The Queen's Gambit: Riley's Revenge

In Morgan Mansion... Leila Hawke's moans echoed through the room as she did everything in her power to please the man beneath her, Nicholas Morgan. Afterward, she turned over, pressing herself against his side, her lips brushing his cheek. "Darling, you said you'd announce us soon. When's the press conference?" Her voice was light, almost playful, her eyes gleaming with the kind of excitement that only came from believing one's dreams were on the brink of coming true. "How about I wear that gown from when I won Best Newcomer? The matching diamond necklace is still in the safe. I need to get it serviced tomorrow..." Nicholas barely glanced at her, snuffing out his cigar in the ashtray with a careless motion. "We're done." He stood up, pulling on his clothes with the deliberate slowness of a man who had already made up his mind. "Sign the agreement. The compensation's more than enough to last you a lifetime. And I'll keep funding your film projects." His voice, still husky from pleasure, landed on her like a slap. His words turned the room cold, and the air suddenly thickened with a pressure she couldn't shake. Her heart squeezed, suffocating in her chest, and the brightness in her eyes flickered out in an instant. "W-What? Did I do something wrong?" Her voice cracked, the words barely escaping as she clutched at her clothes, her whole body trembling. She wasn't the sparkling starlet anymore. At that moment, she was just a woman broken by the coldness of the man she'd given everything to. Nicholas was everything she'd ever wanted—elegant, detached, yet in bed, he was savage, taking, never giving. Each time, she thought it was passion, that he was driven by love. But now, she saw it for what it was—empty, hollow, nothing but a game to him. "Zoe's better now. We're getting married next month." Nicholas' words were blunt, like a knife cutting through her. Zoe? Zoe Hawke? The name crushed her. Zoe—That was the name Nicholas had tattooed on his chest, the one Leila could feel every time they made love. Three years ago, Zoe had left Nicholas, telling him she was going to Euravon for treatment. The two had parted ways. Leila had never met her, but Zoe's shadow was always there. Nicholas had even confessed to her that he'd kept Leila around because she resembled Zoe. Leila had been heartbroken, but for Nicholas, she had endured it all. She changed her hair to match Zoe's golden blonde and adopted her style and her mannerisms. Every time he sank into despair over Zoe's health, Leila would carefully try to cheer him up, walking on eggshells just to make him smile. She convinced herself that if she could just get Nicholas to see her as Zoe, he'd love her too. She thought, after all these years, her sacrifices had finally earned her his affection. But now, the cold reality hit her harder than anything before. Tears welled in her eyes. "She left you three years ago! You're marrying her now? What about the vows you made to me?!" Nicholas' eyes blazed with fury, and before she could finish her sentence, he cut her off with a venomous shout. "Shut up, you pathetic thing!" "Am I just your plaything? A tool to satisfy your urges? A cash cow?" Leila couldn't hold back the question, each word trembling with a mix of disbelief and pain. Nicholas went silent for a beat and then delivered his response with a coldness that could freeze her. "I'll still invest in your career, but this—this ends now." Just then, his assistant, Aaron, knocked at the door, his voice urgent. "Sir, the helicopter is ready." Nicholas glanced at the breakup contract on the table and said, "Sign it now. Out of my place within two days." Without another word, he turned, walking toward the door. Leila, her heart racing, stepped in front of him. "No! I won't sign anything until you explain yourself properly. You owe me that!" Nicholas' eyes narrowed, colder than she had ever seen them. He grabbed her by the hair, yanking her head back to force her to meet his gaze. "Don't waste my time!" His voice was like ice, full of venom. He shoved her away with enough force that she stumbled backward, crashing onto the marble stairs. Her forehead hit the stone with a sickening thud, and blood immediately began to trickle down her face. His phone rang. Nicholas looked at the screen—Zoe. He didn't spare her a second glance and picked up the call without hesitation. "Nicholas, I'm not feeling well... can you come get me?" Zoe's voice was soft and fragile. "Sure, sweetheart. I'll be there in a minute." Nicholas' voice softened the moment he heard Zoe's distress, and without a second thought, he rushed out to the helicopter. The roar of the helicopter faded as it took off, and Leila, lying motionless on the floor, slowly raised her head. The blood on her forehead glistened in the dim light. Tears fell from her eyes, but her voice was barely a whisper. "No... Nicholas, I could've forgiven you for not loving me..." Her expression shifted, the hurt and anger slowly giving way to something colder, darker. Leila pushed herself up, her movements slow and deliberate. "But I won't accept your humiliation." Her gaze fell on the breakup contract. The words on the page were as empty and cruel as the man who had written them. "Effective immediately, all personal relationships between us are terminated. Work-related matters will remain unaffected..." Every sacrifice she had made and every moment she had given was reduced to nothing by those cold, indifferent words. Her slender fingers grazed the paper and then tore it into pieces. It fell to the floor like confetti, the pieces scattering across the room. 'I, Leila Hawke, the eldest granddaughter of the Hawke family's head, will make you pay for this. You'll regret this, from the bottom of your heart.'