Chapter Ten: Burn the Crown
517 Words
The moment the sun hit the glass walls of the Valtieri penthouse, the world imploded.
Ding.
Alina’s phone buzzed. Then buzzed again. Then nonstop.
> "Gold-digging homewrecker."
"Fake wife exposed."
"CEO marries lookalike of dead lover—proof here."
A video filled the screen.
Her.
Kissing Xander. In his hospital room.
Leaked. Edited. Twisted.
Alina’s heart pounded.
Every headline, every comment, every whisper—targeted her.
She turned to Xander, whose face was like stone as he stared at the screen.
Renna’s voice echoed from the video.
> “You’re not falling for her… are you?”
Alina stepped back. “That was recorded. Privately. Who had access?”
Xander’s silence said everything.
She stormed past him. “She’s still in your circle. Still close. Still in your company.”
“She won’t be for long.”
“No.” Her voice was shaking. “She should’ve been gone yesterday.”
---
That Afternoon – Valtieri Headquarters
Renna entered the boardroom like she still owned it—dressed in silver, smirking.
But today, Xander was already waiting.
He tossed a folder across the table.
> Termination Contract. Immediate. With NDA.
Her smirk faltered. “I see. So this is how it ends.”
“No. This is how it should’ve ended months ago. You crossed the line, Renna.”
“I gave you years,” she hissed. “And you threw it away for a copy of a dead woman.”
“I didn’t throw anything away. You lost. That’s the difference.”
She signed. Tossed the pen. But her eyes burned holes in the room.
“You may bury my name, Xander. But you can’t bury what’s coming.”
---
That Night – At the Estate
Alina locked herself in the bathroom, staring at herself in the mirror.
Makeup smeared. Dress rumpled. Eyes red.
She didn't recognize the woman in front of her.
She turned on the faucet, splashing cold water on her face—
—and when she looked up, there was something written on the fogged mirror.
> “HE LET HER DIE. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO SURVIVE?”
She screamed.
Xander burst in, gun in hand.
He saw it too.
And then—a shot rang out.
Glass shattered. The window exploded.
Sniper.
He grabbed her, pulled her to the floor, shielding her with his own body.
“Stay down,” he whispered, breath heavy against her neck.
“You said she died in fire,” Alina gasped. “But this—this is something else.”
“This is Cain,” Xander growled. “And he’s not done.”
---
Meanwhile…
Cain stood across the street, watching through a long lens.
He smiled behind the mask.
> “Let her feel what Isla felt. Let her watch the fire come for her.”
He turned to a shadowed figure standing beside him.
Her hair was red now. Her face scarred. But her voice…
Was Isla’s.
“I want to see him suffer,” she whispered.
Cain touched her cheek. “You will, love. Starting with his new obsession.”
- Writer
