Free Web NovelChapter 37: Chapter 37 Breaking Point
Derek’s POV
I ripped those diary pages from Serena’s grip, my hands trembling with a fury I could barely contain.
Watching her touch something that belonged to Bella sent waves of pure rage coursing through my veins. Every fiber in my body screamed for release.
"Look at yourself! You’re a liar hiding things from me. You never mentioned that worthless girl had feelings for you!" she shrieked, spitting out Bella’s name like venom.
Of course she remembered Bella. During our friendship years, Bella practically lived at my place or we’d hang out together constantly.
That’s how I’d encounter Serena with her father during business meetings. She’d always attempt to strike up conversations with me, but we never clicked.
I only had one true friend, and she was everything to me.
"Don’t you dare speak about her that way ever again," I snarled, my finger inches from her face, eyes blazing.
Heat flooded my system like molten lava, threatening to make my skull burst from the pressure building inside.
"Where exactly did you find these pages?" I demanded through gritted teeth.
She must have sensed that continuing this fight would only fuel my anger, particularly when she disrespected Bella.
"Answer me! Where did you get your hands on these?" I roared.
She flinched, stumbling backward to create space between us.
"Your father handed them to me," she confessed, throwing him under the bus. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
I bolted from the room to track down my father immediately.
Serena scrambled behind me, attempting to catch my arm, but I yanked free and continued marching toward his quarters.
When I reached his room, I discovered he wasn’t there.
Fortunate for him.
I spun around to return to my bedroom, with Serena still pursuing me relentlessly.
"What’s wrong with you? Why are you behaving like I’ve murdered someone? This isn’t personal, I simply need to understand whether Bella returned for you?"
she questioned, bombarding me with endless inquiries.
I’d already endured minutes of her interrogation, from asking whether I still harbored feelings for Bella, to questioning if anything romantic had occurred between us, to implying that Bella had come back specifically for me.
I refused to acknowledge any of it.
Instead, I retrieved my duffel bag from the wardrobe and began cramming clothing inside.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice shifting from hysteria to worry.
"I don’t owe you any explanations," I replied coldly, moving to my desk to collect important documents.
"Yes, you do! You have obligations to me.
Derek, we’re husband and wife, remember that!" she yelled, positioning herself between me and the closet.
She seized my shirt collar, attempting to shake me, though her strength barely affected me.
I gazed down at her with ice-cold eyes. She must have recognized my expression because she gasped and tightened her hold on my collar.
"You’re not going anywhere," she declared, a tear sliding down her face.
I despised watching her weep, but it couldn’t alter my decision.
This place no longer felt like home. There was somewhere else calling me, someone I desperately needed to see.
"I’m not abandoning you," I stated evenly, forcing composure into my voice. If I exploded now, she’d never step aside.
"Then explain where you’re headed?" she pleaded, her voice cracking.
"I’m traveling to a neighboring town where several incidents require investigation," I fabricated.
That destination was completely false. I was driving straight to the woman I craved to be with above all others.
"I planned to pack tomorrow, but this argument convinced me that departing immediately would be wise," I explained, hoping this excuse would satisfy her concerns.
"Absolutely not! When couples argue, they should remain together and resolve their issues rather than fleeing. Separation only creates deeper problems," she protested, insisting I remain.
"It’s crucial that I leave tonight. If you want to prevent this situation from worsening, release me." I clenched my jaw while speaking, desperately trying to sound rational, as if temporary separation was our only viable option.
"Why? Are you this furious simply because I disrespected her name?" she asked, striking exactly where it hurt most.
I was livid. Bella’s private diary entries had been violated, and my father had weaponized them to poison Serena’s mind against her.
I acknowledged hurting Bella previously, but deep within my heart, I knew she remained blameless, completely innocent and untainted.
Whatever transpired between us was our collective responsibility. We became selfish and blind to the circumstances that isolated her.
Numerous factors had driven my decision to sever contact with Bella back then, but now I was liberated. I was an Alpha in my own right, finally capable of making independent choices.
"No," I replied, shaking my head firmly. "I’m upset because Dad attempted to manipulate our marriage."
My words were nothing more than calculated manipulation designed to calm her nerves and convince her to move aside.
Exactly as I anticipated, her hands released my collar, and her expression began softening.
"If you genuinely value our relationship and want to prevent this argument from escalating further, you’ll allow me to leave. You’ll give me space to process and cool down," I told her, watching her nod reluctantly.
Thankfully, I successfully manipulated her into compliance.
I grabbed my bag, zipped it shut, and stormed from the room. I knew precisely where I was heading to find Bella.
My initial destination was a roadside motel, where I intended to spend the night because I desperately required rest.
After checking in, I immediately attempted calling someone Bella.
During my first several attempts, words failed me completely. My emotions felt too overwhelming. When I finally managed to speak, she seemed skeptical of my sincerity and disconnected the call.
That didn’t diminish my determination to see her.
I finished my whiskey and entered the motel room to rest.
Once the alcohol cleared my system, I planned to reclaim Bella, the woman I’d been forced to abandon because of my father’s past manipulations.
