Ayishetu

In a world of wealth, power, and whispered betrayals, Jade Sinclair is an outsider. When she marries **Alexander Middleton**, heir to a powerful and ruthless family, she knows the life she’s stepping into is one of scrutiny and silent warfare. But what no one knows is that Jade didn’t just marry into this world for love—she has her own secrets, her own motives.  

At every turn, she faces resistance. **Victoria Middleton**, Alexander’s calculating mother, sees her as nothing more than an inconvenience, an unworthy intruder in their empire. And then there’s **Liliana Carter**, Alexander’s ex and the woman society expected him to marry, who is determined to reclaim her place by his side.  

But Jade is no naive socialite. She knows that in a world like this, survival isn’t about playing by the rules—it’s about rewriting them.  

When **Lady Eleanor Middleton**, the true matriarch of the family, summons Jade for a private meeting, everything changes. The old woman sees more than Jade expected, sensing the deeper game at play. As the stakes rise, Jade is forced to confront not just the enemies in plain sight but the ones lurking in the shadows—secrets buried within the Middleton family that could destroy them all.  

As deception weaves through every relationship and trust becomes the most dangerous currency, Jade must decide:Is love worth the price of power? And in a game where masks are everything, who will survive when the veil is finally lifted

the veil of deception

Chapter Twenty-One: Fractured Illusions

The city outside was alive, pulsing with energy, but within the confines of Jade's penthouse, silence reigned. She sat on the edge of her couch, elbows on her knees, staring at the television screen where news anchors dissected the scandal now engulfing her.

Jade Sinclair Exposed: Fraud, Offshore Accounts, and Deception.

The words scrolled across the screen, each one striking her like a blade. Every carefully constructed move, every calculated risk had led to this—a public unraveling orchestrated by Jonathan.

A knock at the door shattered her trance. Her heart lurched. She wasn't expecting anyone. For a fleeting moment, she considered ignoring it, but instinct overruled hesitation. She padded to the door, inhaled sharply, and opened it.

Elara Middleton stood on the other side, arms crossed, her piercing gaze scanning Jade as if she were a puzzle missing too many pieces.

"I assume you saw the news," Elara said coolly, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.

Jade shut the door behind her. "I don't have time for a lecture, Elara."

Elara's expression softened, but only slightly. "I'm not here to gloat. I know what Jonathan is capable of."

Jade's shoulders tensed. "Then you also know he won't stop until I'm destroyed."

Elara nodded. "That's why I'm here. You may have lied, Jade, but I can't pretend I don't see the bigger game at play. If we don't stop him, he'll pull Alexander down with you."

Jade's breath caught. Alexander. The way he had looked at her—the cold disappointment in his eyes—haunted her. She had lost him, but perhaps she could still stop the wreckage from spreading.

Elara pulled out a sleek folder from her bag and placed it on the glass coffee table. "Jonathan has more than just leverage on you. He has connections buried deep in places we can't touch. But I found something. A chink in his armor."

Jade hesitated before picking up the folder. The first page revealed financial statements—offshore accounts, but not hers. Jonathan's.

A sliver of hope cut through her despair. "This could work."

Elara gave a small smirk. "Only if we move fast."

Meanwhile, across the city, Alexander sat in his office, replaying his last conversation with Jade in his mind. The anger, the hurt—it was all still fresh, but so was the nagging doubt that something wasn't adding up.

His door creaked open, and Damien Blackwell stepped inside. The older man moved with an air of authority, his sharp eyes assessing Alexander.

"I hear you've had a rough couple of days," Damien said, lowering himself into the chair across from Alexander's desk.

Alexander exhaled. "You could say that."

Damien clasped his hands together. "I know you're angry, and I won't try to convince you that Jade is innocent. But I will say this—Jonathan has played this game for a long time. And he always ensures the people in his way never see the full board."

Alexander frowned. "What are you getting at?"

Damien slid a USB drive across the desk. "See for yourself."

Alexander hesitated before picking it up. Damien's gaze was unreadable. "Just ask yourself one thing," he said. "Did Jade really deceive you, or is she just another piece in Jonathan's game?"

Without another word, Damien stood and walked out, leaving Alexander alone with the device that might change everything.

From the shadows, Jonathan watched. He had spent years mastering control, bending people to his will. Jade thought she had options, that she could fight back.

He lifted his phone and dialed. A voice answered on the second ring.

Jonathan smiled. The end was near.