Ch 34

After Raw ended, Hunter lingered backstage, lost in thought. His head was bowed, his hands clenched into fists as he wrestled with the weight of his secrets. Vince knew one of his secrets thanks to digging into his past but the other one no one knew but him. He debated just telling Bella what Vince knew and not the other secret.

"What the hell am I going to do?" he muttered under his breath leaning against a wall. Sable appeared, her expression softening as she noticed his turmoil.

"Hunter?" she called gently, approaching him. "Are you okay?"

He looked up, startled by her presence. "Sable... what are you doing here?"

She stared at him with concern. "I came to check on you. I know you well enough to see something's tearing you apart. What's going on?"

Hunter hesitated, his defenses rising instinctively. But Sable's steady gaze and the history they shared chipped away at his walls.

"We've known each other since we were teenagers," she continued. "We've been through so much together. You should know by now you can tell me anything. I will always care about you."

Hunter sighed deeply, the tension in his shoulders slackening slightly. "I've messed up, Sable. Really bad. And now... I don't know how to get out of it without tearing my family apart. I'm afraid Bella will never forgive me and that will tear Samantha apart."

Her brow furrowed in concern as she stepped closer. "Is this about something from your past?"

He nodded reluctantly. "Yeah. Vince dug into my past and found something about my parents' accident. He's using it to control me and indirectly Bella is getting affected. He wanted to use my parents' actual gravesite for the storyline thankfully when Bella pushed back he gave in but god knows what other crazy bullshit he will think up as the storyline progresses. I know Bella is stressed out how the storyline feels too personal at times. I see Mark wants to rip my head off most of the time he looks at me and if he does I deserve it. Samantha called me out for hurting Bella too. I broke Chyna's heart but I needed to protect her from this mess. She deserves a man better than me. All I keep doing is hurting my loved ones. I really am a monster."

Sable's expression softened, and she pulled him into a comforting hug. "Listen to me, you have made bad decisions. You want to stop feeling like a monster, you need to stop the insanity," she said firmly. "You need to tell Bella the truth. If she finds out from Vince, it will destroy her even more. It won't be easy but if it's one thing I've learned over the years about Bella and you is that family is very important to both of you. You need to talk to her soon."

Hunter swallowed hard, her words hitting him like a punch to the gut. "I know," he admitted, his voice breaking slightly. "I just... I don't know how to face her."

"You'll find the strength," Sable reassured him. "You've faced worse. And no matter what, I'm here for you."

Hunter stepped back, his eyes glistening with gratitude. "Thank you. For still being a friend to me, after everything. "

She smiled gently. "Thanks to you I got clean and put my life on a better path. If you need me just call. I have to run. Please try to get some rest."

"Thank you again," he hugged her tighter then let her go.

After Sable left, he gathered up his stuff deciding to head to the hotel. As he made his way toward the exit, he nearly collided with Stephanie McMahon in the hallway.

"Hunter," Stephanie said, stopping him. "Can we talk?"

He sighed, bracing himself. "What is it, Stephanie?"

She glanced around, ensuring they were alone. "I know my dad has something on you."

Hunter stiffened, his jaw tightening. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Stephanie crossed her arms, her expression firm. "Don't lie to me. You've been walking on eggshells, doing everything my dad says. You've been letting him make changes to Bella's storyline upsetting her and you just defend him but the anger is evident in your eyes. All the signs are there he is manipulating you. I know he has something on you."

After a tense pause, Hunter exhaled heavily. "Fine. He does. Vince looked into my past and found something I don't want Bella to know."

Stephanie's eyes softened slightly. "Hunter, you can't let him keep controlling you. If there's something I can do to help, I will."

Hunter shook his head. "It's not that simple. He's planning to use it against me if I don't play along. He's already set things in motion for next brilliant storyline. Did you know he's planning a storyline where I break up your marriage to Test and marry you in Vegas?"

Stephanie's eyes widened in shock. "What? No, I didn't know that."

Hunter nodded grimly. "That's why he told me to end things with Chyna, to avoid any problems."

Stephanie frowned, her concern deepening. "Did he threaten you?"

Hunter hesitated before admitting, "He said if I don't cooperate, he'll give Bella a police report he has about me from the past."

Stephanie's face hardened. "You need to stop letting him control you. Whatever is in your past, Bella deserves to hear it from you, not from my father."

Hunter looked away, his internal conflict visible. "You think I haven't thought about that? I'm messed up right now because I don't know what to do and how to tell her."

Stephanie placed a hand on his shoulder. "She's your sister. She'll be pissed off eventually she will forgive you. But you can't keep letting my Dad control you. You need to take control of this situation while you still can."

Hunter nodded slowly. "Thanks for the advice, Stephanie. I'll think about it."

As she walked away, Hunter headed to his rental car, his mind racing the whole drive back to the hotel. Alone in the quiet of his room, he sat on the edge of the bed, battling his thoughts. The weight of Vince's hold on him and the potential fallout from confessing to Bella consumed him. He eventually laid back staring at the ceiling knowing it was going to be a sleepless night.