Chapter 5 His Game

Three days had passed since the night at the hotel, but Ember still couldn't shake the feeling. She sat alone in her small room, knees pulled to her chest, staring at the blank wall. Her chest felt heavy, her thoughts tangled. She was still shaken, still confused. The shame hadn't left her, and neither had the anger. It burned inside her like a quiet fire she couldn't put out. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his voice, his touch, the way he looked at her. She hated how much space he still took up in her mind.

He wasn't just a villain to her. Villains were simple bad people who did bad things. But he was something worse. He saw her, truly saw her, and used what he knew to break her down. He got under her skin, into her heart. And that made him more dangerous than anyone else.

Ember wanted to hate him. She wanted to believe she felt nothing but anger. She wished she could just forget him and walk away, free and strong. But deep inside, the truth hurt. She whispered to herself, "He broke me once." The pain of that memory made her throat tighten. She thought he will leave her once he gets to know she is not Reese,but that false hope destroyed her.

But she wasn't that girl anymore. She had been through too much, and she had learned how to stand again. Her small room, quiet and simple, felt like a safe place. She took a deep breath, wiped her eyes, and spoke again, stronger this time. "I won't let him do it again."

She didn't know what would happen next. But one thing was clear: she wouldn't let Charlotte and Reese win this time. She would fight, even if her voice shook. She would rise again.

The sheets felt like chains around Ember's body.

She lay frozen, the pale morning light brushing over her bare arms, the nightmare of that night still shivering over her skin. No matter how many times she turned and tossed in the bed, she couldn't sleep.his voice, his eyes that told her she can never be in her own will.

He had known.

From the second she walked into that hotel room. He had known she wasn't Reese.

She squeezed her eyes shut, shame rising in her throat like lumps. She had tried to pretend that maybe,just maybe,he'd been too blinded by lust to notice. But no. He knew.

And still, he chose to touch her.

The knock on the door startled her.

"Ember, breakfast!" Reese called sweetly.

Ember stayed silent.

When she finally came out an hour later, Reese was scrolling on her phone, sipping juice like the world was whole and perfect.

Charlotte was smiling at her phone too, perfectly dressed as if nothing happened in this house had turned cruel.

They never asked her how she is ,Not even a glance of curiosity or guilt. Just silence. Just pretending.

Ember bit the inside of her cheek.

They sent her. Like a lamb to the slaughter.

No.

Not a lamb. A bait.

And Reagan? He was the wolf that had already seen the lie before she even opened her mouth.

At the Reagan office,Just as Reagan reached for his coat, his phone lit up again, buzzing sharply.

He frowned at the screen. "Give me a second," he murmured to Ember before answering. "Speak."

A frantic voice came through the speaker. "Mr. Blackwood there's a problem. It's the gallery on Westvale Street. They're destroying it. Right now."

Reagan's brows furrowed. "What do you mean destroying?"

"They're breaking paintings, tossing out furniture... someone's bulldozing the back section. We tried to intervene, but they said Mrs. Monroe has full ownership now. The crew says they're under orders to 'clear it out tonight.'"

Reagan's entire body went still. "That gallery... Why that one?"

"It was Lady Eleanor's favorite, wasn't it?" the voice added.

Reagan didn't reply.

That gallery wasn't just a random place. It had a deep connection with his aunt Eleanor. And now Reese's mother had targeted that place?

Without thinking, he ended the call and reached for his keys.

"What happened?" Ember asked, watching his face turn cold.

"Just business. A property's being trashed. One that meant a lot to someone important to me."

Ember's heart skipped.

He doesn't know.

She bit her tongue. The words almost escaped her lips....That gallery was my mother's. But she swallowed them down. She couldn't afford to reveal that. Not now.

"I'm coming with you," she said softly.

He shook his head. "No. You're not getting involved in this."

"I just... I can't stay here. Please."

Reagan stared at her for a moment, then nodded sharply. "Fine. But you stay in the car. No matter what you hear or see. You stay hidden."

Fifteen minutes later, they were parked on a dark street near the glowing lights of the old gallery.

Ember sat frozen in the passenger seat, watching figures throw objects into a dumpster. Bright, colorful paintings torn like trash. Her mother's legacy, her soul, was being erased right before her eyes.

Reagan slammed the door and walked straight toward the chaos.

She curled her hands into fists. Don't cry. Don't break. Not here.

From a distance, Ember watched as Reagan grabbed one of the men by the collar. Even from behind the glass, she could hear the rage in his voice.

"Who gave the order?" he growled.

"Mrs. Hale said this place is useless now."

Reagan looked around, fury simmering under his calm exterior. "Do you know how many times my aunt painted in this place? Do you know what this building meant to her?"

The man stammered, "Sir....we were just told it's part of the deal....."

"I gave them what they asked for!" Reagan shouted. "I gave them everything ... .why this?"

Back in the car, Ember stared in disbelief. He knows... he knows how much it matters. But why?

Tears slipped silently down her cheeks.

Is it because of Reese? Or just business?

She didn't know that Reagan wasn't fighting for business property...

He was fighting for a memory.

But neither of them knew...

That the memory belonged to both of them.

And just as Ember looked away to wipe her tears, a black car pulled up behind them.

She didn't notice.

But Reagan did.

And the face that stepped out of it...

Was the last person either of them expected to see.