Ties of Betrayal

Chapter 8:Flames of Resentment

Alexander stormed into his study, slamming the door behind him. The sound echoed through the empty mansion, but it did little to soothe the fury raging inside him. He threw off his suit jacket, letting it crumple on the floor as he made his way to the bar in the corner. His hand trembled as he poured himself a glass of scotch, the liquid swirling like the storm in his chest.

Married, the word left a bitter taste in his mouth, even worse than the sharp burn of the drink. He was married to Victoria Hartley—the one woman he wanted nothing to do with. The woman who had always lurked in the background, quietly admiring him, waiting for her moment to strike.

She wanted this, the thought seared through his mind, making his grip on the glass tighten. She had wanted this marriage all along. He knew it, and that knowledge only fueled the fire of his resentment. Victoria had been nothing more than a schoolgirl with a crush, waiting for the day she could take advantage of the Pierce family's power. And now she had gotten her way.

With a sharp exhale, Alexander downed the scotch, the warmth doing little to ease his frustration. He felt trapped. Lily. Her name echoed in his mind, pulling at his heart with an ache that was almost unbearable. He loved her—had always loved her. She was supposed to be the one standing beside him, not Victoria. But now, thanks to his manipulative grandfather and Victoria's scheming, he was separated from the only woman he ever wanted.

His hand slammed down on the desk as the fury surged again. Victoria had stolen everything from him. She didn't care about him, didn't care about his love for Lily or his feelings. All she cared about was the Pierce name, the wealth, and the status that came with it. She had climbed her way into his life, ripping it apart in the process.

Alexander sank into his leather chair, running his hand through his hair as his thoughts spiraled deeper into resentment. He could still see the image of Victoria standing outside the courthouse, clutching that damned marriage certificate like it was some kind of trophy.

How dare she? Did she think that piece of paper made her his wife? In name, perhaps, but in reality, she was nothing more than an unwanted burden. She hadn't just separated him from Lily; she had driven a wedge between him and everything that mattered.

The love he had once felt for Lily now felt tainted, tangled in this mess of a marriage. Lily deserved more than this. She deserved the wedding he had imagined, the life he had wanted to build with her. Instead, he was shackled to a woman who, in his eyes, didn't belong anywhere near his life.

The thought of Victoria, with her quiet demeanor and hopeful eyes, only made his blood boil more. She had always been there, in the background, watching him. And now, with the push of his grandfather, she had found her way to the one thing she had wanted for years—him. She didn't care that he didn't love her, didn't care that his heart was somewhere else.

In his mind, Victoria had orchestrated all of this. She had played the long game, patiently waiting for her opportunity to steal what wasn't hers. He hated the idea of being trapped with her, of being bound to someone who didn't understand the first thing about him.

Every time he thought about Lily—the way her smile lit up his world, the way she made him feel alive—his hatred for Victoria flared up even more. It was Victoria's fault they were separated. It was because of her that everything had fallen apart. And now, there was no going back.

Alexander's jaw clenched as he stared at the glass in his hand, the silence in the room suffocating. He couldn't bear the thought of being in the same house as Victoria, let alone being married to her. He needed a way out. But how?

As he sat there, the anger simmering beneath the surface, a dark thought crossed his mind. If Victoria wanted to be his wife, he would make her regret every moment of it. He would make sure that this marriage—this life she had so desperately wanted—would be nothing but misery for her. She would come to understand that she wasn't welcome in his world, no matter what her last name was now.

He stood abruptly, the decision already forming in his mind. If he couldn't escape this marriage, then he would turn it into the worst decision Victoria had ever made.