---- Chapter 9 Kiley stared, her mouth slightly agape. She couldn' t believe what she had just heard. Isiah didn' t notice her. He was completely focused on Gloria, his face a pathetic mask of desperation. He began to kowtow, slamming his forehead against the stone floor. "Please, Gloria, please," he chanted. "I can' t go to prison. Our empire... | can' t let it fall. | need to be here to protect it. For us." Gloria looked over at Kiley. "Did you hear that?" she called out, her voice laced with cruel amusement. "He chose a USB drive over you. How does it feel to be worth less than a piece of plastic?" Kiley' s face crumpled. A raw, wounded wail escaped her lips. She stumbled toward Isiah. "How could you?" she shrieked. "After everything! | love you! I'm carrying your child!" She tried to grab his arm, but he kicked out, sending her sprawling onto the ground. "Get away from me, you stupid bitch!" he snarled. "This is all your fault! ---- Kiley pushed herself up, her eyes blazing with a newfound fury. "We can start over, Isiah! You' re brilliant! We can build it all back, just the two of us: Gloria let out a short, sharp laugh. "Build it back? With what?" she said, looking at Kiley as if she were an insect. "His talent was a product | manufactured. His opportunities were gifts | gave him. His entire success was built on my foundation." She gestured around the cavern. "What, exactly, do you bring to the table? A great social media presence?" Isiah' s head snapped up. His expression shifted again, the desperation replaced by a cunning, hopeful light. He turned his gaze fully on Gloria. "You' re right," he said, his voice suddenly smooth and intimate. "It' s always been you. Only you. We can have another child, Gloria. We can adopt. Or... or we can take Kiley ' s baby. We can raise it as our own. As Hope' s replacement." Kiley' s shriek was one of pure, incredulous horror. "You would give away our baby?" "Shut up!" Isiah roared at her, his face contorted with rage. "It's just a thing! It doesn' t matter!" Gloria' s smile vanished. ---- Without a word, she drew a small, sharp knife from a sheath hidden in her dress. In one fluid motion, she bent down and sliced through the back of Isiah' s ankle. He screamed as his Achilles tendon severed. He collapsed, writhing on the floor in agony. He clutched his bleeding ankle, but his eyes were still fixed on Gloria, pleading. "You can' t let them expose this," he gasped. "You can control them. You can control everyone." He still believed she was omnipotent. He still believed she would save him. Marcus spoke up, his voice calm and clear. "All the guests here have their own secrets, Mr. Flynn. Ms. Franco has leverage on every single one of them. They won' t talk." A desperate, manic hope flared in Isiah' s eyes. "You see?" he cried. "We' re safe!" "But there is one person in this room with no secrets," Marcus continued, his gaze shifting to the arena. "One person with nothing to lose." Isiah went rigid. His head turned slowly, mechanically, toward the pit. ---- Toward Kiley. Kiley, who was staring back at him, her face a blank slate of dawning realization. She was the loose end. The only one who could talk without fear of reprisal. "No," Isiah whispered, his voice trembling. "It wasn' t my fault. It was her... she made me do it. And you... you pushed me to it, Gloria. You were always suffocating me." He was trying to rewrite history, even now. Suddenly, with a surge of adrenaline, he lunged. He ignored his mangled ankle, crawling across the floor with terrifying speed. He snatched the remote control from Gloria' s hand. His finger hovered over a button. A button marked with the image of a dog. He looked at Kiley, his eyes no longer human. "I'm sorry," he whispered. And he pressed it. In "A Relationship Kept in The Dark" by CrushReel, the storyline unfolds as renowned photographer Jane finds herself drawn to the charismatic rookie model, Hector. Little does she know that Hector harbors a secret—he is actually the heir to a powerful business empire. As their romance blossoms, Hector grapples with concealing his true identity to capture Jane's heart. However, their love story takes a tumultuous turn when jealousy rears its ugly head, threatening to unravel the delicate balance they've built. This modern romance novel delves into themes of hidden identities, unexpected love, and the complexities of maintaining a relationship shrouded in secrecy. With its blend of sweet romance and suspenseful twists, "A Relationship Kept in The Dark" stands out for its exploration of hidden feelings and the consequences of revealing long-held secrets. For readers seeking a captivating tale that combines elements of romance, intrigue, and emotional depth, this ongoing story is available to read at CrushReel. Immerse yourself in the world of Jane and Hector as their journey unfolds against the backdrop of hidden truths and heartfelt revelations.