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20. The Inner Circle
publish date:
2026-06-18 17:22:27
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Don’t Beg for Love 42. A New Ambition
I crossed my arms and stepped forward. Stopping just a few inches away, I lifted my chin.“Mr. Hale, what exactly do you want?”“You.”Huh?“You.”I steadied myself as he repeated the word, shoving down the sudden unsettling feeling.Then a soft laughter escaped me, the word suddenly sounding more bizarre than startling. “Can you listen to yourself?”“I don't speak gibberish,” He scoffed. “Besides, you know how I hate hypocrisy, Annalise.”Hypocrisy?How ironic.“I let you waste those three years with another man just so you could learn your lesson.”Let me…?Wait, how did he know— never mind!“But it seems like you need to be taught more lessons,” he added. “You don't just start a fire and disappear.”How absurd.And funny.“Did you really think that targeting the Sterling Empire would intimidate me?” I raised a brow. “Ten years ago, I was naive… But now—”“You’re still the naive little bunny I know.” His tone dripped with sarcasm, his lips twitching. “Before you sink into further d
Don’t Beg for Love 41. The Setup
I let his words sink in.A brief moment of silence passed and only the old man’s heavy breathing resounded, apparently vexed.“Annalise,” He added, his voice softer and tired. “When you rejected his marriage proposal three years ago, he didn't react or ask us to return the engagement gifts. I just know that if you didn't meet and provoke him, the Hale Group wouldn’t have made this drastic decision. The least you could do was avoid Andrew Hale during your stay at Geneva. Look, I don't care how you do it, but you must fix this before it escalates.”Then he hung up brutally, leaving me wondering what exactly happened. But,I hadn't dropped my phone yet when another call came in.From Xander.“Big Sis! Are you alright?”Unlike Grandpa who was purely enraged, Xander sounded anxious.“Andrew Hale is bullying you, right? You guys met in Geneva, didn't you? I heard that Mason Reed is his uncle and you were present when he was poisoned. Some netizens said that they have put you on the suspect
Don’t Beg for Love 40. The Chuckle
A deep voice sounded beside me.A familiar voice. Standing a few feet away from my left was the man who looked like he had all the time in the world.Hadn't he appeared to be in a haste some moments ago?Wait— never mind.Acting as though his words didn't reach my ears, I resumed walking,Then he added, “Ten years, twenty years, thirty… no amount of time can transform a rabbit into a tigress."I paused.My fingers balled into fists.Yet, my composure didn't crack, my smile intact as I turned to face him.“Mr. Hale, why don't you invest this energy into upgrading your mindset?” I folded my hands. “After all, it is not my fault that you cannot handle rejection.”A pause.The man sized me up, a condescending look crossing his face.“Rejection.” He chortled. “Annalise, you’re too insignificant for me to feel rejected.”Oh, was that so?I raised a brow. “If so, I hope you will pretend from now on that I don't exist.”I turned, without waiting for his response.But I hadn't taken a step ye
Don’t Beg for Love 39. The False Witness
Andrew walked in, his appearance bringing an unsettling tension that hung in the air.On his face was a look of irritation, his eyes scanning the room before settling on me. Confusion flickered followed by an amused look as he raised a brow.“Uhm, Mr. Hale.” The officer cleared his throat and stood up. “It was just to let you know—”“Who is that?” Andrew peeled his gaze from me, the annoyance returning to his eyes.The Cop didn’t waste a second before pointing at Cassandra. “It is this young lady. She came here this morning and reported to be a witness to what happened to Mr. Reed. She claimed to be present when the poisoning happened.”“And she mentioned my name?” Andrew gave Cassandra only a fleeting glance before returning his attention to the Cop.The man nodded eagerly, frantically wiping an imaginary sweat from his forehead. “Actually, Ms. Coleman said you were among the last few people present with Mr. Reed before the poisoning happened. But she didn’t specifically mention t
Don’t Beg for Love 38. The Accusation
I blinked.Although, putting into account the whispers I'd heard in the hotel, I wasn't so surprised.“You need to follow us for questioning.” He handcuffed me. “Failure to comply will strengthen the proof that you're guilty.”Proof?What other proof did they have?But the Cop revealed no more information and took me straight to the Cops Department. There, I found out that some of the executives present at the grand ball were detained as well.The man took me to a separate questioning room. Throughout, I remained composed, because a heavier problem weighed on my mind right now...My sketchbook.“Ms. Sterling, please.” He held the door open, gesturing for me to enter.The questioning room had transparent glass walls that must be soundproof. I'd been deep in my thoughts, not realizing that other people were present,Until I heard the familiar voice and then lifted my head.“Ms. Coleman, are you sure you saw Ms. Sterling spray something at Mr. Reed’s face?” One Cop was questioning Cass
Don’t Beg for Love 37. Prime Suspect
A problem?Frowning in confusion, I glanced from my phone to the man on the bed.Then I pressed the dial button to call Aurelia. It didn’t ring. Her line was unreachable.In that instant, another text message dropped from her.[Seems like the security men are already in your suite. I have left the hotel due to some emergency. Nobody else is there to protect your things.]The security.My suite?Luckily, a nurse came in just in time to check on Mason.I left the hospital and arrived at the hotel to find most of the guests gathered in the lobby area.Their whispers were so loud that I almost stopped in my tracks, hearing what they said.“It is absurd though. Why would anyone want to harm Mason Reed?”“Are you asking why? Don’t you know?”“Know what?”“Rumor has it that Mr. Reed has a hidden treasure. Some say he knows a secret, that’s why some lunatic out there wants to silence him.”“But does it make sense that they must have joined hands with the closest people to him?”“Well, some
Don’t Beg for Love 15. Thirty-One Husbands
Love.Hearing him say it now sounded even more ridiculous.“Anna, look at me!” Tania grabbed my shoulders, giving me a stern look. “Don’t believe what he’s saying! The scumbag definitely cares that you’re now rich! Please don’t let his words fool you.”Tania’s worry was justified.In the past, I wo
Don’t Beg for Love 14. Ten Years Ago
My fingers trembled. Just once. Barely noticeable.Yet it felt as though all the warmth had drained from my body.The man stood motionless.His expression was calm… too calm. Not surprise.Not annoyance.Not even curiosity.Just those dark eyes resting on me with a detached indifference.Then a fa
Don’t Beg for Love 12. The Envelope
I returned to my office, Helen’s screams fading in the distance.Sitting down, I slightly rubbed my forehead.“Ms. Sterling.” Linda soon joined me, and the hesitant look in her eyes was enough sign that she had more news.“What’s the matter?”“Actually, another visitor came earlier.” She brought an
Don’t Beg for Love 8. The Summit
A few hours later.The chaos of the day had finally died down. Inside the CEO’s office, I stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, my eyes fixed on the bustling city below as I let the silence sink in.Time drifted by…Then my phone rang, a strange number displayed on the screen.I waited until it ra
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