'I Do' For Revenge-Chapter 79: The Intruder

My heart raced as I picked up my phone and slowly moved toward the bedroom door, the soft silk of my pyjamas brushing against my skin. The crash had come from downstairs, like glass breaking on hard flooring.

I texted Axel quickly: Heard a crash. You okay?

There was no response.

My pulse quickened as I slipped on my fluffy bedroom slippers and eased the door open, listening for any sound that might indicate what had happened or whether someone was in the house.

The hallway was softly lit by the automatic night lights we kept on dim mode, casting gentle pools of illumination along the baseboards.

I moved quietly down the stairs, my phone’s flashlight adding extra brightness as I descended. The living room appeared undisturbed when I passed through, but as I rounded the corner into the kitchen, I froze in place.

A window above the sink was completely shattered, jagged shards of glass littering the granite counter and floor below. In the middle of the debris sat a brick, and taped to it was a piece of paper that made my blood run cold.

My stomach churned as I approached, careful not to step on the debris. The note was scrawled in red ink: "Stay on your lane, or you’ll regret it."

No signature, but the threat screamed Cassandra.

"You okay?"

I screamed and spun around so fast I nearly lost my balance. Axel stood in the kitchen doorway, still dressed in his black shirt from earlier, now slightly rumpled. He held his own phone, the flashlight beam crossing mine.

"Jesus Christ! You scared me half to death!"

"Sorry," Axel replied as he pulled me into a warm hug. "I heard the crash and came down to check. I texted you back, but you didn’t respond." He pulled back, his eyes immediately finding the shattered window. "What the hell happened?"

"Look at this." I pointed to the brick and the note taped to its surface.

His jaw tightened as he read it. "This is Charles’s doing. Or Cassandra’s. They’re rattled after you poached BioSource."

"Should we call the police?"

"Yes, definitely call them. And our security team. But let me check the rest of the house first and make sure whoever did this isn’t still somewhere on the property."

We swept through each room, finding no other signs of intrusion. The security cameras showed a hooded figure tossing the brick before vanishing into the night. The footage was too grainy to identify them.

"Could be anyone," I muttered, watching the replay for the third time.

Axel called our security team while I contacted the police.

"Officers are on their way," I said, hanging up. "This is getting out of hand."

"This is exactly what they want, to intimidate us into backing down, and into making mistakes out of fear or exhaustion."

"Well, it’s not working. I’m furious, not scared."

"Good. Hold onto that anger. We’ll need it."

By dawn, the police had left after taking statements and collecting the brick as evidence. The shattered window was boarded up temporarily, and I was running on pure caffeine.

"We have the Wellington meeting in an hour," Axel reminded me, pouring us both fresh coffee from the pot he’d just brewed. "The Portland expansion finalisation."

"Right. Can’t let a little attempted intimidation derail a major business deal." I accepted the mug gratefully, wrapping my hands around its warmth.

"That’s the spirit."

We joined the virtual meeting with Mrs. Wellington from Axel’s study, both of us trying to appear far more alert and professional than we actually felt.

Her face appeared on the large monitor, looking fully recovered from her accident, though she still wore a small bandage near her temple.

"Good to see you both," she said warmly, her smile genuine. "I trust you’re ready to move forward with the Portland partnership?"

"Absolutely," Axel replied smoothly.

"Excellent. I’ve reviewed the final contracts, and everything appears to be in order. Let’s sign digitally and make this official."

We finalised the agreement, sealing the partnership that would expand O’Brien Group of Companies’ reach significantly. It was a victory, even if it felt somewhat muted after the night we’d had.

Later that morning, properly showered and dressed for the day, we met with our PR team to address the rumours of contamination that were still circulating on social media.

"The independent lab results are in," Sarah from marketing announced. "Eclipse Beauty’s samples are completely clean. No contamination whatsoever."

"Perfect," I said, reviewing the official documents she’d forwarded. "Let’s draft a press release immediately and get it distributed to all major beauty publications and news outlets."

Axel coordinated with beauty influencers to amplify the truth, while I worked on the official statement. The pre-launch event was only two weeks away, and we couldn’t afford any more setbacks.

That evening, we attended an industry gala to network for Eclipse Beauty. The event was held at the Grand Cosmopolitan Hotel, with hundreds of industry professionals mingling under crystal chandeliers.

"Remember, we’re here to schmooze and undermine Watson’s interests subtly," Axel murmured as we entered.

"Got it. Maximum charm, minimum drama."

We worked the room, talking to potential partners and distributors. I was mid-conversation with a packaging supplier when I felt a presence behind me.

"Stealing my suppliers and my ideas now, Layla? I must say, playing dirty really suits you."

I turned to see Cassandra standing there, her baby bump clearly visible under her designer maternity dress. She was holding a glass of sparkling water, and her smile was anything but friendly.

"It’s called competition, Cass. Not theft. Maybe you should focus on keeping your brand afloat instead of harassing me."

"Harassment? That’s a strong word. I’m simply observing how desperate you’ve become."

"The only one who’s desperate is the person throwing bricks through windows in the middle of the night."

Her smile faltered for just a fraction of a second; it was barely noticeable, but I caught it. "I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about."

"Of course you don’t."

Before Cassandra could respond, Axel appeared at my side. "Excuse us, Cassandra. We have actual business to conduct with people who matter."

He pulled me onto the dance floor, his hand firm on my waist. "She’s trying to get under your skin. Don’t let her."

"I know. But did you see her face when I mentioned the brick? She knew exactly what I was talking about."

"We’ll deal with it. But not here, not now."

Our bodies swayed close to the soft music, and the moment became unexpectedly intimate. I could feel the solid warmth of his chest against mine, smell his cologne mixed with something uniquely him that I was becoming far too familiar with.

For a brief second, I almost leaned in, drawn to his warmth and the memory of our kisses. But the music ended, and the moment passed.

Back home, exhausted from the long day, I was heading upstairs when my phone buzzed. Henry Porter’s name flashed on the screen.

Would love to meet and discuss logistics for Eclipse Beauty. Are you and Axel available next week?

I showed Axel the message. "Still want to meet with him?"

He considered it. "Yeah, his network could be helpful if Cassandra pulls another stunt. Let’s do it jointly, feel him out together."

"Agreed. I’ll set something up."

Just as I was typing a response to Henry, another text came through. This one from Daniel: We need to talk. Can you meet tomorrow?

"Now Daniel wants to meet," I said, showing Axel.

His expression darkened. "What could he possibly want?"

"Only one way to find out."