desperately for her national ID and other important cards, but they seemed to have vanished.

“Where could they be?” she muttered in frustration, her pulse quickening.

She had planned to create a new bank account that very day ….to take her money back from Victor. For some reason, she felt a dark premonition that something was about to go wrong. Ever since Victor had taken charge of her finances, her peace of mind had evaporated.

Their wedding was only a few days away, but instead of excitement, she felt an unshakable unease.

Victor had insisted on reducing the wedding expenses, saying that a grand ceremony was “unnecessary and wasteful.” Vivian, daughter of the richest man in the country, had expected her wedding to be a spectacle …. the kind that would dominate social media for weeks. But Victor had said no.

“It’s not about the money,” he told her coolly. “I just don’t like that kind of attention.”

He’d suggested a simple court wedding. Vivian had reluctantly agreed ….but only on the condition that it would still be televised. After much convincing, he’d agreed.

Still, something about him felt off.

She searched the room again, rifling through boxes and bags, until her hand brushed against something …a green file wedged under the bed. She pulled it out, frowning.

The label on it was faint but readable: Property Documents.

Her heart skipped a beat.

⸻

Inside a Million-Dollar Mansion

Under a silk blanket, Victor and Bianca lay tangled in each other’s arms. The golden morning light poured through the vast windows, glinting off the marble walls of their mansion. Their laughter mingled with the rhythm of their breathing.

Victor’s hand trailed lazily along Bianca’s back as she traced invisible patterns across his chest. They had everything …. a luxurious home, three expensive cars, and a baby on the way.

Bianca broke the silence first. “Victor… I want to ask you something.”

He glanced at her with a half-smile. “What is it, my love?”

She hesitated, her voice soft but edged with concern. “The money… it’s going down fast. You said we had plenty, but now there’s barely anything left. Did you… gamble it away?”

Victor chuckled quietly, tilting her chin toward him. “Don’t worry about that, Bianca. Once I take over the Dary Empire, we’ll be richer than ever. We’ll have everything we ever dreamed of.”

Bianca forced a smile, but guilt gnawed at her heart. “I just hope you actually get it, Victor. You’ve spent so much already.”

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Trust me, wifey. I never lose.”

But Bianca couldn’t shake the shame that burned inside her. They were betraying Vivian ….the woman who still believed Victor loved her. And the cruelest part? Vivian’s upcoming marriage was the final step in Victor’s plan to seize the Dary fortune.

Bianca was his real wife, their marriage secretly sealed not long ago. Vivian’s would be nothing but a sham … a tool for Victor to sign away her inheritance.

And soon, when it was all over, the Dary Empire would belong to them.

⸻

Inside the Abandoned Mansion in the Village

The air was damp and heavy with decay. Faint moonlight filtered through broken windows, illuminating dust particles that danced like ghosts.

Pascaline knelt on the cold floor, her wrists bruised from the rope that bound her. Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded with the maid before her.

“Please… I’m begging you. Help me escape,” she cried, her voice cracking with desperation.

The young maid trembled. Her name was Eva, and though she looked fragile, her heart was kind. “I can’t, ma’am. Even I want to leave this place. It’s not safe for any of us. I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do.”

Pascaline’s sobs grew heavier. “Please, Eva. You have to help me. That woman ….she’s my blood sister. Look what she’s done to me for more than two decades! She’s destroyed my life because of greed.”

Her voice quivered as she leaned forward. “You don’t have to do much. Just help me escape. I’ll make sure you gain your freedom too. Please… please, Eva.”

Eva’s eyes glistened. She hesitated for a long moment before finally nodding.

“They’re installing cameras around the mansion,” she whispered. “They’ll soon reach this place. Be careful ….and be ready.”

Pascaline clasped her hands in gratitude, sobbing quietly. “Thank you… thank you so much.”

Eva turned to leave, her heart pounding with guilt and fear. Pascaline knew this was her only chance. And she would not waste it.

⸻

Back at Victor’s Apartment

Vivian stood frozen, the green file slipping from her trembling hands. Papers scattered across the floor, but her gaze stayed fixed on the one page that had shattered her world.

Her legs gave way beneath her, and she collapsed onto the bed.

The document stared back at her ….bold, undeniable, cruel.

The ten-million-dollar mansion listed under ownership was not hers… but Victor’s name.

Vivian’s breath hitched. Her vision blurred with tears. The walls seemed to close in around her as realization struck like lightning.

Her voice broke in a whisper. “No… no, this can’t be…”

Everything she had believed, every promise Victor had made, every loving word ….it was all a lie. Or may be she should hear his part of the story because it can’t be possible he did that.

And as she clutched the paper to her chest, one truth echoed in her mind …she had fallen deeply, blindly, into the arms of a man who had already built his paradise on her ruin.

Share your thoughts.

Do you think Vivian has finally realized?

Do you think is too late for her?