---- Chapter 9 Branson Ayers POV: The call wouldn't go through. \'The number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please check the number and try again.\" | stared at my phone, the robotic female voice echoing in the dead silence of my study. My thumb hit the redial button again. And again. The same message. She had disconnected her number. My hand tightened around the phone, the knuckles turning white. An unfamiliar, searing anger ripped through me. How dare she? How dare she cut me off? |, Branson Ayers, was the one who ended things. | was the one who discarded people. Not the other way around. Especially not by some insignificant, working-class girl who should have been grateful for the two years of attention I'd granted her. \'Looks like your little toy soldier went AWOL,\" Hanson drawled from the doorway, a smirk playing on his lips. He was leaning against the frame, the picture of casual indifference. \"Blocked you? Good. Saves us the trouble of dumping her.\" ---- His words were like gasoline on a fire. The fury in my chest surged, hot and uncontrollable. This feeling-this loss of control-it was infuriating. Ally was supposed to be predictable. Pliable. She was supposed to wait for me to tire of her, to accept her fate with quiet tears and then disappear. She wasn't supposed to take the initiative. \"Shut up, Hanson,\" | snapped, my voice colder than | intended. | slammed my phone down on the polished mahogany desk, the sound cracking through the tense air. | took a deep breath, forcing down the irrational rage. This was a simple logistical problem. | picked up my desk phone and dialed my personal assistant. \'Find Ally Gomez,\" | commanded, my voice clipped. Vl want to know where she is. You have five minutes.\" The next three hundred seconds were the longest of my life. The air in the room grew heavy, charged with my impatience. Hanson watched me, a curious, mocking glint in his eyes as he lit a cigarette. The phone rang. \"Mr. Ayers,\" my assistant' s voice was hesitant. \"Miss Gomez officially withdrew from Kingston University this morning. Her flight to London Heathrow departed three hours ago.\" ---- London. The word hung in the air. She hadn' t just run. She had fled the country. She knew. She must have figured it all out. The scholarship. Hanson. All of it. The realization hit me not with guilt, but with a fresh wave of blinding rage at having my carefully constructed game so spectacularly dismantled. \'Find out where she' s staying,\" | snarled into the phone. \ "What school she' s transferred to. | want every detail.\" \"Damn,\" Hanson let out a low whistle after | hung up, blowing a perfect smoke ring toward the ceiling. \'She really ran. Have to admit, I'm a little disappointed. | was starting to enjoy her. That body, the way she-\" Vl said, shut up,\" | cut him off, my voice a low growl. My gaze was so sharp, so filled with a sudden, violent possessiveness that it even took me by surprise. Hanson' s smirk faltered. He looked at me, really looked at me, and his eyes narrowed. \"What's the matter, big brother?\" he taunted, stepping into the room. \'Getting a little attached to your pawn? Don't tell me you actually started to like her.\" He was goading me, and it was working. \'Don't be ridiculous,\" | scoffed, loosening my tie, which suddenly felt tight enough to choke me. ---- \'Good\" Hanson said, his smile returning, predatory and sharp. \"Because I'm not done with her. | think | might follow her to London. A little change of scenery could be fun. Maybe | can convince her to pick things up where we left off. | mean, I'm the one she was sleeping with for two years. She probably likes me more anyway.\" \'No.\" The word shot out of my mouth, sharp and absolute. Hanson raised an eyebrow. \"No? What do you mean, no?\" \'l mean you're not going anywhere near her,\" | said, my voice dangerously low. \'And why the hell not?\" he challenged, his amusement turning to defiance. \"You got what you wanted. Kennedy has her scholarship. You' re done with Ally. So what's it to you if | want to have a little fun with your leftovers?\" | was speechless. He was right. | had no claim on her. | had no logical reason to stop him. She was nothing to me. A means to an end. So why did the thought of Hanson touching her, of him even speaking to her again, feel like a physical violation? Why did it ignite this primal, territorial rage deep in my gut? \"You are not to go to London,\" | repeated, my voice hard as steel, unable to provide a reason beyond the raw, inexplicable command. Hanson just laughed, a short, sharp sound of derision. He ---- pulled out his own phone, his thumbs flying across the screen. \'Too late,\" he said, not looking up. \'Already texting Dad's assistant to arrange the transfer. London School of Economics, here | come. Like you always say, brother, it's important to finish what you start.\" Title: A Princess? No! I'm the Female General! In "A Princess? No! I'm the Female General!" by CrushReel, Adela Taylor, a noble family's daughter, disguises herself as her brother to secure their Duke title by joining the army. Despite facing obstacles, she achieves remarkable success. However, upon her triumphant return, her brother betrays her, setting off a chain of events that will test her resolve and reveal hidden truths. This captivating novel delves into themes of secrets, reincarnation, revenge, murder, and drama. Adela's journey from deception to betrayal is filled with intrigue and suspense as she navigates through a world where power dynamics and family loyalties collide. 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