Trapped in the boss's embrace (by Katrina A) novel Chapter 35

Chapter 35 This Place Is Haunted

Violet was stunned. Then, disappointment settled in like a cold wave.

She had truly thought she’d gotten through to him. That he’d finally accept reality.

But in the end, all her efforts were for nothing.

“You love her?” she scoffed, her voice rising with rage. “You love her, but you slept with Madeline? Why don’t you go straight to hell!”

She slammed the table with both hands, trembling with fury. If she were strong enough, she would’ve grabbed the ashtray and smashed it over his thick skull.

Desmond shot to his feet. The shredded divorce agreement slipped off his lap, fluttering to the floor like dead leaves–pieces of something broken beyond repair.

“I’ll get everything back,” he said, his voice dark and full of manic certainty. “Everything she sold. Everything she burned. Including

her heart!”

His eyes gleamed with the kind of madness that mistook obsession for love.

“She will come back to me. We’re going to patch things up, and

for the rest of her life, she’s only going to be with me.”

And with that, he turned and stormed out.

For a few seconds, Violet stood there in stunned silence.

Then her expression twisted. She bolted after him, flinging the door open and yelling down the hallway,

“That was just a photocopy, you idiot! You think tearing it up means anything? You think you can just stall forever? It’s USELESS! I’m telling you, it’s useless!”

Her voice echoed after him, but Desmond didn’t stop.

Violet stood in the doorway, heart pounding. She pressed her fingers to her temples, a headache pulsing behind her eyes.

Desmond was indeed a bastard.

Now he wanted to play the devoted husband?

Where the hell was all that love when Beatrice was breaking down alone in the dark?

That kind of affection wasn’t just worthless–it’s pathetic.

And with how things were going, getting him to willingly sign those papers was going to be a brutal, uphill war.

The spring night, soaked in relentless rain, carried the chill of late

utumn.

Desmond sat slumped on the stone steps outside the villa, rain soaking through his shirt, clinging to his skin like punishment.

On his phone, the surveillance footage played on repeat–Beatrice in the yard, eyes dull but determined, tossing a lighter into the bucket of wedding photos. Flames danced in her eyes. She didn’t flinch.

He stared, hollowed out.

And there he was on the screen, just a few feet away, inside the villa, laughing on the phone like a man with nothing to lose.

It was like watching a ghost walk past the living.

The video burned more than the flames ever could. His chest tightened, every breath cutting like glass.

If only he could go back–back to that precise second–he swore he’d run out, throw the phone across the room, drop to his knees, and tell her she was everything.

But time didn’t rewind for bastards.

The rain stung as it hit his skin, cold at first, then warm tears or water, he didn’t know anymore.

Roland stood silently behind him, arm raised with the umbrella, though the rain poured too hard for it to matter. The wind

Chapter 35 This Place Is Haunted lashed at them both, cold and punishing.

4/10

It wasn’t his place to interfere in the boss’s private affairs–he knew that.

But with the way things were unraveling, and considering how brilliant and smart Beatrice was, it was only a matter of time before the whole sordid affair exploded into daylight.

“Buy back everything she sold,” Desmond said suddenly, his voice hoarse. “Every piece of jewelry. Restore it to where it was.”

“Yes, sir.”

“The wedding photos. Find the originals. Same frames. Hang them back.”

“Yes, sir.”

But Roland knew–it was all pointless. Burnt photos don’t come back. Jewelry returns, but sentiment doesn’t. The weight of betrayal couldn’t be polished away. Would Beatrice care, even if the house looked the same?

Desmond’s phone vibrated.

He answered with a slow swipe.

“Mr. Belmont,” came the voice on the other end, “we’ve located your wife. Yesterday afternoon, she used her card at a shopping mall in Shauzhark.”

Chapter 36 This Place i Hounted

“Shauzhark?” Desmond’s eyes narrowed. “That’s impossible. She didn’t book any flights.”

“She didn’t take a commercial flight. We traced her through private aviation records. Gulfstream G650. Registered owner undisclosed.”

Desmond’s face turned stone–cold.

He hung up.

And then he stood.

“Get the crew ready. I’m leaving for Shauzhark right now. And find out-” he paused, teeth clenched, eyes blazing- “if Damian is there.”

Only one man in all of Cloudia had the means and the audacity to whisk Beatrice away like that.

I should’ve known from the very beginning.

The next morning, after breakfast, Beatrice returned to her room. She changed into a smart, casual business suit, slipped on a pair of flat leather shoes, and tucked a voice recorder into her bag before leaving the hotel.

Damian was just about to head out to the summit when he realized she wasn’t around.

Chapter 35 This Place Is Haunted

“Where is she?”

6/10

“She went to the factory,” Killian replied. “She noticed. something off in the data and wanted to check it out in person.”

He kept it vague–just in case it turned out to be a false alarm.

Damian frowned. “She’s not skipping work because she’s still mad, is she?”

The memory of what he’d done the night before flashed through his mind.

“No, no, nothing like that,” Killian said quickly. “She really went to the factory. It’s probably just a small issue, but it might be serious. We were going to tell you, but with your schedule being so packed today, she figured it’d be best to go herself.”

Damian gave a slight nod and didn’t press further.

Beatrice took a cab to the factory.

Along the way, she quietly admired the view.

Once she arrived at the island’s factory, she showed her credentials. The factory director quickly came out to meet her, flanked by people from administration and finance. He looked to be in his early forties–medium build, a little on the heavy side, with sun–darkened skin. The moment he saw her, his face lit up with a fawning smile.

They exchanged brief introductions.

Chapter 35 This Place Is Haunted

7/10

The factory director was Daniel Ward, a local who had been working there for fifteen years. He’d started out as a regular line

worker.

“We were all so excited when we heard Mr. Crowley might drop by.” Daniel said, clearly excited. “Everyone’s been looking forward to meeting him in person.”

Beatrice held back a smile. “Unfortunately, Mr. Crowley’s schedule is packed today, so he won’t be able to make it. I’m afraid you’ll have to settle for me instead.”

“Ms. Lawson, you’re even more impressive than a beauty queen. It’s truly our honor to have you here.”

Beatrice responded with a polite smile. “Mr. Ward, you’re very kind.”

After the brief exchange, Daniel led her on a tour of the offices, the workshop, the cafeteria, and other key areas.

Beatrice wasn’t in a hurry. As they walked, she casually asked a few questions about production and occasionally snapped pictures with her phone, saying she’d show them to Damian later.

Daniel nodded along, saying he understood.

By noon, the tour wrapped up. Beatrice said she’d like to eat in the canteen.

She got in line with the workers and ended up sitting with three female employees after grabbing her lunch.

At first, she just chatted casually. Once they started warming up to her, she shifted the topic,

“So… how do you guys clock in?” she asked.

One of the women pointed toward the workshop entrance. “There’s a punch–in machine right by the door.”

“No cameras?”

They shook their heads,

That meant someone could clock in with two cards, and no one

would know.

“I heard this place is haunted,” Beatrice whispered, lowering her

voice.

“Haunted?” one of the women asked, startled. “Who told you that?”

“Your general manager,” she replied, half–smiling, “Apparently, two people clock in every day, but nobody’s ever seen them.”

The three women stared at her, stunned and uneasy.

After a pause, an older woman spoke up, hesitating, “Is it… Jack Bates and Emily Bates?”

Beatrice’s heart skipped. “Yes. So you do know about them.”

“I’ve been here a long time.” the older woman said, glancing around nervously. “The newer girls probably haven’t even heard of them. At first, none of us noticed they weren’t our responsibility, and wer were too busy working. But after a while, people started to realize that no one had ever seen those two names on the floor. When we brought it up to the foreman, he got mad and told us to drop it. So we did.”

One of the younger women gasped. “That’s creepy. Are they even real? Are they… like, actual ghosts?”

The third woman looked spooked too. “Maybe they died in an accident here years ago? I heard ghosts keep doing whatever they did when they were alive…”

Beatrice said nothing.

Their genuine fear made it clear they had no idea what was really going on. Meanwhile, the recorder hidden in her bag was still running, capturing every word and every name they mentioned.

At the same time, Daniel, the treasurer, and the statistician were watching them from a distance.

That afternoon, Beatrice called for a meeting. She gathered the workshop foreman, HR staff, the statistician, the treasurer, and Daniel.

With a calm smile, she said, “I’d like to meet Jack Bates and

Emily Bates.”

Silence fell over the room.

Then the foreman got up, walked to the door, and slammed it shut.

Then, he turned the lock.