Empire 197

Jotham no longer feels the excitement he once had for Brianna, despite her words. He had believed she was his soulmate because of all she had endured for him, but Ramona’s fierce and honest emotions have overshadowed Brianna in his heart. While Brianna’s affection now seems like a façade hiding bitterness, Ramona’s love and hate are clear and passionate. Brianna tries to gain access to Ramona’s confidential research papers, and after some hesitation, Jotham reluctantly gives her a flash drive with the data, warning her not to keep it long or make copies.

Later that night, a storm rages outside as Nova is startled awake by thunder and then by urgent knocking at her door. She finds Holden Covington outside, drunk, exhausted, and pleading to be let in. Despite his weak state and past conflicts with her, including his threats and manipulations, Holden insists he needs rest and refuses to go home. Nova is wary but chooses not to call the police, instead confronting him about his behavior and the consequences of his actions.

Holden’s presence stirs complicated emotions for Nova, recalling how he once saved her but later betrayed her trust. Though she refuses to open the door fully or forgive him, she allows him to collapse just inside her doorway. She tends to him reluctantly, acknowledging their fraught history with a resigned comment that now they are even. The chapter ends with Nova caring for Holden in this tense and uneasy moment.

Brianna’s words reached Jotham, but they stirred no spark of the excitement he once felt. Instead, he managed only a hollow, automatic smile, one that barely touched his eyes.

He had once been certain Brianna was his soulmate. After all, she had endured so much for his sake, weathered countless storms by his side. Yet, ever since she had threatened the Holt family with their child and the secrets binding them, Ramona had eclipsed Brianna completely in his heart.

Ramona’s emotions were fierce and transparent—she loved deeply and hated just as passionately, never masking what she felt. Brianna’s affection, on the other hand, seemed nothing more than a carefully constructed façade. Beneath it lay bitterness, though she insisted it was all rooted in love.

“By the way,” Brianna began hesitantly, “didn’t you save some of Ramona’s research papers?”

Jotham looked momentarily taken aback. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh, no reason,” Brianna replied smoothly, inching closer to him on the couch. “I just thought I’d take a peek. I’m still interested in data analysis and figured I could use the time to brush up a bit.”

Jotham’s voice carried a hint of frustration. “Why not just read some published books? Why insist on her unpublished work?”

Ramona’s papers were never officially released—they were specialized research notes, personal and confidential. When they first married, Ramona had trusted him enough to share them, and he had guarded them jealously ever since, unwilling to let anyone else see them.

“Please?” Brianna’s tone softened as she wrapped her arms around him, flashing him a winning smile. “I’m just curious what makes Ramona so brilliant. If I keep learning, I won’t be any worse than her.”

Jotham couldn’t resist her persistent charm. Reluctantly, he stood and retrieved a flash drive from his briefcase—a small device he carried everywhere, fully aware of its importance.

“Thank you, darling!” Brianna’s eyes lit up as she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

“Don’t keep it too long, and don’t make any copies. I want it back in a week.”

“I promise,” she said with a nod.

Later that night, the rain began to fall in heavy sheets, pounding relentlessly against the windows.

Nova awoke suddenly at the crash of thunder, her heart racing. She hurried to check that every window was securely shut against the storm.

A sudden, urgent pounding at the door startled her further.

“Who’s there?” she called out, her voice tense. It was far too late for a delivery.

Peering through the peephole, she saw nothing but darkness stretching down the empty hallway.

Her nerves frayed as the knocking returned, louder and more desperate. She stepped back, her voice sharper now. “Who is it? Stop this! If you don’t, I’ll call the police!”

“It’s me, Holden.”

The voice was weak, hoarse, barely audible above the sound of his labored breathing.

“Mr. Covington?” Nova’s anxiety spiked. “What are you doing here? Are you trying to get back at me?”

Outside her door, Holden sat slumped on the floor, one knee bent, clearly drunk and too exhausted to stand. Yet, her accusation seemed to stir some remaining strength in him, and he struggled to his feet.

“Get back at you…? You’re not worth the trouble,” he muttered, but then doubled over, vomiting violently.

The unpleasant sound made Nova’s brow furrow in disgust. Was this really how he sought revenge—by throwing up right outside her door?

“Mr. Covington, should I call the police, or do you want me to get you a cab?” she asked, weighing her options. It was already past 1 a.m., and she didn’t want to bother Ramona. Better to handle this herself. Judging by Holden’s state, he didn’t seem much of a threat tonight.

“You…” Holden’s voice cracked as he retched again, then slammed his fist against the door twice, anger flaring despite his weakness.

“I’m not here for revenge. Just let me in. I need to rest.”

“Why come here? Why not go home?”

“I don’t want to go home tonight.” He coughed, struggling to catch his breath. “Besides… this is all your fault. Nova, the scar on my palm isn’t even healed, and this is how you repay me…”

Nova, outwardly innocent but inwardly sharp as a viper, remembered how he had once saved her out of kindness—and how she had repaid him with false data, collaborating with Ramona to humiliate him. Impressive, indeed.

Melinda was furious with him; if he went home, he’d likely spend the entire night kneeling outside her door. But after what Ramona had told him earlier, his mind was a tangled mess. He didn’t know how to make sense of it all. All he wanted now was a place to crash and someone’s company.

He knew many people, but in truth, he had no real friends to turn to. Everyone around him either expected something or saw him as a means to an end. No one he could confide in.

At least Nova hated him—he could be honest about how miserable he felt.

“Actions have consequences,” Nova said firmly. “I just want to do my job. If you’d stop targeting Ramona, stop threatening me, and stop harassing me, I’d respect you as Mr. Covington—and maybe even repay the favor.” ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ find✦novel.net

Thinking back to how Holden had manipulated her that night, even lying about them sleeping together, any flicker of sympathy she might have felt vanished completely.

She ignored his continued pounding, refusing to open the door. But she didn’t call the police either—leaving him a shred of dignity.

Eventually, the hallway fell silent. Nova debated checking again, but the peephole revealed only darkness.

He must have left, right?

She cracked the door open slightly, beginning to relax, when suddenly a man’s body collapsed inside, hitting the floor with a heavy thud that nearly made her scream.

“Mr. Covington?”

The hallway light flicked on, revealing Holden sprawled on her doorstep—his cheeks flushed, hair tousled, clutching his coat tightly. The angry red scar on his palm was unmistakable.

Muttering under her breath, Nova braced herself and dragged Holden inside—just inside the doorway, no further.

“…Now we’re even,” she muttered, then set about cleaning up the mess at her door, grabbing a towel to wipe his face and hands.

The chapter closes on a somber note, highlighting the fractured connections and emotional turmoil threading through the characters’ lives. Jotham’s fading warmth toward Brianna contrasts sharply with the raw, unfiltered passion he witnesses in Ramona, underscoring the complex nature of love and loyalty. Meanwhile, the tension between Nova and Holden reveals the weight of past betrayals and unresolved conflicts, painting a portrait of two individuals caught in a delicate balance of resentment and reluctant compassion.

Despite the storm outside and the turmoil within, there remains a fragile sense of humanity binding these characters. Nova’s decision to care for a broken Holden, even as she holds him at arm’s length, speaks to the quiet moments of grace amid chaos. The chapter gently reminds us that beneath the layers of bitterness and pain, there are still chances for understanding and perhaps, eventually, redemption.

The next chapter promises to delve deeper into the tangled emotions and shifting alliances between Brianna, Jotham, and Ramona. As Brianna gains access to Ramona’s confidential research, the fragile balance of trust and betrayal teeters on the edge, hinting at revelations that could alter their relationships irrevocably. Jotham’s conflicted feelings and Brianna’s persistent charm set the stage for tension that will test loyalties and expose hidden motives.

Meanwhile, Holden’s unexpected arrival at Nova’s doorstep under such vulnerable circumstances opens a door to unresolved conflicts and raw emotions. Nova’s sharp wit and guarded demeanor contrast with Holden’s desperation, suggesting a complex dynamic that might evolve in surprising ways. The storm outside mirrors the turmoil within, promising moments of confrontation, reluctant compassion, and perhaps a reckoning that neither of them is fully prepared to face. Readers will be left wondering how these encounters will ripple through the lives of everyone involved.