\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 8 The Desperate Ploy\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 8 The Desperate Ploy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
$35 Free Coins\u00a0<\/p>\n
Perhaps then Jasmine would see his \u201csincerity\u201d, his supposed \u201cinfluence\u201d from Teresa. Perhaps her heart would soften.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019d willfully forgotten how he and Teresa had torn each other apart after the charity gala.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He half-dragged, half-coerced the broken woman back to the tower now under Horizon Capital\u2019s control.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The guards offered little resistance this time. They seemed to be acting on unspoken orders, their cold eyes as they watched the disheveled pair stumble past.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The top-floor corridor was chill and hollow. Their footsteps echoed with a stark, accusing clarity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin\u2019s grip on Teresa\u2019s wrist was a vise, the pressure making her wince, but he was oblivious.. \u201cWhen we see her,\u201d he hissed, \u201cyou tell her it was all you. You seduced me. You forced me. Understand? If she spares the company, I\u2019ll make it worth your while.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Teresa\u2019s eyes were vacant, her face streaked with ruined makeup. The corner of her mouth twitched in a numb approximation of a smile. She said nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The office door swung open again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin all but shoved Teresa inside, the two of them stumbling over the threshold. His face was a strained canvas of manufactured regret, frantic urgency, and feigned control. His voice, tight with panic, cracked as he spoke. \u201cJasmine! Listen to me! I brought this\u2026 this bitch! It was all her!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He shoved Teresa forward violently, making her stagger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe threw herself at me! Set a trap! Poisoned my mind against you! She dug up some petty leverage and threatened me! I was weak, confused! I never meant to betray you! I\u2019ve always loved you!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His performance was desperate; his trembling finger pointed at Teresa as he cast himself as the innocent victim.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Teresa caught her balance. She looked first at me-seated calmly as if watching a bad play-then at the man so eager to sacrifice her whose features twisted into something grotesque.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The last vestiges of numbness and despair in her eyes ignited into a scorching, derisive hatred.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A raw, unhinged laugh tore from her throat. It was a sound to raise the hairs on one\u2019s neck. \u201cKevin Stephenson,\u201d she cut through his rant, her voice sharp as an ice pick, \u201cstill trying to pin everything on me? You think Ms. Watson is an idiot? That she\u2019d buy this pathetic act?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His face contorted. \u201cTeresa! Shut the fuck up! This isn\u2019t your place to run your mouth!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRun my mouth?\u201d Teresa yanked her hand out of his grip like his touch burned her. She took a step back, \u2018pointing at him-at me-like she was ready to broadcast the truth to anyone within earshot. \u201cLet me tell\u00a0<\/p>\n
you exactly what this man is!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
09:48 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
G\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unremembered Beforefall by Mark Twain 8 \u00a0 Chapter 8 The Desperate Ploy\u00a0 Chapter 8 The Desperate Ploy.\u00a0 $35 Free Coins\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-room"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20204"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20204\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}