Chapter 58: Chapter 58

- What did you say? Megan asked, her voice choked.

Missy, on the other hand, just remained frozen beside her, unable to believe what Suzan had just said.

- Oh, don't pretend you didn't hear. – Suzan laughed, relaxed – Logan was part of my plan to separate you from Liam all along. In fact, he was the one who gave me all the weapons I needed. - She shrugged, satisfied - Some time ago, he caught me and Liam in a compromising position in one of the studios and, well, I never could understand why he looked so angry that that idiot was cheating on you. – She scrutinized Missy up and down shrewdly – At first I thought he saw it as something that could hurt the fragile little heart of a poor thing he considered family… And, for that, we denied that we had anything, of course . No one wants to piss off the boss, after all. But one day he just walked up to me and threw all those pictures and video at me. And he said I should do something with it. – Suzan smirked, making Missy's stomach turn – So I did. When could I imagine that all of this was just his plan to get what he wanted? Which, inexplicably, was you? Or maybe none of us should be surprised. We all know Logan's reputation for being relentless when it comes to achieving a goal. - She shrugged, mockingly, before looking Missy deep in the eyes, opening a huge and evil smile - And you're right not to want to let go of that bone, darling. I also wouldn't let go of a man who was able to manipulate and set up such a big circus just to get me into his bed...

- Shut the fuck up! – Megan was the first of the two to come out of her stupor, advancing towards Suzan with her finger raised, in order to put herself between her and her sister – Just wait until Logan finds out that you are inventing this kind of lie about him! You will never find a job in this country again...!

- Don't believe me, Sutton? – She laughed, delighted, before looking at Missy – Are you really so blind as not to agree that Logan would even be able to fire me, to prevent his dirty little secret from leaking out? Very well, why don't you go to his office then? I'm sure he and his brothers are still there, discussing what to do after my kind visit. – Suzan casually threw her hair over her shoulder – But maybe they're right: even if you had heard all that from his mouth, it would still be very easy for him to manipulate you, wouldn't it, dear? She smiled at Missy so widely that her teeth showed, almost like a predator's smile.

- Enough! – Megan roared, possessed, now talking only to the security guards – Take her away from here and make sure she never sets foot in that agency again! she practically ordered, pointing at the elevator with fury as the door opened again.

- Yes, Miss. Sutton. – one of the security guards, who until then seemed very interested in listening to that conversation, cleared his throat quickly, getting the tip of his ears red, probably because he had been blatantly interested in the scene in front of him for so long – Hurry up, Stra. Foster. It's caused enough trouble for a lifetime.

- Oh, I wouldn't count on it. – Suzan shamelessly winked at both sisters – I would say that my grand finale is about to begin. See you soon, darling. She waved her fingers, finally walking towards the elevator haughtily, throwing one last wickedly satisfied look in Missy's direction, before the elevator doors closed, taking her away from them, this time, hopefully, forever.

- Miserable bitch... – Megan snarled, before turning to Missy – Missy... Missy, don't make that face, please, you know none of that is true! – she exclaimed anxiously, putting her hands on Missy's face, almost as if she wanted to erase the expression of shock and despair that was there – She's just making all this up to try to end your happiness, since her pride is hurt because I didn't get what I wanted.

- I-I... I know... - Missy swallowed hard, feeling her throat tighten - I... I just didn't expect her to come up with something like that. But of course Logan would never be involved with something that did me so much harm, just to win me over... - She gave a shaky smile, which certainly looked more like a tearful grimace - He wouldn't be able to do something like that... It is not?

- Of course not! – Her sister stated, determined – He loves you, Missy! And I'm going to prove it to you right now! – she took Missy's hand in a firm grip, gently leading her down the corridor – We're going to Logan's office right now to clear all this up! And once he recants that big motherfucker, you can break the big news to him and everything will be fine! - Megan said, without even a shadow of a doubt, and Missy tried desperately to hold on to the certainty in her tone as her heart beat in an odd rhythm, almost as if she was afraid it would break at some point.

Simon's desk was empty, as they knew he would be, so the two of them walked straight to the door without any hesitation. However, as soon as Megan put her hand on the doorknob and was ready to turn it, a man's muffled voice, which, even though it was a little distorted by the distance, Missy recognized as Paul's, made both of them immediately freeze.

- But this situation cannot continue as it is, Logan! Paul exclaimed, looking equally exasperated and worried.

- Certainly not! – Devon's voice agreed, looking irritated – It's very cowardly of you to be feeding this farce, trying to cover up your mistakes...

- Do you really think I believe you would act differently in my place? - Logan growled - Don't you dare use that tone of voice with me, Devon! If the situation were reversed, I wouldn't let you risk losing Megan.

- I didn't allow that to happen to you either! – Devon spat, disgusted – Haven't I been keeping that dirty little secret of yours since I discovered it, hiding it even from my own wife, just to help you? So don't you dare act like you're right here, Logan! You were the one who made the worst possible decision and compromised all the happiness you have now! If I had only listened to the advice of the whole family two years ago, I wouldn't be in the middle of this situation, being blackmailed by a freeloader who could, at any moment, tell Missy the truth...

- This will not happen! – Logan growled dangerously – She knows me well enough to know that I would make her regret being born if she did that!

- So you plan to keep lying to Missy forever? – Devon shouted, angry – Do you want to hide forever a secret from the woman you love? Do you want to wake up next to her every day, knowing that you've indirectly hurt and hurt her, but you still go on pretending you don't have any weight on your conscience, like you've been doing all these months?

- I do not want to do that! – Logan lamented, more disturbed than ever – But I can't risk everything now! Wait until after the wedding. Then perhaps I can be sure that her love for me would withstand this confession. But not now... - he denied, almost in panic - It's been a while since she got over everything that happened on that hellish night. I can't risk losing her just because I can't keep lying and pretending I wasn't responsible for that damn video...

- Motherfucker! – Megan shouted, enraged, practically opening the office door with a punch, revealing the vision of the three men gathered around Logan's desk, now with shocked and desperate expressions on their faces – How could you do that to her, you piece of shit? Shit?!

However, even with her sister's outburst of fury, Missy was still only able to look deep into those terrified green eyes, which were now looking at her with complete despair and regret even from a distance, and ask, with a choked voice.

- You really did it? – she sobbed, still desolately incredulous – You planned all that with Suzan… Humiliated me like that… Just so you could take advantage of my suffering and get closer to me?

- Not! – Logan shouted, jumping up from the chair, more anguished than she had ever seen him – It wasn't like that, Missy, I swear! I never planned any of that! Please let me explain...

- Explain? What do you think you have to explain, you piece of shit?! – Megan placed herself between his gaze and his sister's, although she wasn't tall enough to prevent their eye contact, before moving her murderous gaze towards Devon – And you… All this time you knew how much he he had hurt my little sister... And yet he didn't say anything to me! – she said between her teeth, with a distorted voice – How could I not have realized that you were that kind of man?

- No, Megan, please! - Devon gasped, looking as painfully panicked as his brother - It's not what it seems! I can explain!

- Explain what? – Megan roared, with tears starting to run down her face – That the man I loved decided to hide from me that the man who was trying to conquer my sister caused that whole horrible night on purpose?

- Not! It was not on purpose! – Logan let out a plaintive gasp, but kept looking only at Missy – I swear I never imagined that Foster would do that! Please love, let me explain...

- You have nothing to explain! – Megan continued screaming, possessed – Neither of you two traitors have! Come on Missy! - With her voice hoarse from crying and anger, she took Missy's hand again, starting to pull her out of that room, which made Logan and Devon immediately run behind them, visibly distressed, catching up with them with great ease.

And as Devon wrapped his arms around Megan and guided her to the corner of the room to talk, even though she was still screaming and cursing him, Missy, seeing Logan approach, automatically took several steps back, pushing him away. He lost himself as much as he could, while he pressed his hand against his heart, trying in vain to keep it whole inside his chest, even though he knew it was already irreversibly torn apart.

All that time, she'd thought that Liam and Suzan had broken her heart and Logan had helped her heal it.

But the truth was, he had injured him himself, just to make it easier for himself to conquer him later.

- Missy, please… – he begged, suffocated – No, don't walk away from me. I swear I didn't know she would do that...

- Why did you do it then? – Missy asked, more hurt than she had been in her entire life, feeling the tears that ran down her face wet her mouth – Why did she record that video of the two of them and give it to Suzan, knowing how much she wanted to hurt me? Why do all this if not to make myself more vulnerable so you could get me into bed more easily?

- What? No, Missy, I never thought so! Please love, believe me! – He continued begging, while a tear began to flow from one of her eyes – I got that video because I wanted proof that you were being betrayed. It was a way to guarantee that neither of them could try to deceive you with lies, in case someone ever told you... - he swallowed hard and Missy realized that that someone was probably himself - That's why I gave her that video and I demanded that they both reveal the truth to you. But I swear, Missy, I never thought she would...

- Never imagined that she would take advantage of this to hurt me, even knowing that she was my boyfriend's lover at the time? – Missy questioned, incredulous and terribly hurt, making him flinch – Why didn't you show me that video yourself, then, if you didn't really want to hurt me, as you say?

Still cowering as if he'd been punched, Logan just shook his head, bereft. “Because…because I was a coward. – he admitted, with his normally confident voice now brittle – Because I was afraid that it would push you further away from me, if I was the one who showed you that… And ended up hurting you.

"Do you think anyone has ever hurt me more than that night?" – she asked, sobbing – Or humiliated me more…? All this time... I looked up to you because I thought you were so different from all the people who had ever hurt me in my life... But now I know better. - Missy whispered, broken - You are exactly like them.

- No, Missy, please… - Logan gasped, now with tears flowing freely – Let me explain everything. I never meant to hurt you. I... I just didn't know how to tell about what I'd done, after everything we've been through together...

"And then you decided you could hide it from me forever?" Deceiving me, like Liam did to me, and you always said you hated him for it?

"I hate myself for what I did too…" he muttered with a snarl so dark and full of self-loathing that, for a moment, Missy forgot everything that was going on there and wanted to step forward, to console him. man who still loved more than anything...

Exactly how he had comforted her. For a pain that, in part, he himself caused.

So she stayed where she was.

- But I swear I never, never wanted to hurt you, my love... – Logan continued, heartbroken – I know I was terribly selfish and stupid, first giving Suzan this opportunity to hurt her just because I didn't want to stay in bad terms with you and compromising what we could have in the future... And so a coward and a liar for having kept it from you, while trying to win you over, even though I knew I was also responsible for all the pain you were feeling. And I'm going to regret this and hate myself for the rest of the same days. – he sighed, anguished – Just… I know I don't deserve it, but… Please, Missy… – he cried, with green eyes so distressed that a part of her wanted to console him again – Don't leave me ... I would not stand...

- How can you ask me that? – she cried too, irritated – For months I loved and gave myself to you... I told secrets and revealed insecurities that I would never say to another person... And now... How can I live knowing that the man I I love... Is he also the man who was responsible for me going through one of the worst experiences of my life...? she asked, in tears.

"Missy…" Logan panted, looking as hurt as she was, even if that was impossible.

"I can barely keep looking at you without feeling like someone is ripping me apart from the inside…" she sobbed, , with that pain in her chest getting so intense and sharp that Missy began to fear it would consume her - Why, Logan? Why did you have to do this? I loved you so much...!

- I love you too, Missy! – he stated, with a desperate gasp – More than my own life! Please, do not go! Let's try to beat this together, like we've done before, but please don't leave me...!

Even though his pleading was literally like listening to Logan's heart break right there in front of her, that phrase made her feel even more destroyed inside. How long had she not cried and sobbed and felt like nothing because of what she'd heard that night at Miss Newton's party? And how many times, in all that time, had she been grateful to have Logan by her side, to face it all with her?

When, in fact, he was responsible for making her feel that way.

In the end, she was doing more than fighting her inner ghosts. She was fighting an old mistake of Logan's that she didn't even know existed.

And knowing that made her want to run away from him, hard as it was.

- Missy...! – he exclaimed, suddenly distressed, and Missy realized that it was because he had unconsciously started to pull away again, hugging his own chest to try to keep himself steady there, while the devastating pain threatened to destroy her completely – No, no, please. Please... - he begged, tormented - Please, Missy, don't leave me...!

Shaking her head as her vision was completely blurred by tears, Missy just hugged herself tighter and turned around, starting to literally run out of there, wishing that it was just a big nightmare. That soon she could wake up and find that the man she loved hadn't lied to her and let her down like that. That he hadn't hurt her...

But when she heard Logan's screams and his heavy steps behind her, interrupted only by Megan's shrill screams, which seemed to have intercepted him, stopping him, Missy knew that, unfortunately, it wasn't a nightmare.

After all, the excruciating pain of her shattered heart was too terrible not to be real.