Chapter 19
Sarah stood outside the gates of Allison’s estate, ramrod straight despite the bundle of thorned branches digging into her back.
Sharp ends had torn through her skin, soaking her white dress with streaks of blood.
Her face was a mess–one eye swollen shut, cheeks puffy and raw. Both hands trembled as she raised them over her head, desperate to
be seen
Then, she dropped to the ground–forehead hitting the pavement hard–as she shouted through cracked lips, over and over, “Allison Winters, please forgive me. I was wrong. I’m garbage. I should’ve never come between a husband and wife!”
A crowd had already formed.
Phones were up. People whispered, filmed, livestreamed. Some laughed. Others just stared.
No one stepped in. No one helped.
Alexander stepped out of his car and walked over.
He looked at her with pure disgust, then kicked her sharply in the side.
“That’s it? That’s all the sincerity you’ve got?”
Sarah flinched and shrank back, then started slamming her head against the pavement faster.
Her voice cracked as she shouted, “Allison, please, forgive him! It wasn’t his fault–it was me. I’m the one who seduced him. I ruined your marriage. I insulted you. I deserve to die!”
Her voice gave out, throat raw and bloody-
Inside the house, Allison didn’t even glance at the scene.
She simply ordered security to remove them. When that didn’t work, she called the police.
Before the cops arrived, Alexander dragged Sarah into the car himself.
He was seething.
Clearly, her little performance hadn’t been pathetic enough.
“If she didn’t forgive me,” he muttered, “you didn’t suffer enough.
Sarah’s voice trembled. I did everything you asked. Can’t you just let me go now? I swear, I know I was wrong.”
“I told you,” he said flatly, “you don’t stop until Allison forgives me. And clearly, you didn’t try hard enough.”
His eyes gleamed with something off–twisted..
Sarah went pale.
“You’re insane,” she whispered. “You’re a fucking lunatic. Let me go. Let me go!”
“Shut up.” He slapped her so hard her head snapped sideways, blood triclding from the corner of her mouth.
“You’ll rot in hell for this!” she screamed, losing control. “Allison hates you. She’ll never forgive you.”
“You don’t deserve love! She was right to leave you for someone else!”
“Shut your mouth!” Alexander roared.
He lunged again, grabbing her throat.
You don’t get to talk about her. She’s mine. She’ll always be mine. She won’t marry anyone else!”
Sarah clawed at his arms as he squeezed.
Her lungs burned. Her nails lett bloody trails down his skin.
But she couldn’t break free.
Her strength faded her arms dropped limp.
He kept squeezing
“Shut up,” he kept muttering, tighter and tighter. “You ruined everything. You ruined us.”
Eventually, his grip loosened.
Her body slumped to the floor, crumpling like a broken doll.
Alexander stared for a long moment
Then, without a hint of panic, he checked for a pulse.
Nothing.
Dead.
Still unfazed, he dragged her to the trunk of his car and drove her body back to the Rockwood estate straight into the basement.
For the next few days, he acted like nothing happened.
He continued sending Allison lavish gifts, as if she hadn’t made it clear she never wanted to see him again.
He handled company business as if he weren’t unraveling,
More and more partners pulled out. Clients threatened lawsuits. He had to renegotiate contracts, slashing profits just to stay afloat. But Alexander clung to the fantasy.
Once this storm passed, he told himself, things will go back to normal
Allison had no intention of letting that happen.
She’d had enough.
She released a full exposé
Everything.
She leaked proof of Rockwood Holdings‘ financial fraud, evidence that both Cornelius and his wife had longtime extramarital affairs they funneled company money into.
She dropped records of Alexander’s faked death, his time living it up overseas with Sarah, and his illegal return to the States. The internet exploded.
Scandal after scandal tanked Rockwood’s stock, sending it into a free fall.
By the time the markets closed, Allison had already scooped up enough shares to overtake Alexander’s position as majority stakeholder.
And when she marched into Rockwood headquarters the next day–surrounded by lawyers, reporters, and her executive team- Alexander was in his office, losing his mind.
Cluster 19
