BIT

Chapter 25

Harvey hesitated, torn between his concern for Alicia and the unexpected connection he had rekindled with Rebecca. His eyes darted between Rebecca’s pleading gaze and the phone, his mind racing. Rebecca’s grip tightened, her eyes silently begging him to

stay.

“I’m sorry, Becky, I have to go,” he said softly, his voice laced with guilt. “Alicia could be seriously hurt.”

Rebecca’s heart sank. She knew deep down that Harvey would always be there for Alicia, no matter what. But a part of her couldn’t let go–not now, not when she had just begun to feel something again.

“Harvey, please,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Just a little longer.”

Harvey swallowed hard, overwhelmed by his indecision. Suddenly, his phone vibrated with an incoming call from his assistant. “Yes, John?”

Harvey’s face immediately tensed. He released Rebecca’s grip on his wrist. “Alicia needs me, I really have to go.”

Rebecca felt a deep ache in her joints. Even though she had known it would end this way, she couldn’t avoid the disappointment in her heart. She stared blankly as Harvey’s back receded and disappeared through the hotel door, her tears beginning to fall one by one.

As she was getting dressed, her phone suddenly rang. She frowned at the unfamiliar number on the screen. Hesitantly, she pressed the green button and held the phone to her ear with curiosity.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, Harvey was just caught up in the moment, haha! He will always come back to me; he loves me more deeply than you think. Enjoy your loneliness, bitch! Want me to send you some sex toys? Hahaha!” The call ended. It was Alicia’s voice, and Rebecca was absolutely sure of it.

Rebecca gripped her phone tightly. “Damn it, Alicia!” she cursed angrily. She was tempted to tell Harvey about Alicia’s lies, but she had no proof since Alicia had called from a disposable number.

Her disappointment turned into anger. This was no longer about Harvey, but about her unresolved grudge against Alicia. She quickly ordered an online taxi to return to

Manhattan, an hour away.

wanted to do?

+81%

In the car, she was busy thinking about the quickest way to expose Alicia’s misdeeds. She couldn’t waste any more time and let that crazy woman go any further. Initially, she this only because of her loss of the unborn child, but now she also wanted. to do it for Harvey. She didn’t care if Harvey ended up with another woman who loved him, as long as it wasn’t Alicia.

“Ma’am? We’ve arrived at the hotel,” the Uber driver said, waking Rebecca from her nap in the passenger seat. Rebecca opened her eyes slowly, her head feeling heavy. After tipping the driver, she stepped out of the car and dragged her feet towards the hotel lobby. She glanced at her watch; it was one in the morning.

As she was passing the reception desk, suddenly, “Ms. Harper, Ma’am?”

Rebecca turned, surprised. “Yes?”

“There’s a package for you,” the receptionist said, quickly approaching Rebecca and extending a brown envelope. Rebecca frowned. “For me? From whom?”

The receptionist shook her head uncertainly. “You can refuse the package if you want, she said, trying to stay awake. Rebecca stared at the envelope for a few seconds, debating whether to accept it, but eventually, she took it. “Thanks.”

Once in her room, she hurriedly opened the brown envelope and was shocked to find a photograph inside. She squinted at the unclear picture.

“Shit! Alicia and who?” she muttered, struggling to identify the man sitting across from her. After scrutinizing the man closely, a realization hit her. She covered her mouth in shock. “Doctor Theo?”

She was stunned, wondering who had sent her the envelope, and found no clues until she finally fell asleep at 3:00 AM.

The next morning, Rebecca woke up in a foul mood because she had dreamed about

The slick marble staircase, the blood the incident when she lost her unborn child. running down her thigh, the intense pain in her abdomen–it all felt so real in her dream.

If it weren’t for a photoshoot with a magazine that day, she would have curled up in her hotel room all day. However, her desire to become famous and influential was powerful because she wanted everyone to listen when she had all the evidence to bring Alicia

down.

She dragged herself out of bed. The photo shoot was set to start at 9:00 AM, and she had barely enough time to prepare. She splashed cold water on her face, hoping it would wash away the remnants of her nightmare.

By 8:30, she was in an Uber heading to the studio. The city was already bustling, but she felt disconnected as if she were moving through a haze. Her phone buzzed in her bag, startling her out of her reverie. It was a message from Arnault Savorie’s staff, Julia. Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

‘Becky, we need you at your best today. You know, this shoot is crucial for your career, right?”

Rebecca sighed and typed a quick reply, ‘I’ll be there, don’t worry.”

The studio was a hive of activity when she arrived. Assistants hurried about, adjusting lights and setting up props. Julia spotted Rebecca and rushed over; her expression was a mix of relief and concern.

“Becky, you look… tired. Are you okay?” Julia asked, her voice laced with genuine worry. She hid the fact that she saw Rebecca return to the hotel with a sad face earlier this

morning.

“I’m fine, just had a rough night,” Rebecca replied, forcing a smile. “Let’s get this over with.”

Julia nodded, though her eyes lingered on Rebecca for a moment longer. “Alright, let’s get you to makeup.”

As Rebecca sat in the makeup chair, she closed her eyes, trying to push away the thoughts of Harvey and Alicia. But it was no use; they kept creeping back. She needed to focus and channel her emotions into the shoot.

“Rebecca, we’re ready for you,” called the photographer.

Rebecca took a deep breath and walked onto the set. The lights were blinding, but she welcomed the distraction. For the next few hours, she threw herself into the shoot, posing and smiling as directed. But underneath it all, a storm was brewing.

During a break, Rebecca checked her phone and saw eight missed calls from Nicholas. She frowned in confusion and then decided to call back.

“Hello?” A woman’s voice.

11:33 Wed, Aug 14 t

“Excuse me? Who are you?” Rebecca asked, straightening herself warily.

“I’m Emma, a nurse in the emergency unit at Santa Theresa Hospital, are you looking for Nicholas Bennett?”

Rebecca’s eyes widened suddenly. “Yeah, where is he?”

“He’s unconscious now, if you don’t mind, could you give us the contact information of

his family or close relatives?”

Rebecca felt her body go limp.