Chapter 9
Chapter 9: The Ruins of a Queen
In the agonizing seconds that followed, absolute devastation claimed the room.
Victoria Carter lay sprawled across the torn sheets, her hands covering her face as gut-wrenching sobs tore through her chest. The flawless illusion of her life had shattered into a million irreparable pieces.
"I was lonely, Richard!" Victoria cried out, trying to find any justification for her sins. "You are never here! You are married to your company!"
"So you bring a boy into my bed?!" Richard roared back, his face inches from hers. "I gave you everything! I built this life for you, and you spit on it!"
Her pale blue silk shirt and pristine white trousers—once symbols of her immaculate taste and unbothered luxury—now looked fragile, pathetic, and stained with the reality of her sins. The shame, the guilt, and the profound humiliation devoured her from the inside out.
Richard stood over her, his chest heaving, his breath coming in ragged, labored gasps. His hands were shaking uncontrollably, not from fear, but from the immense, terrifying power of his own broken heart.
As Richard’s furious gaze swept the room, it locked onto a detail that twisted the knife even deeper.
Half-hidden behind the velvet chaise lounge near the window was a second, smaller leather suitcase. It was unzipped, revealing men's clothing.
"He lives here?!" Richard demanded, pointing a shaking finger at the luggage. "You moved him into my house?!"
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Victoria could only sob harder, burying her face into the pillows.
Daniel hadn't just been visiting; he had been comfortably residing in Richard's kingdom. The depth of the manipulation was complete.
