I'm In Love With My Bestfriend's Billionaire Fiance!
Chapter 86: The Journey Of The Blackmailed!

Chapter 86: The Journey Of The Blackmailed!

(Casey’s POV)

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That morning, Lena remained quiet, her silence speaking volumes more than any words ever could. She moved around the room softly, gracefully, as if trying not to disturb the stillness between us—but it was already shattered. I could feel it, the space that had grown between us, delicate yet undeniably present. She didn’t have to say anything for me to know that something still lingered, unresolved, just beneath the surface of her calm expression.

Even though we had shared something powerful the night before, something that felt like a step toward healing, I understood that it wasn’t enough. Not yet. We had reached an impasse, a quiet crossroads where both of us had drawn invisible lines in the sand. She had made her position clear—not out of spite, but out of pain, out of longing for something real and whole.

If I was ever going to win her back, if I truly wanted to hold her heart again, I knew what I had to do. I had to meet her where she stood—with truth, with vulnerability. No half-measures. No more carefully curated pieces of myself. Just honesty. Because she deserved that. Because love demanded that. And because, without her, the silence in the room would only grow louder.

Still, I couldn’t bring myself to tell her—not yet. The weight of everything swirling around me, the secrets involving Maven, the looming presence of Zayn... it was all too much, too tangled, too dangerous. And as much as I hated keeping her in the dark, I did it out of love, out of a fierce, desperate need to protect her from the chaos threatening to break us apart.

I saw the hurt in her eyes and felt the chill in the air whenever she passed me without a word. Her silence wasn’t just stubbornness—it was a message, a boundary. She needed more from me. She needed truth. Vulnerability. Openness. But I wasn’t ready to give her that—not when everything felt so fragile.

She had made her stance clear: until I opened up, she would withhold herself. And though that pained me more than she could ever know, I held onto one hope—when all of this was over, when the dust settled and the truth no longer posed a threat, she would understand. She would see that every withheld word, every guarded look, wasn’t rejection—it was love in its rawest, most protective form.

I was still sprawled across the bed, the warmth of the sheets wrapped around my bare skin, when she stepped out of the bathroom. Her hair was still damp, framing her face in soft waves as she slipped into the dress she had brought with her the night before. She had come prepared, and part of me had hoped that meant she intended to stay—at least longer than just the night. But from the quiet way she moved, from the way she avoided looking too long in my direction, I knew the truth. She wasn’t planning to come back tonight.

I watched her silently, memorizing every gesture, every quiet breath, wanting to hold onto the small pieces of her before she left. When she came around to say goodbye, I leaned in, hoping—aching—for a kiss. But she pulled back gently, her eyes soft but resolute. "Take care," she whispered, offering only a small wave before walking out the door.

I didn’t follow. I stayed exactly where I was, lying bare on the bed. Not out of seduction, not as an invitation—I knew that wouldn’t change her mind. It was for me. A quiet symbol of surrender. I wanted her to think I had no plans, that I’d spend the day wrapped in silence, waiting, maybe even hurting. But beneath that stillness was a purpose. I had somewhere to be. I had to get to Parallel City. But before I could face what awaited me there... I had to survive her absence.

The moment Lena left my house, I jumped off the bed. I had a lot of work to do. I hurried to the bathroom to freshen up while I dialed Kraven’s number.

"Hello?" Kraven said groggily across the phone.

"What the fuck, man? Are you still sleeping? Have you forgotten you’re coming with me to Parallel City?" I demanded as I brushed my teeth furiously.

"I’m ready for you, you just tell me where and when."

"Right now! I’d be watched, so I don’t want whoever is watching me to notice you following me. You’ll be on guard, monitoring my movement and see who else, besides you, is trailing me."

"I can do that," Kraven assured me.

"I know. So, wait for me at the Paragon Gates, you’ll see me drive out of the estate. You can start following me then."

"As you wish," Kraven replied.

Without another word, I ended the call, the click echoing in the silence of the room like a closing door behind me. My heart pounded in my chest as I moved quickly, almost frantically, into the bathroom. The shower hissed to life, hot water scalding my skin, but I barely felt it. I scrubbed hard, as if I could wash away the unease clinging to me. The sensation of being watched hadn’t left me since dawn. I couldn’t tell if it was paranoia or something worse—something real, unseen, creeping just beyond the edge of my awareness.

Minutes later, I was out again. I dressed in silence, throwing on the simplest clothes I owned—dark jeans, a faded hoodie, and a pair of worn sneakers. I tugged a cap over my hair and slid on a pair of mirrored sunglasses, hoping the layers would make me invisible. The last thing I needed was to be spotted, recognized... followed.

As I reached for my phone on the nightstand, it buzzed—loud, insistent. My breath hitched. The screen lit up with a single message.

It was from Maven.

No greeting. No warning.

Just a string of numbers and letters.

An address.

In Parallel City.

My fingers went cold as I stared at it, a chill running down my spine. There was no context. No explanation. Just that silent command. Because we both knew the truth; at this moment, I was his to command. And until I changed that narrative, I was going to be susceptible to more orders like this.

I stood there frozen, the air growing heavy around me, the tension wrapping tighter like invisible wire.

Whatever lay at that address wasn’t just a meeting.

It was a reckoning.

"Where the fuck is this?" I muttered as I stared at my phone angrily.

With a tense breath caught in my throat, I stepped out of the house and locked the door behind me. The morning air was sharp, too quiet, like the world was holding its breath. I had a deadline to meet, but my thoughts were consumed by the address Maven had sent. The text still lingered on my phone like a threat dressed as a whisper.

Sliding into the driver’s seat, I shut the door and allowed a few seconds to pass, just listening—to the wind, the ticking of the cooling engine, my heartbeat drumming against my ribs. Then I tapped the address into the mapping system. My stomach twisted as the GPS zeroed in.

Rotary Supermarket.

I stared at the screen, blinking in disbelief. "What the fuck..." I muttered, squinting like the address might suddenly rearrange itself into something more sinister, more fitting.

But it didn’t change.

Maven had sent me to a damn supermarket.

A very public, very popular one.

I sat back, hands gripping the steering wheel as my mind raced. This wasn’t a joke. Maven never joked. If he said he wanted me to go shopping, there was more to it. There had to be. But what?

Was this a front? A cleverly disguised operation hiding in plain sight? Was I walking into a trap? A frame-up waiting to unfold with surveillance cameras, planted evidence, and a perfectly timed police tip? Would I be caught holding something I never bought, saying something I never said?

My fingers trembled slightly as I restarted the engine.

If this was a setup, it was elaborate—and public. That alone made it all the more unnerving.

Because it meant that Maven didn’t care who watched.

He wanted me seen.

And whatever was waiting for me at Rotary Supermarket... it had already begun.

The weight of it all pressed against my chest like a slab of concrete. It was becoming unmistakably clear—this wasn’t just some high-stakes errand or a test of loyalty. This was something darker, deeper, and far more dangerous than I’d allowed myself to believe. The air around me crackled with the kind of tension you can’t see but feel—like a live wire humming under your skin.

And yet... I couldn’t back out.

I was already buried too deep. Too many secrets, too many lies. My relationship with Lena was hanging by a thread, delicate as spider silk, and Maven—he had me in a chokehold. A leash wrapped tight around my throat. Every move I made, every breath I took, he was there, tugging the strings.

But I wasn’t going in blind.

Kraven would be with me. A man with a reputation soaked in blood and steel nerves. If anyone could keep me alive, it was him. And with Kraven watching my back, I’d play Maven’s twisted little game... but I’d also be watching. Calculating. Waiting for that one crack in his armor.

Because when the time came, I wouldn’t hesitate.

I’d make him regret ever thinking he could blackmail me.

I slid the key into the ignition, the engine growling to life beneath my fingertips like a beast eager to run. My pulse synced with the low roar of the car. The city beyond the garage was just beginning to stir, unaware of the war quietly building beneath its surface.

With a flick of my wrist, I twisted the wheel and reversed out of the garage. The tires screeched lightly against the pavement as I pulled into the street, the morning light casting long, ominous shadows across the asphalt.

Then I floored it.

Whatever waited for me... I was coming.

This was the start of my journey; the journey of the blackmailed.