Pursued by the Rival Mafia King

Chapter 5

Brielle's POV

Jayce wasn’t home when I got back.

His car wasn’t in the driveway, and the house was dark and quiet, exactly as I had left it.

"He didn't even come back home. You haven't been home since last night, Jayce. Where are you?"

The question was ridiculous. I already knew the answer. He was with Kenna. He hadn't even bothered to call or send me a text. On my birthday, I couldn't reach him anywhere, he'd simply disappeared with her.

I walked into our bedroom, pausing in front of our portraits.

A framed photo from our vacation sat on the dresser. Our wedding portrait still hung proudly on the wall. Beside it was a smaller picture of us at the beach, caught in a moment of pure happiness. We were laughing, his arms wrapped around me as I threw my head back, completely lost in the moment.

Now, those memories felt distant.

I remembered the day he proposed to me in that beautiful garden. The promises he whispered. The vows he made with tears in his eyes.

How did he forget them so easily? How did he stop loving me?

I tried to pinpoint the exact moment everything changed, but I couldn't. It happened little by little.

The more nights he spent away from home buried in work, the more I disappeared from his world. After taking over my father's company, his world grew bigger while mine slowly shrank until I became nothing more than someone waiting for him to come home.

That was how I lost him.

I went into the bathroom to shower, but then stopped in front of the mirror to stare at my reflection. The warm bathroom light caught the flecks of violet hidden beneath my hazel eyes, making them shimmer faintly.

"I can't do this. This isn't a marriage anymore. He isn't yours anymore, Brielle. He isn't."

My throat tightened as I fought back another wave of tears.

In the shower, I scrubbed at my skin until my arms ached. I wanted to wash away the pain, humiliation and memories of everything that had happened over the last forty-eight hours.

By the time I was done, my skin felt raw and sore.

I collapsed onto the bed, absentmindedly listening to the distant hum of cars passing outside the window. Yet Jayce’s car never drove into the driveway. Until midnight, he never came home. He never even sent a message.

The hope I was hanging onto finally shattered.

The sixteen-year-old boy who held my hand after my family died and promised he would never hurt me no longer existed. I couldn’t recognize the Jayce I was married to now. Unable to hold myself together any longer, I buried my face into a pillow and cried. I cried until my chest burned.

By morning, I'd gathered enough courage to finally call my mom.

She was the only family I had left, even if she no longer lived in the same city. Then again, she hadn't really been part of my life for years.

I grew up with my father and my three brothers. Mom had eloped with another man when I was still young, leaving us behind without ever looking back. My brothers did their best to raise me. They taught me to stand on my own feet, to never let anyone walk all over me.

They hadn't raised a coward, so I wouldn’t be defeated now.

"This won't break me," I whispered to myself. "He can have her if he wants. But I won't stay and watch."

After a short debate, I picked up my phone and dialed my mother's number. Although Antonia and I barely spoke these days, we'd always remained civil.

The phone rang three times before she answered.

"Brielle?" Her voice was thick with sleep. "What's wrong? It's six in the morning. Couldn't this wait?"

"You haven't heard from me in months, Mom."

Silence.

Then she cleared her throat. "Sorry. You know how cranky I get when someone wakes me up."

"I'm getting a divorce," I blurted out.

Another silence settled between us.

Antonia had attended my wedding, but only as a guest. She hadn't helped me plan it, just as she had never been involved in my life. I didn't expect she'd be there for my divorce either.

"I know you probably don't have anything to say," I continued. "But I'm taking back Dad's company... his land... and everything he left behind. I signed it all over to Jayce, but I have to get it back."

"If you're serious about reclaiming your father's assets, I know someone who can help you," she replied.

I frowned, my grip tightening around the phone. "You do? Who is he?"

“It’s Sam Mayor. I believe he owes your father a debt.” Her voice turned strangely serious. “I’ll send his number. Call him.”

My heart skipped a beat. Before I could ask more questions, the line went dead. I lowered my phone slowly, my thoughts spinning.

The sound of tires crunching against the driveway snapped me out of my thoughts.

Jayce was back.