Fractured

Chapter 004

♡RORY

As the meeting drew to a close, a quiet sense of satisfaction settled over me. Aleksei Rykov had been put in his place, and I'd made it perfectly clear that I wasn’t one to be intimidated by his arrogance.

The tension that had crackled between us now felt distant, as though it were nothing more than an aftershock.
"I think that's all for today, Mr. Rykov," I said, standing up and extending my hand across the polished surface of the conference table. My voice was calm, even cool.

Aleksei's eyes narrowed slightly, but he took my hand with a firm grip—controlled, though not crushing. "I look forward to our next meeting, Ms. Blackwood," he said, the words dripping with a hint of condescension.

I smiled sweetly, feeling the satisfaction rise like a quiet storm within me. "I'm sure you do, Mr. Rykov. But until then, I suggest you work on your proposal. It needs a lot of work."

His face darkened, just slightly, but he said nothing. He turned sharply and strode toward the door with the kind of confidence that could almost be mistaken for arrogance. Almost. As the door clicked shut behind him, I let out a quiet sigh, rubbing my temples.

Dealing with men like Aleksei—those who saw themselves as untouchable, above reproach—was exhausting. But I had made my point. I wouldn’t be intimidated. Not by him or anyone else.

I glanced at my watch and was surprised to see how late it had gotten. The office around me felt almost oppressive in its silence, as if the weight of the day’s dealings was bearing down on me all at once. There were still a few more meetings to get through, a mountain of paperwork that demanded my attention, but I could already feel the promise of rest calling to me from the other side of the office door.

The day passed in a blur of conference calls, budget reviews, and negotiations. By the time the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows over the streets outside, I was finally able to leave the office. I stepped into the cool evening air, the chill of it a welcome relief after the stuffy, overheated office.

I took a deep breath, letting the fresh air clear the weight from my shoulders. I loved my job—there was nothing quite like the satisfaction of having everything fall into place, of knowing you were in control of things that mattered—but sometimes, it felt like it consumed me. Like I was losing a bit of myself along the way.

As I drove home, my thoughts wandered back to Aleksei. I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something about him—something that rubbed me the wrong way. His arrogance, for sure, but also the way he seemed to believe that the rules didn’t apply to him. The way he carried himself, like he owned the room, or maybe even the world. He hadn’t said much during the meeting other than demanding that i work with him, but his presence had been overwhelming. And those eyes… icy, calculating.

I couldn’t help but wonder who exactly he thought he was.

When I got home, I went through my usual routine: slipping out of my heels, changing into comfortable clothes, and putting the kettle on for a cup of tea. The silence of my apartment was almost comforting, but there was a heaviness to it that felt different tonight. After pouring my tea, I sank into the couch and let myself relax, though my mind refused to be still.

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting my thoughts drift. And then, just like that, I was back in the past. The memory came crashing over me like a wave, raw and unrelenting.

I was fourteen again. I could still hear the slamming of the door, the sound of his footsteps fading into the distance. I felt the coldness of it, the way it had felt like the very foundation of my world had cracked open beneath me.

(Past :eight years ago..)

He left me. That's all I could think as I stood there, frozen in shock. I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

As I turned to Victor, I saw him smiling, his eyes gleaming with a sinister light. "Rory, come here," he said, his voice low and menacing.

I felt a chill run down my spine as I hesitated, unsure of what to do. But Victor's eyes seemed to bore into mine, and I felt a sense of dread wash over me.

"Sit down, Rory," Victor said, his voice firm but polite.

I slowly sat down, my heart racing with fear. What was happening? Why had my father left me with this man?

As I looked around the room, I realized that I was trapped. There was no way out, no way to escape.

And then, Victor's words cut through the air, making my blood run cold. "You're going to make us a lot of money, Rory."
...

The memory began to fade, slipping like water through my fingers. I opened my eyes to find myself sitting on the couch, my heart racing, my palms damp with sweat. The remnants of that feeling—abandoned, betrayed—lingered, gnawing at me, a wound that never quite healed.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. It was just a nightmare. It wasn’t real. But the emotions—the pain, the anger—those were real.

They were buried deep, festering beneath the surface, waiting for a crack in the armor to emerge.I had been just a child, and yet I had been left to bear the weight of a world that no one, least of all a little girl, should have to understand.

Victor’s arms had been a temporary solace, but the wounds my father left behind were deeper than any embrace could heal. I tried to push the emotions aside, to bury them like I had done so many times before, but they lingered, a ghost that haunted my every waking moment. They were scars I couldn’t escape.

The anger still bubbled inside me. How could he have just walked away? How could he have left me, his daughter, in a world that had become a nightmare? I could feel that familiar knot in my stomach, the one that twisted with frustration, resentment, and sorrow.

I took a deep breath, trying to ground myself, forcing the emotions back into their cage. I couldn’t afford to lose myself in the past. Not tonight. Not when so much depended on me staying focused, staying in control.

I looked around at the quiet, familiar surroundings of my apartment—the one place I could find any semblance of peace. And yet, the shadows of the past loomed over me, no matter how much I tried to keep them at bay.

I stood up, pacing the room to shake off the sense of unease. My past had a way of creeping back into my thoughts when I least expected it. But I wasn’t that little girl anymore. I was Rory Blackwood. I was in control.

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