Rise To Power: Death To My Billionaire Husband

Chapter 18: How She Chose A Church Rat

"What the—?"

"What are you doing in a place like this, Annette?" Killian’s voice was tight, trembling with controlled fury. "Do you know how dangerous it is? You could be killed. Raped." His jaw clenched. "There are a thousand bars in this city. Why this one?"

She glared at him, her glare sharp as broken glass. "Are you stalking me?"

How else would he know where she was?

Killian didn’t flinch. His eyes bore into hers. "I’m protecting you, Annette. Someone has to, since you seem dead set on throwing yourself into the fire."

He stepped closer. His voice dropped, a low, dangerous growl. "You know damn well this part of town isn’t safe, especially not for someone with your profile, at this time of the night. What were you thinking, coming here at all, let alone, by yourself?"

Anita stared at him. Seeing he was done talking, she turned on her heel, ready to walk away, but Killian caught her arm, yanking her back so fast she slammed into his chest.

"Kill—" she began, but before she could finish, he snapped.

"You’ll listen to me, Annette!" His tone was thunder, his body trembling with a frustration that ran deeper than just anger.

She was too stubborn. Too reckless. For her own good.

Anita’s eyes flashed with anger, her face inches from Killian’s. "Let. Me. Go," she spat, her voice low and venomous.

Killian’s grip on her arm tightened, his eyes blazing with frustration but the anger had subsided, albeit, a little. "Not until you hear me out," he growled, his breath hot against her face.

The air between them was electric, the tension thick like a storm cloud ready to split the sky. Neither of them moved, but everything inside them did. Anita’s chest rose and fell in sharp, quick breaths, her heart pounding not just from rage—but from something more dangerous. Something she didn’t want to name.

Killian’s jaw worked silently as if he were chewing back a thousand unspoken words. His voice, when it came, was quieter, but no less fierce.

"You think I’m doing this because I want control?" he said, his eyes locked on hers. "Because I like chasing you through the dark like some obsessed maniac?"

She didn’t answer. Didn’t blink.

He leaned in closer. "I’m doing this because if something happened to you, I wouldn’t survive it, Annette."

That stopped her.

She stared at him, truly stared at him, and for one second –a fragile, flickering second– her fury faltered. She didn’t pull away. Not yet.

But her voice was still sharp. "You don’t own me, Killian. Whatever happens to me should never be your concern."

Killian growled. "I know you hate me," he began, "Ten years ago, I did something you deemed unforgivable. Fine," he breathed. "I accept my mistakes, accept your anger, and hatred but I won’t accept you putting yourself in harm’s way," his voice was low and even.

He continued, "You’re too angry right now to see that you’re doing things the wrong way. Hurting yourself just to hurt your enemy is no good way to take revenge." He paused, "Whatever you want to do, no matter the dirty job, let me do it for you, let me carry the sins and burden for you, Annette, please."

"So, I’d owe you?" she retorted, then her lips curled into a sneer. "A coward who fled ten years ago is now talking about carrying my burden, talking about helping me? Is that supposed to be a joke?"

Ten years ago, Anita fought tooth and nail just to make sure their engagement wasn’t annulled. Killian was her betrothed from when they were babies in cradles.

They grew up knowing they’d eventually get married. They officially started dating in middle school, till the last years of the university – when their wedding had been scheduled for a day after their graduation.

But something happened to his family: their company was framed for invading tax, money laundering, amidst other serious crimes. While the matter was in court, his father was murdered and his mother died of heartbreak.

Anita stood by Killian despite what people said. Her family tried to break them apart, but Anita fought with everything she knew, refusing to back down, refusing to break the trust they shared.

But Killian didn’t fight for them. He instead, destroyed her heart and left her in tatters. No explanation for his actions, except a flimsy: "We live in a different world now, Annette. I’m not worthy of you."

Who was he trying to fool?

Anita cared less about the life of a princess when she loved, and he knew it.

Love was more important to her. Had David not wanted to be rich, to prove her father wrong, Anita would have willingly lived a poor life with him.

The same for Killian.

She would have turned the world around for him, had he not thrown her aside like some used rag, disregarding how broken she would be.

Killian’s voice cut through her reverie. "I couldn’t let you suffer with me when my future was bleak," he continued. "There were enemies everywhere, Annette. How could I knowingly put you in danger?" His jaw clenched, willing her to understand him.

Anita’s eyes flashed, "I had a family. Did you think they would have let any danger befall me?" her eyes clouded over with pain.

Her heart still hurts.

"That was not your reason, Killian. You hated my White family, hated me. You believed we abandoned your Wellington family to destruction. You believed we were selfish and didn’t want anything to do with me, a daughter of the White who would constantly remind you of my family’s perceived betrayal."

Anita believed it too. She despised her parents for not going against her grandfather to render help to Killian’s family. She also believed that her family had prevented her and Killian from pushing through with their wedding, seeing him as a poor and unworthy man. Then, they went ahead to arrange a marriage between her and a man she loathed – Richford.

That was why Anita became rebellious and chose David, a church rat to spite her family.