Lahat ng Kabanata ng Romance Of Betrayal : Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

(Sophia Reed – POV)Night fell softly outside.The city was alive and buzzing. Inside Ethans apartment everything was really quiet. It was like the whole world knew we needed some space. The lights were not too bright. The shadows moved slowly on the walls. The rain hit the window gently with a beat.Ethan stood by the window with his back to me. His shoulders were tight. Not because he was angry. He was just thinking deeply. He was carrying a lot of weight.I put my bag down. Watched him for a moment. This was the man who was in charge of meetings and could scare people just by looking at them.. Right now he just looked like a regular person. He looked tired. Like he was carrying too much.I said to him "You do not have to stand far away from me."He turned around. Our eyes met. His eyes were dark and deep. He was being careful.He said, "I am trying not to scare you."I shook my head slowly. "You never did scare me Ethan."He let out a breath and it was like a laugh but it was not f

(Ethan Reed – POV)The alarm went off at 9:17 a.m. It was loud and scary. I was on a call when the red lights started flashing over my office walls. The fire alarm was blaring. My whole floor was in chaos. Assistants were running around. Security was yelling for people to get out. Phones were ringing nonstop.Something did not feel right. It all happened fast. It was too perfect. I said to myself "This building has the fire system in the city." I was already walking quickly to the door.My head of security came running up to me. "Sir, we need to get out of the building." I asked him "Where is Sophia?" He told me "She was on the floor this morning." My stomach dropped. That was not her floor.I asked him "Why was she there?" He hesitated. "She got a request from the department.". I knew the legal department had not asked for anything that day. I felt anger. I told my security team "Lock down the elevators. No one leaves the building without my permission."My security guy said, "Sir th

(Sophia – POV) The hospital room was really white. I mean the walls were white the sheets were white. The light was so white it made everything look like it could break easily. Even me. I sat on the edge of the bed after the nurse left. I was breathing slowly trying to get rid of the feeling in my chest. They told me I was fine and that it was irritation from the chemicals. They said I just needed to rest. The word "just" felt small compared to what actually happened. Ethan was standing near the window with his back to me. He still had his jacket on. His shoulders were stiff, like a statue. He hadn't said much on the way to the hospital. He hadn't looked away from me either. I watched him quietly. He looked calm. It was a weird calm. Too calm. "Ethan, " I said softly. He didn't turn around. "You should be resting, " he said. "I am, " I replied. There was silence for a moment. The city outside the window was moving like nothing was wrong. Cars were driving, people were. The wo

(Ethan – POV) The words on the screen didn't disappear. They just sat there quiet and confident. I slowly lowered the phone and Sophia was still looking at me. The road ahead was empty like nothing had happened. Just trees, a sky and a long stretch of silence.. Something had shifted. "They want you angry, " she said softly. "I know, " I replied, my voice steady. Inside something sharp was moving. Not panic, not fear, but calculation. The security SUV pulled up closer behind us. I eased my foot off the brake. Pressed the gas again. The car moved forward smoothly like we hadn't just stopped in the middle of the road. Sophia's fingers slid into mine. "They filmed us, " she said. "Why?" "To show access " I replied. "To show they can get close." ". The message?" "It means this isn't finished." We drove in silence for a minute. The estate gates finally came into view. Black and unwelcoming iron bars, with cameras mounted high and guards already alerted. We were safe or at least saf

(Ethan – POV)The hallway was swallowed up by darkness in an instant. One second I could see the walls and the floor and Sophia was behind me. The second everything was black. Not a little dark, but totally black. The kind of darkness that feels like it is moving. I stood still. Did not say a word. I just listened. When you cannot see anything the sounds around you become really important. I could hear Sophia breathing behind me. She was trying to stay calm. Her breathing was a little faster now. I could also hear the backup generator trying to start up.. Then I heard another sound. Someone else breathing. It was not Sophia or me. It was slow and calm.I told Sophia to stay behind me. My voice was quiet and steady. I made sure my finger was not on the trigger of my gun. I did not want to shoot without knowing what I was aiming at. That would be a mistake. The people who were doing this would expect me to panic.. I was not going to do that.Then the emergency lights came on. They were