Page 62 of Twice as Forbidden

“Say something, you motherfucker.”

“You can’t have it all, Jackson.”

“Have it all? This was ours! Both of ours! You fucked me.”

“You’re just mad because I did it before you had a chance to do it to me.”

“I would never have fucked you over. We were partners.”

“Until you decided you wanted it all to yourself, just like everything else. I did what I had to do—”

“You motherfucker!” I lunge forward, grab the lapels of his shirt, and slam him against the wall. Then I bring my fist back and crush it into his nose. Blood spurts across my face, but I can’t stop. Punch after punch, the severity of what he’s done rings in my ears.

“You’re gonna retract those patents.”

“It’s too late—”

“Retract them!”

“Fuck you,” he gargles, spitting blood out of his mouth.

I shove off him, and he slides down the wall. Rage fogs my vision. My hands shake. “You’re fucking dead to me. And this is far from over. As you know,brother, no one crosses me.” I step back, spitting in his face. “You better hope you make enough money. It’s gonna take an army to stop me from my revenge.”

“Fuck!” I roar as the pieces fall into place. The system failure. The impossible back-to-back glitches…

“Sarah?” I call, and she scurries back into my office.

“Get me the contact info for Burt Hallstead. He’s over at Terra Blueprint Consulting.”

She nods and then exits without a word.

I lower my head, dragging my fingers through my hair. How could I have let this happen?

Because you were blinded—foolishly manipulated by the temptress the Hallsteads put in your path.

Rage and regret flood my veins, the force so overwhelming I grip the edge of the desk, trying to steady myself. Seeing her with the ledger shattered everything. She wasn’t supposed to betray me. My divine fruit, my perfect vision, was everything that brought me peace and happiness. Now, all that is tainted by the sting of betrayal.

I try to swallow the rage. It scorches its way down my throat, igniting a fire in my chest. What were once sparks of passion have erupted into a full-blown inferno. I trusted her. I fucking put my entire relationship with my son on the line for her.

My fists slam into the desk, my head dipping as I inhale a staggered breath. She fucking manipulated me, and I fell for it. The fury inside me coils tighter, twisting into something darker—something dangerous.

Sadness.

The things I was willing to sacrifice. All for her. Because she made me feel something I’ve never experienced. Lust, desire—those were expected. But it was more. It wasn’t just about having her or the sex. It was about owning her. Devouring her beauty in ways I haven’t in years. Her laugh. The way she pretended not to feel me watching her. The way her skin would pebble with arousal. Our talks. How fucking smart she is… the way her goals made me want to be a part of them.

She was a quiet storm—feisty yet shy, with a hidden sadness she kept locked inside, and all I wanted to do was protect her. And now, it’s all been thrown away.

I should have never touched her.

The intercom beeps. “Mr. Blake, I have Wayne on line two. The phone number you requested is in your email.”

“Thanks.” I pick up the receiver and press line two. “Wayne.”

“Morning, Mr. Blake. Your assistant told me it was urgent—”

“That field trip—did you find the surveillance?”

“Not yet. The files came up corrupted. Gary has IT trying to retrieve—”

---