Chapter 241: ~ 241
Chapter 241
~Bella~
"Ah... William, oh my—"
My voice was a ragged, breathy gasp. My palms pressed flat against the cold, polished table, my fingers desperately clawing at the expensive wood for leverage. Behind me, William didn’t care about gentleness. He gripped my hips with an aggressive, punishing force, his fingers digging so deeply into my skin that I knew they would leave dark, bruising marks by tomorrow morning.
He pulled me back against his hard chest, lifting my hips higher as he drove into me with a raw, animalistic rhythm. Every heavy, unbridled slam made my head throw back, a low, forbidden moan escaping my throat that I had to desperately choke back into the quiet room.
His breath was hot and frantic against my neck, his shirt half-unbuttoned, dripping with sweat as he lost himself completely in the tight, intoxicating heat of my body. It was dirty, reckless, and utterly transactional. He didn’t love me, and I certainly didn’t love him. But in this moment, as he aggressively took what he wanted and I let him, the dangerous thrill of our mutual corruption was undeniable.
With one final, heavy thrust that rattled my entire spine, William let out a low, guttural groan, tightening his grip on my waist until he completely unraveled behind me.
Minutes later, the boardroom was dead silent again. I wore my blood-red dress, and walked out without saying a single word to him.
The moment I stepped into the private restroom attached to my office, I locked the door behind me. I immediately ripped off my clothes, grabbed a handful of paper towels, and began scrubbing myself down with frantic, harsh movements. I turned the faucet on high, splashing freezing cold water over my neck, my thighs, and my chest, trying to wash away the sticky, lingering aftermath.
As I cleaned myself up, a slow, dark smile crept onto my face.
Let people think whatever they want. Let Octavia think she was the brilliant one. The reality was, I absolutely loved our little arrangement. William thought he was the ultimate puppet master, using my body for pleasure and using my presence to destabilize the Flemington Group for his own financial takeover.
But I was using him right back. He was my endless source of black-market funding, and the man providing the heavy artillery I needed to destroy Octavia’s current life. We were using each other to get money, power, and high-level corporate information, and in return, we got to act as perfect, high-stakes fuck buddies whenever the tension became too much to handle. It was a flawless alliance of convenience.
I grabbed a towel, drying myself off before stepping up to the large, illuminated vanity mirror. I picked up my lipstick, leaning in to fix my makeup.
But as I looked into the glass, staring deeply into my own reflection, the sterile lights of the restroom seemed to flicker. The modern tiles faded, and for a terrifying, beautiful moment, I saw "phantoms" of my old life with Franklin.
I saw him standing right behind me in the reflection, dressed in his classic midnight-blue suit, his strong arms wrapping tenderly around my waist. I could almost feel the phantom warmth of his lips pressing against my shoulder, his deep, rich voice whispering that I was the only woman who would ever matter to him. I remembered the luxury galas, and the absolute reverence in his eyes before everything went down in flames.
A wave of intense, delusional longing washed over my chest.
"Soon," I whispered to the empty glass, my eyes gleaming with a manic, obsessive light.
I fantasized about the day Octavia would finally be out of the picture for good. I could practically see it, the divorce papers signed, the pathetic little substitute packing her bags and crying as she left the Flemington estate. I would step right back into my rightful place as Franklin’s wife.
I naively believed that once I got exactly what I wanted, I could just cast William aside like a pieces of garbage. He wouldn’t be able to touch me once I was protected by the shield of the Flemington name again. I would leave him behind in the dirt, completely clean of my sins, and Franklin would accept me with open arms.
Slowly, my trembling hand dropped from the vanity counter. I moved it down, letting my fingers press gently over my stomach.
A wicked, triumphant grin spread across my lips.
This was the ultimate weapon. Octavia didn’t know it, my golden ticket. I was pregnant with a Flemington heir. And I knew Franklin’s psychology better than anyone else on this planet, he was a man bound by honor, duty, and responsibility. Once this reality was forced into the light, he wouldn’t be able to deny me. He wouldn’t dare turn his back on his own flesh and blood.
But I wasn’t stupid enough to just walk into Franklin’s office and hand him a positive medical report. He would find a way to legally bury it. No, the perfect way to make a definitive way was to use his grandfather, the old patriarch.
Old Mr. Flemington valued legacy, bloodlines, and the family name over absolutely everything else in this world. To him, an unborn grandchild was a sacred extension of his empire. If the grandfather demanded that the mother of his grandchild be protected and brought back into the fold, Franklin would have no choice but to obey. He would never disrespect the patriarch’s final wishes.
And to ensure there was absolutely no turning back, I wasn’t going to present this in secret. I was going to make it completely, brutally public. I wanted the entire world to see it.
I stepped back into my office, and grabbed my encrypted burner phone from the locked desk drawer. I quickly dialed Roderigo’s number.
The line ringed twice before a deep, gravelly voice answered. "Speak."
"Rodrigo," I purred, leaning back against my leather chair. "It’s me. Tell me you have good news."
"Bella," Rodrigo replied, a low chuckle echoing through the receiver. "I was just about to message you. The media packages have been finalized. The medical records confirming the paternity, the anonymous tips to the major high-society tabloids, and the scheduled press releases, everything is locked and loaded."
I gripped the phone tighter, my heart racing with a sick sense of anticipation. "Have you been able to set the distribution network up exactly how I wanted? No traces back to my terminal?"
"Yes, it is going completely on track," Rodrigo assured me, his tone smooth and confident. "The proxy servers are running through three different European countries. By the time Franklin’s PR team even realizes what hit them, the entire board, the grandfather, and the public will already have the news alerts on their screens. In the next twenty-four hours, the entire campaign will be live and up."
"Perfect," I breathed, a soft, malicious laugh escaping my throat. "Make sure the grandfather receives the physical documents directly at his residence an hour before the media blast drops. I want him fully armed when he calls Franklin."
"Consider it done, Bella. Enjoy the show."
The line went dead with a sharp click.
I slowly lowered the phone, sliding it back into the hidden drawer and locking it securely.
Octavia thought she had won because she was now in my old life, carrying her own little bundle of joy. She thought she was safe because Franklin was acting as her protective shield.
Twenty-four hours. That was all the time she had left to play the role of the proud Mrs. Flemington.
I placed my hand back over my stomach, my eyes narrowing into slits of pure, unadulterated malice. "Tick-tock, Octavia. Your time is officially up."
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