Billion dollar adventure: Meeting Mr arrogant

Chapter 8 : Secrets and Lies

Lucy's eyes darted back and forth as she scanned the stack of documents in front of her. Her hands trembled as the gravity of what she was reading sank in. Each page she turned revealed more damning information than the last—illicit business dealings, forged contracts, and bank transfers that led to shell corporations scattered across multiple countries. It was worse than she could have ever imagined. Mr. Arrogant’s empire was built not just on unethical practices, but on full-blown criminal enterprises. Bribes to foreign officials, laundering money through fake charities, even involvement in human trafficking. She could barely process the breadth of the corruption.

A cold wave of nausea hit her, and she had to stop herself from physically gagging. *How had she been so blind?* She had always known there was something off about her husband—his charm had always felt rehearsed, his wealth just a little too inexplicable. But this? This was monstrous.

Lucy’s head spun as she thought about what to do. She couldn’t stay married to him, not after knowing this. She had to get out, but not before finding something solid enough to use against him. She needed leverage. Something that would protect her. Something that would make sure he couldn’t touch her once she was gone.

But just as she flipped open another file, a noise behind her shattered her concentration. A faint creak—barely perceptible, but enough to send her heart racing. She turned around slowly, feeling a cold sweat trickle down her spine, and there he was. Mr. Arrogant stood in the doorway, arms crossed, a cold smirk on his lips. His tall frame was partially silhouetted by the dim light spilling from the hallway, casting long shadows across his sharp, menacing features.

"Looking for something, my dear?" he asked, his voice smooth but dripping with sarcasm. His eyes glinted with a dangerous edge, as though he had been watching her for longer than she realized.

Lucy’s mouth went dry. She felt her heart slam against her chest as she struggled to think of a plausible excuse. But her mind was blank. There was no explaining away the open files scattered around her. She had been caught red-handed.

"I...I was just looking for a book to read," she stammered, knowing how ridiculous it sounded.

Mr. Arrogant’s smirk widened, his amusement at her pitiful attempt at a lie clear. "A book?" he repeated, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. The soft click of the latch echoed like a death sentence. "In my office? How original, Lucy." His voice was almost playful, but there was no warmth in it.

Lucy backed away instinctively as he advanced, her body tensing as though preparing for a blow. Her eyes darted toward the door, calculating whether she could make a run for it. But he was blocking her only exit.

Mr. Arrogant glanced down at the papers scattered across the floor. His smirk faded into something more menacing. "You’ve been busy," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Tell me, what exactly do you think you’ve found?"

Lucy’s pulse quickened. She knew she couldn’t reveal everything. If he suspected just how much she had uncovered, her situation would become infinitely worse. She had to think fast, but the weight of his stare was suffocating her, making it impossible to focus.

"I didn’t find anything," she lied, her voice trembling. "I was just... just curious."

Mr. Arrogant’s lips curled into a sneer. "Curious," he repeated, as though tasting the word. He bent down and picked up one of the scattered pages, glancing at it briefly before tossing it back onto the desk. "You’ve always been curious, haven’t you? Always sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong." His tone had turned venomous now. "But I’m afraid this little adventure of yours has come to an end."

Lucy’s heart thudded painfully in her chest as he stepped closer, the air around him crackling with an unspoken threat. She had never seen him like this before—not this overtly dangerous, not with this level of malice in his eyes. She tried to back away further, but the desk behind her blocked her escape.

"Reginald, I—" Lucy began, but her voice faltered as his cold gaze bore into her.

"Save your excuses, Lucy. You think I don’t know what you’ve been up to? You think I didn’t anticipate this?" He chuckled darkly, his smirk returning. "I’ve been expecting you to snoop around for weeks. You’re not as clever as you think you are. And I’ve taken measures to ensure that you wouldn’t find anything... incriminating."

Lucy’s breath caught in her throat. *Measures?* What was he talking about? What else had he done? Her mind raced as she tried to decipher his cryptic warning. But before she could even respond, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching from the hallway outside. Her stomach lurched.

In the doorway, a tall figure appeared. Ryder.

The tension in the room shifted immediately. Mr. Arrogant’s expression darkened further as he regarded the new arrival, his smirk turning into a snarl.

"What are you doing here, Ryder?" he demanded, his voice cold and cutting.

Ryder’s eyes flicked briefly to Lucy before locking back onto Reginald with a fierce intensity. "I'm here to finish this," he said, his voice low but commanding. "You’ve gotten away with your games for too long, Blackwood. But it’s over now."

Lucy’s mind reeled. *What was happening?* Ryder—her husband’s former business associate—was supposed to be long gone, cast out by Mr. Arrogant years ago. But here he was, standing in front of her, and the look in his eyes told her he wasn’t just here for a casual visit. There was something more going on.

Reginald sneered, his lips curling into an ugly smile. "Finish this?" he spat. "You think you can just waltz in here and take me down? You’ll never be able to touch me, Ryder. I’ve built something far bigger than you could ever imagine."

Ryder’s smile was cold and calculating. "Oh, I think I will," he said. "You see, I have proof of your little schemes. All of it. And I’m not the only one who knows. The net is closing in, Reginald. You’re out of time."

Lucy’s heart raced as she realized the implications of what Ryder was saying. He had evidence—evidence that could expose everything Mr. Arrogant had done. But that also meant she was in the middle of something far more dangerous than she had anticipated. If Ryder went through with his plan, if he truly had the proof, then Reginald’s world would come crashing down.

And so would hers.

Reginald’s face turned crimson with rage, his fists clenching at his sides as he stepped forward, his posture rigid and menacing. "You’ll pay for this," he snarled. "I’ll make sure you disappear, just like the others. You think you can outplay me? You’re nothing."

But Ryder remained unfazed, his eyes never leaving Reginald’s. "We’ll see about that."

Without another word, Ryder turned and walked out of the room, leaving Lucy alone with her husband. The silence that followed was deafening.

Mr. Arrogant’s eyes slowly shifted back to Lucy, and in that moment, she felt the full weight of his wrath. He was a man on the edge, desperate to cling to the empire he had built, and she knew that if she didn’t find a way out of this, she would be his next victim.

The room seemed to close in around her as she stood frozen, her heart pounding in her chest. She had to act, and fast. This was her only chance.

But with Mr. Arrogant standing between her and the door, escape felt impossible.