Blake’s POV
I couldn’t get her out of my head. The way she looked at me, the questions she asked-it’s like she knew something. Anastasia was getting close, too damn close to figuring it all out. My hands were shaking, my mind racing with thoughts I couldn’t control. If she found out the truth, if she discovered why I really married her, everything I had built, everything I had planned, would go up in flames.
The stress was eating me alive. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face-angry, hurt, suspicious. She was digging, I knew it. And if she kept digging, she’d find out everything. I couldn’t let that happen. I wouldn’t let that happen.
I paced the room, my mind a whirlwind of panic and rage. Divorce wasn’t going to be enough. She was too smart, too relentless. She would keep pushing until she found out the truth. And once she did, she would destroy me. I had no doubt about that. Anastasia was many things, but she wasn’t weak.
My phone buzzed, snapping me out of my thoughts. I grabbed it, my heart pounding when I saw the name on the screen. Marcus.
I hadn’t spoken to Marcus in years. We used to be close, back when I wasn’t so concerned with playing by the rules. He was the kind of guy who got things done, no matter what it took. As I stared at his name on the screen, I knew I needed him now more than ever.
“Blake, you sound stressed,” Marcus said as soon as I answered.
“I need your help,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “It’s about Anastasia.”
There was a pause. “What kind of help?”
I swallowed hard, the words almost sticking in my throat. “I need her… dealt with. She’s getting too close to something she shouldn’t.”
Marcus’s laugh was cold, unsettling. “So, you finally decided to use the big guns, huh? Are you sure about this? You got feelings for her?”
I hesitated. Did I? No. I couldn’t. “No,” I lied, forcing the word out. “I just need her silenced.”
“Alright,” Marcus said casually, like it was just another day at the office. “Consider it done. Just say the word, and she’s out of your way.”
I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. My heart pounded in my chest, my palms slick with sweat. Could I really go through with this? Could I really have her… silenced? It was one thing to think about it, another entirely to make the call. But Marcus had always been persuasive, always had a way of making the unthinkable seem inevitable.
“Blake,” Marcus’s voice was low, almost coaxing. “You’ve come this far. Are you really going to let her ruin everything? You know what needs to be done. It’s her or you, man. Simple as that.”
I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the doubts, the fear. He was right. Damn it, he was right. Anastasia was a threat, and I couldn’t afford to let her destroy everything I had worked for. I couldn’t let her win. But still… could I really go through with it?
“You’re spineless, Blake,” Marcus taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. “I thought you had more guts than this. If you can’t handle it, then step aside and let someone else take care of it. But don’t come crying to me when she tears your world apart.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I wasn’t spineless. I wasn’t a coward. I had done whatever it took to get where I was, and I wasn’t going to let anyone take that away from me-not Anastasia, not anyone.
“I’ll do it,” I said, my voice barely more than a whisper. “Just… make sure it’s clean. No mistakes.”
“Consider it done,” Marcus replied, his tone satisfied. “You won’t regret this, Blake. Trust me.”
As I hung up the phone, a cold sense of finality settled over me. There was no turning back now. I had made my choice, and whatever happened next, I would have to live with it. But as I sat there, staring at the phone in my hand,
I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was stepping into a nightmare of my own making. Every logical part of me told me that this was necessary, that it was the only way to protect my empire and my future. But deep down, a darker part of me recoiled at the thought of what I was about to do.
The clock on the wall ticked away the seconds, each one amplifying my growing sense of dread. I tried to convince myself that this was the only solution, that it was a matter of survival. But the weight of my decision hung heavy, a constant reminder that I was about to cross a line from which there would be no return.
Marcus was right about one thing: I had to handle this. If I hesitated, if I showed any weakness, it could cost me everything. The thought of Anastasia’s face, her anger, her pain-it was almost unbearable. But I had to be ruthless. I had to be strong. The stakes were too high.
I picked up the phone again, dialing Marcus’s number. This time, I needed reassurance, confirmation that everything would go according to plan. The line rang, and when Marcus answered, I tried to keep my voice steady.
“Is everything set?” I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral.
“Absolutely,” Marcus replied smoothly. “We’re just waiting for the right moment. It’ll be clean, Blake. No mistakes. No loose ends.”
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil inside me. “Good. Just make sure it looks like an accident. We don’t want any suspicion falling back on me.”
“You got it,” Marcus said. “You’ll be in the clear. Just keep your head down and let us handle the rest.”
As I ended the call, a wave of numbness washed over me. The decision was made. There was no going back now. I leaned back in my chair, staring blankly at the wall, trying to steady my racing heart. The weight of my choice was crushing, and the reality of what I was about to do settled heavily on my shoulders.
The minutes dragged on, each one a reminder of the gravity of my decision. I had been so consumed with fear and anger that I had forgotten the human cost of my actions. Anastasia might be a threat, but she was also a person. A person who trusted me, who had been a part of my life in ways I could barely acknowledge.
And yet, as the darkness of my thoughts enveloped me, I knew I had no choice. I had to protect myself, my future, no matter what it took. The decision was made, and all I could do now was wait for the inevitable.