Empire 87

This chapter makes a quiet but clear adjustment to the story. Small choices and brief pauses point the plot in a new direction. The shift is steady, not loud, and it sets up what comes next.

A few actions and reactions stand out. A held-back answer, a quick decision, or a look that lingers changes how characters see each other. These beats feel small now but carry weight forward.

Emotions sit just under the surface. The tone shows doubt, hope, or pressure even when the words stay measured. What is not said guides the scene as much as what is spoken.

Earlier choices and old tensions shape how people act here. History does not repeat, but it limits and nudges. The present is easier to read when the past is kept in view.

Trust, distance, and leverage shift by degrees. Roles adjust, and the space between characters changes shape. By the end, connections are not exactly what they were.

Objects, gestures, and setting notes do quiet work. They mirror the mood and hint at motives. Paying attention to them clarifies what is at stake.

Short remarks, paused replies, and choices made too quickly point to what will matter soon. The chapter plants markers that future scenes will pick up.

A few sentences carry the heart of the scene. They show fear, resolve, or longing in simple words. These are the lines that will echo next chapter.

Chapter 87

Ramona couldn’t help but feel a flush rise in her chest.

Inviting Ethan out on Valentine’s Day–what if he got the wrong idea?

She’d reserved the most luxurious private suite on the top floor, its three walls of floor–to–ceiling windows offering a breathtaking panorama of Havencrest City’s glittering nightscape.

As dusk deepened, the atmosphere inside grew calm, almost serene.

Suddenly, Ramona’s phone buzzed. It was a call from Jotham. She meant to swipe it away, but her finger slipped, and she accidentally answered.

“Ramona?”

Jotham’s voice came through at once, and by the time she tried to hang up, it was too late.

He hadn’t expected her to pick up, either; there was a hint of surprise in his tone. Maybe Ramona’s anger had finally cooled.

“What is it?” Ramona replied, voice cold and edged with irritation.

“It’s Valentine’s Day. If you’re not busy, I made a reservation. Maybe we could-”

She cut him off before he could finish, something flickering across her mind, and a faint smile tugged at her lips.

“How’s Ms. Prescott? She fainted yesterday, didn’t she? I’m sure she could use some company. Isn’t this the perfect occasion to spend with her?”

Her words dripped with sarcasm, but her tone was soft and sweet, so Jotham didn’t catch a thing.

He replied, his voice low and tense, “Ramona, you’re overthinking again. Why would I spend Valentine’s Day with Brianna? She’s not well, but I have no obligation to look after her.”

No obligation?

Then what about all those years, every Valentine’s, when Ramona had hurried home to prepare everything, only for Jotham to drift in long after midnight?

There was even a time Ramona caught the scent of unfamiliar perfume on his shirt.

But she had always trusted him. He’d said it was a client’s, and she never doubted him, she even felt sorry for him.

For six years together, she’d done everything a good wife was supposed to do. She gave him all her trust, all her effort, and what little love she had left. And he’d destroyed it all with his own hands.

Ramona had grown up without family warmth, had no close friends to speak of. She never depended on anyone, nor expected to be loved. Her feelings were precious to her, so she guarded them carefully, afraid of getting hurt. But with Jotham, she’d let her guard down completely, leaving herself

no retreat.

Thinking of how her past had been wrapped in lies, Ramona’s anger surged. Without another word, she hung up.

1/3

19:03

“Ramona?”

2

Jotham stared at his phone, the call abruptly ended, unable to hide his disappointment.

She was throwing herself into work now, and he knew, deep down, these last two years he’d let her down. Ramona had wanted to celebrate Valentine’s Day every year, but every time, he was with

Brianna and their child.

Jotham sat alone in an upscale restaurant, downing half a bottle of red wine in one go.

He should have felt angry at the thought of Ramona, but instead, something inside him felt hollow, an aching sense of loss.

Was it the feeling of losing control? Or was he just unable to let Ramona go completely?

He stayed there until closing time, eventually drinking himself into oblivion.

It wasn’t long before Brianna arrived. Seeing him slumped over the table, her heart clenched.

“Jotham…”

She’d spent the whole evening calling him, but he never answered. The last call was picked up by a waiter, who told her he was drunk. She rushed over as soon as she got the address.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put you in this position…”

All her grievances and indignation vanished when she saw how wretched he looked.

When she’d first met Jotham, he’d still been practically a boy, yet already mature and charismatic, composed, never losing control of his emotions. The Jotham she knew would never allow himself to get drunk in public like this.

There were faint tear stains on his face. Clearly, everything that had happened between them had pushed him to his limit.

Brianna’s heart ached all the more. With the staff’s help, she managed to get him into her car.

As she looked at him, lifeless in the passenger seat, she frowned and brushed his cheek gently. Just as she leaned in to kiss his lips, Jotham suddenly murmured, “Ramona… Don’t do this to me…”

He seized Brianna’s hand, pulling her into his arms, but every word that escaped his lips was

Ramona’s name.

Brianna’s eyes went wide. For a moment, it felt like a blade had pierced her heart.

She sat there, stunned, before finally pushing him away. “Jotham! Are you in love with her?”

But Jotham was too drunk to respond, barely moving except to mutter Ramona’s name again and again. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ Find[ɴ]ovel.net

“Ramona, forgive me…”

“You…” Brianna couldn’t take it anymore. Her anger boiled over. She slapped him hard across the face and stormed out of the car.

Back in the private suite, Ramona waited until late into the night, but Ethan never showed.

She glanced at her phone. The last call she’d received was from Ethan, two and a half hours ago, he’d said something urgent had come up and he’d be late.

A waiter approached, looking apologetic. “Ma’am, I’m so sorry, but we’re about to close for the night.”

Ramona looked up, it was already half past eleven. Most of the lights outside had gone dark. The city was plunged into the deep hush of midnight.

“Alright. I’ll be on my way.”

Chapter 88

The scene closes, but its pressure does not. Something has shifted, and the next step will have to meet it. The feeling is unfinished on purpose.

Expect tighter tension and fewer safe options. Hidden truths may press forward. The path ahead should feel earned and a bit sharper.

Which choice will echo the longest? Who revealed the most by saying the least? How might today’s restraint become tomorrow’s turning point?

Rules, memory, and the setting frame each decision. Inside that frame, even small moves gain size. The chapter belongs to its world as much as to its people.

With this chapter done, the story steps forward—quieter, clearer, and ready to show what those choices mean.