Chapter 230
When Denton woke up again, his head felt like it was splitting open. His entire body ached like it had been ripped apart, and every nerve in him was screaming in agony.
He forced his eyes open. The room was dim, and right beside the bed sat Melanie, wearing a twisted smile on her face.
“What did you inject me with?!” he rasped, his voice hoarse.
Melanie didn’t answer. She simply held up a syringe and a small pouch of white powder, her eyes gleaming with temptation.\
“Stop fighting it, Denton,” she whispered. “This stuff will take away all your pain. Trust me, it’s what you need.“\
He stared at the needle, every part of him recoiling. His instincts screamed at him to push her away, to get up and run, but his body no longer obeyed him.”
Melanie leaned in, whispering into his ear.
“Come on. You’ve lost everything. Your company is bankrupt, your name is ruined, and that bitch Sadie crushed you beneath her heels. I’m all you have left. Only I can set you free.””
The pain swelled like a rising tide, and with it, came a maddening hunger for the “release” she offered. His body betrayed him and craved what his mind screamed to reject.<
He tried to resist, but in the end, he gave in.”
The cold rush of the drug surged through his veins. In an instant, all the pain, the regret, and the despair all vanished, drowned out by a wave of artificial bliss.”
He had fought, he had tried to stay clean, but every withdrawal had felt like dying. The suffering was unbearable, and under its weight, his willpower shattered.}
He was no longer Denton, the powerful mogul who once dominated the business world.”
He was now a puppet, strung up and manipulated by addiction and by Melanie.”
Sadie’s POV
Because of Denton’s downward spiral, the takeover of the Francis Group went even smoother than I expected.
I thought I’d feel satisfaction watching him fall like this. But as I stood there, seeing him so broken, so far gone, I felt no joy, only a deep, aching sadness.
He killed his own son, destroyed his family, and now, he’d ruined himself beyond repair.
As I stood lost in thought by the window, the butler entered.”
“Miss, Prince Alejandro is here.“”
I was surprised. I hadn’t expected him.”
When I walked into the sitting room, there he was, casually dressed in a crisp white shirt, seated on the couch. In his hands, he held a delicate crystal box and a thick file envelope.
“Ms. Middleton,” he greeted me with a gentle smile, “forgive me for dropping by unannounced. I came to return something that belongs to you.“”
He offered the crystal box to me.”
At first, I hesitated, confused. But the moment I looked inside, my hands trembled, and my vision blurred with tears.
Inside was Mick’s heart.
“It was you,” I choked out. “You were the mysterious buyer?“N
He nodded. “Yes, Ms. Middleton. When I saw those items at the auction, I couldn’t imagine the pain you must’ve endured. I couldn’t stand by and watch something so sacred be desecrated, so I bought them. Not for myself, but to return them to you. Mick’s heart should be with his mother, not displayed as someone’s twisted trophy.“”
He then handed me the envelope next and added, “These are all the photos. I promise, there are no copies. No one else will ever see them.“M
Tears fell silently down my cheeks as I held the box and envelope close. I couldn’t even speak.
Prince Alejandro stepped forward and gently pulled me into his arms.
“Sadie,” he whispered, “I meant what I said. I was drawn to your strength and your heart. I’ve learned everything about your past, your pain, your courage, and your kindness. And the more I know, the more deeply I love you.“”
He cupped my face and softly wiped away my tears with his thumb.
“I want to spend my life protecting you. I want to heal the wounds you’ve carried alone. Let me be your anchor, your shelter, and your knight. Sadie, will you marry me?”
I looked into his sincere blue eyes.N
212
