Chapter & " Hands and feet are meant for walk and work . But a traitor doesn't deserve to keep them . " Bradley handed me a dagger . I toyed with it lazily , looking down on James from above . " I'll have your hand and foot tendons as payment . You can sever them yourself , or I'm glad to do it for you . " James's face twisted with defiance , until some thought seemed to dawn on him . His eyes widened with sudden realization . " No wonder you've changed . No wonder the woman who once obeyed me in everything suddenly turned cold , pushing for divorce again and again . " " It's because of him , isn't it ? I knew it ! Since we were kids you always preferred Erick . He outshone me in everything , treated you with more care than I ever did . Everyone said you two were meant to be . You only stayed with me because you thought Erick was dead , didn't you ? " " You thought he died in that war , so you settled for me . Now that he's back , you can't wait to run into his arms , is that it ? " I listened to his desperate accusations and found them laughable , so laughable I actually laughed out loud . " You're right . " " I should've chosen Erick from the start , not you . " James's expression saying " I knew it , " I spun the dagger in my hand and drove the blade into his ankle . I ripped away the so - called badge of honor he had once earned in my name and told him flatly , " The third needle . " Then came the next thrust , and another , swift , ruthless , and precise . The " badge of honor " was torn away mercilessly . " The fourth needle . " Blood sprayed . James clenched his jaw and refused to scream , though cold sweat drenched his hair . He forced a grim smile , his voice weak but bitter . " Lola Thomas ... you have no heart ! " " You're heartless ! " he croaked again , using the last of his strength to call my name . Chapter 8 80.00 % I didn't bother to answer . I only took the wipes Bradley handed me , clearing the blood from my hands , and tossed the wipes onto James's face . " Filthy . " " Lock James and Freya up together , " I ordered coolly . " Don't kill them . Not yet . " " As for the gift I prepared , bring it in . " Freya shrieked in panic . " Why are you dragging me in ?! " " Lola , what right do you have to do this to me ?! " I looked at her flailing like a cornered hen , my gaze shifting to James . I also wondered , what it would feel like for James when he learned that his genuine trust had been met with betrayal ? With bandages over his limbs wound by the doctor , James sat slumped against the wall of the holding room . His mind replayed nothing but the image of Erick leaving with me , that knowing smile on his face . He couldn't deny it , there had been love in this marriage . Real ones . He just couldn't figure out where everything had gone wrong . Until Bradley clapped his hands and servants carried in a projector and equipment . One of them spoke with professional calm : " Mr. Richards . The lady has prepared something special for you . We hope you enjoy it . " The screen lit up . James sat frozen , watching . On screen , I was scrolling through Freya's social media feed in a lobby . Then , I tried connected James . But first came the busy tone when I tried his number , so I sent a video call to him instead . Finally someone picked up , but it was Freya on the other side , her smile bright and poisonous . " Lola , do you know why James loves me but not you ? " Her voice dropped to a whisper , sharp enough to pierce his ears even from the recording . " Because James could never be sure when your parents ' inheritance would fall into your hands . And he was desperate , desperate to survive and develop in this world of jungle . To get what he wanted , he needed a sacrifice . " Chapter 8 80.00 % She smiled , cruel and triumphant . " So your child ... was the offering . " Suddenly everything made sense . The pieces fell into place . All the mysteries that had trapped James were now laid bare . He finally understood why I had gone this far , and why I had brought up the past again . Back to the video , I was sitting in the suffocating silence of the lobby , then zoned out for a while and eventually turned to my butler . " Bradley ... " In "Cinderella's Glass Slipper: The One I’ve Always Loved" by CrushReel, a heartfelt romance unfolds between a woman and the president she has long admired since youth. Overcoming insecurities about her appearance, she finds herself working closely with him as his assistant, leading to unexpected twists and turns in their relationship. This modern romance novel explores themes of self-acceptance, unrequited love, and the dynamics of power and attraction in an office setting. 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