Chapter 6
599 Words
Austin hesitated. Then he suddenly seized her shoulders. His voice was urgent with desperation.
Selena lifted her gaze slowly. Moonlight carved out the feverish intensity in his eyes. An ember of reckless hope flared to life. A mere half step away, the heat threatened to consume her very soul.
Her cracked lips trembled. A thousand words lodged in her throat. But all she could see was her mother's white-shrouded corpse and the gaping wound on her wrist. Her heart ached so violently she could barely breathe. Yet all that escaped was a single, brittle lie.
"Don't get it twisted. I'm just bitter you wasted all that cash on her. If not for her, that money would have been mine."
The light in Austin's eyes died inch by inch. His warm hands slid from her shoulders like dead weight.
"Cash. It's always about the damn cash," he rasped.
Then, without warning, he laughed. The sound grew wilder. Unhinged. Laced with hysterical grief. Through her blurred vision, she caught the glint of tears in his eyes.
He whirled away. His voice shattered into broken whispers. "How stupid. How pathetic. Deserving every wound you've ever dealt me. "
Laughing wildly, he staggered off. Behind him, Selena silently folded into sobs. Tears carved paths through her makeup as blood bloomed on her bitten lip.
The door clicked shut. Her legs gave out. She crumpled to the floor, clutching her chest and gasping like a fish tossed ashore.
The next morning, dawn found her hollow-eyed. Her face was swollen like she had been crying all night.
At breakfast, Amanda tossed out a casual question. Austin interjected, his voice dripping with scorn.
"She's just salty you've got me wrapped around your finger. The poor legal wife needs to remember her place."
Amanda's gaze turned razor sharp. Her smile became a bared blade.
Selena bit her tongue until copper flooded her mouth.
With a calculated giggle, Amanda draped herself over his waist. She purred, "Darling, where's my birthday adventure? I want to bring my squad."
Austin pinched her plump cheek. "We'll host at home tomorrow. I have some important people for you to meet."
The unspoken message was clear. Amanda was being ushered into his inner circle. His other flings had never made it past the bedroom.
As he spoke, his gaze never once flickered toward the woman across from him. It was as if she did not even exist.
Amanda let out a thrilled squeal. She pecked him loudly on the corner of his lips.
In the next instant, Austin pulled her onto his lap. He locked lips with her without a care. The unmistakable, messy sounds of their kiss echoed through the room.
Selena's heart clenched in pain. She immediately rose to leave. Only to be snapped at by him.
"Where do you think you're going? Weren't you jealous of Amanda? Then watch closely. See how I spoil her right in front of you. "
Perhaps it was the shock of her mother's suicide. Or maybe the illness gnawing at her mind.
A blaze of anger surged through her. It scorched her flesh until she felt ready to explode. Her self-control snapped.
Gritting her teeth, she bit out each word.
"What kind of twisted fantasy is this, Mr. Nash? If you're so desperate for an audience, why not livestream it?"
Austin gave a few cold, humorless chuckles. Without a word, he hurled another card at her. The sharp edge grazed her eyelid. It just barely missed her left eye.
His expression stayed frozen as he taunted her.
"Had enough? Or do you want more?"
- Writer
