Trapped by My Ex's Love Curse

The Rival

"You must wait for Mr. Sanders to arrive, Mr. Hashimoto. You cannot do this without his permission." Several employees attempted to block a man from entering Bryan's office just as Bryan arrived.

Bryan quickly met the man and came face-to-face with him after trying to avoid him for so long.

"Let him in," Bryan said, gesturing for his guest to follow him. "Have a seat and tell me the purpose of your visit, Jun. I don't have much time."

"Oh... is that how you greet your old friend, Bryan? You ignored all emails and proposals I gave you."

"I already gave you an answer."

"And I made it clear that I do not accept rejections." Jun Hashimoto raised his voice when he heard Bryan's statement, which sounded like Bryan was avoiding him. "You owe me, Sanders. Don't forget that."

"How much do you want?"

"Woho... the billionaire is very brave. You could lose everything if you ask me for the amount, Sanders. Are you sure you can afford it?"

"You know it for sure."

BRAKK!

"Don't test my patience, Bryan Sanders! You know what I can do to you if you dare. Avoiding me is a great insult; now you're challenging me."

Bryan got up, approaching the man who was trying to intimidate him. He wanted to show Jun that his efforts were futile before Bryan Sanders.

"You also know that I'm never afraid of anyone or anything, Jun."

"Are you sure?" Jun grinned. "What if I take what is rightfully mine? Your wife. Are you sure you're not afraid of losing her, eh?"

"Don't you dare touch her, asshole!" Bryan grabbed Jun's coat collar and pulled him to his feet. This time, it was Bryan who showed his superiority. "You have no right to Shienna! If you dare to touch her, you're dealing with me!"

Jun curved a sly smile, releasing Bryan's grip from his body.

"You still care about her. Did you forget your own words about Shienna back then, huh?" Bryan could not answer Jun's question as he intensely mocked his one known weakness. "Do you want me to remind you?"

"Don't call her name by your dirty mouth! Get out of my room and never come again! Or I will not hesitate to finish you, Jun!"

Jun laughed at Bryan's threat, which sounded like a desperate rant, and turned to leave with a wave that made Bryan's chest heat up even more. He remembered Shienna, but he didn't know her whereabouts.

"Where are you, brat? If I find you, I'll lock you up so you don't wander around like this again!" Bryan muttered again as he rubbed his weary face, looking for Shienna.

Bryan called one of his assistants and handed her a stack of files he had just signed.

"What's my schedule for today, Tamara?"

The woman scrolls through the tablet screen in her hand, and ten reads the sentences individually. Bryan listened intently and stopped Tamara when he heard one name mentioned.

"You're still taking notes on that meeting with that asshole!? He's already here, and you're still added to my schedule? Cancel any schedules related to Jun Hashimoto or any company he's affiliated with!"

"But, sir. One of Mr. Hashimoto's companies invested a considerable amount of stock in this company."

"Then repurchase them and give them some money so they won't talk so much anymore."

"But we'll be in breach of contract, sir."

Bryan was silent. Tamara was right. Never before had he been so emotionally involved with a client or business colleague with Jun's behavior. But this time, for some reason, Bryan was swayed by Jun's game and began to lose his ability to think clearly.

"Leave me for a moment, Tamara. And please cancel all schedules for today because I have far more important things to take care of."

Bryan was stunned for a moment but then left the room. He saw Roxie, Shienna's bodyguard, waiting for him in the lobby. The burly woman quickly got up and faced Bryan because she had something to say.

"You finally dare to appear before me. What did you do to get my wife to leave like that, huh? You know, I could put you in jail for this!"

"I'm sorry, sir. I was obeying Mrs. Sanders' orders. She asked me to buy something, and when I returned, she was nowhere to be found."

"You are incompetent! I told you, you can't be away from her for a moment. Shienna is very clever and smart. She will always find a way to do whatever she likes. If this is the case, where can we find her? You bastard!"

Roxie couldn't reply to Bryan's words because she knew how angry her master was.

"You go with Edward and the others to look for Shienna! I'll try to find her in the penthouse."

"Sir, shouldn't we call the police? It's getting late; I'm just worried that Madame—" She didn't continue because Bryan was now staring at her.

"Do you want everyone to know? Do you want the media to highlight this and think I'm an incompetent husband for not taking care of my wife? Is that it?"

"No, sir."

"Just do as I say!"

Roxie nodded obediently and did as she was told while Bryan rushed to Shienna's floor to look for her.

***

Bryan entered floor 21A, where Shienna had been staying. The room's lights were all out. However, when Bryan stepped out of the elevator, some lighting started working automatically.

He began checking each room like a detective. Hoping to find his wife in good condition, he found nothing but Shienna's sleeping robe lying on the bed. Bryan picked it up and sniffed it briefly, then put it back down.

A sigh of despair escaped his lips. He had never felt so frustrated before. It was late at night, and his wife had not shown any sign that she was okay.

"Where are you, brat? Is this the way you choose to punish me? Shouldn't I be the one getting angry and punishing you?" Bryan shook his head in disbelief. He flopped down on the sofa, wringing his hair as his head started to feel dizzy.

He had been wandering around, jumping from place to place to find Shienna and ensure she was okay. However, all of that brought no results at all.

He was now staring at the room ceiling, wishing he didn't have to worry about her because he had no feelings for her anymore. However, it was difficult for him.

What exactly was Bryan thinking right now? Was he struggling like this for no reason? Was it not because Bryan still harbored an unstoppable love for Shienna even though she had broken his heart five years ago?

Bryan didn't realize he had finally fallen asleep on the spot. He did not regain consciousness at all, even though a woman came and looked at him for a while, then took a blanket from the room and wrapped Bryan's body in it.

"Shienna, please come back. Don't ever leave again," Bryan said, which made the woman stop walking. She looked away, then sighed, realizing that Bryan was delirious. When he woke up, there was no way he would say those words. He must have hated Shienna, and that's what had to happen.

The woman left Bryan, who soon woke up and realized that someone had come and given him a blanket. He hurriedly ran after the woman because he was sure it must be Shienna. But why did she only come for a moment?

"Can you stop playing me like this?" Bryan grumbled as he drove the car at an irregular speed. He was upset, not because losing Shienna meant he would be alone again, but because this would affect his career and business. "Damn it! Just watch. If I find you, I'll punish you for driving me crazy!"

Bryan stopped the car in front of the courtyard of Shienna's old residence. Not wanting to wait long, he entered the house, which was unlocked and well-lit inside.

Of course, it had only been two weeks since Shienna had left the house. After all, there were a few maids and gardeners still doing their jobs to keep the building from becoming a haunted house.

"May I help you, Mr. Sanders?" greeted the security guard, who rushed over when he saw Bryan enter the yard.

"I'm looking for my wife."

The security guard didn't answer, but it was clear from his expression that he was pretty surprised to hear Bryan's words.

"We don't know where Ms. Miller is. Hasn't she moved into your residence, sir?"

Hearing the security guard's answer, Bryan realized what he feared was happening. Bryan rushed into the car and drove it at high speed aimlessly. But as if on cue, Bryan stopped the vehicle in front of a large gate that suddenly opened as if the host had noticed his arrival.

"Bryan Sanders, my man!" greeted a man in his thirties wearing pajamas. It was evident that he was having a relaxing time after a long day's work. "What's with the wind that you're here this late?"

Bryan had no answer but a light, raw fist to the man's temple. The man, holding a glass, slumped to the marble floor, and the glass slipped from his hand.

He turned to Bryan while holding his jaw, which was numb from the blow.

"What the f**k, Sanders?! You come into my house and are so rude! What are you doing?"

"Don't talk so much, Jun! Where's my wife?" asked Bryan, pointing at Jun Hashimoto with a fierce glare. Ready with another gift he would give Jun if the man still did not tell him where he had hidden Shienna.

"What do you mean? I don't know anything about your wife."

"Oh, you must know. In your proposal, you mentioned what you would do to me and my wife if I refused to cooperate with you! Don't forget that. I can destroy you if you're still reluctant to let her go."

"Hahaha... are you so desperate or what? To cruelly accuse me like that."

Bryan was so furious that he grabbed Jun's pajama collar and pulled it roughly. His glare was fixed on Jun's pair of dark eyeballs.

"I'm not messing around, Jun. Tell me now, or I'll kill you!"

Jun, who had been holding back, finally grinned mockingly. He shook his head, looked at Bryan from all angles, and snorted.

"What if she comes to me herself? Can you accuse me of kidnapping her? Oh, yeah. I also want to remind you that you said to yourself that you didn't need her. You married Shienna to get a good name for your business, especially since she's a multi-talented musician loved by many. Fame is everything. Don't you want to admit that this time?"

"You can't accuse me back, you bastard!"

"I'm not accusing. That's the truth. And your wife could have come after me knowing she was just a tool for prestige."

Bryan threw one more punch, and without another word, he turned and left Jun's residence with a rage that almost exploded in his chest.

He still questioned Shienna's whereabouts, as well as the integrity of Jun's words. What if that man was right? What if Shienna had come to Jun of her own free will? So where was she now?