Chapter 7 of The Empress Who Buries Her Past

The city lights blurred around me as I walked, aimlessly at first, then with a growing sense of purpose. It was late, past midnight, the streets mostly empty. Familiar storefronts now displayed "For Lease" signs, grim reminders of the relentless march of time and progress. Every corner, every skyscraper, every gleaming facade whispered of Alec's influence, of our shared ambition. But now, it felt like a monument to my own foolishness.

Then I saw it. A giant digital billboard in Times Square, blazing with my face. My mug shot, taken at the police station after the media scrum, superimposed with bold, damning headlines: "Plagiarist Architect Caught in Cheating Scandal!" and "Cydney Frazier: The Fall of a Socialite!"

A small crowd had gathered, their faces illuminated by the harsh glow, their murmurs of contempt reaching me even from a distance. Someone pointed. "Look, it's her! The cheater!" A chorus of jeers erupted.

I turned and fled, ducking into a dark alleyway, my heart pounding. I thought I was safe, hidden in the shadows. But then, a rough hand clamped over my mouth, another around my waist. A thick, sweet-smelling cloth pressed against my nose and mouth. I struggled, but my vision swam, the world tilting. Darkness enveloped me.

I woke up bound to a cold metal chair, the rough ropes chafing my wrists. My head throbbed. The air was damp and stale, smelling of mildew and fear. Across from me, Billie was tied to another chair, her face tear-streaked and puffy. She looked far more pathetic than I did, despite having been subjected to the same ordeal. Her clothes were rumpled, her hair a mess, her carefully constructed facade completely undone.

Two hulking figures, their faces obscured by shadows, loomed over us. One of them held a phone to his ear, his voice low and menacing. "We have them, Johns. Both of them. Now, you tell us where the confidential files are, or your little girlfriend here gets hurt. And the wife... well, she's just collateral damage, isn't she?"

Billie whimpered, her tears flowing freely. "My arm still hurts, Alec! Please! Get us out of here!"

Alec's voice, distorted by the phone, was cold, devoid of any warmth. "Don't touch Billie. If a single hair on her head is harmed, you'll never see those files. Do what you want with Cydney. She's nothing to me."

The words hit me like a physical blow, even colder than the damp air in the room. She's nothing to me. The casual cruelty, the utter disregard for my life, my existence, left me numb.

The thug holding the phone chuckled, a harsh, grating sound. "You heard him, sweetheart. You're on your own." He released Billie, who immediately collapsed into a heap on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

Alec continued, his voice sharper now. "I've sent a dummy file. It'll buy me some time. You can have the real thing, but Billie comes back unharmed. As for Cydney... well, she's proven herself quite resourceful in the past. I'm sure she'll find her way out."

The thunder outside boomed, mirroring the storm raging within me. My heart had never felt so utterly, irrevocably cold. Alec's silhouette, illuminated by a flash of lightning, flickered and then vanished from my mind's eye. He was gone. He had abandoned me. Again.

The thug returned, his eyes glinting in the dim light. He grabbed Billie, roughly pulling her to her feet. "Looks like you just bought your freedom, little lady. Your boyfriend's a real piece of work, though. Only cares about one of you." He untied Billie, who stumbled towards the door, not even glancing back at me.

As she disappeared, the thug turned to me, a cruel smile on his face. "So, the wife. Not so important, are you? Husband throws you away like trash." He picked up a rusty blade from a nearby table, his eyes never leaving mine. He ran the dull edge across my cheek, a chilling caress. "Such a pretty face. Shame if anything happened to it."

I stared at him, my mind strangely clear. Alec. He had always taught me to see through the facade, to find the truth hidden beneath the surface. But he had forgotten his own lessons when it came to me. He had allowed himself to be blinded by Billie's manipulation, by his own ego. He had been so quick to believe her lies, to dismiss my pleas. He loved the idea of a fragile, vulnerable woman who needed him, not the strong, capable partner who stood by his side.

The thug, his patience wearing thin, snarled. "Since your husband won't give us what we want, you'll have to pay the price. You're going to be our new leverage." He raised the blade, his eyes cold and unforgiving.