Reborn Heiress: Escaping My Contract Marriage with the Cold CEO-Chapter 77: I’m the Bad Guy

SEAN LEE

The elevator doors slid shut behind me, sealing away the sight of Annabeth’s stunned face. I exhaled through my nose, rolling my shoulders back as the car descended. The game was in motion now, and I had to admit—watching her composure crack had been satisfying.

But not as satisfying as the thought of what came next.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I already knew who it was before I glanced at the screen.

Giselle.

I swiped to answer, pressing the phone to my ear. "She took the bait."

A soft, pleased hum echoed on the other end. "Good. How did she react?"

I smirked, stepping out of the elevator into the lobby. The night air was thick with the scent of rain, the city lights bleeding into the dark sky. "Like a deer in headlights. Don’t worry, she’ll crumble, and come right back to me."

"She’s always been good at pretending. Are you sure?"

I pushed through the glass doors, the valet already hurrying to retrieve my car. "She’ll tell Devon. And when she does, he’ll either lie or shut her out. Either way, it drives the wedge deeper."

"Perfect."

The valet pulled up in the Aston Martin, and I tossed him a bill before sliding into the driver’s seat. "By the time this is over, she’ll be too broken to care."

I ended the call, tossing the phone onto the passenger seat before gripping the wheel. The engine purred to life beneath me, a beast waiting to be unleashed.

I had work to do.

The warehouse was exactly as I’d left it—cold, sterile, and most importantly, private. The security system blinked green as I entered, the door locking automatically behind me.

Giselle was already inside, perched on the edge of the steel table, her legs crossed. She looked up as I entered, her dark eyes gleaming under the fluorescent lights.

She pushed off the table to stride toward me. The click of her heels echoed in the empty space. "You’re enjoying this too much."

I caught her wrist as she reached for me, pulling her close. "And you’re not?"

Her lips curved, just barely. "I’d enjoy it more if that bitch were dead and I had what’s mine."

"You mean ours."

She traced my jaw with her fingertip. "Yes, baby. Ours." She turned away to pace the length of the room. "If Devon finds out what we’re doing—"

"He won’t." I leaned back against the table, crossing my arms. "He’s too busy playing the devoted fiancé to see what’s right in front of him."

Giselle paused, glancing at me over her shoulder. "And what’s that?"

"That Annabeth is already doubting him." I closed the distance between us. "One photograph, and she’s questioning everything. Imagine what she’ll do when she finds out the rest."

Giselle studied me for a long moment before nodding. "Fine. But we move quickly. I want that jewelry company."

I caught her chin, tilting her face up to mine. "You’ll have it. And the Belmont fortune. And everything else."

She held my gaze, unflinching. "And Annabeth?"

My thumb brushed over her bottom lip. "Dead and buried."

Giselle smiled. "Good."

I kissed her then, hard and possessive, because this—this was what I wanted. Not just the money, not just the power.

But her.

And I’d burn the whole damn world to keep her.

***|***|***|***|***

SEAN LEE

The next morning, I stood outside Annabeth’s office, adjusting my cuffs.

Time for phase two.

I pushed the door open without knocking.

Annabeth looked up from her desk, her expression hardening the second she saw me. "Get out."

I ignored her, strolling inside like I owned the place. "We need to talk."

She stood, her palms flat against the desk. "There’s nothing to talk about."

I smirked. "Not even about Devon’s first marriage?"

Her fingers twitched. "Leave."

I dropped into the chair across from her, stretching my legs out. "You really think he loves you? Or is he just using you to get to your mother’s company?"

Her breath hitched, just slightly. Enough to tell me I’d struck a nerve.

Good.

I leaned forward, my voice dropping to a whisper. "You want to know the truth, Annabeth? Or are you too scared to hear it?"

She didn’t answer.

But she didn’t throw me out, either.

I smiled.

The silence stretched between us, thick with tension. Annabeth’s knuckles whitened as she gripped the edge of her desk, but she didn’t move. She was still standing, still listening.

Perfect.

I reached into my jacket and pulled out a folded document, sliding it across the polished wood toward her. "Take a look."

She hesitated, then snatched it up, her eyes scanning the page. I watched her face carefully—the slight flare of her nostrils, the way her lips pressed into a thin line.

"This is a lie," she said, but her voice lacked conviction.

"Is it?" I tilted my head. "Devon was married before. Did he tell you that?"

She didn’t answer.

"She died under... mysterious circumstances. Funny how Devon inherited everything she owned, isn’t it?"

Annabeth’s chest rose and fell rapidly, but she kept her voice steady. "You’re trying to manipulate me."

I chuckled. "And yet, you’re still here." I stood, circling her desk like a predator. "You know what I think? I think you know something’s off."

She turned to face me, her eyes blazing. "Get out of my office."

I stepped closer, invading her space. "Or what? You’ll call security? Tell Devon?" I smirked. "Oh, wait—you can’t tell Devon, can you? Because then you’d have to admit you met with me. And what would he think about that?"

Her jaw clenched.

I leaned in, my breath brushing her ear. "Face it, Annabeth. You’re already in too deep. And the only way out?" I pulled back, meeting her eyes. "Is through me."

For a second, I thought she might break.

Then she slapped me.

The crack echoed through the room, my cheek stinging from the impact. "Bitch."

She pointed at the door, her hand trembling. "Get. Out."

I straightened my tie, unfazed. "This isn’t over."

As I walked out, I glanced back one last time. She was still standing there, the document crumpled in her fist.

She would dump Devon, I was sure. After all she’d dumped me because of Giselle. Annabeth wasn’t the forgiving type.

I would squeeze her until the only person she could rely on was me.

All I had to do was wait for her to come crawling back.

Visit freewe𝑏(n)ovel.co(m) for the b𝘦st novel reading experience