Fated to the Ruthless CEO

Amber managed to maintain her composure despite the turbulent thoughts the photo album had stirred within her. She didn’t want Devlin to become even more concerned. With a deep breath, she turned away from her sleeping husband. As they settled into bed, Devlin quickly succumbed to exhaustion, his peaceful slumber an indication of how much he needed rest.

Amber couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that those old photographs held a deeper significance in her life. Her grandmother had grown up in an orphanage, and so was Devlin’s grandmother. The realization struck her like a bolt of lightning, causing her to gasp in astonishment.

Could it be possible that their guy also spent his early years in the same orphanage as their grandmothers? The mere thought sent her heart racing, and she found it nearly impossible to contain her curiosity.

Questions swirled in Amber’s mind. What secrets lay hidden in their shared past that had shaped their ‘guy’ into the man he is right now? For over an hour, she grappled with these thoughts, her mind thinking of different possibilities. Sleep eventually consumed her at the end. Her last thoughts were on her grandmother, wondering if she knew him. She planned to make a call to her grandmother tomorrow…

Her plan to call her grandmother did not materialize. She woke up to an empty bed again. Devlin was nowhere in sight. She checked the time and she was surprised to learn that it was almost 9 am. She wondered why Devlin hadn’t woken her up. They always go to the office together.

Feeling a sense of urgency, she went to the bathroom to prepare for the day. After her shower, she changed into fresh clothes, opting for a casual dress. She checked for her phone at the bedside table, but it wasn’t there. She wanted to call her marmee.

Leaving her bedroom, she was met with an unusually quiet house. “Where is everyone?” She couldn’t see the usual guards patrolling the vast mansion. A sense of unease washed over her. Determined to find answers, she headed to the kitchen.

Upon arriving in the kitchen, she discovered it empty, void of any signs of life. None of the housemaids were around either. Worry gnawed at her, growing with each passing moment.

Her footsteps carried her to Devlin’s study room, but it too was deserted. She stopped, straining her ears to listen, but the mansion remained eerily quiet for an early morning. Panic began to grip her as she contemplated the unsettling silence. Something was amiss.

She didn’t know what to do. If only she had the phone with her, she could readily call Devlin or 911. She decided to return to the bedroom and search for the phone again. She could stay there until she is certain that Devlin is back or the bodyguards are back.

Hurrying up to the bedroom, she was suddenly stopped short by some noises. She felt relieved but was surprised to come face to face with the person she would ever dare want to see.

“What are you doing here?” She said with a trembling voice, attempting to remain calm despite the fear welling up inside her. There was an eerie silence between them, disturbed only by the subtle sounds of their breathing.

“Is that how you welcome me? I remember how five years ago you asked for my help and I was there to readily help you. What happened to that fragile young woman I’ve met before? Did you become just like your husband? Him and his line of Wesleys?” Amber’s heart pounded in her chest, the anxiety and confusion making her breath shallow. She struggled to process what he had just said. She wondered how this person had gained access to the sprawling mansion, a fortress protected by a legion of well-trained bodyguards.

“What do you want?” Amber’s voice quivered as she confronted the uninvited guest. “Devlin is not here. You should go to his office instead.” she added, trying to muster some courage.

He regarded her with a sinister grin. “What made you think that I want to meet your husband?” His words oozed with malice. “Of course, I am here because I need to talk to you. It couldn’t wait. And besides, I have nowhere to go right now.” He gestured around the lavish room, a stark contrast to his own circumstances.

“Your husband made sure that I have no place to go. Since he did this to me, why not come here into the lion’s den?” He let out a chilling, unsettling laugh that sent shivers down Amber’s spine.

“Talk? Here? What do I have to do with you?” Amber asked, her voice quivering with a mixture of fear and curiosity. She glanced around, searching for any sign of her phone or an escape route.

“You shouldn’t have come and accepted the marriage proposal of his grandmother.” He said with a sardonic smile.

“I could have spared you from all of these.” Then, his face showed sorrow. Amber could not understand what moved this man to do such a thing. He seemed to be out of his mind. She wanted to buy time by engaging into a conversation with him until Devlin would come.

“Spare from what?” She asked. “I have never met you in my entire life, not until five years ago.”

“Oh yes, our lives are more intertwined than what you think. I can see that you are a very smart woman. You even made a fortune by starting up your own business in New York. However, you are a very poor judge of personality.”

“You are talking in riddles. I never understood any single word you just said.” Amber is trying to mask her panic state. She moved uneasily backward, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to make sense of the cryptic words he was saying. She still couldn’t see any sign of her phone, and the room seemed eerily soundproof.

The man drew closer to her, prompting her to instinctively step back. “You see, Amber, Devlin’s grandmother’s marriage proposal was not a simple act of matchmaking. It was a calculated move, a chess piece on a much larger board.”

Amber’s mind raced. She couldn’t help but recall Grandma Olivia’s excitement when she had finally given her word to honor her wish.

“What are you talking about?” Amber whispered, her fear slowly transforming into a growing sense of anger. “I only met Grandma Olivia briefly but she struck me as a kind woman. She was also a dear friend to my grandmother. What does any of this have to do with you?”

The man’s sardonic smile returned, but now, it was tinged with bitterness. “Ah, Amelia Adams, or should I say Amelia Redford when she was still not married. I remember your grandmother very well,” he said, his voice softening as he cast his gaze into the distance.

“You knew my grandmother?” Amber asked incredulously, her suspicions from the previous night now confirmed.

“Indeed, I did,” he replied solemnly. “Amelia and Olivia- I knew them both very well. We were all from the same orphanage. I suppose you’ve figured that out by now, especially after I sent you the photo album.”

Amber’s confusion deepened. “But why would you do that? Are we playing some sort of guessing game here? Whatever your past connection with our grandparents, I fail to see how Devlin and I fit into any of it”

The man burst into outrageous laughter at Amber’s words. “Oh, my dear,” he chuckled, his tone now tinged with anger. “I heard the desperation in your voice. It reminded me of what happened to me all those years ago. I asked for help, but no one came to my aid.”

Amber’s fear intensified as she watched the man’s mood swing unpredictably. She had no idea what he might do next. His eyes, once gentle, now seemed like the eyes of someone who had lost their sanity.

She prayed silently for Devlin to come home soon, a sense of impending danger emanating from the man before her, who seemed to teeter on the brink of madness. Amber knew she had to tread carefully.

“I am extremely sorry for whatever suffering you’ve endured in the past,” she began, her voice trembling with sincerity. “I genuinely hope you can find it in your heart to forgive and let go of the pain. Whatever happened, I apologize on behalf of everyone involved.” Amber pleaded desperately, her primary goal being her own survival through this harrowing ordeal. Yet, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the man before her; clearly, he was deeply wounded.

“Sir,” she continued, “it is not too late to change the course of events. Please, allow me to help you. I can talk to Devlin. My husband is an incredibly kind-hearted man…” The mere mention of Devlin caused the man to erupt into eerie laughter once more.

“You fell for his sweet talk, just like Olivia fell for her husband,” he sneered.

Amber persisted, “I don’t understand what happened in your past, or why Devlin and I have been drawn into this.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

The man, with a haunted look in his eyes, began to recount his tragic history. “It’s quite simple, really. You see, I was once a destitute orphan living a peaceful life in an orphanage, alongside kids like Olivia and Amelia. Then, one day, one of the orphanage’s patrons took an interest in me and adopted me when I was just six years old. That patron happened to be Devlin’s great-grandfather. He had an only son who was sickly and frail at that time. He was only a year older than me.

The man’s voice trembled as he recalled his past. “The elder Wesley groomed me to be just like him. He sent me to a prestigious school, but for every privilege he bestowed upon me, there was a dark side. I was brutally punished every time I failed or lagged behind my peers. His wife, too, tormented me, believing I was stealing her husband’s attention from her son.”

He continued, his story unfolding like a nightmare. “During our teenage years, I suffered relentless bullying at school, courtesy of Devlin’s grandfather and his friends. Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore. I ran away, seeking refuge back at the orphanage, but they refused to take me in, fearing they’d lose a valuable patron. It was then that the elder Mr. Wesley found me, and the daily torture resumed.”

“I endured those torments, holding onto the hope that one day I could escape this nightmare,” he confessed. “Then, one fateful day, I saw Olivia in the Wesley mansion, more beautiful than ever. My heart leaped with joy, but it was short-lived when I learned she was to marry the younger Mr. Wesley. Did you know that I have liked Olivia a lot since we were children? Seeing her wed that wretched man was a crushing blow. But I kept my feelings buried; the Wesleys were too powerful to defy.”

As the man’s voice cracked with emotion, he continued his heart-wrenching tale. “When Devlin’s grandfather married Olivia, things improved somewhat for me. I graduated from college and began working for their company. However, my role was anything but honorable; I was responsible for their dirty work. Nearly all the Wesley family’s wealth was tainted by illicit means. That’s how the old man provided for his family, and his wife and son were well aware of it.”

“So tell me, how can I forgive them?” Once more, his maniacal expression returned.