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CHAPTER 106 The Missing Years

Author: Stacy R. Simmons
last update publish date: 2026-06-30 18:51:17

For several seconds after Lucian spoke, nobody in the conference room moved.

The enlarged photograph remained projected on the screen.

Evelyn Cross stood near the center of the image, surrounded by donors, executives, politicians, and guests attending a Sterling Foundation gala from nearly a decade earlier.

Yet nobody was looking at Evelyn anymore.

Every eye in the room had shifted to the man standing beside her.

A man who should have been insignificant.

A man who had somehow become important.

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  • Married To The Devil I Betrayed   CHAPTER 117 The Keeper of Quiet Things

    The road to the monastery narrowed with every passing mile.By the time Lucian guided the car onto the winding mountain pass, the modern world had all but disappeared behind them. Towering pines lined the route on either side, their branches swaying gently in the cool alpine breeze. Every bend revealed another breathtaking view of the valley below, where the city of Zurich shimmered in the distance like a forgotten memory.Elena rested Gabriel's notebook on her lap, her thumb absentmindedly tracing the worn compass rose embossed on its leather cover."It's quieter than I imagined," she said softly.Lucian kept his eyes on the road."I think that's the point."She glanced out of the window again."Gabriel could have hidden his trail anywhere in the world.""He chose a place where people come to find silence."Neither of them spoke after that.The mountain seemed to invite quiet rather than conversation.Almost an hour after leaving the observatory, the monastery finally came into view.

  • Married To The Devil I Betrayed   CHAPTER 116 Where It Began

    The decision to leave was made without another meeting.For once, there were no lengthy debates, no competing strategies spread across conference tables, and no arguments over whether they should move immediately or wait for more information.Gabriel had left them a beginning.It was enough.Three days later, the morning sun had barely climbed above the skyline when Elena stood in the executive offices of Helix Dynamics, looking out over the city that had become both her greatest challenge and her greatest triumph.Behind her, Nina walked into the office carrying two folders and an expression that suggested she had already lost an argument she intended to continue anyway."So," Nina began, placing the folders on the desk, "you've finally decided to abandon us."Elena turned, smiling."I'll only be gone for a few days.""That's exactly what people say before everything becomes my problem.""I thought you enjoyed being in charge.""I enjoy being temporarily in charge."Nina folded her a

  • Married To The Devil I Betrayed   CHAPTER 114 The Promise Richard Kept

    The call came just after nine the following morning.Elena had barely settled into her office when her phone vibrated across the desk.She smiled as soon as she saw the name on the screen."Dad."Richard's voice carried the same calm warmth it always had."Good morning, sweetheart.""You sound cheerful.""I've had my coffee."She laughed."So have I.""Not enough, judging by your voice.""You're impossible.""I've been told."A comfortable silence followed before Richard spoke again."I was wondering if you and Lucian could come by the house for lunch."Elena glanced automatically at the day's schedule resting beside her laptop."I'm sure we can make that work.""I'd appreciate it."There was something in his tone that caused her smile to fade ever so slightly.Not anxiety.Not urgency.Resolve.She leaned back in her chair."Is everything all right?""Everything's fine."Another brief pause."I simply think it's time we had a conversation."Her heartbeat slowed.She knew exactly whic

  • Married To The Devil I Betrayed   CHAPTER 115 The First Key

    For several long moments, no one moved.The wooden case rested quietly on Richard's desk, its worn brass clasp catching the afternoon light that spilled through the study windows. Twelve years of silence seemed to gather around it, making even the ticking of the old clock on the mantelpiece sound unusually loud.Richard stepped back until he stood beside the bookshelf, leaving the desk entirely to Elena and Lucian."I think," he said softly, "Gabriel expected the two of you to do this together."Elena looked at the box but made no attempt to touch it."I've spent years searching for answers."Her voice was barely above a whisper."Now that they're here... I'm almost afraid to find them."Lucian turned toward her."Whatever is inside doesn't change who you are."She gave him a faint smile."No.""It only explains how we got here."Richard watched them in silence.There was nothing more for him to say.The promise he had carried for twelve years no longer belonged to him.Slowly, Elena

  • Married To The Devil I Betrayed   CHAPTER 113 The Quiet Things That Matter

    For the first time in weeks, Elena silenced her phone before leaving the house.The decision felt almost rebellious.No investor briefings.No strategy meetings.No encrypted messages waiting for Lucian.No folders filled with names, timelines, and questions that had followed them from Zurich to boardrooms and back again.Today belonged to Eli.He had reminded them of that fact three separate times during breakfast."You promised."Lucian looked up from his coffee."I don't remember negotiating with someone this persistent.""You weren't negotiating."Eli grinned."You already said yes."Nina, who had been standing near the kitchen island pretending to organize Elena's schedule, failed spectacularly at hiding her laughter."He has a point."Lucian sighed with theatrical resignation."I see I've been outnumbered.""You've been outsmarted," Nina corrected."There's a difference."Before Lucian could respond, Nora walked into the kitchen carrying a slim tablet."I've already informed bot

  • Married To The Devil I Betrayed   CHAPTER 112 The Weight of Silence

    Morning settled over the Moretti Group headquarters with the measured precision that had defined the company for generations. From the marble lobby to the executive floor, every detail reflected discipline, permanence, and quiet confidence. Employees moved through the building with purpose, greeting one another before disappearing into elevators or conference rooms, unaware that the man at the top of the organization had spent most of the previous night thinking not about quarterly forecasts or acquisition strategies, but about three people sitting around a café table in Zurich twelve years earlier.Lucian stepped out of the elevator just as Nora caught up with him, effortlessly matching his stride with a tablet tucked beneath one arm."I've been looking for signs of a fever," she said.He glanced sideways."I'm afraid to ask why.""Because you've reviewed today's agenda without changing it.""I do that occasionally.""No," she replied with perfect seriousness. "You usually rewrite ha

  • Married To The Devil I Betrayed   CHAPTER THIRTY ONE What He Becomes When He Is Provoked

    Lucian didn’t slow down once he stepped outside.The air hit colder than it should have.Or maybe it wasn’t the air.Maybe it was him.He moved past the front entrance, his gaze sweeping the immediate surroundings with quiet precision. Nothing obvious. No one lingering long enough to draw attention

  • Married To The Devil I Betrayed   CHAPTER THIRTY The Moment Everything Almost Breaks

    It happened fast.Too fast for logic. Too fast for preparation. Too fast for control.Elena was halfway through a call when her phone buzzed against the desk again.She ignored it.Kept her tone steady. Kept her focus sharp.Numbers. Projections. Decisions.Normal.Everything was normal.Until it w

  • Married To The Devil I Betrayed   CHAPTER TWENTY NINE Protection Is Not Permission

    Lucian didn’t waste time.He didn’t sit. Didn’t think. Didn’t hesitate.By the time the message finished processing in his mind, he was already moving—jacket in hand, instructions firing off in clipped, precise orders that left no room for delay.“Two men on the building entrance. One on the rear e

  • Married To The Devil I Betrayed   CHAPTER SIX Five Years Later

    The empire had grown.Lucian Moretti noticed it every morning when the elevator doors opened onto the top floor of Moretti Tower.The building itself had become a landmark in the financial district—forty-eight stories of glass and steel cutting into the skyline like a blade. When Lucian first commi

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