On the Ruins of His Regret I Soar novel Chapter 263

When Jessica awoke, she was in an unfamiliar room. She lay on a soft bed in a space so dark she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. It must be nighttime. Her head was a chaotic mess of pain and confusion.

As she pushed herself up, a dull ache throbbing in her skull, she heard the faint, metallic scrape of a chain.

Confused, she instinctively reached for her ankle. Instead of warm skin, her fingers met cold, hard iron.

Lance had chained her up.

The realization sent a hot surge of fury through her, and she cursed him to hell and back. The man was insane.

Click.

Jessica flinched, her body tensing as she stared toward the source of the sound: the door.

Sure enough, it swung open, silhouetting Lance Smith’s frame as he entered, a tray in his hands. He walked toward her, each step echoing in the oppressive silence.

She tilted her head up, her hair a tangled mess across her face. “Lance, let me go now, and I won’t press charges. But if you keep this up, I swear I will make you pay.”

He ignored her, kneeling by the bed. “I brought you some dinner. You should eat something.”

“What the hell do you want?” she snarled.

Lance just smiled. He pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed, his expression eerily calm. “If we miss our appointment at the courthouse again, they’ll flag our case, making it much harder to finalize the divorce.”

He laughed. “Are you threatening me? With what? The Browns won’t help you. Rebecca Jones can barely save herself, let alone you. Even with the full backing of the Jones family, she’s no match for me, and she’s already cut those ties. Or are you pinning your hopes on that bodyguard? Let me tell you something. I’ve already hired mercenaries. He’s flying back with Mr. George today. And that’s when he dies.”

The color drained from Jessica’s face.

Lance watched her, his head tilted. “What’s with that expression? Are you worried about him? Do you care for him?” Before she could answer, he shot up, his hand clamping around her jaw, forcing her to look at him. “Jessica, you are my wife. There is no room in your heart or in your eyes for another man. His death will be mostly your fault. If you hadn't gotten so close to him, he wouldn't have to die.”

The pressure on her jaw was immense. She stared at him, her eyes wide and unblinking as huge, silent tears began to fall.

“You will pay for this,” she whispered.