ã€Š90 Days With The Cold Billionaireã€‹


 Chapter 1 - ONE: A Doll On Display

    <h4>Chapter 1: Chapter ONE: A Doll On Disy </h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    The lustful gazes of the men that were watching my performance made me sick to my stomach but I had to continue dancing, not like I had a choice.

    "Hey Christy, can I get ap dance?" a potbellied middle aged man with hideous e on his face asked while staring at my ass.

    "Not interested" I replied without giving him a second nce.

    I continued twirling my body until the music came to an end, signalling that my performance was over.

    I rushed to the club¡¯s changing room where my best friend, Callie, was waiting for me.

    "You killed it out there babe" Callie said with an excited voice.

    "I don¡¯t see what is so good about her," Kara said with a sneer.

    I don¡¯t really know what issue she has with me because she is always looking for every opportunity to be nasty and I always give her a befitting reply but today is a special day so I will let it slide this time.

    "You might not see what is good about her but the clients sure do" Callie replied to her with a smirk.

    "Oh please, the only thing you have are those stic balls on your chest" Kara snorted.

    I quickly held Callie back to prevent her from getting into a fight with Kara.

    She hates it when people talk about the work she got done on her boobs.

    "Just ignore her" I said while handing her a bottle of water.

    "She isn¡¯t worthy of my anger, so what did you want to tell me?" She asked with a smile after taking a sip of the water.

    "Mark is finally back" I said happily and she was also extremely happy for me.

    "Hopefully he gets a good job and marries you" she said with a smile.

    Just the thought of us getting married gave me butterflies and I couldn¡¯t wait for it to happen.

    "So when are you going to see him?" She asked with a curious tone.

    "Immediately I get off work today" I said happily.

    I was about to start changing into the outfit for my next performance when the door was suddenly pushed open.

    "Christy, follow me to room 10. A client booked you for a private performance" Ben, the personal assistant of Madam Collette, the owner of the club informed me with a stern expression.

    "But I have always made it clear that I don¡¯t do private bookings" I said with a frown.

    "The client paid directly to Madam Collette and she said you must attend to him" he said before walking out of the room without giving me a chance to say anything.

    "You got a private booking and here you are, pretending to not want it" Kara said with a snort before leaving the room.

    "Come on girl, just go and get it over with. Thest thing you need now is an angry Madam Collette on your case" Callie advised before going out to perform.

    I stared at myself in the mirror, apart from my eyes that couldn¡¯t hide my sadness, everything else was perfect.

    With this look and figure, I knew I could achieve more than dancing in a club and being watched like a doll on disy.

    I took a deep breath and walked out of the dressing room.

    On arriving at the door of room 10, I adjusted my emotions and put on a smile before pushing the door open.

    My smile froze up when I saw the potbellied middle aged man from earlier, sitting on the couch and staring at me like a hungry wolf.

    "I want a good sensualp dance and I can pay you extra if you give me a good blow job," he said while staring at me, his eyes dripping with lust.

    I stared at him with disgust, I would rather face Madam Collette¡¯s anger.

    He seemed to have guessed my thoughts or he ran out of patience. He rushed towards me and before I could react, his hands were wrapped around my waist while he licked my neck.

    I felt like throwing up but I had to free myself and get out of here.

    "Okay, let¡¯s take things slow" I said with a soft voice and he released his hands.

    "Let¡¯s go to the couch, I promise to give you an unforgettable blow job" I said with a submissive smile.

    I led him back to the couch and he quickly started undoing his belt while I positioned myself in-between his legs.

    His entire attention was on his belt, so I slowly reached for the empty bottle on the table and smashed it on his head.

    "Ahhhh" he screamed in pain and I quickly made my way to the door.

    "You bitch!" He yelled as he got up from the couch while holding his injured head.

    I opened the door and bumped into Madam Collette and her assistant Ben.

    "What happened?" She asked me with a frown but I didn¡¯t say anything.

    "I am going to kill you" the man¡¯s angry voice came from behind me and I quickly hid behind Ben.

    "That¡¯s enough, stop making so much noise" Madam Collette yelled at him angrily.

    "What do you mean by that? I paid for a private session but this little bitch refused to perform and also had the guts to injure me!" the man yelled in her face.

    "You can go to the police station if you want justice," she said to him before walking away.

    The man could only hiss and grind his teeth because going to the police wasn¡¯t an option.

    His life could be ruined if people find out about his secret hobby.

    "Go and change into your clothes. Everyone is already waiting in the bus outside" Ben said to me with an annoyed voice.

    "Bus? I wasn¡¯t aware of any outing" I said with a frown.

    "Thest time I checked, you don¡¯t get to ask questions and just do as you are told" he said with a re before hurrying away.

    It took me a few minutes to change and get on the bus.

    "Where are we going?" I asked Callie with a whisper but she just shook her head.

    I sighed, as my ns to meet Mark might not be possible today.

    Half an hourter, the bus arrived at a luxurious penthouse and Ben leads us into a room where we are to get changed.

    A few minutester, Madam Collette walked in to have one of her usual talks with us.

    "Today¡¯s clients are very influential people, make sure to serve them well. I don¡¯t want to hear anyints as this could be our one way ticket to even more wealthy clients.

    Any money that is given to you must be ounted for, do not act smart with me because I have eyes everywhere.

    Have I made myself clear?" She asked after giving us a sound warning.

    "Yes madam Collette" We chorused.

    "Christy, I want to have a word with you" She said while staring at me.

    I followed Madam Collete out with an expressionless face.

    "Your father called and asked me to arrange a good job for you today as he needs urgent money" She said with a smile which made me angry.

    I forced a smile while trying to hold back my anger " I gave him all the money I workedst week, maybe he should get a job and stop relying on his twenty years old daughter"

    "What nonsense are you talking about? He is your father and he has a lot of responsibilities" Madam Collete said angrily.

    "He is also the father of your daughter, Emily. I don¡¯t see her stripping to bring in money" I replied with a mocking tone.

    "How dare youpare yourself to my precious daughter, you are not worth a strand of her hair" She said while ring at me.

    "You can think whatever you want, your father and I were clearly in love before your mother came in, so me her for being a third party" she sneered before turning to leave.

    "You were just his bed mate who deliberately got pregnant and threatened him with the child, you are nothing special" I said to her before walking away.

    "You little slut!" She yelled from behind me.

    I returned to the room where the other girls were waiting and sat down on the sofa.

    "So, what did she say to you?" Callie asked me with a curious expression.

    I smiled and replied nonchntly "She said my father needs money"

    "What a greedy bitch, she is always paying you peanuts with the excuse that your father needs the money while she is clearly spending it on her daughter" Callie said angrily.

    "Don¡¯t stress yourself over it, I¡¯m used to it now" I said with a tired smile.

    Callie was about to say something when Madam Collete walked in with her assistant, Ben.

    "I want to assign everyone to their roles before leaving" she said expressionlessly.

    "Christy will be in charge of entertaining the main guest, that¡¯s the person for whom the party is being held. The rest of you should make sure that the other guests arefortable"

    "Why does she always get the good clients"

    "This is clearly favouritism"

    As soon as Madam Collete announced the arrangement, some of the other girls were not pleased and startedining while ring at me.

    I just looked at themzily " if you want it, you can have it. I don¡¯t care"

    "Kara, are you trying to oppose me? Don¡¯t forget that your mother is still waiting for the money for her treatment" Madam Collete threatened.

    "I am very sorry madam Collete" kara quickly apologized with her head bowed but the hatred in her eyes couldn¡¯t be hidden as she continued ring at me from the corner of her eyes.

    "Now get dressed quickly, remember to  skin, only your boobs and pussy should be covered" Madam Collete instructed before leaving.

    "Yes Madam!" We chorused.

    We quickly started dressing, the pants and bras that were given to us were extremely small and barely covered our private parts.

    "They should have just told us to dance naked, instead of wasting money on this," I said after putting on my own pair.

    "I feel so exposed," Callie said while looking at herself in the mirror. Her boobs were quite big and the little bra only covered her nipples.

    "Thank God for us that stayed natural and too bad for those that got imnts" Kara said with a mocking tone.

    "Just ignore her" I said to Callie who was on the verge of having an outburst.

    We stood in a straight line, with me in front, as we waited to be called into the room.

    Few minutester, the door was opened from the outside and a handsome young man in a suit came in.

    "Hellodies" he greeted with a polite smile.

    "Hi!" We replied.

    "Please make your way to the next room, the masters are waiting" he said while making a gesture for us to leave the room.

    We entered the designated room and came face to face with five extremely handsome men.

    Each one had his own temperament and aura, but the one sitting in the middle was like a king among them.

 Chapter 2 - TWO: First Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 2: Chapter TWO: First Encounter </h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    I walked out of the airport and stared at the familiar surroundings.

    It¡¯s been three years since I left this city and now here I am again.

    Nothing has changed, it feels like going abroad was just a waste of my time as nothing went as nned.

    "Wee sir" My driver greeted me with a smile and I nodded in response.

    "Where Sir?" He asked after I got into the car.

    "Gary¡¯s penthouse" I said before slowly closing my eyes.

    The thought of seeing my best friend Gary and others brought a smile to my lips.

    It¡¯s been a while.

    "Sir, we have arrived" the driver¡¯s voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I got out of the car.

    He helped me with my luggages and I made my way into the familiar penthouse.

    As soon as I stepped in, I saw Gary sitting on the couch with a smile.

    "You finally came back." He said as he pulled me into a hug.

    "You know I wouldn¡¯t have left if it wasn¡¯t important." I replied, patting him on the back with a half hearted chuckle.

    We settled into the leather couches, and he poured out two sses of wine.

    "So how did it go?" He asked, while passing me a ss.

    I took the ss, stared into the red liquid for a second, before letting out a deep sigh and shook my head.

    "What did the doctors say?" He asked, his lips forming a thin line as he shifted closer to pat me on the back.

    "That I¡¯m fine," I muttered. "That I¡¯m fine and healthy and that a problem I¡¯ve been trying to solve for so long doesn¡¯t exist."

    Gary sighed, his face falling. "They¡¯ve been saying that for the past three years."

    "Exactly!" I snapped, then I lowered my voice realizing it might have been a bit too loud. "I¡¯ve been everywhere. Japan, Brazil and Europe. I¡¯ve met every kind of woman, models, actresses and escorts alike. But not one I tell you Gary, not one has been able to mak¡ª"

    "Your soldier stand?" Gary interrupted absentmindedly. I turned sharply to re at him fiercely.

    "No offensive or depreciating jokes. Got it." He said, giving out a small awkward cough and raised his hands in defeat.

    "I just feel so empty...what¡¯s the point of having all this money if I can¡¯t even getid?" I rolled my eyes in annoyance before continuing.

    I took arge gulp of my wine when I finished speaking, drinking all that was left in the ss and then dropping it onto the table with a loud thud.

    "You know what..." Gary began, standing up abruptly and cing his hands on his hips, "We can¡¯t let you mope around like this. Nope, not today. You¡¯re going toe with me, and we¡¯re going to have fun with some of our friends and I¡¯m going to make sure you getid."

    I looked up at him, as if considering the idea then flopped back onto the couch. "Mhm...no."

    "Yes." Gary insisted, his arms crossed.

    "I¡¯m not going to."

    "Well I¡¯ll force you to." Gary shot back, his tone indignant, half-joking but clearly not backing down.

    "No...wait Gary you have to listen...do you know the amount of women I¡¯ve been w¡ª, sorry tried to be with? It just doesn¡¯t work." My voice cracked with frustration as I sat up again, running a hand through my hair.

    "You haven¡¯t seen the girls Madam Collette has. Especially that girl Christy..." Gary trailed off, then gazed wishfully into empty space, a dreamy look on his face.

    I scowled at him then rolled my eyes before yanking off my tie with a sigh.

    "Bro I¡¯m jetgged. Leave me alone." I murmured face down into the couch.

    "Kendrick."

    "For once in your life stop being a fucking loser."

    "It¡¯sfortable this way."

    Gary rolled his eyes at me, then furrowed his brows in thought.

    A grin spread across his face as he inched closer to me.

    "You¡¯re no longer invited to my seriesunch."

    I flipped over, a scowl on my face. "You¡¯re so fucking petty."

    "Are youing or not?" He grinned maliciously.

    "Fine, I will show up" I finally agreed while running my fingers through my hair in frustration.

    Gary smiled happily "that¡¯s why you are my favorite person"

    The door was suddenly pushed open and one of our friends, Anderson, walked in.

    "Hey ken, you look more handsome than thest time I saw you" Anderson said as he dropped the bottle of expensive wine that he brought along on the table.

    "Don¡¯t fall in love with me" I said with a smile while giving Anderson a hug.

    "Your muscles feel tighter," Anderson said with a teasing tone.

    "Okay, stay away from him, did you forget that he is homophobic?" Gary said while pulling him away from me.

    "I can¡¯t help it when I see handsome men," Anderson said with a yful tone.

    "I sometimes forget that you are into both men and women" Gary said with a disgusted expression while pushing Anderson away from him.

    "Hope you arranged the good stuff?" Anderson asked while taking a sip of his wine.

    "You know that I always deliver the best," Gary said while handing him a packet of white powder.

    Anderson grabbed it happily and poured it on a book, before inhaling most of it.

    "Ahhh, it feels so good," He said with a wide smile.

    "I thought you stopped drugs" I said while staring at him.

    He ran his fingers through his hair before replying with a smile "Addiction is not something that can be stopped just like that, but I only take it once in a while".

    "Mason and Jasper will be here soon, so you might want to clean that up" Gary reminded him and he quickly finished up and got rid of the residues.

    "It¡¯s surprising that Mason has time to show up," Anderson said while drinking water.

    I was lost in thought after hearing what Anderson said.

    We all grew up together, attending the same schools from kindergarten to university.

    People call us the ¡¯god squad¡¯ as we were literally untouchable.

    "Hey Ken, what are you thinking about?" I was suddenly pulled out of my thoughts when I was patted on the shoulder.

    I looked at the person and was surprised to see Mason and Jasper, standing behind me.

    "When did you guys arrive?" I asked with a confused expression.

    "What were you thinking about? We have called your name several times but you just kept staring at the ss" Anderson said while observing me carefully.

    "I am fine guys, I just got carried away" I apologized with a smile.

    "Axel, let thedies in" Gary said to his assistant and took his seat on the sofa.

    A few minutester, the door opened and five beautifuldies walked in.

    The one in front was so beautiful that it was hard to keep my eyes off her.

    Slow erotic music started ying and thedies started swaying their hips to the beat.

    Gary stretched out his hand towards the lead girl but she walked past him and went straight to me.

    Gary couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her and was about to call her when another girl walked up to him and put her boobs on his face causing him to be immediately distracted.

    The girl kept dancing erotically in front of me but I just couldn¡¯t feel anything.

    She stared at me with a puzzled expression as she continued dancing.

    She suddenly stopped dancing and moved closer to me but I still didn¡¯t feel anything.

    She looked at me with a determined gaze and suddenly positioned herself to give me ap dance.

    At first I just went along with the flow as my manliness would be questioned if I didn¡¯t show any emotion but a few minutester, I felt a breathtaking sensation which I haven¡¯t felt before in my life.

    "Oh shit" I groaned as she continued twerking on me.

    Gary seemed to notice my reaction and stared at me with excitement.

    He smiled and grabbed his own girl closer to himself before spanking her ass.

    Normally we aren¡¯t supposed to touch the girls, that was the rule but if the girl agrees to it, then the rule can be broken.

    On seeing the girl¡¯s reaction to his first spank, he raised his hand and spanked her even harder before taking her nipple in his mouth.

    "hmmmm!" she moaned loudly but the music was also loud and only someone with sharp ears like me could hear it.

    On seeing what Gary was doing to his own girl, I looked at my girl with undisguised lust.

    She continued moving her body all over me and I felt so much pleasure that I couldn¡¯t say a word.

    I could not believe what I had been missing my whole life. The feeling was intense, sometimes it felt like I¡¯m going to burst from pleasure and then there was this amazing feeling every time she touched my dick through my trousers.

    I grabbed her ass and moved her body closer while she kept grinding and running her hands over my chest.

    "Keep doing that" I groaned as I held her so close that there wasn¡¯t any distance between us.

    She seemed ufortable with my actions but had to just endure it as she didn¡¯t want to offend me.

    looked at one of the other girls, who was giving her a mocking smile as the person she was supposed to be entertaining was just drinking with her on the couch.

    She gritted her teeth and continued grinding on my body.

    I was feeling too much pleasure to even care about her reactions and expressions at the moment.

    All I knew was that I needed more and I moved my hands into her pants. She immediately pushed my hands off and was about to get up when I grabbed her shoulder and moved the tiny fabric on her chest to gain ess to her nipple.

    Before she could react, I took her nipple in my mouth and sucked it hard.

    "SLAP!"

    I felt a sharp burning pain on my face and the music came to an abrupt stop.

    She immediately ran out of the room after adjusting her bra while I sat on the sofa with a burning pain on my face.

    "Get her back here!" Gary instructed his assistant and angrily pushed the girl who was entertaining him away, her bra has been ripped.

    She immediately scrambled up and picked up the piece of fabric from the ground but it made no difference as her boobs were very big and the fabric hardly covered it initially.

    "Let her go" I said with a cold expression while staring at my pants that still had a visible bulge.

 Chapter 3 - THREE: Greedy Parents

    <h4>Chapter 3: Chapter THREE: Greedy Parents </h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    I got up from the sofa and gestured to the girl next to Gary to follow me into the inner room.

    She followed me without a word and I gestured for her to get on her knees.

    She quickly went on her knees to give me a blow job but as soon as I took off my pants, my dick went soft.

    She stared at me with a surprise expression, adding to my embarrassment.

    "Get out!" I yelled angrily and she immediately got up and ran out of the room and I closed my eyes in frustration.

    "You can all leave now" Gary said with a cold voice and I could hear the girls footsteps as they hurried out of the room.

    I walked out of the room a few minutester and saw my friends waiting for me.

    I sat down on the couch and Anderson handed me a ss of whiskey.

    I gulped it all down at once and Anderson quickly refilled it.

    "Do you have any specific orders with regards to the girl?" Gary asked me with a serious expression.

    "She actually did nothing wrong by pping you because what you did was against the rule" Mason said with a disapproving tone.

    "The rules shouldn¡¯t apply to us, with the kind of money I paid to get them here, they should be the ones begging for sex" Gary retorted angrily.

    "If there is a set rule, then no one is exempted unless the girl gives you her approval" Mason said with a smile.

    "Okay guys, that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s hear what Ken has to say" Jasper said while gesturing for me to say something.

    "I had an erection," I said with a smile.

    "What does that have to do with you getting sl...oh my God!" Gary eximed when he finally understood what I said.

    "Bro!" Anderson eximed as well.

    "But you have been with so many girls before without any breakthrough, what makes her so special?" Jasper asked with a contemtive expression.

    "I don¡¯t know as well but whatever it is, I¡¯m going to find out" I replied with a determined smile as I slowly sip my wine.

    *******

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I rushed back to the room to change, so I can leave before Madam Collete finds out about what happened.

    As soon as I finished changing, I heard a rush of footsteps and quickly hid behind the curtains.

    The other girls rushed into the room with different expressions.

    Madam Collete and Ben came in after them.

    "Why are you all back so quick?" Madam Collette asked while staring at them with a frown.

    "You should ask Christy," Kara said angrily.

    "What do you mean by that? And where is Christy?" Madam Collete asked her in anger.

    "The main client only touched her a little but she pped him and walked away, which made them all upset" Kara exined eagerly, she could barely hide the joy in her voice.

    She has always been jealous of me and this was a rare opportunity to embarrass me.

    "Where is that little slut?!" Madam Collette yelled angrily but no one answered her which made her even more upset.

    "Her clothes are gone" Kara said with a resentful voice after checking the ce they had kept their clothes earlier.

    "I only went to the balcony to answer a call and she sneaked in to get her clothes? What were you doing?" Madam Collette asked Ben and threw her purse at him.

    "Ma¡¯am, I have been having diarrhea since yesterday, I was in the restroom and didn¡¯t see her. I am very sorry ma" He apologized while bowing his head repeatedly.

    Ding ding!

    Madame Collete was about to continue yelling when she received a notification of an iing message. She quickly walked towards the window so no one would see the content of the message.

    I watched as she unlocked the screen to check her phone and saw that Gary had transferred the full payment.

    The money was so huge that I had to cover my mouth to avoid eximing.

    But she stared at the message and acted like it was nothing.

    "I just received a message from the clients, they have refused to pay as everything didn¡¯t go as nned. So dress up, let¡¯s return home" she said to the girls and they all immediately left the room after changing into their previous outfits.

    I stared at her greedy face as she left the room before hurrying out of the building.

    I didn¡¯t regret pping the man as that was exactly what he deserved.

    I took a cab and gave him my house address before finally breathing a sigh of relief.

    The cab stopped in front of an old rundown house, I paid the driver and made my way into the house.

    "Mom, I¡¯m back" I said as I pushed open the front door.

    I saw my mother, who looked stressed and worn out. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that she was only in her forties. She looked more like a sixty years old woman because of the hardships she had endured over the years.

    "Wee sister" My little sister, Piper, greeted me with a smile.

    "How are you Piper?" I rubbed her hair lovingly.

    I am four years older than her and have done everything possible to provide for her needs.

    I looked at the dining table and frowned.

    "Why is there so much expensive food? Where did the moneye from?" I asked my mother with a scrutinizing gaze.

    "My dear, I just decided to cook something nice today, your father will be back soon" she said with an awkward smile while avoiding eye contact.

    Piper was also acting weird, which made it hard for me to believe what our mother said.

    Bang!

    Before I could say anything, the front door was forcefully pushed open and our father walked in with his eyes zing with anger.

    "You bitch!" He yelled and gave me a very hot p that left my face burning.

    "Husband, please don¡¯t hurt her" my mother quickly pulled me back, so he wouldn¡¯t hit me again.

    "Do you know what she did? She ruined a perfectly good opportunity to make a lot of money!" He yelled while pointing his fingers at me.

    "Christy, what happened?" my mother asked with a frown.

    "Should I allow a client to abuse me, all because I want money?" I said with a choked voice as I tried my best to hold back the sobs that were threatening toe out.

    "What is a little abuse? Will you be the first girl to be abused?!" My father yelled angrily.

    "Benjamin!" My mother yelled his name angrily.

    "Is that what a father should say to his daughter? How could you say such a despicable thing?" she questioned angrily while trembling in anger.

    "Why are you so angry, isn¡¯t it the simple truth? If she had agreed to servicing clients with her body while also working as a stripper, our lives would have been better than this!" He said while ring at me.

    "It¡¯s all your fault, if you hadn¡¯t filled her head with all those nonsense about integrity, self respect and proper character, she wouldn¡¯t have turned out so troublesome" He said to her and was about to continue talking when he noticed the table filled with food.

    "It¡¯s a good thing that you remembered to cook me a proper meal" he said while looking at her, his own wife, with disgust.

    "Now let me tell you, I have decided that you are going to be servicing customers from now on, we need the money" he said to me before making his way to the dining table.

    "I won¡¯t!" I replied to him with a determined voice which caused him to stop in his tracks.

    He turned and walked to where I was standing.

    "Say it again!" He said through gritted teeth as he couldn¡¯t hurt my face, as I needed a pretty face to make money.

    "I said, I won¡¯t be a prostitute!" I yelled in his face and he grabbed my neck in anger.

    "Benjamin, let go of my daughter" My mother quickly pulled his hands off me.

    "Why should I sell myself to give you a good life? Don¡¯t you have another precious daughter outside? Why don¡¯t you tell her instead?" I asked him angrily while rubbing my aching neck.

    "How dare you? Emily is precious and can never do such dirty work!" He yelled at me angrily.

    "And I am not? What makes her more precious? Is it because she is Collete¡¯s daughter?" I asked him angrily.

    "You can¡¯tpare yourself to her," he said with a look of disgust before going to the dining table to start eating.

    "Dear, are you okay?" My mother asked me with a worried expression.

    "Why don¡¯t you just leave?" I asked my mother.

    "I can¡¯t leave, I don¡¯t want to get divorced and start all over again. I am not young anymore" she replied with a sigh.

    "Don¡¯t you feel like you are being too selfish, can¡¯t you think of us instead? Piper and I are going through a lot but you keep thinking about only yourself" I said and angrily pushed her hand away from my face.

    That was when I finally noticed that my sister had been quiet all along. Piper is the one who usually stands up against our father. I turned to look at her and saw her sitting quietly in front of our father.

    "Don¡¯t learn how to be stubborn and rebellious from your sister," He said to her with a rare smile.

    "Where is the money? I know how much you were paid by Mister Cole, so don¡¯t try to hide any of it!" He said with a stern voice while stretching his hand towards her.

    She took out a wad of cash and ced it in his hand with tears streaming down her face.

    "No...no..you promised me" I staggered and turned to our mother with a questioning gaze.

    "You promised me that you wouldn¡¯t let her do this shitty work!" I yelled at her, but she just looked away without any remorse.

    "You are no different from him, do you know the difference between us and Emily?" I asked her with tears streaming down my face.

    "It¡¯s simply because she has a mother who will do everything to ensure she lives well, while on the other hand, our own mother will do everything in her power to please her husband, who clearly doesn¡¯t love her, even if it means selling her children!" I yelled at her angrily.

    Pah!

 Chapter 4 - FOUR: Betrayed

    <h4>Chapter 4: Chapter FOUR: Betrayed</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    "Don¡¯t you ever darepare me to that slut!" My mother yelled after pping me.

    "A slut? Isn¡¯t that what you are trying to turn your daughters into? You and your husband sit at home all day, while he is gambling, you are busy cooking different delicacies to impress him but he always goes to his mistress afterwards.

    You don¡¯t take care of yourself at all, you look like an old woman and that¡¯s why he keeps going out, Collete is a year older than you but she could be mistaken for your younger sister.

    Our bad luck ising into this world through you!" I yelled at her before storming towards our father.

    "What do you think you are doing?" He asked angrily when I pushed him off his seat.

    "Give me the money!" I demanded angrily but he refused.

    I angrily picked up a fruit knife and ced it on his neck.

    "Have you gone mad? That¡¯s your father!" My mother yelled angrily and rushed to stop me but Piper held her back.

    "Belinda, look at the good daughters you gave birth to!" He yelled angrily at her.

    "Piper, let me go. That¡¯s your father!" Our mother yelled angrily.

    "No you are wrong, he is not my father neither are you my mother!" Piper yelled at her angrily.

    "What? Are you surprised and wondering how I found out?" She asked our mother who hasn¡¯t recovered from her shock.

    "Piper, what are you talking about?" I asked her while still holding the knife to our father¡¯s neck.

    "I always wondered why our so-called father never liked us, but he treats Emily like a precious treasure.

    I found the answer in their roomst week. Our dear mother couldn¡¯t have children and decided to adopt us from the orphanage.

    He supported her idea of adopting us but everything changed when Collete became pregnant with Emily. He found out that he wasn¡¯t actually the reason for their childlessness all these years, he started mistreating us.

    She is desperate to keep him by her side and does everything to please him, including making us work as prostitutes to fund Emily¡¯s academics" Piper exined everything and the room fell into a deep silence.

    "It¡¯s a good thing that you know, now you can repay us for raising you all these years" Our shameless father, Benjamin said with a sneer and I shed shed his arm with the fruit knife in anger.

    "Give me all the money, including the ones in your ount. Transfer everything to Piper¡¯s ount" I said with a voiceced with anger while pointing the knife at his eyeballs.

    "Do it quickly or I will gouge out your eyes!" I threatened and he took out his phone from his pocket while trembling in fear.

    "Tell him your ount number" I said to Piper, who immediately recited her ount details to him.

    After making him transfer all the money to Piper, I collected all the cash on him before kicking him in the stomach.

    "Ahhh, you bitch!" Benjamin cursed as he curled up in pain.

    "Go ahead and pack our stuff, let¡¯s leave" I said to Piper, who Immediately ran into the room to get our clothes.

    She came out a few minutester with a luggage and a backpack.

    "Your things are in here" she said while handing the backpack to me.

    I hit Benjamin on the back of his neck and he passed out.

    "Ahhhh, you little bitches!" Belinda screamed in shock, when she saw her husband¡¯s unconscious state.

    Before she could say anything again, I also gave her a hard hit and she passed out as well.

    "Let¡¯s go" I said to Piper and we immediately left the house.

    After walking a good distance away from the house, I stopped and hugged Piper.

    "So, do you have anywhere to go?" I asked her after pulling out of the hug.

    "My mathematics teacher likes me a lot, she stays with her grandmother and told me toe live with her" Piper said with a smile.

    "That¡¯s good, the money we collected from Benjamin willst you a few months, I will get a good job and send you money monthly as well. Take care of yourself and I wille to see your teacher to thank her personally" I said before hugging her again and handed her some cash for a taxi.

    "Where will you go?" Piper asked me with tears streaming down her face.

    "I will go to my boyfriend, Mark¡¯s ce for now" I replied with a smile while wiping her tears.

    Few minutester, the taxi arrived and Piper left. I stood there for a few minutes, trying to control my emotions before walking to my boyfriend¡¯s house.

    It took half an hour to get there, I was about to knock when I noticed that the front door was slightly opened.

    I frowned as Mark has always been security conscious and would never leave his door open unless something happened.

    I pushed the door open and walked into the apartment. The first thing I saw was a pair of red women¡¯s undies which seemed awfully familiar.

    Then I saw the red heels that were thrown in different directions and I froze.

    Weren¡¯t this the heels that I gifted Callie on her birthdayst year? I thought.

    But shook my head in denial thinking it was just a coincidence, as it wasn¡¯t the only pair in the world.

    I dropped my backpack on the sofa and walked towards the bedroom with light steps.

    "Ahnnm, Mark" I heard a moan and the voice was Callie¡¯s.

    I couldn¡¯t continue deluding myself and making up excuses to brainwash myself.

    "Oh yes!, right there!" Callie kept moaning loudly.

    I didn¡¯t hesitate anymore and pushed open the bedroom door. Callie was shocked and stopped moaning but Mark was still unaware.

    My blood ran cold as I stared at the two people I trusted most.

    Mark just continued, because he was too engrossed.

    His head was buried in-between Callie¡¯s legs as he sucked and licked her pussy. He stopped when he wasn¡¯t hearing Callie¡¯s moans anymore and raised his head to look at her.

    He saw her looking at the door and turned to look as well. He sprang up in shock when he saw me.

    "How... long has this been going on?" I asked with a trembling voice as I rested my back on the door frame for support while staring at Mark, whose face was covered in Callie¡¯s wetness.

    "Babe, let me exin" he said while racking his head for a good excuse.

    "Mark loves busty girls, he got tired of sleeping with only you. I mean you go around dancing on other men but expect him to be loyal. He has the right to choose his own happiness" Callie spoke up for him with a righteous tone.

    "Shut up" Mark yelled at her angrily.

    "Babe listen to me, how about we act like nothing happened, I mean we can all have fun" he said to me with a forced smile that made him look ugly.

    "Oh really?" I asked with a sarcastic voice. He must really think that I am a fool or easy to manipte.

    "Yes, we can have a threesome and practice an open rtionship," he said eagerly.

    "And I have gotten a good job in the capital, I will be moving soon. Since you and Callie are best friends, it won¡¯t be hard for us to live together" He said with a convincing tone.

    I walked towards him with a smile and hid the anger in my eyes perfectly. Mark became excited and Callie didn¡¯t seem to have any problems with it either.

    At this point, I couldn¡¯t waste my breath anymore.

    On getting to where Mark was standing, I suddenly kicked him in-between his legs and he fell down while screaming like a pig that was being ughtered.

    Pah!

    Before Callie could react, I delivered a hot p to her face and my fingerprints were etched on her face.

    "We are over!" I yelled at Mark before walking out of the bedroom.

    I grabbed my backpack and left to the nearest hotel. I booked a room for three days with the money I got from Benjamin and bought five cans of beer.

    I had no savings as I had given Mark all of it to make sure he could graduate from the university.

    He promised me a happy life after he graduates and gets a good job.

    It was all a lie

    A big fucking lie

    I kept murmuring as I went to the room.

    On getting to the room, I sat on the floor, opened a can of beer and allowed My tears to flow freely.

 Chapter 5 - FIVE: The Contract

    <h4>Chapter 5: Chapter FIVE: The Contract</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    When I opened my eyes the next morning, I felt a strong headache and an urge to vomit.

    I slowly got up from the ground but fell back down due to weakness. I was having a terrible hangover and slowly crawled to the bathroom.

    I vomited in the toilet and washed my face before feeling slightly better.

    I slowly walked to the bedside to check my phone to know the time and saw several calls from Belinda and Benjamin but I ignored them.

    I was trying to think of ways to make enough money to start a decent life but nothing wasing to my mind and I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration.

    Ding!

    My phone suddenly chimed, indicating an iing message.

    I checked the SMS and saw that it was from an unknown number.

    "You are invited for a private dance, 2 PM at Kingston hotel".

    The message was simple and direct without any pleasantries. I stared at the message for a long time before putting it away with a sigh.

    I usually get these kinds of messages from people but this one gave me a weird feeling.

    Ding!

    My phone chimed again and I quickly checked the new SMS.

    "Fifty thousand dors per hour"

    It was once again very simple and direct and I frowned.

    Who pays fifty thousand for a dance? Could it be a scam?.

    Many questions kept swirling in my head and I sat down on the bed absentmindedly.

    What if it isn¡¯t a scam? I can use the money to start a new life.

    There is no harm in trying, if it is a scam, things can¡¯t get worse than they are right now.

    I thought and grabbed my backpack to check for any appropriate outfit to wear but there were only hoodies and joggers, nothing else.

    I couldn¡¯t buy a new set as the money I got from Benjamin was almost finished and I couldn¡¯t go to Callie for help either.

    I suddenly thought of someone else and rushed into the bathroom to freshen up as there was only two hours left before the appointed time.

    After cleaning up, I hurried out of the hotel to a small roadside eatery to get something to eat.

    After my meal, I quickly took a cab and gave the driver an address. The drive only took twenty minutes and the cab dropped me in front of an old building with peeling paint and a broken corridor.

    I knocked on the front door and a few minutester, the door was opened from inside.

    "What are you doing here?" Kara asked, her expression a mixture of surprise and shock.

    "I need your help with something," I said without beating around the bush.

    "You need my help? Did you hit your head or something? Why will youe to me for help when your best friend is around?" Kara asked at once while giving me a suspicious look.

    "Well,I caught my best friend sitting on my boyfriend¡¯s facest night, so I can¡¯t go to her for help and I also found out I was adopted, so I don¡¯t have a home anymore" I said with a voice that sounded like I was just talking about the weather.

    "Umm..so what do you want?" Kara asked after staring at me for a while.

    "I want a red erotic dance set, the one you used at the clubst time" I said without any hesitation.

    "What?! Do you know how expensive that set is? It was a gift from a wealthy client and what do you need it for?" Kara asked me with a frown.

    "I can¡¯t tell you about it," I replied with a hesitant expression.

    "Well, if you can¡¯t tell me about it, then I can¡¯t help you either" Kara snorted and was about to close the door in anger.

    "Wait, I will tell you" I quickly blocked the closing door with my leg and opened the messages before handing the phone to her.

    "This looks like a scam," Kara said with a frown after reading the messages.

    "It¡¯s a risk that I want to take, if it turns out to be genuine, I will be able to get away from here with the money and Benjamin wouldn¡¯t be able to find me" I said with a smile.

    "But what if it turns out to be a scam?" Kara asked with a frown.

    "Awwn, are you worried about me?" I asked her with a teasing smile.

    "Who is worried about you? I¡¯m just afraid you won¡¯t return my stuff" she replied with a defensive tone.

    "Well, if it turns out to be a scam, I will find a way to escape, I mean things can¡¯t get worse than they are right now" I said with a smile.

    Kara just stared at me for a while before going inside, and a few minutester, she returned with a bag and handed it to me.

    "Everything is in there, good luck" she said and I nodded before leaving.

    I only had forty minutes left and decided to go directly to the hotel.

    On arriving at the hotel, a man dressed in ck suit approached me with an expressionless face.

    "Are you Christy?" The man asked with a menacing tone, causing me to take a step back.

    "Yes," I answered with a vignt expression.

    "I was asked to pick you up" the man said then gestured with his hands for me to go into the hotel.

    I took a deep breath and walked in while observing the man¡¯s movements from the corner of my eyes.

    We entered the elevator and arrived at the top floor. I noticed that there was only one door on the floor unlike the other floors.

    The man opened the door and gestured for me to go in, I walked in without any hesitation and the door was closed behind me.

    I looked at the closed door and slowly walked in, I noticed that it was actually a luxurious apartment with expensive decor.

    "Hello" I was still admiring the ce when I heard a deep male voice from behind, I froze before slowly turning around to face the person.

    When I saw who was behind me, I immediately became angry while ring at him.

    "What¡¯s with that look? You were the one that pped mest time, so it¡¯s me that should be upset" He said with a smile which made me even more upset.

    "So you called me here for revenge? Or you have a fetish for being pped?" I asked him angrily.

    "None, I invited you here because I enjoyed yourp dancing" he said before walking to the bar to pour himself some wine.

    "Do you want a ss?" He asked me and I just kept quiet.

    "I guess not" he chuckled and poured for himself then walked to the sofa while slowly sipping the wine.

    "I am not interested in entertaining you," I said and turned to walk towards the door.

    "Two hundred thousand dors and I will transfer it to you before you start dancing" He said, causing me to stop and turn to look at him in shock.

    "You can make the transfer now" I said after thinking for a few minutes.

    "Okay" he said with a smile.

    It only took him a few minutes to make the transfer and after receiving the money, I immediately went to change.

    When I came out of the room, I was wearing sexy red lingerie and a bra.

    As soon as he saw me, he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off me. I could see the visible bulge of his dick and how he was doing his best to control himself.

    "Are you ready?" I asked him and was about to turn on the music yer when he suddenly took the remote from my hand.

    "There is no need," he said with a strained voice, as he was doing his absolute best to control himself.

    He clearly didn¡¯t want to torture himself by watching me dance.

    "I won¡¯t return the money," I said with a frown.

    "It¡¯s yours" he replied before sitting back on the sofa.

    "I actually called you over, because I have an offer for you" he said and took out an envelope from behind the sofa.

    I took it with a hesitant expression and read through it.

    "I don¡¯t understand," I said with a questioning gaze.

    He sighed and told me about his condition.

    "You are saying that I am the only woman that can arouse your desires as a man?" I asked incredulously.

    "Yeah" he replied with a serious expression.

    "It is written in the contract that I will stay with you for ny days and I will receive fifty thousand dors monthly, my aodation and living expenses will also be taken care of by you" I repeated what I read.

    "Yes," he replied with a serious expression.

    "I will need time to think about it," I said with an equally serious expression.

    "If you are thinking of going back to that little hotel, you better change your mind because your foster father is there with some thugs, waiting for your return. Apart from that, you have nowhere else to go" He informed me and I stared at him in shock.

    "I need to get my bag" I said after snapping out of my initial shock.

    "I will have someone bring it over, all you have to do is sign the contract. New clothes and thetest model of iPhone have been bought for you and are all in the room in which you changed just now.

    We will leave as soon as you sign and I promise you that no one will be able to touch you" He said calmly.

    Between going back to the hotel and having myself killed by Benjamin, I will rather follow this stranger. I thought before taking the pen and signing my name on the contract.

    "Mr ck, are we leaving immediately?" I asked after putting down the pen.

    "Just call me Kendrick and yes we will be leaving immediately" he replied while carefully putting the contract back in the envelope.

    I walked to the window and looked down at the bustling city.

    The next ny days of my life will be filled with uncertainty but I am ready to face whateveres my way.

    I have nothing to lose.

 Chapter 6 - SIX: A Painful Betrayal

    <h4>Chapter 6: Chapter SIX: A Painful Betrayal</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    "You can rest in the room in which you changed earlier" his voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I turned to look at the direction he was pointing.

    "Okay" I replied before walking to the room and shutting the door.

    I quickly checked my ount bnce once more and still couldn¡¯t believe the figure I was seeing.

    I need to inform my sister about leaving the city and also Kara, I need to thank her properly.

    I dialed Piper¡¯s number but it rang for a long time without her picking which is very unlike her.

    I tried calling a couple of times more and on the third try, it was finally picked up.

    "You little slut, you thought you were smart right?" Benjamin¡¯s voice came through the phone and I froze.

    He has my sister!

    This sentence kept ying repeatedly in my head and all I could feel was fear because I know how heartless he could be.

    "What have you done to Piper?" I asked trying my best not to sound scared.

    "You are even asking me questions" he said whileughing like a psycho.

    "Don¡¯t you dare hurt her!" I warned, my fear turned into anger when I remembered what he and his wife had put us through all these years.

    "I want my money, nothing less than fifty thousand dors, do you hear me?!" He yelled loudly and I had to move my phone away from my ear.

    "How am I sure you really have her?" I asked while trying my absolute best to hold back my sobs.

    I can¡¯t let him notice any weakness.

    "Oh, you want to hear her voice?" He snorted and then I heard some footsteps.

    "Make her sing" Benjamin said to whoever was with him.

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhh"

    Piper¡¯s scream made my legs weak and I fell on my knees.

    "You have heard her voice right?" He asked me with a mocking tone.

    "Don¡¯t hurt her anymore, I aming with the money" I said and he immediately hung up.

    Ding ding!

    He quickly sent the meeting location and it is his house.

    I quickly changed into a hoodie and joggers before hurrying out of the room.

    Fortunately, Kendrick was nowhere to be seen, which saved me from having to exin what was happening.

    I rushed to the nearest bank to get the cash and few minutester, I was sitting in a cab heading to Benjamin¡¯s house.

    "Stop here" I ordered the driver and quickly got out of the car.

    I couldn¡¯t just rush into his trap, I needed to know what was going on first.

    I walk into a nearby alley that leads to the house. It only took me a few minutes to arrive at the back of the house.

    I tiptoed to the window to see what was going on inside.

    Benjamin was eating and Belinda as usual was busy serving him like a maid while Piper and two women were tied up at the corner.

    Two thuggish looking men were keeping watch on them.

    No matter how I looked at the situation, all odds were against me and I knew it but I had no choice.

    I took a deep breath and walked to the front door and knocked loudly.

    The door was immediately opened by one of the thugs and Benjamin¡¯s eyes were fixed on the envelope in my hand.

    "Hand over the money quickly!" He demanded with an authoritative voice and Iughed.

    "Let them go" I said with a serious tone. I wasn¡¯t here to banter with him.

    I know today wasn¡¯t going to end well for me and I am ready for anything.

    " Christy, Is that how you talk to your father?" Belinda asked me with a frown.

    "Are you still deluding yourself and ying mother? Have you forgotten that you never gave birth to any child?" I asked her with a sarcastic voice and her expression immediately darkened.

    "You ungrateful wretch!" She yelled at me angrily but I wasn¡¯t here to talk with her, so I didn¡¯t bother responding to her.

    "Let them go and I will hand over the money" I said to Benjamin, my fingers clutched the envelope tightly.

    "You really think you have a choice?" He asked before motioning to one of the thug to take the envelope from me.

    I quickly shove it in my hoodie as the man came close.

    "You better hand it over, I don¡¯t have a habit of not hitting women" He threatened with a ferocious expression.

    Nothing was going to make me hand over the money without my sister and her teacher being released.

    "Can¡¯t you take it from her? You are so useless!" Benjamin yelled angrily at the thug.

    Benjamin¡¯s curses seem to have really angered him and he pulled me closer with one hand while he put the other hand into my hoodie to collect the envelope.

    "Let go of me!" I yelled as I struggled to break free from his hold.

    "You bastard!" I yelled in anger when I noticed that he wasn¡¯t even trying to collect the envelope yet.

    He was busy squeezing my boobs while pretending to collect the envelope.

    "Ahhh!"

    I poke his eyes with my fingers and he immediately let me go while screaming in pain.

    "Enough of this nonsense!" Benjamin yelled angrily and stormed towards me.

    He pulled my hair hard and dragged out the envelope from my hoodie before kicking me to the corner.

    "There is so much money" he said while staring inside the envelope greedily.

    "You little bitch, you must have been doing some side work and you talk about being pure all day" he said with a sneer as he counted the money.

    "Let ...them go" I struggled to say as I slowly got up while using the wall as a support.

    "Of course, I will let them go, I am a man of my words" he said with a smile and gestured to the other thug to release them.

    I watched as the ropes were untied and the thug stepped back for them to leave.

    "Christy" Piper immediately ran to me and held me in a tight embrace.

    "Are you hurt?" I asked while checking her body for any injuries.

    "No, they didn¡¯t hurt me" she said with tears streaming down her face.

    "You can leave now" Benjamin said to the two women, whom I assumed to be her teacher and her mother.

    "Umm...Sir" the elderlydy called to Benjamin with a hesitant expression.

    "Oh, I almost forgot" he said as he pulled out some dor bills from the envelope to give them.

    "Thank you sir" they said happily before walking away with smiles.

    Nothing was making sense at the moment and I turned to Piper for exnation but she just stared at me with a nk expression.

    "You have done well, my dear" Belinda said with a smile.

    No

    She will never!

    I kept trying to tell myself that it wasn¡¯t what I was thinking.

    "Here is the money for the new phone I promised" Benjamin said with a smile as he handed a pile of cash to Piper.

    "Thank you Father" she said happily as she collected it.

    It felt like a bucket of cold water was poured on me at this moment.

    "Why?" I asked her with a confused expression but she just turned her face away.

    The hatred in her eyes couldn¡¯t be concealed.

 Chapter 7 - SEVEN: A Shocking Revelation

    <h4>Chapter 7: Chapter SEVEN: A Shocking Revtion </h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    "Why?!" I asked her angrily.

    "Why what?" She asked back with a lopsided grin.

    "You have always felt better than me, I always had to stay in your shadow. You never allow me to live my life the way I want.

    After what happened that day, I regretted it. I shouldn¡¯t have joined you to hurt our parents. Even if they aren¡¯t our biological parents, they still raised us" she said angrily.

    "You have always been self centered and ungrateful" She said while ring at me.

    "All I ever did was to make sure you grew up safely, I did everything to make sure you wouldn¡¯t be hurt or go astray" I said while trying to hold back my tears.

    How could she say all that to my face, I have loved and taken care of her since we were kids.

    "Wow, a stripper who preaches about living a good life," she said sarcastically.

    p!

    I couldn¡¯t control my anger and delivered a hot p to her face.

    "You finally revealed your real self" she said while holding her cheek.

    "You returned that day, you never went to your teacher¡¯s house" I said with a lot of conviction.

    She yed me all along.

    "You finally became smart" she sneered before walking to where Belinda was seated.

    "Thank you for forgiving me mother, I am so sorry for letting some people mislead me" she said with a smile.

    "I am d you came to your senses my dear" Belinda said while giving me a triumphant smile.

    It was all a trap from the beginning.

    The person I trusted the most betrayed me.

    "Hey, make sure she doesn¡¯t escape" Piper said to one of the thugs and he immediately held me down.

    "When will they arrive?" Benjamin asked her while rubbing his palms together in anticipation.

    "He told me that he will be here soon" Piper responded while scrolling through her phone like nothing was happening.

    How could I not have noticed any details?

    She is so good at hiding her emotions and it took me so many years to finally see the real her.

    Knock knock!

    There was a sudden knock on the door and Piper happily went to open it.

    "Mom, you finally came" I turned to see who the new guest was and everything finally made sense.

    "Hahaha" Iughed with hot tears spilling out of my eyes.

    I was a fool all along.

    I cried as Madam Collete walked close to me and stepped on my back with her heels.

    "You are always walking around like you know everything, are you shocked now?" She asked with a mocking smile.

    "There is no boarding school right, she was always at your ce whenever she left here" I said with a certain voice.

    "You finally got it. Now let me introduce you to my daughter, Emily Scott" she said while pointing towards Piper.

    At this point, my tears kept pouring out and my vision became blurry.

    "Enough with the crocodile tears" Benjamin said with an irritated voice.

    "Oh, he is finally here," Piper or Emily shouted happily.

    I slowly turned my neck towards the entrance and started struggling when I saw who they had invited.

    "Let me go!"

    "Please"

    I begged Piper but she was busy looking for a good angle to take a video.

    The man that arrived was extremely happy, he squatted in front of me and touched my face with a lustful expression.

    He was the same potbellied middle aged man with hideous e. The one I had an altercation with in the club yesterday.

    "We are going to have so much fun" he said before gesturing to one of his bodyguards to hand a bag to Piper.

    "You better ensure that it isplete" she said with a serious expression before taking the bag.

    After a few minutes of confirmation, she walked to where I was being held down and patted my head.

    "I set this up for you sister so make sure to enjoy yourself okay" she said while smiling.

    "She is all yours, have fun" she said to the man who couldn¡¯t hide his excitement as his eyes roamed my body hungrily.

    "Let her go" he said to the thug that has been holding me down" he immediately let go and my face felt numb from being pressed against the cold hard floor.

    "Let¡¯s go," Benjamin said while holding Collete¡¯s waist.

    "Show me some respect at least" Belinda said angrily but they paid no heed to her.

    "Come on Emily, let¡¯s go," Collete said to her daughter with a smile.

    The three of them left without looking back while Belinda stood there like a fool.

    Then the door was suddenly shut from outside, leaving me and her with the thugs and the fat idiot.

    "You really thought you were special?" I asked her with a mocking tone.

    "Benjamin, open the door" she yelled while banging on the closed door but all she heard was the sound of a car engine.

    "She must be the tip, he was talking about" one of the thugs said while staring at her.

    "No...no, you can all have her as many times as you like" She Said while pointing at me.

    I justughed at how heartless she was, the same woman I called mother all my life is saying such vicious words without blinking her eyes.

    "Don¡¯te any closer!" she yelled as one of the men started advancing towards her.

    She grabbed a fruit knife to defend herself against him. He seemed to be blinded by lust and didn¡¯t care about the knife.

    The sound of fabric ripping was heard and before I could see what was happening, the pot bellied man started tugging on my clothes.

    "No, leave me!"

    "Please stop!"

    "Ahhhhhh"

    All I could hear was Belinda¡¯s screams while I did my best to fight off the man that was trying to strip me.

    I kneeled him in his private part and pushed him off me.

    He was writhing in pain while ring at me. I made sure to create as much distance as possible.

    I couldn¡¯t hear Belinda¡¯s voice anymore and turned to see what was happening.

    All I saw were her lifeless eyes as the thug kept taking advantage of her.

    Her head was bleeding, she must have been injured while struggling.

    "Aren¡¯t you done yet? It¡¯s my turn" the second thug said while loosening his belt.

    "Oh shit, she isn¡¯t moving" he said after observing her body.

    The one that was viting her finally stopped after hearing what his partner said.

    "What a waste" he said and gave her lifeless body a hard kick.

    "You can still enjoy yourselves if we work together" The potbellied man said to them while staring at me.

    "She is even better," one of the thugs said with a lustful gaze.

    I immediately tried to run to the nearest room, but he pulled me by my hair and threw me against the wall.

    I felt a sharp pain in my ribs and my ears kept ringing.

    I don¡¯t want to die like this.

    I murmured as my vision became increasingly blurred.

    Suddenly, there was a loud crash and the door opened.

    All I saw was a pair of shiny ck leather shoes before I fell into an endless darkness.

 Chapter 8 - EIGHT: She Didnéˆ¥æª› Disappoint

    <h4>Chapter 8: Chapter EIGHT: She Didn¡¯t Disappoint</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    I breathed a sigh of relief when she agreed to the contract and left to attend to some business before moving to the capital.

    "So, how did it go?" Gary asked with a gossipy expression.

    "She agreed," I replied with a smile.

    "Just like I predicted, who can refuse the mighty Kendrick ck" he said with an exaggerated tone.

    "Why didn¡¯t you bring her along?" He asked with a serious expression.

    I sometimes wonder how his mood changes so fast.

    "Where? To the office?" I asked him with a frown.

    Why would I bring her to the office?.

    "You gave her some money before signing the contract right? What if she runs away?" He asked with a raised brow.

    "I had Evans keep a watch on her" I informed him and he took a visible breath of relief.

    "She was...."

    Ding!

    I was interrupted by an iing message notification and I picked up my phone to check as whatever it was must be important as it was my personal phone.

    "Boss, she left just like you suspected"

    It was from Evans , the man I stationed to watch her, I frowned after reading the content of the message. I thought she would prove me wrong.

    "What¡¯s wrong?" Gary asked with a scrutinizing gaze.

    "She left," I said inly before dialing Evan¡¯s number.

    "Boss" he picked up the second ring and greeted me.

    "Where is she now?" I asked him with a serious tone.

    "She went to a bank, I am waiting outside for her," he replied emotionlessly.

    "keep an eye on her and keep me updated" I instructed him before hanging up.

    "I am leaving" I said to Gary as I picked up my jacket.

    "I aming too, I will not miss such a good show" he said with a smirk.

    We took an elevator to the underground parking lot and were about to get into the car when my phone rang.

    "Boss, she went back to her parents house, something seems fishy and she is acting strange" Evans said before I could even ask him.

    Wasn¡¯t she being hunted down by her father?

    Why would she go back?

    I thought before getting into the car and driving out of the parking lot.

    Ding!

    "Check it for me" I said to Gary as I focused on driving.

    "He sent his love location, they are in the suburbs" he said after checking the message.

    I quickly drove towards the location with the help of GPS navigation.

    As soon as I arrived at the location, a car that was hurrying out of the ce crashed into my car.

    An elderly man, Benjamin Scott, whom I recognize as Christy¡¯s father from my previous investigation, came out of the car with an extremely ugly expression.

    "Who are you and why are you blocking the entrance of my house?" He tapped my car window and questioned angrily.

    I opened the door to have a word with him but Evans had already appeared and pinned him to the floor.

    "She went into the house and hasn¡¯te out but I saw him locking the door from outside" he informed me expressionlessly.

    "Where is she?" I asked him with a serious tone.

    "I don¡¯t know who you are talking about, just let go of me" Benjamin denied with a defensive tone.

    "We will just have to check it out for ourselves" Gary said as he got out of the car and we both headed towards the house.

    "Hello, what happened?" A young girl, whom I recognized as her sister asked while blocking our way.

    Why was she here?

    I frowned as I shoved her aside and hurried towards the entrance of the house.

    Bang!

    I kicked the door open and the scene that greeted me made my blood boil.

    Christy was resting against the wall, blood was flowing out of the corner of her lips while three men were staring at her like starved beasts. A womanid lifeless on the side of the room.

    She looked in my direction before losing consciousness.

    I quickly picked her up while Gary took care of the three men.

    They didn¡¯t stand a chance against him.

    "Boss" I met Evans and a few other of my people on my way out of the house.

    He must have called for backup.

    "Take the three of them to the basement" I said to Evans before rushing to my car and driving to the nearest hospital.

    I couldn¡¯t take chances, she must recover.

    I finally found a possible breakthrough in my situation and this just happened out of nowhere.

    "Denzel, there is an emergency. Be ready to receive the patient in a few minutes" I called the head doctor of the closest hospital.

    As soon as I drove in, a stretcher was quickly brought over to carry her in.

    She was rushed into the emergency room and I had to wait outside.

    A few minutester, I heard a rush of footsteps behind me but I didn¡¯t turn back as I already knew who wasing.

    "How is she?" Gary asked while patting my shoulder.

    "She lost a lot of blood and some other serious injuries" I said with an exhausted sigh.

    "Why don¡¯t you pay a visit to the basement to blow off some steam?" He suggested with a smile.

    I immediately got up and headed out of the hospital. A car was already waiting at the entrance for me.

    "Let¡¯s go" I said to Evans and he immediately sped off.

    I didn¡¯t bother changing my blood stained clothes as I walked into the basement.

    The three men were tied to chairs and their faces were already swollen thanks to Gary.

    "You are going to tell me everything, from the beginning to the end" I said while looking at their faces.

    "Let¡¯s go with you" I chose the potbellied man.

    "Be a man" I said with disgust when I saw that he had urinated on his pants.

    I turned to the thugs and picked the fierce looking one.

    "I ...I ..didn¡¯t do anything to her, I was employed by her sister " he said with a shaky voice.

    "Her sister?" I asked with a frown.

    From my previous investigation, the sisters were extremely close and Christy has made a lot of sacrifices for her little sister to have a good life.

    "Keep talking," I said to the man.

    "The sister is madam Collete and Benjamin¡¯s daughter, she plotted with her parents to deceive Christy intoing back by acting like she was being held hostage by her father" the other thug quickly added.

    "And him?" I asked while pointing to the potbellied man.

    "What was his role in all of this?" I asked while staring at him.

    "He bought Christy from them, the n was to make her his toy" one of the thugs said quickly.

    "Which hand did you use to touch her?" I asked the man but he just kept quiet.

    He was doing his best to appear calm but his trembling legs betrayed him.

    "Then I will just take both of your hands" I said and Evans immediately handed me a sword.

    "What ...are.. you doing?

    "Do you know who I am?"

    "Ahhhhhh"

    "Ahhhhhhhh"

    His questions came to an abrupt stop when I cut off his hands.

    He howled like a pig in a ughter before passing out from losing too much blood.

    "Throw him into the sea to feed the fishes. Leave no trace" I instructed Evans before walking out of the basement.

    I smiled as I remembered that she didn¡¯t run away with the money like I predicted.

    The sound of my phone ringing pulled me out of my thoughts.

    "We are losing her" Gary¡¯s anxious voice came through as soon as I picked up.

 Chapter 9 - NINE: Donéˆ¥æª› Make Me Regret Saving You

    <h4>Chapter 9: Chapter NINE: Don¡¯t Make Me Regret Saving You </h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    "Let¡¯s go back to the hospital" I said to Evans as I hurried out of the basement.

    I got into the backseat while Evans took the front seat.

    I looked out the window and allowed the cold breeze to touch my face.

    She must live!

    I will go to hell and drag her back if necessary.

    After years of searching for a cure, I finally found a breakthrough and I won¡¯t let it slip away.

    "Boss, we have arrived" Evans voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

    I hurried into the hospital and saw Gary in front of the Emergency room sitting with his head resting on his palms.

    "What happened?" I asked him as soon as I got close enough.

    "Denzel told me earlier that she would be fine after the initial treatment but now, I don¡¯t really understand what is happening. She just tlined" Gary exined with a sigh.

    "Bang!"

    I punched the wall as I needed to vent my frustration and blood slowly trickled down my knuckles but I felt no pain as I just stared at the bright red liquid that was flowing out.

    The emergency room¡¯s door opens and Denzel walks out with an extremely tired expression.

    "How is she?" I asked while scrutinizing his expression.

    "I and my team are doing our best but...."

    "Well, maybe your best isn¡¯t good enough!" I interrupted him angrily.

    "Calm down Ken, we all know how good Denzel and his team are" Gary quickly stood between us to stop me fromshing out on him.

    "There is nothing I can do to save a person that doesn¡¯t want to be saved!" Denzel yelled with a frustrated voice.

    "What do you mean by she doesn¡¯t want to be saved?" I asked him with a frown.

    "She has no will power and isn¡¯t fighting. It¡¯s like she doesn¡¯t have anything worth living for" he exined with a sigh.

    I didn¡¯t know what to say or do for a few minutes. I just stood in front of the emergency room and stared at the girl on the bed that was being saved.

    "No will to live" I repeated Denzel¡¯s words in my head.

    She was betrayed by the person she loved and cared about the most, so it is understandable.

    But I need her and I will have to give her something to live for.

    " I want to go in?" I asked Denzel while still looking inside the emergency room.

    "You will have to get cleaned up first. I will send someone to help you" he said because he knew there was nothing he was going to say that would stop me from entering.

    He walked into the emergency room again and I saw him talking to a nurse before gesturing towards the door..

    "Sir, this way please" a nurse came out to lead me to where I will change and disinfect myself.

    The entire process only took a few minutes.

    I wrinkled my nose as the smell of the disinfectant wafted into my nose as I walked back to the emergency room.

    I hate hospitals but I have spent more time in them than I can count.

    I stood in the doorway, staring at the fragile figure lying in the hospital bed.

    Her fair skin was covered in numerous bruises and she looked extremely pale.

    "Her vitals are too low" Denzel said but I just walked to the bed while staring at her pale face.

    I felt a stuffy feeling in my chest that I didn¡¯t understand.

    I stretched out my hand to touch her chestnut wavy hair but pulled back at thest moment.

    I wasn¡¯t one to show emotions but there was this feeling that I needed to say something at this moment or she would die.

    "You¡¯re making this really inconvenient," I muttered, trying to sound annoyed.

    Nothing happened, it was like she couldn¡¯t hear me.

    "Just keep talking to her, it might help" Denzel encouraged from the side.

    ?"Do you know how many people would kill to be in your position right now?

    Sleeping in a five-star hospital room, with the best doctors money can get? Don¡¯t make me regret saving your life, Christy." I said with a serious tone.

    ?Still nothing.

    ?

    ?I sighed and dragged a hand down my face. I have never lost control before but at this moment, I could feel my control slipping.

    "That¡¯s good, keep talking" Denzel encouraged again while observing the instruments.

    ?"Look," I said with a cold voice. She needed to be told the harsh truth and that¡¯s what I am going to do.

    "You don¡¯t have to trust me and you probably shouldn¡¯t. But if you think dying like this is going to solve anything... it won¡¯t.

    The people who hurt you? They don¡¯t care. They will continue living their lives and find more victims like you." I said coldly while staring at the bruises on her body.

    "They betrayed you, used you and dumped you when you didn¡¯t seem valuable anymore. I get it,"

    "I know what that kind of betrayal feels like and it eats you alive from the inside out." I said with a sigh.

    Then I slowly moved my lips closer to her ear because I wanted to make sure she heard everything I was saying.

    ?"But I also know that lying in this cold emergency room with machines strapped to your body isn¡¯t justice.

    It is surrender and you¡¯re not the type who gives up easily. I saw it in your eyes earlier, I saw the yearning to be free in them" I paused for a few seconds before continuing again.

    "I didn¡¯t sign that contract because I was desperately in need of a girl, I signed it because I saw that you were different from other girls" I said while observing her face for any reaction.

    "Her vitals are going up!" Denzel yelled excitedly and I finally released the breath I never knew I was holding.

    "I promise to help you get justice and to protect you. I will make sure you live well after the contract expires" I whispered into her ear and her finger moved.

    I quickly turned to Denzel, who nodded at me with a smile.

    "The nurses will have her cleaned up and taken back to the room" He said with a smile and gave me a pat on the shoulder.

    I walked out of the emergency room and I feltpletely drained.

    "Here" Gary handed me a bottle of water and I slowly gulped it down.

    "Call Mason, I need his help with something" I said to him and he immediately left to make the call.

    The emergency room¡¯s door slowly opened and she was wheeled out. I followed behind as they took her to my personal room.

    The room was well furnished and has its own kitchen. I had it built specifically for me, during the construction of the hospital.

    They ced her on the bed and administered some drugs before leaving.

    I sat at the edge of the bed and picked up myptop to do some unfinished work.

    Knock!

    "It¡¯s opened" I said, the door opened and Gary walked in with Mason.

    "This is the first time I am entering this room and you aren¡¯t the one being brought back from the brink of death" Mason said with his signature smile but his smile disappeared when he looked at my face.

    " Have they made a move again?" He asked me with a frown.

    "It¡¯s not them, I just need you to help me investigate and dig up some dirt on a couple" I said and tossed a file at him.

    He caught it and slowly read through it.

    "You could have just informed the police, they would have investigated. I am too busy for this" he said after reading and tossed it back to me.

    "I need someone that I trust on it, that¡¯s why I called you" I said with a smile.

    "You know I am very busy this period and I hardly...." He suddenly stopped talking and stared at the bed with a shocked expression.

    "What¡¯s wrong?" Gary asked him but he just shook his head but his eyes were still fixed on Christy¡¯s face.

    "On second thought, I will take care of it" he suddenly said and collected the document he tossed back earlier.

    He looks at the bed one more time before leaving.

    "That was weird, what got into him?" Gary asked with a frown while staring at the closed door.

    I was about to reply when I felt movements behind me.

    "Wa..ter" her hoarse voice came from behind.

    Gary quickly poured a ss of water while I raised her head to enable her drink properly.

    "It¡¯s good to see you awake" I said to her after carefully adjusting her position.

    She just stared at the white ceiling and didn¡¯t say a word.

    "Thank you" she suddenly said but her eyes were still fixed on the ceiling.

    "It was nothing," I said with a sigh of relief.

    "Umm, I will head back now" Gary said before quickly walking out of the room like he was being chased.

    Did you mean everything you said?" She asked emotionlessly.

    "I never go back on my words" I replied with a firm tone.

    She finally turned to look at me.

    "Why are you helping me?" She asked with a frown.

    "You became one of my people from the moment you signed that contract. I always protect my people" I said with a firm tone.

    She was mine to protect for the next 90 Days.

 Chapter 10 - TEN: I Am Finally Free!

    <h4>Chapter 10: Chapter TEN: I Am Finally Free!</h4>

    Mason¡¯s POV

    My mind was filled with the pale face of the girl on the bed.

    Who is she?

    Why is there such a resemnce?

    Could she be my...

    I shook my head as it was impossible for such a coincidence to happen.

    It¡¯s been fifteen years and I don¡¯t want to raise everyone¡¯s hopes again likest time, only for it to not turn out positive.

    I got in my car and tossed the file on the back seat, wondering if I should still take the risk.

    I drove out of the hospital absentmindedly, my fingers clutched the steering wheel like it could ease the tension in my heart.

    The drive only took half an hour, I arrived at the special forces Base.

    " Cole, you have thirty Minutes to find out everything about this couple" I ordered as I handed the file to one of my loyal subordinates.

    "Sir" he saluted before hurrying away with the document.

    I walked to my office and sat behind my desk before bringing out an old rusted locket that has been in the drawer for years.

    I flicked it open and a picture of a little girl with the brightest smile was in it. The girl¡¯s smile is so captivating that one can¡¯t help smiling back.

    "Where are you Eva?" I asked while staring at her eyes that held all the stars in the world.

    Memories of what happened fifteen years ago flooded my head like always.

    Her frantic screams as the water pulled her away from the shore, how I swam to save her and how I passed out before getting to her.

    All I saw in her beautiful eyes was intense fear before I passed out.

    Her eyes have hunted me every night since that day.

    If only I was stronger back then.

    Knock knock!

    A sudden knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts.

    "Come in" I said and the door was immediately pushed open and Cole walked in with a file in his hand.

    "I am ten minuteste Sir" he said while standing at attention.

    I checked my wristwatch and saw that he really was ten minuteste.

    I always lose track of time whenever I think of Eva.

    "Send the soft copy to my email" I said to him before collecting the file and gesturing for him to leave.

    "Yes sir!" He said and quickly exited my office like he was being chased.

    If it was another time, I would have punished him for not adhering to time but I guess today is his lucky day.

    I took the file and read through it.

    Every line I read made me feel extremely disgusted. To think these monsters were roaming free in this City.

    I immediately dial Kendrick¡¯s number while still going through the file.

    "It is done, I will send it to you soon" I informed him as soon as he picked up.

    "Is there anything that cannd them in jail?" He asked with an emotionless tone.

    "With what I am reading right now, life imprisonment will be too lenient" I said with a disgusted tone.

    "I will be returning to the capital soon, I will thank you properly when we meet," he said before hanging up.

    I finally finished reading the file and closed it with a smile.

    Kendrick is thest person anyone will want to offend and this couple wouldn¡¯t even know how they died.

    *****

    Christy¡¯s POV

    My eyes felt so heavy when I tried to open them and after a few tries, I was finally able to open them.

    I looked around the unfamiliar room with a frown then the memories of what happened yesterday rushed into my head.

    Hot tears ran down my cheeks as I remembered Piper¡¯s betrayal.

    I would have never imagined it in a million years.

    I slowly moved my body which felt extremely heavy due to the medication.

    I heard the sound of the door opening and quickly wiped my tears. I didn¡¯t want anyone to see me in such a vulnerable state.

    "Feeling better?" Kendrick¡¯s maic voice came from the door and I slowly turned to look at him.

    He looked good as always and he gave me this feeling of being safe.

    "The doctor said you can only eat light foods for the next two days" he said and dropped a bowl of pudding on the bedside table.

    I struggled to get up from the bed and he just stared at me. I felt grateful that he didn¡¯t offer to help as I didn¡¯t want to be a burden on anyone.

    "If you need help, just press the green button on your left, a nurse wille and attend to you" he informed me expressionlessly.

    "Thank you" I said as I slowly drank the pudding.

    I could feel his eyes on me but I just ignored him and finished the pudding before dropping the bowl back on the table.

    "There is something you might want to see," he said as he picked up the TV remote and switched it on.

    "...Benjamin Scott and his lover, poprly known as Madam Colette Wells, have been arrested this morning following a major investigation. Charges include forced prostitution, murder of his wife, drug distribution, and involvement in human trafficking..."

    I blinked severally to make sure that I wasn¡¯t dreaming.

    I didn¡¯t know how to react at the moment.

    I reached for the remote with trembling fingers and he handed it to me, I turned up the volume.

    The screen switched to their mugshots.

    Benjamin¡¯s smug face was now pale and bloated, his eyes hollow with a lot of bruises on his neck while Colette looked like she had aged ten years overnight, she looked nothing like the diva that made us tremble at the club.

    My heart kept pounding as I continued listening.

    "Both suspects were apprehended following credible tip-offs, andw enforcement believes this bust will uncover a major underground ring of influence abuse. More detailsing..."

    I slowly turned off the TV and my heartbeat was intense. It felt like my heart wanted to burst out of my chest.

    "Ha..ha..ha..ha" Iughed in excitement until tears started streaming down my face again.

    I am finally free!

    I got justice for everything they did to me!

    I kept screaming these two sentences in my head while crying.

    "Aren¡¯t you supposed to be happy?" Kendrick asked and I turned to look at him.

    I forgot he was still here, I quickly wiped my tears and smiled.

    "I am very happy, thank you so much" I said to him but he just stared at me with a frown.

    "I was shedding tears of joy" I said as I felt the need to exin.

    He clearly was not an emotional person and definitely doesn¡¯t understand emotions either.

    "It¡¯s good that you are happy" he said while staring at my face like he didn¡¯t believe what I said.

    "We will be leaving for the Capital as soon as you are discharged" he informed me and I just nodded in response.

    "Is there anything you might need?" He asked me while staring at his phone.

    "I was thinking of getting a makeover to mark my new beginning" I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind and bit my tongue.

    "I actually didn¡¯t...."

    "A stylist will be here to attend to you. I am leaving now" he said expressionlessly before walking out of the room.

    I just sat there and stared at the closed door.

    Was he serious?

    I asked myself before lying down on the bed.

    I stared at the ceiling while recalling all the hardships I suffered in the past years of my life.

    In the afternoon, a nurse brought me another bowl of pudding and I had just finished drinking it when I heard the door creak again. I expected it to be a nurse or t

    Kendrick.

    But when I looked up, I saw an unexpected person.

    It was Piper or Emily.

    Her makeup was smeared, eyes puffy from crying, and her expression twisted in pure rage.

    "You!" she hissed, mming the door shut behind her.

    I sat up in rm. "Piper?"

    " Don¡¯t call me that, my name is Emily and this is all your fault!" she screamed, marching toward me.

    I froze as I stared at her enraged expression. She was nothing like the sweet little girl that I had known my entire life.

    "Why couldn¡¯t you just let us be, Belinda is finally out of the way and now everything is ruined thanks to you!" She yelled angrily while ring at me with so much hate.

    "You are really Collete¡¯s daughter, how did I miss the resemnce all these years or it seems like you are just really good at pretending and also delusional" I said with a smirk.

    "Let¡¯s see how smug you will still be when I ruin that face of yours" She yelled angrily and lunged at me.

    The tray on my bedside table ttered to the floor as I struggled to block her fingers from touching my face.

    Her nails scratched down my arm and I pushed her back with all the strength I could muster up before pushing the green button to call for help.

 Chapter 11 - ELEVEN: A Pain In The Heart

    <h4>Chapter 11: Chapter ELEVEN: A Pain In The Heart</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    Piper picked up a ss shard from the floor and lunged at me again.

    I quickly moved to the other end of the bed to avoid the ss as she was aiming for my face.

    "Watch how I destroy that face of yours, let¡¯s see if the rich guy will still want you!" She said with a smile that made her look like a psycho.

    "Piper don¡¯t do anything you will regret" I said while trying to find an escape route as I wouldn¡¯t be able to fight her with my current condition.

    The bandages on my hand have been dyed red with blood due to the continuous movements to avoid her attacks.

    I looked at the door, wondering if the help button worked or not.

    "Regret? The only thing I would regret is leaving you alive. I want you to suffer and live a very miserable life" she said with so much hatred while gripping the ss shard tightly.

    The ss cut through her palm and blood started dripping on the floor but she just kept staring at me like she couldn¡¯t feel any pain.

    "Piper, calm down" I said while staring at her injured hand.

    She just kept staring at me like I was her biggest enemy, the look in her eyes made my heart hurt.

    I slowly got off the bed and before I could bnce on my feet, she suddenly attacked.

    I quickly covered my face with my hand and felt a sharp pain at the back of my hand as she stabbed me with the ss shard.

    "Ahhh!" I groaned in pain and pushed her back with all my strength before holding my injured arm.

    Blood was gushing out continuously and I pressed on the injury with my other hand .

    "Why don¡¯t you just die!" Piper yelled and I looked in her direction.

    She was struggling to get up and blood was trickling down her forehead. I looked at the bedside table and noticed some blood on one of the edges. She must have hit her head when I pushed her.

    I was about to press the help button again when the door suddenly burst open.

    Evans rushed in and walked towards Piper.

    She quickly picked up another ss shard to defend herself but she was no trouble for a trained person like Evans.

    "Stay away from me!" She yelled as she tried running to attack me again.

    "Don¡¯t move!" he barked angrily at her.

    He grabbed her by the arms and dragged her back.

    "I¡¯m going to ruin you!" she shrieked at me, kicking her legs as Evans lifted her up like a ragdoll.

    "You¡¯ll pay for destroying my family! I¡¯ll make sure of it!" she screamed again while ring daggers at me.

    "Get her out," Kendrick¡¯s cold voice came from behind Evans.

    "Yes, boss," Evans muttered, hauling Piper out of the room as she thrashed and screamed.

    My hands were trembling as I continued applying pressure on my injury.

    Kendrick came to my side instantly to check my arm.

    " Denzel is on his way, try to bear with the pain" he said stiffly.

    " It¡¯s nothing deep," I whispered.

    This pain is smallpared to the pain in my heart. No matter how I try to mask it, I still cared a lot about her.

    A part of me actually wished she would just apologize and tell me she was brainwashed or something.

    "Do you have anything in mind or should I take care of her in my own way?" He asked while staring at my face.

    "What does your way mean?" I asked him with a sigh.

    "She will be taken far away and will never bother you again" he replied expressionlessly.

    Knock knock!

    "Open" Kendrick said as soon as someone knocked on the floor.

    Denzel walked in with two nurses, each carrying a tray of medical supplies.

    " Let¡¯s get you fixed up," he said to me with a polite smile.

    "Hiss" I groaned in pain as he cleaned the injury.

    "Be careful," Kendrick said to him coldly.

    "I am very sorry about what happened, I will make sure my workers are kept in check henceforth" Denzel said with an apologetic expression.

    I just stared at him in confusion, wondering how Piper attacking me had anything to do with his staff.

    " One of the nurses that attended to you earlier, secretly took a video of you and uploaded it on the Inte. It got a lot of attention and your sister must have seen it too" he exined when he saw my confused expression.

    "She has been fired," he added.

    "It¡¯s alright" I said with a smile.

    Piper would have stille after me even without the post, so the nurse only made it faster for her.

    "She won¡¯te near you again." Kendrick¡¯s cold voice came from the side. I nodded in response.

    And somehow, I believed him.

    *****

    I walked out of the hospital building with a smile. I was finally discharged.

    Well, the papers haven¡¯t been signed yet but today was myst day here.

    I breathed slowly as I stood under the sunlight.

    "Let¡¯s go" Evans¡¯ voice pulled me out of my reverie and I quickly got into the backseat.

    "Where are we going?" I asked him when he drove out of the hospital gate.

    "Boss asked me to take you to the beauty salon" he replied curtly.

    I have gotten used to him, he doesn¡¯t speak much but he is very capable and always executes his tasks wlessly.

    The drive only took twenty minutes and the car came to a halt in front of the most expensive beauty salon in the city.

    A few months ago, I could only dream of entering this salon and now, here I am.

    I walked in with a smile, I was curious and super excited but had to maintain myposure.

    "Isn¡¯t that one of MJ¡¯stest designs?"

    "Hmph...it¡¯s probably a cheap imitation"

    As soon as I walked in, I saw three female beauticians and they all stared at me with varying gazes.

    One gave me a polite smile while the other two were busy discussing my gown.

    "You are right, MJ¡¯s design is a limited edition, she probably can¡¯t afford it" the one who had initially admired the dress said with a disdainful expression.

    I ignored their words and walked up to them with a smile, acting like I never heard their conversation.

    " I have an appointment," I said with a smile.

    "Sorry, we only have one important appointment for today, so you can just stop pretending" one of them replied rudely.

    "Umm...hello, I will attend to you" the one that smiled at me when I entered said with an apologetic smile.

    "What are you trying to do Cam?" The rude one asked angrily.

    "Didn¡¯t the Boss inform us not to attend to any other person until we are done with the vip that ising?" The rude one asked her angrily.

    "I just wanted to ask her for her details so we will know if she is the one or not" the polite one, Cam, said but the others just red at her.

    "Can¡¯t you tell by her cheap imitation clothes that she is not the one?" The other one asked rudely.

    I was about to mention Kendrick¡¯s name when the sound of heels clicking against the hard marble floor interrupted me.

    "It¡¯s been a while" a soft feminine voice came from behind me and the faces of the two rude beauticians immediately lit up.

    I turned around and saw a girl in a tight body hugging white gown and ck heels. She was wearing a pair of sunsses.

    "Wee Miss Celeste, it¡¯s been so long since west saw you" The rude beautician¡¯s character immediately took a 360 degrees turn as she greeted the neer with a smile.

    "It¡¯s good to see you again Margaret" thedy said with an arrogant expression while handing her handbag to the beautician.

    "Tea or coffee?" The other one asked her.

    "Tea," she replied before walking to the sofa to sit.

    "Are there any new treatment packages?" She asked the very rude one, whose name is Margaret.

    I just watched as they were hovering over thedy while I was left standing at the front desk.

    Ding!

    My phone chimed, indicating a new notification. I took it out of my bag and saw a text from Kendrick.

    "Almost done?"

    The text was direct without any unnecessary greetings.

    "I haven¡¯t been attended to" I replied quickly.

    "I will have it sorted out" he replied immediately.

    I didn¡¯t know what to reply again and just left it on read.

    "Here is your tea ma¡¯am" The other beautician, whose name I don¡¯t know yet, brought a cup of tea to thedy.

    "Are you new here?" Thedy asked while pointing at me.

    I just ignored her and continued waiting for whoever Kendrick was going to call.

    "I am talking to you" she said with an arrogant tone but I wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk to anyone.

    "Who is she?" She asked Margaret angrily.

    " she came in and imed to have an appointment" Margaret said while giving me a side eye.

    "Do you just allow anyone toe in here? I thought you had strict rules. I will have toin to my friend when I get back to the capital, so she can inform her brother" thedy said arrogantly.

    She just indirectly told everyone that she was friends with the beauty salon owner¡¯s sister.

    Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from the entrance of the salon. A middle aged woman hurried in with beads of sweat covering her face.

    "Oh good, your manager is here" the arrogantdy said with a smile.

    "Hello Miss Celeste, please you will have toe another day, we are fully booked by an extremely important client" the manager informed her and her expression immediately twisted in anger.

    " What nonsense are you saying? Have you forgotten who I am?" She asked the manager angrily.

    "Hello, you must be Miss Christy. Pleasee with me to the second floor, that¡¯s where I will personally give you the best beauty treatment" the manager said to me with a smile.

    I just nodded and followed her, she was probably instructed by Kendrick.

    "I will call my friend and make sure you lose your job!" Thedy yelled angrily.

    "I am very sorry miss Celeste, I was ordered by the boss to personally attend to her" the manager exined.

    "The Boss? You mean Kendrick ck?" She asked with a frown while ring daggers at me.

 Chapter 12 - TWELVE: Meeting The Top Socialite

    <h4>Chapter 12: Chapter TWELVE: Meeting The Top Socialite</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    From her reaction, I figured that she must know Kendrick.

    "Who are you?" She asked me again, this time, she stared at me like she wanted to rip me apart.

    Could she and Kendrick have a rtionship?

    "Are you mute? Can¡¯t you hear me" she suddenly lunged at me but the manager quickly held her back.

    "I don¡¯t know who you think you are but you better watch it, bcos I don¡¯t have a very good temper" I warned her with a serious tone.

    How dare she try to put her hands on me.

    "You bitch! You better stay away from Kendrick" she yelled while struggling to free herself.

    "And why would I do that?" I asked her with a raised brow.

    From what I know, Kendrick doesn¡¯t have a girlfriend and has never dated before, then who is this diva?

    "You better stay away from him for your own good. He is not someone that a lowly person like you should hover around" she said while eyeing me with a disgusted expression.

    "I don¡¯t know who you are and how you know my boyfriend but....."

    "Boyfriend?!" She shrieked with a shocked expression.

    Okay, I didn¡¯t expect her to react so strongly.

    Kendrick never mentioned his family and from her reaction, she is definitely not a rtive.

    She acts more like a jealous lover than a sister.

    "Why don¡¯t youe up with another lie bitch, everyone knows that Kendrick doesn¡¯t date or associate with women" she said with a mocking gaze but I wasn¡¯t in the mood to reply to her anymore.

    "Can we get started? I want her to attend to me" I said to the manager while pointing at Cami, the beautician that was polite to me when I came in.

    "Sure, Cam go and attend to our VIP" the manager instructed her with a stern expression.

    "Hey, I am not done with you yet!" Celeste or whatever her name was, yelled at me as I followed Cam upstairs.

    "You bitch!" She resorted to using insults to get my attention but I wasn¡¯t going to give her that satisfaction.

    What bad luck to meet such a person on my first day out of the hospital.

    "I am very sorry about what just happened ma" Cam suddenly apologized, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts.

    " Just call me Christy" I said to her with a smile and she smiled back.

    She led me into a room that was filled with different machines and beauty products. I just took a quick nce at it before going back to thinking about what just happened.

    Maybe I can get some information from her. I thought while staring at Cam.

    "Is she a regr here?" I asked her as she directed me to the sofa to sit.

    "Miss Celeste?" She asked me and I nodded in response.

    She kept picking out the products that she wanted to use from the shelves after getting my response.

    "She is the Boss¡¯s younger sister¡¯s best friend, so she alwayses to our salon anytime she is in town.

    She is the top socialite in the capital, her family is extremely wealthy and there are rumors that her family and the boss¡¯s family were discussing their marriage" she said with a gossipy expression.

    I smiled as she had given me more information than I hoped for.

    "Let¡¯s forget about her for now and focus on getting me ready as I have an important trip tomorrow" I said to her with a smile.

    "Okay, do you have anything in mind that you want to do?" She asked me while arranging the products in a basket.

    "I want to dye and cut my hair" I said after staring at myself in the mirror.

    "You have such healthy hair, why would you want to cut it?" She asked with an astonished expression.

    "i just want something different" I said and she nodded.

    "For the dyeing, do you have a specific color that you want to use?" She asked while caressing my long wavy hair.

    "I want a very dark red color," I said after some thought.

    "Okay, I think the color will reallyplement your skin tone," she said with a ttering smile.

    "Thank you" I responded while staring at the mirror.

    I watched as she reduced the length of my hair with scissors and I smiled.

    I never liked long hair but I was forced to keep it because Benjamin said so. He felt I would attract more customers with long hair.

    But looking at the shoulder length hair after the cut, I was truly satisfied.

    It felt so good to be able to make my own choices without anyone interfering

    The rest of the spa section went smoothly and by the time we were done, I stared at the mirror and couldn¡¯t believe my eyes.

    She used the perfect shade of red and parted my hair into short deep waves.It gave me a totally different aura.

    "Thank you so much Cam" I said as she escorted me downstairs.

    I looked around and couldn¡¯t find that crazy woman.

    I breathed a sigh of relief and exchanged a few words with the manager before exiting the beauty salon.

    "Hey, you thought I would just let you go after you spoke to me without respect?" Celeste¡¯s angry voice came from the side of the building.

    Oh fuck.....not this bitch again!

    I yelled in my head before turning to face her direction.

    I saw her staring at me with a smirk and two tall well built men stood behind her who are probably her bodyguards.

    "I heard that you are the top socialite in the capital, is bullying part of the criteria to be a top socialite now?" I asked her and the smirk on her face immediately vanished.

    "I have a strong urge to teach you some manners as the top socialite," she said before gesturing to her bodyguards.

    "Get her in the car" she ordered them and they immediately walked towards me with menacing expressions.

    I decided to go back into the salon to avoid being dragged into the car but they seemed to have read my thoughts and one of them grabbed me by the wrist.

    Before I could react, I heard the sound of a car speeding towards us.

    It came to a halt in front of us and the door immediately opened.

    Kendrick stepped out, his jaw was tight and his lips pressed into a thin line as he stared at my wrist that was being held by one of the Bodyguards.

    "Break his hand" he said to Evans through gritted teeth.

 Chapter 13 - THIRTEEN: Avoiding A Scandal

    <h4>Chapter 13: Chapter THIRTEEN: Avoiding A Scandal </h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    Evans immediately took action and the sound of bone breaking and the muffled groans of the Bodyguard filled the air.

    "Kendrick, let me exin" Celeste said as she quickly walked towards him arrogantly.

    "And you are?" He asked her coldly.

    She immediately stopped in her tracks, her arrogant expression immediately vanished.

    "I am Celeste, Raina¡¯s best friend" she said with a smile while staring at him with so much infatuation.

    "Miss Martinez?" He asked with a raised brow and she nodded happily.

    "It¡¯s been three years since west met, so it is understandable that you couldn¡¯t recognize me at first," she said with a shy expression.

    I couldn¡¯t believe she was the same person that was threatening to tear me apart a few minutes ago.

    She seems like a totally different person in front of Kendrick.

    "Let¡¯s go," Kendrick said to me,pletely ignoring her.

    "Are you going back to the capital? I am also going, so can Ie with you?" She asked quickly when she saw us getting into the car.

    "No, I don¡¯t like strangers in my space" he said coldly before mming the door shut.

    On hearing his reply, her expression immediately turned sour and she looked at me with hatred but I just got into the car with a smile.

    I sat in the back seat with him while Evans drove. I could feel her eyes on me and I didn¡¯t even bother to look in her direction.

    She can go kiss a transformer for all I care, I thought and smiled.

    "You look good" Kendrick suddenly said while staring at his phone.

    I stared at him in surprise and smiled again.

    "Thanks" I said as I have gotten used to his habit of not saying much.

    "We are going directly to the airport, something urgent came up in the capital" he informed me without bothering to look at me.

    I didn¡¯t have anything keeping me here in the first ce, so I didn¡¯t have any objections.

    "You don¡¯t want to?" His voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I turned to see him staring at me.

    "It¡¯s fine, I was just lost in thought" I replied quickly and we fell into another awkward silence.

    Before I knew it, we were in a ne going to the capital.I looked out the window and whispered a good bye to my past.

    I felt someone¡¯s gaze on me but I didn¡¯t bother checking, as I already knew who was staring at me.

    Kendrick has this weird habit of staring at me, at first I was ufortable but now I have gotten used to it.

    "Come here" he said with an emotionless tone.

    I turned around to see him focused on me, his eyes were roaming over my body and I immediately felt hot.

    "Come here" he repeated again and I slowly walked to him.

    I slowly sat down on the seat opposite him and stared back at him without any fear.

    He suddenly touched my face with his fingers, then he slowly moved it down to my cor bone.

    "When we get to the capital, we will have to live and act like a real couple. That includes getting intimate in front of others, sleeping in the same room and attending events together" he paused to observe my expression.

    "But in private, there won¡¯t be anything between us, no emotional attachment and no games, it is purely a transaction and you will get paid at the end" he concluded with a serious expression.

    "I understand and won¡¯t cross the line" I said before moving his fingers away from me.

    He seemed to have forgotten that he was touching me and cleared his throat awkwardly.

    The rest of the trip was rtively quiet and when we finally arrived, we were surrounded by reporters at the exit.

    "Stay back" Evans barked angrily at the moring reporters.

    But they seemed to not hear him as they kept pushing and shoving their mics in Kendrick¡¯s face.

    He was extremely quiet and just stared expressionlessly at them.

    "Please stand back" he finally spoke up and the reporters immediately quieted down but they kept pushing their mic forward.

    I just realized that Kendrick might be more influential and wealthy than I had earlier thought.

    "Mr ck, you have been gone for three years. Where have you been?

    "There was a rumor circting before you left, did you go into hiding because it was true?

    "Is it true that you don¡¯t like women but men?

    The reporters just kept throwing questions at him while he just stood and stared emotionlessly at them.

    I was tired from the flight and the voices of the reporters were starting to give me a headache, so I decided to help out.

    I moved forward and wrapped my arms around Kendrick¡¯s waist, his body immediately tensed up but he quickly rxed.

    "As you all can see, my girlfriend is tired and needs to rest," he said to the reporters who had different expressions on their faces.

    From how some reacted, I figured that they might have been paid by someone to make Kendrick trend for all the wrong reasons.

    "How are we sure she isn¡¯t just someone you randomly picked up tobat the rumors?" A female reporter asked with a smile.

    I took a deep breath and grabbed Kendrick¡¯s cor before slowly kissing him.

    I don¡¯t know what came over me and wanted to pull away after I came back to my senses but he held my head and deepened the kiss, sucking out all my breath.

    By the time he finally let me go, my lips were already swollen and I was out of breath.

    "Any other question?" He asked the reporters but they just stared at us like they had seen something extraordinary.

    "Let¡¯s go" he said to me and Evans immediately cleared a path for us to easily walk through.

    I didn¡¯t want to face him after what just happened, so I walked behind him.

    "The new driver just called, he said he is outside" Evans informed him and led us to the direction of the car.

    On getting to the car, the driver door opened and a man dressed in blue drivers uniform stepped out.

    Mark?

    I stared at him in shock, as he greeted Kendrick with a bow and swiftly opened the back door for him to get in.

    I couldn¡¯t believe that the job which he bragged about was to work as a driver and unfortunately for him, his new Boss turned out to be Kendrick.

    "What are you doing here?!" Mark asked angrily when he finally noticed me.

    "Are you following me around?"

    I just stared at him as he sted me with several questions, without waiting for me to say anything.

    I ignored him and cat walked to get into the car but he blocked me when I wanted to open it.

    "This isn¡¯t the ce for someone like you, so leave before you are thrown out" he warned me angrily but I just ignored him and got into the back seat.

    He stared at me in shock as I got into the backseat.

 Chapter 14 - FOURTEEN: Family Drama

    <h4>Chapter 14: Chapter FOURTEEN: Family Drama</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    Mark just stood frozen and stared at me through the car window.

    Or maybe he was waiting for me to be thrown out of the car.

    "What¡¯s with the dy?" Evans asked him angrily and he quickly got into the car.

    He started the car but his eyes were fixed on me from the rearview mirror.

    "I will have your eyes gouged out if you don¡¯t want them" Kendrick threatened with a cold voice.

    The rest of the drive was extremely quiet and I felt so good and satisfied, knowing Mark was probably dying inside.

    Knowing that he was just a driver and will be working for me, will make him die silently as his pride wouldn¡¯t let him be at peace.

    I was pulled out of my thoughts by the magnificent view in front of me.

    The huge mansion stood tall and gave off a sophisticated aura, on the left was a beautiful garden and on the right were fleets of cars.

    Mark slowly drove to the right and stopped the car.

    We got down from the car and Kendrick suddenly held my hand and smiled.

    "Sir, I have something important that I think you should know," Mark said with an urgent tone.

    He was sure he wanted to tell Kendrick about my past but Kendrick just ignored him.

    "You should know what to say and what not to say" Kendrick said and tapped him on the shoulder.

    "Evans, take him for a briefing" he instructed before holding my hand again and maintaining his smile.

    Before I could ask why he was acting when no one was around, I saw an old man staring at us at the entrance of the mansion.

    I immediately understood that he must be someone important to Kendrick and yed along.

    "Hello Grandfather" Kendrick greeted while still maintaining his smile.

    The old man didn¡¯t even look in his direction, his eyes were fixed on me.

    "Hello Grandfather" I greeted him with a smile despite my nervousness.

    He kept scrutinizing me with his eyes and I felt extremely nervous. He has a strong aura thatmands respect.

    "Good...good,e let Grandpa have a look" the old man finally spoke up with a smile.

    He seemed to have been testing me earlier and from his reaction, I passed.

    "What¡¯s your name dear" he asked while rubbing my head gently.

    I reacted stiffly as I wasn¡¯t used to such affection.

    "Don¡¯t be afraid my dear, wee home" he said With a smile.

    He seemed to have noticed my reaction and gave Kendrick a side eye.

    " Most youngdies, cower in fear when they meet me but you my dear are different. Now I understand what made my emotionless grandson attracted to you" heplimented with a smile and led me into the mansion while Kendrick was totally ignored.

    I turned to look at him and he gestured for me to go with his grandfather while he followed behind.

    As soon as I stepped into the mansion, I was mesmerized by everything, from the decor to the luxury furnishings and couldn¡¯t help but marvel.

    "Where did this thinge from?" A woman¡¯s voice suddenly interrupted me and I turned in the direction it came from.

    Three people were seated on the sofa, one was a woman who seemed to be in her fifties, an elderly man who bears a striking resemnce to Kendrick and a girl of about my age.

    They were all staring at me with questioning gazes.

    "Are you mute?" The woman asked while staring at me and I frowned when I realized that I was the ¡¯thing¡¯ she referred to earlier.

    "Have your manners been eaten by dogs, Sameen?" Grandfather asked her angrily while tapping his walking stick on the ground.

    "That¡¯s enough grandfather" Kendrick said as he slowly walked and stood beside me.

    I noticed he didn¡¯t even nce in the direction of the man, who was probably his father.

    "Brother, Mom didn¡¯t mean to be rude, she was just surprised to see that you brought someone with you" the girl spoke up with a smile but Kendrick ignored her.

    "You can¡¯t even greet your father?!" The man, who has been silent, asked with an authoritative tone.

    "Grandfather, we are tired from the trip. I will take her to rest, sew youter" Kendrick said before holding my hand and walking towards the door at the side.

    "Crash!

    The sound of ss breaking came from behind us but Kendrick still didn¡¯t stop.

    He led me out the door and I noticed a vi behind the mansion, it was painted in grey and looked extremely cold and deste.

    I noticed Evans was already at the entrance with two other men that I was not familiar with.

    "Boss" they greeted Kendrick and nodded at me.

    I also replied with a nod as I didn¡¯t want to seem too forward. I will get to know them with time.

    The inside of the vi was also painted in the same color, with ck sofas, ck shelves and any other thing that a sitting room should have were all in the color ck.

    How could someone stay in this kind of ce?

    I looked at Kendrick as he walked towards a closed door and he looked somehow lonely or maybe it is just my mind making things up.

    "Aren¡¯t youing?" He asked when he got to the front of the door.

    I quickly caught up with him and he pushed open the door, before slowly walking in.

    I followed behind him and what greeted me was another monotonous design. Everything, from wardrobe to bedside table to shelves were ck.

    The only thing that had a different color was my pink suitcase that was ced at the side of the bed.

    "We will be staying in the same room to avoid suspicions" he informed me as he sat down on the bed.

    "We aren¡¯t married, why would they be suspicious?* I asked with a frown.

    I needed my space and this arrangement won¡¯t allow me to have it.

    "This wasn¡¯t stated in the contract" I reminded him and he nodded expressionlessly.

    "I earlier nned for us to live in one of my other vis but grandfather found out somehow and refused" he said while observing my expression.

    If there is one thing I have noticed since we got here is that he listens to his grandfather.

    "I hope you understand, my grandfather means a lot to me, so I do whatever I can to make him happy" he said and I finally saw a trace of genuine emotions in his eyes.

    "Okay, what....." I was about to ask him about the other people that were in the sitting room but decided against it.

    "My father and his wife are not people you should get close to, so keep as far away from them as possible.

    Raina is my stepsister, she is very wild and maniptive, just like her mother and then there is my step brother, who was absent when we arrived just now" he warned with a serious expression.

    I thought all of this family drama only happens in stories, can¡¯t believe I am going to experience it first hand.

    "Get some rest" he said to me before leaving the room.

    I just stared at the closed door for a few minutes before getting out somefy clothes to wear after I freshen up.

    As soon as I was done, I wasted no time and immediately got into bed to get some rest.

    "Christy, wake up" Kendrick¡¯s voice pulled me out of my dream world and I slowly sat up, still groggy and sleepy.

    "Grandfather asked us to have dinner at the main house" he informed me and the sleep immediately vanished from my eyes.

    I quickly grabbed my phone to check the time and was shocked that it was already 6:30 PM.

    I needed to change my clothes quickly to avoid beingte.

    "You don¡¯t need to rush, take your time " he said and my tense nerves rxed a little.

    I slipped on a gown in the bathroom, as I couldn¡¯t change in front of him.

    As soon as I was done, we headed to the main house.

    "Great, are we supposed to starve to death before theye?"

    His stepmother¡¯s angry voice came into my ears as soon as we stepped into the sitting room.

    "That¡¯s enough Sameen" Grandfather reprimanded her and she could only murmur in silence while ring at us.

    He seemed to be waiting for us as he was still in the sitting room while the others were already seated at the dining table.

    We walked to the dining table and Kendrick pulled out a chair for grandfather before walking over to me.

    He was about to pull out a chair for me when we heard footstepsing from the entrance.

    A young man of about Kendrick¡¯s age walked in, drawing the attention of everyone in the dining area.

    He has a strong presence but it can¡¯t bepared with Kendrick¡¯s own. He gave off a sophisticated aura and was dressed in a dark green suit.

    I finally got a clear view of his face when he was close enough and took a step forward in excitement.

    "Curtis!" I yelled and ran into his arms.

 Chapter 15 - FIFTEEN: Drugged

    <h4>Chapter 15: Chapter FIFTEEN: Drugged</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    It was after hugging him I realized that we weren¡¯t alone, everyone was staring at us with different expressions.

    I quickly let go and he stared at me with an excited expression. He touched my face and couldn¡¯t hide his smile.

    "You little bitch, what are you doing throwing yourself at my son?" Kendrick¡¯s step mother, Sameen yelled angrily at me.

    I turned to look at Kendrick, he acted like everything was fine but one look at his eyes and I could see the storm that was brewing.

    "I don¡¯t know who you are and have never met you before, so you should watch the way you talk to me" I replied to her angrily.

    I am not a pushover and have only been quiet because I didn¡¯t want to give the wrong impression on my first day but I don¡¯t care anymore.

    "How dare you!" She yelled, as she immediately got off her chair and stormed towards me.

    Kendrick was still quiet and Curtis was just staring at my face like he wanted to etch it in his mind.

    "I will have to teach you a lesson" she said as she raised her hand to p me.

    I quickly grabbed her hand and gave it a hard twist and she screamed like I had chopped off her arm.

    "How dare you touch my mom?" Her daughter also rushed forward but she was stopped by Curtis before she could get to me.

    "Brother what are you doing? Why are you stopping me from teaching this bitch a lesson?" She asked him angrily while struggling to free herself from his grip.

    " I can¡¯t let you touch her and you better not bother her again" Curtis warned her but she just kept trying to break free from him.

    "Son, what do you mean by she is the one?" Kendrick¡¯s father finally spoke up while eyeing me from head to toe.

    "She is the girl that I have been searching everywhere for, for the past six years, the one who saved me when I was ambushed by those assassins," Curtis exined with a smile.

    "This is definitely fate, you have been searching for her to thank her and she is now your future sister-inw" Grandfather said with a smile.

    On hearing his grandfather¡¯s words, Curtis¡¯ expression froze but he quickly adjusted his emotions and smiled.

    "Isn¡¯t it weird that my brother coincidentally brought home the girl that I have been doing everything to find?" He asked his grandfather with a slight smile.

    "Raina, get back to the dining area" Grandfather ordered his sister angrily and she quickly went to sit down in fear.

    He avoided answering Curtis¡¯ question and acted like he didn¡¯t hear.

    We all went back to the dining area and took our seats. I was seated next to Kendrick and I felt awkward because of his silence.

    He doesn¡¯t talk much but there was something different about his silence at this moment.

    " Curtis, you have a lot of work at thepany, so I hope you won¡¯t be distracted by irrelevant people" Kendrick¡¯s father, who has been silent since we entered, said while staring at me.

    His gaze was filled with disgust, like I was some dirt that needed to be gotten rid of.

    "Everything is under control father," Curtis replied to him with a smile.

    "So, Kendrick, has your condition been cured?" Aameen, his stepmom, suddenly asked, she tried to fake a serious expression but her eyes were filled with smiles.

    "I am perfectly fine as you can see" Kendrick replied without even sparing her a nce.

    "Are you nning to marry her?" Raina asked with a sneer while staring at me.

    She wrinkled her nose in disgust like I had a stench on me.

    "And how is that any of your business?" I asked her with a frown.

    I have had enough of these bitches, it¡¯s time I start putting them in their ce.

    "Who asked you to talk?" Sameen, his stepmom asked me angrily.

    She looked like she was about to explode from anger and I found it amusing.

    "I have a mouth and can¡¯t help but use it" I said with a lopsided smile.

    "That¡¯s enough, is that how you wee a guest?" Kendrick¡¯s father, Raymond, reprimanded her with a stern expression.

    He nced at Kendrick before looking away with a frown.

    "Let¡¯s have a meal like every normal family" Grandfather said with a tired frown.

    No one spoke again after grandfather¡¯s words. They all acted like everything was a figment of my imagination.

    The dinner was finished in silence and the servants immediately cleaned up the dining area.

    I could feel lots of eyes on me but it didn¡¯t affect my mood as it wasn¡¯t a new thing to me.

    "Christy dear, let¡¯s sit over there and talk" Grandfather said to me with a smile and I quickly helped him up from his seat.

    "Eye service" Raina said with a mocking tone but I just ignored her.

    I slowly helped the old man to the sofa and a servant brought freshly made green tea for him.

    Kendrick also walked over and sat beside me, he still didn¡¯t say anything.

    "You sit with me Curtis" Grandfather said when he saw Curtis walking towards the sofa that Kendrick and I were sitting on.

    Curtis frowned but still went to sit there, his eyes were on me, not secret nces, he was openly staring at me without caring about what anyone would think.

    I noticed that he had changed a lot, he looked nothing like the neen year old boy, who cried endlessly and was scared of taking injections when he was sick.

    Suddenly, I felt a squeeze in my hand and that was when I realized that I was staring too much.

    "So, what school did you attend?" Raymond asked me after also taking his seat.

    I didn¡¯t know how to tell them that I didn¡¯t go to school, I wondered if it would affect Kendrick¡¯s ns.

    "That¡¯s none of your business" Kendrick finally spoke up and I breathed a sigh of relief.

    "What do you mean by that?" Sameen, his stepmom asked him angrily. She looked at him with a mixture of anger and fear.

    "You should focus that energy on your son," Kendrick said to her and gestured for us to leave.

    "Grandfather, I will see you tomorrow" I said to the old man with a smile before getting up to leave.

    "Christy, can I have a word with you? Curtis suddenly grabbed my hand as I was about to leave the main house.

    "Maybe tomorrow, I am very tired" I made up an excuse when I saw the look in Kendrick¡¯s eyes.

    I quickly followed him out of the house and had to walk fast to keep up with his walking pace.

    As soon as we entered the vi, he grabbed my hand and led me into the room and mmed the door.

    I was about to ask him what was wrong when his lips crashed into mine.

    I couldn¡¯t react for a few seconds and by the time I snapped out of my shock, he was already tugging on my clothes while I was struggling to breathe.

    "What is...." I was about to ask him what was wrong after he finally gave me a little breathing space, but I noticed he wasn¡¯t okay.

    His eyes were unusually red and his skin was flushed. He stared at me like a hungry beast that had finally seen food.

    "Ken, what happened?" I asked him in confusion.

    He seems to be drugged but how could only him be affected when we all ate the same food?

    He sealed my lips with his again and kissed me fervently.

    I pushed him away with all my strength and he crashed against the door. He struggled to remain on his feet using the door as support.

    "The drug is too strong, I will make it up to you tomorrow" he said and for the first time, he looked vulnerable and lonely.

    The mighty CEO was nowhere to be seen and from his reaction, this definitely wasn¡¯t the first time he was being drugged in his own home.

    My mind was a mess at this point as I didn¡¯t know what to do but seeing his painful expression, I decided to help him.

    I quickly unzipped my gown and before I could even take it off, Kendrick¡¯s arms were already wrapped around me.

    Trrrrh!

    I heard the sound of fabric tearing and felt a rush of cold air on my chest. He threw the torn gown aside and greedily sucked one of my boobs while fumbling the other one.

    I felt a wave of pleasure and wrapped my arms around his neck as he sucked hard on my nipple.

    "Ummm" I moaned and arched my back as I enjoyed every moment of it.

    He removed his other hand from my boob and slid it into my panties, then he slowly moved his fingers into my wet core.

 Chapter 16 - SIXTEEN: No Idea Of My Capability

    <h4>Chapter 16: Chapter SIXTEEN: No Idea Of My Capability</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    "Oh shit!" I moaned loudly as he moved his finger in and out of my core.

    I captured his lips in a deep kiss and slowly traced his length with my fingers through his pants.

    "Ahhhhhmmm!" His movement became faster, I felt my core tighten before releasing a load of wetness.

    He slowly took out his finger and licked my wetness off it before putting me on the bed.

    He slid my panties down my legs and I wasted no time as I quickly stepped out of it.

    Before I could process his next move, I felt a warm sensation on my clit, followed by wet sounds as he sucked and licked it.

    "Ahhhh ... .mmmm...ahhh" I couldn¡¯t control my moans and I didn¡¯t care if anyone was going to hear me.

    He went on for a few minutes and I slowly pushed him back, so I could get off the bed.

    I went on my knees and he slowly unbuckled his belt. He was so slow that I lost my patience and pulled out the belt myself.

    The smile on his lips told me that he was teasing me and I gave him a lopsided smirk before pulling down his pants, he stepped out of it and the next to go down was his underwear.

    I gasped when I saw how huge his length was, I guessed that he was big but not this big.

    "Like what you see?" He asked with a hoarse voice and grabbed a fistful of my hair.

    He slowly guided his length into my mouth and I sucked hard on the tip.

    "Umm fuck!" He groaned before thrusting his length down my throat.

    The only sound that could be heard in the room was the sound of his flesh colliding with my face as he thrust deeper and deeper down my throat.

    "Uuhhhhgg!" He kept groaning and his thrusts became wild and rough.

    I pushed him back to get some air and got up from my kneeling position.

    He hugged me from behind and led me to the bedstand. I grabbed it for support as I bent over for him to take me from behind.

    "Fuck, you are so tight" he groaned as he slowly pushed in his length.

    "Ahhhmmm" I moaned when he pushed in his entire length with a hard thrust.

    "Ahhhmmm!"

    "Oh shit...shit!"

    "Feels so ....good"

    "Moan for me like a good girl"

    The sounds of my moans, his groans and his dirty talk filled the room.

    He was good, like extremely good. He knows the right spot to hit that gives me maximum pleasure.

    I have had sex with Mark but he was nothing close to Kendrick.

    I lost count of the number of rounds we had before he finally let me go and I fell asleep from exhaustion.

    *****

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    My head felt extremely heavy as I tried opening my eyes, but it got better after a few minutes.

    I felt a weight on my chest and slowly looked down and saw Christy¡¯s sleeping face.

    Her short red hair was scattered on my chest and I could feel her soft boobs pressing against my chest.

    She looked extremely tired and memories fromst night came rushing into my head like a wave.

    What makes her different?

    Why couldn¡¯t I feel the same pleasure with other women?

    There were so many questions running through my mind that I needed answers to.

    "Ummm" she stirred up and slowly opened her eyes.

    "Good morning" I said to her, I don¡¯t know why I felt the need to be nice to her.

    "You look good when you smile" she said with a smile and I frowned.

    Why was I smiling?

    "Now you are frowning" she said with a slightugh and I chuckled.

    "Aboutst night, I am very so...."

    "We are two normal adults, even without the drug it would have happened at some point" she interrupted me before I could finish apologizing.

    "Thanks" I said with a smile, I guess she was actually different.

    She smiled and got up from my chest, her boobs stood majestically and her nipples pointed at me invitingly.

    I had to take several deep breaths to control myself and I could feel the self control that I have always been proud of beginning to slip at this moment.

    I quickly turned my face away to stop myself from looking at them.

    She entered the bathroom to clean up and I picked up my phone from the bedside table.

    "Evans, I have an urgent task for you" I said as soon as he picked up.

    I needed to know who was responsible for drugging mest night, if Christy wasn¡¯t around, I wonder what would have happened.

    "Okay boss, I have something to report" he said, it must be an urgent work that requires my attention.

    "Last night, master Curtis was acting extremely strange" he began and I frowned.

    "What happened?" I asked with a serious tone.

    "After you left the main house, he kept trying to go to the vi but the old man stopped him.

    He paced around restlessly and even called the family doctor saying that you were extremely sick.

    The old man got so angry that he fainted but he didn¡¯t care. He came to the vi but I stopped him from entering". He finished narrating and I chuckled as it was quite amusing.

    "Don¡¯t worry about the job anymore, there won¡¯t be any need for it" I said before hanging up.

    Iughed as I imagined Curtis¡¯ face when he couldn¡¯t do anythingst night.

    It wasn¡¯t the first time I was being drugged, they always embarrass me whenever I get into a rtionship with anydy.

    The drug puts me in the mood but after the forey, my member never gets up and this has caused several scandals and rumours about my sexuality and manliness.

    Curtis must have heard that I brought someone home and as usual, decided to drug me but what he never expected was the girl to be Christy, the one he has been searching for.

    "Have you found out who the culprit is?" Christy¡¯s voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I smiled at her.

    "Yes, it was a maid who did it, she has been fired" I lied to her with a smile.

    I knew from her reaction yesterday that she saw Curtis as some kind of angel, who wouldn¡¯t be able to do such a thing.

    "Hope she was sent to prison for her crime" she said and I nodded before going to freshen up in the bathroom.

    When I was done, I noticed Christy had gone out of the house, so I decided to wait for her before having breakfast.

    "Where is she?" Curtis¡¯ angry voice came from outside the door and I opened it with a smile.

    I had thought that Christy might have gone to see him but on hearing his question, I breathed a sigh of relief as I stared at his angry face.

    "Did you touch her?" He asked me angrily.

    "And how does that concern you?" I asked him with a smirk and his anger red up.

    "She is mine....fucking mine!" He yelled in my face.

    The sophisticated attitude that he always tried to maintain was gone and his real personality was on full disy.

    "She is my girlfriend and we did it like every normal couple" I said with a smile.

    "How does it feel for your ns to backfire? Thanks for bringing us closer to each other" I said to him and he suddenly startedughing.

    "Oh, I forgot your little problem of being unable to get it up. So, there is definitely no way you could have had a passionate night with Christy" he said with a mocking tone.

    "I have been away for three years, what did you think I was doing in the three years that I have been away?" I asked him with a lopsided smirk and his face immediately changed.

    "Did you touch her?!" He asked angrily and tried to grab my cor but I moved aside before his hand could touch me.

    " Well I have you to thank for giving me such a wonderful timest night. If you were close to the vi, you would have heard our sounds of pleasure" I whispered to him with a smile.

    "You bastard! Let me tell you once and for all, if you ever touch her again, I will put a bullet through your damned skull" he threatened and Iughed.

    It took me a while to stopughing and then I gave him a p for his performance like the clown that he is.

    They all think that I am weak and useless. I refused to work for our familypany but worked for another.

    Every time they think like this, I smile because they can never imagine what I was capable of doing.

    "You better stay away from Christy or else I will...." He suddenly stopped talking and I turned around to see Christy standing at the door with a frown on her face.

 Chapter 17 - SEVENTEEN: Fixing A Spoiled Princess

    <h4>Chapter 17: Chapter SEVENTEEN: Fixing A Spoiled Princess</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    "Is something wrong?" She asked me and I was about to reply when Curtis suddenly bent over with a painful expression.

    "What¡¯s wrong?" She rushed to support him and helped him to the sofa before bringing him a ss of water.

    I just watched him as he did what he does best, pretending to be weak.

    "How do you feel now? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Christy asked with a worried expression and he shook his head with a sigh.

    "Ever since the kidnapping incident, I started having panic attacks, it happens anytime I am agitated or riled up" he said weakly and his face looked extremely pale.

    He will definitely make it big if he ever decides to venture into acting.

    "It¡¯s so early in the morning, why would you be riled up?" Christy asked him and he quickly turned his face from her like he didn¡¯t want to talk about it but I could see the smile he was trying to control.

    "Ken what happened?" She asked me when he didn¡¯t say anything.

    "I just informed him about yesterday¡¯s incident and he got so angry at the maid for daring to do so" I told her with a serious tone and she seemed to believe me as she smiled at me before turning back to him.

    "Luckily, Ken wasn¡¯t alonest night, it would have been disastrous if no one was with him. So you don¡¯t need to be angry with the maid and affect your health" she advised him and his face immediately darkened in anger.

    I smiled at him and he couldn¡¯t do anything as he was busy maintaining his perfect image in front of Christy.

    "It¡¯s good to know that my brother is okay, I will leave now" he said before rushing out of the vi.

    If he had stayed any minute longer, he would have definitely exploded.

    "Do you feel he is acting strange?" Christy asked me while staring at the entrance.

    "I didn¡¯t notice anything strange" I said and she immediately dropped the topic without any further questions.

    She always shows me the reason why she is different from other women.

    From experience, some other women would have continued asking questions or even run after Curtis to make sure he was fine.

    "Are you going to work?" She asked and I nodded in response.

    "Do you have anywhere that you want to go today?" I asked her while arranging my files in my briefcase.

    "No, I am just going to spend the entire day in the main house with Grandfather" she said excitedly and I couldn¡¯t control my smile.

    "Thank you for taking care of him" I expressed my appreciation with a smile.

    "No more thank you. He is a very kind person and I liked him the moment we met" she said with a smile before running to the room.

    I was alreadyte for the office, so I hurriedly picked up my briefcase before leaving the vi. Evans was waiting in the car and we left as soon as I got in.

    "Wee back sir"

    "We are d to have you back"

    On getting to the office, I saw a row of staff outside the building, waiting to wee me.

    "Thank you" I said to them before walking into the building with Evans.

    "Good morning Boss" A female voice came from behind and I stopped to let her catch up with me.

    "It¡¯s good to have both of you back," Ashley, my personal assistant, said with an excited expression.

    "It¡¯s been a while, hope you have been good?" I asked with a smile.

    She is one of the few female workers that I have to interact closely with. She is organized and most importantly, she follows all the rules properly.

    "Sir, did you bring the papers for thend acquisition deal?" She asked and I stopped with a frown.

    "Aren¡¯t the papers supposed to be in my office?" I asked her and she quickly shook her head that I was wrong.

    "You said it was too valuable to be left in the office to avoid people tampering with it" she reminded me and I finally remembered what happened before I traveled three years ago.

    "We can¡¯t hold the meeting without it," I said with a tired sigh.

    "I know where it is, I can go get it from the vi" she suggested with a smile and I agreed.

    She quickly rushed out of the building while I made my way to my office to prepare for my first meeting in three years.

    *****

    Christy¡¯s POV

    After Kendrick left for the office, I quickly changed into a free gown and went to the kitchen to cut some fruits for grandpa.

    I was busy cutting the fruits when I heard the sound of heels hitting the floor. I walked out to see who had entered the vi.

    I saw ady dressed corporately, she was busy searching one of the drawers in the sitting room.

    "Who are you?" I asked her and she finally noticed my presence.

    "I am the one that¡¯s supposed to be asking you that question" she said while scrutinizing me with her eyes.

    "I am Christy, Kendrick¡¯s girlfriend" I introduced myself and stretched out my hand for a handshake but she didn¡¯t take it.

    "Everyone knows that Kendrick doesn¡¯t date," she said with a mocking tone.

    "He didn¡¯t date before but that all changed when he met me" I said with a smirk and her expression twisted as she tried to swallow her anger.

    She walked to my front and looked me in the eye with a hideous smile.

    "I have been working with him for the past eight years and I know everything about him, his likes, dislikes, every fucking thing" she said with a triumphant expression.

    "Oh, you are his PA?" I asked her with a smile and she raised her head with a proud smile.

    " Knowing his likes and dislikes are part of your job as his PA, so I don¡¯t understand what you are trying to say" I said while looking at her face, trying to appear as clueless as possible.

    " I don¡¯t have time for your nonsense" she said before turning back to searching the drawer.

    I looked at her attitude and I could clearly tell that she had feelings for Kendrick.

    "You must have watched a lot of dramas to be thinking that Kendrick would fall in love with you at some point.

    Your little CEO and secretary fantasy will never be a reality, so you better focus on your job" I warned her before returning to the kitchen to continue cutting the fruits.

    By the time I came out again, she was gone and I made my way to the main house with a tray of sliced fruits and yogurt.

    "Grandpa" I called him as soon as I entered the main house. He was seated on one of the sofas in the sitting room and was watching the news.

    "Christy dear, please sit down. You finally remembered this old man" he said with a smile and Iughed.

    "You make it sound like I haven¡¯t been around in ages" I said whileughing.

    "I brought you fruits, I personally sliced them, I also brought yogurt and...." Before I could finish talking, Raina stormed into the sitting room and headed towards me with a fierce momentum.

    Crash!

    The tray of fruit was suddenly swept off the table and shattered on the ground.

    "You bitch!" She yelled and stretched out her hands to pull my hair, I quickly side stepped her and she missed.

    "Raina, what¡¯s the meaning of this?!" Grandpa yelled while stomping his cane on the ground.

    "Stay out of this old man, it is none of your business!" She yelled at Grandpa like he was a kid.

    "How dare you huh?" She asked me while pushing my chest with a finger.

    I controlled myself to avoid getting into a fight with her, thest thing I needed was Kendrick cleaning up my mess.

    "You had the guts to have my best friend thrown out of my family¡¯s beauty salon.

    How dare you!

    You don¡¯t even deserve to hold her shoes, she is the top socialite and her presencemands respect. I don¡¯t expect someone like you to understand it" she said angrily and that was when I noticed Celeste standing at the corner with a smirk on her face.

    "Grandpa, calm down and let me handle this" I said and carefully helped him to sit on the sofa before facing Raina.

    " You came in here, threw Grandpa¡¯s fruit on the ground and also yelled at him" I counted everything she did since she stepped into the sitting room.

    She can insult me, it¡¯s nothing new and she only said some words, I am the one that gets to determine if I will let them affect me.

    Dealing with a little spoiled princess is not a problem, she was nothing close to the crazy strip club girls that I have fought in the past.

    Pah!

    "That¡¯s for yelling and disrespecting grandpa" I said after delivering a very hot p to her, her cheek immediately turned red.

    "How dare yo...."

    Pah!

    I interrupted her with another p and she held her cheeks and stared at me in shock.

    Celeste was also too stunned to speak, they probably expected me to be easy to bully.

    "That is for wasting the fruits I brought for him" I said before calling a maid to clean up the mess.

    "You bitch!" Raina yelled and I turned to see her rushing towards me with a vase.

 Chapter 18 - EIGHTEEN: A Family Of Vipers

    <h4>Chapter 18: Chapter EIGHTEEN: A Family Of Vipers </h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I quickly stepped to the side to avoid the vase, she couldn¡¯t stop her body in time and crashed into the center table, blood immediately flowed down her face.

    "Oh my gosh, how could you be so heartless?" Celeste screamed with an exaggerated tone.

    She just stood in the same ce without making any move to check up on her injured friend.

    "What happened?" Sameen ¡¯s voice came from the entrance, followed by the sound of heels as she hurried to check her precious daughter¡¯s injuries.

    "Mom, that bitch is the cause of all of this" Raina cried while pointing at me with an aggrieved expression.

    "She attacked Raina for nothing" Celeste added, she quickly moved closer to check on her friend¡¯s injuries.

    Sameen¡¯s expression darkened and her face twisted in rage as she stared at me.

    "I have tried my absolute best to put up with you to avoid drama but now you have crossed the line. Get the fucking hell out of my home!" She yelled angrily at me, I was about to reply her when Grandpa held my hand.

    I quickly supported him to stand up, he looked at Sameen with a deep frown.

    "How is this ce your home!" He questioned her angrily, sheughed after hearing his question.

    "Oh, if it isn¡¯t mine, then who does it belong to?" She asked him with a lopsided grin.

    "This house was built by Kendrick¡¯s mother Ayesha" Grandpa said and Sameen red at him.

    "Grandpa, how could you say that to Mom?!" Raina yelled while holding her bleeding forehead with her hand.

    "Get out immediately!" Sameen yelled at me again but I still didn¡¯t move.

    "The only person that can tell me to leave is Kendrick, so you should wipe the thought of kicking me out from that head of yours" I said with a smile which only seems to enrage her more.

    She raised her hand to p me and I caught the hand before it could touch my face.

    Pah!

    I had to return the p back to the owner, she held her cheek while staring at me in shock.

    Funny how the mother and daughter pair have exactly the same reaction when I p them.

    "I am going to kill you!" She yelled and tried to scratch my face with her acrylic nails.

    "Enough!....cough.... cough" Grandpa yelled and he immediately started coughing.

    I pushed Sameen aside and rushed to get him a ss of water, he drank a little and I instructed one of the helps to take him to his room.

    "Don¡¯t worry Grandpa, I can take care of myself" I assured him when I saw his hesitant expression.

    "Hey you piece of trash, can¡¯t you see that my daughter is injured? You want a special invitation to take care of it? Worthless trash" Sameen yelled at the head maid angrily.

    Raina was quickly taken to her room to dress the wound and her mother smiled at me with a sinister expression.

    She suddenly stepped forward and threw herself to the ground.

    "Mom!" Curtis hurriedly held her before her body could hit the ground.

    She slowly open her eyes and tears spilled out like a fountain.

    " She pped me, your father has never raised his hand to hit me but this bitch dared to do it" She said amidst sobs and Curtis face immediately darkened.

    I just stood there, waiting for him tosh out at me, so I can also put him in his ce.

    I vowed to never let anyone treat me like trash or use me ever again, no matter who or how close we are.

    "Mom, let me take you to your room first," he said while helping her up.

    She seemed shocked by his reaction and pushed him away from her angrily.

    "I told you that she pped me and injured your sister as well, are you just going to let her go?" She questioned him angrily.

    "Mom please don¡¯t start" he said with a frown and it only made her more upset.

    I felt quite amused as I watched them bickering and wished I could get some popcorn.

    "Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself? Look at how you are behaving because of a low life" she said to him with a sneer.

    "That¡¯s enough mom, we both know that you are just being overly dramatic as usual and Raina has been spoiled so much that she acts without thinking" he replied angrily and she stared at him in shock.

    Pah!

    She gave him a hot p that made his cheek turn red and swell immediately.

    He grinned at her like a psycho while his hands shook like he was stopping himself from hitting her and I realized that he was no longer the Curtis I had known years ago.

    This one was extremely aggressive and extremely good at hiding his emotions.

    A good pretender.

    "Curtis, I .." she seemed to want to apologize but she stopped, seeming like her pride wouldn¡¯t let her.

    "Don¡¯t bother, if you could be this fierce with dad, maybe he wouldn¡¯t be having affairs outside" he said with a sarcastic voice, his eyes look extremely fierce and his grin gave me chills.

    I didn¡¯t want to watch their drama anymore and decided to go stay with Grandpa in his room.

    "Did I ask you to leave?" Sameen questioned angrily but I didn¡¯t stop, she doesn¡¯t have the right to tell me what and what not to do.

    "I am his father and I have every right to determine who he marries"

    I heard Kendrick¡¯s father, Raymond¡¯s voice as soon as I got to the door of Grandpa¡¯s room.

    "My daughter always wanted him to be free and do what makes him happy. After what happenedst time, you still want to force him into another one of your schemes?" Grandpa said, his voice was extremely weak but it didn¡¯t hide his anger.

    His daughter? Kendrick¡¯s mother?

    I thought Grandpa was Raymond¡¯s father, surprisingly he is his maternal grandfather.

    "Unfortunately, she isn¡¯t here anymore" Raymond said without any emotions.

    "You bastard, I told her not to marry you. Everything you have today is all thanks to my hard work. You and your mistress can continue scheming and plotting but you will never get your hands on my properties....cough..... cough" Grandpa said angrily and started coughing again.

    "It¡¯s only a matter of time" Raymond said and I heard footsteps approaching the door.

    I didn¡¯t see the need to hide, so I just acted like I just got there and opened the door directly.

    I came face to face with him and greeted him with a nod before walking past him.

    "I want to have a word with you" he said to me and stood there without leaving.

    I walked to Grandpa¡¯s bed and helped him drink some water to moisten up his throat.

    "I will be back in a few minutes" I said to him before walking out of the room.

    Raymond followed me out and walked in a different direction, I followed behind him without a word.

    He stopped in front of a door, took out a bunch of keys from his pocket and opened it.

    We walked in and he gestured to a chair for me to sit on.

    I noticed the disorganized bookshelves and scattered documents on the table, there were some adult rated magazines scattered on the floor as well.

    The ce was a total mess, a stark contrast to the clean image he portrays.

    "This is my personal study," he said while pouring two sses of wine.

    "I don¡¯t drink" I declined when he handed me a ss.

    "I have been watching you since your arrival and I must say, you are quite fascinating" he said after taking a few sips of his wine.

    "Thank you" I replied inly, still waiting for him to state his purpose for bringing me here.

    "I want to make you an offer" He finally got to the point.

    "I am listening?" I said and he smiled.

    "Kendrick has a fiance, whom I personally chose for him, you must have already met her earlier, Celeste Martinez" he said with a serious expression.

    "I have seen Celeste and Kendrick has never recognized her as his fiance" I replied to him with a smile and he frowned.

    "You shouldn¡¯t be so bold as a woman, no man wants a woman he can¡¯t control," he advised me.

    "You should keep that advice for your daughter, Raina," I said with a smile.

    His face immediately darkened and he dropped his ss of wine angrily on the table.

    "You should watch your words Youngdy, I am just trying to help you" he said through gritted teeth.

    "And how can you help me?" I asked him, his facial expression or mood has nothing to do with me, he can kiss a transformer for all I care.

    " If you agree to leave Kendrick, I will make sure you neverck anything for the rest of your life" he said with a smile and moved his chair closer to mine.

    I immediately got an unsettling feeling and got up from my chair.

    "You don¡¯t need to be scared, I will make sure you are happy" he said while staring at me with a lustful gaze.

    I was too stunned to react and only came back to my senses when he touched my face.

 Chapter 19 - NINETEEN: The Scheming Assistant

    <h4>Chapter 19: Chapter NINETEEN: The Scheming Assistant </h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I quickly took a step back in disgust, while he stared at me with a nerve racking grin.

    "Things always go my way, so you don¡¯t have a choice" he said before walking back to his chair, sat down and picked up his ss of wine.

    His behavior was too unusual and I had this feeling that something bad was about to happen.

    "Things could have gone differently if only you agreed to my offer" he said with a smile before slowly sipping his wine.

    "I am not interested in your offer, Kendrick and I are very happy together" I replied with a fierce tone, doing my best to not appear scared.

    "Happy together?" He asked with a chuckle.

    "I have more important things to do," I said before turning around to leave the messy study.

    "You can put my offer into consideration" he said before I mmed the door shut.

    I walked back to Grandpa¡¯s room, he was still lying down but he looked better than before I left.

    "I am back grandpa" I said with a smile and sat on the bed.

    "You are a good child and I believe you will make the right decision" he suddenly said to me with a smile.

    I looked at his eyes and it felt like he could see through me.

    "I will, I promise" I promised with a smile and he nodded before closing his eyes to rest.

    I stared at his face, wondering if I should tell Kendrick about his dad¡¯s behavior.

    *****

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    "Isn¡¯t she back yet?" I asked Evans when the meeting was about to start and Ashley still hasn¡¯t returned with the documents.

    "She told me she was almost here when I called her," he replied while staring at the door repeatedly.

    The clients were already waiting for me and I hate beingte, especially for something so important.

    "Call her again, tell her to be here in two minutes or else...." I was interrupted by the sound of the door opening and Ashley walked in with a disheveled expression.

    Her white shirt, which was best and clean before she left, was now wrinkled and dirty. Her left cheek was swollen with visible p marks.

    "What happened to you?" I asked her with a frown while Evans collected the document from her and checked it.

    She kept mute and tears just spilled continuously from her eyes, she looked extremely pitiful. The tears mixed with the makeup she had applied, making her face a disgusting mess.

    "If you won¡¯t say anything, leave my presence as I have more important things to do" I said to her and prepared to leave after Evans confirmed that the document was okay.

    She stared at me with a shocked expression, like she expected me to hug her or something.

    "You might not believe me sir" she said amidst sobs and she looked scared to say what happened.

    "And how are you so sure?" I asked her with a frown.

    "When I went to get the documents, I entered your vi without knocking because I didn¡¯t know you had someone in the house" she paused to wipe her tears.

    I frowned as I looked at her disheveled appearance again, was she saying Christy did this to her?

    "And then what happened?" I asked her with an impatient tone, I was alreadyte for the meeting and her hesitation was beginning to annoy me.

    "She used me of being a third party and started hitting me. I exined to her that I was only your PA but she used me of getting the position just to seduce you.

    She told me to get my head out of the clouds and not dream of an office romance. She pped me severally before throwing me out of the vi" she narrated while sobbing really hard.

    Her eyes were swollen, plus the red swelling on her cheek from being pped, she looked hideous and the thought of having anything to do with her made me feel extremely disgusted.

    "You said she attacked and used you as soon as you entered the vi right?" I asked her and she nodded pitifully.

    She slowly wiped her tears but more tears kept spilling out of her eyes and I was quite impressed.

    Such an Oscar worthy performance.

    "So how did you get the document?" I asked her and her expression froze. Her eyes moved around aimlessly, probably trying toe with an excuse.

    "So she used and attacked you, then when she was done, she allowed you to take the document before throwing you out?" I asked her with a smile and she just kept mute.

    "I actually made a mistake, what happened was that I entered the vi and collected the document before she noticed that I was in the vi.

    I held on to the document even when she pped and used me because I know how important it was to get the document to you" she exined pitifully while wiping her tears.

    I just stared at her and felt extremely annoyed. I hate dealing with people who think everyone is as stupid as them.

    "It is quite surprising that you forgot such an important detail, something so traumatizing that happened to you less than an hour ago.

    How am I supposed to trust you with the job of a PA, how am I sure you haven¡¯t forgotten an important thing that might put thispany in jeopardy?" I questioned her angrily and she fell on her knees in surprise.

    "Sir, I have a very good memory and never forget anything. I have always had the best interest of thepany in mind and will never do anything that will jeopardize it" she begged while sobbing loudly.

    She continued crying but this time, the tears were from genuine fear of losing her job.

    "Evans, get me a new PA, A man to be specific" I instructed before walking towards the door.

    "Sir please, I am very sorry for lying. I promise to change and I will never do anything like this again" she blocked the door with her body while begging.

    "Evans, plead with him for me, for all the years we have been working together" she said to Evans but he just focused on preparing her discharge letter.

    "Get out of the way!" Imanded and she moved away from the door with a fearful expression.

    "Come to the conference room when you are done" I said to Evans before opening the door to leave.

    " Is it a crime to love you? I have worked diligently for the past four years. You act like you don¡¯t know I have feelings for you. What makes that girl better than me?!" Ashley questioned angrily, her face was now twisted in anger and looked even more disgusting.

    " You really think I don¡¯t know what you have been up to?

    You soldpany secretsst year and framed a junior for it because you needed money to treat the shameful disease you got from dating different men.

    You also lied about being a graduate from Harvard, all your documents are forged. You have been married twice and divorced because you couldn¡¯t bemitted.

    Or is it the side deals you made to get extra money? Employing your illiterate family members? Or the fact that you sleep with a lot of the male interns despite knowing you have a sexually transmitted disease?.

    I have been away from thepany for three years but I know about every single thing you do. I was originally going to do a clean up of the staff this week and you are the first on my list of those that would be fired.

    You just made your discharge faster by putting on this little drama and the reason I am not sending you to jail is because Evans pleaded for you" I listed out everything and her face turned pale.

    She sat on the floor with a look of despair and I walked out of the office without a second nce at her.

    "Very sorry for the dy gentlemen" I apologized as soon as I entered the conference room.

    "It¡¯s no problem Manager ck, it¡¯s good to see you again" Mr Patterson, the head of the partnerpany said with a smile.

    "Okay, let¡¯s begin" I said and they handed me their proposal.

    I went through the proposal and each page made me frown deeper.

    "Why do you think we will sign such a contract, Mr Patterson?" I asked him and the smile on his face vanished.

    "Your PA, Miss Ashley, told me that you epted these terms" he said with a frown.

    "Former PA, and she never discussed anything with me" I corrected him before throwing the proposal on the table.

    " Let¡¯s have this meeting again, when you are ready to do business" I said as I got up from my seat.

    "Mr ck, yourpany can¡¯t cancel our agreement just like that" Mr Patterson said angrily and the others nodded.

    "You never negotiated with mypany, it was Ashley that gave you her words and I suggest you go find her" I replied to him with a frown.

    " And you better go to the hospital for a checkup if you had any intimate rtionship with her, you might still be able to get treated" I advised before leaving the conference room.

    Ding!

    My phone chimed and I checked to see what notification came in.

    Christy: <i>Grandpa is not feeling well, pleasee with a doctor</i>.

    I quickly made my way out of thepany while calling my personal doctor.

 Chapter 20 - TWENTY: You Are Doing Too Much

    <h4>Chapter 20: Chapter TWENTY: You Are Doing Too Much </h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    "I need you to be at the main house as soon as possible" I said to my friend Jasper, who is also Grandpa¡¯s personal doctor as soon as he picked.

    "Okay I will be there shortly" he replied and I hung up.

    "Boss, what happened?" Evans asked while breathing rapidly.

    "Get in and drive" I said with a serious tone and he quickly started the car without any further questions.

    I have never regretted choosing him as an assistant, he always knows what to do.

    "Grandpa isn¡¯t feeling too well" I informed him, he sighed and increased the speed of the car.

    The drive took almost an hour, Jasper¡¯s car was already parked outside and I breathed a sigh of relief.

    "What did he eat?" I heard Jasper¡¯s voice as I rushed into Grandpa¡¯s room.

    "Hey" Christy greeted me before getting up from the bedside to give me space.

    I nodded and quickly held Grandpa¡¯s hand, his face looked pale and his white hair scattered on the pillow and he had really dark circles.

    "What¡¯s wrong with him?" I asked Jasper, who was busy scribbling in his notepad.

    "He isn¡¯t sleeping well, he seems to have a lot on his mind and it is weighing him down.

    Whenst did Grandpa go out? Like an event or pic?" He asked me but I couldn¡¯t answer.

    I have been away for the past three years and have neglected him. I felt so ashamed and couldn¡¯t bring myself to look at his face.

    "It is never toote to start Ken, betterte than never" Jasper encouraged with a smile.

    "Yes, why don¡¯t we organize a little get together, just your friends" Christy suggested while staring at me.

    "I think that¡¯s a good idea, we can grill some barbecue" Jasper also added and I had to reluctantly agree.

    I felt a gentle squeeze on my palm and turned to see Grandpa smiling at me.

    "Grandpa, you made me worried" Iined with a sigh and heughed.

    "See, I told you he is very adorable" he said to Christy and sheughed as well.

    "From the look of things, Grandpa has been very happy recently and has also been eating well. So he just needs to go out for some fresh air" Jasper concluded.

    "Post in the group, tell the others to be at the vi on the hill in an hour" I said to him and he nodded.

    Ding!

    Ding!

    My phone chimed repeatedly and I brought it out with a frown.

    Jasper: <i>Ken is organizing a get together, be at the vi on the hill in an hour.</i>

    Gary:<i> Great, I really needed a distraction.</i>

    Anderson: <i>on my way.</i>

    Mason: <i>see you soon </i>

    I read through the messages before dropping my phone on the bedside table.

    "Christy dear, I can¡¯t wait for the both of you to get married and give me a great grandchild" Grandpa suddenly said to Christy and her face immediately flushed red in embarrassment.

    "Grandpa, I need to go get ready," she said before running out of the room.

    "I will also be waiting outside and is it okay to invite Mira?" Jasper asked and I nodded.

    "What are your ns for Christy, when are you getting married?" He asked after we were left alone.

    "Grandpa, marriage is not something we rush into and I am not ready to go into it either" I said with a frown.

    How do I tell him that our rtionship wasn¡¯t real?

    That it is just a contract that will expire in less than three months.

    "You aren¡¯t young anymore,do you want me to die before you marry?" He asked angrily.

    "Stop talking about dying, you still have a lot of years to live" I replied to him with a smile but he just red at me.

    "Christy is such a nice girl, what is stopping you from marrying her? Do you want someone else to take her from you?" He asked me angrily but I couldn¡¯t respond.

    The thought of seeing Christy with another man made me feel extremely anxious and also angry.

    "I will send someone to help you get ready" I said to him before leaving the room.

    I had to change out of my suit and wear something morefortable.

    Christy was busy applying some makeup when I entered the room and she looked breathtaking.

    She was wearing a light blue gown that highlighted her curves perfectly and her short hair was neatly styled.

    "Hey, I brought out a tee shirt and jeans for you," she said with a smile when she noticed my presence.

    I just stared at her without saying anything until she tapped my shoulder to pull me out of my little trance.

    "Get ready quickly so we can go," she said with a smile.

    "Don¡¯t you think you are doing too much?" I blurted out a question that suddenly popped up in my head.

    Her smile immediately vanished and she took a step away from me.

    "I¡¯m sorry, I have a bad habit of doing more than I am supposed to," she said with a fake smile.

    I felt ufortable with the way she was acting and regretted what I said even more.

    "Christy, listen, what I meant was..."

    "I will keep to my own end of the contract from now on, I will only talk to you when necessary" she said before picking up her purse and heading out of the room.

    "Shit!" I kicked the bedframe angrily before quickly changing my clothes.

    Everyone was ready and they were waiting for me, as soon as I stepped out of the house, my instincts kicked in and I quickly dodged.

    Grandpa¡¯s walking stick flew past me and hit the wall before falling to the ground.

    "You dare to dodge?!" Grandpa yelled angrily at me.

    I picked up the walking stick and handed it back to him but he kept ring at me.

    I looked at Jasper and Evans for answers and they gestured towards Christy with their eyes.

    Did she tell Grandpa about the contract?

    My mind raced as I stared at her but couldn¡¯t ask her directly.

    "Why are you staring at her after making her sad?" Grandpa sneered before getting into the car.

    I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched him

    take the seat opposite Christy and give her a gentle pat on the head.

    I wondered how they got so close in such a short time as Grandpa hardly allowed anyone get close to him after my father¡¯s betrayal.

    " If that stinky brat doesn¡¯t treat you well, I will introduce you to my friend¡¯s son, he is very responsible," Grandpa said to her,pletely ignoring me.

    It felt like I was the outsider and I could only watch him console her all through the journey to the vi.

    "Hey, you guys sure took your sweet time" Gary said as soon as our car came to a halt.

    We all got down and I saw our other friends, Anderson and Mason busy setting up the barbecue grill.

    " Hello Sir" A female voice came from the side and we all turned to see Mira, Jasper¡¯s fiance and also Mason¡¯s cousin.

    "Hello Miss Lancaster" Grandpa replied to her expressionlessly.

    Then he gestured to Christy to get down from the car, as soon as she stepped down, Mira suddenly dropped her bag with a panicked expression.

    "What¡¯s wrong Mimi?" Jasper asked her worriedly but she immediately shook her head and picked up her bag.

    " Let¡¯s go dear" Grandpa said to Christy and they both took their seats.

    "Oh my, you are the girl from...ouch!" Anderson was about to let the truth slip, luckily Mason was there to stop him in time.

    He hasn¡¯t a habit of speaking too much and saying what he isn¡¯t supposed to.

    "Hello Christy" Gary waved with a smile.

    "Why are you smiling so much?" Grandpa asked him with a frown and we allughed.

    "If I was a stranger, I would have thought she is your granddaughter," Anderson said with a chuckle.

    "If Kendrick doesn¡¯t treat her well, I will have no choice but to adopt her" Grandpa dered with a serious expression and I knew he wasn¡¯t bluffing.

    Christy still hasn¡¯t said a word since we got here and it was making me feel extremely guilty.

    "Come on Jasper, bless us with your delicious barbecue" Gary said with a smile.

    "Okay, prepare to be...."

    "Why do you have to prepare it? The fact that you are not as rich as they are doesn¡¯t make it right for you to be treated like a ve" Mira interrupted Jasper angrily.

    Grandpa snorted and turned to talk to Christy,pletely ignoring us.

    "Mira, no one is treating me like a ve and Mason will also help out with the barbecue" Jasper said but Mira refused to let go of his shirt.

    "Won¡¯t you behave yourself?!" Mason asked her angrily and she quickly let go of Jasper¡¯s shirt before walking away while sobbing.

    Mason has always been strict with her, she was raised by his parents so had to keep her in check.

    "Should I...."

    "Let her be, she wille back by herself" Mason said to Jasper when he wanted to go after her.

    He sighed before walking towards the grill.

    "Attention seeker" Grandpa sneered in the direction that Mira ran off in.

    *****

    Unknown POV

    Mira looked behind her to make sure she wasn¡¯t being followed before bringing out her phone.

    "Mom, she is alive and will take everything back" she cried as soon as her mother picked.

    " Who is alive?" Her mother asked her.

    "Eva" she whispered the name like something would happen if she said it any louder.

    "That¡¯s impossible, I watched her drown" her mother said with a lot of certainty.

    "There is a girl that looks exactly like Aunt here and she is dating Kendrick" Mira said with a panicked voice.

    "Calm down, we need confirmation," her mother said with a sinister tone.

    "Okay, what should I do?" She asked with a sigh of relief.

    "Get a strand of her hair so we can do a DNA test" her mother instructed.

    "Okay Mom, I will get it" she said before quickly hanging up.

    She adjusted her hair and expression before going to join the others.

 Chapter 21 - TWENTY ONE: Uninvited Guests

    <h4>Chapter 21: Chapter TWENTY ONE: Uninvited Guests </h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    Everything was going well and Jasper was almost done with grilling the barbecue.

    "I can¡¯t eat this, it looks so unclean" Mirained when Jasper offered her some barbecue.

    "Come on Mimi, I am a doctor and I will never give you anything that would harm you" Jasper said with a helpless smile as he continued trying to convince her to taste the barbecue.

    "I don¡¯t want it" she pushed his hand away angrily.

    Nobody said anything as we were already use to her tantrums and have advised Jasper severally but he has refused to leave her.

    "How is it?" Gary asked Christy with a smile.

    She gestured for him to wait for her to swallow what was in her mouth.

    "It is amazing, it tastes really good and the spices are mixed in the right proportion" she gave a honest review and Jasper smiled while Gary apuded.

    "You could have just said ¡¯good¡¯, was the other parts about the spices necessary?" Mira asked her with a provocative expression.

    "At least she knows to appreciate food unlike some uncultured girl...cough...cough" Grandpa said angrily, he looked extremely upset and Coughed repeatedly.

    Christy quickly handed him a ss of water and the coughing stopped.

    She still hasn¡¯t spoken to me and wouldn¡¯t even look at me. I felt extremely ufortable with her behavior.

    "I am clearly not weed here, a nobody seems to be treated better than me" Mira sneered at Christy but got no response from her.

    I looked at Jasper and he quickly nodded and apologized before whispering to her.

    "Why should I apologize? Are you going to let them throw me out?" She yelled at him without any manners.

    "You can leave,if you don¡¯t want to stay. No one wants you here anyway" Mason reprimanded her angrily.

    She stared at him in shock, like she couldn¡¯t believe he would yell at her in public, she turned to re at Christy.

    "y some music" I said to ease the awkward atmosphere and Mason immediately turned on the MP3 yer.

    Suddenly, there were sounds of cars getting close and we all turned in the direction of the sound.

    Three cars drove into the vi premises and parked. The cars were very familiar and I didn¡¯t need anyone to tell me who were in them.

    I clenched my fist as I watched them slowly get down from the cars.

    My father and his wife were in one, Curtis had one to himself and thest one was upied by Raina and her best friend,Celeste.

    "Why are they here?" Gary asked with a frown.

    How did they find out about the pic, it wasn¡¯t even nned.

    "We brought snacks" Sameen said with a smile, without caring about everyone¡¯s expressions.

    "What are you doing here?" I asked her and she looked at my father with an aggrieved expression, like I I sucked her.

    "Is that how you speak to your mother?" Raymond asked me angrily.

    I looked at her in disgust and turned my face away, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to banter with them.

    "Have you be so stupid that you don¡¯t remember who gave birth to your son?" Grandpa asked him with a sarcastic voice.

    He looked at Grandpa like he wanted to say something but decided against it.

    "Thanks Mimi for letting me know about the pic" Celeste said as she hugged her.

    I turned towards Jasper and he sighed deeply before begging on her behalf as usual.

    " She is not usually like this, she must

    .."

    "Jasper, aren¡¯t you tired of making up excuses for her, she is not a child anymore" I interrupted him angrily before turning to Evans.

    "Let them stay" Grandpa said with a serious tone.

    I knew he just didn¡¯t want to see unnecessary drama, but the thought of sitting with Raymond and his family annoys me greatly.

    "Hello again, Ken" Celeste said with a smile as she approached me.

    I looked at Christy from the corner of my eyes, expecting her to be jealous or something, but she just turned her face away like it was non of her business.

    "Step back, I don¡¯t like strangers in my space" I said with a deep frown when she got too close to me.

    She looked hurt by the fact that I called her a stranger. That is what she is and it won¡¯t change anytime soon.

    "Celeste is the Fiance I have chosen for you, Raymond said angrily when he heard what I said to her.

    "I don¡¯t remember agreeing to any marriage alliance" I replied him with a lopsided grin and his face immediately darkened.

    "Your agreement is not needed, I have the final say as your biological father" he said with an air of authority.

    "Says the man who knows nothing about me" I replied him with a littleugh.

    He frowned deeper like I have offended him greatly. I sometimes wonder if he is okay or is suffering from a mental illness, because no one behaves the way he does.

    "What? Do you want me to spend everyday with you? I have a lot more important things to do than sit around and babysit you" he said with a disgusted expression, like he was talking to his enemy.

    Says the man that hasn¡¯t seen me for three years and didn¡¯t even bother to call or send a text.

    Curtis smiled at me, he seemed to be enjoying the drama.

    I brought out my phone from my pocket, as I wanted to know what my friends think about the current situation.

    Me:<i> Should we continue or leave?</i>

    Mason:<i> I don¡¯t have a problem with them being here as long as they stay away from me.</i>

    Gary: <i>We can¡¯t ruin our day because of some unimportant people.</i>

    Jasper: <i>The barbecue has already been grilled, so we can¡¯t just leave.</i>

    Anderson: <i>Whatever you decide bro.</i>

    I read through their replies before putting my phone away, that was when I noticed that Raymond was still staring at me.

    "Did you hear what I said?" He asked angrily. his anger increased when he saw the way I looked at him without any reaction or saying anything.

    Grandpa gave me a tap on the shoulder and smiled at me.

    "The Martinez family is asking when they will get married? I need to give them an answer" Raymond said angrily while grandpa sneered at him.

    "The Martinez family is just greedy for resources, you think I don¡¯t know about what you have been up totely?

    The Martinez family is using you but you are too blind to see it" Grandpa said with a disgusted expression.

    "Father..." Raymond was about to say something but Grandpa raised his hand to stop him before gesturing for them to talk privately.

    I knew there were a lot of things that Grandpa wasn¡¯t telling me and I also know that he will never harm me, so I am never worried.

    "Hey, how are you doing" I was pulled back from my thoughts when I heard Curtis voice.

    He was sitting beside Christy, on the seat that was reserved for me.

    "You should move" I said to him with a frown.

    He continued trying to grab her attention andpletely ignored me. Christy looked at me for a while before turning towards him.

    "I am sorry about what happened earlier, I didn¡¯t mean for you to see me like that" he apologized with a smile.

    "It¡¯s fine" she finally replied him and he smiled triumphantly.

    See him like what?

    Did something happen between them

    Is she cheating on me?

    "Christy, let¡¯s talk privately" I said to her, I needed to get answers to the numerous questions in my head.

    She just continued sipping her juice and eating barbecue. She acted like I was invisible.

    "Some people probably haven¡¯t tasted barbecue before" Raina said with a mocking tone while staring at her but she still didn¡¯t respond.

    Mira was busy chatting with Celeste,pletely ignoring Jasper.

    "Get me some barbecue, make sure it is well grilled and spiced" Sameen said to Evans with amanding tone.

    Evans just walked away like he couldn¡¯t hear her and she finally got up to get it by herself afterining to her satisfaction.

    I couldn¡¯t focus as I had to keep my eyes on Raymond and Grandpa. I don¡¯t trust him at all, I have seen what he can do when he is desperate and can¡¯t take chances.

    "Excuse me" Christy said when her phone rang and walked away to answer it.

    I saw this as an opportunity to apologize to her for what I said earlier, so I decided to follow her.

    I stood behind her, waiting for her to finish her call, so I can talk to her when she is done with the call.

    She turned to look at me and her eyes widen in shock, she suddenly threw her phone away and ran past me with a shocking speed.

    I turned around to see what was happening and saw Grandpa rolling down the stairs, his face was already covered in blood.

 Chapter 22 - TWENTY TWO: Tampered Evidence

    <h4>Chapter 22: Chapter TWENTY TWO: Tampered Evidence</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    I don¡¯t know how I ran so fast, all I knew was that I was holding my unconscious grandpa in my arms.

    "The ambnce is here" Christy yelled but I couldn¡¯t react or respond.

    My body felt extremely heavy and my legs were stuck to the ground.

    Fear?

    I don¡¯t remember thest time I felt this emotion. I couldn¡¯t summon the courage to look at his blood covered face.

    What if I lose him?

    "Ken, let go of Grandpa, he needs to be taken to the hospital" Mason said with a sense of urgency.

    I want to move but my limbs seem to have a mind of their own.

    p!

    I felt a burning pain on my cheek, the pain made my frozen limbs move and I quickly helped Grandpa into the stretcher.

    "Let¡¯s go," Gary said. We all got into our respective cars and followed behind the ambnce.

    Grandpa was quickly rushed into the ER and we all had to wait outside.

    "He will be fine Ken," Jasper said before entering the ER with the other doctors.

    "How did Grandpa fall?" Mason asked the question that has been on everyone¡¯s mind.

    I suddenly remembered that he was having a talk with my father and it was the reason he went to the staircase.

    I looked around but couldn¡¯t find him, his wife or their children.

    "Where are they?" I asked angrily.

    If I found out that Raymond has something to do with Grandpa¡¯s fall, I will make his life so miserable that he will wish for death.

    "Evans, retrieve all the CCTV footage in the vi. I want to know what happened immediately" I said through gritted teeth.

    He quickly rushed to get it done while I slowly sat down on the floor and rested my back on the wall.

    "He will be fine, bro," Gary said and gave me a gentle pat on the shoulder.

    I wish his words were enough to make me feel at ease but each second that passed without any news of Grandpa¡¯s situation, felt like punishment.

    Breathing felt like work and I only got more riled up after each breath.

    I turned to where Christy was sitting, she wasn¡¯t any better. Her eyes were already puffy from crying and she kept staring at the door like it will make everything go well.

    I got up from the floor and decided to take a walk to ease my tense nerves. I can¡¯t afford to break down at this moment.

    I somehow ended up in the hospital garden, it was quiet and there was nobody around.

    "Will he be fine?" Christy¡¯s sobbing voice came from behind me.

    I quickly turned around and saw her standing with her hands covering her mouth as she tried to hold back her sobs.

    "He will be fine," I said before pulling her into a tight hug.

    Seeing her cry made me feel extremely restless and there is a part of me that wants to protect her.

    I slowly ran my hand through her short red hair while she wrapped her hands around my waist with her head resting on my chest.

    We stayed in this position until I heard hurried footsteps heading our way.

    I quickly pulled away from her and took a step back to create a distance between us. She looked hurt by my actions.

    "Boss, I have gotten the videos" Evans said as soon as he got to where I was standing.

    I quickly collected theptop in Evan¡¯s arms and yed the footage.

    I watched how Grandpa went to the side to talk to Raymond, they had a serious argument.

    Then Raymond walked away from him in anger, he climbed the stairs and Grandpa followed him.

    The next video was the one of Grandpa rolling down the stairs after a fall.

    Everything seems to be fine and it seemed like Raymond had nothing to do with the ident.

    "Can I see the second to thest video again?" She asked me and I reyed it for her.

    "This video seems to have been tampered with" she said with a lot of conviction and I quickly checked the video again but couldn¡¯t find any issue.

    "In that video, Raymond went upstairs but in this one, he was already downstairs. The question is how did hee downstairs and not appear in Camera" She analyzed and I quickly checked the video again.

    I could feel my blood boiling as I reyed the video.

    Now I understand why he didn¡¯t follow us when the ambnce came earlier. He was waiting for everyone to leave, so he could tamper with the video.

    I handed theptop back to Evans before storming into the hospital building.

    I wanted to make sure my grandpa was fine before taking care of Raymond.

    "Any news?" I asked Gary and he shook his head.

    He stared at my face with a frown.

    "What¡¯s up?" he asked with a raised brow.

    "Raymond nned all of this," I said inly.

    "Let¡¯s just confirm Grandpa¡¯s health before dealing with him" he advised and I nodded before sitting down beside him.

    The door to the ER finally opened and Jasper walked out with two other doctors behind him. He looked extremely tired and the other two were no better.

    "How is grandpa?" Christy asked anxiously.

    "He is fine, luckily the stairs weren¡¯t many and not too high. The timely intervention saved him from losing too much blood.

    He has a cut on his forehead but it isn¡¯t too deep, I have dressed it and he needs to be on bed rest for the next one week" he informed us and I finally let out the breath that I never realized I was holding.

    "The nurses will have him cleaned up and sent to the VIP ward" Jasper said, he turned around to thank the other doctors.

    "Thank you very much, I will see you tomorrow" I also expressed my gratitude.

    My Grandpa was fine, no news was better than it.

    "Ken, can we have a private chat?" Jasper suddenly asked and I agreed.

    "What¡¯s up?" I asked him when we walked a few steps away from the others.

    "Mira told me something and I think you should know," he said with a hesitant expression.

    Okay, I¡¯m listening" I said with an impatient tone.

    " Celeste¡¯s family are nning your marriage with her, they have been putting a lot of pressure on Raymond. The only person standing in their way is Grandpa, so that might be the reason for this ident" he informed me and I could hardly control my anger.

    I clenched my fists in anger.

    I walked into the VIP room and found Christy sitting at the edge of the bed, she looked extremely worried.

    "He is fine" I said to her and she nodded.

    "I was so scared when I saw him, thank you for the p, it pulled me back to reality" I joked and she smiled.

    "Is the old man dead?"

    "Why is everyone so quiet"

    Sameen¡¯s voice echoed at the entrance of the room and my anger was once again ignited.

    The door opened and they all walked in. My father, his wife, Raina and Curtis.

    "How is your grandfather doing? Raymond asked me with an authoritative tone but I just chuckled.

    He really has the guts toe here and act like he had nothing to do with Grandpa¡¯s current condition.

    "Are you deaf? Do you have to go against me in everything?" He questioned angrily, I ignored him and his face immediately darkened.

    I just kept watching him as he vomited trash from his mouth. He still thinks that I am still the little boy who craved and begged for his father¡¯s attention a few years ago.

    " Honey, why don¡¯t you just tell him directly," Sameen said to him with a sinister smile.

    "I spoke with the Martinez family and they want you and Celeste to get engaged as soon as possible" he said it like he wasmanding a servant.

    "I am in a rtionship and not interested in any engagement. Especially to someone like Celeste" I replied to him with a smile.

    "I don¡¯t approve of your rtionship with this low life," he said, pointing a finger in Christy¡¯s direction.

    "Grandpa is resting, please take whatever you have to say outside this room" Christy said sternly, leaving everyone stunned.

    I looked at my watch, it was only a matter of time now. Hising here saved me the stress of going to look for him.

    "You really have everything nned out for your little family, I am quite impressed by your schemes" I said to him and walked to where he stood.

    "What nonsense are you talking about?" he questioned angrily but I could see the slight panic in his eyes, that he was trying to hide.

    Knock knock!

    "Come in" I knew who knocked, so I didn¡¯t bother asking.

    Mason entered with two special forces officers behind him.

    "Mr Raymond ck, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of Sir Benjamin Elizade"

 Chapter 23 - TWENTY THREE: Love Is A Weakness

    <h4>Chapter 23: Chapter TWENTY THREE: Love Is A Weakness</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    "What is the meaning of this?" Raymond asked me angrily.

    Sameen rushed forward anxiously, shielding him with her body.

    "He is your father! How can you be so heartless?" She questioned me angrily as well but I didn¡¯t respond.

    "You have no right to arrest me, I haven¡¯tmitted any crime" He said with a triumphant expression.

    His confidence gave me an unsettling feeling that he must have something up his sleeves.

    Ring ring!

    Mason¡¯s phone suddenly rang, I don¡¯t know what the other party said to him but his expression immediately turned dark.

    "Ken" he called to me before walking out of the ward.

    I followed him out with a frown, wondering what was happening.

    "The Martinez family got involved, they got a hold of my superiors and I have been ordered to let Raymond go" he informed me with a helpless expression.

    Bang!

    I punched the wall in anger, he really had everything nned out, that¡¯s why he was so confident.

    "Ken, I think the best thing to do now is to make them regret their actions without being too open about it" Mason advised me and I nodded.

    He was right, being sent to jail will be a light punishment for Raymond. I have to destroy everything he holds dear and watch him crumble.

    I took out my phone from my pocket and dialed Evan¡¯s number, he picked on the second ring.

    "Give Raymond the Weske project that he has been pitching for, tell him toe for the signing tomorrow" I instructed him before hanging up.

    "I need to head back to the base now" Mason said before calling the officers that came with him.

    I watched them leave before going back to Grandpa¡¯s room.

    "All bark and no bite" Sameen taunted as soon as I stepped in, I ignored her and sat on the edge of the bed.

    "Let¡¯s go home, so we won¡¯t disturb Grandpa¡¯s rest," Raina said with an impatient expression.

    She was clearly forced here, just to have a pleasant excuse when Grandpa wakes up.

    "Take this Christy, the night might be cold" Curtis said as he handed his jacket to her.

    I watched as she took it without hesitation and he gave me a lopsided grin.

    Something in me just wanted to rip it out of her hands and throw it in the trash can. The more I stared at the jacket, the angrier I became.

    When they finally left, the room became deathly silent. Christy just stared at Grandpa, probably trying to avoid looking at me.

    "I will tell Evans to get you something warm" I said to her but she just ignored me.

    I walked to where she was sitting, to collect the jacket and toss it into the trash can.

    "What are you trying to do?" She asked me with a frown.

    "Getting rid of the trash" I replied but she quickly pulled it back from me.

    "How is it any of your business? Please don¡¯t meddle in my life" she said with an annoyed expression.

    "I am sorry about what I said earlier" I apologized as she was still clearly upset about what happened before we left the vi.

    "You don¡¯t need to apologize, you were only stating the truth. I am the one that was getting ahead of myself and not facing reality" She said with a forced smile.

    I just wanted to hug her and tell her or show her how sorry I am but ...

    What if it is all in my head and I don¡¯t actually have such feelings for her?

    Everything changed since the night I was drugged. Am I in love with her or just feeling guilty for what happened?

    Love is a weakness I can¡¯t afford to have.

    So many questions were running through my head and I had no answer to any.

    "The first month payment will be sent to you tomorrow" I blurted out without thinking.

    She looked hurt but quickly adjusted her expression.

    Why would I say that at this moment? I felt so frustrated as I stared at her face.

    "I need to get some fresh air," she said before walking away.

    I knew following her at this moment wouldn¡¯t make a difference, so I decided to wait till she was calm.

    ******

    Christy¡¯s POV

    Kendrick¡¯s words have been ying repeatedly in my head and it took a lot of effort for me to not break down.

    Even if I knew it wasn¡¯t real, I just wanted to delude myself a little.

    To act like I wasn¡¯t alone in this big world and that I also have a family that loves me.

    Grandpa gave me so much love and care that I havecked all my life in just three weeks and I will never forget his kindness for the rest of my life.

    I let my tears fall freely as I made my way to the hospital garden.

    "Are you okay?" Curtis¡¯s voice came from behind me and I turned to see him with a pack of takeout.

    "I thought you might be hungry and brought you some food" he said with a smile that reminded me of the sweet boy from years ago.

    It seemed like the violent man from two days ago was a figment of my imagination or he was just so good at masking his emotions.

    "Hey, you have been staring at me non-stop" he said with a soft voice that gave me goosebumps.

    My stomach chose this moment to growl and I had no choice but to ept the food. I secretly prayed he left me alone as soon as I collected it.

    "Good night, I would have loved to stay with you but I have an important meeting in the morning" he said with an apologetic smile and I gave him a nod to signify that I understand.

    I watched as he walked away and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    I needed space to think about everything that¡¯s going on and make ns for when the contract expires.

    On getting to the garden, I headed straight to the bench to sit and eat the food.

    I suddenly stopped walking when I heard someone sobbing behind the flower pots.

    I slowly walked around the pots to get a clearer view of the person.

    The sun had already set and night was fast approaching. I saw a girl, wearing a ck dress with her head resting on her knees.Her body shook as she sobs continuously.

    "Hello, are you okay?" I asked her and she slowly lifted her head to look at me.

    "Christy?"

 Chapter 24 - TWENTY FOUR: A Friend Or A Foe

    <h4>Chapter 24: Chapter TWENTY FOUR: A Friend Or A Foe</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I stared at the girl¡¯s face in shock and it took me a few seconds to finally snap out of it.

    "Kara? What are you doing here?" I asked and quickly helped her up.

    Her eyes were swollen and it seemed like she had been crying for quite a while now.

    "Is it really you? You look so different" she said while observing my face thoroughly.

    "It¡¯s me" I said as I pulled her into a hug.

    I noticed that she has lost weight and was now a little skinnypared to a month ago.

    "What happened to you?" I asked her with a worried expression and she started sobbing again.

    "My...my Mom passed away" she said amidst sobs and I pulled her into a hug again.

    I slowly rubbed her back until she became a little calm before pulling away from the hug.

    "How did you end up here?" I asked her after sitting down on the garden bench.

    "My cousin works here, I came to see her but I saw a scene of a girl crying over the boy of her dead mother and it kinda brought back memories of mine" she said while trying hard to stop her tears from spilling out.

    I felt extremely sorry for her and didn¡¯t even know what to say to console her at the moment.

    "After you got Madam Collete arrested, we all lost our source of ie" she said with a sigh.

    It sounded like she was ming me for her mother¡¯s death or maybe I am the one that is reading a different meaning to her words.

    "Don¡¯t get me wrong Christy, I am not ming you for anything. She deserved what she got" she quickly added when she noticed my silence.

    "I didn¡¯t get her arrested, she and Benjamin plotted against me, unfortunately for them, things didn¡¯t go ordingly to their ns and that¡¯s why they ended up in jail" I corrected and she nodded.

    "Let¡¯s not talk about Colette anymore" she said with a smile and I agreed.

    I remembered the food Curtis got me and quickly opened it.

    "Have something to eat first, we will talk moreter" I said and handed her one of the packed food.

    "Thanks" she said before quietly eating.

    We ate in silence, there were a lot of questions I wanted to ask her but now didn¡¯t seem like the appropriate time to do so.

    "So, what have you been up to ever since" she asked me with an inquisitive expression.

    " Well, I..."

    "There are rumors of you dating a very rich man and that he was the one that got Benjamin and Celeste locked up with his connection" she said with a gossipy expression.

    I stared at her face and decided to tell her the truth, she will find out sooner orter.

    "My rtionship with the rich guy is true, remember when I came to you to borrow an outfit for a private dance?" I asked her and she nodded excitedly.

    "When I got there, he told me he likes me and would love to date me, I agreed because I had nothing to lose if he turned out to be a fraud" I narrated and she seems genuinely happy for me.

    I felt guilty about not telling her about the contract but on second thought, it was better I didn¡¯t.The fewer people that know, the better for me.

    "You are so lucky...congrattions" she said whileughing excitedly.

    "Thank you" I said with a slight smile.

    "So, how is he like? Does he treat you well?" She asked with a curious expression.

    "You know him, he was the one I pped on ourst outing with madam Collete" I revealed and her eyes opened wide in shock.

    "Girl, that¡¯s crazy. If I was in your position I would have definitely rejected his proposal. What if he only wants you to let your guard down before getting his revenge?" She asked different questions at once, she looked extremely worried.

    "Nothing like that is going to happen" I assured her with a smile..

    "Okay, as long as you are safe" she said with a deep sigh.

    If someone has told me that one day, Kara and I will get along and have a civilized conversation, I wouldn¡¯t have believed.

    "So, what about you?" I asked her and she sighed deeply.

    "After my mom¡¯s death, I decided to move to the capital to start a new life. My cousin took me in and I have been staying with her ever since" she said and I gave her a gentle pat on the back.

    Ring Ring!

    Her phone suddenly started ringing and she quickly brought it out of her pocket. She picked up without even looking at the caller ID.

    "Hello"

    "Okay, I will be there soon"

    The call was very short and when she was done, she got up from the bench.

    "My cousin is waiting for me outside, so I have to go now" she said to me, I hugged her and offered to escort her to the outside of the hospital but she declined.

    "Give me your number, we will go out and talk properly next time" she said before pulling me into another warm hug.

    I bade her farewell and she hurried away, she probably didn¡¯t want to dy her cousin.

    I sat back down on the bench with a smile. It was good to meet someone that I know. I felt much betterpared to when I left Grandpa¡¯s room earlier.

    *****

    Kara¡¯s POV

    I turned back one more time to look at Christy. She was smiling happily and all I felt was hatred.

    I want to make sure she never smiles ever again. She is the reason my mother died.

    Why does she deserve to live in luxury while I suffered?

    Seeing the expensive clothes on her body and the way she was glowing made me so upset that I could hear my blood boiling.

    I nce at her one more time before walking out of the hospital.

    I quickly spotted the ck Lexus that had brought me here earlier and got into it.

    "How did it go? Did she believe you?" Mark asked as soon as I sat down.

    "Of course, I told you it was a piece of cake" I replied to him with a lopsided smirk.

    Mark came to me after my mother¡¯s burial and promised to help me get my revenge on Christy.

    "That¡¯s good, now you can sabotage her and she will never be able to guess that you are the culprit" he said with an excited expression.

    "Miss Celeste, has promised to reward us handsomely if we are able to create issues between the rich guy and Christy" he reminded me and I nodded.

    Christy, the more miserable your life bes, the richer I will be.

 Chapter 25 - TWENTY FIVE : You Are Running

    <h4>Chapter 25: Chapter TWENTY FIVE : You Are Running</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    I hadn¡¯t stepped foot in the hospital for a week, I knew grandpa would be extremely furious by now.

    Not because I didn¡¯t care about him , if anything, it was the opposite. Caring was dangerous and one person was enough for me to take the risk for but now, it seems like my control is slipping and my emotions are all over the ce.

    And love is even more dangerous and I will never let it ruin everything I have worked hard for.

    So, I buried myself in work, letting the tick of the clock and the endless pile of contracts keep me from thinking about her.

    She had somehow worked her way into my head and after ourst talk, I knew this was no longer just a contract.

    Her voice, herugh, that damn stubborn way she looked at me like she could see through every wall I¡¯d built over the years.

    Maybe if I stayed away long enough, I would be able to get rid of this unnecessary emotion.

    Instead of going to the hospital myself, I sent Evans to the hospital every day to check on grandpa¡¯s health.

    "Just update me if anythinges up," I had told him on the first morning after I decided to stay away.

    And he did, precise, impersonal updates on my grandfather¡¯s health.

    I sometimes waited for him to say something about Christy but just talks about my grandpa, never once mentioning Christy, and I never asked even though I knew she was there with him.

    I was halfway through reviewing a set of international contracts when Evans came in, setting a file on my desk.

    "Are you back from the hospital? How is he? " I asked him with a serious expression.

    "His vitals are stable, the doctor said the swelling has gone down,"he said simply.

    "Good," I muttered, signing another page without looking up.

    There was an awkward silence and he shuffled his feet like he was hesitating to say what was on his mind.

    "Any other thing I need to know?" I asked him while I was still busy with the documents.

    "She asked about you again,"he said with a hesitant voice.

    My hand froze on the pen and it took me a few seconds to snap out of it.

    "And you told her?" I asked, and stopped reading the document and looked at him.

    "That you were busy." His tone was neutral, but I caught the judgmental flicker in his eyes.

    "Good" I said inly before going back to reading the document and signing.

    " I honestly think you both should talk about things" He said and hurried out of my office

    Before I coulde up with a suitable excuse , the door opened again. Gary walked in without knocking, like always. He tossed himself into the chair opposite my desk, leaning back and studying me.

    "You look like hell, your eye bags are having eye bags," he said.

    I didn¡¯t answer, as I focused on signing the documents in front of me.

    "I saw Evans in the hallway. He told me you haven¡¯t been to the hospital in a week. What the hell are you doing?" He asked with an annoyed tone.

    "Working." I replied without lifting my head to look at him.

    "No," Gary leaned forward, with his elbows resting on his knees.

    "You¡¯re running." he said with a sigh.

    I looked up sharply.

    "From what?"

    Why would he say I am running, I have nothing to run from. I just needed time to think about everything.

    "From her." He said without blinking.

    "From feeling something that actually matters." he added with a frown.

    "Grandpa asked me to tell you that he wants to see you tomorrow" he informed me expressionlessly.

    He hardly gets upset and this is one of the few times I have seen him like this.

    My jaw tightened. "You think I have time to y emotional games? Feelings get in the way. They cloud judgment. They... "

    "They make you human, Kendrick," he cut in. "You¡¯ve built this empire, fought off enemies, survived things that would¡¯ve destroyed most people. And now you¡¯re scared of one woman because she makes your heart race? That¡¯s pathetic."

    I mmed the pen down. "It¡¯s not just about her. You don¡¯t understand..."

    "Then make me," Gary challenged.

    I looked away, my chest tight. Memories I kept buried scratched at the surface.

    My father¡¯s voice, sharp and cold, the smell of blood, the heat of betrayal when people I trusted sold me out.

    Twice I¡¯de close to death before I was twenty-one. Twice I¡¯d learned that attachments made you a target.

    "She¡¯s not a game I can afford to lose," I said finally, my voice low. "And I don¡¯t want her to be my weakness."

    Gary shook his head. "You¡¯re so busy protecting yourself from hurt that you¡¯re hurting her anyway."

    I didn¡¯t reply... I couldn¡¯t. The truth of his words lodged in my chest like a de.

    *****

    Christy¡¯s POV

    Seven days. That¡¯s how long it had been since Ist saw Kendrick.

    Every morning, Evans came in with that polite, practiced smile and told me he was ¡¯busy¡¯.

    Every afternoon, he left before I could press for more details.

    I told myself I didn¡¯t care. That I was here for his grandfather, not for him. But the hollow ache in my chest said otherwise.

    Grandpa was propped up in bed, reading the newspaper when I came in. He smiled when he saw me.

    "Ah, my sunshine," he said warmly.

    I sat in the chair beside him, forcing a smile.

    "How are you feeling today?" I asked him with a smile.

    "Old," he chuckled, then his expression softened. "Christy, I need to ask you something."

    I frowned. "What is it?"

    "Promise me you won¡¯t leave him."

    The sudden plea caught me off guard. "I¡¯m not, I mean, we¡¯re not... "

    "I know what you are and what you¡¯re not," he interrupted gently.

    "But I also know my grandson. He feels for you. Probably more than he¡¯s ever let himself feel for anyone. And that terrifies him."

    My throat tightened. "Why?"

    He sighed and set the paper aside.

    "Because of what he¡¯s been through."

    I leaned closer as he began to speak, his voice low and heavy.

    "When Kendrick was a boy, his father... neglected him, to say the least. He was left to fend for himself most days. When his father did pay attention, it was to criticize, to tell him he¡¯d never be enough.

    Then, when he was eighteen , he was attacked. Twice, in the same year. The first time, someone cut his brakes. The second..." His voice faltered.

    "The second, they left him bleeding in the street."

    My hands clenched in myp. "Who would do that to him?"

    "Enemies of the ck family , mostly. But the worst damage came from inside the family.

    Sameen made it her mission to ruin him. She spread rumors about him, cruel, ugly lies about his sexuality, about his... nature.

    People believed her. Friends turned away. He learned early that trust was dangerous."

    I swallowed hard, my chest aching.

    "He doesn¡¯t let people close because everyone who¡¯s ever gotten close has hurt him," Grandpa finished quietly. "But I can see it, you¡¯ve slipped past his guard. Please, Christy... don¡¯t give up on him."

    Tears stung my eyes. I reached for his hand, squeezing it gently.

    "I won¡¯t."I promised, even though I wasn¡¯t certain I could keep it .

    For a long moment, we sat in silence, the weight of his words settling over me. My heart ached for Kendrick, for the boy he¡¯d been, for the man he¡¯d be because of it.

    I left the room to clear my head, walking slowly down the corridor. The hospital smelled faintly of antiseptic, the air cool and dry. I stepped outside into the crisp air, letting it bite at my cheeks as I tried to process everything I¡¯d just learned.

    Kendrick wasn¡¯t just cold or distant by choice.

    He was protecting himself from a lifetime of pain. And yet, I wanted to be the one to melt the ice around his heart.

    After twenty minutes, I headed back toward the room.

    The door was ajar and I remember vividly that I had closed it when I left.

    A prickle of unease slid down my spine. I pushed it open quietly and froze.

    A man stood beside Grandpa¡¯s bed, his back to me. He was holding a syringe filled with a cloudy, pale liquid, his hand steady as he reached for the IV line.

    For a split second, I couldn¡¯t breathe as I stared at him.

    "What the hell are you doing?!" The words came out of my mouth before I could think.

    The man jolted, half-turning toward me. The light from the window caught his face, a stranger, dark eyes shing with something I couldn¡¯t name.

    I could feel the killing intent emanating from him as he stared at me expressionlessly.

    The syringe gleamed in his hand and his grip tightened around it.

    And then he moved, he was so fast that I couldn¡¯t react before he grabbed my neck.

 Chapter 26 - TWENTY SIX: Blood And Jealous

    <h4>Chapter 26: Chapter TWENTY SIX: Blood And Jealous</h4>

    Chapter TWENTY SIX: Blood And

    Jealous

    CHRISTY¡¯S POV

    The man moved faster than I could think.

    One second he was standing over Grandpa with the syringe, the next his hand was at my throat, shoving me hard into the wall.

    Air instantly vanished from my lungs.

    My fingers wed at his wrist, nails digging into skin, but he was strong, too strong for my little attacks to affect him. His grip tightened, and ck dots exploded across my vision.

    Grandpa¡¯s voice cut through the haze. "Christy!" His shout was shaky and panicked. I could hear the bed creak as he tried to move but groaned in pain.

    The intruder¡¯s eyes were wild, locked on mine as though strangling me was personal. I tried to kick at him, but my body was already weakening.

    BANG!

    "Let her go!" Curtis¡¯ voice boomed as he kicked the door open.

    He barreled into the room like a storm, his shoulder mming into the man¡¯s side.

    The grip around my neck loosened enough for me to greedily suck in a ragged breath before both men crashed to the floor.

    I stumbled to the side, coughing rapidly , my throat burning.

    Curtis swung his fist and a hard punchnded on the intruder¡¯s jaw. The man grunted, jerking back, but he didn¡¯t let go.

    They rolled on the floor , fists and elbows flying at each, the room filling with the sound of grunts from the sharp impacts.

    "Curtis, the syringe!" I yelled, my voice hoarse as my throat was still burning .

    It was still in the man¡¯s hand, glinting under the fluorescent light. Curtis grabbed for it, but in the chaos, the needle jabbed into his side. I saw the intruder¡¯s thumb press down on the plunger before Curtis shoved him away with a roar.

    "Curtis!" I lunged forward, but the intruder kicked out, catching Curtis in the ribs, then bolted for the door.

    I dropped to my knees beside him. "Oh my God... "

    His skin was already pale, his breathing ragged. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his eyes unfocused. "Don¡¯t.. worry... about me," he muttered, but his voice was faint.

    The hallway erupted with shouting as nurses rushed in. "We need a gurney, now!"

    They lifted Curtis onto it, his body limp except for the twitch in his fingers. My hand found his, clutching tight. "Stay with me. Please. Just.. don¡¯t close your eyes."

    But his eyelids fluttered anyway.

    They wheeled him away, and I followed until a nurse stopped me at the ER doors. "Ma¡¯am, you can¡¯te in here."

    Tears blurred everything. "Is he going to die?"

    "We¡¯re doing everything we can."

    I pressed my hand to my mouth, swallowing the scream building in my throat.

    The sound of hurried footsteps pulled my attention to the corridor. Sameen and his sister, Raina, appeared, their expressions thunderous.

    "What did you do?!" Raina¡¯s voice was a whip crack.

    I blinked at her, stunned. "I didn¡¯t... "

    "Curtis is in the ER because of you," she spat. "You¡¯ve been nothing but trouble since you got here!"

    Sameen stepped forward, his re cutting into me. "We trusted you to look after the old man. Instead, you almost got him killed and dragged Curtis into it."

    "That¡¯s not fair!" My voice shook. "An intruder came in, I... "

    "You should¡¯ve called security," Raina snapped. "But no, you had to y the hero and now Curtis might not survive whatever that was."

    The words hit like stones. My chest tightened, heat rising to my face, but I couldn¡¯t form a defense that would matter to them. They¡¯d already decided I was guilty.

    Sameen shook his head in disgust. "Stay out of our way."

    They swept past me toward the ER, leaving me rooted in ce, my legs trembling.

    *****

    KENDRICK¡¯S POV

    The call came while I was in a meeting, mid-sentence.

    Gary¡¯s voice was low but urgent. "There¡¯s been an incident at the hospital. Christy.. Curtis... "

    The blood drained from my face. "What happened?"

    "He was injured. Badly. They¡¯re saying it was an intruder."

    I didn¡¯t hear the rest. My chair scraped back as I stood. "Clear my schedule," I barked at my assistant, already heading for the door.

    The drive was a blur, just the pounding of my heart and the white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel.

    When I stepped into Grandpa¡¯s room, he was propped up in bed, pale but unharmed. Relief punched through me, but it was quickly swallowed by the cold dread still gnawing at my chest.

    "You¡¯re okay," I said, scanning him for injuries.

    "I¡¯m fine," he assured me. "But Curtis... he saved Christy. Took whatever was in that syringe for her."

    My jaw tightened.

    Grandpa¡¯s eyes were sharp despite his frailty. "That young man¡¯s willing to risk his life for her. If you don¡¯t wake up, Kendrick, you¡¯re going to lose her."

    "That¡¯s not... "

    "It is," he cut in. "You think keeping your distance will protect you. But someone else will step in, someone braver with his heart. Curtis has already shown her more courage than you have."

    The wordsnded like blows, each one hitting where I didn¡¯t want to admit it hurt.

    I found Christy outside the ER, her face pale, eyes rimmed red from crying. She was pacing, twisting her fingers together like she was holding herself together by threads.

    Something inside me softened, then I saw the way she looked toward the ER doors every time they opened, like her world depended on the man inside.

    Curtis.

    The softness vanished, reced by a sharp, ugly heat.

    I closed the distance between us. "How bad is he?"

    She startled, then met my eyes. "They don¡¯t know yet. He.. he was injected with something. He could.. " Her voice broke.

    "Why are you crying like that for him?" I demanded before I could stop myself.

    Her brow furrowed. "What?"

    "You¡¯re this torn up over another man. What exactly is going on between you two, Christy?"

    Anger red in her eyes. "Are you serious right now? He almost died saving me!"

    "That¡¯s not an answer," I said, my voice low, dangerous. "Tell me.. does he mean something to you?"

    She stared at me like she didn¡¯t recognize me. "You haven¡¯t spoken to me in a week, Kendrick. You¡¯ve ignored me, avoided me, and now you want to interrogate me?"

    "Yes," I bit out. "Because I can¡¯t stand the thought of you crying for him like this."

    Her lips parted in shock, and for a moment, neither of us spoke. The air between us was thick with tension, the beeping machines in the ER the only sound.

    Somewhere down the hall, a doctor called out for more oxygen. The sound jolted her back, and she turned away, wiping at her cheeks.

    I stood there, fists clenched, hating how much I cared, hating that another man had been the one to protect her when I wasn¡¯t there.

 Chapter 27 - TWENTY SEVEN : A Perfect Act

    <h4>Chapter 27: Chapter TWENTY SEVEN : A Perfect Act</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    The doctors have been in there for hours, no news about how Curtis was doing.

    The continuous rushing of nurses in and out of the emergency room made me understand that they were fighting to keep him here.

    Then there is Kendrick¡¯s unnecessary temper tantrum. I don¡¯t really understand how he views me.

    I am not his property and have the right to do as I please. So I ignored his presence.

    "I¡¯m sorry about everything" he suddenly apologized but I wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk to him at the moment.

    "Christy, will you give me a chance to exin everything to you?" he asked when I ignored him but I just continued staring at the emergency room¡¯s door.

    "I am really not in the mood to talk right now, I need some space and silence" I said without turning to look at him.

    He was silent for a few minutes a

    And I knew he was still behind me because I could still feel his eyes on me.

    "Aren¡¯t you two just shameless? My son is in there because of this useless girl and here you are being all lovey dovey" Sameen hissed at us angrily.

    "She is a jinx, everything started going wrong when she came into our family" Raina added while ring at me.

    I wiped the tears that were threatening to roll down my face.

    "Let¡¯s go somewhere to talk, you need some fresh air" Kendrick said from behind me without caring about what they said.

    I turned to face him angrily, this was all his fault. If he wasing to the hospital, no one would have dared to make such a move on grandpa.

    "I am not leaving here, until I confirm that Curtis is okay, so you can leave and stop making me upset" I said to him angrily before walking to sit down with my back rested on the wall.

    He stood there for a while, staring at me and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look him in the eyes.

    I was afraid of showing him how much he affected me.

    How much I wanted him and how I have fallen in love with him.

    When I epted this deal, I felt like it would be easy but nothing prepared me for this emotional Rollercoaster.

    He stared at me for a while before walking away, seeing him leaving made me cry harder.

    I didn¡¯t want him to leave but I couldn¡¯t just forgive him for what has happened recently.

    "You can stop the crocodile tears now, it is quite irritating to watch" Raina snorted angrily.

    I ignored her as I wasn¡¯t in the mood for any unnecessary drama.

    The emergency room door finally opened again after another hour and the doctors stepped out with tired expressions.

    "Sir, how is he?"

    "How is my son?

    Sameen and I asked at the same time, she gave me a side eye and Raina pushed me back.

    "He is out of danger, he is very lucky to have survived, he was injected with a deadly poison that kills extremely fast.

    I still don¡¯t know how he survived, it was like his immune system was fighting the poison and made everything work out well" the doctor said with a tired smile.

    "He would be moved to a room and you can visit him when he wakes up" The doctor said before walking away with the others.

    A few minutester, two nurses pushed him out and I followed behind them.

    "What are youing in to do?" Raina questioned me angrily when I wanted to enter the room too.

    Bang!

    She mmed the door in my face before I could say anything. I signed and sat on the bench outside the door.

    The nurses left a few minutester but Sameen and Raina remained inside.

    I waited for an hour before the door opened again and Raina walked out angrily. She red at me before walking away.

    I could hear muffled voicesing from the room but couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying exactly.

    The door opened again and Sameen came out fuming, she also red at me before storming off.

    I slowly got up and opened the door. Curtis was already awake but he seemed to be in a bad mood as he was frowning deeply.

    "Hey" I said, taking slow steps towards the bed.

    "Are you okay?" He asked me with a smile while struggling to sit up.

    "Just lie down, you don¡¯t need to get up, your body is still weak" I said nervously and helped him to lie back down.

    "Thank you so much" I said with a smile, after making sure he wasfortable.

    "You don¡¯t need to thank me, remember I promised to always protect you when I get stronger" He said with a nostalgic smile.

    How can I ever forget the handsome teenage boy that showed me what it meant to be cared for.

    "I know that you might be thinking that I am different now but a lot of things happened these past couple of years that I couldn¡¯t have survived if I didn¡¯t be the person I am now" He said with a sigh.

    "what happened exactly?" I asked him as I sat on the edge of the bed.

    "My mom wanted a perfect son like Kendrick, he was intelligent and extremely talented at a young age and I wasn¡¯t even good at anything.

    My parents saw me as a disappointment because I wanted to pursue my music career. "He paused to continue his emotions. I could see the tears that he was holding back and I couldn¡¯t imagine what he must have gone through.

    "I gave up everything that made me happy, just to be the son they wanted and yet they are still not satisfied" he concluded with a sigh and I patted his shoulder tofort him.

    Knock knock!

    I turned to see Evans standing at the doorway with a polite smile.

    "Grandpa asked me to call you" he informed me and I frowned wondering what was wrong.

    Then I remembered that I did not check on him after the incident.

    "I wille to see youter," I said to Curtis before hurrying out of the room.

    I bumped into a man on my way out, he smiled apologetically before walking into Curtis¡¯ room.

    I felt a weird sense of familiarity with him, but I didn¡¯t dwell on it as I was hurrying to see grandpa.

    *****

    Curtis POV

    As soon as Christy walked out of the room, I got off the bed. All this acting was starting to give me a headache.

    "Bro, you deserve an Oscar" My friend, Gerald¡¯s voice came from the door.

    I turned to look at him and he gave me a lopsided grin.

    "I think you gripped her neck too tightly, you left some bruises" I said with a frown, remembering the purplish palm print on her neck earlier.

    "I just wanted to make sure it was as realistic as possible" he replied with an apologetic smile.

    "It¡¯s fine, everything went exactly how you wanted it to go. The doctors and nurses have also been settled" he added and I nodded.

    Now Christy will be mine and she will be too busy taking care of me to think of Kendrick.

    She has always been mine.

 Chapter 28 - TWENTY EIGHT: Finally Confessed

    <h4>Chapter 28: Chapter TWENTY EIGHT: Finally Confessed</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I walked as fast as I could and on getting to grandpa¡¯s room, I saw him lying weak on the bed, his face was extremely pale too.

    Kendrick was seated on the bed with a worried expression as he gently massaged grandpa¡¯s legs.

    "Grandpa" I called with a nervous voice as I took slow steps towards the bed.

    He slowly opened his eyes to look at me and gave me a smile which made my heart ache even more.

    "Grandpa, how are you feeling?" I asked him when I was close enough.

    "very fine my dear" he replied, his voice was so weak that it came out as a whisper.

    I looked at Kendrick with a raised brow. I wanted to know what was wrong with grandpa as his health seems to have gotten worse.

    He just shook his head and made a wait gesture with his hand. I nodded before turning to look at grandpa who had closed his eyes again.

    "I hope you both sort out your differences and get married soon" Grandpa said weakly without opening his eyes.

    "Rest well grandpa, I want to talk to her" Kendrick said before holding my hand and leading me out of the room.

    We walked to the hospital garden and before I could say anything, he pulled me into a deep hug.

    I didn¡¯t push him away, in fact I have been craving it for weeks. I slowly wrapped my hands around him and we were in that position for more than five minutes.

    "I am very sorry for the way I treated you and my behavior towards you can¡¯t be justified but I hope you can forgive me" he apologized after releasing me from his arms and one look into his eyes, I saw his sincerity.

    "Kendrick I...." I wanted to tell him the truth, the fact that I might never fit in and the difference between us is like heaven and earth.

    What will happen after the contract ends, will he change his mind? Or will he be willing to fight for our love?.

    I am scared of getting hurt, everyone I have ever trusted always ends up betraying me, would he be better?.

    "Why are you crying? I know I was a jerk and I kept trying to deny my feelings for you. I was scared of having a weakness and I allowed this fear to control me" He said with an apologetic voice and more tears flowed out of my eyes.

    He wasn¡¯t one to talk much, so seeing him saying he was scared made me so emotional. I knew it took a lot to admit something so deep.

    "I am scared too but I want to give us a try," I said with a smile. More tears flowed down my cheeks and gently ced my hand on his face.

    "I promise to never hurt you again" he said before iming my lips in a deep kiss.

    I wrapped my hands around his neck and deepened the kiss, we only separated when I ran out of air.

    Ring Ring!

    His phone rang and he brought it out of his pocket, I saw Evans name shing on the screen.

    "Yes" he said after picking up.

    His expression suddenly changed, he frowned then it slowly turned into anger.

    "I will be there soon," he said before hanging up.

    He hugged me again, this time felt different. It felt like something was wrong but he didn¡¯t want to tell me.

    "What¡¯s wrong?" I asked him, the way he was acting was making me scared.

    "I am so sorry" he said before nting a kiss on my forehead.

    "No matter what happens, I want you to trust me" he said before hurrying away without looking back.

    I could only watch helplessly as he got further and further away.

    Ding!

    My phone chimed and I saw a text from Kara, saying she was in the coffee shop opposite the hospital.

    I quickly made my way there, as I needed something to distract me for the meantime.

    "Over here Christy" Kara said while waving at me as soon as I stepped into the shop.

    I quickly walked over to her with a smile and she hugged me happily.

    "someone is in a good mood" I said to her and sheughed even more happily.

    "You are right, today is a great day" she said with an extremely excited voice that drew the attention of others.

    I felt a little embarrassed when so many people turned to look at us but she seemed to not care.

    "So what is happening today?" I asked her with a low voice and she gestured for me to get closer.

    "I got a huge job after weeks of applying, they even gave me an advance payment. I never imagined making so much money from doing such a simple thing" she said with a mysterious smile.

    I frowned as she never mentioned what the job was from the beginning to the end of what she just said.

    "What kind of job is that? What are you expected to do exactly?" I asked her but she just drank her coffee without saying anything.

    " Sorry if my question made you ufortable, congrattions on your new job" I said with a smile and she waved her hand at me.

    "You are as naive as ever, I was just pulling your leg. The job is simple but stressful. I am a caregiver of an elderly wealthydy. She liked me when we met and gave me some money as a wee gift" she said with a chuckle and Iughed.

    "That¡¯s nice, sounds like a good job indeed" I said with a smile before taking a sip of my coffee.

    I¡¯m so d everything was working out for her, she deserves to be happy.

    "Okay, let¡¯s forget about me, there is an apartment that I want to rent and I need your opinion on the color of paint to use" she said happily and quickly brought out her phone from her bag. She opened the gallery and stretched it towards me.

    Ding!

    Her phone chimed and she took it back to check the notification. As soon as she checked, her smile immediately vanished and she stared at me with a sad expression.

    "What is wrong?" I asked her with a frown, wondering what could have ruined her happy mood.

    "You might want to see this," she said before handing me her phone.

    As soon as I saw what was disyed on the screen, my body trembled and I quickly took a deep breath to control my emotions while I read through the news article.

    There was a picture of Kendrick and Celeste at a high ss party but the caption made me unable to breathe.

    "WEDDING OF THE SEASON, THE ELDEST SON OF THE BLACK FAMILY WEDS THE ONLY DAUGHTER AND HEIRESS OF THE MARTINEZ FAMILY"

 Chapter 29 - TWENTY NINE: No Tears Left To Cry

    <h4>Chapter 29: Chapter TWENTY NINE: No Tears Left To Cry</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    How could he do this to me? He just confessed his feelings to me less than an hour ago and now he is marrying someone else? Was he joking with my emotions?.

    My body kept trembling and my knees went weak. I would have fallen on the floor if Kara hadn¡¯t rushed over to support me.

    "Christy calm down, maybe it is not what we think" She said with a forced smile.

    I was not that naive to believe that it was just a rumor because no mediapany would be bold enough to publish such a thing about two of the most powerful families in country N except they wanted to go bankrupt.

    "Let me check the ck Family¡¯s official Twitter ount" Kara suggested before quickly checking.

    I didn¡¯t have much hope because I was sure it wasn¡¯t fake, Kendrick was really going to marry Celeste.

    All that talk about love and his promises were lies, big lies!

    "Should I read it? They made a post a few minutes ago" Kara asked with a hesitant expression.

    I gave her a weak nod and took a deep breath to control my emotions. I can¡¯t cry here to avoid attracting the attention of those around.

    "The ck family is thrilled to announce the marriage of our son, Kendrick ck and the daughter of the Martinez family, Celeste Martinez.

    Invites will be sent out soon, we hope everyonees to share in our joy" she read and I saw a slight smile on her lips.

    I shook my head and noticed no trace of smiles instead, tears were flowing down her cheeks.

    I wondered why I would even think of such a thing in the first ce. What would she achieve from hurting me?.

    "Stop crying Kara, everything will be fine" I said to her while doing my best to hold mine back.

    "Why are we always getting hurt? We deserve to be happy too" she said while wiping her tears. Her eyes were slightly swollen from crying.

    "We will definitely be happy when our timees" I consoled her.

    It was quite funny that I was consoling her while I should be the one crying.

    I am done crying over things that are beyond my control. I will leave as soon as the contract expires and start a new life abroad.

    "Who do we have here?" Raina¡¯s voice came from the entrance of the shop.

    I looked over, the first person I saw was Celeste with a smug smile, behind her was Raina holding hands with a man dressed in a sharp suit.

    When they got to our table, I finally saw the man¡¯s face clearly.

    It was Mark, my ex boyfriend.

    From the affectionate look in Raina¡¯s eyes, they were most definitely in a rtionship.

    I always wondered what happened to him after Evans took him away when we arrived at the capital.

    " Why are you staring at my boyfriend like that? He told me about how deceived him and ran away with his money and your disgusting lifestyle" Raina snorted angrily.

    Deceived him? His money?

    I couldn¡¯t stop myself fromughing as it all sounded ridiculous.

    "You canugh as much as you want but look around you, you lost" Celeste said with a mocking tone.

    "I don¡¯t remember everpeting with you, it is a waste of my precious time and brain cells topete with someone as dull and senseless as you" I replied to her with a smirk and her expression immediately turned dark.

    "Enough Christy, what are you pretending for? You seem to have forgotten where you came from" Mark said with a warning tone.

    "Since she knows Mark, that means she never schooled abroad, right?" Celeste asked with a raised brow.

    "We grew up in the same neighborhood and she has never been out of the country. She is also an orphan"Mark replied while smiling like a sycophant.

    "And she had the guts to want to enter my family" Raina sneered with a triumphant smile.

    I wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with them, so I decided to leave. I stood up from my chair and turned to Kara, who has been unusually quiet since the troublemakers arrived.

    "Let¡¯s go" I said to her but she didn¡¯t move. She slowly smiled at me.

    Her smile gave me chills and a sudden bad feeling arose in the pit of my stomach.

    "You can stop staring at her now. How do you think we knew where you were?" Celeste asked with a mocking voice and I took a step back in shock.

    "Why? I asked her while trying to sound like I was fine.

    "Why? You really have the nerve to ask me why?!" she asked me angrily.

    I don¡¯t remember offending her, we did have some little girl¡¯s quarrels but it never led to anything.

    "My mother died because you got Madam Collette arrested. Everything worked out for you but you ruined business for the rest of us" She said angrily, the hatred in her eyes sent chills down my spine.

    "Madam Collette was arrested because she was involved in a lot of illegal businesses and that had nothing to do with me" I replied to her angrily.

    "It had everything to do with you, if you hadn¡¯t offended Benjamin, none of their business dealings would have been found out" she argued with a fierce voice.

    The other customers in the shop were all focused on us now and some were even recording with their phones while Celeste and the others had smiles on their faces like they were watching an entertainment show.

    "Christy, you don¡¯t know what your actions caused, lots of the girls that were set free couldn¡¯t fit into the society or get jobs because everyone kept talking about their past. Unlike you that is here living avish lifestyle, acting all high and mighty" she said with a jealous expression.

    I didn¡¯t know what to say to her because I knew that she had made up her mind to me me for everything she couldn¡¯t achieve.

    "Piper asked me to say hi to you" she said with a lopsided grin and I frowned.

    Kendrick told me he took care of Piper, so how is it possible that Kara saw her?.

    I looked at her one more time before walking out of the shop and heading back to the hospital.

    So much has happened at the same time and I had no one to lean on. I kept blinking my eyes to hold back the tears until I got to the hospital garden.

    I allowed the tears to flow freely as I squatted behind the rows of flowers.

    A few minutester, I heard footsteps approaching, I knew who wasing but didn¡¯t bother to stop crying.

    He stopped behind the flowers, followed by the smell of cigarettes. It took me a while to get my emotions together, took a deep breath and confronted him.

    "Christy let me exin," Kendrick said as soon as I walked out from behind the flowers.

    The ground was littered with cigarette butts and he looked rough with a bruise at the corner of his mouth.

    Pah!

    I pped him but he didn¡¯t even flinch. He just kept staring at me like a lifeless robot.

    "Why would you confess your feelings to me if you were going to marry someone else?" I asked him angrily but he remained silent.

    His silence was driving me crazy, I want an exnation.

    "Say something, anything!" I yelled at him angrily.

    "I¡¯m sorry" He said emotionlessly.

    "Okay, it¡¯s fine. I am also very sorry for getting ahead of myself and falling in love with someone that is above my league.

    There is only a month and three weeks left for the contract to expire, so I hope you fulfill your part of the contract and give me everything you promised.

    I will leave and you will never see my face ever again. I wish you a happy married life with Celeste" I said with a smile.

    "Gary will pick you upter, he will take care of everything you need" he said emotionlessly.

    I touched my face, expecting to feel some tears but there was nothing, I guess I ran out of tears.

    "Christy, I never meant to hurt you" he suddenly grabbed my shoulders with a helpless expression.

    "Then what is going on?" I asked him but he slowly let go of me and stepped back.

    His phone suddenly started ringing and he brought it out, I saw Celeste shing on the screen. He picked it up without hesitation and I felt a tightness in my chest.

    "I¡¯m not doing anything important" he replied to whatever she said.

    "I will pick you up after seeing grandpa" he said before hanging up then turned around without even giving me a nce.

    The difference between him and the Kendrick that professed his love to me was like heaven and earth.

    He walked away without looking back and I could only stare at his back as he got further and further away.

 Chapter 30 - THIRTY: Gold Digger

    <h4>Chapter 30: Chapter THIRTY: Gold Digger</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    The moment Kendrick¡¯s back disappeared down that hospital path, something inside me caved in. I stood frozen behind the flowers, too numb to move, too broken to breathe properly.

    My heart wasn¡¯t just hurting, it was shattering into pieces sharp enough to cut through my chest.

    How could he?

    How could he look me in the eyes barely an hour ago and confess feelings that felt so real... only to walk away now like none of it ever mattered?

    I pressed a trembling hand to my mouth to stifle the sob wing its way out of my throat. No sound escaped, only a harsh gasp.

    My knees threatened to buckle. For a terrifying second, I thought I¡¯d copse right there in the dirt, surrounded by flowers and cigarette butts.

    Instead, I forced my body to move. One shaky step after another until I finally staggered back into the hospital.

    The fluorescent lights stabbed at my swollen eyes. I must have looked like a ghost because a nurse nced at me, then quickly looked away as if afraid she¡¯d catch my misery if she stared too long.

    At the reception desk, Gary stood waiting. The instant he saw me, his brows furrowed, and his easy smile fell away.

    "Christy?" His voice was soft but urgent. He scanned my face like he was searching for clues.

    "What happened? You look... pale. Did something... " He asked me with a frown.

    "I¡¯m fine," I lied, cutting him off before my voice betrayed me. My throat still felt raw from holding back tears.

    Gary¡¯s sharp eyes told me he didn¡¯t believe a word. But, mercifully, he didn¡¯t push. He simply stepped closer, cing a steadying hand at the small of my back like I might copse any second. "Come on. I¡¯ll drive you home. Thest thing you need right now is to be seen falling apart in public."

    Home?

    That word stung deeply, Kendrick¡¯s vi had never truly been mine, and after today it felt less like a home and more like a gilded cage where I was trapped as a ceholder until Celeste officially reced me.

    Still, I nodded. I didn¡¯t have the strength to argue.

    The ride was silent except for the low hum of the engine. Outside the tinted windows, life in the capital bustled on, bright lights,ughing couples, people busy with their own worlds. I envied them. For them, happiness seemed so easy.

    My phone buzzed relentlessly in myp. I tried to ignore it, but curiosity gnawed at me. Finally, with trembling hands, I unlocked the screen.

    Twitter exploded before my eyes.

    #Fakegirlfriend

    #Golddigger

    #ckMartinezWedding

    #PerfectUnion

    #CelesteAndKendrick

    I clicked on the first one and saw a picture of me and Kendrick at an auction we had attendedst month.

    Under it was filled with insults and hatements. I always thought I was strong and nothing could get to me except I allowed it.

    But nothing prepared me for cyber attacks, I had always heard how people end up taking their own lives because of cyber bullying and now I was experiencing it first hand.

    My stomach churned as I scrolled, Comment afterment, each one another dagger:

    "Guess the ything served her purpose. Now he¡¯s marrying real money."

    "Did anyone actually believe Kendrick would fall for a nobody? Please."

    "Imagine thinking you¡¯re the main dish when you¡¯re just the appetizer. Embarrassing."

    The words blurred as tears filled my eyes. I dropped the phone onto the seat like it had scalded me. My hands flew to my chest, clutching at the sharp ache spreading through me.

    Gary nced at me from the driver¡¯s seat. His jaw tightened, but he didn¡¯t say a word.

    Maybe he¡¯d already seen the news too. Maybe he pitied me. The thought of anyone pitying me made me sick.

    I turned my face toward the window and forced myself to swallow the sob threatening to break free.

    When we finally pulled into the vi, the sight of those tall iron gates and manicured gardens felt surreal. Just weeks ago, I thought I¡¯d found a sanctuary here. Now, it was just another stage where I¡¯d been forced to y a role.

    On getting Inside, I copsed onto the bed in my room. My body trembled with exhaustion, but sleep wouldn¡¯te.

    Every time I shut my eyes, Kendrick¡¯s face appeared. His smile, his warmth, the rare softness in his voice when he told me I mattered...

    All lies!

    Fucking lies!

    "Why did you lie to me?" I whispered to the empty room, as if the walls could answer.

    I sat up and grabbed my phone again, my fingers shaky as I scrolled further down the endless pit of insults and hate.

    There were a lot ofments and many reposts.

    Some even went as far as sending me direct messages, all filled with insults while some kept dropping pictures of snakes. I stopped opening the messages and scrolled through the insults.

    This time, I stumbled upon fan ounts dedicated to Celeste. They posted pictures of her in dazzling gowns, wless makeup, every angle perfect. The captions were worse,

    "Finally, a queen worthy of standing beside Kendrick ck."

    "This is what power couples look like."

    "Goodbye, fake girlfriend. You won¡¯t be missed."

    Fake.

    That word seared into me. It didn¡¯t matter that Kendrick had offered me the contract, that he had begged me to y his girlfriend.

    To the world, I was a fraud. A desperate gold-digger clinging to a man far above me.

    A sob broke free before I could stop it. I buried my face in the pillow, muffling the sound. My chest heaved violently as I cried until no more tears came.

    I had thought I ran out of tears earlier, but it turned out I just needed an even more painful trigger to bring them out.

    But when the tears dried, the pain didn¡¯t go away. It lingered, a hollow weight in my chest.

    At some point, I dragged myself into the shower. Hot water cascaded down my skin, but instead offort, it only magnified the emptiness inside me. My reflection in the foggy mirror startled me, red-rimmed eyes, hollow cheeks, lips trembling.

    I didn¡¯t look like myself anymore.

    I looked like a girl broken in half.

    And the worst part? I let him break me.

    That night, Iy awake, staring at the ceiling. Memories filled my head, Kendrick pulling me into his arms the first night we kissed, Kendrick¡¯s voice when he told me I was more than a contract to him, Kendrick¡¯s softughter in the middle of the night when he thought I was asleep, his touches on the night he was drugged.

    Each memory stabbed deeper.

    I curled up on the bed, whispering to the darkness,

    "Maybe I was stupid for believing a man like him could ever love a girl like me."

    The clock ticked past midnight, but sleep never came. My pillow stayed damp with tears.

    By morning, I was a shell of myself. My body ached with fatigue, my eyes felt raw, but I dragged myself out of bed anyway. Pretending to be fine had be second nature.

    A knock came at my door.

    "Christy," Gary¡¯s voice called.

    "You¡¯ve got mail," he said with a hesitant voice.

    I frowned and opened the door. He stood there with a sealed white envelope, the ck family crest gleaming in gold wax.

    His expression was unreadable, but his eyes flickered with something, pity or maybe guilt.

    "What is it?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

    He handed it over carefully. " This came straight from headquarters."

    The paper felt heavy in my hand, heavier than it should. My stomach churned as I broke the seal and slid out a card.

    Gold edges and elegant calligraphy greeted my eyes .

    The ck Family cordially invites you to a banquet celebrating the union between Kendrick ck and Celeste Martinez.

    The words swam before my eyes.

    I blinked severally to avoid crying, I didn¡¯t want Gary to pity me.

    My fingers trembled so hard the card nearly slipped.

    This wasn¡¯t a rumor.

    This wasn¡¯t some tabloid lie.

    This was official.

    And they invited me.

    "Christy, he asked me not to say anything but I just want you to know that Kendrick always keeps his words. Just don¡¯t give up on him" Gary said with a sigh.

    I raised my head to look at him but he quickly avoided my eyes and I chuckled.

    " If you were in my position, would you trust the person that has hurt you in such a way? " I asked him but he just remained mute.

    It is always easy to talk when you are not the one affected.

    I sometimes wonder how I still haven¡¯t ended my life, after experiencing so much betrayal and heartbreak.

    Was I that bad or hateful that my biological parents abandoned me?

    Everyone I have ever loved and genuinely cared about always end up betraying me.

    First it was Piper, then Callie and Mark, Kara and now Kendrick.

    I will attend this banquet and it will be my goodbye to Kendrick and this contract.

    I am done.

 Chapter 31 - THIRTY ONE: Nothing Can Get In My Way Now.

    <h4>Chapter 31: Chapter THIRTY ONE: Nothing Can Get In My Way Now.</h4>

    Celeste POV

    Everything was finally going the way I wanted. The numerous curses and insults being thrown at Christy online made me ecstatic.

    She deserves it all for daring topete with me.

    I applied a beautiful makeup and chose a beautiful ck gown and a matching purse before leaving my apartment.

    I have organized a celebratory dinner with a few of my friends. Christy¡¯s downfall was worth celebrating.

    On getting to the entrance of the hotel, I saw Mira, who had also just arrived.

    "Congrats girl" she said and gave me a brief hug.

    "Thank you for your assistance" I said to her with a smile.

    She offered to help me with buying water armies to drown Christy with insults. I have no idea why she was helping me but I don¡¯t care either as long as she was working in my favor.

    We walked into the private room that I specifically booked for the celebration and saw that everyone else was already there.

    There were five of us in total, just me, Mira, Raina, Mark and that wannabe country bumpkin, Kara.

    "Hey, beastie.... Oh it is my sister inw now" Raina said happily as she pulled me into a tight hug.

    Mark greeted us with a handshake while I avoided touching the country bumpkin, to avoid any infection or germs.

    "Everyone, let¡¯s sit down and enjoy our meal," I said with a smile as we all took our seats.

    Raina and Mark were being lovey dovey all through the meal while Mira was trying her best to hide her disgust.

    "Raina, which prominent family is he from?" she asked when she couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore.

    "How does that matter? What matters is my happiness and he genuinely loves me" Raina responded with an unfriendly expression.

    "I am sure Mira did not mean it the way you are thinking" I had to say something to dissolve the tension.

    Thest thing I wanted was for two spoiled brats to ruin my happy mood tonight.

    I turned my attention to Kara, who was busy stuffing her face with the expensive desert.

    "Did you see the money I sent you?" I asked her and she nodded as she couldn¡¯t speak with a mouth filled with deserts.

    "Good, You will leave the capital tomorrow and I do not want to ever see your face again" I said to her with a serious expression.

    "But you..."

    "But what? Did you really believe what I said about helping you get into high society and marrying a rich guy?" I asked her with augh before she could say anything.

    "What¡¯s with the expression? You should consider yourself lucky to have even spoken to us, and yet you want to stretch your filthy paws further" Mira said to her with disgust.

    "You really have big ambitions, considering the type of work you do for a living. Which rich guy would want to marry a girl that entertains men for a living?" Raina added and tears of humiliation streamed down her face.

    "You promised to help me live a better life if I help you get rid of Christy" She said angrily while ring at me.

    "Lower your gaze, you aren¡¯t worthy to look at me like that" I said with a frown and she quickly avoided my eyes.

    This is exactly what I like seeing, the fear in her eyes gave me joy, the fear of knowing that I was stronger and capable of determining how her life goes.

    "Thanks to the video of Christy that you provided, I can finally get rid of her once and for all at my engagement party" I said to her while twirling my phone with my fingers.

    The anticipation of seeing Christy humiliated in front of the entire elite circle made me excited.

    "Mark, this wasn¡¯t our agreement" She turned to Mark with teary eyes when she couldn¡¯t get me to change my mind.

    "That¡¯s enough, get out!" Raina snorted angrily.

    She doesn¡¯t like it when anyone tries to get close to Mark and it made me rest assured.

    "We can¡¯t let her go, what if she goes to warn Christy about our ns? " Mira asked and I nodded before pping my hands twice.

    My personal bodyguards came in with fierce expressions. I gestured for them to seize her.

    "What are you doing?"

    "This is illegal! "

    "I won¡¯t say anything I promise, just let me go" she begged but nothing was going to make me change my mind.

    "I had her do a checkup earlier and she is clean, so you guys can have fun to your heart¡¯s content" I said to my bodyguards and they covered her mouth and dragged her out excitedly.

    "Remind me never to offend you" Mira said with a smile and Iughed.

    I looked at Mark and signaled him with my eyes to meet me at the rest room.

    "Excuse me guys, I need to touch up my makeup" I said to them with a smile before walking out of the room.

    I only had to wait a few minutes before he arrived. He gave me a smile and I frowned.

    "How is what I told you going?" I asked him as I was clearly not seeing any results.

    "I am doing my best, we do it every night. Pregnancy just doesn¡¯t happen in a few days. Just give me time" he said with a sigh.

    "You better remember your ce and not allow Raina¡¯s love to get to your head. You owe everything you have now to me and I can also take it all away" I warned him and he nodded obediently.

    "You can go back to the private room now before she starts suspecting you" I said to him and he immediately hurried off.

    I have to make sure Raina is under my control so she wouldn¡¯t be able to affect my stay in ck¡¯s family.

    Ding!

    My phone suddenly chimed and I brought it out to see a simple text but it sent shivers down my spine.

    "Meet me in room 801"

    I wondered how he knew I was in this hotel. I stared at my phone for a while before taking a deep breath.

    "HI guys, something urgent just came up, I have to leave now. Have fun" I returned to the private room to inform them before picking up my purse to leave.

    "What¡¯s so urgent?" Mira asked me with a frown.

    Nosy bitch, can¡¯t you mind your business?

    I grumbled in my mind before giving her an apologetic smile.

    "My dad called," I said with an apologetic tone and she nodded.

    "Then I will be leaving too" She said while picking up her purse.

    I gave Mark a look to remind him to take advantage of the situation and get the job done before leaving.

    On arriving at room 801, I opened the door without bothering to knock.

    "You finally came," the man who was wearing a bathrobe and sipping wine on the bed said with a smile.

    His smile made me so disgusted but I had to maintain a gentle and happy facade as usual.

    "Uncle ck, you know I am always happy to see you" I said as I slowly ced a kiss on his neck.

    "I have told you severally to call me Raymond and drop all those formalities" he said while tugging on my gown hungrily.

    Yes, the man was my future father inw and Kendrick¡¯s father, Raymond ck.

    He promised to support and help me marry Kendrick as long as I satisfy him whenever he wanted.

    "Take everything off quickly" he said impatiently and I immediately did as he said.

    His rough old hands kneaded my boobs until they became sore. He was rough andcked any ounce of gentleness.

    "I have missed you so much" he said before sucking them hungrily.

    I am used to him talking to my boobs every time, at first it was irritating but now, I have gotten used to it and no longer feel repulsed.

    I went down on my knees and took his old shaft into my mouth, I only pleasured him for a few minutes before acting tired.

    He roughly pushed me on the bed and entered me without asking if I was ready, I justid down and let him do as he pleased.

    "Who is your daddy?"

    "You are"

    "Who owns you?"

    "You daddy"

    He loves to talk dirty every time and I always y along. I fake a moan every few minutes to excite him until he finishes.

    "You seemed to have gotten younger, it felt like I was being taken by a teenage boy" I praised him with a shy expression and heughed happily.

    I will do anything and everything to have Kendrick to myself. No one can stop me from being his wife.

    "Remember everything you promised me" I said to him while stroking his chest gently.

    "Don¡¯t worry, as long as you continue satisfying me, you will definitely marry Kendrick and be the mistress of the ck family" he promised and I smiled.

    Nothing can get in my way now.

 Chapter 32 - THIRTY TWO: The Weight of Goodbye

    <h4>Chapter 32: Chapter THIRTY TWO: The Weight of Goodbye</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    Knock knock!

    The knock on my door came earlier that morning, I got up with a tired sigh and dragged my body to open the door.

    Gray was standing outside, he handed me a box, his expression unreadable,

    " it had been delivered anonymously" he said expressionlessly before leaving.

    I was grateful for the fact that he respected my decision to be alone and didn¡¯t bother making meaningless conversations.

    My name was scrawled in bold red ink across the lid and chill ran through me before I even opened it.

    Insidey a dinner gown of ck silk, shimmering and luxurious. A single note sat on top, the handwriting sharp and venomous:

    "Wear this tomorrow night. Don¡¯t disappoint me, trash."

    I didn¡¯t need to guess who sent it.

    Celeste¡¯s cruelty always had a signature, elegant on the surface, poisoned underneath.

    The dress wasn¡¯t a gift, it was showoff, she wanted me toe see how she takes everything I want and wish for, she wants to watch my reaction as she bes Kendrick¡¯s fiancee.

    My hands shook as I touched the fabric, it was beautiful but it made my heart clench in pain. I tossed it on the bed as if it burned me.

    For a moment I stood staring at it, my reflection in the mirror behind me, until my chest cracked and the tears came, hot and endless.

    I told myself I wouldn¡¯t cry. But I did.

    Later that afternoon, I made my decision.

    I couldn¡¯t keep running in circles, waiting for Celeste¡¯s next strike. I needed closure. I needed to say goodbye to the only person in Kendrick¡¯s family who had treated me like I was more than disposable.

    Grandpa.

    The drive to his estate was heart wrenching. I kept trying to muster up the courage to say goodbye to him. Thest thing I wanted was to see him heartbroken but I have got no other choice.

    By the time the butler ushered me inside, my heart was pounding so hard I could barely breathe.

    He sat in his favorite chair, a nket over his knees, sses perched low on his nose. When his warm and gentle eyes lifted to me, I nearly broke on the spot.

    "Christy," he said softly, reaching out a trembling hand.

    "Child, you look pale. Come, sit." he gestured to the seat opposite him.

    I sat opposite him, twisting my fingers together. The words were like stones in my throat.

    "Grandpa... I came to say goodbye." I said with a barely audible voice.

    His hand paused over the book he was reading.

    "Goodbye? What are you saying, girl?" He asked me with a frown.

    From his expression, he seemed to be unaware of the current happenings.

    "I don¡¯t belong here Grandpa, I was foolish to think I did. Kendrick¡¯s world... your family¡¯s world... it isn¡¯t mine." I forced a smile, though my vision blurred with tears.

    "Don¡¯t you dare say that." His voice cracked with emotion.

    "You¡¯ve been a light in this house. Even in his coldest moods, I saw how Kendrick looked at you dear.Please don¡¯t throw that away." he begged with a hoarse voice.

    "He¡¯s getting engaged tomorrow, Grandpa, to Celeste and when I confronted him, he had no excuse for his actions. I don¡¯t want to ruin your happiness by clinging to false hope. I just... I wanted to thank you. For treating me like I was worthy when no one else did." My tears spilled faster and the pain in my chest intensified.

    The silence that followed was crushing. His shoulders sagged, his breathing uneven. When he spoke again, his voice trembled with sorrow that

    "If you walk away, Christy, you¡¯ll break his heart and mine. But if you truly believe this is best..." He paused, eyes shining with unshed tears. "Then I won¡¯t stop you."

    I dropped to my knees in front of him, pressing my forehead to his frail hands.

    "I¡¯m so sorry," I whispered, sobbing.

    "Child," he murmured, stroking my hair, his voice as broken as mine.

    "don¡¯t be sorry for surviving. Just... be strong. That¡¯s all I ask." he said with a sorrowful voice.

    I left his house with swollen eyes and a weight on my chest so heavy I could hardly walk. I thought that would be the hardest part of my day.

    But fate wasn¡¯t finished with me.

    Because outside my apartment, someone was waiting.

    "Kara?" I froze in shock.

    She looked nothing like the proud, mocking girl I¡¯d known. Her hair was tangled, makeup streaked down her face, her clothes torn and dirty. Her eyes were wild with misery.

    "Christy," she sobbed, stumbling toward me.

    "I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean for it to go this far. I thought Celeste would help me, but she used me, like she uses everyone." Her voice cracked as the words spilled out in a rush.

    "You have to be careful," she begged.

    "Tomorrow... She¡¯s nning something worse. Please, believe me. I didn¡¯t know she¡¯d be this cruel." she said with a desperate expression.

    Her desperation sliced through me, but my mind screamed not to trust her.

    The same Kara, who had mocked and betrayed me? .

    And now she was warning me against the same person she had been working for?

    "I don¡¯t believe you," I whispered, backing away.

    "You chose your side." I said to her, making sure to keep a safe distance from her in case this was also a trap.

    "Please. I don¡¯t have anyone left."Her face copsed with grief, tears spilling down her cheeks.

    But I couldn¡¯t.

    I couldn¡¯t let myself fall for another trap, so I turned away and hurried inside, leaving her cries echoing behind me.

    I thought that would be the end of it but less than an hourter, I heard the news.

    Kara had thrown herself in front of a train.

    The world spun as my knees gave out.

    I copsed against the wall of my apartment, gasping for breath. I had brushed her off like dirt, and now she was gone. Her final words rang in my ears.

    ¡¯I don¡¯t have anyone left¡¯.

    Guilt stabbed through me like a knife and my chest burned with a pain I couldn¡¯t soothe. I didn¡¯t know if I was crying for her, for myself, or for both of us.

    The hours turned into night but I just sat on the couch, knees pulled to my chest, staring at nothing. My body aching and my heart shattered.

    That was when the door bell rang at midnight.

    My stomach twisted as I forced myself to get up and check the monitor.

    Kendrick? .

    He stood outside the gate, disheveled, his clothes wrinkled, his face pale, his body thinner than before. His eyes looked haunted and desperate. He pounded weakly against the door, his voice breaking through the speaker.

    "Christy... Please open the door, I need to see you."

    My whole body shook. Every part of me wanted to run to him, to throw the door open, to bury myself in his arms.

    But memories of Celeste¡¯s smirk, of the dress, of the humiliation and the fact that he was getting engaged to her tomorrow , chained me to the floor.

    "Ken, let¡¯s go. She¡¯s not opening and you are killing yourself like this." Gary appeared beside him, cing a hand on his shoulder.

    But Kendrick refused to move, his hands gripped the door knob like it was the only thing holding him up.

    "I can¡¯t... I can¡¯t leave her... Christy, please! Just one minute. Let me exin!" His voice cracked, raw with anguish.

    I pressed my hands over my mouth to stifle a sob. On the screen, I saw him sink to his knees, forehead against the cold door.

    My heart shattered into pieces, but I couldn¡¯t move. I stayed frozen, watching him like a ghost behind ss.

    "Don¡¯t do this," Gary begged. "You¡¯ll only make it worse."

    Kendrick didn¡¯t move for the longest time, he just knelt there, shaking, the night swallowing him whole.

    Finally, with a strangled breath, he staggered up. Gary guided him away into the shadows.

    The screen went nk and I copsed to the floor, sobbing until my throat burned. I had pushed him away.

    Kara was gone, Grandpa¡¯s heart was breaking and I was utterly, hopelessly alone.

    I couldn¡¯t sleep after Kendrick left,the silence pressed down like suffocating weight.

    All the memories of our time together came rushing into my head. When we hadughed, when I had dared to hope. Now all of these memories were overwhelming me.

    Kara¡¯s broken face wouldn¡¯t leave my mind. Her plea, her despair, her end. I whispered apologies to the air, knowing they¡¯d never reach her.

    Grandpa¡¯s trembling voice echoed too.

    ¡¯Be strong. That¡¯s all I ask of you¡¯

    But what did strength mean? Walking away? Or holding on even when everything hurt?

    I didn¡¯t know anymore.

    My gaze fell on the ck gown sprawled across the bed. It glimmered under themp like a curse.

    Celeste wanted me humiliated and destroyed. Maybe she would get what she wanted.

    At three in the morning, I stepped onto the balcony, hugging myself against the cold. The stars above felt distant, indifferent. I whispered anyway, hoarse and broken.

    "Please... let tomorrow be thest time I hurt."

    The wind carried the words away.

    When I returned inside, the gown still waited for me like fate itself. I brushed my hand across it, steadying my resolve. If Celeste wanted me to fall, then I¡¯d fall, but on my own terms.

    And in the silence of my room, I swore I heard Grandpa¡¯s voice again, steady in my mind,

    Be strong.

    Tomorrow, everything would end.

 Chapter 33 - THIRTY THREE: Thatéˆ¥æªš The Girl

    <h4>Chapter 33: Chapter THIRTY THREE: That¡¯s The Girl</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    My body felt extremely tired as I got up from the bed, I hardly slept as today was the day.

    The ck gown was stillying on the bed and my phone was blowing up with notifications.

    The party starts by 4pm so I still had a lot of time to get ready and I didn¡¯t need to rush.

    My body felt unusually tired and my face looked extremely pale when I saw myself in the mirror.

    Knock knock!

    The sudden knocking on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. I didn¡¯t bother asking who it was as Gary was the only one that knew I was here apart from Kendrick.

    "Grandpa sent something for you" he said with a forced smile as he handed me another box.

    I took it without a word as I didn¡¯t have the strength to make a conversation.

    "A make up artist will be here to help you get ready at noon" he informed me before closing the door himself.

    I slowly opened the box and I was greeted by a bright red gown, I slowly dropped the box to check it out and a card fell out.

    Be strong my dear.

    It contained just four words but it made me so emotional and I felt a sudden boost of strength from nowhere.

    I returned to checking the gown and saw that there was also a pair of red heels and purse.

    I looked at my hair in the mirror and noticed the red dye was starting to fade out and it has also gotten longerpared tost time.

    I decided to take a short nap before the make-up artist came.

    Knock knock!

    I was awoken by another knock on the door and I checked my phone to know the time.

    2pm?

    How did I sleep that long?

    I quickly got off the bed and opened the door, twodies were standing outside. One was holding a make-up box while the other held a bag.

    "Hello ma, we were asked to style you for an event. I am ire and she is the hairstylist, Wanda" the Make up artist, ire, introduced with a polite smile.

    "pleasee in" I stepped aside for them to go in.

    The hairstylist couldn¡¯t hide her facial expressions as she kept staring at me with a look of disgust despite several nudges from the otherdy.

    "Do you have a problem with me, Wanda?" I asked her with a smile and her expression froze.

    She seemed shocked by my directness and couldn¡¯t react for a while.

    "She doesn¡¯t have an issue ma, I am very sorry if she gave you that impression" ire quickly apologized for her.

    "Yes, I am very sorry" she forced out an apology through gritted teeth.

    I smiled as I slowly sat on a chair that ire had prepared. There is nothing more enjoyable than being served by someone that doesn¡¯t like you because the person has no other choice.

    If she decides to leave without finishing her job, she risks offending Gary, which would definitely not be good for her.

    "Do you want it dyed red again?" She asked through gritted teeth and I smiled at her through the mirror.

    "No, wash off the dye. I want my natural color" I replied to her with a smile.

    The red color was supposed to be a symbol of a new beginning for me but all I have now is a broken heart and a little depression.

    Wanda quickly washed off the dye and in less than half an hour, my natural hazel brown hair was being styled on my head.

    " I gave it a little trim and it is now twelve inches long," she said with a slightly sincere smile.

    "Thank you" I replied to her with a smile as well.

    She seemed to havee to terms with the fact that being rude to me wouldn¡¯t be beneficial to her.

    ire was very fast and efficient and in no time, she was done with my make up.

    I picked up the carton containing the gown and other things before walking into the adjacent room to get dressed.

    " Let¡¯s be honest, She is so beautifulpared to Celeste" ire¡¯s voice came from outside the door.

    "What nonsense are you spouting? How can youpare her to the number one socialite in the entire city?" Wanda reprimanded her angrily.

    "I am just saying she is beautiful, nothing more" ire argued.

    "What is the use of beauty when it can¡¯t keep a man? Didn¡¯t Mr ck leave her for the less beautiful Celeste?.

    My dear money is everything, when you have money, no one will see your ugliness because they will be too busy kissing up to you" Wanda said with a mocking voice.

    I stopped listening and quickly slipped on the dress. The gown was a perfect fit, an off shoulder design that showed off my neckline and a perfect split at the bottom that made walking easier.

    "Wow, you look amazing" ireplimented with a smile while Wanda turned her face away but the jealousy in her eyes couldn¡¯t be hidden.

    "Thank you" I said to ire and she quickly did some touch up before leaving.

    By the time I was ready, it was already quarter to four and Gary was waiting for me.

    He seemed stunned by my appearance when I stepped out but he quickly masked it with a polite smile.

    The drive to the venue took half an hour and by the time we arrived, there was hardly any space left for him to park.

    The entrance was filled with reporters and the shes from their cameras were blinding.

    As soon as I stepped on the red carpet at the entrance, the reporters rushed towards me hurriedly.

    They shove their mics towards me aggressively and I had to take a few steps back to avoid being hit.

    "Move back or leave" Curtis¡¯ cold voice came from behind me and I felt a gentle squeeze on my hand.

    "Miss Scott, are you hooking up with young Mr ck now?"

    "Did you decide to settle for him when you couldn¡¯t get his brother?"

    "Did you really feel like you had a chance topete with Celeste?"

    "We heard you came from a small rural area, what gave you the guts to dream of marrying into the ck family?"

    Each question felt like an attack and I didn¡¯t expect anything less. They must have been instructed by Celeste.

    "Just ignore them" Curtis said as he led me into the venue, Gary was nowhere to be seen.

    As soon as we stepped into the venue, the lively chatters of the guests immediately stopped and I could feel the eyes of the guests on me.

    "That¡¯s the girl"

    "Oh my gosh, she really came"

    "There is definitely going to be a good showter"

    "Why is Curtis with her?"

    "She is actually a beautiful girl, too bad she offended the wrong people"

    The guests openly discussed without bothering to lower their voices.

    "Who do we have here?" Sameen asked with a mocking voice as she made her way towards me with an arrogant expression.

    "A butterfly that thinks of itself as a bird" she said and the guestsughed.

    I just stared at her with my head raised high, I had nothing to lose anyway.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, please let¡¯s wee Mr Kendrick ck and Miss Celeste Martinez, as they grace us with their presence" the emcee voice echoed in the entire hall, pulling everyone¡¯s attention to the stage that has been specifically set up for the engagement.

    Celeste and Kendrick slowly walked towards the stage, they wore matching outfits. Celeste was dressed in a long royal blue dress and Kendrick wore a suit of the same color.

    He suddenly looked back and our eyes met for a brief moment but I quickly looked away.

    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me about your contract with Kendrick?" Curtis suddenly asked and I stared at him in shock.

 Chapter 34 - THIRTY FOUR: He Came For Me

    <h4>Chapter 34: Chapter THIRTY FOUR: He Came For Me</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I didn¡¯t know how to reply to his sudden question, so it took me a while to snap out of my initial shock.

    "How.. How did you know?" I asked him with a stutter.

    He gave me a smile and gestured for us to go somewhere more private. He led me to a quiet corner at the side of the hall.

    "I overheard your argument with Kendrick in the hospital garden" he said with a serious expression.

    "Why did you make such a deal? Were you in desperate need of money and he took advantage of your helplessness?" he asked but I just remained mute.

    I watched as his expression turned from curiosity to anger and then frustration.

    "He gave me hope when I was at my lowest" I said to him before walking back to the hall.

    I didn¡¯t want to miss a moment of the engagement, I want it to be etched in my memories forever and it will be a constant reminder for me not to fall in love ever again.

    "Thank you all foring to this historic event and I hope you enjoy the rest of the night" Sameen said with a smile before returning the mic back to the emcee.

    I watched as Kendrick and Celeste went around, greeting the guests.

    "I am quite surprised that you really showed up." A ss of red wine appeared in front, followed by Mark¡¯s annoying voice.

    "And I am surprised that you managed to trap and deceive Raina" I replied with a sarcastic tone.

    "At least I was able to get her, unlike you, who ended up with nothing," heughed mockingly.

    He gave me a triumphant lopsided grin, before looking in Celeste¡¯s direction. I saw themmunicating with their eyes and should have immediately left but I didn¡¯t have the strength to run anymore.

    I was done running!

    "Why don¡¯t we have a good time tonight for old time sake" he said with a lewd expression.

    I knew he was acting ording to their n but still couldn¡¯t control my disgust.

    When he saw that I was ignoring him, he became bolder. He touched my face and leaned in to kiss me.

    p!

    I gave him a resounding p and before I could walk away, Raina attacked me angrily from behind.

    "You couldn¡¯t get my brother, now you are trying to seduce my boyfriend?" She asked loudly while still pulling on my hair.

    Everyone¡¯s attention was now focused on us and even the music was turned off as well.

    "Raina, what happened?" Raymond asked her with a frown.

    He looked clearly upset about his carefully nned engagement party being disrupted.

    "She was shamelessly trying to seduce my boyfriend" sheined with an annoyed and irritated expression.

    "Everyone knows that I don¡¯t jump to conclusions, so let¡¯s hear from the young man," Raymond said with a smile and most of the guests agreed as well.

    "Raina went to use the restroom and asked me to wait for her, so I decided to get a drink while waiting.

    Thisdy suddenly walked over and tried to get my attention but I ignored her. Then she suddenly pped me, like ignoring her was a crime" he said while pointing his finger at me repeatedly.

    I just watched quietly as he continued lying and spouting nonsense without any remorse.

    As soon as he finished speaking, the entire hall erupted in whispers.

    "Isn¡¯t she the other woman?"

    "How desperate can someone be?"

    "She has no shame and will do anything to get the ck family¡¯s attention"

    Celeste walked over at this moment, she gave me a mocking smile but quickly concealed it to maintain her perfect image.

    "Christy, how could you do such a thing?" She asked me with a frown.

    "Which eye of yours saw me doing anything?" I asked her with a smile and she seemed surprised that I replied to her.

    Was she expecting me to just let them use me and ruin my reputation without saying a word?.

    "What nonsense are you asking? Are you saying everyone here is blind?" Sameen asked me angrily.

    I didn¡¯t bother replying to her because she would only continue ranting when I replied.

    "I begged you to stay away from Kendrick because you will only ruin his life. He deserves better.

    You approached and seduced him, hoping to climb the socialdder with ease but you never thought that I would find out the truth about you... Did you?" Celeste asked me with a triumphant expression.

    "What truth is she talking about?"

    "I hate suspense"

    The guests whispered excitedly and some even brought out their phones,in anticipation of the drama that was about to happen.

    I kept having a bad feeling, when I saw their triumphant smile.

    I looked in the direction of the stage, hoping to see Kendrick but he was nowhere to be found.

    Did he leave?

    I was still lost in thought when Raymond came closer to me.

    "I can still stop everything if you agree to be with me. You will be able to walk out of here without any worries and I will take care of everything on the inte as well" he whispered into my ears, I felt a wave of disgust and quickly took a few steps away from him.

    "Seems like you have made your choice" he said to me before giving Celeste a nod.

    "When I found out that my son was in a rtionship with an unknown girl, I did what every loving father would do.

    I had her investigated and what was found was so shocking that Kendrick immediately agreed to marry Celeste instead" He said while staring at me with a disgusted expression.

    If I said that I still didn¡¯t understand what they were up to, then I would be the biggest and dumbest fool in the world.

    I knew this day woulde but I never thought it would be so soon.

    "Everyone, please see for yourself, so it wouldn¡¯t look like we are bullying her unnecessarily" Celeste said and she raised her hand to signal the tech team.

    The huge screen in the middle of the hall, immediately lit up and a video started ying.

    At first the guests were extremely quiet as all their attention was on the video.

    I watched in horror as a video of me performing in Madam Collette¡¯s club yed on the screen.

    "oh my gosh, she is a stripper!" Someone yelled in surprise and her voice seemed to have snapped the other guests from their shock.

    They all stared at me with judgmental expressions while some of the men couldn¡¯t hide the lust in their eyes .

    "How dare you appear here?"

    "Someone as filthy as you shouldn¡¯t be allowed to walk freely"

    The guests yelled curses and someone poured wine on my face, followed by more wine and some even threw cake at me.

    My legs seemed to have been glued to the floor, as I couldn¡¯t move an inch.

    Suddenly I was pulled into a familiar embrace and the hall suddenly became quiet.

    I buried my head in his chest and finally allowed the tears that I have been holding back to fall.

    Just one thought kept reying in my mind.

    Kendrick was here, he came for me.

 Chapter 35 - THIRTY FIVE: The Truth Revealed.

    <h4>Chapter 35: Chapter THIRTY FIVE: The Truth Revealed.</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    Christy¡¯s eyes made me feel extremely guilty and I did my best to avoid them as I exchanged the engagement rings with Celeste.

    I just had to keep up the act for a few minutes more then I will put them all in their ce.

    The vibration of my phone made me anxious and I quickly walked out of the hall to receive the iing call.

    "Report" I said while trying my absolute best to remain hopeful and positive.

    "Everything went ording to the n, we got Madam out sessfully" Evans informed me excitedly and I finally let out the breath that I didn¡¯t realize I was holding.

    It was finally over!

    I looked up at the sky and smiled for the first time in two weeks.

    Now, I don¡¯t need to pretend anymore and I am going to make every single one of them regret their actions.

    I slowly took out a cigarette as the memories of everything that transpired filled my head.

    Everything started on the day I finally summoned the courage to confess my feelings to Christy. I don¡¯t know how Raymond and Sameen came to know about it.

    FLASHBACK!

    Ring Ring!

    As soon as I left the hospital after confessing my feelings to Christy, my phone suddenly rang and I brought it out to see who was calling. I frowned as I saw Raymond shing on the screen.

    He is not worthy to be called a father, so I don¡¯t bother with such a show of respect.

    "Yes" I said without any pleasantries.

    "Is that how you speak to your father?" he yelled angrily but I just kept mute, waiting for him to say what he needed.

    "Come to the main house, there is something important we need to discuss," he said with an authoritative tone.

    "I¡¯m busy" I replied emotionlessly.

    "Your grandfather seems to be recovering very well" he said with a threatening tone and I frowned.

    "Don¡¯t you dare have any thoughts about my grandpa" I warned him angrily and heughed mockingly.

    "Then you better be here in an hour," he said before hanging up.

    I squeezed my phone angrily and decided to go see what he was up to.

    The drive to the house took me less than an hour and as soon as I entered, I saw Raymond and his wife waiting in the sitting room.

    "Oh, see who decided toe," Sameen said with a mocking smile.

    I ignored her and sat on the chair opposite them.

    "The Martinez family wants to know our stand. They have given us a week to decide if the marriage alliance will happen" Raymond informed me with a serious expression.

    "And what does that have to do with me?" I asked him with a frown.

    "What nonsense are you asking?" Sameen asked me angrily.

    "If it was left to me, of course I would want my precious son to marry Celeste instead. I don¡¯t know what she saw in you" She sneered.

    I ignored her as usual, I don¡¯t waste my strength talking to unimportant people.

    "You and Celeste¡¯s engagement will happen in three days¡¯ time"Raymond said with a tone of finality.

    I stared at his face with a slight smile, wondering what gave him the guts to order me.

    "Don¡¯t give me that look, you have no choice but to follow my arrangement" he said with an authoritative tone and I frowned.

    I knew he was definitely up to something because he had never approached me with such an attitude.

    "You better stay away from my grandfather"I warned him angrily as I couldn¡¯t think of any other reason why he would be so certain that I would be obedient to him.

    "I have no ns of hurting the old man, so you can rx" He said with a triumphant smile.

    I couldn¡¯t guess what he was up to and it was extremely frustrating.

    "Do you remember what happened to your mother?" He asked me with a serious expression.

    My blood immediately boiled as I remembered everything that happened back then.

    "Don¡¯t ever talk about her ever again" I warned him and got up to leave.

    "She is alive" he suddenly said as I was about to walk out of the door and I froze.

    I slowly turned to look at him in disgust.

    "Did you just make that up? You really want me to believe such nonsense?"I asked him angrily.

    " Her body was never found after she had that car ident" He reminded me.

    I didn¡¯t want to believe him but a part of me has always wished that I could find her someday.

    "I received a callst week from someone iming to be her. Of course, I didn¡¯t believe her, so I set up a meeting with her to confirm her identity.

    I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes when I saw her, she is alive and in my hands" he informed me with a cunning smile.

    "Am I supposed to just believe everything thates out of your old lying mouth?" I asked him with a frown.

    "You should show your father some respect" Sameen reprimanded me angrily but I just gave her a side eye and she immediately cowered in fear.

    "I knew you would ask for evidence and I made sure to prepare one" Raymond said with a sly smile and handed the tablet on the table to me.

    I collected and clicked y, so I could watch the content of the video.

    The first face that I saw was the face that I have been longing to see for years. She smiled at the camera.

    The woman was none other than my mother.

    She was alive.

    "How are my father and Kendrick doing?" Her voice came through, it was exactly how I remembered it, soft and soothing.

    "They are fine," Raymond replied.

    "I know you must be surprised to see me after all these years. I was rescued by a kind old couple after the ident and I suffered from amnesia.

    I couldn¡¯t even remember my name or where I came from..." She paused as tears rolled down her cheeks.

    I squeezed the tablet and I couldn¡¯t exin how I felt about it.

    "You are back because you remember everything now?" Raymond asked her with a caring voice.

    "Yes, I got my memories backst week, although I am still weak, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself froming to see you, my father and our son" she said with an emotional voice and Raymond pulled her into his arms for a hug.

    His care was clearly faked and from what he has been saying since I got here, he was holding her hostage.

    "Where is she?!" I asked him angrily but he just ignored me and kept sipping his wine.

    "She is safe, all you have to do is follow my arrangement and marry Celeste" He said with a cunning grin.

    "And if I don¡¯t?" I asked him with a frown.

    "Then I don¡¯t know how long I can guarantee her safety" He threatened me.

    I needed time to get my mother out of his clutches and to put his guard down as well.

    "Okay" I said inly and he immediately jumped off his seat excitedly.

    Ding!

    Our phones chimed at the same time and I brought it out to check.

    "Perfect, just on time" Sameen eximed happily before I could even check the notification.

    When I finally checked, I immediately understood why she was happy.

    It seems they were very certain that I would agree to their n, so they got the ck family official page to release the official announcement of mine and Celeste¡¯s engagement.

    END OF FLASHBACK!

    It took me a while to finally find out the exact location where he was keeping my mother.

    With Mason¡¯s help, I was able to sessfully rescue her.

    By the time I snapped back from my memories, I noticed that I had spent almost an hour away from the party.

    I rushed into the hall as I couldn¡¯t control the urge to hug Christy and tell her everything but what I saw on entering the hall made my blood boil.

    How dare they treat her like that?!

    I immediately rushed to her and pulled her into my arms, she buried her head in my chest as u held her tightly.

    "He is protecting her despite seeing the truth?"

    "Did she cast a spell on him?"

    I heard some of the guests as they spoke in hushed voices.

    "What is the meaning of this?" Mr Martinez asked me angrily as heforted his crying daughter.

    "Have you forgotten what we spoke about?" Raymond asked me with a threatening gaze.

    "Howe I don¡¯t remember ever talking to you?" I replied to him nonchntly.

    "Mr ck, what is going on? We had a deal" Mr Martinez asked him angrily.

    Seeing his precious daughter cry made him very upset and he kept ring at me.

    I took off my jacket and covered Christy with it, before bringing out my phone to call Mason.

    But before the phone could ring, I saw him walking into the hall with two officers behind him.

    "Mr Raymond ck, you are under arrest for forced imprisonment and detainment of Mrs Lauretta ck" Mason said and one of the officers immediately handcuffed Raymond.

    "Did I just hear Lauretta or am I hearing things?"

    "Is she really alive?"

    The hall erupted in a noisy chaos as the guests discussed what they just heard.

    "Stop!" Celeste suddenly screamed and the hall fell into a pin drop silence.

 Chapter 36 - THIRTY SIX: It Was Finally Over

    <h4>Chapter 36: Chapter THIRTY SIX: It Was Finally Over</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    Everyone stared at Celeste after her scream, she slowly made her way towards us with a hesitant expression.

    "Why are you doing this to me?" She asked Kendrick but he just kept staring expressionlessly.

    She took a deep breath before opening her purse and bringing out a neatly folded paper.

    "I didn¡¯t want to do this but you have left me with no other choice" she said with tears streaming down her face as she handed the paper to Kendrick.

    He took it with a frown and slowly opened it. I was also extremely curious about its content, so I read it as well.

    After seeing what it was, I froze in shock before slowly turning to look at Kendrick¡¯s face.

    I wanted to see his reaction to the content and he looked confused but the way his eyes avoided mine told me the content might be true.

    "If you do not believe it, we can go to a hospital for another one" Celeste said with a determined voice.

    I slowly got out of Kendrick¡¯s embrace, as I wanted him to say something, to tell me it was all a lie.

    "What is going on dear?" Mr Martinez asked his daughter with a confused expression.

    Celeste slowly turned around to face him with her head bowed.

    "I am sorry father, I have embarrassed you" She apologized to him.

    "Dear, tell me what happened," he demanded.

    "You and uncle ck wanted Kendrick and I to get closer to each other, so you made us live in the same apartment for a week.

    On the third day, he had a huge fight with his grandfather, because the old man wasn¡¯t in support of our engagement.

    After the fight, he got drunk and I tried helping him to his room but he lost control and...." she paused dramatically but everyone already understood what happened.

    "You bastard!" Mr Martinez raised his hand to hit Kendrick but one look from him, made him tremble in fear and dropped his hand.

    "I am pregnant and you are responsible for it. I didn¡¯t want things toe to this but you kept pushing me to the wall" Celeste said to Kendrick while crying miserably.

    I don¡¯t even know what I was waiting for, my eyes were on Kendrick the entire time and I was waiting for him to tell me that she was lying but he just closed his eyes with a frustrated expression.

    "Ken, is... it true?" I asked him with a shaky voice.

    He finally opened his eyes and held my hands but I noticed he kept avoiding eye contact.

    "I don¡¯t remember anything that happened that day, I woke up with no recollection of that night" he exined with a pleading gaze.

    He doesn¡¯t remember?

    That means, there is a possibility that Celeste was really carrying his child.

    It felt like my heart was being ripped out. I didn¡¯t feel this hurt when the video was shown to everyone, or when wine was being poured on me.

    "So there is a possibility that you are responsible?" I asked him, despite knowing that it was the truth but I wanted to hear him say it himself.

    "Christy, listen to me, I..."

    "What nonsense are you trying to say? Do you want to avoid taking responsibility for my daughter?" Mr Martinez interrupted him angrily.

    "Oh my gosh, another plot twist!"

    "I am so d, I didn¡¯t miss this party"

    "me too"

    The guests were so excited but I felt like I was dying slowly.

    It felt like I was trapped in a dark abyss, then Kendrick came and showed me the beauty of light and freedom before pushing me even deeper into the same abyss.

    "You must take responsibility for my daughter and this engagement is not going to be canceled!" Mr Martinez demanded angrily before taking Celeste away.

    Kendrick suddenly turned to face me but I was tired and cold all over . I couldn¡¯t feel anything anymore.

    "Everything I did was for you, I hope you will understand that someday" Raymond said to Kendrick before being taken away by the officers.Sameen and Raina followed as well.

    They didn¡¯t even say a word when Celeste revealed that she was pregnant, they just watched till the end, which was very unlike them.

    "Christy, I.." Kendrick tried to talk to me but I raised my hand to stop him.

    I was done with all of these dramas.

    I wrapped his jacket around my body tightly, as my dress was still soaked with wine.

    I looked at him onest time before walking out of the hall. I listened for any footsteps behind me but there was none.

    He didn¡¯t follow or try to stop me. Hot tears slowly slid down my face as I stepped into the cold breeze.

    I felt extremely cold but I couldn¡¯t stop walking, my legs seemed to have a mind of its own and wanted to take me away from here.

    Where am I supposed to go from here?

    I have no one to call a friend or family, so where do I start?.

    "Why me?!"

    "Haven¡¯t I been through enough?!"

    I yelled into the night as tears kept pouring out of my eyes.

    The wet gown made me ufortable as it clung to my skin.

    Painful memories of the betrayals and hurt that I have faced, surfaced in my mind adding to my agony.

    Piper, Mark, Callie, my foster parents then Kendrick came along and gave me a taste of happiness and love but the end result was the same.

    It seems like I am destined to never be happy in this lifetime.

    I continued walking in the cold night without any destination in mind.

    Suddenly, the lights of a car came on a few meters away from me. I stared at the car as it suddenly started speeding towards me.

    It seems like the universe heard my screams and has decided to end it once and for all.

    My legs felt like they were glued to the ground as I watched the car as it got closer and closer.

    Mira?

    I was surprised to see that she was the one driving the car.

    My body flew into the air as the car crashed into me.

    The screams of the other pedestrians filled my ears as my head collided with the hard ground.

    My vision turned red as blood flowed into my eyes before everything slowly went dark.

    It was finally over.

 Chapter 37 - THIRTY SEVEN: Big Brother Is Here

    <h4>Chapter 37: Chapter THIRTY SEVEN: Big Brother Is Here</h4>

    Mason¡¯s POV

    After several days of nning, we finally saved Kendrick¡¯s mother and I personally came to arrest Raymond but I never imagined that things would take such a drastic turn.

    Who would have ever thought that Celeste was pregnant.

    I found it hard to breathe when I saw Christy crying so sadly. Her eyes had no light and she looked hopeless.

    Just seeing her like this made me so angry that I had to clench my fist to control myself.

    It hasn¡¯t been confirmed yet, so I can¡¯t make any rash decisions.

    Seeing her run out of the hall, I decided to follow her just to make sure she didn¡¯t do anything extreme.

    Ring Ring!

    My phone suddenly started ringing and I brought it out to see who was calling.

    Why would he be calling me at this time?

    "Jasper, I can¡¯t really talk now. Something happened" I said to him impatiently.

    I looked around and couldn¡¯t see Christy anywhere.

    "The DNA results are out" He informed me with an excited voice.

    I froze as the words yed repeatedly in my head.

    "Hello, bro are you there?" He asked and I finally snapped out of my shock.

    "What did the result say?" I asked him with a slightly nervous tone.

    "It was a 99.9% match, she is your biological sister, Eva" Jasper said with an emotional tone.

    She is my sister!

    I didn¡¯t know how to react to this amazing news and a lonely tear slid down my face.

    I finally found you.

    "Congrats brother, you owe me a drink" His voice brought me out of my trance-like state.

    "How did things go with Ken?" he asked and I remembered the reason why I was outside.

    "I have to go now" I said to him hurriedly before hanging up.

    I ran as fast as my legs could take me. I needed to find her and tell her that she wasn¡¯t alone.

    She has a big brother who loves her and wouldn¡¯t let anyone hurt her ever again.

    After running for a while, I still couldn¡¯t find her. I decided to show her photo to the other pedestrians on the road, if they have seen her.

    "Hello, have you seen her?"

    "No"

    "Hello, have you seen her? She is wearing a red gown and a ck jacket"

    "No, I haven¡¯t"

    "Hello, have you seen her?"

    "No"

    I kept asking around but they all kept saying they hadn¡¯t seen her.

    This was the only road that leads to the main city from the engagement venue, so she definitely passed here.

    I decided to ask more people, someone must have definitely seen her.

    "Hello, have you seen her?"

    "No"

    "Hello, have you seen this girl?"

    "No, sir"

    I felt suffocated as I hoped and prayed that she hasn¡¯t done anything stupid because of heartbreak.

    "Oh my gosh, an ident just happened in front" a teenage girl rushed over to inform her friends and I also noticed that others were going in the same direction as well.

    I also rushed towards the scene of the ident and I stopped when I saw the huge crowd gathered at a particr spot.

    Some were on their phones calling for an ambnce while some were busy taking videos.

    I pushed through the crowd and walked into the center with trembling legs.

    The first thing I saw was the very familiar red gown and ck jacket.

    "Eva!" I yelled as I quickly held her in my arms.

    "Eva, big brother is here!"

    "Someone call an ambnce!"

    Her head was bleeding badly and her skin was extremely cold and pale from blood loss.

    "Eva, please hang on?"

    I just found her after so many years of searching and the fear of her dying made me extremely scared and anxious.

    A few minutester, I heard the ambnce sirens ring, and I quickly picked her up, making sure to support her injured head with my hand before rushing towards the ambnce.

    "Mason?" Jasper¡¯s shocked voice came from the ambnce.

    "Save her please, my sister is dying. I can¡¯t lose her please"I said to him with an extremely anxious voice.

    They quickly helped her on the stretcher and administered emergency treatment before she was moved into the ambnce.

    I got into the ambnce as well, holding her hand tightly and praying for her to survive.

    "We have stopped the bleeding and we will do our best to save her," Jasper promised.

    He kept staring at me and I knew he had questions but was holding back because of the current situation.

    "I finally found her and I will never let anything happen to her... ever again" I said to no one in particr.

    It was more like a promise to myself, I couldn¡¯t save her back then but this time, she must survive.

    When we finally arrived at the hospital, she was immediately taken into the operating room for surgery.

    I waited outside the door and every second was a torture.

    "Son!" My mother¡¯s voice suddenly came into my ears and I froze.

    I looked up and was shocked to see everyone here. My parents, grandfather and brother were all standing in front of me.

    "Are you okay? What happened?" My mother asked while checking my body for any injuries.

    She breathed a sigh of relief when she couldn¡¯t find any injuries on my body.

    "How did you know I was here?" I asked her and she pointed towards one of my father¡¯s personal guards.

    "Your father sent him to follow you when he found out about your helping Kendrick. Raymond ck can be very evil and we didn¡¯t want to take any chances" she exined with a sigh of relief.

    "If you aren¡¯t injured, then why are you in the hospital? Did a friend of yours get into an ident?" My father asked me with a frown.

    I looked at my mother and tried toe up with the best way to break the news to her.

    How do I tell them that the one person that they have been praying to find, was in there battling for her life?.

    "Mother, you might want to sit down" I led her to one of the chairs and she sat down with a confused expression.

    "I failed again, I am so sorry" I said after finally mustering up the courage.

    "What are you talking about son?" she asked me with a frown.

    "I only got the DNA results less than an hour ago and I was toote to protect her" I said with an apologetic tone as I tried my best to hold back my tears.

    She quickly got up from the chair and grabbed my shirt with an agitated expression.

    "Eva?" She asked with tears streaming down her face.

    "Yes, I found her but I couldn¡¯t protect her again" I said to her and she looked at my father, whose eyes had also turned red with unshed tears.

    "My baby!" she screamed and I had to hold her back from running into the operating room.

 Chapter 38 - THIRTY EIGHT: Christy is Eva.

    <h4>Chapter 38: Chapter THIRTY EIGHT: Christy is Eva.</h4>

    Mason¡¯s POV

    "Mother please calm down" I begged my mother as she kept struggling to get out of my hands to rush into the operating room.

    "Who did this to my daughter? She has been through so much already" She cried loudly when she finally stopped struggling.

    "Mason, tell us everything from the beginning"My father said as he helped my mother to a seat.

    "I met her two months ago and she had a lot of troubles. The family that raised her were using her to enrich their pockets. They made her...." I paused as I found it hard to say what she was forced to do.

    "What did they make her do?!" My father questioned me angrily.

    "They made her work in a strip club" I said with a low voice.

    "Where are those monsters?!" He asked angrily.

    "She got the man his mistress arrested and the woman is dead" I replied emotionlessly.

    They were lucky to still be breathing and they should cherish it because it won¡¯t be for long.

    "How did she end up in the hospital?" My mother asked me with a frown.

    I took in a sharp breath as I didn¡¯t know how to tell them about her rtionship with Kendrick.

    They already don¡¯t like the ck family and have warned me severally to stop being friends with Kendrick.

    "She was in a rtionship with Kendrick but Raymond wanted him to marry the Martinez daughter, so they made her life miserable" I summarized as I didn¡¯t want to go into details.

    "The ck Family again? Why is it always them?" My mom asked with an annoyed expression.

    Our rtionship with the ck family has been terrible for years but I never allowed it to affect my friendship with Kendrick.

    "You bastard! Is this what you are talking about so calmly?" My father yelled at me while looking at his phone with an extremely furious expression.

    My mother quickly went over to him to watch as well and her face immediately changed.

    "They bullied her so badly, how could they be so heartless?" My mother asked amidst sobs.

    "I want every trace of her wiped off the inte" my father ordered me and I immediately excused myself to call my subordinates.

    "Brother" Kelvin, my younger brother, called me.

    "Yes" I answered him.

    "Why are you protecting him?" He asked me angrily.

    "What are you talking about?" I asked him with a frown.

    "I am talking about Kendrick, he is the one that caused the most hurt to our sister and you are still protecting him!" he replied angrily.

    "He was also pushed to the wall and had no other choice" I said with a sigh while rubbing my forehead in frustration.

    "Well, you better tell him to stay away from her, because I won¡¯t hold back if I ever see him near her" He said furiously before storming away.

    By the time I was done instructing my subordinates, the surgery had ended and the door of the operating room slowly opened.

    Jasper walked out with several other doctors, they all looked tired and pale. Some used the wall as a support as they couldn¡¯t stand firmly.

    "How is she?" My mom asked him with an extremely nervous expression.

    "The surgery went well and she will be moved to a room for more observation" Jasper said with aforting smile.

    "Thank you so much" My father said to him with a grateful expression and they all followed behind the nurses, as Christy was being taken to the assigned room.

    The other doctors left as well but Kelvin refused to leave.

    "I have something urgent to discuss with Jasper" I said to him before he reluctantly walked away.

    Jasper led me to a quiet balcony with a solemn expression.

    "How is she?" I asked him with a serious tone because I knew there was something he didn¡¯t say in front of my family.

    "The injury to her head is quite serious and there is a high chance of her having amnesia" he informed me and I nodded with a sigh.

    It is best she forgets everything about the past and moves on without any regrets.

    "Any other thing?" I asked him when I noticed his hesitant expression.

    " She is pregnant" he said with a low voice and I froze.

    Just when I thought she could finally let go of everything?.

    "The baby seems pretty lucky, it survived despite the tragic ident," he added.

    "I can¡¯t make the decision, so we will wait until she wakes up and let her decide" I said with a sigh.

    "The baby is Kendrick¡¯s, right? He asked me and I nodded.

    "Let¡¯s just keep this to ourselves for now, I don¡¯t want anyone else to know about it" I said to him before looking at the shadow behind the door.

    I knew he didn¡¯t leave earlier, he has always been stubborn.

    "Kelvin, I don¡¯t want our parents to hear a word about this" I said in the direction of the door and Jasper turned around with a surprised expression.

    He slowly walked out from behind the door and stared at me expressionlessly.

    " Shouldn¡¯t we get rid of the baby now?" He asked with a frown.

    I also had the same idea but letting her decide on what to do is the best approach.

    "That¡¯s not a decision for us to make," I replied to him with a sigh.

    "What if she decides to keep the baby?" he asked me with a deep frown.

    I didn¡¯t reply to him, as I had also thought of this possible oue.

    "Let¡¯s just forget about all that for now and focus on her getting better," Jasper said with an exhausted voice.

    "The best thing to do now is to investigate the ident thoroughly. We need to know who was behind it as soon as possible to avoid future urrences" I said to Kelvin with a serious expression.

    "Just leave it to me, I will definitely get justice for my little sister," he said with a determined tone before walking away.

    *****

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    My legs felt stuck and I couldn¡¯t move, I could only stare in the direction that Christy had run off in.

    "Now that my daughter is pregnant, you have no choice but to marry her," Mr Martinez said angrily.

    I red at him and he immediately took a step back.

    "Get rid of that thing" I said to Celeste and she looked extremely shocked.

    Was she expecting me to dance and happily marry her because she was pregnant?.

    "How can you say that without any remorse? He is your flesh and blood" She said with tears streaming down her face.

    "Get rid of it and I don¡¯t want to ever hear anything about it again" I said before hurrying out of the hall.

    I need to find Christy as soon as possible, there is so much that I need to exin to her.

    "Ken!" Gary called out to me and I turned to see him rushing towards me with an extremely anxious expression.

    "Were you able to find her?" I asked him as soon as he got to me.

    "She got into an ident and it looks really serious," he said with a frustrated sigh.

    It took me a few seconds to process what I just heard.

    Christy got into an ident?

    "Ken let¡¯s go" Gary said anxiously as he supported me to the car.

    He drove towards the hospital and all through the drive, I couldn¡¯t say anything as Christy¡¯s face before she left the hall kept reying in my head.

    As soon as the car stopped in front of the hospital, I jumped out and made my way to the emergency unit.

    "Mason, what happened?" I asked as soon as I saw him but he just stood in front of me without moving.

    "Ken, I think you should leave first. I will call youter" he said to me emotionlessly.

    Gary also joined us after parking, he looked confused by what was happening as well.

    "I want to see Christy, she needs me right now" I said before attempting to walk ahead but he restrained me with his hands.

    "What¡¯s the matter with you?!" I asked him angrily as my patience has reached its limit.

    "Gary, please take him away" he said to Gary with a tired expression.

    "What is the meaning of this?" I asked him angrily and pushed him out of the way.

    Before I could take a step forward, I felt a sharp pain on my face that made me stagger backwards.

    "You bastard!" The person who punched me yelled angrily.

    "Kelvin!" Mason yelled and quickly held his brother back.

    "How dare he appear here?" Kelvin yelled while ring angrily at me.

    I couldn¡¯t understand what was happening and just stared at him in confusion.

    "You better stay away from my sister!" he yelled angrily and I was too stunned to react.

    "What do you mean by your sister?" Gary asked Mason with a confused expression.

    "Christy is my little sister, Eva" he replied with a slightly emotional tone.

    I didn¡¯t know how to react or what to say as I just stared at him in shock.

 Chapter 39 - THIRTY NINE: Miraéˆ¥æªš Lie

    <h4>Chapter 39: Chapter THIRTY NINE: Mira¡¯s Lie</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    "How is that possible? Are you sure you aren¡¯t mistaken?" Gary asked Mason with a surprised expression.

    I have known Mason for years, so I knew he would never joke about anything rting to his sister, Eva.

    "I advise you to leave now, my parents might not be polite if they see you," he said to me with a serious expression.

    One look into his eyes and I knew that our friendship would never be the same again.

    "Okay" I said before walking away.

    Gary followed me out as well and on getting to the parking lot, I finally couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and allowed the tears that I have been holding back to flow freely.

    "Bro, let¡¯s go to my ce and drink until we forget about this mess" Gary said while patting my shoulder gently.

    My chest felt extremely tight and I found it hard to breathe.

    A few minutester, I was finally able to control myself and got into the car.

    He immediately started the car and drove off.

    *****

    Mason¡¯s POV

    I have never seen Kendrick in such a miserable state before and I couldn¡¯t exin my emotions as I watched him leave.

    "He better stay away from her" Kelvin said angrily and I gave him a stern look.

    "I don¡¯t care if he is important to you, I am just making sure no one that has a hand in my sister¡¯s miseryes close to her" He said furiously.

    He never involves himself in other people¡¯s lives and always stays on his own but once he sets his mind on something, he makes sure to finish it.

    I sighed deeply before walking away. I needed to find Jasper, as I still had a lot to discuss with him.

    Luckily, I was the one that saw Kendrick first, if not, it would have been troublesome.

    Knock knock!

    I knocked on Jasper¡¯s office door before pushing it open when I didn¡¯t hear any reply after waiting for a few minutes.

    As soon as I stepped into the office, I saw him seated on his chair with his back to me.

    "Jasper" I called him and he jumped off his chair with a startled expression, causing what he was holding to fall.

    "I knocked but you didn¡¯t answer" I said to him and he nodded before quickly picking up the ne that had fallen on the floor.

    "Where did you get it?"I asked with a frown when I had a clear view of the ne.

    "It has been with me for years, it was a gift from someone" He replied with a smile while still staring at the ne.

    "Who?" I asked him and he frowned before finally looking at me.

    "Why are you asking?" he asked with a puzzled expression.

    "This ne was a gift from me to Eva on her sixth birthday" I replied to him and he seemed stunned by what I said.

    "How is that possible? You are probably mistaken because this ne belongs to Mira" he said with a confused expression while staring at the ne again.

    "I can¡¯t be wrong about this because I had personally chosen this ne and even had the initials of her name engraved on it.

    He carefully checked the ne for the initials and froze.

    It is understandable that he never noticed it as the initials weren¡¯t visible if one wasn¡¯t focused.

    "E.L, that¡¯s Eva Lancaster?" he asked with a slightly emotional tone.

    "Yes, but why did Mira give it to you?" I asked him after confirming it.

    "Do you remember when we went for a camping trip that I went missing, she saved me and I held on to the ne in my unconscious state and she had no choice but to leave it as she couldn¡¯t pry open my fingers" He exined to me.

    "It was Eva that helped you and came to call for help when she saw you were unconscious. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask your father" I revealed to him and he took a few steps back, as he found it hard to believe.

    Now everything made sense, his unusual tolerance towards Mira and how he spoiled her no matter how despicable she acts.

    "But Mira said she was the one and that the ne belongs to her" he said, his voiceced with anger.

    "Jasper" the office door was suddenly pushed open and Mira walked in with a smile.

    She walked up to him and hugged him happily but he pushed her back.

    "Jasper, why are you treating me like this? Did I do something to upset you?" she asked with her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

    "Exin this" he said as he threw the ne at her.

    She picked it up with a stunned expression and when she had a clear view of the ne, she immediately panicked.

    "This is my ne that I gave you, have you forgotten?" She asked but her panicked expression exposed her.

    "Are you sure it is yours?" I asked her and she looked at me in shock.

    "Bi... Big.. Cousin, what are you doing here?" she asked me with a mixture of fear and panic.

    "I asked you a question" I reminded her angrily and she shrank her neck in fear.

    "It is mine" she said with tears streaming down her face while looking at Jasper for help.

    "I personally picked this ne for Eva back then, how did it be yours? It was also Eva who saved him back then "I said angrily as I hated liars a lot.

    "All these years, I have been nothing but nice to you and you never missed an opportunity to remind me of how you had saved my life! " Jasper yelled at her angrily and she cried miserably.

    "I just wanted someone to care about me too, it was always Eva, everyone just wanted to make her happy and no one cared about me" she cried andined resentfully.

    The hatred in her eyes couldn¡¯t be hidden and I suddenly suspected that she might be involved in what happened to Eva back then but I quickly shook my head as she was too little to do such a thing.

    "Jasper, let¡¯s go check on Eva" I said and I noticed how her expression froze.

    "Eva? Is she alive?" She asked anxiously.

    "Were you expecting her to die?" I asked her angrily and she quickly shook her head in denial.

    "No, I am just surprised," she said with a pitiful expression.

    "Doctor, the patient in the vip seems to be having a panic attack!" A nurse said as she barged into the office.

    Jasper quickly grabbed his white coat before running out, I also followed him towards the room.

    "What¡¯s happening to her?!"

    "How can you be so unprofessional?!"

    My mother¡¯s angry and anxious voice came to my ears and I increased my speed.

    "Mother, what happened?" I asked her anxiously as Jasper hurried into the room.

    "Those good for nothing nurses couldn¡¯t mind their business and keep their mouths shut. I only escorted your father and grandfather to the parking lot, when I got back, I saw that Eva was awake and having a panic attack.

    After questioning these useless nurses, I found out they told her that she was pregnant. How dare they make up such nonsense?" she exined angrily while ring at the nurses who were quivering in fear by the door.

    "Mother, about this, I wanted to find a more suitable time to tell you about it" I said to her while observing her expression.

    She was first stunned and I prepared myself for her outburst but then she suddenly smiled happily.

    "I am going to be a grandmother?" she asked me with a happy expression.

    It took me a few seconds to react as her reaction was totally unexpected, I looked back and saw Kelvin with an equally shocked expression.

    "The doctor said you cane in now" a nurse informed us and we immediately went into the room.

    The first thing I saw when we entered was Jasper hugging Christy and she looked really calm in his arms.

    "Oh, wee mother-inw" he greeted my mother with a smile.

    She stared at me with a confused expression and I gave her a sign to y along.

    "Dear, your mother and brothers are here" he said to Christy softly and she slowly turned to look at us.

    My mother quickly hugged her with tears streaming down her face.

    "My baby, mother is so sorry" she cried and hugged her tighter but she just kept staring at Jasper.

    I gestured to him to step out with me, as I wanted to know what was going on.

    "What¡¯s going on?" I asked him with a serious expression.

    "She was having a panic attack and I had to calm her down. I called her Christy but she didn¡¯t react to her name at all, that¡¯s when I realized that she had amnesia.

    I thought it was the best opportunity to just tell her the truth about her pregnancy and to make it easy for her to ept, I told her we were married" He exined while avoiding my eyes.

    "What, but you are my boyfriend!" Mira¡¯s angry voice came from behind me, before I could say anything.

    I looked at Jasper, despite knowing that what he did was wrong but it seemed like the best solution for now.

    "Don¡¯t worry, when she recovers fully, I will tell her the truth" he promised me with a determined expression before walking back to the room without bothering to look back.

    When I looked behind me, Mira was gone and I frowned before going to look for her. I can¡¯t allow her to cause any trouble at this time.

    I walked down the hall but couldn¡¯t find her and I was about to return to Christy¡¯s room when I saw that the storage room was slightly open.

    "She is alive and everyone is aware. What do we do now?" Mira¡¯s anxious voice came from the room.

 Chapter 40 - FORTY: Letéˆ¥æªš Break Up

    <h4>Chapter 40: Chapter FORTY: Let¡¯s Break Up</h4>

    Mira¡¯s POV

    I waited anxiously for an hour before returning to the scene of the ident. I noticed that Christy¡¯s body was gone and everyone was just going about their normal activities like nothing happened.

    I quickly rushed to a nearby store to find out what happened from the owner.

    "Hello sir, I heard there was an ident here earlier, do you know what happened?" I asked the store owner.

    "The ident was really bad, the youngdy has been rushed to the city hospital" the man replied with a gossipy expression.

    "Thank you" I said to him before rushing back to my car.

    I had nothing to be scared of as the car from earlier had been disposed of and I had also made sure to get rid of the CCTV footage.

    But now, she has been sent to the city hospital and there might be a chance that she will survive.

    I drove to the hospital as fast as I could, I needed to find out what happened from Jasper.

    On getting to his office, I entered without knocking like I always did.

    "Jasper" I called his name when I saw him but he just stared at me expressionlessly.

    His gaze sent chills down my spine and I panicked.

    Why was he acting weird?

    I hugged him but he pushed me away and before I could react, he asked me about the ne.

    That was when I knew he had found out the truth.

    Then, to make matters worse, Christy had survived.

    I watched as they all rushed to her room just because of a little panic attack.

    I still did my best to remain calm despite everything that was happening.

    I just had to confirm that she did not see me when I had hit her with the car.

    I waited a few minutes before Jasper walked out of the room with Mason and I quickly followed behind them.

    "She was having a panic attack and I had to calm her down. I called her Christy but she didn¡¯t react to her name at all, that¡¯s when I realized that she had amnesia.

    I thought it was the best opportunity to just tell her the truth about her pregnancy and to make it easy for her to ept. I told her we were married" Jasper said and I didn¡¯t know how to react for a few seconds.

    "What? But you are my boyfriend!" I yelled angrily at him but he just acted like he didn¡¯t hear me.

    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and walked away. I have to find a solution as soon as possible.

    I quickly walked to the storage room and called my mom.

    "She is alive and everyone is aware. What do we do now?" I asked her anxiously as soon as she picked up.

    "Why are you panicking, do not give anyone a reason to suspect you" She advised me with a stern tone.

    "But mom, Jasper also found out about the ne and now he is ignoring me" I said while doing my best to remain calm.

    "I have told you severally to leave that boy, he was just a useful pawn and now, we don¡¯t need him anymore" she reminded me angrily.

    That was the n in the beginning but as time went on, I just couldn¡¯t stop myself from falling in love with him.

    "Focus on the matter at hand, you need to find a way to get rid of Eva as she is still in the hospital. This is the best time to act" she said with a stern tone and I panicked.

    "Mom, you promised me thatst time would be thest" I said with a pleading tone.

    "We havee too far to fail" she said with a convincing tone before hanging up on me.

    I looked at my phone screen in frustration then threw it against the wall.

    "Why do you have to push me to the wall!" I yelled angrily with tears streaming down my face.

    Memories of what happenedst time came flooding into my head.

    It wasn¡¯t my fault and I never meant to kill her but the bitch deserved it.

    She was just a poor girl on schrship and she wanted topete with me.

    I had to show her who was in charge, so I made her life a living hell but who would have thought that she would secretly record a video of me bullying her and threaten me with it.

    So I got rid of her, stabbed her multiple times on her chest and pushed her off a cliff when we went on a school trip.

    My mom did the cleanup and made sure no one would suspect me.

    It was fun to watch as her life slowly slipped away and I enjoyed every moment of it.

    Eva or Christy, better be prepared because she is next.

    I thought as I stared at the wall with a smirk.

    "What are you doing here?" The door was suddenly pushed open and Mason walked in.

    I quickly controlled my emotions and squeezed out some tears.

    "Cousin, I just came here to clear my mind because of everything that¡¯s happening" I said while holding back my sobs.

    He stared at me with a stern gaze and I quickly tried to recall what I had said on the call with my mom.

    "What happened to your phone?" he asked while staring at the broken phone on the floor.

    "I slipped on something and it flew out of my hand" I quickly made up an excuse but his expression showed that he didn¡¯t believe me.

    "How is Eva?" I asked him and he finally stopped staring at me.

    He walked out of the storage room and I followed behind him.

    On getting to the room where Eva was admitted, I saw Jasper feeding her with a doting expression.

    "Hi Eva" I said to get her attention, she looked at me without moving her gaze away from my face.

    I became flustered with her gaze, could she have remembered something?

    "This is Mira, your cousin" Jasper introduced me with a smile.

    She still didn¡¯t react or move her gaze away from me.

    "I have seen you before, I just don¡¯t know where" she suddenly said and I froze.

    "You have met her before, don¡¯t worry your memories will be restored soon" Jasper said with a gentle voice.

    My heart ached as I watched how he treated her with such gentleness which he had never shown me.

    I hid my emotions behind a smile as I stared at them.

    "Mira dear, Aunty would like to have a word with you" Her mother said with a warm smile and I nodded despite being reluctant.

    When we walked to a quiet corner, her warm smile vanished.

    " I will be very direct with you, we just got Eva back, so I don¡¯t want anything that will make her unhappy or hinder her recovery" she warned me with a stern expression.

    She had never liked me and no matter how nice I am, she never seemed to care.

    "Aunty, I know Eva is sick but don¡¯t you think it is unfair for me? Jasper is my boyfriend" Iined but it just seems to anger her.

    "Do you think I don¡¯t know how he became your boyfriend? I just turned a blind eye because I don¡¯t want to involve myself in unnecessary things" she replied with a disgusted tone.

    She knew all along?

    That exins why she had always distanced herself from me.

    "Aunty, why would you say something like that? Why do you hate me so much?" I asked her with tears streaming down my face.

    I looked past her and noticed Jasper¡¯s frown.

    "What nonsense are you talking about? I just avoided you and your mother so I wouldn¡¯t be pulled into your schemes" she replied with a sarcastic tone.

    "My mother has always respected you, why would you say such a thing about her?" I asked her amidst sobs.

    "You can keep putting on a show for him but how do you think he will react when he finds out you were the one that pushed his mother down the stairs which caused her to be in a wheelchair" she whispered into my ears and I froze.

    How did she find out?

    If Jasper finds out about this, I might even go to jail.

    "Excuse me" she said before returning to the room.

    Jasper walked up to me with a frown and I quickly put on a pitiful expression.

    "Jasper, Aunty is just worried about Eva and wants me to stay away from you for the time being" I said with a sad voice while slowly wiping my tears.

    "Let¡¯s break up, I can¡¯t be in a rtionship that was built on lies," he said to me with an emotionless tone and I stared at him in shock.

    He looked like a totally different person from the man that would do anything to make sure I was happy.

    "Why? Is it because of Eva?" I asked him angrily but he just ignored me and walked away.

    I was about to follow him when I heard Kevin¡¯s voice.

    "Brother, I have found some clues regarding sister¡¯s ident," he said and I immediately panicked.

    What could he have found out?

    Did he find the car?

 Chapter 41 - FORTY ONE: She Never Lost Her Memory

    <h4>Chapter 41: Chapter FORTY ONE: She Never Lost Her Memory</h4>

    Mira¡¯s POV

    I followed behind them to eavesdrop on their conversation.

    "I was able to retrieve the CCTV footage of the ident from the security cameras of the supermarket opposite the scene of the ident.

    It didn¡¯t capture the driver¡¯s face but the car¡¯s te number was visible, so I sent people to search for it and it was found at the outskirts of the city" he exined the details of his investigation.

    Shit!

    Those greedy bastards!

    I panicked when I heard that the car had been found.

    I have paid a lot of money to have the car burnt but those greedy bastards must have wanted to sell it for extra gains.

    "Was there no one in the car when you found it?" Mason asked him and I listened attentively to hear his reply.

    "There was a man from the rural areas in the car, and ording to him, he came to sell his farm produce in the City and was approached by some people who sold the car to him" he replied with a frustrated sigh and I breathed a sigh of relief.

    "We are still checking the car for any clues and the farmer has also been taken into custody" he said before leaving to continue his investigation.

    Things are starting to get troublesome now, I have to find a way to end it soon.

    Ding!

    My phone chimed indicating an iing notification.

    "A package will be delivered to you soon, make sure to get it done and not get caught"

    I saw a text from my mother and frowned when I finished reading it.

    What was she sending and how does it help me in my current situation?.

    Half an hourter, a nurse walked over to me and handed me a small box before hurrying away.

    I quickly went to a quiet corner to open it, the first thing I saw was a syringe filled with a colorless liquid then a folded white paper.

    I slowly unfolded the paper after making sure no one was around.

    "Inject the liquid into her IV drip and she would be dead in two minutes"

    My hand trembled when I saw the content of the paper, I quickly tore it into pieces and disposed of it.

    Now, the issue was how to get my aunt and the others out of the room.

    After thinking for a few minutes, I finally got an idea and quickly brought out my phone to make a call.

    "Hello aunt May, I need your help" I said as soon as the call was answered.

    "What do you need my help with?" a hoarse female voice asked.

    Aunt May is the Lancaster family cook and one of my pawns. I have a video that could ruin her life so she will never disobey me.

    "Put something in the old man¡¯s tea, I want him to have a crisis immediately" I informed her but she just remained silent.

    "Didn¡¯t you hear me? Or do you want me to show everyone how colorful your life is?" I threatened her angrily.

    "No please, I will get it done" she said with a trembling voice and I ended the call.

    All I have to do now is wait for everyone to rush home.

    I didn¡¯t wait for long before I heard my aunt¡¯s worried voice.

    "Father was fine before he left the hospital, how did he suddenly fall ill?" she asked with an anxious voice.

    "We don¡¯t know what really happened, father asked me to return to the main house" Mason said before leaving.

    Damn!

    The old witch didn¡¯t leave and now I have to think of a way to get her out of the room.

    " Aunty, what happened to grandpa?" I asked her with tears streaming down my face.

    She looked at me with a frown before reluctantly patting my back.

    "At least you are not as heartless as your mother who doesn¡¯t care about anyone" she said before walking back to the bedside.

    I watched as she lovingly stroked Eva¡¯s hair with a doting expression.

    Why does she have to be loved while I have to beg for it?

    What makes her better than me?.

    "Aunty, about Christy¡¯s condition...."

    "Her name is Eva, not Christy!" She corrected me with a re.

    "I heard the nurses discussing how there was a specialist doctor visiting today, I think he might be able to help my cousin recover faster" I said while observing her expressions.

    "Why didn¡¯t anyone inform us of this?" she asked me with a frown.

    "I heard the man is not easy to talk to, his time is very precious as he has a lot of work" I said with a convincing tone and she immediately got up.

    "I will be back shortly, don¡¯t leave her alone" she said before walking out of the room.

    I waited for a few minutes to make sure she was really gone before slowly walking towards the bed.

    It will take my aunt at least fifteen minutes to return, so I had to do it quickly and leave.

    On getting to the bedside, I quickly uncapped the syringe and prepared to inject it into the IV.

    "What are you doing?" Jasper¡¯s angry voice came from behind me and the syringe fell out of my hand as I panicked.

    I quickly turned around and saw him standing behind me with a disappointed expression.

    "I have always known that you were heartless but I never imagined that you would have the courage to take someone¡¯s life" he said with a disgusted expression.

    "Jasper, I am sorry, I don¡¯t know what came over me" I immediately squeezed out some tears.

    He looked at me with an even more disgusted expression, clearly not buying my act.

    "Mira, we were together for many years , despite the fact that you have betrayed and lied to me numerous times, I forgave you but I can¡¯t turn a blind eye this time" he said and brought out his phone to make a call.

    I quickly went on my knees, there was no way I would let him call the police on me.

    "Jasper please, I am sorry. I really don¡¯t know what came over me" I cried while begging him, trying to look as pitiful as possible.

    I noticed his hesitation and knew that he would help me if I acted well. I quickly grabbed the syringe and slowly brought it to my neck.

    " Fine, I will just kill myself as no one loves or wants me" I cried as I slowly brought the syringe closer.

    Why wasn¡¯t he stopping me?

    Oh.. Shit!

    What do I do now?

    "Are you done with your act?" he asked me with a sneer and I froze.

    "I will take it from here" Mason¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind him.

    What was going on?

    "You little witch!" my aunt stormed in and gave me a hard p.

    Where did I miscalcte?

    "What¡¯s with that expression? Did you really think you were that smart?" Kelvin also came into the room with two officers behind him.

    "I didn¡¯t hurt her, Jasper stopped me before I could inject her... Please I am sorry" I cried while observing their expressions but they seem to be more angry.

    "You can drop the act now, I will make sure you have a good time in jail" Kelvin said before gesturing to the officers.

    "What are you doing? I am a member of this family, how can you treat me like this?" I yelled as I tried to struggle out of the officer¡¯s hold.

    "When she didn¡¯t die after hitting her with the car, you decided to finish your evil n here. You even went as far as having your own grandfather poisoned! " Mason yelled with an extremely upset tone.

    "You can¡¯t just use me, do you have evidence to prove that I was the one that hit her with the car?!" I questioned him angrily.

    There was no use acting pitiful anymore, so I had to be serious at this point.

    I am sure that there was no way they could have found any evidence, so they are definitely just acting on their suspicions.

    "Who said we need evidence?" Kelvin asked me with a mocking voice.

    "What do you mean? Do you think you can arrest me without any evidence?" I asked him with a sarcastic tone.

    "Mira, you might get a lesser sentence if you confess now," Jasper said with a sigh.

    Confess?

    To what exactly?

    "I am confused, what are you all talking about?" I asked them with a frown.

    They all looked at me with anger and it made me panic.

    Could they really have found something?.

    "Sister, please can you help her to clear her confusion?" Kelvin said with a smirk and I watched in horror as Eva, who was supposed to be sleeping, slowly sat up.

    She looked at me with a slight smile before getting off the bed.

    "Do you think I wouldn¡¯t know the face of the person that tried to kill me?" she asked me with a smile and I took a few steps back in shock.

    They tricked me!

    She never lost her memory.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 42 - FORTY TWO: I Am Not Just A Nobody

    <h4>Chapter 42: Chapter FORTY TWO: I Am Not Just A Nobody</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I thought it was over, the moment my body collided with the floor, but who would have thought that God would see my struggles and pain.

    When I opened my eyes again, everything had taken a whole new turn.

    My brother has been with me all these while but we couldn¡¯t recognize each other.

    I am not just a nobody from a small town or a girl who worked as a stripper to survive.

    Now, I don¡¯t need to beg for anyone¡¯s love either because I have got an entire family that is willing to spoil me.

    Eva is a nice name but Christy is the name of the girl that never gave up despite all her hardships.

    In addition to finding my real family, I also have a baby growing inside of me.

    At first I didn¡¯t want the baby, I felt he or she would continually remind me of my failed romance with Kendrick but my mother was able to change my mind and now I havee to love this baby.

    It has only been a day since I woke up and the first thing I did was tell Mason who was responsible for my ident.

    I was curious and wanted to know why Mira would want to hurt me.

    So we decided to find out, it is human nature to panic when there is a high chance of one¡¯s plot getting exposed.

    We staged a little drama about me having amnesia and being in a fake rtionship with Jasper and she immediately fell for it.

    "Do you think I wouldn¡¯t know the face of the person that tried to kill me?" I asked her and the shock on her face was too vivid to ignore.

    "How is that possible?" she mumbled in a trance like state while still staring at me.

    " You have a lot of exining to do when we get to the station," Kelvin said with a lopsided smirk.

    "No... No... It wasn¡¯t me, I was forced to do it!" she screamed with tears streaming down her face.

    "Aunty, please I am sorry, I can¡¯t go to jail" she quickly knelt down and held on to my mother¡¯s legs.

    It seems like she finally understood that she was not getting off easily this time and she finally dropped her act.

    "Grandpa will not allow you to hurt me!" She yelled when she noticed that no one wanted to help her.

    "You wicked girl, I raised you with so much love and you schemed against me!" A hoarse old voice came from the entrance and we all turned to look.

    I saw an old man with a head of white hair, dressed elegantly with a walking stick in his hand.

    His aura was overwhelming and his face was filled with a mixture of disgust, anger and disappointment as he stared at Mira.

    Behind him was a middle aged man, wearing a dark green military uniform. He had a stern expression and looked very strict.

    His aura was even more overwhelming and he looked like the older version of Mason and Kelvin.

    "Grandpa, I will never hurt you, please I am being framed" Mira cried, tears mixed with snort covering her face.

    "You are being framed? By who?" The old man asked as he slowly moved his way towards her.

    "Aunt May must be lying, I never instructed her to hurt you?" she replied quickly then her eyes suddenly widened when she realized her mistake.

    "And how did you know that the culprit is Aunt May?" Kelvin asked her with a smile and she shook her head repeatedly in denial.

    "Take her away!" The old manmanded and the officers immediately dragged her out.

    "Grandpa please"

    "I won¡¯t do it again"

    She yelled and begged as she was being taken away until her voice faded.

    They have probably knocked her out or something, to avoid her disturbing other patients.

    "Please excuse me, I have to check on other patients" Jasper said before tacitly giving us some privacy.

    The old man walked up to me and stared at my face but I didn¡¯t flinch or avoid his eyes.

    I looked him in the eyes and a few minutester, he smiled.

    "You really have the blood of the Lancaster family running in your veins, you have the eyes of a true soldier" he praised me with a gentle pat to my head.

    A true soldier?

    Oh, I remember Kendrick telling me that Mason is from a military family.

    That exins why the men in the family are in the military.

    "Dear, I apologize on behalf of the entire Lancaster family for not protecting you properly and allowing you to endure so much hardships" he said with a sad expression.

    I don¡¯t know what happened back then but I am back where I belong and that¡¯s all that matters.

    "Eva, please sit down, you aren¡¯t fully recovered yet" my mother said as she quickly helped me to get into the bed.

    "Wee back home dear" the middle aged man, my father, said with a smile.

    As soon as he smiled, he looked like a totally different person from the stern looking General from earlier.

    "Just focus on recovering, everything would be taken care of by your brothers" He said with a doting smile.

    Seeing the five of them, staring at me with so much love made me emotional.

    The love I have craved for so many years was finally mine and I don¡¯t need to beg or cry for it.

    "Flora, I need to have a word with you and Ethan" Grandpa said to my mother and they walked out.

    So my mom¡¯s name is Flora and my dad¡¯s name is Ethan.

    "I also have to go to the station to personally interrogate Mira" Kelvin said before walking out of the room as well.

    Mason and I were the only ones left in the room.

    He walked to my bedside and sat down on the edge of the bed. He looked troubled and was hesitating to speak.

    "Are you going to tell him?" He asked me with a serious expression and I frowned as I remembered all the hurt and humiliations I endured all in the name of love.

    "No, he doesn¡¯t deserve to know and I want everyone to think that I lost my memories.

    I want a new beginning with you, our parents, grandpa, Kelvin and my baby. I don¡¯t need him" I said with a determined tone as I wanted him to know how serious I was in taking this decision.

    "I have known him all my life, he is a good person but was just unlucky to be born in the ck family.

    I will respect your wishes and won¡¯t tell him anything" he replied with a sigh before patting my head.

    "I have a case that I am currently working on, so I need to go back to the base, I wille to check on youter" he said before leaving as well.

    Maybe I was just scared of seeing Kendrick again, as I don¡¯t know how I would react.

    Would I be able to forgive him for everything?

    I sighed before closing my eyes as my thoughts continued to run wild.

    *****

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    Christy is Eva.

    Mason¡¯s words kept reying in my head since I left the hospital.

    She trusted and believed in me so much but what did I do?

    I hurt her over and over again!

    Grandpa was right when he said that I would regret it if I ever lost her.

    "Ken, why don¡¯t you stay at my ce for the time being?" Gary asked me with a worried tone.

    "No, I have to solve everything as soon as possible. I can¡¯t let her recover and see all that mess.

    Now I would also need to prove to the Lancaster family that I am worthy of her" I replied him with a solemn voice.

    I knew how strict and uptight the head of the Lancaster family is and it won¡¯t be easy to impress him after everything I have done to her.

    "You have been smoking for three hours now, the ground is filled with cigarette butts, do you think she would be happy to see you like this?" Gary asked me with a slightly upset tone and I took another puff of my cigarette.

    "Nothing is going to get solved by beating yourself up, you need to show them who is boss!

    You have your mother and grandfather to take care of as well" he reminded me angrily.

    I took another puff before throwing the cigarette away.

    "Can you give me a lift ?" I asked him and he nodded.

    Half an hourter, he stopped me in front of the ck family house. I stared at the huge building that held nothing but my numerous painful memories.

    As soon as I stepped into the living room, I frowned as I stared at the people seated with smug expressions on their faces.

    "Herees the ungrateful son that got his own father arrested" Raymond said with a triumphant expression.

    I couldn¡¯t understand how he got out so early.

    I knew he would find a way out but not this fast.

    Then I noticed my mother, who was also seated with them. She got up and walked towards me with a furious expression.

    Pah!

    I felt a sharp pain as she delivered a p to my face.

 Chapter 43 - FORTY THREE: Could It Be All Planned

    <h4>Chapter 43: Chapter FORTY THREE: Could It Be All nned</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The sting from my mother¡¯s palm lingered against my cheek. For a moment I just stood there, staring at her with wide eyes, unable to process what had just happened.

    Why was she so upset with me all of a sudden?

    I looked at Raymond and Sameen, they stared at me with mocking smiles.

    "You betrayed your family because of a girl!" my mother¡¯s voice cracked,ced with fury and heartbreak.

    Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and her eyes shimmered with something between rage and disappointment.

    "After everything your father has done for you, this is how you repay him?" she asked me with a disappointed expression.

    I just blinked and stared at her with a confused expression.

    What nonsense was she talking about?

    "Betray... him?" I asked her with a hoarse voice while pointing in Raymond¡¯s direction.

    "Mom, you can¡¯t be serious," I said with a confused tone.

    "Serious?" she cut me off, almost spitting the word at me, she couldn¡¯t hide the fury in her eyes.

    "You got your father arrested, Kendrick! You turned against your blood. And for what? Some nobody girl who doesn¡¯t even belong in our world?" she questioned me angrily.

    If she wasn¡¯t my mother, I would have probably walked away by now.

    Her words were really hurtful and I still couldn¡¯t understand where all of the nonsense she was spilling came from.

    Raymond leaned back on the leather couch, watching with satisfaction written across his smug face.

    "He has never cared about me, dear. He always acts like I¡¯m the viin, always making life difficult for his step-siblings. You see it now, don¡¯t you? He¡¯s blinded by that girl. He doesn¡¯t care about you, about us, about this family." He said with a righteous tone and my mother¡¯s anger seemed to increase after hearing what he said.

    I turned my head toward him, hatred filled my eyes as I just wanted to get rid of him.

    I just want to rip that smirk right off his face.

    "Shut up," I growled, my fists tightening.

    "You¡¯re the reason this family is rotting so don¡¯t you dare try to y the victim"I yelled at him angrily.

    "Enough!" My mother¡¯s sharp cry silenced me.

    Her gaze snapped between us, but instead of anger at him, it was all directed at me.

    "I can¡¯t do this. I won¡¯t listen to you destroy your father anymore." she said while ring at me.

    And just like that, she turned away, her heels clicking as she stormed out of the room.

    I stood frozen in that position, just watching her back as she stormed away, and my jaw clenched in anger.

    Why would she react in such a manner?

    Choosing to believe the man who had cheated on her and have kids with another woman.

    Raymond chuckled as he continued staring at me with a mocking smile.

    "See?" He leaned forward, his eyes glittering with triumph.

    "She¡¯ll always believe me. Because she loves me, Kendrick.

    She is even willing to stay in this family despite everything. Even though Sameen and my other children are also living here." His smile slowly turned to a smirk as Sameen, Curtis and Rainaughed.

    "The olddy is really crazy in love" Raina said with a mocking voice and theyughed again.

    "You think you¡¯re strong, but in this house, I will always win." Raymond said with a boastful expression.

    My hands trembled with restrained rage. Every word he spoke made me want tosh out, to end this once and for all.

    But I held myself back, I didn¡¯t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me lose control.

    I turned to leave, I needed to find my mother to understand what was really going on.

    And another reason is that I couldn¡¯t look at their faces for another second.

    But before I could take a step, the front door creaked open.

    The sound of luggage wheels scraping against the marble floor sliced was heard and turned to see who hade .

    Celeste.

    What¡¯s she doing here?

    She stood there, perfectlyposed, with her suitcase in hand. Her belly was already starting to show, her hand resting protectively over the curve.

    "You," I snarled, taking a step forward.

    "What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing here?" I asked her angrily.

    Her lips curled into a faint smile, one that screamed of arrogance and entitlement.

    "Coming home, of course. Where else would I go?" she said with a triumphant smile.

    "This isn¡¯t your home," I barked, anger spilling out of me like fire.

    "Take your things and leave before I... "

    "Enough" The deep,manding voice cut through my fury like a de.

    Grandfather.

    He walked in with slow, deliberate steps, his cane tapping against the floor. His presence alone shifted the air, heavy with authority that no one dared defy.

    "Grandfather," I said with an anxious expression.

    " She... "

    "She carries the flesh and blood of this family," he interrupted me with a sharp tone that demands no argument.

    His cold eyes locked onto mine.

    "That child is yours and we can¡¯t have a child of the ck family raised outside. So whether you like it or not, she will stay." he said with an air of finality.

    This is exactly what I feared would happen, grandfather values blood ties a lot.

    I clenched my fists so tightly my nails bit into my palms. My jaw ached from grinding my teeth.

    "Grandpa please, I will know if the child is mine"I tried to convince him but his mind was clearly made up.

    "Silence!" he snapped, his voice booming in the entire sitting room .

    "I will not hear another word from you " he said before gesturing for the maids to be called over.

    Two maids rushed into the room immediately.

    "Prepare a room for her," Grandfather ordered.

    <fn6f3d> Original content can be found at find?novel</fn6f3d>

    "She will stay here until the child is born. That child is of the ck blood, and no one will turn them away." he said to me with a stern tone.

    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to disobey him as he was the one person I have been close to all these years.

    Celeste¡¯s smug expression only deepened as the servants took her luggage.

    "You see?" she said softly, tilting her head with mock sweetness.

    "I belong here, Kendrick. Whether you like it or not." she said with a triumphant tone while slowly rubbing her stomach.

    I couldn¡¯t stand it. Couldn¡¯t stand her voice, her face, the reminder of everything she had taken from me, everything I had lost.

    Without another word, I stormed out of the room, my feet pounding against the floor. I needed air.

    I needed space before I exploded.

    But the fire inside me refused to die.

    I couldn¡¯t understand it.

    My mother, standing against me, pping me, choosing him over me.

    The woman I have been praying for and hoping toe back to my life. I even risked my rtionship with Christy to rescue her.

    Why now?

    Why this madness?

    I needed answers.

    I marched down the hall toward her room, my breaths sharp and shallow.

    I raised my hand to knock, but then I heard a voiceing from inside. .

    I froze, my knuckles hovering in the air as I stopped myself from knocking.

    "...how could she have survived?" My mother¡¯s voice came into my ears. Her voice was extremely cold and sinister, nothing like the gentle voice from my memories.

    "You assured me it was done and there were no mistakes, you said so and yet that girl still lives. How is that possible?" she questioned whoever she was talking to angrily.

    My entire body went numb as my thoughts spiraled out of control.

    Who was the girl she was talking about?

    Could she be Christy?.

    My heart mmed against my ribs as I pressed my ear closer to the door,my hands shaking.

    "You¡¯d better fix this," she hissed into the phone.

    "Because if she continues to live, everything we¡¯ve worked for will crumble. Do you understand me? Christy must not..." As soon as I heard Christy¡¯s name, my stomach dropped. The walls of the house seemed to close in around me.

    Why would my mother be doing this?

    The woman who had not been around for years and I went through a lot to rescue, who had just pped me for betraying the family, was plotting against Christy¡¯s life?

    I stumbled back from the door, my breathing ragged, I could barely stand as so many thoughts were going through my head at the same time.

    I didn¡¯t know whether to burst in and demand answers or copse from the weight of what I had just heard.

    Could her disappearance and sudden appearance be all part of her n?

    Did she really lose her memory or was it all just a lie?

    But one thing was certain.

    My mother was not who she pretended to be.

    And the truth was far darker than I ever imagined.

 Chapter 44 - FORTY FOUR: A Stranger to Her Heart

    <h4>Chapter 44: Chapter FORTY FOUR: A Stranger to Her Heart</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The walls of the house felt like they were closing in on me.

    My breath became sharp and uneven as I staggered back from my mother¡¯s door, the echo of her words ringing like a curse in my head.

    "Christy must not..."

    No.... No, I must have misheard because I couldn¡¯t just bring myself to believe that my mother was such a person.

    Why would she be plotting against Christy¡¯s life?

    My hands trembled as I pressed them into my hair, gripping tightly like I could force the thoughts out of my head.

    "She... she wouldn¡¯t... She can¡¯t," I whispered to myself.

    But the memory of her cold and sinister voice wouldn¡¯t leave me.

    Confusion, disbelief, and fury tangled inside me until I couldn¡¯t breathe and my chest felt extremely tight and painful.

    I had to get out.

    I had to leave before I lost my mindpletely.

    I stormed down the hall, ignoring theughter echoing faintly from the sitting room.

    Raymond¡¯s smugness, Celeste¡¯s arrogance, Sameen¡¯s mocking, all blurred into meaningless noise.

    I snatched my car keys from the stand near the front door and shoved myself outside.

    The cool night air pped my face, but it didn¡¯t soothe me as my feet carried me fast, my fists were still balled so tight my knuckles ached.

    Sliding into the driver¡¯s seat, I mmed the door and just sat there, gripping the wheel.

    Why would she...? Why Christy?

    I squeezed my eyes shut, but all I saw was Christy¡¯s face and I imagined all the pain she must have gone through in less than three months.

    And now my mother was plotting against her.

    I couldn¡¯t understand and I didn¡¯t want to understand because of the fear of finding out something more painful.

    "God," I muttered under my breath, mming the steering wheel.

    "What the hell am I supposed to do?" I yelled as I pped the steering wheel continuously

    I turned the key, the engine roaring to life beneath me, and I pulled out of the driveway with a screech of tires.

    I didn¡¯t know where I was going. I just needed air, needed distance, needed anything but the poison inside that house.

    The city lights blurred past me, neon smears against the darkness. I drove without thought as my mind was filled with everything that was happening.

    Every word my mother had spoken echoed again and again.

    Every possible meaning I try toe up with is twisted into something darker.

    Was her disappearance deliberate?

    But a part of me refused to ept it as I shook my head in denial.

    That was still my mother.

    She can¡¯t mean it... maybe it was about someone else.

    Maybe I misheard and she wasn¡¯t talking about the Christy I know, probably someone with the same name.

    Maybe... maybe I¡¯m losing it.

    I grip the steering wheel tightly and clenched my jaw in anger and frustration.

    I wanted to deny it and I also wanted to believe there was an exnation.

    But the way she had spoken Christy¡¯s name with so much hatred ... there was no mistaking it.

    My head felt like it was about to explode as I continued driving and without realizing it, my car had turned down a familiar street.

    I slowed down as I stared at the huge hospital building.

    I hadn¡¯t even meant toe here. My hands had driven me here on their own, guided by something deeper than thought.

    I just wanted to see her badly and tell her how sorry I was and how much I miss her.

    For a long moment I sat there in the dark, gripping the steering wheel, my chest rising and falling fast as I kept staring at the hospital building.

    The Lancaster family members would tear me apart if he caught me anywhere near her.

    And Christy... after everything I¡¯d done, after all the hurt, did she even want to see me?

    But then I imagined her lying in that hospital bed, hooked up to machines. I didn¡¯t know if she was fine or in a critical condition as her family had blocked every news from leaking.

    I finally summoned up the courage to see her, no matter the consequences.

    Even if she hated me or if she never forgave me, I had to see her. I had to know she was okay.

    I grabbed a hooded jacket from the back seat. Luckily Gary had left it there a while back and my chest pounded as I approached the hospital entrance, trying to look as casual as possible .

    The smell of antiseptic hit me the moment I walked in, the reception desk was quiet as the nurse was busy with paperwork. She didn¡¯t nce up as I slipped past.

    I knew the way by heart. I¡¯d been here too many times already.

    Every step down that hallway was heavier than thest, my palms sweating as I tried not to be too nervous.

    When I reached her door, I hesitated.

    I couldn¡¯t move as my body refused to take the next step.

    But then I heard the faint sound of movement from inside and I pushed the door open.

    Christy.

    She was awake and I felt a rush of relief as I stared at her.

    Her hair was loose around her shoulders, her skin pale but glowing faintly in the moonlight spilling through the window. She wasn¡¯t hooked up to any machine as I had previously imagined.

    But it wasn¡¯t her posture that made my heart ache, it was her eyes.She was staring out of the window, distant, her expression unreadable.

    "Christy..." I whispered, almost afraid to say her name.

    She didn¡¯t turn.

    I stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind me. My legs felt like they could give out any second, but I forced myself forward until I was standing near her bed.

    "I¡¯m sorry." I said with a hoarse voice as the words spilled out of me before I could stop them.

    "I¡¯m so sorry, Christy. For everything. For the pain, for the hurt, for all the mistakes I made. I never... I never wanted to hurt you. I never stopped caring. I... " apologized to her with hot tears trying to find their way out from the corners of my eyes.

    She finally turned her head and when her gaze met mine, it was like a knife straight through my chest.

    There was no recognition in her eyes, no warmth or anger, just confusion.

    "Who... who are you?" Her lips parted slowly and she asked me with a frown.

    I staggered back a step and had to rest my body on the wall for support, as my legs were almost giving up on me.

    "What?" I croaked, my chest clenching painfully.

    She tilted her head, her brows furrowing as she studied me like I was a stranger off the street.

    "I don¡¯t... I don¡¯t know you." she replied with a confused expression while staring at me.

    My heart stopped.

    "No," I whispered, shaking my head violently.

    "No... no.. Christy, it¡¯s me... It¡¯s Kendrick. It¡¯s... it¡¯s me." I said with a hurried tone and she just blinked slowly, her gaze dropping to herp, as if my words meant nothing.

    I dropped to my knees in front of her, desperate, my hands trembling.

    "It¡¯s me," I repeated, my voice breaking.

    "Don¡¯t you remember? Don¡¯t you remember us? Everything we¡¯ve been through? The nights, the fights, the... the way you smiled at me?" I tried to make her remember me by talking about the memories we shared.

    Her face twisted suddenly, her hand flying to her head.

    "Stop," she whispered, her voice trembling.

    "Stop... my head... it hurts." she cried as she continued holding her head.

    "Christy?" I reached for her, panic flooding me.

    She gasped, clutching her temples and her body started to tremble.

    "Christy!"

    Before I could grab her, she copsed forward, her body hitting the floor with a dull thud.

    "Christy!" I shouted, dropping down beside her and my arms gently wrapped around her limp frame.

    My chest exploded with fear as I lifted her andid her back on the bed with frantic hands.

    <fnf87f> For more chapters visit F¦Énd£Îovel</fnf87f>

    "Stay with me, please," I begged, my voice cracking. "Please, don¡¯t do this."

    I mmed my hand against the emergency button by the bed side.

    Jasper arrived quickly as the door burst open.

    "Kendrick?!" He yelled my name in surprise.

    His eyes went wide when he saw me standing by the bedside and his face darkened.

    "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked me and rushed forward.

    I stumbled back, my chest heaving.

    "She....she copsed, I didn¡¯t..."I tried to exin but he just shoved past me, his hands moving quickly over Christy¡¯s body, checking her pulse, her breathing.

    "She¡¯s fine," he muttered after a tense moment.

    "She just... her memory..." He finally looked at me with aplicated expression.

    "She¡¯s lost her memory, Kendrick." he finally said after a few seconds of hesitation.

    The words hit me like a hammer.

    "No..." I whispered.

    "No, that¡¯s not... she can¡¯t..." I shook my head repeatedly in denial.

    "She doesn¡¯t remember you," Jasper said with a sigh.

    "You shouldn¡¯t even be here. Haven¡¯t you done enough? If Kelvin or any other person sees you here, it would be a problem"

    I opened my mouth, but no words came out as my throat felt too tight and my chest was extremely heavy as well.

    And then, before I could respond, Christy stirred and her eyes fluttered open, ssy and unfocused. She blinked up at Jasper, her lips trembling.

    "...Jasper?" she whispered and he sighed in relief.

    "I¡¯m here... I¡¯m here." he said as she reached weakly for his hand and clutched it tightly.

    "Hubby, my head hurts..." sheined to him sadly.

    What did she just call him?

    Hubby? As in husband?

 Chapter 45 - FORTY FIVE: They Are Going To Release Mira

    <h4>Chapter 45: Chapter FORTY FIVE: They Are Going To Release Mira</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The word hit me like a de across my chest and I gave Jasper a questioning gaze but he avoided my eyes.

    My heart mmed against my ribs so hard it felt like it would tear through and I forgot how to breathe for a few seconds.

    She had said it.

    She had called him the sacred word that should have belonged to me.

    For a second, I thought maybe I misheard. Maybe the panic in the room had scrambled my brain, maybe the rush of fear in my blood had made me imagine it.

    But I saw how her eyes softened when she looked at him.

    I staggered back, my knees threatening to give out beneath me. The walls spun, and all I could hear was the pounding in my skull.

    Jasper¡¯s eyes met mine, and for the first time since we were kids, I didn¡¯t see the warm, brotherly smile of my friend.

    All I saw was pity.

    Pity and something that made me want to smash my fist through the wall.

    "Come with me," he said to me with a firm tone.

    He carefully patted Christy¡¯s hand, then he whispered something to her before walking out of the room.

    I wanted to scream and demand answers right here in front of her but when I remembered how she had passed out earlier, I held back.

    I forced my legs to move and followed him, each step felt like it was dragging me deeper into hell.

    We stopped in the quiet hallway. The lights made Jasper¡¯s tired face more visible to me.

    He turned, with his jaw clenched tightly as he shoved his hands into his pockets like he didn¡¯t know what to do with them.

    "She¡¯s not faking it, Kendrick," he said then paused with a hesitant expression.

    "She really lost her memory." he revealed with a tired sigh.

    I just stared at him as his words slowly sank in.

    "No," I said after a few seconds, shaking my head like a child refusing bad news.

    "I understand that it is possible for her to lose her memory but didn¡¯t you hear her? She called you... she called you... " I stuttered as I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say it.

    "Her husband," he finished tly.

    Hearing him confirm it, made me feel slightly dizzy from anger.

    "I don¡¯t know why," he continued quickly, raising a hand before I could explode.

    "I think it¡¯s some form of trauma-induced amnesia. She woke up two days ago and we discovered that she had lost her memory and In her head... I¡¯m the only one she remembers and she remembers me as her husband." he exined quickly and the more I listened to him, the angrier I became.

    "That doesn¡¯t make sense," I hissed. My hands wed into my hair, pulling until my scalp burned.

    "Why would she think that? Why you?" I asked him angrily, as I couldn¡¯t understand how such a thing could happen.

    They hardly saw each other before and had only met a few times, so it is not logical for her to choose him.

    "Because I¡¯m the one who was there when she first opened her eyes," Jasper said, his voice breaking slightly.

    "I held her hand, Kendrick and I told her she was safe, she looked at me like I was the only thing keeping her alive and when she whispered the word... I didn¡¯t correct her. Not when she was still fragile and had no will to live." he said with a slightly emotional tone but I don¡¯t know why I just couldn¡¯t believe him.

    "You should have told her the truth!" I shouted, my voice echoing down the hallway.

    "And hurt her?" Jasper shot back, his face finally cracking.

    "You think I want this? You think I enjoy hearing her call me something I could never be to her?

    I¡¯m waiting and giving her time, so that when she¡¯s stronger, I¡¯ll exin everything to her." he replied angrily while running his hands through his hair in frustration.

    I stared at him, trying to see if he was lying but couldn¡¯t find any trace of lies. He was trembling too, his fists clenched like he also hated what was happening .

    "You promise me... promise me you¡¯ll tell her." I whispered hoarsely.

    "I promise," he said immediately. "But you can¡¯t rush this or push her. If you do, you¡¯ll only hurt her more." he advised with a serious expression.

    I pressed my back against the wall, sliding down until I was crouched on the floor. My hands covered my face, and hot tears leaked through my fingers.

    How did everything get this twisted?

    The sound of footsteps interrupted us. I looked up just in time to see Kelvin storming down the hallway. His eyes locked on me, and they zed like fire.

    "You," he spat.

    Before I could react, his fist collided with my jaw, snapping my head to the side. Pain burst across my face but I didn¡¯t raise my hands.

    Another punchnded in my gut. The air rushed out of me, and I doubled over while gasping for air.

    "Kendrick!" Jasper tried to intervene, but Kelvin shoved him back.

    "You¡¯ve done enough!" Kelvin roared, his fists flying again. His knuckles split my lip, the metallic taste of blood flooding my mouth.

    I let it happen and didn¡¯t fight back.

    I let every punchnd, every hit drive deeper into my bones. My eyes flicked to the doorway. The door cracked open just enough for me to see her pale face peeking out.

    She was watching.

    I prayed that seeing me like this, broken and bleeding, would trigger her memory or ignite a spark.

    But her eyes stayed nk. She just stared, her lips parted slightly, her hand gripping the door with a pale face.

    "Kendrick!" Jasper shouted again, finally pulling Kelvin back.

    I spat blood onto the floor, wiped my mouth with the back of my sleeve, and forced a smile.

    "She doesn¡¯t remember me, even when I¡¯m like this." I whispered in despair.

    "Good, so you better stay the hell away from her."Kelvin sneered

    I didn¡¯t fight back or argue.

    I just turned and walked down the hallway, each step heavier than thest, until I was back in my car.

    My chest felt hollow and my soul felt dead.

    *****

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I watched as Kendrick walked away with lots of bruises and I released the breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding.

    I pressed my palm against my chest, trying to stop the furious pounding of my heart.

    My heart was aching too much and flowed down my cheeks.

    Tears blurred my eyes, and I quickly wiped them away.

    I had to be strong and not let my emotions control me.

    Jasper noticed as soon as he returned to the room.

    "You¡¯re crying," Jasper said softly, his voice carrying a weight I couldn¡¯t ignore.

    "No... I¡¯m not," I lied quickly, even though I knew it was pretty obvious.

    Jasper sighed, pulling up a chair beside me and he didn¡¯t call me out directly.

    "You still feel something for him, even if you don¡¯t admit it." he said after being silent for a few seconds.

    My chest squeezed, and more tears slipped free.

    "I can¡¯t," I whispered.

    "I can¡¯t feel anything for him, not after everything that happened." I said amidst sobs.

    I don¡¯t want to be weak anymore but it is so hard.

    "Then why lie to him?" Jasper asked gently.

    "Because it¡¯s better this way."I replied to him with trembling lips.

    "Better for who?"

    "For everyone," I whispered fiercely.

    "Don¡¯t you get it? If I tell him the truth that I remember everything, it¡¯ll only break us all over again. He¡¯ll expect me to forgive him, to take him back. And I can¡¯t...I can¡¯t go through that pain again." I said in frustration as more tears spilled down my face.

    Jasper leaned back, studying me with unreadable eyes.

    "I want to start fresh," I said, my voice shaking but firm.

    "No past, no heartbreak. Just... peace with my family and unborn child." I said with a resolute voice.

    "If that¡¯s what you want." His jaw tightened, but he nodded slowly

    "It is," I whispered, though my heart screamed the opposite.

    The door burst open suddenly, and Kelvin strode in. His face was filled with and he looked troubled.

    "What¡¯s wrong?" I asked immediately, sitting up straighter.

    He hesitated, running a hand through his hair. His eyes darted to Jasper, then back to me.

    <fnfc21> Official source is find¡¤novel</fnfc21>

    "You¡¯re not going to believe this," he said grimly.

    "A girl just showed up at the station, she looks exactly like Mira and confessed that she was the one responsible for everything." he said with a deep frown.

    Jasper and I looked at each other in shock.

    "She admitted she was the one behind everything. The framing, the lies, the attack on you and she said that Mira is innocent. Which means..." Kelvin continued

    He trailed off, his jaw tight.

    "They¡¯re going to release Mira," he finished quietly.

    The room fell into silence and my breath hitched as my fingers clutched the sheets so hard my knuckles turned white.

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 Chapter 46 - FORTY SIX: The Weight Of Power

    <h4>Chapter 46: Chapter FORTY SIX: The Weight Of Power</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The drive back home felt endless as my hands clutched the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white, but it wasn¡¯t because of the road, it was because of the storm inside my chest.

    Every bump in the street, every sh of the city lights against the windshield, made my heart pound harder, reminding me of the look on her face.

    Which was nk and empty with no flicker of recognition or a spark of what we once were. Just that fragile expression that tore me apart more than Kelvin¡¯s fists ever could.

    I reyed it over and over again, like some cruel movie stuck on repeat. Her standing there in the doorway, her pale hand gripping the frame, watching me get pummeled, watching me bleed and yet she did nothing. No scream of my name or rush to stop it.

    Just a painful silence.

    I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted iron. Maybe this was what I deserved, maybe I was meant to drown in this despair.

    By the time I pulled into the long driveway of the ck estate, I wasn¡¯t sure if I had the strength to get out of the car.

    The mansion loomed in front of me, a shadow against the night sky, massive and cold and for a moment, I wished I could drive past it and never return. But I couldn¡¯t as this was my reality.

    Dragging myself out, I went straight to the one person I had avoided for a week.

    my grandfather.

    His room smelled of old books and tobo. His aura was extremely overwhelming and made the air heavy.

    He was seated in his armchair, back straight as always and I knew even at his age, nothing escaped him.

    "You finally remembered you have a grandfather?" His voice was calm butced with anger.

    I swallowed hard, forcing my legs to move inside.

    "Grandfather... "

    "Sit." hemanded and I obeyed.

    For a long while, he didn¡¯t speak. He just studied me, and under that piercing gaze, I felt like a child again, caught doing something unforgivable.

    "I heard what happened at the hospital," he finally said, his words cutting through the silence.

    "You let yourself break... for a woman." he said with a disappointed expression.

    I suddenly felt a wave of shame but it wasn¡¯t really my fault.

    "I... "

    "Don¡¯t speak." His tone sharpened.

    "You think tears will make you a man? You think bleeding for love makes you stronger? No, It makes you weak and pathetic.

    You carry the ck name, Kendrick. A name built on power, resilience, and dominance and yet, you sit here before me, hollow-eyed and broken over someone who doesn¡¯t even remember you." he yelled at me angrily.

    The words sliced through my chest, but I forced myself to hold his gaze.

    "You should have been at thepany," he continued, mming his cane against the floor.

    "You should have been watching Curtis as he schemes with the executives, gathering them like vultures waiting to feast. But you were too busy crying over a woman to realize what was being stolen from you." he said angrily and I finally held his gaze anymore as I bowed my head in shame.

    Curtis, so that¡¯s why I haven¡¯t seen him since the engagement banquet.

    The name filled me with bitterness. I had been so consumed with Christy, with her rejection, her memory loss, that I hadn¡¯t even noticed what was happening in the empire my grandfather had spent decades building.

    "Do you want to hand over everything to outsiders?" His voice boomed.

    "Do you want the ckpany, our blood, our sweat, to be in their hands while you wallow in self-pity?" he questioned me angrily.

    "No," I rasped, my chest tightening.

    "Then prove it," he said firmly.

    "Be the CEO I raised you to be and the heir I molded. Stop letting your emotions control you and take back your power.

    If you want to change the mind of the Lancaster family, if you want Christy to ever stand beside you, you need power. Without it, you are nothing but with it, the world bows to you." he said with a serious tone.

    His words burned into me, igniting something I had let die.

    I bowed my head.

    "I understand, Grandfather." I said with a determined tone.

    "No." His voice hardened.

    "Don¡¯t just understand, Act.Tomorrow, you walk into that office not as a broken boy, but as the CEO of ck Enterprises. Do you hear me?" he said and I nodded.

    "Yes, sir," I said, my voice steadier now.

    He leaned back, satisfied, though his eyes still drilled into me.

    "Do not disappoint me again." he reminded me before slowly closing his eyes.

    I left his room with my chest heavier but my mind clearer.

    My emotions were still haywire but beneath them, a new fire was lit.

    I couldn¡¯t let Curtis win, I couldn¡¯t let Christy slip through my fingers without a fight.

    Pulling out my phone, I called Evans, my assistant.

    "Prepare everything for tomorrow," I ordered.

    "I¡¯ming back to the office." I said with a cold and decisive voice.

    "Yes, sir," Evans replied immediately.

    I hung up, exhaling sharply. Tomorrow, I will rise.

    Tomorrow, I will take back what was mine.

    But before I could retreat and rest my head, there was a knock.

    It was my mother.

    She stood in the doorway, her expression softer than it had been in weeks. Her eyes, red-rimmed from tears, carried regret.

    "Kendrick," she whispered, stepping inside.

    I froze, memories of her p and harsh words shing in my mind. The sting was still fresh, not on my cheek, but in my heart.

    "I shouldn¡¯t have done that," she said quickly, her voice trembling.

    "I was angry, I was scared... but I shouldn¡¯t have raised my hand to you. I¡¯m sorry." she apologized with teary eyes.

    She reached out, hesitating, then ced her hand gently on mine.

    "Please, Kendrick... try to get along with your father. I know it¡¯s hard, I know he¡¯s not perfect, but this family needs unity. If you¡¯re going to take your rightful ce, you can¡¯t do it with enemies in your own home." she advised.

    I wanted to scoff and tell her unity was impossible with a man like Raymond. But the exhaustion in her eyes made me swallow the words.

    "I¡¯ll try," I murmured, though it was more for her than for me.

    She smiled faintly, squeezed my hand, and left.

    Alone again, I sank onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. My grandfather¡¯s words echoed in my head.

    Power, Without it, I was nothing but with it, I could have everything.

    And for Christy and for us, I would im it.

    *****

    Christy¡¯s POV

    The day I was discharged, the world felt different. The hospital walls that had caged me for so long finally gave way to the open air, and it was overwhelming.

    The sky was brighter and the breeze colder, but inside, I still felt fragile, like one wrong move could shatter me.

    The Lancaster family house loomed ahead, magnificent and intimidating. As the car stopped, I braced myself, clutching my stomach gently, a silent reminder of the life growing inside me.

    The doors opened, and suddenly I was engulfed by warmth.

    Smiles and cheering voices, weing me back as though I was some missing piece finally returned.

    "Wee home, Christy!"

    The dining hall glowed with golden light, the tableid out with more dishes than I could count.

    Every member of the Lancaster family was there as I had been previously informed, their faces lit with relief and happiness.

    For a brief moment, I let myself feel it, the joy of being surrounded by family and the illusion of peace.

    I smiled, though my heart trembled.

    Dinner began, andughter filled the room. My uncle cracked jokes, my aunts fussed over me, and Kelvin hovered protectively like he always did. Mason sat close, his quiet support anchoring me.

    For a fleeting second, I thought maybe this was what I needed. A new beginning, and chance to start fresh, just as I had told Jasper.

    But then the doors mmed open.

    Mira walked in.

    Every head turned and silence fell. She was radiant, dressed wlessly, her posture dripping with entitlement but her eyes burned with anger.

    "Do you all enjoy humiliating me?" she snapped, her voice cutting through the silence.

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    "Dragging my name through the mud, treating me like a criminal, when I was the one framed!" she yelled angrily.

    Gasps rippled through the room and our grandfather quickly rose, striding toward her.

    "Mira, that¡¯s enough, you¡¯ve been through a lot and I promise you will bepensated.

    Everything you lost, I will return to you double, but tonight, let this be about Christy¡¯s homing." he said firmly.

    Her fury softened at his words, her lips curling into a smug smile as she nodded, pretending to calm.

    Then she turned to me.

    "Oh, Christy!" she eximed, rushing forward. Before I could react, she pulled me into a tight hug.

    Her arms squeezed around me like iron, and while her face lit up for everyone else to see, her whisper slithered into my ear, sharp and venomous.

    "You better watch your back," she hissed, her tone dripping with malice.

    "Because I¡¯m not done with you." she said with so much hatred.

    My breath hitched.

    The room erupted in chatter andughter again, but her words echoed louder than everything.

    And as I pulled away, forcing a smile, I knew the peace I craved was just an illusion.

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 Chapter 47 - FORTY SEVEN:This Entire Family Will Burn

    <h4>Chapter 47: Chapter FORTY SEVEN:This Entire Family Will Burn</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The morning came far too quickly.

    I barely slept afterst night as my grandfather¡¯s words kept me awake, echoing like a curse carved into my skull.

    Power.

    Without it, you are nothing. With it, you can have everything.

    That was the weight I carried when I opened my eyes at dawn. The old Kendrick, the one who bled for love, who allowed his emotions to drag him into a pit of weakness was gone Or at least, I prayed he was.

    What was left was a man who had no choice but to rise.

    <fnf18f> The source of th?s content is f?ndnovel</fnf18f>

    I pushed myself out of bed, ignoring the ache in my chest that still whispered Christy¡¯s name. That ache would always be there but now, I needed to bury it deep.

    As I stood in front of the mirror, buttoning my ck tailored suit, my reflection was different.

    The hollow, broken boy from yesterday was reced with something colder. My jaw was tight, my eyes sharper, and my aura... heavier. This was the man my grandfather wanted to see.

    My phone buzzed and I saw Evans shing on the screen.

    I answered immediately. "What is it?"

    "Sir, you need to get to the office. Curtis has gathered the executives for an emergency contract signing.

    He¡¯s pushing through a partnership deal with the Martinez family. A very risky project with high investments and unstable returns. If it goes through, it could drain ck Enterprises of billions." His voice carried a sense of urgency.

    My grip tightened around the phone.

    Curtis.

    That snake.

    He waited until I was at my weakest, then slithered his way into the boardroom like he belonged there.

    "Where?" I demanded, already grabbing my keys.

    "The executive boardroom, twelfth floor. They¡¯re preparing to finalize the documents as we speak." he replied quickly.

    I ended the call and strode out.

    My heart wasn¡¯t beating fast from panic, it was rage, which has been controlled for too long.

    By the time I reached ck Enterprises, the building towered above me like the empire I was born to rule.

    My empire and my grandfather¡¯s empire, I would be damned if Curtisid a hand on it.

    The guards at the entrance stiffened as they saw me. Even the receptionist who had avoided my eyes in recent weeks scrambled to greet me. Wordless, I marched past, my shoes echoing against the marble floors like thunder.

    The elevator ride to the twelfth floor felt endless, but the fire in my chest only grew.

    When the doors slid open, I didn¡¯t hesitate as I pushed them wide and strode straight into the boardroom.

    Every head turned when I walked in.

    Curtis sat at the head of the long mahogany table, smug and smiling, a pen poised in his hand as Mr. Martinez leaned forward, ready to slide the contract across.

    Executives surrounded them, whispering like vultures, waiting for the scraps.

    But when they saw me, silence enveloped through the room.

    "Kendrick?" one of them muttered in shock.

    Curtis¡¯s smile faltered, then returned with forced calm.

    "Well, look who finally decided to show up, we were just about to finalize a groundbreaking partnership." he said with a smug expression.

    My eyes locked on the papers spread before him.

    The contract.

    The very rope he wanted to use to strangle ck Enterprises.

    I walked straight to the table, each step heavy with authority and no one dared to speak.

    When I reached the end, I didn¡¯t ask for permission or request an exnation. I simply snatched the contract from under Curtis¡¯s hand.

    "Hey! What do you think you¡¯re.... " he barked

    I didn¡¯t let him finish and my eyes never left him as I tore the contract in half.

    The room was instantly filled with gasps.

    Executives lurched forward, but I kept tearing. Shreds of paper fell to the polished floor like snow, scattering at Curtis¡¯s feet.

    When thest piece was ripped, I tossed the remnants across the table at him.

    "Over my dead body," I said coldly.

    Curtis¡¯s jaw clenched, his face red with fury.

    Before he could speak, Mr. Martinez mmed his fist against the table, rising to his feet. His tailored suit stretched with the force of his anger, and his voice boomed in the room.

    "This is outrageous! Do you know what you¡¯ve just cost us, Kendrick? This was a chance to expand, to dominate markets overseas! Instead, you humiliate me in front of your entire board?" he growled angrily.

    I turned my head slowly toward him. My gaze was calm, but it carried fire.

    "No, Mr. Martinez, What I stopped was a disaster. ck Enterprises do not gamble with desperation, we build empires and don¡¯t sell them." I replied to him calmly.

    His nostrils red in anger.

    "You think you¡¯re untouchable because of your name? Let me remind you, Kendrick, you have responsibilities. Especially now that my daughter is carrying your child." he said while ring angrily at me.

    The words hit the room like a bomb.

    Gasps and murmurs.

    The executives erupted in whispers as they were shocked.

    I froze for only a heartbeat, my gaze locked on him.

    So that was his game.

    Not just business leverage, but humiliation. He wanted the world to know. He wanted to bind me to Celeste with the chains of a child.

    I inhaled slowly, forcing myself not to let the revtion crack myposure.

    Then I smirked. "Is that so?"

    The room grew still, every ear straining to catch my next words.

    "If your daughter is indeed pregnant, then I suggest you take her out of my family¡¯s house and raise her properly, instead of using her womb as a business strategy."

    Gasps turned to stunned silence. Some executives shifted ufortably, others couldn¡¯t hide their grim satisfaction.

    Mr. Martinez¡¯s face darkened. "You dare insult my daughter..."

    "I dare and I won¡¯t repeat myself. ck Enterprises is not a charity for shameless opportunists. Take your daughter, and take your theatrics elsewhere." I cut him off sharply, my voice rising with authority.

    For a moment, the only sound was the ragged breathing of Mr. Martinez, his fists trembling at his sides. But he didn¡¯t speak again. He clearly knew better than to get on my bad side.

    Slowly, with a sneer, he turned and stormed out.

    But Curtis stood up angrily, his chair screeched as it was pushed back, and his eyes zed as he jabbed a finger at me.

    "You think this makes you a man? Ripping contracts and barking orders?" he spat.

    "You¡¯ve done nothing but destroy! You used Christy, broke her, and now you chase her like some desperate dog. And still you drag another woman into this mess, get her pregnant, and act like you¡¯re above the rest of us? Shameless doesn¡¯t even begin to describe you." His words sliced into me, but I didn¡¯t let it show.

    I straightened, my aura filling the room, and stepped closer until I was nose to nose with him. My voice dropped, deadly quiet.

    "Listen carefully, Curtis. You will never speak Christy¡¯s name again. You will not look at her and you will not breathe in her direction. If you even think of getting close to her, I will make sure you regret it for the rest of your miserable life." I warned him with a calm voice.

    The room was suffocating with the tension between us.

    "And what? You think she¡¯ll forgive you? You think power will erase the fact that you¡¯re a liar, a cheat, and a failure?" he said, his lips curled into a sneer

    "Christy is mine. That is the only truth that matters." I said after leaning closer to him.

    We stared at each other like two storms ready to collide, until Evans discreetly cleared his throat from the corner.

    "Sir..." he said cautiously.

    I pulled back, not because I was done, but because Curtis wasn¡¯t worth breaking bones over.

    Not yet.

    I turned to Evans. "Get me every detail on Celeste¡¯s movements before she imed to be pregnant. I don¡¯t care how small, I want to know where she was, who she met, and when." I ordered him with a serious expression.

    "Yes, sir," Evans said immediately, already pulling out his tablet.

    The meeting dissolved in uneasy murmurs, executives scattering, some siding with Curtis with their nces, others already shifting their loyalty back to me.

    When the room was finally empty, I walked to the window. The city stretched before me, cold and vast. My chest burned with rage, but beneath it was rity.

    Curtis was a parasite.

    The Martinez family were opportunists. And Celeste... Celeste was hiding something.

    Hourster, Evans returned. His expression was grim, and that alone told me what I needed to know.

    "What did you find?" I asked, my voice low.

    He hesitated, then handed me a folder.

    "Sir... Celeste has been making frequent visits to a low-key hotel on the east side. Almost every week for the past few months." he reported.

    My jaw clenched.

    "And?"

    Evans swallowed. "She wasn¡¯t alone. She was always with the same man."

    I snatched the folder and opened it.

    Photos slid into my hands. There were pictures of Celeste entering the hotel and leaving. Her arm linked with a tall, broad man. His face was clearly captured by the lens.

    My breath stopped.

    Raymond.

    My father.

    The room spun, but I gripped the edge of the desk until my knuckles whitened.

    I never thought he could be more despicable.

    Celeste¡¯s child... it might not even be mine.

    It could be his.

    The fire in my chest turned into an inferno. My vision blurred with rage, my pulse hammering in my ears.

    Evans spoke carefully. "Sir... what do you want me to do?"

    I closed the folder slowly, my hands trembling with restrained violence.

    "Keep digging," I said, my voice hoarse but steady. "And prepare yourself. Because when the truthes out..."

    I looked back out at the city, my reflection staring back with eyes darker than I¡¯d ever seen.

    "...this entire family will burn."

 Chapter 48 - FORTY EIGHT: Careful As You Are Pregnant

    <h4>Chapter 48: Chapter FORTY EIGHT: Careful As You Are Pregnant</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    The days after I came back home blurred together in a haze of tenderness and suffocation.

    Every morning, my mother slipped into my room before I even opened my eyes, smoothing the nkets over me, brushing my hair back from my face, and murmuring prayers under her breath.

    My father brought trays of food, bowls of soup, fruit cut so neatly they looked like works of art, sses of milk warmed just the way I liked it.

    He hovered in the doorway with his broad shoulders filling the frame, pretending he wasn¡¯t watching me breathe as though I might vanish if he blinked.

    I understood their feelings because I was also scared of waking up one day and finding out that it was all just a dream.

    So seeing them like this gave me a lot offort.

    And my brothers, Mason and Kelvin were no different.

    Mason never let me forget I was fragile. He shadowed me through the house, barking at servants who carried trays too close, snapping at Kelvin if heughed too loud, ring at my father if he suggested I try standing a little longer on my own.

    He was a storm contained in a man¡¯s body, and I knew if anyone looked at me wrong, he¡¯d break their jaw without hesitation.

    He made me feel secure and protected, something I could have never dreamt of a few months back.

    Kelvin, though, was different. He teased me softly, joking about how I was being spoiled, sneaking choctes into my room when our mother insisted I stick to light food. Hisughter was the one thing that made me feel human again instead of some fragile porcin doll.

    Even with all of this love and protection, I still felt a strong pain in my heart.

    How could I ever forget Kendrick, he had pulled me out of the abyss I had lived in for years, despite everything he made me go through, I still feel very grateful to him because I would have never found my real family if he hadn¡¯t taken me out of that abyss.

    "Christy," my mother said one morning, breaking me from the spiral of my thoughts. She was seated beside me, her hand wrapped around mine, her eyes shining in a way that made me uneasy.

    "Your father and I have been talking. We have decided that it¡¯s time." she said then paused to look at me.

    "Time for what?" I asked her with a frown.

    "For the world to see you again." Her smile widened, triumphant and proud.

    <fn6b44> ?????? ???? Find_Novel(.</fn6b44>

    "We¡¯re going to host a party to announce your return." she said excitedly.

    "A party?"I stiffened instantly.

    "Yes, a party." She squeezed my hand.

    "The invitations have already gone out and by tomorrow night, every council member, every noble family, every name that matters will be here...and the ck family will also be in attendance" she said thest part with a hesitant tone.

    The name hit me like a blow.

    I pulled my hand back before I could stop myself, my stomach tightening painfully.

    No... No, this couldn¡¯t be happening.

    I wasn¡¯t ready.

    "Mother, isn¡¯t that... too much?" I whispered, my voice shaky.

    "I¡¯m still recovering and I don¡¯t think... "II was about toe up with an excuse to have the party canceled.

    "Enough." Her tone hardened, though her smile never faded.

    "You¡¯re not a ghost, Christy, You¡¯re my daughter and tomorrow, you will shine in front of them all. They need to see you radiant, not hidden away like you are ashamed." she said with an emotional tone.

    Ashamed?

    It was more like I was scared of what people will say when they see me, what they will say about my past after seeing the video that Celeste had released at the engagement banquet.

    "If... if that¡¯s what you think is best." I forced a nod.

    Later that afternoon, she returned to my room carrying a long velvet box. Kelvin trailed behind her, curiosity written on their faces. Mira, too, stood in the corner, her arms crossed and her expression nk.

    "Open it," my mother said, setting the box on myp.

    I lifted the lid, and gasped when I saw its content.

    A gowny inside, shimmering silver-blue silk that seemed to ripple like water. Intricate beadwork traced along the bodice in patterns that glimmered like starlight, catching the light with every movement. It was breathtaking, more beautiful than anything I had ever seen.

    "Mother... It is beautiful." I whispered to her.

    "It¡¯s yours, custom-made, designed only for you. Tomorrow, when you walk into that hall, no one will question who you are. You will look like the daughter of this family and they will all know that you are my daughter." she said proudly.

    I couldn¡¯t stop the tears from blurring my eyes. The dress wasn¡¯t just fabric, it was a statement.

    A deration to the world that I belonged to this family.

    But when I turned my head, I caught Mira¡¯s expression. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her fists clenched at her sides. She clutched the simple dress she had been given earlier, the inness of it now ringpared to the masterpiece in my hands.

    Jealousy radiated off her and though she forced a smile, her eyes told the truth.

    "It¡¯s... lovely, Christy," she said, her voiceced with an usual sweetness.

    Before I could answer, the door opened, and Mira¡¯s mother came in.

    Aunt Lydia, my uncle¡¯s second wife.

    The fragrance of her perfume was choking and she looked at me with unconcealed hatred.

    "Well... Quite the effort for a girl who¡¯s already...promised."she said, her gaze sliding over the gown.

    My stomach dropped as soon as her words entered my ears.

    "Careful, Lydia, watch your tongue in my house! ." my mother yelled at her angrily.

    "I only meant that parading Christy in front of so many guests while she¡¯s expecting... It¡¯s risky, isn¡¯t it? And considering the fact that everyone has seen her shameful video, what if something happens? The whispers and mockery will be merciless" She said, feigning innocence

    I froze and felt a sudden chill down my spine.

    What if I dragged everyone down because of my past?.

    But my mother didn¡¯t falter.

    "The only thing risky is underestimating my daughter. She will stand tomorrow, radiant and strong. Unlike some people, she doesn¡¯t need to cling to gossip or nder to be noticed." she said with a proud expression while gently rubbing my hands.

    Lydia¡¯s smirk faltered, her expression immediately darkened.

    Mira shifted ufortably beside her, her eyes darting toward me with barely concealed hatred.

    "Come, Mira, we won¡¯t intrude anymore since we are not weed" Lydia snapped, tugging her daughter¡¯s arm

    They walked out, the door mming behind them.

    For a moment, silence hung heavy in the room.

    "That woman is poisonous, I am only keeping quiet because of my grandfather." Mason muttered under his breath.

    "And Mira¡¯s not much better." Kelvin snorted.

    I stayed quiet, my fingers brushing over the beaded gown, my heart pounding with fear of the unknown.

    By evening, the mansion was unrecognizable. Chandeliers zed with light, casting golden halos across the marble floors.

    Musicians yed violins, their notes mingling with theughter and chatter of arriving guests while servants glided between groups, carrying trays of champagne and wine.

    Everywhere I looked, eyes sparkled with curiosity, whispers trailing behind me like shadows.

    And when my grandfather finally stood, his aura silenced the hall immediately.

    "Tonight, we celebrate the return of my granddaughter, Eva Lancaster. As many of you know, she went missing more than a decade ago and now we have finally found her" he announced with a proud expression.

    Gasps rippled through the crowd as I stepped forward. The silver-blue gown shimmered under the chandeliers, catching the light with every step. Heads turned, whispers rose, and for a moment all eyes were on me.

    Until I saw them.

    The cks.

    Raymond¡¯s face hardened into stone, his eyes widening in shock while Celeste¡¯s smirk faltered, disbelief shing in her expression.

    And Kendrick, his gaze was on me.

    My breath caught in my throat, and I quickly lowered my eyes, focusing on the floor as I couldn¡¯t meet his gaze.

    I couldn¡¯t let him see anything that would make him realize that I remembered, if he guessed the truth... everything would be revealed.

    So I smiled and continued greeting the guests.

    Mira suddenly walked towards me, her steps graceful with a wide smile. She bumped into me with an exaggerated clumsiness, nearly falling the ss of wine from my hand.

    "oh! Sister, I¡¯m so sorry, you must be careful as you are pregnant."she cried, her voice pitched high and loud enough for the entire hall to hear.

    The hall went deathly silent.

    Gasps echoed, followed by whispers and every pair of eyes snapped toward me.

    I froze in ce and it felt like I was back to the moment my video were yed on the big screen at the engagement party.

    And when I dared to lift my gaze, Kendrick was staring straight at me.

 Chapter 49 - FORTY NINE: The Party Is Over

    <h4>Chapter 49: Chapter FORTY NINE: The Party Is Over</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    The silence after Mira¡¯s voice carried through the hall was deafening.

    Her words, "you must be careful as you are pregnant," echoed again and again inside my head, louder than the music, louder than theughter that had just filled this hall moments ago.

    The chandeliers sparkled above me, but all I could feel was the weight of a thousand eyes stabbing into me from every direction.

    And then, like venom spilling from an open wound, the whispers began.

    "She¡¯s pregnant?"

    "Did you hear what the girl said? Pregnant?"

    <fnb610> Readplete version only at FindN()vel</fnb610>

    "Whose child could it be?"

    "Oh God, after that video?"

    "What a shame, such disgrace on the family name."

    Each word mmed into me like stones. My body stiffened, my lungs burned for air, my hands shook violently though I tried to keep them still. I could feel the heat of my shame crawling up my neck, flushing my skin red.

    Mira¡¯s satisfied little smirk was the final dagger.

    "Mira!" Mason¡¯s voice exploded through the chaos like a p of thunder.

    Everyone froze.

    He stormed toward her with fire raging in his eyes, his fists curled so tightly at his sides I thought he might break his own bones. His tall frame cast a dark shadow over her smaller one, and he loomed with the fury of a storm barely contained.

    "How dare you?" he growled, his voice vibrating with a dangerous energy that silenced even the boldest whispers. "Do you have any idea what you¡¯ve just done?"

    Mira¡¯s eyes widened, her lips trembling as she instantly donned the mask of innocence she wore so well.

    "I... I didn¡¯t mean it like that," she stammered, though her sweetened tone betrayed her glee. "I only wanted to remind my sister to be careful. She¡¯s fragile, she¡¯s recovering, and well it¡¯s not like I lied, is it?"

    Her words were knives dipped in honey.

    The crowd gasped again, their whispers ring hotter, spreading across the golden-lit hall like wildfire.

    Mason¡¯s rage only deepened. He took a threatening step closer, his voice rising, "You conniving little... "

    "Mason!" my mother hissed, her face pale as she tried to pull him back. But he was immovable.

    "Don¡¯t you dare act like some saint," Mason spat, pointing a finger at Mira¡¯s chest. "You knew exactly what you were doing when you opened that poisonous mouth. You wanted this... you wanted to humiliate her in front of everyone!"

    Before Mira could answer, her mother, Lydia, swept forward, the sound of her heels like hammer blows against the marble. The suffocating perfume of her presence hit me before her voice did.

    "That¡¯s enough!" she snapped, seizing Mira¡¯s arm. Her sharp re fixed on Mason with the intensity of a de. "Do not raise your voice at my daughter, Mason. She has done nothing wrong!"

    "Nothing wrong?" Mason¡¯s fury cracked through the hall, his voice dark, menacing. "She just broadcasted Christy¡¯s private matters to every single person in this room, and you think that¡¯s nothing wrong?"

    Lydia¡¯s lip curled, her chin lifted high in arrogant defiance. "If Christy truly is with child, then Mira only voiced concern, as family should. If this brings shame, perhaps you should ask why shame exists in the first ce."

    The words pped me harder than any physical blow could.

    My knees wobbled, and I gripped the edge of the nearby table to steady myself.

    The whispers swelled louder again, cruel and merciless.

    "A child? So it¡¯s true..."

    "Then who¡¯s the father?"

    "What will the council say?"

    "Doesn¡¯t this ruin everything? Their name, their reputation?"

    My vision blurred.

    It was happening again, the same humiliation, the same stripping away of dignity, just like that night at the engagement banquet when Celeste released the video.

    My body shook violently, my chest heaving, as though I were drowning in the middle of a crowd.

    "Enough!" My father¡¯s voice roared suddenly, cutting through the noise. His tone silenced every whisper instantly.

    The musicians had long since stopped ying, servants stood frozen like statues against the walls, and the once beautiful hall felt like a cage.

    My grandfather, seated in his high-backed chair, rose slowly. His presence was enough to silence even the boldest voices. His re cut through the chaos, his words like iron.

    "The party is over," he said coldly. "Leave. All of you."

    The guests gasped in disappointment, but none dared to disobey. Slowly, carefully, they began filing out of the hall, but their gazes lingered on me with a hunger for scandal, their whispers refusing to die.

    By the time thest of them had gone, the hall was quiet, too quiet. The golden chandeliers cast their glow over a battlefield of emotions.

    I stood frozen in ce, clutching my trembling hands together, my gown shimmering mockingly in the light.

    Celeste was the first to break the silence. She rushed toward Mason, panic etched across her delicate features.

    "Mason," she whispered urgently, her voice tight with fear, "you must tell me, who is responsible for this pregnancy?"

    My heart mmed against my ribs. The ground beneath me felt like it was splitting open.

    Before Mason could respond, another voice broke through, deep and cold, one that made my entire body stiffen.

    "I want to know too."

    Kendrick.

    He stepped forward from the shadows, his tall figure imposing, his gaze locked on Mason with a fire that threatened to devour everything in its path.

    "Who is the father?" he asked again, each word sharp as steel.

    The air thickened.

    My heart stopped.

    No.. No, this couldn¡¯t be happening.

    His eyes burned into me, demanding, searching, stripping away every defense I tried to build.

    Celeste gasped, stumbling back as though she might copse. My mother tried to hold her ground, but even she faltered under the weight of Kendrick¡¯s fury.

    My chest tightened, panic wing at my lungs until I couldn¡¯t breathe. The room spun violently around me, and before I could stop it, my vision went ck.

    And I copsed.

    Or at least, I pretended to.

    Thest thing I heard before slipping into that deliberate void was chaos breaking loose.

    My mother screaming my name, Mason barking orders, Lydia¡¯s smug voice rising, and Kendrick¡¯s tone, deep and desperate.

    *****

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The moment she fell, my world shattered.

    "No... Christy!" I lunged forward, catching her limp body in my arms before she hit the marble floor. Her face was pale, too pale, her body too light, too fragile in my hold.

    "Christy, open your eyes," I whispered, my voice cracking as I shook her gently. "Don¡¯t you dare do this to me, not now."

    Mason¡¯s voice exploded beside me. "Get your filthy hands off her!"

    He tore me back with a strength born of fury, his chest heaving as he ced himself between me and Christy like a shield.

    "Don¡¯t touch her," he growled, his eyes blood-red with rage.

    My chest heaved as I stood my ground. "She¡¯s carrying my child," I snarled, the words ripping from my throat before I could stop them.

    Gasps filled the air. My mother, Celeste, and even Jasper froze at my deration.

    Mason¡¯s jaw clenched so tightly it looked like it might snap. His fists curled at his sides, and for a moment, I thought he might lunge at me.

    "You think you can just say that?" Mason hissed, his voice low and dangerous. "You think iming her like that makes it true?"

    "It is true," I roared, stepping forward, refusing to let him silence me. "You know it as well as I do. She is mine. That child is mine."

    The words shook the hall like thunder.

    Mason¡¯s re could have killed me on the spot. But before fists could fly, Jasper appeared, sliding between us, his presence calm yetmanding.

    "She needs rest," Jasper said firmly. His arms slipped around Christy, lifting her limp body with a gentleness that cut me deeper than any de. "Fighting will not help her."

    I froze. My chest ached as I watched him hold her as though she belonged to him. The beast in me howled, wed, begging me to rip her from his arms, to shout the truth until the world believed it.

    But then... her eyelids fluttered.

    Hershes trembled, her lips parted, and her eyes finally opened.

    "Christy..." I breathed, my heart stopping as her gaze focused.

    But she wasn¡¯t looking at me.

    Her trembling hand reached for Jasper¡¯s sleeve, clutching it like a lifeline. Her voice, weak and broken, sliced through me.

    "I was so scared," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "I thought I¡¯d lose our child."

    Our child?.

    The word shattered every part of me.

    She wasn¡¯t looking at me. She wasn¡¯t holding on to me. She was clinging to Jasper as though he were the only man who mattered.

    Every cell in my body screamed in protest.

    No. No, that child was mine. She was mine.

    But when I looked into her eyes, I saw the confusion, the shadows of broken memories, the fragility of someone barely piecing herself together.

    If I told her now,

    if I forced the truth... she might breakpletely.

    So I swallowed the roar wing at my throat.

    I said nothing.

    But my silence didn¡¯t mean surrender.

    This wasn¡¯t over.

    She was mine and the child was also mine.

    And no one, Mason, Jasper, or fate itself would take them from me.

 Chapter 50 - FIFTY: I Would Get Christy Back.

    <h4>Chapter 50: Chapter FIFTY: I Would Get Christy Back.</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The night air outside the Lancaster family house was thick and suffocating.

    My chest still ached from the way she had looked at Jasper, clinging to him as if he was the only man that mattered.

    Her voice still cut into me like a de as it continued echoing in my ears

    "I thought I had lost our child."

    Their child.

    She had said it so clearly, so tenderly, but not to me.

    The image of her trembling hand on his sleeve burned through my skull like fire and I had to leave because I couldn¡¯t stay another second in that house.

    If I had, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop myself from punching him in front of everyone, and I wasn¡¯t ready to make her go through any pain or fright.

    I made my way to my car and mmed the door like it would ease the pain in my chest. My knuckles cracked as I gripped the steering wheel tightly.

    Power

    I took a deep breath when I remembered my grandfather¡¯s words.

    I can¡¯t act impulsively and must n my moves out in a way that no one would be able to predict my next move.

    I decided to go to the hospital to find out the truth because I was beginning to doubt her memory loss.

    <fnc185> For original chapters go to fin?novel</fnc185>

    On getting to the hospital, I stared at the building as the memories of myst visit reyed in my head.

    By the time I drove into the parking lot, my breath was alreadying out in quick pants as I felt slightly nervous.

    The hospital felt the same as it had that night I came here before, just cold and unweing but tonight I wasn¡¯t leaving empty-handed.

    I moved with purpose, past the reception desk, past the curious stares of many nurses as my eyes searched for the particr face from my memory.

    My eyes locked on her.

    The nurse who had looked after Christy when she was first brought into the hospital.

    I remembered her face clearly, always hovering near Christy¡¯s bed when I had been desperate to know what was happening.

    She noticed me instantly, her brows knitting together in recognition.

    "Sir,you shouldn¡¯t be here. Visiting hours are.." she said carefully, almost nervously.

    "I¡¯m not here for visiting hours," I cut her off, my voice was extremely colder than I intended.

    I stepped closer, lowering my tone. "I need the truth and I think you¡¯re the only one who can give it to me."

    Her eyes darted around, as if expecting someone to overhear. "I don¡¯t know what you mean."

    "Yes, you do," I pressed.

    My chest heaved as I fought to control my desperation. "Christy. What happened when she was brought here, you were there and you know the truth, don¡¯t you?"

    She stiffened, her lips parting in slightly, but I didn¡¯t give her a chance to retreat.

    I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out my wallet, I slid out a thick fold of bills and pressed them into her hand before she could even think to push me away.

    Her eyes widened when she felt the weight.

    "There¡¯s more, a lot more. Enough to change your life if you want it and no one will ever know it was you who told me. I swear it on my life." I whispered urgently.

    The nurse¡¯s hand trembled, clutching the money instinctively. She looked up at me, searching my face for any sign of any reason to doubt me.

    I leaned closer. "Please. I need to know"

    She cleared her throat and swallowed hard, eyes flicking nervously around the empty corridor.

    Finally, she exhaled, the weight of her decision pulling her shoulders down.

    "She was pregnant when she was rushed in," the nurse said quietly while looking around vigntly.

    I staggered back a step, gripping the wall to keep from falling.

    " She was pregnant, with my child..." I repeated as anger burned inside of me.

    She nodded, ncing down the hall before speaking again. "When Christy was rushed in that night, the tests confirmed it. She wasn¡¯t just injured but also carrying a child.

    But the family made it clear that nothing was to leave this hospital and the records were sealed. I was threatened to keep my mouth shut."

    "And the amnesia?" I asked, my voice hoarse, broken. "They said she couldn¡¯t remember... that she didn¡¯t know me."

    The nurse shook her head. "There was no amnesia.Her scans were clean, she remembered everything."

    The floor seemed to fall away beneath me.

    She didn¡¯t lose her memories, so why did she refuse to recognize me?

    And all this time, Jasper... Jasper had been standing there, feeding me lies, weaving this prison of silence around her.

    My fists trembled at my sides. I wanted to scream, to tear this whole hospital apart, to burn down every lie that had been built to keep me away from her.

    But my body seemed to be frozen as I couldn¡¯t move.

    "She remembered me," I muttered, staring nkly at the tiles beneath my feet. "She remembered me..."

    The nurse touched my arm gently, her face etched with a sense of urgency. "I¡¯m sorry, please remember your promise. I am risking a lot by telling you all this"

    Did I hurt her so much that she refused to acknowledge me when she woke up?

    She doesn¡¯t even want me to be with her despite carrying my child.

    And the people I call my friends all ganged up against me.

    They all lied to me.

    My knees nearly buckled from the weight of the truth but there wasn¡¯t a ce for weakness, soI forced myself upright, clinging to the only thought that kept me breathing.

    Getting her back, no matter what.

    But before I could even find the words to thank the nurse, there was an urgent rush of footsteps heading our way.

    A very familiar figure was rushing down the hallway with his eyes darting everywhere.

    Jasper.

    My blood boiled instantly and my hands clenched until my nails dug into my palms.

    "Kendrick" he said with a forced smile as he got closer .

    "What are you doing here?" he asked when he saw that I didn¡¯t reply to him.

    I just stared at him in anger as he continued to smile like an idiot, he had the guts to lie to me over and over again.

    The nurse quickly ran away before I could even react.

    Jasper¡¯s eyes narrowed, flicking from me to the retreating nurse.

    "If you were sick, you could have called me. You didn¡¯t need toe here yourself." he said with a sheepish smile.

    The audacity of him

    The way he still pretended snapped something inside me.

    Before he could utter another word, my fist collided with his jaw.

    The sound of my punch colliding with his face echoed down the hall, sending him stumbling back against the wall with a grunt.

    His eyes red wide with shock and blood smeared his lip as he wiped it with the back of his hand, ring at me with a mixture of anger and disbelief.

    "Why would you hit me all of a sudden? What¡¯s wrong with you?," he growled, pushing himself upright.

    "You lied to me," I said through gritted teeth as I stepped forward and slowly advanced towards him.

    "You told me she had amnesia and that she didn¡¯t remember. But the truth is that all this time, she remembered everything. And she was pregnant with my child!." I yelled angrily at him.

    The color drained from his face.

    For the first time, Jasper didn¡¯t have words ready to cut me down. He just stood there frozen, as I exposed his lies.

    The silence between us was deafening, broken only by the pounding of my heart in my ears and I could.

    Finally, he exhaled sharply, his shoulders sagging as he muttered "It was what Christy wanted."

    Rage consumed me.

    I didn¡¯t think, didn¡¯t hesitate as my fist mmed into his face again, harder this time. He staggered, clutching his cheek, blood dripping from his nose.

    "What she wanted?" I roared, my voice echoing in the quiet hallway.

    "I don¡¯t believe that you had nothing to do with her decision. Did you advise her as my friend to give me a chance? Did you try to persuade her? What exactly did you do?" I asked him angrily.

    Jasper spat blood onto the floor, ring up at me through swollen eyes.

    "You don¡¯t understand, the Lancaster family would never let you near her. This was the only way, If you think they¡¯ll let you back into her life, you¡¯re a fool."he said with a serious expression.

    His words made my blood boil even more intensely as I stepped closer to him.

    "I don¡¯t give a damn what the Lancaster family thinks," I hissed.

    "I don¡¯t care about their rules or their lies. She is mine and so is the child as well. And nothing, not you, not her family, not the entire damn world will keep me from her." I said with a determined tone.

    Jasper¡¯s jaw tightened, but I didn¡¯t wait for his reply. My rage had reached its breaking point, and if I stayed, I might kill him.

    I shoved past him, storming down the corridor with fire zing in my veins. My footsteps echoed in the quiet hallway and my chest heaved with every breath.

    This wasn¡¯t over.

    I would get Christy back.

    No matter what it cost.

    And as the hospital doors slid open before me, the night air crashing against my face, I swore it to myself:

 Chapter 51 - FIFTY-ONE: I Had No Choice

    <h4>Chapter 51: Chapter FIFTY-ONE: I Had No Choice</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    The walls of my room felt like they were closing in on me, suffocating me with every breath I took.

    I couldn¡¯t stop pacing from the window to the bed, back and forth like a trapped animal, my bare feet brushing across the polished floor while my chest rose and fell too quickly.

    My hands trembled as they brushed over my nightdress and tangled in my hair, and I couldn¡¯t stop reying Jasper¡¯s words in my mind.

    "Kendrick went to the hospital to investigate the truth."

    He had said it in a strained tone, trying to keep me calm, but it had the opposite effect.

    Those words pierced me deeper than any de, because I knew what that meant. If Kendrick went there, if he cornered the right person, then the wall of lies my family and I had built to keep him out would crumble in seconds.

    The truth.

    My legs buckled as I sank onto the edge of the bed, pressing my shaking palms over my face as I tried to block it all out.

    My heart wouldn¡¯t slow down, it kept thundering inside me, each beat screaming that my secret wasn¡¯t safe anymore.

    He was determined, I knew him too well. Kendrick never let go once he had a target. If he found out...

    A sob lodged in my throat and I swallowed it down. No, I couldn¡¯t cry, not now.

    Crying would only make me weaker, and I was already breaking apart.

    I forced myself up, stumbling to the mirror across the room. My reflection looked pale, wild-eyed, like a ghost of myself.

    My fingers pressed against the ss as I whispered, "He can¡¯t know. He can¡¯t..."

    The phone on my dresser rang, jolting me out of my thoughts and I quickly rushed to get it.

    My chest felt extremely stuffy when I saw Jasper¡¯s name shing on the screen and my hand shook as I picked it up, pressing it to my ear.

    "Christy, listen to me. He knows. Kendrick knows everything." He said with a panicked and urgent voice.

    His words made my knees go weak and hit the floor as his words kept reying in my head and the phone almost slipped from my hand as my heart caved in.

    My breath came in sharp, shallow bursts, and I pressed the phone tighter against my ear as if I could somehow strangle the words before they reached me.

    "No... no, he can¡¯t. Jasper, please tell me you¡¯re lying....Tell me you arrived just in time to stop him."

    "I tried," Jasper muttered, his voice low and heavy.

    <fnb4c8> Th?s chapter is updated by F?nd-Novel</fnb4c8>

    "But he found the nurse that took care of you. He probably paid her off, she told him everything. The pregnancy, the memory loss ... all of it." he said with a frustrated sigh.

    My stomach turned and bile rose in my throat.

    "He knows you remember, Christy and he knows the child was his." he added when he didn¡¯t hear my voice after a few seconds.

    His words shattered me.

    I gasped in frustration as his words sank into my mind, I could not imagine facing him again and I don¡¯t think I had the courage to face him either.

    "No... oh God, no."I cried softly, trying to make sure my voice wasn¡¯t too loud so as not to disturb everyone.

    "Christy, listen," Jasper¡¯s voice hardened with urgency.

    "He is furious, he even attacked me at the hospital, he nearly killed me. He swore he would get you back no matter what. You need to stay calm and listen to your family. Don¡¯t let him near you." he warned with a worried voice.

    I hung up before he could say more as I couldn¡¯t take it.

    My fingers slipped from the phone and it ttered onto the floor. I clutched my chest, rocking back and forth, whispering over and over, "He knows... he knows... he knows."

    The room blurred through my tears, my panic consuming me so fully that I didn¡¯t even notice when the door burst open.

    "Christy!" My mother¡¯s voice cracked as she rushed in, her face pale with dread.

    "It¡¯s Kelvin... " She said with a panicked voice without noticing my current state.

    Her words tangled together with my thoughts and I could not understand until I tried to focus on her. I slowly wiped my tears and my hair that was clinging to my damp cheeks.

    "What about Kelvin?"I asked her in confusion.

    My father appeared in the doorway, his usuallyposed face dark with a fury I had never seen before. There was no trace of the caring father I have known for weeks now.

    His fists were clenched, his jaw rigid, and his voice shook when he said "The military police took him."

    I just sat there in confusion as his words sank in.

    "What?" My voice broke, weak and desperate.

    "They stormed into the base this morning," my father continued through gritted teeth,

    "Dragged him out like a criminal. They¡¯re using him of taking bribes during hisst mission." he said after a pause.

    He was probably too upset and had to breathe.

    My head spun after hearing the sudden news and it didn¡¯t make any sense.

    "That¡¯s a lie right? The brother that I have known so far can¡¯t do something like that. He is always so disciplined and upright" I said with a frown.

    My mother grabbed my arms, her nails digging into my skin as tears streaked her face.

    "He says he didn¡¯t take money, but... he admits he helped because the man used is his girlfriend¡¯s brother." she exined.

    Now, it made sense, I knew he would never take bribes.

    I staggered back, staring at them both

    "So he didn¡¯t do it for himself, he... he did it for her?"I asked them.

    My father¡¯s voice thundered. "That doesn¡¯t matter! Lots of people in the military have been waiting for an excuse to destroy us, and now they have it."

    He mmed his fist into the wall so hard the sound made me flinch.

    "The Lancasters have enemies in every shadow, and now they¡¯ll use my own son to break us." he said furiously.

    I clutched my head with both hands, panic tearing me apart in two directions as so much was going on in my head.

    Kendrick knew the truth and now my brother was trapped in a web of power and lies so much bigger than him.

    "What do we do?" My voice cracked as I looked at them helplessly.

    My father¡¯s silence was worse than his anger as his eyes shifted to my mother, then back to me, filled with something I hadn¡¯t seen in him before.

    defeat.

    He seemed to have no way of getting Kelvin out and has probably tried all he knew.

    "We¡¯ve tried everything," my mother whispered.

    "We called in every favor, every friend, but they all refused because they are afraid of being tainted by Kelvin¡¯s name."she exined with tears streaming down her face.

    I shook my head violently.

    "There has to be someone that can help... There has to be!" I yelled in frustration.

    "There is," my father muttered atst, his voice low, bitter. "But you won¡¯t like it."

    My chest froze as a particr name came to my mind when I saw his hesitant expression.

    "Who?" I asked with an anxious voice.

    His eyes locked on mine, heavy and unyielding. "Kendrick."

    The name struck me like a whip, and I stumbled back.

    "No.... No, absolutely not." I shook my head repeatedly.

    "He¡¯s the only one who can pull strings with the generals," my father said, his tone sharp.

    "He has ties through his grandfather that no one else dares to cross. If anyone can clear Kelvin¡¯s name, it¡¯s him." he exined in a bid to convince me.

    My mother¡¯s sobs filled the room, her hands sped together as if in prayer. "Christy, please, we have no other choice."

    I backed away, shaking my head until my hair whipped around my face.

    "You don¡¯t understand, he knows! He knows everything, and if I go to him now..." I tried exining but my father raised his hand to stop me.

    "Then use it," my father snapped, his eyes zing.

    "If he wants you back, if he wants his child... then let him earn it by saving Kelvin. For just this once, put your family above your fear." he said with a determined tone.

    My hands trembled against my sides, and my heart felt like it was bleeding inside my chest.

    Go to Kendrick.

    The thought itself made me sick. To stand in front of him after all the lies, it felt like walking into a fire naked, exposing every wound I had tried to hide.

    But Kelvin¡¯s face shed in my mind, his soft smile. He didn¡¯t deserve this and definitely doesn¡¯t deserve to rot in a cell because of an issue that could be solved.

    I pressed a fist against my mouth, muffling the sob that was threatening toe out.

    I didn¡¯t want to see Kendrick but my brother¡¯s life weighed heavier than my pride, heavier than my fear.

    And I knew then whether I liked it or not, I had no choice.

    I would have to go to Kendrick.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 52 - FIFTY-TWO: The Man in Control

    <h4>Chapter 52: Chapter FIFTY-TWO: The Man in Control</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The city stretched endlessly below me as the elevator doors slid open to the top floor of the ck Group.

    <fn5703> Updates are released by f?ndnovel</fn5703>

    Floor-to-ceiling windows curved around the office like a crown of ss, catching the sun¡¯s reflection and throwing it across the polished marble floors. The skyline glittered, sharp and merciless, and for the first time in years, I felt like it belonged to me.

    My grandfather¡¯s words made me realize that I had really let him down. After wasting years traveling to find a cure to my condition, I returned and made myself a weakling that anyone could bully.

    They all forgot who I am and it is time I reminded them.

    The air in my office was cold with the scent of leather and steel hanging in it.

    I looked at the ck oak desk which my grandfather had custom made for me when I took over thepany.

    Behind it, I could see the city clearly, the floor-to-ceiling windows made it feel more surreal.

    I shrugged off my coat andid it across the arm of the chair. My tie was knotted tight against my throat, but I weed the restriction, it reminded me of control.

    I pressed the inte.

    "Send Curtis in."

    I ordered coldly and within seconds, the ss doors opened.

    Curtis came with a deep frown on his face, he was dressed in an expensive suit as usual and was acting like I had disturbed him by calling him over.

    I just kept observing every single one of his expressions and he was also doing the same.

    " What¡¯s with the sudden invitation?" He asked with a nonchnt expression.

    I didn¡¯t bother to reply to his nonsensical question. I slid a folder across the desk toward him, my gaze never leaving his face.

    "Open it." I ordered with an authoritative tone.

    He hesitated, then flipped it open.

    Numbers, Transfers and Shell ounts. His embezzlementy bare in ck and white.

    His face was drained of color immediately and I saw a sh of panic.

    "I don¡¯t... this isn¡¯t..." he stuttered with a panic expression.

    "Don¡¯t bother making up any excuses." I cut him off instantly.

    "For years, you have siphoned money, thinking no one would notice. While I was distracted, you fattened yourself like the leech that you are, but that ends now." I said with a tone of finality.

    "Kendrick, you can¡¯t do this because father would never let you do anything to me" he said with a smug expression as he flung the folder back on the desk.

    "Father?" I leaned forward, my palms pressing into the desk.

    " Why don¡¯t I remember having a father? You have been given everything by my grandfather and yet you betray the verypany that feeds you because of greed. You disgust me." I said with a disgusted tone as I stared at him.

    The words hit him hard as his face immediately twisted with restrained rage.

    "I actually have a right to thispany because my father has invested years of hard work into it" he argued angrily.

    "You¡¯re fired and security will escort you out. If you resist, I¡¯ll press charges. And Curtis¡ª" I paused, letting the silence dig into him.

    "Pray you never cross me again" I said with a smirk and his face changed and I could finally see the emotion that I really wanted to see on his face.

    Fear.

    His knees almost buckled. For a moment, I thought he might beg, but when he saw the fire in my eyes, he turned and walked out without another word. The sound of the ss door mming shut behind him was the sweetest note I had heard in years.

    One snake down.

    I exhaled slowly, adjusting my cuffs. Power didn¡¯t just taste sweet... it was intoxicating.

    But my victory was short-lived. The door mmed open again, harder this time.

    Raymond.

    He stormed in without knocking, his face red, his chest heaving.

    His usually slick ck hair was disheveled, and his suit wrinkled from anger. He looked at me like I was still the fragile boy he could bully as he pleased. He was about to learn how wrong he was.

    "What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing, Kendrick?" His voice was thundered.

    "You fired Curtis without consulting me? You undermine decades of loyalty? You think you can just.... "He continued ranting loudly.

    "Yes," I interrupted coolly, leaning back in my chair.

    "That¡¯s exactly what I think." I replied him with a smirk.

    His eyes widened as he wasn¡¯t used to being cut off by me.

    "You ungrateful brat¡ª" He mmed his fist on the desk.

    "I have worked in thispany and I bled for it. You dare to treat your brother.. "he continued.

    "Thispany was built by my grandfather, you are just a shameless man that got married to my mother to be rich," I snapped, as I got up from my chair.

    "You and your dogs thought I would stay silent forever. But I¡¯m not that boy anymore and I see through your games."My voice rose, cold and sharp

    His nostrils red in anger .

    "Watch your tongue, Kendrick. You¡¯re still nothing without me. Without my name, my connections, you¡¯re a ghost." he yelled angrily.

    A bitterugh slipped past my lips. "Funny. I thought I was nothing without my mother too but look at me now." I said with a mocking voice which made him stunned.

    The moment I mentioned my mother, his expression faltered but he quicklyposed himself.

    I stepped closer, lowering my voice to a de¡¯s edge. "You¡¯ve hidden behind power for so long, you forgot what truth feels like. So let me remind you that Celeste is pregnant with your child."

    The color drained from his face and I would have punched him at this moment but I held back as I couldn¡¯t let my emotions control me ever again.

    I saw in his eyes the fear, the shame, the secret he thought he had buried so deep no one could ever dig it out.

    But I had and now it was a weapon that I can use against him.

    "You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about," he growled, but his voice cracked.

    "Oh, I know." I circled him slowly, like a predator.

    "I know everything, Raymond. Every lie, every betrayal and the world will know too, if you ever try to cross me again." I warned him with a smirk.

    He clenched his jaw so tight I thought it might snap. "You wouldn¡¯t dare."

    "Try me." I said with a smile.

    "You have three days to get your little pregnant mistress out of that house or else everyone will know your little secret" I threatened him with a smile.

    The silence stretched, thick with his rage and my certainty. Finally, he spun on his heel and stormed toward the door.

    At the threshold, he paused. "This isn¡¯t over, Kendrick."

    "It is for you," I said softly.

    And then he was gone.

    The office hummed with victory. Two enemies down in a single morning. But the adrenaline that rushed through me wasn¡¯t clean. Beneath the triumph, a shadow lingered.

    Christy.

    Her name never leaves my mouth and despite all my control, she was the one weakness I couldn¡¯t scrub from my soul.

    Even here, at the pinnacle of power, her face haunted me. The way her eyes had widened the night of the party. The way she had trembled. The way she had looked at me like I was the one that had pushed her back into hell.

    I clenched my fists, forcing her back into the back of my mind. There was no room for softness now.

    The door opened again, this time quietly. Evans stepped in, his expression calm, his posture sharp as always.

    "Mr. ck," he said, cing a tablet on my desk. "News just broke, Kelvin Lancaster has been arrested."

    I allowed myself a small smile. "Good. How are they reacting?"

    "Panic," Evans said simply. "The Lancasters are scrambling. Their enemies are taking the opportunity to harm them and Politicians are already distancing themselves. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the entire house crumbles."

    I nodded, my gaze drifting back to the skyline. "And Christy?"

    Evans hesitated. "She¡¯lle to you. Sooner than you think. You¡¯re the only one who can save her brother."

    The words twisted something deep inside me. Half of me wanted her to beg. The other half wanted to pull her into my arms and erase her fear.

    I pressed a hand to my temple. "Leave me."

    Evans bowed slightly and left.

    The silence returned, but it wasn¡¯t peaceful this time but chaos disguised as calm.

    I sat at my desk, staring at the city again. Power was mine and so was my revenge on Raymond and the others. But victory felt hollow without her.

    My phone suddenly buzzed.

    I nced at the screen and it was an unknown number.

    I lifted it to my ear. "Hello?"

    Nothing Only breathing, shallow and trembling.

    My chest tightened as I took in a deep breath.

    "Christy," I whispered.

    The line went dead.

    And for the first time all day, my mask cracked.

 Chapter 53 - FIFTY-THREE: Keep Your Eyes On Her

    <h4>Chapter 53: Chapter FIFTY-THREE: Keep Your Eyes On Her</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    My thumb hovered over the screen as I stared at it with mixed emotions.

    I had already hung up.

    I panicked the second I heard his voice, the way he said my name with so much gentleness like I still belonged to him.

    My chest was rising too fast, my lungs felt painful with every breath, my whole body trembling as though Kendrick had reached through the phone and touched me.

    I just continued staring at the screen, unsure of what to do.

    Was I ready to face him again?

    Should I call him back?

    I couldn¡¯t think straight and the silence in my room felt suffocating and it was like the walls were closing in on me.

    Then a sudden vibration brought me out of my thoughts.

    My phone lit up again and his name wasn¡¯t there, but I knew it was him. I felt it before I even checked the number.

    My heart dropped to my stomach.

    The phone kept vibrating and it felt louder in my head than reality.

    I still didn¡¯t know if I should pick or not but I remembered Kelvin¡¯s situation and I could not be selfish. So with shaking hands, I answered.

    I didn¡¯t get a chance to breathe, didn¡¯t even get the chance to say "hello."

    "Christy," his voice rushed through the line, rough and urgent, yet so heartbreakingly tender. "Don¡¯t hang up..please."

    I froze, the sound of his voice settling over me like a storm I had been holding back for too long.

    "I¡¯m sorry," he said quickly, almost desperately.

    "I¡¯m sorry for what happened to you. I¡¯m sorry for making you scared, I¡¯m sorry for hurting you and I don¡¯t me you.. God, I don¡¯t me you for protecting yourself." he apologized quickly and I could feel the sincerity in his voice.

    Tears stung my eyes before I could stop them. My lips parted, but no words came out.

    "You don¡¯t have to exin anything to me, not now and not ever," he continued, voice steady but breaking slightly.

    "You¡¯re allowed to lie if it keeps you safe. Even about the baby, I don¡¯t hate you for it. I could never hate you." he said with an understanding and caring voice.

    Hisst words broke down my strong walls and for a long time, I felt truly understood.

    My hand flew to my mouth as a sob ripped out of my throat. It was filled with so much suppressed pain and heartaches.

    The dam inside me broke, and everything I¡¯d been burying, the guilt, the shame, the longing, all spilled out in choking gasps.

    I pressed the phone harder against my ear, like I needed him close enough to touch.

    He didn¡¯t say anything else, just breathed with me, steady and patient, grounding me through my breakdown.

    He didn¡¯t hang up and he didn¡¯t rush me.

    He just waited.

    I don¡¯t know how long I cried, but when my voice finally returned, it came out in a rasp.

    "Kendrick..." I called his name slowly.

    "Hmm" He hummed softly.

    "I... I need your help" I whispered with a hesitant voice.

    I have a lot of things to say to him but Kelvin¡¯s issue was more pressing.

    "They arrested Kelvin a few days ago." My words shook, each syble made it hard for me to breathe.

    "He is being used of taking bribes during a mission, my family has done everything to save him but nothing worked, so I was wondering if you could help" I said with a slightly pleading tone.

    There was silence on the other end, all I could hear was his soft breathing.

    "Why do you think I can help?" He asked me and I just kept quiet.

    I couldn¡¯t tell him that my parents had asked me to call him despite all they had done to prevent him from seeing me.

    "I remember Mason has connections and so does your father and grandfather. The only person that can help is my grandfather" he said when I didn¡¯t say anything.

    "So you can¡¯t help?" I asked him with an anxious voice.

    "You know that I will always help as far as you are concerned. I hate seeing you sad and worried" he replied and I sighed in relief.

    "I will talk to my grandfather and also use my own connections" he assured.

    "Okay, thank you" I said with a grateful voice.

    "Christy about us" he said then paused.

    I didn¡¯t know what to say to him, so I just kept quiet again.

    "Christy," he said finally.

    "Meet me tonight, We will talk in person as it isn¡¯t something we should discuss on the phone." he suggested with a deep sigh.

    My chest tightened and a thousand rms rang in my head, but my heart silenced them all.

    "Okay," I whispered.

    "I¡¯lle." I said with a determined tone.

    I needed to clear up all the misunderstandings and heartbreaks in the past. I can¡¯t be selfish and let my child grow without a proper home.

    "Good." His breath brushed against the line like he was closer than he should have been.

    "Send me the ce, and I¡¯ll be there." he said with a slightly excited voice.

    I nodded even though he couldn¡¯t see me, my tears still dripping onto the sheets.

    "Thank you." I said while slowly wiping my tears.

    "Don¡¯t thank me, Just... don¡¯t shut me out again." he said before hanging up.

    The call ended, and I sat there with my phone clutched to my chest while my body was still trembling.

    I don¡¯t know why, but I felt extremely lighterpared to thest few weeks.

    *****

    Mira¡¯s POV

    I had pressed myself t against Christy¡¯s room door, so I could hear everything she was saying.

    The second Christy¡¯s voice cracked on the phone, I knew something was wrong and when she said Kelvin¡¯s arrest and I need your help?.

    Oh, I nearly gasped out loud.

    Kendrick.

    Of course it was Kendrick, the man she tried so hard to pretend she hated, the man who still owned her no matter how much she lied about it.

    I slipped away before she could hear me and shut myself into my room, my lips curled in a smile.

    Pulling my phone out, I dialed a number I had sworn I wouldn¡¯t touch unless absolutely necessary.

    She picked up on the second ring.

    "Hello Ma," I whispered quickly.

    "It¡¯s me, Mira" I introduced myself quickly.

    There was a pause.

    "What do you want?" she asked me with a cold tone that made me hesitate a little.

    My mother had given me her number and asked me to call her if I ever needed help. I just know she is Kendrick¡¯s mother, who had just returned after years of being missing.

    "I thought you should know..." I let the words drip slowly, savoring them.

    "Christy is nning to meet Kendrick tonight. She called him for help and she¡¯s running back to him, and he¡¯s letting her." I informed her with an excited grin.

    The silence on the line turned heavy as she seemed to be grasping my words slowly.

    "Are you certain?" Her voice was so cold it made me shiver.

    "Yes," I said sweetly. "I heard it with my own ears, she begged him to save Kelvin. He told her to meet him and she agreed."

    A sharp inhale on the other end, followed by her cold words.

    "Keep your eyes on her and don¡¯t let her out of your sight. Just leave the rest... to me." she said before hanging up.

    The line went dead, but I was grinning.

    I tucked my phone away and sauntered out, humming under my breath.

    The universe really was too good sometimes.

    And then, there was a sudden knock.

    I turned, already knowing who it was.

    Jasper stood there, looking tired, worried, his eyes darting past me toward Christy¡¯s door.

    "Is she okay?" he asked quickly, his voice soft, concerned, like some knight trying to save a damsel who would never notice him.

    I leaned against the doorframe and smirked. "Aw, Jasper, I always knew you were embarrassingly stupid, look how devoted you are to someone who doesn¡¯t care about you." I said to him with a mocking smile.

    His brows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

    I tilted my head, enjoying the way he stiffened when I leaned closer.

    "You really think Christy¡¯s ever going to love you? She doesn¡¯t even see you and while you sit here, hoping for her to notice you, she¡¯s already making ns with Kendrick." I said with a sneer.

    His face paled, anger shing across it. "What did you just say?"

    "Oh, you didn¡¯t know?" I chuckled, the sound dripping with cruelty. "She called and begged him to help save Kelvin. So they are meeting tonight. Guess who she runs to when she¡¯s scared? Not you, Jasper and it will never be you." I mocked him with a smirk.

    His fists clenched at his sides.

    Iughed again, louder this time, savoring the way his eyes darkened.

    "You¡¯re nothing but a distraction for her. And now you get to watch her crawl back to the man who will always own her." I said and that seemed to have hit him hard.

    His nostrils red, his jaw tight, and without another word, he spun on his heel and stormed down the hall.

    I watched him go, biting back moreughter until it burst out of me.

    He didn¡¯t even check on her because he couldn¡¯t bear it.

    And Iughed until my sides ached.

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    Because watching him break? That was almost as sweet as watching her fall.

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 Chapter 54 - FIFTY-FOUR: You Disgusting Snake

    <h4>Chapter 54: Chapter FIFTY-FOUR: You Disgusting Snake</h4>

    Celeste¡¯s POV

    My legs wouldn¡¯t stop moving back and forth, across my room, the heels of my slippers scraping against the marble until the sound grated on my own nerves.

    My heart was racing so fast as I now felt some regrets regarding forcing my way into this scheming family.

    The phone call from my father reyed in my head like a broken record, making me even more nervous.

    "Kendrick is crushing us, Celeste. Suppressing thepany, blocking contracts, strangling us from every angle. He¡¯s moving against us and his aim might be to bankrupt us."

    I had clutched the phone so tightly my nails left marks in my palm.

    At this point, I had a feeling that he might already know the truth about my pregnancy.

    He will definitely do everything to prove that he had no rtionship with me just to be with Christy.

    And now, he wasn¡¯t just ignoring me and acting like I was invisible, he was destroying everything connected to my name. My family¡¯spany, my father¡¯s legacy, everything we had built was being strangled because of me.

    Because Kendrick finally saw through the illusion I had worked so hard to build.

    I dug my nails into my scalp, letting out a shaky breath. Fear pressed down on my chest like a weight I couldn¡¯t lift.

    But fear wasn¡¯t the only thing burning through me. I felt immense anger that made my blood boil.

    How dare he?

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    How dare he expose me, humiliate me, punish me like this, when all I ever did was love him? Did he think he could just humiliate me and tear my life apart, and walk away?

    Not when I still have his father wrapped around my finger.

    It was about time I changed my target.

    I couldn¡¯t sit still any longer. My fists clenched as I stormed out of my room and down the hall, each step echoing in the silence. My chest was heaving when I reached Raymond¡¯s study, and without even knocking, I shoved the door open.

    Raymond sat behind his mahogany desk, papers scattered in front of him, but the calm mask he wore cracked the moment he saw me.

    His brows knitted, and his lips parted in irritation.

    "Celeste," he muttered, voice low andced with a warning.

    "Do you know what time... "

    "I don¡¯t care what time it is," I snapped, mming the door shut behind me.

    "I just got off the phone with my father, Kendrick is suppressing ourpany. He¡¯s ruining everything, and you¡¯re just sitting here?" My voice trembled with rage, but I forced it to steady.

    His eyes flickered, but he stayed maddeningly calm.

    His calmness only fueled my rage.

    "Do something, Raymond! Force him to stop. Force him to marry me like we nned. He won¡¯t dare go against you if I¡¯m his wife." I yelled at him angrily.

    Raymond leaned back in his chair, his jaw tightening. For a moment the study fell into silence then, he slowly shook his head.

    "There¡¯s nothing I can do," he said with a frustrated sigh.

    I blinked, my breath hitching.

    "What did you just say?" I asked him as I couldn¡¯t process his words for a few seconds.

    His gaze darkened.

    "Kendrick already knows the truth about your pregnancy," he said, confirming my earlier suspicion.

    My stomach lurched violently, and my nails dug into the wood of his desk as I leaned forward.

    "He... what?" The word slipped out as barely a whisper.

    Raymond sighed, running a hand through his hair.

    "He knows the baby isn¡¯t his, so we can¡¯t use it to manipte him anymore. He is hellbent on not marrying you." he said while massaging his temple.

    It felt like the world tilted and my chest tightened so sharply I thought I might faint.

    No... No, this couldn¡¯t be happening.

    Even though I knew deep down that it would happen someday, I didn¡¯t expect it to so soon.

    All the lies, the nights I spent carefully weaving my ns, the tears I shed, the maniptions I crafted were all wasted?

    I staggered back a step, shaking my head furiously. "No...No, you¡¯re lying, he can¡¯t know... He can¡¯t!"

    I didn¡¯t want to believe it, why can¡¯t everything go ording to my ns.

    "Celeste," Raymond said, his tone almost pitiful.

    "It¡¯s over...he really knows." he said again, probably to make me face reality.

    I mmed my fist down on his desk, the sound was sharp in the silent study.

    "Then make him forget! Do something, Raymond! You promised... "I yelled while trembling in rage.

    "I promised nothing," he cut me off sharply, his patience snapping.

    "You used Kendrick to enter into this family. We had a deal which benefits the both of us and now it isn¡¯t going as nned, so we must bear the loss. There¡¯s nothing we can do at this point to salvage." he said with a serious expression.

    My vision blurred with hot tears, but I refused to let them fall. Desperation wed at me, twisting into something darker.

    Fine! .

    If Kendrick was out of my reach, then I would im what I still had.

    I straightened, breathing hard, my voice shaking but fierce.

    "Then give me a status here, a proper position as the mother of your unborn child, Raymond. That means I¡¯m not just some woman on the side, I¡¯m the mother of your bloodline. Treat me as such." I demanded.

    The words left me in a rush,ced with venom and desperation. I wasn¡¯t even sure I believed them fully, but I knew they could tie him down.

    The moment the words left my mouth, the air in the room shifted.

    Because from the corner of my eye, I caught a movement.

    My heart stuttered when I turned and there she was.

    Sameen.

    Standing in the doorway, her face frozen, her eyes wide with shock and then narrowing with a fury I had never seen in my life.

    For a split second, the study fell into a deep silence

    "You," she whispered, her voice low and trembling.

    "You disgusting snake." she said while pointing at me with a trembling finger.

    Her gaze cut to Raymond, before snapping back to me.

    "You¡¯ve been sleeping with my husband?!" she questioned me angrily.

    My stomach dropped, but instinct made me lift my chin defiantly.

    "Aunty Sameen... "

    She didn¡¯t let me finish before she lunged at me.

    The force of her body mmed me back against the desk. Her nails raked across my shoulder, tearing my clothes and skin. Pain shot through me, and I cried out, struggling to push her off.

    "You whore!" she shrieked, her voice breaking with fury.

    "In my house? With my husband?!" she yelled while pulling on my hair.

    Her hands tangled in my hair, yanking so hard my scalp burned. I wed at her arms, shoving, kicking, but she was relentless.

    The room exploded in chaos, papers scattering, ss shattering as we crashed against the shelves.

    "Stop it!" Raymond roared, but his voice barely reached us.

    Sameen shoved me back, and I stumbled, mming against the edge of the desk. My hip throbbed, but adrenaline kept me moving. Ished out, my palm cracking across her face.

    Her head snapped to the side, and for one wild second, I thought she might stop.

    But instead, her rage deepened.

    She screamed again and shoved me with all her strength.

    My body reeled backward, out of the study and into the hall.

    And then my foot slipped and the world tilted.

    The staircase was just behind me and Raina was rushing up the stairs.

    "No!" The scream tore from my throat as I iled, but there was nothing to grab.

    My body fell backward, crashing down the stairs. Each impact stole the air from my lungs,

    thud

    crack

    m

    "Oh my gosh, Celeste!" Raina¡¯s shocked scream came from below.

    As the pain radiated through my body, my vision first turned white then red.

    When I finally hit the marble floor below, there was a sudden silence.

    And then, I felt a warmth spreading between my thighs, soaking the fabric of my dress.

    Blood.

    I clutched at my belly, panic flooding me in waves.

    "No... no... no... please.. " I cried in fear of losing my baby.

    I could hear footsteps pounding down the stairs and Raymond¡¯s frantic voice filled the air.

    "Celeste!"

    He was at my side in seconds, his hands trembling as he tried to lift me. His face was pale and his eyes were wild with fear.

    Behind him, Sameen stood frozen at the top of the stairs, her face pale with shock.

    "You... " Raymond¡¯s voice broke as he turned to her, fury zing in his eyes.

    "Father, why are you ring at mother? What does Celeste¡¯s fall have to do with her?" Raina asked with a confused voice as she squatted down beside me with a pale face.

    But Raymond ignored her and continued ring at Sameen.

    "If anything happens to this child, I will divorce you!" he roared angrily at her.

    "Do you hear me, Sameen?! I will end everything between us!" he yelled again.

    Sameen¡¯s hand flew to her face, her eyes wide and glistening, but Raymond didn¡¯t wait for her reply.

    He scooped me into his arms, my blood staining his shirt as my sobs ripped through the air.

    "Hold on," he muttered desperately, his voice breaking as he rushed for the door with Raina trailing behind.

    "Hold on, Celeste. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you or our child." he said and I saw Raina¡¯s shocked expression as she stopped in her tracks and turned towards her mother.

    My vision blurred, the world fading in and out, but one thought pulsed through me even as pain consumed my body.

    Even while bleeding and broken, I had won something tonight.

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 Chapter 55 - FIFTY-FIVE: No One Is Going To Take My Position

    <h4>Chapter 55: Chapter FIFTY-FIVE: No One Is Going To Take My Position</h4>

    Sameen¡¯s POV

    The scream was still echoing when my world shattered.

    My eyes followed Celeste¡¯s body tumbling down the staircase in horror, every thud of her body against the marble stairs ripping through the silence like thunderps.

    Her cries, sharp and desperate, wed at the air until the final m cut her voice into a choked silence.

    For a moment, my mind refused to process what had just happened. My nails dug into the wooden frame of the study door and my lungs froze.

    My heart was hammering so loud it drowned out everything else.

    I didn¡¯t push her on purpose, it was an ident!

    I yelled in my head while staring at her, then I saw a line of red flowing from beneath her.

    Blood.

    I saw it bloom across her dress like spilled ink.

    Her shaking hands clutched her stomach, and when she screamed "No... no...please!"

    Something inside me twisted violently.

    Raymond rushed past me, his voice cracking with a desperation I had never heard before.

    He dropped to his knees beside her, his hands trembling as he gathered her broken body into his arms with a scared expression .

    "Celeste!" he shouted, in panic while staring at her blood stained dress.

    My throat dried up and my legs seemed to be rooted to the spot I was standing.

    No.... No, this wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.

    "Hold on, I won¡¯t let anything happen to you or our child," he cried, cradling her like she was made of ss and would break if he didn¡¯t hold her.

    Our... child.

    The words cut straight through me like knives, ripping through every illusion I had fought to build over the years.

    He hadn¡¯t even looked at me or he hadn¡¯t even thought of me.

    He had chosen her.

    My knees weakened, and I had to grip the doorframe tighter to stop myself from crumbling to the floor. My chest heaved, ragged breaths tearing out of me, but no sound followed.

    And then, as if the world wanted to drive the dagger deeper, I saw Raina¡¯s face.

    My daughter stood frozen halfway to the front door, her wide eyes darting from Celeste¡¯s blood-soaked body to Raymond¡¯s frantic expression, then up to me.

    She was scared and genuinely worried for her best friend until she heard her father¡¯s words.

    She was so shocked and when she finally snapped out of it, she ran up the stairs to where I was standing.

    Her lips parted and her voice was barely audible and shaking.

    "Mother... what¡¯s going on?" she asked me with a confused expression.

    Clearly not wanting to believe what she heard.

    I looked at Raymond¡¯s back as he barked orders to the servants, his shirt already stained with Celeste¡¯s blood as he rushed out, carrying her away.

    And just like that, the house was filled with chaos, as the servants footsteps, gasps and frantic shouts for help were heard. While I stood rooted in the doorway, watching everything slip through my fingers.

    Raina also turned to me then, her face pale, her chest rising and falling like she couldn¡¯t breathe.

    "Tell me the truth," she demanded, her voice trembling, but there was a sharpness in it that made my blood run cold.

    "Raina..." I tried, my voice cracking.

    Her hands curled into fists.

    "Is it true? Is Celeste carrying Father¡¯s child?" she asked with a trembling voice.

    My lips trembled, and for a moment, I considered lying and building another wall of deception like I always had.

    But when I looked at my daughter, the fire in her eyes, the betrayal written all over her young face, I knew the truth had already carved itself into her heart.

    Tears burned my eyes as the words slipped out, shattering everything.

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    "Yes." I whispered in despair.

    The silence that followed was worse than any scream.

    Raina stumbled back a step, her hand covering her mouth.

    "No... no, you can¡¯t... you can¡¯t be serious." she said while shaking her head in denial.

    "Raina, please..." I tried to touch her but she avoided my hand.

    Her head snapped up, fury zing now.

    "She¡¯s my best friend, Mother! My best friend! And all this time you let her sleep under our roof knowing she was carrying my father¡¯s child?" she questioned me angrily.

    Her voice cracked, pain breaking through the anger, but she didn¡¯t wait for me to respond. She just shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks.

    "You¡¯re disgusting," she spat. "You, her and father. All of you!" she yelled at me angrily.

    The words hit me harder than a p.

    "Raina, I wasn¡¯t aware of it, I just found out and got so angry. I control myself and that¡¯s why she ended up in her current state" I exined quickly.

    " What?! I took her as my best friend but she was busy fucking my father behind my back? That bitch has crossed the line and I will make her regret it! " she screamed, her voice breaking as she turned and stormed down the stairs.

    I staggered forward, reaching out as if I could stop her.

    "Raina, wait!"I called out but she didn¡¯t turn back.

    She mmed the front door behind her, leaving me standing at the top of the stairs with the echoes of her hatred burning in my ears.

    I was scared of her doing something to Celeste in anger.

    My legs gave out, and I copsed to the floor. The marble was cold against my knees, my hands shaking as I pressed them to my face.

    Everything... all my years of sacrifice, of wearing the perfect mask, of holding this family together despite all the whispers and secrets, it had all been for nothing.

    I had lost to a girl of my daughter¡¯s age and my husband¡¯s loyalty.

    A sob tore from my throat, raw and ugly. I couldn¡¯t stop crying, my chest heaving, my tears soaking into my palms.

    But then, as the tears fell, something inside me hardened.

    No.

    I couldn¡¯t fall apart, not now.

    I dragged myself to my room, shutting the door behind me with shaking hands. The silence inside pressed against my skull, heavy and suffocating.

    My reflection in the mirror looked like a stranger, mascara streaked, hair wild, eyes red and hollow.

    I stared at that woman, that broken, shattered woman... and I hated her.

    "No," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I won¡¯t lose and I won¡¯t lose everything I built."

    Snatching up my phone, I dialed a number with trembling fingers. It rang once before a low, male voice answered.

    "Hello?"

    "It¡¯s me," I whispered, my voice harsh from crying. "I need your help in dealing with Celeste Martinez, do you understand me? Make sure Celeste is erased from my life forever. I don¡¯t care how you do it. Just... make her disappear." I instructed angrily.

    The other person was mute for a few seconds, making me anxious.

    Then a chuckle. "Consider it done."

    I ended the call, my chest heaving. My tears hadn¡¯t stopped, but a fire now burned beneath them, scorching and unrelenting.

    I would not lose my position as Mrs ck.

    Not to Celeste and definitely not to anyone.

    But before I could wipe my face, the door to my room burst open.

    Slow, deliberate pping echoed through the room.

    I whipped my head around, my eyes widening as Lauretta, Kendrick¡¯s mother, walked in with that smug smile stered across her face.

    "Well, well, well," she drawled, her heels clicking against the marble.

    "How does it feel, Sameen? How does it feel to finally have your precious husband snatched away from you?" she asked me with a smug smile.

    Her words sliced through me like poisoned des.

    I staggered back, rage flooding me.

    "Shut up!" I shouted, my voice hoarse.

    She arched a brow, her smile widening.

    "Oh, don¡¯t get defensive now. We both know what you are, Sameen. A pitiful woman clinging to a man who never truly belonged to you. Look at you now, broken, crying and desperate." She mocked me.

    "Don¡¯t you dare!" I screamed, the sound ripping from deep inside me.

    Herughter was cruel, echoing around the room.

    "You act like you¡¯re some saint, but let¡¯s not forget that two years after everyone thought I was dead, you swooped in and married Raymond. How convenient." she said with a sarcastic smile.

    I froze, my nails digging into my palms.

    She tilted her head, eyes gleaming.

    "Tell me, Sameen... if you never had an affair with Raymond while I was still alive, then how did you exin Curtis? Hm? A child just one year younger than Kendrick? Do you really expect anyone to believe that was a coincidence?" she asked me.

    Her words hit me like hammer blows, my chest tightening, my breath catching.

    She knew.

    Her smugness deepened as she stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Everyone thinks you¡¯re the perfect wife but I know the truth and now, the whole world will too."

    For a moment, I thought I might copse again. But then something inside me snapped.

    I straightened, my tears still glistening, but my eyes zing now.

    "You think you¡¯ve won, Lauretta?" I hissed, my voice trembling with fury. "You think you¡¯ve cornered me? You don¡¯t know half of it."

    Her brows arched, curiosity flickering across her smug face.

    I took a step closer, my voice low and venomous.

    "Because I know about your deal with Raymond."

    The words hung in the air like a thunderp.

    Her smile faltered.

    For the first time tonight, it was her turn to freeze.

    And just like that, the power shifted.

 Chapter 56 - FIFTY-SIX: The Son Who Stood With Me

    <h4>Chapter 56: Chapter FIFTY-SIX: The Son Who Stood With Me</h4>

    Sameen¡¯s POV

    The words had barely left my mouth when Lauretta¡¯s lips curled into augh that was both mocking and sharp.

    She clearly didn¡¯t believe what I said as she looked at me with a smug expression.

    "You?" she scoffed, her heels clicking against the marble as she stepped closer.

    "Do you actually think you can scare me with your pathetic bluffing? Raymond would never ever do something so foolish because he knows better than to risk everything he¡¯s worked for all these years." she said with a mocking voice while sneering at me.

    Her voice echoed in the quiet room and I hated how smug she looked, like a queen standing above a beggar.

    But I didn¡¯t flinch, I will never give her the satisfaction of seeing me scared.

    My body still trembled, my mascara still streaked down my cheeks from all the crying earlier, but there was rage inside me that hadn¡¯t been there before and I clung to it like a weapon.

    I tilted my head, forcing a bitter smile onto my lips.

    "Oh, but he did, Lauretta. He told me himself" I said but she still refused to believe me and I didn¡¯t want to reveal all my cards and put my life in danger by saying what really happened.

    "One night... he drank too much and couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut, he ended up telling me everything." I added and I finally saw a slight change in her expression.

    Her smile faltered for just a second, and there was a flicker of doubt in her eyes but she quickly reced it with a sneer.

    "You¡¯re lying." she said coldly as her smug expression hadpletely vanished at this point.

    "Am I?" I whispered, taking a step closer.

    "Do you really want me to prove it? Should I tell your father? Should I watch his face when he realizes that the daughter he was most proud of and trusted made a deal so filthy it would disgrace the entire ck family name?" I asked her with a smirk and her eyes narrowed, the mask of perfection she was always wearing slipped just slightly.

    "Do you think your precious Kendrick can survive that storm? Do you think he can protect you or himself when his grandfather finds out?" I asked her with a lopsided grin as I watched her unable to refute me.

    The silence that followed was so heavy I could hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. Lauretta¡¯s jaw clenched and her hands curled into fists at her sides.

    And then sheughed again, but this time it wasn¡¯t mocking, it was sharp and venomous.

    "You ungrateful bitch," she spat.

    "You think you¡¯re so clever, don¡¯t you? But let me remind you of something, Sameen. Everything Raymond has, every penny, every property and every ounce of respect was given by me. I made him and put him where he is today." she said with a vicious expression that sent chills down my spine.

    She stepped closer, so close I could feel her breath on my face, then she just stared into my eyes.

    "And if you dare open your mouth, if you dare breathe one word of this to anyone.. I will tear it all away. I will drag both of you back to the streets where you belong. Don¡¯t test me, because I will do it without blinking." she threatened me and I tensed up.

    Yes, how could I have forgotten that everything belongs to her and the ck family.

    Raymond was just a poor man that got lucky and she could really throw us out if she wanted.

    But what was she waiting for?

    Her eyes burned into mine, daring me to challenge her.

    I swallowed hard, my nails digging into my palms until they almost drew blood. My body screamed at me to flinch, to back down, but I didn¡¯t.

    I didn¡¯t want to look weak and easy to bully.

    Lauretta gave a cold, satisfied smile at my silence.

    "That¡¯s what I thought," she said softly.

    Then, with onest vicious re, she spun on her heels and stormed out, the sound of the door mming echoing like a gunshot in the silent room.

    And just like that, the suffocating weight that shrouded me, finally lifted.

    For the first time all night, I could breathe.

    <fnbae4> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? find?novel</fnbae4>

    I leaned against the wall for support as my knees were weak and my heart was pounding.

    My entire body shook from the confrontation, but at least she was gone and wouldn¡¯t bother me for now.

    I closed my eyes, pressing my palms against my face, trying to steady myself.

    The silence was deafening after all the shouting, and for a brief, fragile moment, I let myself believe I had won something tonight.

    Knock knock!

    A sudden knock on the door shattered that fragile peace, followed by the sound of the door being pushed open.

    "Mother."

    Curtis¡¯s voice.

    I froze, my eyes snapping open.

    The door creaked open, and there he was, my son, the only support system I have.

    But tonight, he didn¡¯t look like my boy. He looked older and colder with his eyes filled with questions as he stared at my sorry state.

    He closed the door behind him and walked toward me slowly, his gaze never leaving my face.

    "Tell me the truth," he said tly without any of the usual pleasantries and small talk.

    "Is it true? Is Celeste really carrying Father¡¯s child?" he asked me through gritted teeth.

    The question stabbed me right in the chest.

    I opened my mouth, wanting to protect his feelings by lying But I couldn¡¯t.

    Not with the way he was staring at me with a demanding gaze.

    My lips trembled, tears burning behind my eyes.

    "Yes," I whispered.

    "It¡¯s true." I said amidst sobs.

    The silence that followed was so thick that I felt suffocated.

    Curtis¡¯s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. For a moment, I thought he might scream or break something. But instead, his voice came out low and terrifyingly calm.

    "Then we cannot allow that child to be born." he said coldly and his face didn¡¯t hold any emotion.

    It seemed more like he was talking about the weather.

    My eyes widened but then I sighed.

    I never wanted him to get his hands dirty, so I had always taken care of the dirty things but now it seems like he was no longer the innocent boy in my memories.

    He stepped closer, his gaze zing with a cold fury that sent shivers down my spine.

    "Do you understand, Mother? That child will ruin everything. It will take Father from you and will take our family¡¯s ce. It will destroy everything you have sacrificed for. I won¡¯t let that happen.... I won¡¯t let anyone take your position." he said with a determined tone.

    My heart broke and swelled at the same time.

    Tears finally spilled down my cheeks as I stumbled forward, throwing my arms around him. I buried my face in his chest, sobbing as he held me.

    "My son," I choked out, my body shaking.

    "My sweet boy... you¡¯re all I have left." I cried.

    He wrapped his arms around me tightly, strong and unyielding.

    "You¡¯re not alone, Mother. I will protect you and I will protect what¡¯s ours, I swear it." he swore while gently stroking my back.

    I cried harder, clinging to him like he was myst anchor in this drowning storm. For the first time tonight, I felt a shred offort and a flicker of safety in his arms.

    Slowly, my sobs began to calm, my body rxing against him. He held me until the tears finally slowed, his hand gently rubbing my back.

    And then, when my breathing had steadied, he spoke again.

    "There¡¯s something else," he said quietly.

    I pulled back slightly, wiping my swollen eyes, looking up at him. "What is it?"

    His eyes were sharp and calcting now.

    "Christy," he said then paused to look at me

    "We need her on our side," he concluded.

    I blinked in confusion.

    "Christy? The same Christy that I know?" I asked him with a frown.

    He nodded.

    "Yes, think about it. She¡¯s important to him and she¡¯s smarter than most people realize. If I can get close to her, and make her trust me, then we¡¯ll have leverage. Having her by our side will give us an advantage we can¡¯t afford to miss." he exined calmly.

    Having Christy on our side would automatically mean that the Lancaster family are on our side.

    I stared at him, stunned by the cold brilliance of his n.

    "Curtis..." I whispered, my voice trembling with both fear and admiration.

    "You will really do that?" I asked him.

    He gave a small, ruthless smile.

    "For you, Mother? For us? I would do anything." he said with a determined tone.

    And in that moment, as I stared into my son¡¯s determined eyes, I realized something chilling.

    Curtis was no longer just my little boy.

    He was my weapon.

    My partner.

    My salvation.

    And together, we would burn anyone who dared threaten our ce.

 Chapter 57 - FIFTY-SEVEN: Itéˆ¥æªš My Fatheréˆ¥æªš

    <h4>Chapter 57: Chapter FIFTY-SEVEN: It¡¯s My Father¡¯s</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The sound of my phone buzzing was the only thing I could hear after hours of silence.

    I didn¡¯t even look up at first. I was buried in so much work, I had so many ns to review and sign, all the tedious things that came with holding thepany steady.

    But the second I saw the name shing across the screen, my lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile.

    "Speak," I said coolly, sliding the call to my ear.

    The person calling was the ck family¡¯s butler. Grandpa has been away for a reunion with his friends.

    So, the butler must have something urgent that he needed to report.

    "Sir..." The voice on the other end was shaky and nervous.

    "It¡¯s about Lady Celeste... she.. she was pushed down the staircase by Madam Sameen." he reported while stuttering.

    When he was done talking, the line went silent, like he was waiting for me to say something.

    Then I leaned back in my chair and let out augh.

    Not a shocked one or even a furious one.

    it was the kind ofugh that echoed coldly in the room, dripping with dark amusement.

    "Of course it was her," I muttered, smirking.

    "The two of them will rip each other apart naturally" I said in amusement, picking up the ss on the table.

    I swirled the whiskey in my hand, watching the amber liquid catch the light.

    "Let them fight," I said tly into the receiver.

    "Do not disturb my grandfather with such trivial matters, just focus on taking care of the house and managing the staff" I said to him with a stern tone.

    The man on the line was silent, probably confused at my reaction, but I didn¡¯t care. I ended the call without another word and set the phone back down.

    For the first time that day, I felt truly entertained and all my stress vanished instantly.

    Such good news.

    Not ten minutester, the phone rang again. But this time, it wasn¡¯t the butler or a servant, it was the call I couldn¡¯t ignore.

    Grandfather.

    My chest tightened, not in fear, but in sharp awareness. He never calls me unless it is absolutely impossible .

    "Kendrick." His voice was as stern and authoritative as usual.

    "Come to the vi in the north, now," he instructed.

    "Yes, Grandfather." I replied and he immediately hung up.

    The driver barely had time to open the door before I was sliding into the backseat, the city lights streaking past the tinted ss as we drove towards the private vi.

    It must be very important for grandpa to send his personal driver to pick me up.

    On arrival, I quickly got out of the car and made my way into the vi. I didn¡¯t need any directions on where to find him as I was sure he would definitely be in his study as usual.

    And I was right, he was waiting in his study, the same study he had ruled from for decades. Heavy curtains, shelves of leather-bound books, the faint scent of cigar smoke embedded in every corner.

    He didn¡¯t look frail, even at his age. He sat like a king, straight-backed in his chair, sharp eyes pinning me the second I entered.

    "Sit," he ordered, gesturing to the chair across from him.

    I obeyed, keeping my posture just as controlled, he hates any sign of weakness.

    For a moment, silence reigned as he studied me like he was measuring my growth since ourst meeting.Then, slowly, his lips slowly curved into a rare smile.

    "You¡¯ve done well," he said atst, his voice low but steady.

    My brows arched slightly.

    "In what way, Grandfather?" I asked him.

    "In every way that matters." He leaned forward, hands braced on the desk.

    "Thispany was crumbling Betrayals and scandals, enemies wing at every side... but you held it together. You stood firm, you handled the issues professionally, and you stabilized the empire. You carried the ck name on your shoulders, Kendrick, and you did not falter." he said with a nod of approval.

    The words... they sank into me, heavier than any gold.

    Praise from him was rare and almost unheard of.

    I dipped my head respectfully, but my lips curved into a faint smirk.

    "It¡¯s what I was raised for." I said with a respectful voice.

    "Exactly." His eyes gleamed.

    "And it is why you are ready to hear the truth." he said with a sigh.

    My smirk faltered.

    The truth.

    "What truth?" I asked carefully.

    He didn¡¯t answer right away. Instead, he reached for the cigar on the table, lighting it with slow precision before exhaling a cloud of smoke into the room.

    His eyes drifted to the fire burning in the hearth, as though he was watching ghosts.

    Then he slowly parted his lips with a heavy expression.

    "Our family and the Lancaster family have been enemies for decades," he began.

    "But it wasn¡¯t always that way. Once, I thought there could be peace, that was before your mother." he paused.

    My head snapped slightly at that.

    "Mother?" I asked him with a frown.

    I only knew there was a huge issue between both families but I never knew what caused it.

    He nodded gravely.

    "You¡¯ve asked before, and I denied you the full truth. But you¡¯re no longer a boy and you deserve to know." he said with a deep sigh.

    I sat straighter, my heart pounding harder in my chest.

    "When your mother was young," he continued, "she was... consumed and totally obsessed with one man." he said as his voice hardened.

    "Ethan Lancaster." he said.

    The name hit me like ice water.

    My mother was obsessed with Mason and Christy¡¯s father?

    "He was everything she wanted," Grandfather went on.

    "Handsome, charismatic and respected but he never wanted her and never spared her a second nce" he said as he took another puff of the cigar.

    The cigar smoke curled upward as he stared into the mes.

    "He only had eyes for one woman, your friend, Mason¡¯s mother. That was what broke your mother. She could not ept rejection from him, so she tried to destroy what he loved most." he sighed.

    I felt my jaw clench.

    "What do you mean?" I asked him, hesitantly.

    "She tormented the girl," he said bluntly.

    "Relentlessly, with cruel words and cruel schemes. She used the ck family name like a weapon, dragging it through the mud just to make that poor woman¡¯s life a misery. The Lancaster elders came to hate her for it. And no matter what she tried, seduction, maniption and even humiliation, Ethan never once turned his gaze from the woman he loves. He married her, lived happily with her... while your mother became theughingstock of the city." he said with his fist clenched.

    I was too shocked to react and just stared in disbelief.

    My mother, who is so proud and beautiful, was reduced to a fool by unrequited love. I could hear the whispers of the city and the cruelughter, as I imagined it.

    "She was shattered," Grandfather said quietly. "So shattered that she tried to end her own life."

    My chest tightened.

    "She would have seeded," he admitted, his eyes dark.

    "But I found her just in time and saved her. It was from that day forward, I swore the ck family would never bow to humiliation again. We would rule and she would never be broken by that man or his family again." he said fiercely.

    Silence fell heavy in the room.

    I didn¡¯t know what to feel.

    Anger?

    Pity?

    Shame?

    All I knew was that the rivalry with the Lancasters was never about any business but it was blood and old scars.

    I leaned back slowly, exhaling.

    "So that¡¯s why you allowed me to befriend Mason...?" I asked him with a frown.

    He nodded.

    "Yes. I did not want to hold on to the past forever. I thought, if your mother was gone, then perhaps peace was possible. That¡¯s why I let you stay close to him. But don¡¯t mistake it, Kendrick, the past does not die easily. The pain your mother carried, the disgrace she suffered... it runs through our bloodline." he said aggressively.

    My fists clenched in myp.

    It took me a while to understand why he was telling me all this.

    Christy is Ethan¡¯s daughter, he is indirectly telling me to let her go because of what happened in the past.

    And suddenly, it all connected.

    <fn1ff3> The rightful source is F?nd-Novel</fn1ff3>

    Grandfather¡¯s voice cut into my thoughts again.

    "You must marry her," he said firmly and I frowned.

    "Celeste is not that bad, you will live a good life with her, you will give this family a legitimate heir, and you will bury the shame of the past once and for all" he advised.

    I froze.

    A sharp, bitterugh slipped from my throat before I could stop it.

    "My child?" I repeated.

    "Yes," he said with certainty.

    "I know you are a responsible person and her family background is good as well," he added.

    I lifted my gaze to his, my lips curling coldly.

    "Grandfather," I said softly with a sigh.

    "I think it¡¯s time you heard the truth too." I said.

    His brows furrowed, smoke curling around his stern face.

    "The truth?"

    I leaned forward slowly while observing his every expression.

    "That child.. isn¡¯t mine." I revealed.

    The silence that followed was deadly.

    Grandfather¡¯s eyes narrowed, his cigar frozen halfway to his lips.

    "It¡¯s my father¡¯s."

 Chapter 58 - FIFTY-EIGHT: Shut Your Filthy Mouth

    <h4>Chapter 58: Chapter FIFTY-EIGHT: Shut Your Filthy Mouth</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    "It¡¯s my father¡¯s."

    The words rolled off my tongue so casually, but theynded in the room like a bomb.

    For a moment, silence swallowed everything. The only sound was the faint crackle of fire in the hearth, the smoke curling above my grandfather¡¯s cigar as he froze in shock. His hand, usually steady and firm, trembled slightly as the ash fell onto the desk.

    His sharp eyes locked on mine, widening first in disbelief, then narrowing with unbridled fury then, his entire body stiffened, his jaw clenching so hard I could hear his teeth grinding from across the desk.

    "What did you just say?" His voice was low and guttural, like a beast struggling to stay chained.

    I leaned back in the chair, meeting his stare without flinching.

    My lips curved into a faint smirk.

    "You heard me clearly, Grandfather. That child isn¡¯t mine, It belongs to Raymond." I repeated without any emotion.

    The name cracked the room like thunder.

    Grandfather mmed his palm against the table, the force rattling the crystal ashtray and sending a pen rolling across the polished wood. His voice boomed in the quiet study, it echoed so loudly.

    "That useless bastard!" he growled furious.

    His chest rose and fell rapidly as his face darkened with raw fury.

    He stood up abruptly, pacing around the study like a caged lion.

    "I turned a blind eye to his stupidity, hisziness, his reckless spending and his endless scandals, because he was my daughter¡¯s husband. Because I wanted to honor her memory and protect the ck family name!" His voice was shaking with rage.

    "And this is how he repays me? By shaming us with Celeste? By nting his filth in the very girl meant to secure this family¡¯s future? He didn¡¯t even think of the impact his actions will have on the ck family name" he said furiously.

    I stayed silent, watching him explode.

    This was the first time I had ever seen him unravel like this. My grandfather was a man ofposure, a man who rarely raised his voice. But now, he was consumed by anger so deep it made his hands tremble.

    He had always turned a blind eye to all of my father¡¯s actions and always advised me to try and get along with him.

    "Ungrateful bastard!" he roared, his face turning red from anger.

    "He has mocked me and the entire ck legacy. I epted him into our family despite the fact that he was just an orphan. I gave him a home to stay in and he even married my precious daughter. After all I have sacrificed to preserve our honor, he spits on it like dirt!" he roared again.

    He mmed his fist into the wall so hard that a crack split through the wooden paneling. His breathing turned heavy and his eyes turned bloodshot.

    For the first time in decades, he looked his age, but it wasn¡¯t a weakness, it was extreme rage that has been pent up for years.

    "Drive me," he snapped suddenly, spinning to face me.

    I arched my brow.

    "Drive you where?" I asked with a calm tone.

    <fnc341> Read full story at fin?novel</fnc341>

    "The hospital," he growled.

    "I will confront him myself. I will face that ungrateful bastard and rip the truth out of his filthy mouth. If I don¡¯t, this anger will consume me tonight." he said while trying to control his rage.

    I studied him for a moment, then stood up calmly, adjusting my cufflinks.

    "As you wish, Grandfather." I said before heading out of the study.

    He followed closely behind me as we made our way to the car. His driver was already prepared and immediately started the car as soon as we got in.

    The ride to the hospital was suffocating.

    He sat beside me in the backseat, silent but seething.

    His hand gripped the head of his cane so tightly his knuckles turned white. The air between us was thick with unspoken rage.

    Outside, the city lights blurred into streaks of gold and red, but inside, the silence was extremely heavy.

    I didn¡¯t speak and I didn¡¯t need to.

    His fury filled every corner of the car, and I could feel it pressing against my chest.

    When we arrived, he didn¡¯t wait for the driver to open his door. He shoved it open himself and stormed into the hospital lobby, his presence somanding that even the nurses and security guards froze when they saw him.

    We didn¡¯t need directions. The noise guided us.

    Down the hallway, amotion erupted like thunder.

    Voices shed, sharp and shrill.

    I quickened my pace, my grandfather striding beside me with a cane that struck the floor like a gavel of judgment.

    When we reached the ward, we were shocked by the scene in front of us. .

    Celestey pale and fragile on the hospital bed, she looked like she had narrowly escaped death

    . A bandage wrapped around her arm , and her hair stuck to her sweaty forehead. She looked like a doll on the verge of breaking.

    Beside her, Raymond was holding Raina back, his arms locked around her shoulders as she screamed and thrashed like a local market woman.

    "You disgusting slut!" Raina spat, her voice hoarse from screaming.

    "My best friend? My sister in everything? And this is what you were doing behind my back? Sleeping with my father like a cheap whore?!" she yelled insults while trying to struggle out of her father¡¯s hold.

    Celeste whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks as she clutched her stomach protectively. Her voice came out weak and trembling.

    "Raina... please... it¡¯s not... it¡¯s not what you think..."

    "Don¡¯t you dare!" Raina screeched, trying to lunge at her again, her fists trembling with fury.

    "Don¡¯t you dare say it¡¯s not what I think! You betrayed me, Celeste! You betrayed me in the worst way possible!" she yelled angrily and struggled even more furiously.

    "Enough!" Raymond barked, pulling Raina tighter against his chest.

    "She¡¯s pregnant, for God¡¯s sake! You¡¯ll kill her if you don¡¯t stop!" he said to Raina, who kept trying to get out of his hold.

    "Good!" Raina spat viciously, her voice breaking.

    "Let the bastard die with her!" she said with a vicious tone.

    Grandpa and I just watched as everything was happening and they didn¡¯t notice our presence either.

    Some other patients and nurses have also rushed over to watch the drama.

    Celeste broke into sobs, covering her face with her hands, her entire body shaking. "Please... I didn¡¯t mean to... I just..." Her words broke off into wails.

    Raymond¡¯s face twisted in panic as he cupped Celeste¡¯s cheek with one hand, his voice urgent, desperate.

    "Don¡¯t cry, please. The doctors said you need to rest and you can¡¯t get upset like this, Celeste. The baby.. our baby.. needs you to be calm." heforted her with a gentle expression.

    The words made my grandfather freeze at the doorway. His chest heaved, his grip tightening on his cane until it looked like it might snap in half.

    I could feel his anger as we were standing close to each other.

    "Our baby."

    The phrase echoed through the room like poison.

    I nced sideways at him. His eyes zed with fury, his lips trembling as though he was seconds away from spitting fire.

    Raina¡¯s cries cracked again, her voice shaking with both rage and heartbreak.

    "How could you do this to me?" she screamed at her father.

    "How could you? With her of all people? She was my best friend, Daddy! My best friend! And you... " Her voice broke into sobs, her words dissolving into raw pain.

    Celeste sobbed harder and curled up on the bed, making the entire scene look like she was the victim instead of the one who had caused everything.

    I stood silently at the doorway, my arms crossed, watching the chaos unfold. It was a theater of betrayal and pain, and every actor yed their role perfectly.

    Raymond turned, noticing us finally, his eyes widened in horror when he saw my grandfather.

    His grip on Raina faltered as his entire body froze.

    "Father..." he stammered, his face paling instantly.

    "I... I can exin..." he said in panic.

    "Exin?" My grandfather¡¯s voice was thunder.

    His cane struck the tiled floor with a sharp crack that echoed through the room.

    "You dare to speak of an exnation?" he questioned angrily.

    Raymond stumbled forward, releasing Raina, his hands raised in frantic desperation.

    "Please, Father, listen to me. It¡¯s not what it looks like, I never meant for this to happen.... "He tries to exin frantically.

    "Silence!" Grandfather roared, his voice shaking the very walls.

    Everyone froze. The nurses in the hallway stepped back in fear and so did the others, who were here to watch the drama.

    Even Raina¡¯s sobs went quiet as she turned her tear-streaked face toward the old man who looked ready to kill.

    Raymond opened his mouth again, but before he could utter another word, Grandfather¡¯s cane mmed down against the floor once more, the sound cutting him off like a de.

    His voice was a whip of fire.

    "Shut your filthy mouth, Raymond!"

    And just like that, the room plunged into deadly silence.

 Chapter 59 - FIFTY-NINE: The Ungrateful Bastard

    <h4>Chapter 59: Chapter FIFTY-NINE: The Ungrateful Bastard</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    "Shut your filthy mouth, Raymond!"

    Grandfather¡¯s voice ripped through the room like thunder, causing everyone to tremble slightly.

    For a moment, even the beeping machine by Celeste¡¯s bed seemed to fall silent, as though they too understood the gravity of his wrath.

    Raymond froze, his mouth still open mid-word. His lips trembled, but no sound dared to escape.

    His wide eyes darted around frantically, like a cornered animal searching for an exit.

    This is the very first time that I was seeing Raymond in such a panic and I must admit that I quite enjoyed watching him.

    The old man¡¯s cane struck the tiled floor again. Each strike was like a judge¡¯s gavel.

    The one thing that my grandfather cared the most about is the ck family name.

    I stood near the doorway, my arms folded across my chest, my expression was cold and detached.

    Inside, I was alert, watching the red in Grandfather¡¯s face darken. His chest was heaving far too heavily, and I knew I would have to rein him in before rage tipped his body into something worse.

    But for now?

    I let him unleash.

    Because Raymond deserved every shred of it.

    "You dare..." Grandfather¡¯s voice broke as he took a deep breath.

    Then his eyes became even more red with anger as he seemed to have be stronger and the aura surrounding him was also extremely fierce.

    He pointed his cane directly at Raymond¡¯s chest. "You dare stand before me after disgracing this family? After dragging our name into filth?"

    Raymond stumbled forward, dropping to his knees with a pathetic thud against the tiled floor. His hands sped together in desperation.

    "Father, please... I never meant for this. I.. I lost control. I¡¯m still your son-inw, I¡¯m still family. Please, don¡¯t..." he pleaded.

    "Don¡¯t?" Grandfather cut him off, his eyes zing.

    "Don¡¯t what? Don¡¯t acknowledge that you¡¯ve been bedding your own daughter¡¯s friend and the girl we all chose for your son to marry like some stray dog in heat?

    Don¡¯t see the bastard child you nted in her womb? Don¡¯t admit that you spit on the honor of the ck family while eating from its table?" He fired a series of questions at him.

    The words struck Raymond, as he hung his head in shame, but the old man wasn¡¯t done.

    "I gave you everything!" Grandfather¡¯s voice roared, each word sharper than thest.

    "You were nothing but a penniless lowlife. My precious daughter saw you and begged me to ept you. Against my better judgment, I did and I opened this family to you.

    I gave you wealth, I gave you shelter, I gave you the ck name as protection. And this... " he swung his cane toward Celeste, who flinched on the bed

    "This is how you repay me? By betraying your own son by sleeping with his supposed fiancee? How dare you try to pin the child on him?" He asked him angrily.

    Raina¡¯s sobs broke again but she tried to muffle them. Her body trembled as she hugged herself, staring at her father with disgust and heartbreak.

    Celeste¡¯s face was wet with tears, her hands trembling as she pressed them over her stomach. She looked between Raymond and Grandfather as if caught in a nightmare she couldn¡¯t wake from.

    "Grandfather..." she whispered weakly, her voice trembling.

    "Please... I never meant to... it just happened... I... " she stuttered.

    "Silence!" Grandfather¡¯s cane cracked the floor again, startling her into sobs.

    "You are nothing to me, girl. Nothing! You were brought into this family¡¯s circle because you were meant to strengthen its future but instead, you¡¯ve proven yourself to be a snake and a shameless leech!" Grandfather said to her angrily.

    Celeste buried her face into her palms, her cries muffled. For once, she couldn¡¯t twist the narrative in her favor.

    Not with the old man cutting her down with every word.

    Raymond crawled forward on his knees, his hands shaking. "Please, Father, I¡¯ll make it right. I¡¯ll fix this.... Just don¡¯t cast me out... "He pleaded with an expression of regret.

    "Cast you out?" Grandfather¡¯s bitterugh shook the room.

    "You are already out. From this moment forward, you are no longer part of the ck family. You, and every parasite you¡¯ve brought with you, are finished here. Do you hear me? Finished!" Grandfather roared at him angrily.

    The air went still as his words sank into everyone¡¯s mind.

    Raina gasped, her teary eyes snapping to him.

    "Grandfather... what?" she asked with a shocked expression.

    Grandfather didn¡¯t even bother to look at her.

    "You heard me, girl. He is nothing to me now. Which means you, your brother and your mother... " he jabbed the cane toward Raymond.

    "Will follow him. I will not have this family¡¯s name poisoned any further. You will leave with him. All of you!."Grandfather said with an authoritative tone.

    The silence that followed was suffocating.

    Raina¡¯s body staggered back as though struck. Her lips parted while trembling.

    "Leave? Us? But.. Grandfather, we have nothing outside this family! We¡¯ve lived here all our lives! How... how could you.. " she stuttered but couldn¡¯tplete her words.

    "You should have thought of that before following in your father¡¯s footsteps, so you think I don¡¯t know about your role in what happened to Christy? " the old man spat, his re still fixed on Raymond.

    "Your mother should have thought of that before chaining her life to a beggar. This family does not exist to carry leeches." He said without sparing her another nce.

    Raina¡¯s sob turned into a wail, her hands clutching at her hair.

    "No! No, please! Don¡¯t do this.. don¡¯t punish us because of him! Mother has nowhere to go, I have nowhere to go.. " Her words broke, dissolving into screams.

    Celeste looked up, her tears streaking her face, her lips quivering. For the first time, real fear shed in her eyes.

    If Raymond was cut off, she was nothing.No safety or protection.

    The position she has always dreamed of will never be hers.

    If only she had known earlier that Raymond was not who he said he was.

    She had thought that it would be easy to be thedy of the ck family but now, she is finding out that Raymond isn¡¯t even a true member of the family but a leech.

    "Father, please..." Raymond¡¯s voice shook, desperate.

    "Don¡¯t throw me away, I can change. I¡¯ll end things with Celeste, I swear it. I¡¯ll devote myself to the family again, I¡¯ll serve you loyally... just don¡¯t drive me out. Don¡¯t take everything away from us." he begged desperately.

    I could see the fury trembling through Grandfather¡¯s body, his breathing growing ragged. His knuckles whitened around the cane and the visible veins on his temple.

    I stepped forward slightly, my voice calm, measured. "Grandfather..." I said quietly, just enough for him to hear. "Careful. Don¡¯t push too far. Your health..."

    His eyes flicked toward me for a brief second, but his fury pulled him back to Raymond.

    "You dare speak of loyalty?" Grandfather¡¯s voice cracked.

    "You¡¯ve been nothing but greedy and shameless since the day you entered this family. You¡¯ve squandered my wealth, you¡¯ve dragged us through scandal after scandal, and now this. Sleeping with your daughter¡¯s friend? nting a bastard child while still living under my roof? You are filth, Raymond. Filth I should have never allowed in." he said with a disgusted expression.

    Raymond¡¯s face shifted from desperation to humiliation and then... to anger.

    His hands dropped from their pleading sp and got up from his kneeling position trembling, but no longer begging. His lips twisted and his eyes shing with something darker.

    "You think you can just erase me?" His voice was low and dangerous.

    "After everything? After the years I¡¯ve spent in this family? After all my hardwork?" he asked with a sneer.

    Grandfather¡¯s re sharpened. "You were just someone I took pity on and never my blood. You were tolerated because my daughter loved you and now she has nothing to do with you, all that¡¯s left is your filth."

    Raymond¡¯s jaw clenched so hard a vein pulsed in his forehead. His chest rose and fell quickly, his face turning red. Then, slowly, his lips curled into a bitter smile.

    "You really think you can cast me out just like that?" His voice was cold now.

    "You think you can just snap your fingers and strip me of everything?" he asked with a sarcastic tone.

    Grandfather mmed his cane against the floor.

    "You are nothing to me and also nothing to this family. From this day forward, you are out!" he yelled furiously.

    The words thundered through the room.

    Raymond stood frozen for a second, his chest heaving. Then he chuckled. A low and hollow sound that sent chills crawling through the silence.

    "Well then..." he said slowly, his voice dripping with venom.

    "I guess it¡¯s time I remind you of something," he said with a sinister smile.

    Grandfather¡¯s eyes narrowed, his grip still firm.

    "Remind me of what?" he asked impatiently.

    Raymond straightened, his anger turning into something smug. He looked Grandfather dead in the eye and dropped his signature smirk.

    "You can¡¯t erase me from this family," he said, his voice calm, almost mocking.

    <fna912> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on find?novel</fna912>

    "Because I am still legally married to your precious daughter." he said with a triumphant expression.

    The room froze.

    The words hung in the air like a curse, twisting the silence into something jagged and suffocating.

    Raina gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. Celeste¡¯s eyes widened, her body going rigid on the hospital bed.

    Grandfather¡¯s face drained of color, his cane trembling in his grip.

    And me?

    I simply stood there, my arms crossed as my eyes became cold. But deep inside, a storm was building.

    Raymond had just yed his trump card.

    And it had changed everything.

 Chapter 60 - SIXTY: But I Was Raymond

    <h4>Chapter 60: Chapter SIXTY: But I Was Raymond</h4>

    Raymond¡¯s POV

    The silence after my words was thick and suffocating. Like smoke filling every corner of the hospital room.

    I saw the shocked expressions and the way every pair of eyes widened and locked on me.

    That was the power of truth.

    Especially the kind of truth nobody wanted to hear but could never un-hear once it left your lips.

    "I am still legally married to your precious daughter." I repeated again.

    And the old man¡¯s face nearly cracked apart. His knuckles whitened against the cane, his lips trembling as if he had been pped across the face.

    The mighty patriarch of the ck family suddenly looked like a weak, brittle skeleton of a man staring at his worst nightmare.

    Inside, I smiled.

    After all these years of bowing, scraping and pretending to be grateful for scraps while he lorded over me like a god, I finally had him cornered.

    Finally, I wasn¡¯t the beggar at the table, I was the man with the de at his throat.

    "Y...You..." he stammered, his voice breaking as his eyes turned bloodshot.

    He wanted to hit me. I could see it. He wanted to raise that cane and break it across my skull.

    But he couldn¡¯t.

    Not when I had just reminded him of the one truth he could never erase.

    His daughter, my wife and Kendrick¡¯s mother.

    As long as we were still legally married, I was untouchable.

    "You think you can cast me out?" I let out a sharpugh, the kind that made Raina flinch where she stood clutching her chest.

    "You think you can write me out of this family like a bad investment? No, Father. That isn¡¯t how thew works. That isn¡¯t how marriage works" I said with a smirk.

    "Shut your damn mouth!" the old man roared, the veins in his neck bulging as his cane shook violently.

    "You dare use my daughter¡¯s name and honor after everything you¡¯ve done?!" he asked me aggressively.

    I leaned forward, my smirk widening. "Her honor? Don¡¯t make meugh. You speak of honor when you¡¯ve been keeping me here all these years like a trained dog, throwing scraps while I watched your precious grandson take everything that should have been mine?

    You speak of honor when your daughter never had the courage to divorce me after her return? No, old man, I am still here. Still tied to this family and if you dare throw me out, the world will know.

    Every newspaper and every gossip column will know the truth about your daughter. Do you want to see the ck name dragged through filth? Do you want your precious empire reduced to ashes under scandal?" I asked him.

    I could see his rage faltering, giving way to fear. Fear of scandal and shame. Fear of headlines that would shred the carefully built legacy he worshiped more than anything else.

    "You bastard," he spat, his voice hoarse now.

    "You think you can threaten me?" he asked me, his momentum was clearly reduced.

    <fn0a37> Content originallyes from F?nd-Novel</fn0a37>

    "I don¡¯t think, Father," I said coolly, straightening my back, letting my voice drip with calm authority.

    "I know. You can scream, you can curse and strike me with that cane until your frail old body copses.

    But it won¡¯t change the fact that I am your son-inw legally, unless your daughter herself decides otherwise." I responded to him.

    His hand trembled so hard on the cane I thought he would copse and for a moment, I almost wished he would.

    Then his eyes snapped to Kendrick and I knew what he was thinking.

    "She will divorce you," he hissed, his words low and dangerous.

    "I will drag her myself if I must. But I swear to you, Raymond, she will sign those papers. Yourst hold on this family will end. You hear me? End!" he roared angrily.

    I chuckled, a dark rumble deep in my chest.

    "We¡¯ll see, won¡¯t we?" I said calmly while smiling at him.

    The old man¡¯s breathing grew heavier and for a second, I thought he might keel over from a heart attack right there. Kendrick stepped forward quickly, his voice calm but sharp.

    "Grandfather, that¡¯s enough.You need to rest before you copse." he said calmly while supporting him.

    The old man¡¯s re tore at me onest time before he turned away, his cane striking the floor in furious cracks as he stormed out of the room.

    The air shifted with his absence, but the tension didn¡¯t lift.

    Kendrick just stared at me with his cold eyes

    His eyes met mine across the room, cold and steady. Those eyes were his mother¡¯s, but sharper and colder.

    "You told him, didn¡¯t you?" I said, my lips twisting into a mocking smile.

    "You told Grandfather about me and Celeste. Don¡¯t bother denying it. You¡¯re the only one who knew enough to destroy me." I said without beating around the bush.

    Kendrick¡¯s jaw clenched, but his voice was calm. "Someone had to tell him the truth."

    "The truth?" I sneered.

    "The truth is that I am your father. Nothing you do, nothing you say, can change that fact." I replied him,

    For a heartbeat, silence stretched between us and then Kendrick¡¯s lips curved into the faintest smirk, one that chilled me.

    "I wish I could," he said coldly.

    "I wish I could erase the fact that you¡¯re my father... There is no day I don¡¯t wish for it." he said with a disgusted expression.

    My fists clenched, my jaw tightening as he turned and walked out of the room without looking back.

    My chest burned with fury, but before I could chase after him, a soft voice trembled from the bed.

    "Raymond..."

    Celeste.

    Her tear-streaked face tilted toward me, her hands pressed protectively over her stomach.

    "What about me?" she whispered, her voice fragile, cracking.

    "What happens to me now? To us? You said you would take care of me. You said I was different. But if you¡¯re still married to Kendrick¡¯s mother... what does that make me?" she asked with a trembling voice.

    I turned toward her slowly, forcing the anger off my face and softening my expression. She needed reassurance now, not the truth.

    "Celeste, you will be taken care of. The child in your stomach will be taken care of as well. I won¡¯t abandon you... I¡¯ll handle this." I said to her softly.

    Her eyes shimmered with tears, but desperation hardened her tone. "Handle it? No... I don¡¯t want to be hidden, Raymond. I don¡¯t want to be your dirty secret. I want you to divorce her now and marry me. Make me the true wife, the true mother of your heir. Do it now."

    Her words grated against me, though I kept my face calm. She didn¡¯t understand the game. She didn¡¯t understand the timing, the danger, the scandal. She thought it was as simple as tearing one paper and signing another.

    Foolish girl.

    If I didn¡¯t need her family¡¯s resources, I would have discarded her as well.

    "Celeste..." I said gently, cing a hand over hers. "You must trust me. Divorce isn¡¯t done in a day, these things take time. You will have your ce by my side, but for now, you must be patient."

    "Patient?" she snapped suddenly, her eyes shing with wild anger.

    "Watching you with that old hag, Sameen, pretending to be the loyal husband when you were with me all along! Don¡¯t you dare tell me to wait, what will happen to my family name?!" she questioned me angrily.

    "Shut your mouth!"

    The voice came from Raina.

    Before I could react, she stormed across the room and pped Celeste so hard the sound cracked through the air.

    Celeste gasped, her head snapping to the side as tears streamed down her face again.

    "How dare you?" Raina¡¯s voice shook with rage, her entire body trembling. "You destroy my family, you betray me as my so-called best friend, and now you dare demand to rece my mother?!"

    She turned to me then, her eyes zing through her tears.

    "And you! What about her? What about my mother? What do you n to do with her if you marry this snake? Throw her away like trash after everything she sacrificed for you?!" she asked me angrily.

    Her words stung sharper than I expected.

    Memories shed in my mind, the young woman who trapped me with pregnancy, the woman who clung to me like a lifeline, the woman I tolerated because I thought she was my safety. But safety grows old and turns bitter.

    My lips curled as I stepped forward, my hand shoving Raina hard across the chest. She stumbled back, her body crashing to the floor with a sharp cry.

    "Your mother is nothing but a greedy bitch who trapped me with pregnancy to keep me tied to her. Do you think I ever truly loved her? No...I tolerated her. I pitied her. I kept her because I was a little fond of her once, but now? Now she¡¯s old and a burden"I spat angrily.

    Raina¡¯s sob cracked through the air as she clutched at her chest, staring up at me with betrayal and hurt written all over her face.

    "And Celeste?" I turned, my eyes softening again as I looked down at the girl still clutching her stomach. "She is my type, young and beautiful. Worthy of carrying my child and worthy of being my future wife." I said with a slight smile.

    Raina¡¯s body shook with fury. She dragged herself to her feet, her face streaked with tears.

    "I won¡¯t let you," she spat, her voice breaking but fierce.

    "I won¡¯t let you two get away with this, I swear it! ." she yelled angrily.

    She spun on her heel and stormed out of the room, her sobs echoing down the corridor.

    For a long moment, silence settled again.

    Only the beeping machine beside Celeste¡¯s bed filled the air. My heart pounded with fury, with triumph and something dark I couldn¡¯t name.

    Finally, I turned back to Celeste, who was still crying, but she leaned into me as I sat on the edge of the bed, wrapping my arms around her trembling body.

    "Don¡¯t cry," I whispered, pressing my lips against her hair. "I will protect you and our child"

    Her arms wrapped around me weakly and as I held her, my mind was filled with thoughts and schemes.

    That old man thought he could cast me out, Kendrick thought he could destroy me and Raina thinks she can defy me.

    Then there is Curtis, who I have never been able to see through or guess his moves.

    But I was Raymond.

    And I still had something that would make them all submit to me.

 Chapter 61 - SIXTY-ONE: The Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 61: Chapter SIXTY-ONE: The Meeting</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    The house felt too quiet for the storm in my chest, my emotions have been all over the cetely, I don¡¯t know if it was the pregnancy hormone or something.

    I sat on the edge of the couch, hands clenched so tightly on myp that my nails dug half-moons into my palms.

    The television was on but muted, the screen flickering with moving figures I couldn¡¯t focus on. I had been staring at it for almost an hour, trying to summon up the courage I didn¡¯t have.

    I have never been a weak person, so I really couldn¡¯t exin the nervousness that I am feeling.

    Kendrick.

    The name itself made me more nervous. My heart had carried him for so long that even now, after all the pain, after all the betrayals and the humiliation, it still beat out of rhythm whenever I thought about him.

    I should hate him after everything and yet...

    "Christy."

    My head jerked up at the sound of Mason¡¯s voice.

    He stood by the doorway, one hand braced against the frame, his face was a mixture of concern and sternness he always wore when it came to me.

    I tried to smile, but it faltered.

    "I don¡¯t think I can do this," I whispered, my throat tightening.

    Mason stepped inside, his footsteps steady as he came to sit beside me.

    His handnded on mine, prying my fingers open before I hurt myself.

    His warmth seeped through my skin, and I felt better.

    "You can," he said firmly.

    "You have to, because you can¡¯t keep running from him, Christy. Not when so much is at stake and definitely not when Kelvin¡¯s future depends on this." he added.

    At the mention of Kelvin¡¯s name, my chest squeezed.

    Kelvin, who is now locked up in that cold cell for a crime he didn¡¯tmit. My throat tightened as I nodded slowly.

    "You don¡¯t have to face him alone, I will be with you." he said with aforting smile.

    Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them back. Mason always had a way of steadying me when I am about to break apart.

    "Will he hate me for lying about the baby and my memory? ," I whispered.

    "No," Mason corrected sharply, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

    "He doesn¡¯t. If he did, he wouldn¡¯t keep looking for you, wouldn¡¯t keep asking about you. I have never seen him care about someone this much before." he continued with aforting tone.

    I shook my head, because I didn¡¯t want to admit how badly I wanted to believe him.

    Mason squeezed my hand once more and then stood up.

    "It¡¯s settled then, I already called him. He has agreed to meet and I chose the ce myself, somewhere private and neutral. Kendrick¡¯s already on his way there." he informed me.

    My stomach lurched violently.

    "You what?" I asked him.

    "I set it up," Mason said simply.

    "You¡¯ll thank meter. Come on, before you change your mind." he added.

    I wanted to scream at him, tell him it wasn¡¯t fair to push me like this.

    But deep down, I knew he was right. If left alone, I would never face Kendrick. Never face the mess my life has be.

    So I swallowed the fear that wed at my throat and stood up with my slightly trembling legs.

    The ride to the restaurant was painfully silent. I stared out the window, watching the city blur past in streaks of light and shadow.

    Mason didn¡¯t push me to talk, he just drove with that calm, steady presence of his, as if his silence was its own reassurance.

    By the time we pulled into the secluded parking lot, my palms were damp with sweat. Mason nced at me once, then reached over and squeezed my shoulder.

    "You have got this," he said simply.

    I wanted tough at the absurdity of those words.

    I have got nothing... I don¡¯t even know what to do or say when I meet him.

    The restaurant was quiet, the kind of ce where secrets were exchanged over wine and whispered behind closed doors.

    Mason led me through the corridors until we reached a private room at the far end. My heart was mming against my ribs so hard I thought I might faint.

    And then I saw him.

    <fn5100> Chapters first released on FindN0vel</fn5100>

    Kendrick.

    He was already standing when we entered, his tall framemanding but I noticed that he seemed to have lost some weight.

    His eyes, those piercing eyes I had tried so hard to forget, locked onto mine the second the door opened.

    For a moment, the world narrowed down to just him and me.

    Then he crossed the room in three long strides and before I could react, his arms were around me.

    I froze and my body stiffened but I didn¡¯t push him away.

    I don¡¯t know why.

    His scent, that familiar musk, wrapped around me, stirring memories I had buried. His embrace was strong.

    I let myself sink into it, it¡¯s something that I have been secretly craving.

    Then Mason cleared his throat loudly.

    Kendrick¡¯s arms loosened, and he stepped back reluctantly, though his eyes never left mine.

    "You shouldn¡¯t have... " I began, my voice shaky, but Kendrick cut me off, his gaze sliding to Mason.

    "I need to speak with Christy alone." His tone left no room for negotiation.

    Mason¡¯s eyes narrowed, for a second, I thought he would refuse. Then, with a sigh, he squeezed my shoulder.

    "I¡¯ll be right outside," he said, giving me onest look before he left, shutting the door behind him.

    Suddenly, the air between us felt too heavy.

    I turned away, crossing my arms like a shield. "I don¡¯t know why I agreed to this," I muttered.

    "To see me," Kendrick answered softly, stepping closer.

    I refused to look at him.

    "I don¡¯t want to talk about us, I¡¯m only here for Kelvin. Help him get out of prison, That¡¯s all I ask and after that, we never have to see each other again." I said while avoiding his eyes.

    "Christy..." His voice was low and rough, carrying a weight that made my chest ache.

    "Is that really all you care about? Not yourself? Not our baby?" he asked me.

    My arms tightened around me, as a lump rose in my throat.

    "Don¡¯t," I whispered.

    But he didn¡¯t stop, he moved closer until he was only a breath away.

    "How are you?" he asked, his voice trembling now.

    "How is the baby? Tell me you have been eating and sleeping well. I can¡¯t stop thinking about you." he said and his breath kept brushing against my face.

    My eyes burned with unshed tears, but I kept my gaze fixed on the floor.

    "Just... help Kelvin," I repeated.

    Instead of arguing, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number right there in front of me. His voice was steady, authoritative, when he spoke into the receiver.

    "Yes, it¡¯s me. I want you to handle the case of Kelvin Lancaster. I don¡¯t care what strings you have to pull, he¡¯s getting out. Tomorrow at thetest, do I make myself clear?"he asked the person he called.

    My breath hitched.

    He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket, his eyes locking on mine again.

    "It¡¯s done," he said simply.

    I stared at him in shock.

    He just agreed?

    "Because you asked me to," Kendrick said, stepping closer, he seemed to know what I was thinking.

    His hand brushed against mine, as if afraid I would pull away.

    "Because you still matter to me and I can¡¯t lose you again," he added.

    My chest felt too tight.

    "Stop it," I whispered harshly.

    "Don¡¯t y these games with me. Not after everything and definitely not after Celeste... "

    "Celeste," he cut me off, his jaw tightening.

    "She lied." he said with a disgusted tone.

    My eyes shot to his in shock. "What?"

    "The baby she is carrying... it¡¯s not mine." His voice was cold and sharp with suppressed rage.

    "It¡¯s my father, Raymond¡¯s." he revealed.

    The floor seemed to tilt beneath me.

    I breathed, shaking my head. "No, that can¡¯t be true."

    "It is," Kendrick said, his eyes zing.

    "She tried to use and trap me, but the truth is filthier than either of us imagined. Raymond is the father...not me." he repeated.

    I stumbled back, my hand flying to my mouth as disgust churned in my stomach until I thought I might be sick.

    My heart broke anew, not just for me, but for the twisted web I had been dragged into.

    Kendrick closed the distance between us again, his hand finding mine and gripping tightly.

    "Christy, listen to me. I won¡¯t let them hurt you. I won¡¯t let anyone touch you or our child. Give me another chance to fix this. I¡¯ll marry you... Give you a big wedding, the kind you deserve. I¡¯ll protect you with everything I am. Just... don¡¯t shut me out." he promised.

    Tears finally spilled down my cheeks, silent and hot. I wanted to believe him and wanted to fall into the safety of his promises.

    But fear and doubt wed at me, whispering that I would be a fool again.

    Before I could answer, the door mmed open.

    I jerked around, my heart lurching into my throat as I saw a woman with a striking resemnce to Kendrick.

    Kendrick¡¯s mother?

    " You witch!" she spat while ring at me.

    Kendrick¡¯s grip on my hand tightened protectively.

 Chapter 62 - SIXTY-TWO: The Choice

    <h4>Chapter 62: Chapter SIXTY-TWO: The Choice</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The m of the door was like a gunshot in the room, slicing through the fragile silence Christy and I had been holding on to.

    My head snapped up instantly, my heart dropping into my stomach the second I saw her standing there.

    My mother, Lauretta.

    Her face was twisted in fury, eyes narrowed into sharp slits that pinned Christy.

    "You witch!"she yelled while pointing at her.

    Instinct kicked in before I could think and my hand tightened around Christy¡¯s instantly, pulling her closer to me and shielding her with my body as though my mother hade in here wielding a knife.

    The heat of Christy¡¯s palm in mine made me feel slightly better.

    "Mother," I said slowly, forcing my voice to be steady, though rage burned beneath my skin.

    "What are you doing here?" I asked her while trying to control my anger.

    But she didn¡¯t even look at me as her eyes were locked on Christy with the kind of disgust that made my blood boil. She didn¡¯t see Christy as a person right now.

    All she was seeing is a Lancaster and the daughter of her enemies.

    I remember what grandpa said about her past grudge with the Lancaster family.

    Then she turned to look at me, her expression a mixture of disgust and anger.

    "I will never support this... this sham of a rtionship. You disgust me, Kendrick, standing here with her after everything their family has done to us. After everything I suffered at their hands and now you expect me to sit by and watch you throw your life away for her?" she questioned me angrily.

    I gritted my teeth so hard my jaw ached as my thoughts began spiraling.

    Here we go again.

    The same old rivalry, that she doesn¡¯t want to let go of and move on.

    Right from the time that I brought her back, she has been plotting something, which I still haven¡¯t figured out yet.

    It seemed like she wasn¡¯t seeing the woman who carries my child, and haunts my every waking thought.

    To her, Christy is just a Lancaster.

    I forced myself to meet her gaze.

    "This isn¡¯t about the family feud, Mother., this is about me and I want." I said with a serious tone.

    But she onlyughed bitterly, her manicured nails digging into her palms as she shook her head.

    "No.... Don¡¯t twist this into something noble. She is one of them, Kendrick! And if you can¡¯t see that, then maybe you¡¯ve already been brainwashed. Do you know what her family did to me? Do you know how much hatred is between us?" she questioned sharply.

    Her voice cracked with raw pain, but instead of softening me, it only made my anger re hotter.

    "I know!" I snapped, louder than I intended.

    Christy flinched beside me, but I couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore.

    "I know everything that happened, grandfather told me. But how long will we keep paying for the sins of the past? How long will you chain me to your grudges, Mother? When does it stop?" I asked her angrily.

    Her lips trembled, but her eyes stayed hard.

    "It stops when you choose. Right here, right now." she said while pointing at herself and Christy.

    The words froze me. My grip on Christy¡¯s hand tightened unconsciously.

    "Choose?" I repeated, my voice low and cold. .

    "Yes," She hissed.

    She finally looked at me fully, her eyes zing.

    <fn959d> Checktest chapters at find?novel</fn959d>

    "Choose me, your mother, the woman who carried you in her womb and almost lost her life in the delivery room, who has always wanted the best for you. Or choose her, that Lancaster girl who will only bring you ruin. It¡¯s me or her." she emphasized.

    For a second, I couldn¡¯t breathe.

    My chest heaved, anger and disbelief swirling so violently I thought I might explode.

    She was really doing this.

    She was really standing here, after all these years, after I had moved mountains to bring her back into my life, after I thought I had finally gotten my mother back and she was asking me to make an impossible choice.

    My mother or the woman I love.

    It felt like poison in my veins.

    I turned slowly to Christy. She looked pale and confused. She opened her mouth like she wanted to speak, but no words came out. My heart clenched.

    No.... I couldn¡¯t let her think I was even considering it.

    "Do you hear yourself, Mother?" My voice was shaking now, not from fear, but from barely-contained fury.

    "Do you even realize what you¡¯re saying? You¡¯re asking me to destroy my own happiness and throw away the one good thing I¡¯ve ever had, just so you can keep fighting a war that should¡¯ve ended years ago." I said angrily as I red at her.

    Her chin lifted defiantly.

    "I am asking you to honor your blood and your family. Without me, you wouldn¡¯t even exist, Kendrick and now you would spit in my face for her?" she asked with an extremely disappointed expression.

    My blood ran cold. The words I had been holding back for weeks burst free before I could stop them.

    "Honor my family?" I repeated.

    "Tell me, Mother, where were you when I needed you? Where was this ¡¯honor¡¯ when I was growing up without you? Do you have any idea what it was like to live without a mother? To need you and never have you there?" I asked her and she froze, her mouth opening and closing, but no words came out.

    The rage and grief that had been caged in my chest for years finally tore loose.

    "I brought you back!" I roared.

    "I thought it would make everything better. I thought maybe I could finally feel whole again with you in my life. But right now, I am starting to wonder if it was a mistake. Because all you¡¯ve done is try to rip apart everything that makes me happy, including the one person who makes me feel alive." I said and my throat tightened.

    The silence that followed was deafening, my mother¡¯s face crumpled with shock, her hand flying to her chest like I had just stabbed her.

    Her eyes glistened with tears, but when she finally spoke, her voice was filled with rage again.

    "This is her doing, she¡¯s poisoned you against me. That witch has brainwashed you to the point where you can¡¯t even see how far you have fallen." she said while pointing at Christy.

    Iughed bitterly as I stared at her.

    I thought my words could make her heart soft but instead...

    "Don¡¯t you dare put this on Christy, she didn¡¯t brainwash me or twist my heart. I fell for her because she¡¯s everything you will never see, she is kind, strong, and above all, she is mine and I will not let you take her away from me." I growled in anger.

    Her tears spilled over now, but they burned like acid instead of softening me.

    "If you choose her, Kendrick... if you really walk away from me for her... then you are no son of mine! ." she yelled amidst sobs.

    The words hit me like a de to the chest.

    For a second, I couldn¡¯t speak. The little boy inside me, the one who had once longed for her arms, who had cried himself to sleep at night wishing she woulde back, screamed in agony.

    But then my gaze dropped to Christy. Her hand was trembling in mine, her lips parted in confusion and hurt. At that moment, my decision was clear.

    I lifted my head, meeting my mother¡¯s eyes.

    "Then so be it." I said with a determined tone.

    Her gasp echoed in the room.

    "You think you can threaten me with your love? With your absence?" My voice is steady now.

    "I have lived without you before, Mother and I survived without your love once. Don¡¯t think for a second I won¡¯t survive again. If you¡¯re forcing me to choose, then I choose Christy. I choose the mother of my child and my future."I said with restrained anger.

    Christy let out a strangled sob beside me, covering her mouth with her free hand.

    Lauretta, meanwhile, staggered back like I had physically struck her. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with disbelief.

    "No," she whispered, shaking her head.

    "No, this isn¡¯t you... .This isn¡¯t my son." she said in denial.

    I took a step forward, my chest heaving.

    "This is me, Mother. The son you abandoned and the man you barely know. And if you can¡¯t ept the woman I love, then maybe you don¡¯t deserve to know me at all." I said to her,

    For a few minutes, she just stood there, trembling in anger.

    Then her gaze shifted back to Christy, and the hatred returned like fire.

    "This isn¡¯t over," she spat, her voice trembling with rage.

    "Mark my words, girl, you will regret ever stepping into this family. You will destroy him, just like all Lancasters destroy everything they touch." she said to Christy.

    And with that, she turned and stormed out, mming the door so hard the walls rattled.

    The silence left behind was suffocating.

    I stood there, chest heaving, staring at the door she had disappeared through. My whole body trembled with rage and grief.

    Was this what it came to? My mother, back in my life after years of absence, only to tear it all apart? Had I really just lost her all over again?

    Beside me, Christy¡¯s voice broke through my storm. "Kendrick..."

    I turned to her. Her cheeks were wet with tears, her eyes filled with a sorrow that mirrored my own. My chest cracked open at the realization that she had heard every word my mother said.

    I cupped her face with both hands, my thumbs brushing her tears away.

    "Don¡¯t you dare me yourself," I whispered fiercely.

    "Do you hear me? This isn¡¯t your fault. It was always her choice and she chose to hold on to a grudge that should have ended a long time ago." I consoled her.

    Her lips trembled.

    "But what if she... what if she tries to hurt my baby?" she asked.

    I pressed my forehead to hers, closing my eyes.

    "Then let her try. Because I swear to you, Christy, I will never let her, or anyone else, take you away from me again." I promised

    I had just burned a bridge that could never be rebuilt. And I knew my mother well enough to know she wouldn¡¯t let this go. She woulde back for revenge, with the full weight of her hatred for the Lancaster name.

    And I had just painted a target on Christy¡¯s back.

    But as I held her trembling body in my arms, I knew one thing with absolute certainty.

    If protecting Christy meant standing against my own blood, then so be it. I would fight and burn the world down before I let anyone take her from me.

    Even if that person was my own mother.

 Chapter 63 - SIXTY-THREE: The Painful Past

    <h4>Chapter 63: Chapter SIXTY-THREE: The Painful Past</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    Kendrick¡¯s promise still echoed in my ears long after his mother had stormed out, the m of the door vibrating through my chest like an aftershock I couldn¡¯t shake.

    "I will never let her, or anyone else, take you away from me again." His words were supposed to soothe me, supposed to make me feel safe, but instead, I felt torn in two.

    My heart wanted to believe him, to lean into the safety of his arms and let that promise shield me from everything.

    But my head... my head wouldn¡¯t stop reying the resentment in his mother¡¯s voice, the raw hatred burning in her eyes when she looked at me.

    She didn¡¯t see me as Kendrick¡¯s love, or the mother of his child, or even just as Christy. No, to her, I was nothing more than a Lancaster, nothing more than an enemy.

    The way she spat it, the way her voice cracked with years of resentment, it was almost as if my very existence was an offense to her and no matter how tightly Kendrick held me, no matter how fiercely he promised, I couldn¡¯t silence the gnawing question inside me.

    Why? Why did she hate me so much? What had really happened between our families?

    I pressed my lips together and tried to blink away the sting of tears, but my chest still felt heavy, like my heart was being squeezed by invisible hands.

    Kendrick kept his forehead against mine, his voice low and steady, murmuring assurances I wanted so badly to believe.

    "Don¡¯t you dare me yourself,this isn¡¯t your fault. It was always her choice."he said to me softly and I nodded, but inside, the doubt lingered.

    Because if his mother¡¯s hatred was really rooted in the past, if it came from something deep and unhealed between the cks and the Lancasters, then Kendrick and I being together will be impossible.

    The thought sent a sharp ache through me, so painful I almost gasped.

    I didn¡¯t have time to process any of it before the door suddenly burst open again.

    My whole body jolted as I turned to look at the entrance, but it wasn¡¯t his mother this time, It was Mason.

    <fnb7d0> ?????? ???? Find[?]ovel</fnb7d0>

    He stormed in with an extremely cold expression on his face, his grip tight around Mira¡¯s arm as he dragged her in behind him.

    Mira stumbled, her designer heels scraping against the tiled floor, her eyes were wild and burning with rage.

    "Mason! Let me go, you¡¯re hurting me!" she shrieked, trying to yank free, but he only tightened his grip on her.

    "What the hell are you doing here, Mira?" Mason asked sharply while staring at her.

    He shoved her forward, and she nearly fell, ring at him like she wanted to w his face off.

    My stomach dropped.

    Mira again?

    My pulse quickened as unease spread through me.

    "Mason, what¡¯s going on?" I asked cautiously, but he ignored me, his eyes locked on Mira with the intensity of a predator cornering its prey.

    "What are you doing here?" Mason snapped at her.

    "Don¡¯t you dare lie to me. Were you following us? Answer me!" he questioned her angrily.

    Mira scoffed, and rolled her eyes dramatically. She smoothed her hair, lifting her chin with that smug arrogance that always made my skin crawl.

    "Following you? Oh.. Please.... Don¡¯t tter yourself, Mason. It¡¯s a public restaurant, so I can eat wherever I please." she replied with a mocking tone.

    She sounded defiant, but there was a glint in her eyes, I knew Mason was definitely right.

    She had sworn to make my life a living hell, so I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she is the one that informed Kendrick¡¯s mother about our whereabouts.

    Kendrick¡¯s hand tightened around mine as his sharp gazended on Mira.

    "Then tell me, Mira, is it a coincidence that my mother just happened to show up here right after you did? Or do you have something to do with it?" he asked her, his voice unusually calm.

    Mira gasped as her eyes widening in mock innocence.

    "What? Are you seriously using me of conspiring with your mother? You¡¯ve got to be joking!" She let out a bitterugh while shaking her head.

    "Wow... Just wow...You really think I¡¯m that desperate, don¡¯t you?"she asked him with an innocent tone.

    But I could see it, the flicker of satisfaction that shed across her face before she could masked it.

    We all knew she was lying, only a fool would believe a psycho like Mira.

    When she saw that no one said anything, her face immediately darkened with anger.

    "You people are unbelievable. First, you use me of stalking, now of scheming? Maybe the problem isn¡¯t me. Maybe the problem is that Christy here can¡¯t stop imagining that everyone is out to get her." She sneered and turned to re at me.

    There it was again, that pure and unfiltered hatred she always reserved just for me

    I can¡¯t say I like her either, only a fool would like someone that tried to kill her.

    Her lips curved into a cruel smile as she stepped closer, her voice low but dripping with malice.

    "Not everyone wants your pathetic little fairytale, Christy. You think Kendrick actually chose you because you¡¯re special? Oh.. Please....You¡¯re nothing but a Lancaster and eventually, he¡¯ll realize that blood matters more than whatever little fling you two think you¡¯re having."she said with a mocking smile.

    Her words reopened every raw wound Kendrick¡¯s mother had just left bleeding inside me.

    I swallowed hard, forcing myself not to let her see how much her words affected me.

    Don¡¯t give her the satisfaction, I told myself, even as my heart squeezed painfully in my chest.

    "Enough," Mason growled, stepping in between us. His eyes shed with protective fury, but Mira only smirked, knowing she had already struck a nerve.

    Kendrick¡¯s cold voice came from beside me. "Mira, I¡¯m only going to ask you this once. Did you have anything to do with my mother showing up here?"

    Mira straightened, her chin tilting defiantly.

    "No, I don¡¯t know why she came, and frankly, I don¡¯t care. But don¡¯t you dare put this on me. I don¡¯t owe you or Christy any exnations." she replied, her voice was sharp and dripping with hatred.

    A scene was about to erupt, and thest thing I wanted was for this ugly fight to spill out in front of everyone else in the restaurant.

    "Stop it, just let her go, Mason. She¡¯s not worth it." I said with a smile.

    Mira¡¯s eyes snapped to mine, her smirk widening as though she had won. She smoothed her dress and shot me onest smug look, before she turned on her heel.

    "That¡¯s right," she said sweetly, though her eyes burned with hatred.

    "You keep ying peacekeeper, Christy but peace won¡¯t save you in this family."she said before walking out of the room.

    Her words made me frown but I didn¡¯t want to give her importance by thinking about her.

    Mason exhaled harshly, rubbing a hand over his face.

    "She¡¯s hiding something," he muttered.

    "She always is," Kendrick replied, his voice dark.

    Then he turned to Mason, his expression softening just slightly.

    "Sit with us for dinner, we could all use a moment to breathe." Kendrick said with a slight smile.

    Mason hesitated, ncing at me, and I gave a small nod.

    The little fight had drained me, probably because of the pregnancy, and honestly, I didn¡¯t want to face Mira again if she was still lurking nearby.

    Dinner with my brother and Kendrick, felt like a fragile shield I desperately needed.

    I ate silently while the both of them talked about business matters, which I couldn¡¯t understand. By the time we were done, it was already quitete, so we made our way out of the restaurant.

    Just as we stepped out, Mason¡¯s phone rang. He frowned while pulling it out of his pocket.

    "It¡¯s Mom," he said, before swiping to answer.

    I watched his face as he listened, the shift in his expression startled me. His eyes widened, and his mouth parted slightly.

    "Wait... what? Are you serious?" His gaze darted to me, then Kendrick, then back to his car.

    "Alright...We will be home soon," he said before hanging up.

    "Kelvin has been released." he said to me

    My breath caught in my throat and I didn¡¯t know how to react immediately.

    Released.

    The word echoed in my head, carrying both relief and a sharp sense of unease.

    By the time we reached home, the Lancaster estate was alive with noise.

    It was filled withughter, cheers and the clinking of sses.

    Our family was gathered, faces filled with joy, celebrating Kelvin¡¯s release like a long-lost treasure finally returned.

    I stood in the doorway, watching it unfold. I was happy as well but all I could feel was the weight of Kendrick¡¯s mother¡¯s words.

    Everyone moved around me in a blur, Kelvin was smiling, Mom hugging him, Dad pouring drinks but I felt detached, it felt like my mind was caught in a loop.

    ¡¯She will destroy you , just like all Lancasters destroy everything they touch¡¯

    His mother¡¯s voice yed on repeat in my head until I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    I turned to my mother, who was smiling happily, her eyes wet with tears of relief as she clung to Kelvin.

    The sight should have warmed me, but instead, it gave me the push I needed. The question that had been wing at me since returning from the restaurant.

    "Mom..." My voice was shaky, but it cut through the noise of celebration. She turned to me, her face still lit with joy, but when she saw my expression, her smile faltered.

    I swallowed hard as my heart was pounding loudly in my ears.

    "What happened between our family and the ck family?" I ask

    My mother¡¯s face drained of color, her joy vanishing in an instant. Her hands trembled as they slipped from Kelvin¡¯s shoulders.

    Her eyes locked on mine, wide and unfocused, like I had just unearthed a secret she had buried deep.

    And in that moment, I knew. Whatever it was, whatever dark history bound our families together, it was worse than I had imagined.

 Chapter 64 - SIXTY-FOUR: Done With Being The Perfect Heir

    <h4>Chapter 64: Chapter SIXTY-FOUR: Done With Being The Perfect Heir</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The night air felt heavier than usual,it was thick with the weight of everything I had just gone through.

    Driving alone down the dimly lit road, the silence inside the car wasn¡¯t peaceful and I felt suffocated. My hands tightened around the steering wheel as Christy¡¯s tears reyed in my head, my mother¡¯s voice echoing repeatedly in my head.

    "She will destroy you... just like all Lancasters destroy everything they touch."

    The hatred in her tone had been too real and personal. Just for something rooted in a past my mother refused to let go of.

    My jaw clenched as I pressed harder on the elerator. The city lights blurred past me, but inside, I was stuck. Stuck between the warmth of Christy¡¯s trembling hand in mine, and the cold emptiness that had always lived in my chest since I was a child.

    That emptiness came from one man, my father. I hated him and I hated the way he smiled while tearing our family apart piece by piece, how he had paraded women through the mansion like trophies, never once caring about the wreckage he left behind.

    Everything would have never turned out this way if he wasn¡¯t so greedy and wanted toy his hands on the Martinez family properties and connections.

    Then there is my mother, who wouldn¡¯t let go of her painful past and now, Christy, is pregnant with my child, and is also caught in the crossfire of a war she never started. I mmed my palm against the steering wheel, the sound echoing in the car.

    "Damn you," I muttered under my breath, my mind shing to my father¡¯s face.

    "Damn you for making me grow up like this." My chest tightened with rage.

    How many nights had Iid awake, staring at the ceiling, wishing for something as simple as his presence? Wishing he woulde into my room, put a hand on my shoulder, and tell me I mattered? But instead, I was forced to grow up fast, forced to bury my pain while watching him destroy everything in sight and now, my mother is back and she thinks she has the audacity to demand loyalty, to tell me I had to choose between her and Christy, when all along, the real betrayal had started with him.

    I wouldn¡¯t be in this mess if the both of them have not made lots of impulsive decisions.

    They y victim every time things do not work in their favor.

    I had to watch Curtis and Raina as they were showered with so much love and affection by their mother while I could only wish for mine and now, I finally found her and she is hell bent on ruining my happiness.

    By the time I pulled into the driveway of the ck estate, my entire body was buzzing with suppressed rage.

    I parked the car roughly, the tires screeching against the pavement. I didn¡¯t care as I pushed the door open and stepped out, my fists clenched in fury as I walked into the house, the sound of muffled voices greeted me.

    I stepped into the sitting room, and I saw Sameen sitting there with her swollen eyes while clutching a tissue in her hand. Her daughter, Raina, sat beside her, her face twisted with fury.

    Sameen looked up when I entered, her mascara smeared, her lips trembling as though she had been crying for hours.

    How pathetic.

    My lips curved into a cold smirk. "Well, well... if it isn¡¯t the mighty queen of the house," I mocked, my voiceced with sarcasm.

    "Tell me, Sameen, how does it feel? Knowing that soon, you¡¯ll be thrown out like yesterday¡¯s trash? That my father has already found a new ything and you.. " I paused deliberately, letting my gaze sweep over her with disgust.

    "You are expired." I continued with a smirk.

    I felt really satisfied seeing her in her current condition.

    Who would have ever thought that such a day woulde.

    Her face crumpled further, her hands trembling as she tried to hold back a sob. But before she could say anything, Raina shot to her feet, her eyes zing with fury.

    "Don¡¯t you dare speak to my mother like that!" she shouted, her voice shaking with rage.

    I turned my head slowly, meeting her re with azy smirk. "Oh, Raina. Always so eager to y the hero. Maybe you should focus all that energy on your boyfriend instead." I said and her body stiffened instantly.

    Confusion shed across her face.

    "What did you just say?" she demanded.

    I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice just enough to make it sting.

    "You heard me, maybe you should worry less about me, and more about the little secrets your boyfriend is keeping." I said with a smirk.

    Her eyes widened as she stared at me in confusion.

    "What do you mean by that?" she asked sharply, but I only chuckled darkly and straightened to my full height.

    "Figure it out yourself," I muttered before turning my back on her. I didn¡¯t give her the satisfaction of an exnation.

    Let her stew in it and wonder as I had bigger battles to fight tonight.

    My footsteps echoed through the halls as I made my way to my grandfather¡¯s study. My heart pounded with a mix of dread and determination.

    If there was anyone who could shift the weight of this war, it was him but I already knew where he stood. I pushed open the heavy oak door without knocking. The familiar smell of old books and cigar smoke hit me instantly.

    My grandfather sat behind his massive desk, his sharp eyes lifting to meet mine as I entered.

    "Kendrick," he said slowly, his voice heavy with authority.

    "You¡¯rete." he said but I ignored his attempt at control, closing the door behind me with a click.

    "We need to talk," I said tly and his brows furrowed.

    "About what?" He asked me with a frown.

    "Christy," I replied with a firm tone.

    The air between us thickened instantly and his expression hardened, his lips pressing into a thin line.

    "I hoped this foolishness was temporary," he muttered, shaking his head.

    "But it seems you¡¯re serious." He said coldly and my chest tightened, but I didn¡¯t look away.

    "I love her," I said, my tone low but steady.

    "And she¡¯s carrying my child. This isn¡¯t some game, Grandfather, this is my life." I said with a serious tone.

    His eyes narrowed as his fingers drummed against the desk.

    "Your life? Do you even hear yourself? Do you know what you¡¯re risking? The honor of your mother, the disgrace of this family, the destruction of everything we¡¯ve built? Do you want people to mock your mother?" he asked me angrily.

    His words hit me like blows, but I stood firm.

    "Everything we¡¯ve built?" I repeated bitterly.

    "You mean everything my father destroyed? Don¡¯t stand there and lecture me about legacy when all I have ever seen in this house is betrayal, lies, and broken promises." I said and his eyes shed dangerously.

    "Careful, boy." he warned angrily but I was past caring.

    The dam inside me broke, and the words spilled out likerva, I had kept them bottled up for too long.

    "No, you should be careful! You talk about legacy, about family honor, but where was the honor when my father brought Sameen and her children into this family? Where was the honor when he got Celeste pregnant while you kept watching everything? Where was the honor when I needed him the most and he was nowhere to be found?" My voice cracked and my chest was heaving.

    "You think I should let go of Christy? Of the only person who has ever made me feel alive? You think I should just give her up because my mother hates her, because you are afraid of seeing your only daughter depressed? No...I won¡¯t, I won¡¯t sacrifice my happiness for your grudges, not anymore." I said to him angrily.

    I was done being the matured one and doing what makes him happy and upholding the ck family name.

    His face darkened as his jaw tightened with disapproval.

    "Kendrick, you don¡¯t understand.. " he began while giving me a disappointed gaze.

    "I understand perfectly," I cut him off.

    "You want me to be just like you, cold and detached. Willing to throw away anyone and anything for the family name. But I¡¯m not you and will never be like you.

    Because unlike you , I refuse to abandon the people I love." I said angrily.

    <fn0537> Read full story at findnovel</fn0537>

    It has always been like this since I was young. He always wants me to act and do exactly as he pleases.

    I had to leave for three years to find a solution to my problem and also get away from him.

    The silence that followed was deafening. My grandfather¡¯s eyes bore into mine, sharp and unyielding, but I didn¡¯t flinch. My heart thundered in my chest and my fists were clenched at my sides. Finally, he leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly.

    "So you¡¯ve made your choice," he said, his tone low and dangerous.

    I nodded firmly.

    "Yes. I¡¯ve made my choice. Christy is carrying my child and I will burn this family to the ground before I let anyone take her from me." I swore with a newly found determination

    His gaze lingered on me but I didn¡¯t wait for his response. I turned sharply, pushing the door open and stepping into the hallway.

    My pulse was still racing while my body trembled with the force of everything I had unleashed.

    For once, I didn¡¯t care about the consequences, I didn¡¯t care about my father¡¯s shadow, my mother¡¯s hatred, or my grandfather¡¯s disappointment.

    All I cared about was Christy. Her smile, her tears and our child.

    As I walked away, I knew one thing with absolute certainty. I was ready for whatever scheme or trick they were nning on using.

 Chapter 65 - SIXTY-FIVE: The Painful Past

    <h4>Chapter 65: Chapter SIXTY-FIVE: The Painful Past</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    My mother¡¯s face lost color the second the words left my mouth. The room went impossibly quiet, like the air itself was waiting for an explosion.

    For a breathless second I thought she wouldugh or make some ridiculous, painful little bark to deny it all but instead her lips trembled and the joy that had been in the room for Kelvin¡¯s return shattered like ss.

    My father looked at me with an unhappy expression as he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

    "Christy," he called me and the single syble carried more weight than any armful of words could.

    "This is not an easy story," he said with a sigh.

    Mason¡¯s hand closed over mine while my mother reached for my fingers, and tried to interrupt, but I had asked.

    I needed to know and understand why Kendrick¡¯s mother¡¯s hatred has been aimed at us.

    "Let¡¯s go to the study," my father said finally, a crease forming between his brows.

    "Sit close, this might take a while." he said as he walked away and we all followed.

    The route to his study felt longer than it should. My chest tightened as if someone had wound a rope around my ribs, the memory of her harsh words, the way she had spat "witch" at me, the way Kendrick had chosen me and then been asked by his own mother to pick a side.

    I needed to know the truth, so I will know what to do next.

    We sat down by the desk, the study was brightly lit and my father sat on his chair with his hands sped in front of him. He frowned deeply like he was remembering something painful.

    " It all happened years ago," he began.

    "Before any of you were born, there was a woman named Lauretta, that¡¯s Kendrick¡¯s mother as you all know her to be. She loved what she could not have, to her everything was a game. She took interest in me when she noticed that I had no interest in her.

    She thought if she could break me and make me fall in love with her, she would be victorious and satisfy her massive ego." He breathed out with a disgusted tone.

    My stomach dropped.

    "She wanted my father?" I whispered.

    I was so shocked.

    "She wanted me the way some people want power," my father continued.

    " She was relentless without any shame when I refused her. Then I chose your mother and she could not bear it. The humiliation took root and it became hate." he paused to breathe.

    Mason made a small sound of understanding and his expression was twisted in disgust.

    "So she went after our mother?" he asked.

    "She did more than go after her," my father said slowly.

    " She began to humiliate your mother at every event, she got her thrown out and cklisted in high end malls, made her lose her job. She even got her friends to bully your mother, they spread rumors about how she was trying to climb the socialdder by clinging to me. She even resorted to more deliberate means" he said with suppressed anger.

    It seems like remembering the past has awoken his suppressed anger.

    "Deliberate how?" I asked.

    He closed his eyes once before telling us.

    "Your mother was pushed to her breaking point. There was a night she didn¡¯te home. I found her in the garden, barely breathing due to being poisoned.

    At first we thought it might be an ident, bad food or something. But the doctors... The doctors said it was deliberate. Someone had fed her something meant to end her." His voice cracked on thest word.

    I squeezed Mason¡¯s hand until he inhaled sharply when I noticed his furious expression.

    "I got Lauretta arrested," my father went on.

    "There was public outrage and It would have been a clean conviction if not for a force that moved behind the scenes, the ck family¡¯s influence.

    Kendrick¡¯s grandfather interceded as his precious daughter¡¯s life was at stake. He used what he had, money, connections andwyers who could slow a case to a halt. The city is full of mercies and bargains for those who own them." he said with a sigh.

    Mason¡¯s jaw tightened as he asked "He protected her, despite knowing she tried to kill someone?"

    "He did more than protect, he intervened until the state could not push the charge publicly. We watched as judges changed their tone, partners distanced themselves from the Lancasters, and the ck family¡¯s businesses suffered as he was only focused on saving his daughter, risking everything else.

    The scandal didn¡¯t vanish and Lauretta¡¯s humiliation was public despite her father pulling numerous strings" he answered with an upset expression.

    I could feel a slow and cold rity spread through me as I now understood how bad things were.

    "So the ck family saved her and she escaped punishment for attempted murder." I murmured.

    My father nodded.

    " After going back and forth for months, we had no choice but to drop the case but by then, everyone had suffered both emotionally and mentally.

    And more than that, the humiliation drove Lauretta to a ce dark enough to make her make desperate choices. She attempted to end her life after the shame grew too heavy. She was rescued by her father and then she was sent away. We all thought she was gone for good" my father sighed again while my mother sat expressionlessly on the side, like what he was saying had nothing to do with her.

    "But she came back," he continued.

    "She returned six monthster with Raymond, and announced their marriage." he said and I frowned.

    SIX months?

    "She said she returned to punish those that had offended her and Raymond was good at cleaning up after her. He was more like a bodyguard than a husband. She started attacking our family.

    It started with my being demoted in the military, then your mother being poured waste water at an event, then your grandmother being attacked by thugs that led to her death. But we had no evidence to convict her" he said with a frustrated sigh.

    To think that she did so much and is now ying victim and insulting me

    Her obsession led to cruelty, cruelty to public shame, shame to leverage, and leverage to a vicious hunger for revenge.

    "Why our family?" I asked.

    "Why Lancasters?" I asked again.

    My father rubbed his temples tiredly.

    "Visibility,our life is visible and jealousy looks for a target. Lauretta could not bear that your mother had what she wanted. If she could not have me, she would make sure no one else had the light she had been denied.

    And when you point at a family and smear them, other people help to smear along because it¡¯s easier to cry about somebody else than to look at your own reflection." he said with a hint of disgust in his tone.

    Mason¡¯s face had gone pale with anger .

    "So she tried to ruin Mom! She almost killed her, and someone pulled strings to protect her. The cks paid for her to be released while the Lancasters¡ª" He didn¡¯t finish as his fist clenched even more tightly.

    "And then one night, she got into a car ident, and people med our family for it, saying we killed her and her body was never found," he said.

    I felt extremely angry at the fact that our family was still med after everything.

    "She¡¯s back now," my father said with a frown.

    "And people who can hold grudges like valuables do not forget. They remember slights like a ledger and they spend their lives paying them back. You must be careful." he warned me with a serious expression.

    My knees felt unsteady, what he was describing wasn¡¯t mere hatred.

    "Why won¡¯t she just move on? It¡¯s been years already!" I said angrily.

    What an old witch and she had the guts to point fingers at me.

    My father¡¯s gaze went soft.

    "Because it hurt her that the man she wanted married another woman. Because she was terrified of being seen as nothing and because some people¡¯s pride births rage. You can¡¯t reason with that,you can only be careful and sometimes the safest choice is to refuse to be bait." he advised.

    Mason¡¯s anger seemed to increase by the second as he clenched the armrest.

    "So what are we supposed to do now?" Mason asked.

    My father¡¯s answer was blunt, but weary.

    "You do not make yourself a target or hand them reactions to enjoy. You have to move with care.

    .

    She will try to lure you onto her stage." He leaned forward after a pause.

    "We survive this by refusing to fight on her terms." he said with a determined tone.

    The room felt heavy as beams of knowledge I had wanted actuallynded.

    Every insult Lauretta had thrown at me now made me sick. The hatred was a map traced long before I existed. I felt rage, not just at Lauretta, but at the people in power and influence that let people buy their way out of taking responsibility for their actions.

    "How do we move forward?" I asked.

    My father¡¯s breath left him in a tired and almost defeated sigh.

    He lifted his eyes to each of us, slow and serious, "And we remember that some wounds scar and some do not heal. She came back to make the scar worse. So be careful, Christy and you too Mason. She is back, and she remembers everything."

    The sentence felt like an order.

    My chest tightened until it hurt but inside me, something else had shifted.

    As my father finished, a cold determination settled over me.

    I would not be bait.

    I would not be the stage on which Lauretta performed her vengeance.

    <fn4843> Discover more novels at findnovel</fn4843>

    But I would also not cower and the thought of hiding that small life away made a hot, righteous anger re in my chest.

    My mother¡¯s hand tightened around mine. She looked older than I remembered, as though knowledge of what had happened long ago had added years to her face in a single night.

    Mason¡¯s chin was set hard. My father¡¯s warning echoed in my head, be careful. She is back, and she remembers everything.

    I left the study and walked past rooms that had been full ofughter mere hours before, feeling as if the drums of an old war were starting to beat again.

    The house that had once been a haven felt like a map of traps. The truth was out now; I had asked for it, and there was no taking it back. Lauretta¡¯s hatred had a history, and that history now had my name somewhere written in it.

    But knowledge is a kind of armor. If she expected me to fold at the sound of her name, she had picked the wrong girl.

    I would be careful and vignt. I would protect the life inside me and when the time came, we would meet whatever came with steady feet.

    My father¡¯sst words before we left the study followed me down the hall like a watchman¡¯s shadow:

    "She will not let go, she didn¡¯t then, and she won¡¯t now. Remember that and be careful."

 Chapter 66 - SIXTY-SIX: A Unveiled Plot That Shatters Hearts

    <h4>Chapter 66: Chapter SIXTY-SIX: A Unveiled Plot That Shatters Hearts</h4>

    Raina¡¯s POV

    Kendrick¡¯s words wouldn¡¯t leave my head.

    "Keep your eyes on your boyfriend."

    He didn¡¯t say it casually, not even like a warning meant to protect me.

    No.

    He said it like a de, sharp and deliberate, meant to cut.

    His tone and the way his eyes lingered on me before he turned away, it was as if he knew something I didn¡¯t.

    And that thought was eating me alive.

    I sat on the edge of my bed, but kept fidgeting restlessly.

    My fingers dug into my thighs while my legs were bouncing and my stomach was in knots.

    Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Mark¡¯s face and every time I opened them, I heard Kendrick¡¯s voice again.

    "Keep your eyes on your boyfriend".

    Why did it feel like poison slipping into my veins?

    I wanted to ignore it and shove it aside, but my body wouldn¡¯t let me. I felt like I was suffocating, like the walls of the house were pressing in on me, trapping me in a cage of doubt.

    Then I heard my mother¡¯s voice.

    Her sobs carried through the halls were muffled but sharp enough to twist my heart.

    My mother who always kept her chin up, who always held our family together no matter what storm hit us.

    Now she was crumbling, and I didn¡¯t know how to fix it.

    She has always been strong since I could remember, so seeing her in such a miserable state was extremely heartbreaking.

    I found her on the sofa, her face buried in her hands, her body shaking with grief.

    Tears streaked down her cheeks as if they would never end. She looked like a lshadow of the woman I knew.

    "Mom..." My voice cracked as I sat beside her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders.

    "It¡¯s okay, We will get through this."I said with aforting voice.

    "No, Raina," she whispered through broken sobs.

    "Nothing is okay anymore and nothing will ever be okay. Your father... your father destroyed everything. And now¡ª" Her words fell into silence, her body trembling harder.

    As soon as she mentioned my father, Celeste also came to my mind.

    I can¡¯t believe I trusted and brought that bitch into our house and now she wants to take my mother¡¯s position and be my stepmother.

    I her dreams!

    I held my mother and gently stroked her hair while whispering the kind of empty reassurances that felt hollow even as they left my lips.

    I wanted to mean them and I also wanted to believe them but while Iforted her, my mind was miles away.

    Because no matter how much I tried to focus on her pain, Kendrick¡¯s words still wed at me and Mark¡¯s face still burned in my mind.

    When my mother finally stopped shaking and her sobs slowed into sniffles, I kissed her forehead and told her to rest.

    But my heart wasn¡¯t still and neither were my thoughts.

    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    <fna632> The source of th?s content is Find~Novel</fna632>

    So I helped my mother to her room before quickly taking my jacket and rushing out of the house.

    The night air hit me like ice, it was extremely cold but I didn¡¯t slow down.

    My legs carried me forward, faster and faster, almost running through the streets.

    My heartbeat echoed in my ears and my breath came out in uneven gasps.

    By the time I reached Mark¡¯s building, my stomach was a mess of knots, as I struggled to breathe in the cold air.

    Then I suddenly froze when his front door opened and two men walked out of his apartment.

    At first I barely noticed them, but when the light from the hallway hit their faces, the world tilted beneath me. My blood went cold and my breath stuck in my throat.

    I knew them.

    Those faces. I could never forget.

    They were the thugs.

    The same two men who had cornered me on that night.

    The night Mark saved me.

    My body moved on instinct. I ducked behind a pir, pressing my back against the wall, praying they wouldn¡¯t see me.

    My heart pounded so loud I thought it would give me away.

    But they didn¡¯t notice me as they walked out casually,ughing and talking like old friends leaving a buddy¡¯s ce.

    I couldn¡¯t process it or my mind refused to process it.

    No...No, this doesn¡¯t make sense.

    It can¡¯t make sense..

    The memory of that particr night mmed into me with brutal force.

    That night, their hands on me, their disgustingughter, the fear choking me and then Mark, swooping in like a hero.

    His fists flying, his voicemanding and his arms pulling me close like I was something precious.

    I had thought it was fate.

    I had thought he was sent to me at that moment and that he was my protector or savior.

    But if those men were walking out of his apartment now, then what did that make that night?

    A setup?.

    My stomach lurched and I clutched the wall to keep me from copsing.

    Mark wouldn¡¯t do that to me, he said he loves me!

    I kept yelling that he loves me, just to stop my mind from thinking about it but the truth was right in front of me and I could not deny it anymore.

    Was it all staged?

    This question wed at my heart.

    Was the night I thought I found love just a game? Did he arrange everything, orchestrate my fear, so he could swoop in like a hero and steal my heart?

    Tears stung my eyes as the memories kepting.

    Kendrick had called him a snake and had demanded to fire Mark

    I ignored them all and defended Mark like a fool, blinded by the way he made me feel.

    I remembered Mark¡¯s words, etched into my brain.

    "Christy has been trying to seduce me for years, Raina. I never touched her and she just hates me because I rejected her. She¡¯ll do anything to ruin me, so don¡¯t believe her lies." he had said to me when I saw Christy being rude to him.

    And I believed him.

    I looked into his eyes, saw the false sincerity and I believed every word he said.

    I chose him.

    But what if it was all lies? What if he used my hatred for Christy to twist me around his finger?

    My stomach churned as another realization hit me.

    The money.

    All those times he asked for my help.

    I paid his rent bills and he always has some kind of emergencies that require urgent money.

    He always has an excuse and always spoke to me with desperation in his voice.

    I gave without asking any questions, thinking I was helping him. Thinking that¡¯s what love meant.

    But what if I was just his cash cow? What if that¡¯s all I ever was to him?

    I felt suffocated as I remembered that he had never allowed me to sleep over at his apartment.

    He gave me an excuse that he wanted us to remain pure until we get married and I foolishly believed him, I even boasted to Celeste about it.

    She must have mocked me severally but always gave me a fake supportive smile.

    My chest burned with betrayal, tears slipping down my cheeks before I even noticed.

    I should have run back home because I might encounter something dangerous if he found out that I had figured everything out but I couldn¡¯t.

    Something stronger than me dragged me forward.

    The anger in me was beyond my control as I marched towards the front door.

    The door wasn¡¯t even locked and my hand shook as I turned the handle before pushing it open.

    It was Silent at first.

    Then I heard the sound that fueled my anger.

    A moan.

    Low at first then it got louder. Followed by Mark¡¯s loud dirty talking.

    My chest constricted as I stepped inside.

    Clothes were scattered everywhere. There was a shirt tossed carelessly on the floor and abra hanging from the arm of the couch and also shoes.

    My legs wobbled beneath me, but I forced them forward, each step heavier than thest.

    The sounds grew clearer.

    The moans were louder and mixed with gasps and dirty talks.

    When I reached the bedroom doorway, my world shattered.

    Mark.

    The man I thought was my savior, I defended against everyone and gave my heart to.

    On top of another woman Stark naked. Their bodies tangled as they were moving, totally lost in lust.

    They didn¡¯t even see me.

    Didn¡¯t even notice me standing there, my heart broke and my soul copsed.

    My chest squeezed so tight I thought I might die.

    Every memory, every moment and every sacrifice... it all turned to dust in that single second.

    My tears blurred my vision, but through the haze, I saw a vase on the dresser.

    My hand moved before my mind caught up. I grabbed it, my fingers gripping it so tight that my knuckles turned white.

    My heart roared with fury, betrayal, and heartbreak.

    My entire body trembled as I lifted it high, every nerve screaming for me to smash his head.

    And I was ready to bring it crashing down on the head of the man who destroyed me.

 Chapter 67 - SIXTY-SEVEN: Shattered Illusions

    <h4>Chapter 67: Chapter SIXTY-SEVEN: Shattered Illusions</h4>

    Raina¡¯s POV

    My fingers tightened around the cold porcin vase, the weight of it heavy and trembling in my hands as if it carried every ounce of betrayal in my chest.

    My heart hammered so loud that I could barely hear the moans echoing from the bedroom anymore.

    My vision blurred with hot tears, but I didn¡¯t care anymore, I wanted blood... His blood to be precise.

    The man I had defended, the man I had loved against all reason, was lying in bed with another woman like everything we shared had meant nothing.

    My arms shook as I raised the vase high above my head, my rage spilling out in violent tremors, ready to strike him down for making a fool of me.

    But before I could bring it crashing down, the girl on the bed suddenly turned her head.

    Her eyes widened as she noticed me standing there with a vase in my hand.

    "MARK!" she screamed, her shrill voice cutting through the air and startling me as well.

    Mark jolted upright instantly and his face twisted in shock when he realized what was happening.

    He scrambled up, his bare skin glistening with sweat and his muscles tensed as he realized I was standing there. My grip on the vase loosened just slightly as my mind was caught between fury and devastation.

    But the scream had already ruined my chance as he lunged forward, and the vase smashed down on his shoulder instead of his skull.

    "Ahh... damn it!" he cursed through gritted teeth as the porcin cracked against him. His hand flew up to clutch the injured spot, and his face twisted in pain.

    I stood there, chest heaving, tears spilling freely down my face. Seeing him naked andpletely exposed made me sick.

    He wouldn¡¯t even share a bed with me, all in the name of remaining pure and now, he was standing in front of mepletely naked.

    It made me want to vomit so badly.

    He looked at me as though he didn¡¯t even realize he was named as he took a desperate step closer, trying to hold my hand.

    "Raina, listen it¡¯s not what it looks like," he said with a panicked expression and his voice cracked with urgency.

    "Please, let me exin, you don¡¯t understand... "he continued but I raised my hand to stop him.

    "Don¡¯t touch me!" I shoved him backward, I felt so disgusted when he came so close to me.

    "Don¡¯t you daree near me!" I yelled angrily at him.

    Before he could reply, the girl jumped off the bed. She was quicker than I expected, as she grabbed one of his shirts from the floor and yanked it over her body.

    Her hair was a wild mess, lips swollen from kissing him and her eyes were gleaming with hatred as if I was the viin here.

    She stormed up to me and, without hesitation, smacked me hard across the face.

    The sharp sting sent my head spinning and my hand flew to my cheek as the pain spread across my skin.

    My knees threatened to buckle, but I refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing me crumble.

    She used a lot of force and my ear was ringing as well.

    "How dare you?" she spat venomously.

    "Who the hell do you think you are to walk in here and attack my boyfriend?" she asked me angrily as her body trembled in rage.

    Her boyfriend?.

    The words sliced through me like des and I could not evene up with any words to reply to her at the moment.

    I was too stunned and shocked to even think and the pain in my chest was suffocating.

    "Callie, stop!" Mark barked, rushing forward to drag her away from me. His hands gripped her arm as he pulled her back, ring at her.

    "Don¡¯t touch her!" he yelled at her while looking at me with a worried expression.

    Iughed, a hollow and broken sound that echoed through the apartment.

    "Your boyfriend?" I repeated, choking on the bitterness of the word.

    My palm burned with fury, and before I knew it, I raised my hand and pped Mark across the face with all the strength I had left.

    The sound of it cracked through the air, leaving a red mark blossoming on his cheek. He froze, staring at me as if he didn¡¯t recognize the girl who had just struck him.

    "You are filth, Mark," I hissed as my voice trembled.

    "I regret ever meeting you, I regret every moment, every breath, every piece of my heart I gave to you. I swear, I will make your life miserable for this." I swore angrily while ring at him with hatred.

    Something in his face shifted then and his lips slowly raised into a sneer.

    For the first time, he finally dropped his mask.

    His desperation to exin, his fake remorse has all faded. He stared at me with a smirk.

    "Make my life miserable?" he asked me with a mocking voice.

    "Tell me, Raina, how do you n to do that when you won¡¯t evenst in your own family?" he asked me with a mockingughter that sent chills down my spine.

    My stomach dropped and my legs almost gave up on me.

    "You¡¯re naive," he continued, his words felt like sharp daggers in my chest.

    "You think you¡¯re strong, but you¡¯re gullible. You were just a spoiled little girl looking for love, and I was smart enough to give you a story you would believe." he said while looking at me with a sneer.

    My hands trembled.

    "What are.. you talking about?" I asked with a trembling voice.

    He leaned closer as his eyes darkened.

    "Do you really think that night when I saved you from those thugs was fate? Do you think it was some noble act? Oh..Please. That was all Celeste." he revealed and I froze.

    "Celeste?" I repeated in shock.

    "Yes," he sneered.

    "She was the one who told me where you would be and she wanted me to get close to you. She knew you would fall for the knight-in-shining-armor act.

    And you did, so easily. You ate it all up, Raina. Every lie and every performance. And you gave me everything I asked for in return." he said with a triumphant smile.

    I shook my head, tears streaming down my face.

    "No... no, you¡¯re lying. You¡¯re just trying to hurt me more?!." I screamed at him.

    "Am I?" he challenged, raising his brows.

    "Think about it, the money, the gifts, the apartment and the car. Did you really think I wanted you? You were nothing but my cash cow and damn, you were so easy to milk." he said with a smirk.

    The world tilted beneath me. My knees buckled, but anger forced me to stay upright.

    "You bastard," I whispered, raising my hand to strike him again.

    But this time, he was ready. His hand shot up and he pped me first, the force of it snapping my head to the side and my ears started ringing again as my vision blurred.

    The humiliation burned deeper than the sting.

    And then, as if to twist the knife deeper, he pulled the Callie girl into his arms right in front of me.

    She smirked, while wrapping her arms around him and pressed her lips against his neck as though she was marking her territory.

    "You don¡¯t own me, Raina," Mark said coldly.

    "You never did." he said with a mocking smile.

    My hands shook as I pointed to the door, rage burning through me.

    "Get out!... Get out of this apartment. It¡¯s mine and I paid the rent. And also return the car too.. it was bought with my money!" I yelled at him angrily.

    Heughed in my face and his expression became even more mocking.

    "Yours? Oh, sweetheart, don¡¯t make meugh. Every receipt and every document is in my name. You can¡¯t take anything from me. You gave it all to me freely, remember? That¡¯s what makes this so sweet." he said with a victorious smile.

    I felt like my chest was caving in, like my lungs couldn¡¯t draw breath anymore.

    He didn¡¯t care about me as he turned back to Callie, and without shame or hesitation, he began kissing her again with his hands roaming her body right in front of me.

    The world crashed down and my heart shattered into pieces too small to gather.

    I stumbled backwards, my body moving without thought.

    My feet carried me out of the apartment and my tears were blinding me as the echo of theirughter chased me like ghosts. I didn¡¯t even know where I was going. I just knew I had to get out of this ce as soon as possible or else I would run mad.

    The night air pped me across the face as I stepped outside. My breaths came in gasps, broken sobs tearing through my throat. My hands clutched at my chest as if I could hold the shattered pieces of my heart together.

    I wandered into the street with no direction or thought.

    Just the sharp pain from Mark¡¯s betrayal.

    And then...

    The screeching of tires tore through the night.

    My head snapped up and my eyes widening as headlights blinded me.

    That was when I noticed that a car wasing straight at me.<fn55a7> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n fin?novel</fn55a7>

 Chapter 68 - SIXTY-EIGHT: An Unexpected Comfort

    <h4>Chapter 68: Chapter SIXTY-EIGHT: An Unexpected Comfort</h4>

    Raina¡¯s POV

    The screeching sound of tyres ripping against asphalt was the only thing I heard before everything seemed to pause around me.

    My eyes were shut tight and my arms were slightly raised as if they could somehow shield me from the crushing weight of the car that was supposed to hit me.

    My heart had already epted it.

    This was it, I just want everything to end.

    An end that promised silence and would free me from the humiliation twisting around my chest at this moment.

    But the impact never came.

    Instead, the deafening screeching of a car¡¯s tyres cut into the silent night, and I realized I was still standing while my knees trembled, and my eyes flew wide open with shock.

    <fn8912> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? find?novel</fn8912>

    Just inches away from me was the shining hood of a ck car, the headlights were still on and shining into my eyes, causing me to squint as my body froze and my chest was rising and falling rapidly, as I tried to process that I wasn¡¯t dead.

    The car door mmed open, and a tall figure stepped out angrily.

    I couldn¡¯t see the person¡¯s face clearly because of the light, even though I was squinting.

    "For fuck¡¯s sake, Raina! If you wanna die so bad, at least pick somewhere less inconvenient. Maybe a goddamn bridge or a cliff!" An extremely pissed voice came into my ears and my eyes widened in surprise.

    My lips parted, but no words came out as I stared at the man who was now standing in front of me, looking extremely annoyed.

    He was none other than Gary, Kendrick¡¯s best friend.

    He had been gone for weeks.. no, over a month. I thought he had left the city for good because of his family issues.

    Thest thing I expected was to see him tonight, much less with me standing in the middle of the road like some pathetic broken doll.

    I quickly lowered my head, staring at the ground as my pride and everything inside me screamed not to let him see me like this.

    Because Gary wasn¡¯t just Kendrick¡¯s best friend. He was someone I had always tried to put in his ce every time we crossed paths.

    I had mocked and sneered at him severally and had even called him useless more times than I could count. I had built this wall of arrogance around myself when it came to him, because I hated how his sharp eyes always seemed to see through me. And he was always trying to protect and help Kendrick, so he was not an ally.

    Now, here I am, a crying and broken mess. I couldn¡¯t bear for him to see me like this.

    Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that a day like this woulde.

    "Did you hear me?" he snapped again, his tone dripping with the usual mix of sarcasm and annoyance.

    "If you¡¯re gonna y suicidal princess, at least don¡¯t do it in front of my car, I don¡¯t need bloodstains on the hood I just polished." he said with a mocking voice.

    I stayed silent, biting down on my trembling lip, hoping he would just walk past me, get back in the car, and leave me to my misery.

    But Gary wasn¡¯t stupid.

    The silence dragged on for too long, he didn¡¯t hear the usual insults and arrogantebacks from me.

    "Wait..." His voice dropped, less sharp and more cautious.

    "Why aren¡¯t you throwing your usual tantrum? Why aren¡¯t you biting my head off?" he asked with a puzzled voice.

    I still didn¡¯t lift my head but my shoulders started shaking as I couldn¡¯t hold back my tears anymore.

    "Raina..." His tone changed again and he sounded softer and I could hear a hint of worry.

    Or maybe I was just thinking too much.

    He reached out his hand, and before I could stop him, his hand lifted my chin gently, forcing me to meet his eyes.

    And the second his gaze locked onto my tear-streaked face, his whole expression froze.

    His expression was a mixture of shock and disbelief.

    I couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore, so I just allowed my tears to flow freely.

    A strangled sob tore from my throat as I threw myself against his chest as my arms wrapped around him desperately.

    I felt him stiffen instantly, his entire body going rigid, as if he didn¡¯t know what to do with me, and honestly, I didn¡¯t care.

    I needed to cry and for some reason, right now, Gary was the only person standing here to witness my breakdown.

    "I can¡¯t... " My voice cracked.

    "I can¡¯t take it anymore!" I said amidst sobs.

    The tears kept flowing non stop and his shirt bunched under my fists as I clung to him, soaking his chest with tears.

    For a moment, he stayed stiff with his arms hanging awkwardly at his sides.

    But slowly, very slowly, one of his hands lifted, hovering before finally resting on my back. Not pulling me closer or pushing me away. Just... there.

    Like he was letting me vent without judgment.

    And so I did.

    I poured everything out.

    "Mark..." I choked.

    "He... he cheated on me. He lied to me! He used me! Do you know what it feels like to realize that the man you loved, the man you thought saved you, was nothing but a disgusting liar?" My voice broke, anger and heartbreak tangling until I didn¡¯t know which I was feeling exactly.

    Gary¡¯s hand on my back tightened , but he didn¡¯t interrupt.

    "And Celeste," I spat her name like poison,

    "my best friend.. no, the person I thought was my best friend, she betrayed me in the worst way possible! She got pregnant for my father. My fucking father! Do you know what it feels like to have everything you thought was solid just... crumble? To realize that the people you trusted most stabbed you in the back?" I asked him in anger.

    Each word wasced with so much hatred and my body was shaking violently as I pressed harder against him.

    "I hate them! I hate them both! I curse them with everything inside me. I curse the day I ever let them into my life. I was so stupid... so blind..." My knees gave out slightly, but Gary¡¯s arm held me steady.

    He still wasn¡¯t saying anything, just letting me vent out all the anger and frustration inside me.

    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, my sobs began to calm. My breathing was ragged and my chest was sore, I could feel my swollen eyes as I blink.

    But for the first time since this nightmare began, I felt... lighter.

    I pulled back slightly, embarrassed to realize how tightly I had clung to him. My eyes flickered to his face and for once, I didn¡¯t see the mocking sarcasm I usually expected.

    It felt like he was silently saying, I¡¯m not going to pity you, but I¡¯m not going to let you fall either.

    "Thank you," I whispered hoarsely, my voice barely audible.

    Gary blinked, then cleared his throat awkwardly, like my gratitude made him ufortable.

    "Don¡¯t thank me...I didn¡¯t do anything." He said before ncing.

    "And seriously, if you are nning to keep throwing yourself in front of cars, at least pick a cheaper car next time. I would rather not deal with dent repairs." he added in his usual sarcastic tone.

    I almostughed but the pain in my chest made me unable to.

    ."Come on, I will drop you home. I was heading there anyway to see Kendrick."He sighed

    I nodded silently and followed him into the car.

    The drive was quiet.

    My head leaned against the window as the city lights blurred past, my reflection staring back at me with swollen eyes. I didn¡¯t know what to say, and Gary didn¡¯t push me. The silence between us wasn¡¯t suffocating this time.,it was... just calm.

    When we finally pulled up in front of the house, my heart sank at the sight of Kendrick standing outside. His sharp eyes immediatelynded on Gary¡¯s car, and then on me.

    Panic surged through me as I couldn¡¯t face Kendrick like this. Not with swollen eyes and definitely not with my pride shattered.

    The second Gary parked, I rushed out of the car, avoiding Kendrick¡¯s gaze entirely. I bolted inside the house, my footsteps quick against the marble floor.

    I didn¡¯t stop until I reached my room.

    mming the door shut, I pressed my back against it, sliding down until I hit the floor. My chest rose and fell heavily as the humiliation of everything crashing back.

    Slowly, I pushed myself up and staggered to the mirror.

    The reflection staring back at me wasn¡¯t me at all. Not the proud, arrogant and untouchable Raina I had always presented to the world.

    No, this girl looked broken and weak. Her mascara was smeared and her lips were trembling with swollen red eyes. A sorrowfulugh escaped my lips

    But then theugh faded, reced by something darker.

    Anger.

    I leaned closer to the mirror, my eyes hardening as my tears dried into nothing.

    "No more," I whispered to my reflection.

    "Celeste and Mark." I spat their names like curses.

    "You think you broke me? You think you can humiliate me and walk away untouched? No! You¡¯ve only woken something in me that you are going to regret." I said coldly.

    My fists clenched tightly at my sides, my nails digging into my palms until it hurt. But I weed the pain as it made me more clear headed.

    "I swear," I said, my voice low butced with anger.

    "I¡¯ll get my revenge on both of you. I¡¯ll make you wish you never crossed me." I swore angrily.

    The girl in the mirror didn¡¯t look broken anymore but her eyes held a dangerous glint.

    And for the first time tonight, I believed in her.

 Chapter 69 - SIXTY-NINE: Moving Out Of The House

    <h4>Chapter 69: Chapter SIXTY-NINE: Moving Out Of The House</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    Gary¡¯s car rolled into the driveway, its headlights cutting across the dimly lit yard. I had been standing outside for a while, arms crossed, leaning against my own car like I had been waiting for a damn ghost to show up.

    I wasn¡¯t expecting him to take this long, and the fact that he finally showed up with Raina in the passenger seat made my brows shoot up instantly.

    The hell?

    Raina? Of all people?

    She practically bolted out the second the car stopped, her face turned away and her hair messy, like she was hiding something.

    She didn¡¯t even spare me a nce before disappearing into the house as if she was being chased by demons.

    My jaw tightened and I frowned as I was confused by what I just saw.

    Knowing how much she disliked Gary, I frowned even more.

    My eyes shifted to Gary, who stepped out slowly, his usual calm swagger was nowhere to be seen as he looked extremely stressed.

    I noticed it right away, the way his shoulders drooped slightly and the way his gaze avoided mine for a split second before settling.

    He looked extremely tired.

    I exhaled sharply as I walked towards him.

    "You want to tell me why the hell Raina just came flying out of your car?" I asked him with a slight smile.

    Gary dragged a hand down his face while sighing.

    "Rx, man. I just... found her in the middle of the damn road. She looked like she wanted to get herself killed. I stopped the car and talked her down, and she cried her eyes out and finally calmed down ... That¡¯s all." he gave me a brief summary of what happened and I was stunned asI stared at him, trying to gauge if he was serious.

    Raina?

    The same arrogant brat who thought she was too good for everyone? Trying to get herself killed?. It sounded so unbelievable.

    "And you just happened to be the one to find her?" I muttered with my eyes squinted and voiceced with suspicion.

    Gary¡¯s brow arched as he smiled. He seemed to be amused by my stunned expression.

    "Yeah, lucky her, huh? Though she probably didn¡¯t think so at the time." He shrugged, then gestured toward the house.

    "But I¡¯m not here to talk about Raina, can we go inside? I need a damn drink."he said and I nodded reluctantly, leading him inside and straight to my room.

    It wasn¡¯t like I could talk about my private matters in front of anyone else lurking in this cursed house.

    The second the door shut behind us, Gary copsed onto the chair by my desk, rubbing his temples.

    I leaned against the dresser with my arms crossed over my chest.

    "So. Where the hell have you been all this time?" I asked him with a serious tone.

    He literally just disappeared on me when I needed him the most.

    He looked up slowly, and the tiredness in his eyes became even more visible.

    " I went home." He paused to take a deep breath.

    "My mother is sick, Kendrick. She is very sick, so I was called home. A lot was going on with you at that time, so I didn¡¯t want to disturb you" he said with a tired voice.

    "How is she now?" I asked in shock, he just shook his head sadly.

    "The doctors say she doesn¡¯t have much time left." he responded with an extremely sad expression.

    The room fell into silence, and I felt the weight of his words press against my chest.

    Gary rarely let out his emotions, but right now I could see the helplessness and the bitterness he was trying to hide behind that calm front.

    "Shit, I didn¡¯t know."I muttered under my breath.

    He shrugged stiffly, like if he continues talking about it, he might break down.

    <fn412b> Th?s chapter is updated by fin?novel</fn412b>

    "She only has one wish before she goes, she wants to see me married." He let out a bitterugh.

    "Married, Kendrick, Like I can pull a wife out of thin air just because time is running out." heughed sadly.

    I stayed quiet for a moment, then moved closer.

    "Have you thought of anyone?" I asked him.

    His expression darkened as he ran his fingers through his hair.

    "No... Most of the girls around me are strippers or the usual one-night stands. None of them fit and none of them are... her idea of a wife. I can¡¯t bring just anyone home to a dying woman." he replied and sighed in frustration.

    I nodded slowly, running a hand over my jaw.

    "Then start showing up to social events, the kind where women with high standing and good backgrounds attend. It¡¯s not impossible, Gary. You just need to look harder." I advised him.

    "Easy for you to say. At least you don¡¯t have your dying mother breathing down your neck about it." He huffed.

    His words stung, not because they were unfair, but because I had my own shit dragging me under. I turned away, staring at the closed window, my reflection faint against the ss.

    "Yeah,I have got my own storms." muttered with a voice low.

    Gary tilted his head, eyeing me with a frown.

    "Speaking of which... What is going on with you and Christy? Last I heard, you two were tangled in something messy. Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s worse now." he asked me.

    A humorlessugh escaped my lips

    "It is worse,"I said.

    "How bad are we talking?" he said with his brows lifted.

    I turned back to him as my jaw tightened.

    "She is pregnant."I revealed and the room fell into silence.

    His mouth opened, then shut, then opened again.

    "Wait... you are serious?" he asked in shock and I nodded.

    "Fuck.. You really don¡¯t do things halfway, do you?" He said as he leaned back, staring at the ceiling.

    "I wish I was joking," I muttered bitterly, pacing across the room.

    "But it is real and I can¡¯t... I can¡¯t even figure out what the hell I am supposed to do." I said with a frustrated sigh.

    Gary leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

    "Well, the obvious answer is you step up and be a man about it. She is carrying your child for crying out loud." he said with a serious expression.

    "You think I don¡¯t know that? You think I haven¡¯t thought about it every damn second since I found out ? But it¡¯s not that simple, Gary. Nothing ever is in this house." I snapped, my voice harsher than intended.

    He frowned. "Meaning?"

    "My mother... She hates Christy¡¯s family because of some grudges from the past that she won¡¯t let go of and now? Now she hates me for being in love with Christy and for daring to choose her over the family name." I said, the words came out sharply.

    Gary stayed quiet, watching me carefully.

    "You don¡¯t understand," I continued, my voice rising as the anger I had been burying deep, finally spilled out.

    "I have lived my whole life under my grandfather¡¯s shadow and rules. Everything I do has been dictated by this family¡¯s damn legacy. And now, when I finally find someone who makes me want to break free, it is like the universe is punishing me for it.

    Christy doesn¡¯t deserve to be dragged into this mess. She doesn¡¯t deserve my mother¡¯s hatred and my child doesn¡¯t deserve to be born into this house full of so much hate and scheming." I said angrily.

    I stopped pacing, breathing hard with my fists tightly clenched at my sides.

    Gary let out a long sigh. "So what are you going to do?"

    I met his eyes, my voice steady for the first time tonight. "I bought a house."

    His brows shot up.

    "You what?" he asked with a surprised expression.

    "I¡¯m moving out tomorrow," I said firmly.

    "If Christy and I are going to have any chance, if I¡¯m going to give her peace of mind, it has to start with leaving this ce behind. I won¡¯t let my mother¡¯s hatrede between us and I won¡¯t raise my child in this toxic house." I said with a determined tone.

    Gary studied me for a long moment, then nodded slowly.

    "Damn...You¡¯re really serious." he said with a sigh.

    "I have to be," I muttered, sinking onto the edge of the bed.

    "I don¡¯t care what my grandfather thinks,I certainly don¡¯t care about the ck family legacy anymore. I only care about her and my child. And if that means walking away from everything else, so be it." I said with a serious tone.

    For the first time all night, Gary smirked faintly, though his eyes were still heavy with his own burdens.

    "Guess we are both carrying more than we can handle." he said with his signature smirk.

    I let out a bitterugh. "Yeah, looks like it."

    The silence that followed wasn¡¯t awkward. It was heavy with the kind of understanding that didn¡¯t need words.

    But deep down, even with my decision made, I knew tomorrow wouldn¡¯t be the end. Walking away from the ck family was never going to be that easy.

    And as I stared at the shadows dancing across the room, one thought refused to leave my mind.

    What I was about to do would change everything forever.

 Chapter 70 - SEVENTY: Pursue My Own Happiness

    <h4>Chapter 70: Chapter SEVENTY: Pursue My Own Happiness</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    The silence in my room was thick and suffocating, the kind that pressed against your ears and made you too aware of your own breathing.

    I was curled up against the headboard of my bed, knees drawn up slightly, and my hand rested over my stomach.

    It was still t, nothing about my body had changed on the outside, but I knew what was happening inside. That thought alone made my touch linger, my palm moving in slow circles as if I could somehowfort the little heartbeat I knew was there.

    <fne2af> Read full story at Find¡ïNovel</fne2af>

    A baby..... Mine and Kendrick¡¯s baby .

    The thought alone was enough to make my throat tighten and my eyes sting.

    So much had happened in such a short time. It was simply too much. It was like I had been swept into a storm and dropped in the middle of nowhere, expected to pick up all the broken pieces and keep walking.

    I tried to tell myself I could handle it, that I was strong enough, but the truth is my heart was breaking in too many directions at once.

    The creak of my door jolted me out of my thoughts and my hand slowly slipped away from my stomach as though I had been caught doing something I wasn¡¯t supposed to.

    Mason stepped in, closing the door behind him with a calm expression. He looked like he hadn¡¯t slept in days, dark circles framing his eyes and he looked extremely exhausted as well. His eyesnded on me, sharp but also soft with concern.

    "Christy," he said in that steady tone of his that always carried more weight than he realized. He crossed the room, his footsteps heavy against the wooden floor, and slowly sat himself onto the edge of my bed.

    He studied me for a moment with a serious expression.

    "What¡¯s your n? Are you going to give Kendrick another chance?" he asked me with a serious tone.

    My lips parted, but no answer came, I stared at him, then at myp, then at the wall, and still I couldn¡¯t find anything to say.

    Mason didn¡¯t rush me, he just waited, his patience making it harder for me to escape the truth I had been burying.

    "None of this... none of the mess between our parents and Kendrick¡¯s mother... None of it was my fault or his." Finally, I whispered softly.

    Mason¡¯s eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened but he didn¡¯t speak.

    "And Kendrick never cheated on me with Celeste. That was all a scheme that she and the others came up with, it was just a damn setup meant to separate us. I see that now, I was too blinded by anger before, but I know the truth." My voice cracked slightly, but the conviction in my words was unshakable.

    Mason exhaled slowly, but still said nothing.

    My hand drifted back to my stomach almost unconsciously.

    "And this baby doesn¡¯t deserve to grow up without both parents¡¯ love. I won¡¯t let that happen, Mason. I can¡¯t let that happen." he said with a determined tone.

    The silence stretched, heavy, until Mason finally sighed and shook his head with a sad little smile.

    "I knew it....I knew you would go back to him eventually. No matter how much you tried to fight it, no matter how angry you got, you loved him too much. It was only a matter of time before you stopped pretending otherwise." he said with a slight smile.

    Tears stung my eyes, but I bit them back. He was right, I had tried everything, anger, distance, lies, self-denial....None of it worked.

    The truth was carved too deep inside me, I loved Kendrick ck, always had and always would.

    "You don¡¯t understand," I muttered.

    "Oh, I do," Mason said firmly.

    "I understand more than you think, but what I don¡¯t understand is how you¡¯re nning to deal with Mom and Dad. Do you think they¡¯re just going to smile and ept Kendrick after everything that¡¯s happened? After what his family did to ours?" he asked me with a serious expression.

    That made me sit up straighter, the fire inside me burned brighter and fiercer.

    "They¡¯re supposed to let me do what makes me happy. If they love me, and their love is genuine, they will ept my choice and if they don¡¯t?" My eyes locked on his.

    "Then I will have no choice but to pursue my happiness without their approval. This is my life, Mason. My child...My future....Not theirs." I said stubbornly.

    Mason dragged a hand over his face in frustration.

    "God, you are so damn stubborn." he groaned.

    A bitterugh escaped my lips.

    "Like that¡¯s news to you."I said with a slight smile.

    "I knew you would say this," he muttered.

    "I knew it the second I met you for the very first time. You never bend, Christy and this... " he gestured vaguely around the room.

    "This could rip everything apart, do you even realize that?" he asked me with a frustrated tone and before I could answer, the door burst open with a loud m.

    Kelvin stormed inside, his face twisted with fury, his steps were sharp and heavy like he had been pacing outside before finally snapping. His chest heaved, his fists were clenched, and the air around him crackled with raw anger.

    "Kelvin," Mason said immediately, rising slightly, half-ready to intercept him when he noticed that his eyes were fixed on me.

    "What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked him with a stern tone.

    Kelvin¡¯s eyes locked on me, then flicked to Mason, his expression dark and wild.

    "You want to know what¡¯s wrong? I just found out who reported me to the higher-ups." he said furiously.

    My stomach dropped instantly, dread wing its way up my throat.

    Mason frowned. "Who?"

    Kelvin¡¯s answer came out like a de.

    "It was Kendrick, that bastard sold me out." he yelled angrily.

    The words sliced through the air, leaving the room in stunned silence.

    My breath caught in my throat and my hand instinctively pressed against my stomach like I needed to shield the child inside me from the storm exploding in front of me.

    Mason stiffened, his jaw clenching.

    "Are you sure?" he asked with a frown.

    "Sure?" Kelvin spat, his voice low and venomous.

    "I saw the damn report myself. His assistant¡¯s name was right there. He threw me under the bus without a second thought! ." he yelled angrily.

    "No," I blurted, shaking my head.

    "That doesn¡¯t make sense, Kendrick would never.. " I was about to say something but he cut me off.

    "You don¡¯t know him as well as you think you do, Christy!" Kelvin snapped, stepping closer, his anger radiating off him like heat.

    "He is a ck. Do you even understand what that means? They¡¯ll sacrifice anyone for their own damn gain." he said with so much hatred.

    "That¡¯s not who he is," I said firmly, though my voice trembled.

    "Of course you would defend him. You always defend him, no matter what. Even now, when he is stabbing me in the back." Kelvin scoffed

    Mason stepped in then, holding out a hand between us.

    "Enough, Kelvin...This isn¡¯t the way." he said while trying to calm Kelvin down.

    "The hell it isn¡¯t!" Kelvin barked. His chest was still rising and falling too quickly, his fists clenching so tight his knuckles turned white.

    "I¡¯m not going to stand here while my sister defends a man who is actively destroying us. He is like poison, Mason. And if Christy goes back to him, she¡¯ll drag herself and us down with her." he said angrily.

    My vision blurred with tears, but I refused to back down.

    "You don¡¯t understand him. You don¡¯t know what we have been through, what he has been through. Kendrick isn¡¯t perfect, but he is not the enemy and definitely not what you think." I said, unsure if I was trying to convince him or myself.

    Kelvin¡¯sugh was hollow and cruel as he looked at me with anger in his eyes.

    "Then what is he, Christy? Because from where I¡¯m standing, he is nothing but a curse you can¡¯t let go of." he said in annoyance.

    His words pierced deep, but I refused to break down, as I held my tears back. I straightened my spine while clutching my stomach, and met his fury with all the strength I could muster.

    "He is the father of my child," I said steadily.

    "And no matter what you or anyone else says, I will not let my child grow up without his love. That¡¯s my decision and I won¡¯t back down from it." I said with a tone of finality.

    The room fell into stunned silence, my words hanging heavy between us.

    Mason closed his eyes briefly, exhaling as though he had been holding his breath the entire time. Kelvin, however, froze like I had pped him across the face.

    For a second, the anger in his expression faltered, reced by a mixture of shock and confusion. I also saw a little bit of hurt. But his anger returned shortly.

    "You are making the biggest mistake of your life," he said coldly, his voice trembling with suppressed rage.

    "And when it all blows up in your face, don¡¯t expect us to be there to pick up the pieces." he said angrily.

    He turned sharply and stormed out, the door mming so hard the frame rattled.

    The silence he left behind was deafening.

    Mason sat back down slowly, his expression grave. He reached for my hand and squeezed it tightly.

    "You have made your choice," he said quietly.

    "And now... we will all have to live with it." he added while tapping my hand gently.

    I looked down at my stomach, my heart heavy but resolute. I knew the road ahead would be brutal, but for the first time in a long time, my decision felt right.

    Because this wasn¡¯t just about me anymore.

    It was about the life growing inside me and the love that tied me to Kendrick, no matter how much the world tried to rip us apart.

    And I swore silently that nothing.. not my parents, not my brothers, not the past, and not even fate itself was going to take that away from me.

 Chapter 71 - SEVENTY-ONE: Family Feud

    <h4>Chapter 71: Chapter SEVENTY-ONE: Family Feud</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    The Lancaster mansion felt colder than usual this evening. The golden light from the chandelier did nothing to soften the tension simmering in the air, instead, it illuminated every sharp re and every bitter twist of a mouth.

    I stood there, surrounded by people I was supposed to call family, but the distance between us felt wider than the sea that had once separated me from them.

    The moment I stepped into the living room, I could feel the shift. My mother¡¯s teacup clinked sharply against the saucer while my father¡¯s newspaper dropped slightly, his brows drawing together in a deep frown.

    And Mira, my ever-so-sweet cousin with her venomous smile was already waiting like a vulture circling for blood.

    "Is it true?" my father asked first. His tone was calm and that made my heart race faster.

    "Is it true that you intend to go back to that ck boy?" he asked with an authoritative tone.

    I inhaled slowly, steadying myself before answering.

    "His name is Kendrick and yes, I do." I answered with a determined tone.

    The silence that followed was suffocating. My mother pressed her fingers to her lips like she couldn¡¯t believe what she had heard.

    My grandfather sat still, his cane resting against his leg and his eyes were sharp with disappointment. Mira was the first to break the silence with a snort.

    "Unbelievable, you are really determined to destroy what little peace we have left, aren¡¯t you?" she said with a cruel smirk.

    I turned my gaze to her. "You should worry less about my choices and more about your own life, Mira."

    "Oh, please," sheughed mockingly.

    "You think you are in a position to talk? You have been nothing but a walking scandal since you came back. You brought chaos into this family the very day you reunited with us." she said with sneer.

    "Mira!" my mother snapped, but she ignored her.

    "What? I¡¯m only saying what everyone is too polite to admit!" Mira said, her eyes gleaming with malice.

    "This family was fine before she came back. Now look at us, Constant fights and endless drama. Maybe we shouldn¡¯t have gone looking for her in the first ce." she said with a sarcastic tone.

    My throat tightened as her words were extremely hurtful.

    "You think I asked to be taken away? You think I wanted to grow up without knowing my family?" I asked her angrily.

    Sheughed cruelly.

    "Oh, don¡¯t y the victim, Christy. We all know what kind of people raised you. You were practically raised in a strip club by criminals. What values could you possibly bring into this family?" she asked me with a mocking expression.

    My heart stopped for a second as my hands trembled, and before I knew it, my palm connected sharply with her cheek. The sound echoed across the hall. Mira gasped, clutching her face as tears of rage filled her eyes.

    "How dare you... " she was about to hit me back but Grandpa interrupted.

    "Enough!" Grandfather¡¯s voice boomed like thunder in the living room. He mmed his cane against the floor, making everyone freeze.

    "Mira, shut your mouth before I have you thrown out," he growled, his voice low andmanding. Mira instantly went silent, ring daggers at me but saying nothing.

    Grandfather turned his attention to me then. His face softened slightly, but the disappointment in his eyes cut deeper than Mira¡¯s words ever could.

    "Christiana..." he said quietly, using the name he only used when he was deeply serious.

    "I have always carried guilt in my heart for what happened to you as a child and for failing to protect you. You were taken from us because of our mistakes, and you grew up in a world no child should ever have seen." He said with a sad expression.

    I blinked rapidly as tears gathered in my eyes.

    "I wanted nothing more than to give you the peace and love you were denied," he continued.

    "And I still intend to do that. Whatever you need, be itfort, security or protection for your unborn child, you shall have it. But you must promise me something in return." he paused to look at me.

    I swallowed hard. "What?"

    "Promise me that you will stay away from Kendrick ck," he said softly but firmly.

    "That family has done enough harm. I will not see another Lancaster¡¯s life destroyed because of them." he said while clenching his walking stick tightly.

    I stared at him, unable to breathe for a second.

    "I will even arrange for you to marry a good man, an aristocrat who can give you a stable home. Someone who will ept your child as his own," he said, his tone gentle, as if it were a reasonable offer.

    "No," I whispered stubbornly.

    My mother quickly reached for my hand.

    "Christy, please..Your grandfather is only trying to protect you...That boy will ruin your life." she said amidst sobs.

    I looked between all of them, my father, my mother, my grandfather and then at Mira, who was still smirking faintly, enjoying every second of my humiliation. My lips curved into a trembling and bitter smile as tears spilled down my cheeks.

    "I thought reuniting with my family would finally bring me peace," I said softly with a shaky voice.

    "But all I have gotten since I came back are orders, threats, and guilt. None of you have even tried to understand me." I said angrily with tears streaming down my face.

    "Christy, that¡¯s not fair.. " my mother started.

    "No, it¡¯s true!" I cried out loudly.

    "You say you love me, but all you have ever done is try to control me. You want me to sacrifice my happiness just to fix old wounds that have nothing to do with me! ." I yelled angrily at her.

    My father mmed his palm on the table as stood up angrily.

    "That¡¯s enough!" he barked.

    "You are too selfish to see reason, You are willing to disgrace this family just to be with that boy." he said angrily.

    "Disgrace?" I whispered.

    "For loving someone?" I asked him amidst tears.

    "You are no daughter of mine if you choose him over your own blood!" he shouted angrily.

    The words hit me like a physical blow. I froze as I could feel my heart breaking all over again. I looked at him, my lips trembling .

    "Then I guess... I should¡¯ve stayed lost." I whispered sadly.

    "Christy!" my mother gasped, but I was already turning away.

    "I wish I never found my way back here," I whispered, grabbing my phone and rushing out before anyone could stop me.

    As I stormed out the front door, tears blurred my vision, but I didn¡¯t care. The evening wind hit my face, cooling the trails of tears on my cheeks. I walked aimlessly, my heart pounding and my breaths shallow.

    I just needed to get away from them.. from everything.

    *****

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The mansion was in chaos when my mother stormed into my room.

    "You can¡¯t be serious," she snapped.

    "You are moving out?" she asked me angrily.

    I zipped thest of my bags and slung it over my shoulder.

    "Yes, Mother, I am." I replied her calmly.

    "Because of her, isn¡¯t it?" she demanded.

    "That Lancaster girl, what is so special about her that you would throw your entire life away for her?" she questioned fiercely.

    I looked at her as I could feel my patience slowly fading.

    "You wouldn¡¯t understand." I said, trying to remain calm.

    "Oh, please," she scoffed.

    "I could get you any girl you want. Dozens of girls, if that¡¯s what it takes to get her out of your head." she said with a serious expression and I stared at her in disbelief.

    "Do you even hear yourself? You sound exactly like that good for nothing father of mine." I said sharply.

    Her lips parted in shock.

    "Watch your tone, Kendrick." she said angrily while ring at me.

    "No," I replied her sharply.

    "You don¡¯t get to tell me to respect you when you are the one trying to turn me into him. You think love is a game of recements, that people can be bought or forgotten, but I¡¯m not him, Mother. I¡¯m not a womanizer, and I¡¯m not interested in living a lie just to make the ck name look spotless." I said to her with a stern tone and her expression faltered, the anger in her eyes dimming for a moment.

    "I only want what is best for you... " she murmured.

    "What¡¯s best for me?" Iughed bitterly.

    "You mean what¡¯s best for you. What helps you keep up appearances while pretending nothing is wrong. I said with a disgusted expression.

    "You have no idea what I¡¯ve sacrificed for this family" she said with trembling lips.

    "Then tell me, tell me where you were all those years you disappeared. Tell me why you came back pretending to have amnesia when your medical records say you were never injured and never even unconscious!" I asked her angrily and I saw a sh of shock as her face went pale.

    "You... you saw my records?" she stammered.

    "Yes," I said coldly.

    "I saw everything. So tell me, Mother, what were you really doing all those years?" I asked her while staring intently at her face.

    She looked away silently and her shoulders started shaking. That silence told me everything I needed to know.

    "I thought so," I muttered, grabbing my car keys.

    "You¡¯ve been lying all along." I said with a tone of certainty.

    "Kendrick, please... " She pleaded but I raised my hand to cut her off.

    "I¡¯m done living in this house full of secrets and schemes. I¡¯m done pretending this family isn¡¯t rotting from the inside." ," I said as I walked past her.

    And with that, I walked out of the room. Her voice followed me down the hall, but I didn¡¯t turn back.

    The moment I started the car and pulled away from the ck estate, a strange peace settled over me. The mansion faded into the background, reced by the open road and the evening glow painting the sky orange and gold.

    I didn¡¯t know where I was going, only that it was far from everything that had chained me for years.

    Then my phone buzzed.

    I was shocked to see that Christy was the one calling.

    My chest tightened as I picked up immediately. "Christy?"

    All I heard was quiet sobbing. "Kendrick..." Her voice broke, and I felt panic rise in me.

    "What¡¯s wrong? Are you hurt?" I asked anxiously.

    "No," she whispered and I could hear her sobbing sadly.

    "I just... I¡¯m at the park near the Lancaster estate." she whispered while still sobbing.

    "I¡¯ming," I said immediately and stepped on the gas.

    The sun had dipped lower when I pulled up to the park. The ce was mostly empty and there she was, standing under the old oak tree, hugging herself as if the world had turned its back on her.

    The moment our eyes met, she ran straight into my arms, her body trembling as she buried her face against my chest.

    <fnea35> The source of th?s content is f¦É?dn¦Ïvel</fnea35>

    "I¡¯m so tired," she whispered brokenly.

    "I can¡¯t keep fighting everyone. They all hate us, Kendrick, My parents... my grandfather... everyone." he said amidst sobs.

    I wrapped my arms around her tightly, holding her as if I could shield her from it all. "Let them hate us, they don¡¯t get to decide what we deserve." I said calmly.

    Her sobs came harder, her tears soaking through my shirt, but I didn¡¯t care. I just held her tighter.

    "We¡¯ll figure it out, no more lies and running. Just you, me, and our baby."I murmured into her hair.

    She tilted her head up, her eyes red and glistening with tears, yet there was a flicker of hope buried deep within them.

    "Promise me, Kendrick. Promise you won¡¯t let go, no matter what they say." she said with hopeful eyes.

    I cupped her face gently.

    "I swear it, Christy. I will never let go." I swore with a determined tone.

    And there, in the middle of the quiet park, surrounded by the glow of the dying sun and the whispers of the evening breeze, she broke down again, this time not from despair, but from the fragile spark of hope she had been trying to protect all along.

    I held her close, my chin resting on her hair, feeling the steady rhythm of her heartbeat against mine.

    The storm around us could rage on for all I cared. Because for the first time in a long time, I knew exactly where I belonged.

    Right here.

    With her.

 Chapter 72 - SEVENTY-TWO: The Line Between Love and War

    <h4>Chapter 72: Chapter SEVENTY-TWO: The Line Between Love and War</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    Kendrick¡¯s car rolled to a smooth stop in front of a quiet gated neighborhood that I had never seen before.

    It wasn¡¯t huge or shy like the mansions we were used to, but it was peaceful, like the kind of ce people built a fresh start in.

    "This is where you live now?" I asked softly as I looked at him.

    He nodded, a faint smile ying on his lips.

    "Yeah, I bought it a few weeks ago, when I started nning to move out of the ck estate." he said softly.

    I turned to look at the house again. The setting sun bathed it in a warm orange hue, the windows glinting softly. It wasn¡¯t the biggest ce in the world, but for some reason, it made my chest ache in a good way.

    "It¡¯s... beautiful," I whispered.

    He smiled and got out of the car, walking around to open my door like the gentleman he always tried to be.

    "It¡¯s small, but it¡¯s ours now...Come on," he said, while reaching out for my hand.

    Our fingers intertwined, and just that simple contact made me feel grounded again. After all the chaos from earlier, this ce felt like a bubble away from the world, a ce where I could finally breathe.

    When I stepped inside, the scent of new wood andvender filled my senses. The living room was minimal, barely furnished except for a couch, a small table, and a few unpacked boxes pushed against the wall.

    Kendrick scratched the back of his neck.

    "I haven¡¯t really had time to decorate. Been too busy trying to get away from all the drama." he said and gave me a sheepish grin.

    I chuckled lightly, brushing my hand across the wall.

    "It¡¯s fine... I think I like it this way." I said with a smile.

    He looked at me for a long time before speaking again, his tone softer. "Christy... I meant what I said at the park. I don¡¯t care what anyone thinks, I¡¯m done letting them dictate how we live."

    His voice was steady, but there was pain behind it, pain that came from years of fighting battles he didn¡¯t choose. I moved closer and ced my hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat under my palm.

    "We will raise our child here," I said, my voice trembling but certain.

    "Somewhere no one can find us, and no one to judge us or remind us of where we came from." I said with a hopeful voice.

    "You sound like you have thought about this before." he said as he smiled faintly.

    "Maybe I have." I said before looking down shyly.

    He pulled me closer, resting his forehead against mine.

    "Then it¡¯s settled, We will start over. You, me, and our baby. No ck¡¯s or Lancasters... Just us." he promised.

    The emotion in his voice cracked something inside me, and before I knew it, tears spilled down my cheeks.

    "I never thought I would get this lucky," I whispered.

    He chuckled lightly, brushing away my tears with his thumb.

    "You call this lucky?" he asked me with a smile.

    Iughed softly through the tears.

    "Lucky enough to still have you after everything." I replied.

    The quietness between us felt heavy butforting. For once, there was no noise from the outside world, just our breathing and the promise of something new.

    Kendrick kissed my forehead softly, and I closed my eyes, savoring the warmth. But before the moment could stretch any further, my phone started to buzz violently in my pocket.

    I frowned and reached for it and saw the screen shing with Mason¡¯s name.

    My heart skipped as I suddenly got a bad feeling.

    "Christy?" Kendrick asked, noticing my sudden stiffness.

    I answered the call immediately. "Mason?"

    "Christy! Thank God you picked up! Mom.. Mom fainted!" His voice came out rushed and panicked.

    "What?" My voice cracked.

    "She has been rushed to St. Mary¡¯s Hospital, father and Kelvin are there. You need toe right now!" he said frantically.

    My phone almost slipped from my hand.

    "Oh my God..." I cried as I covered my mouth.

    Kendrick¡¯s hand was already on my shoulder. "What happened?"

    "She fainted," I whispered, barely able to breathe.

    "She fainted because of me."I murmured.

    "Christy, hey.. look at me," he said firmly while gripping my arms.

    "This is not your fault." he said but I just shook my head.

    "But it is!" I choked.

    "She begged me to stay away from you, and I... " I choked as tears spilled out of my eyes.

    "Stop," he said softly but firmly.

    "Don¡¯t do that to yourself." he said softly.

    Tears streamed down my face as I shook my head. "If something happens to her.. "

    He pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me tightly.

    "Nothing is going to happen and she will be fine, let¡¯s go see her, okay?" He said and quickly grabbed his keys.

    I nodded weakly against his chest.

    Within minutes, we were back in the car. The road stretched endlessly ahead, the city lights blurring as Kendrick sped through. I sat quietly, my fingers gripping the edge of my dress so tightly my knuckles turned white.

    Kendrick reached over and ced his hand on mine, his thumb tracing small circles against my skin.

    "You didn¡¯t cause this, Christy, you were only fighting for your happiness, Sometimes... people can¡¯t handle that." heforted me.

    I stared out the window, my reflection blurring through the tears.

    "I just wish it didn¡¯t hurt so much." I said sadly.

    "I know," he whispered, eyes fixed on the road.

    "But one day, it won¡¯t." he said with a tone of certainty.

    When we arrived at the hospital, the smell of antiseptic and the sound of hurried footsteps hit me instantly. My heart raced as I rushed toward the emergency wing, and Kendrick was right behind me.

    "Christy!"

    I turned sharply to see Mason running towards me. He looked exhausted, his shirt half-tucked and his face pale.

    "Where is she?" I asked breathlessly.

    "She¡¯s in ward 308, the doctor said she¡¯s stable but still unconscious." he said with an exhausted voice.

    I nodded, already walking past him when I heard another familiar voice.

    "What the hell is he doing here?"

    Kelvin.

    He stood a few feet away, his eyes burning holes into Kendrick.

    Kendrick sighed. "Not now, Kelvin, I¡¯m not here to fight."

    Kelvin started to walk closer.

    "You have some nerve showing up here after what you did... " he growled angrily.

    "Kelvin!" Mason shouted, stepping between them.

    <fn01f0> Read full story at ?ovelFind</fn01f0>

    "Now is not the time!" he yelled angrily.

    Kelvin¡¯s jaw tightened, but he stopped. I grabbed Kendrick¡¯s hand and pulled him toward the ward before anything else could happen.

    When we entered, my heart sank. My mother looked so fragile, lying there with tubes attached and her breathing soft but steady.

    "Mom..." I whispered, walking to her bedside. I reached out and gently took her hand, my tears falling freely.

    "I¡¯m so sorry," I sobbed quietly.

    Kendrick stood at a respectful distance, but when I looked back at him, he stepped closer.

    "Aunty," he began softly, though she couldn¡¯t hear him.

    "I know I have caused your family more pain than I ever intended. But I¡¯m not here to run away this time." he said with an apologetic tone.

    He looked down at her with a mix of guilt and determination.

    "I have left the ck family, I¡¯m done with them. All I want is to protect Christy and our child. I swear, I won¡¯t let anyone hurt her again, especially not my mother." he swore with a determined expression.

    My heart clenched hearing those words. He wasn¡¯t just saying it to convince her. I knew he meant every word.

    But just as I was about to speak, a sharp, cold voice sliced through the room.

    "Well, isn¡¯t that touching."

    My blood froze.

    Kendrick¡¯s head snapped toward the doorway and there she was.

    Lauretta ck.

    Standing tall, elegant, and furious.

    Her heels clicked against the floor as she walked in, her eyes locked on me like I was filth on the ground.

    "Of course," she said with a bitterugh.

    "I should have known I would find you here, trying to drag my son further into your family¡¯s pathetic drama." she said while ring at me.

    "Mother," Kendrick started, his tone warning.

    "Don¡¯t you ¡¯Mother¡¯ me!" she snapped, her eyes zing with anger.

    "You ran away from your home and your legacy, for this? A Lancaster girl who doesn¡¯t even know who she is?" she said with disdain while pointing her fingers at me.

    I flinched, but before I could say anything, Kendrick stepped in front of me.

    "Don¡¯t talk to her like that." he warned angrily.

    Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

    "I said don¡¯t talk to her like that," he repeated, his voice low but cold.

    Lauretta¡¯s eyes darted between us, her fury growing.

    "You really think you can build a future with her after what her family did to us? After the scandal her father caused? You think the world will ever ept you two?" she asked him angrily.

    "We don¡¯t care what the world thinks," Kendrick said sharply.

    "I¡¯m not living for anyone else anymore." he added with a sharp tone.

    Herughter was short and cruel.

    "You sound just like your father, a fool blinded by emotion." She mocked.

    Kendrick¡¯s jaw clenched.

    "Maybe he wouldn¡¯t have been so broken if he had someone who truly loved him." he replied to her with a sneer.

    Color drained from her face and she immediately became pale.

    "Watch what you say." she warned angrily.

    "I already have, for too long," he said bitterly.

    The tension was so thick I could barely breathe. My heart raced, afraid this confrontation would explode into something we couldn¡¯t undo.

    Then suddenly, another voice spoke up.

    "That¡¯s enough."

    We all turned.

    It was my father, standing at the doorway. His face was unreadable, his presence alonemanding silence.

    He walked into the room slowly, his eyes flicking from Lauretta to Kendrick.

    "I¡¯ve heard enough of this nonsense," he said quietly, but the weight in his voice silenced even Lauretta.

    Then he turned to Kendrick, his expression dark. "You have something to say to me, boy?"

    Kendrick met his gaze, straightening his shoulders.

    "Yes, sir. I owe you an apology for everything that happened with Kelvin. For reporting him, It wasn¡¯t meant to ruin him, I swear... It was the only way I could get you to let me see Christy again." he said with an apologetic tone.

    My father stared at him for what felt like forever. Then, slowly, he turned to look at me.

    "And you, Christy? You¡¯re really sure about this?" he asked me

    "Yes," I said softly but firmly.

    "I love him, father and I¡¯m not going to give up on him." I said firmly.

    For a moment, his expression softened, but then he sighed heavily and rubbed his temples.

    "You two are going to destroy each other, you know that?" he said with a sigh.

    "Or we will prove everyone wrong," Kendrick replied.

    Dad looked between us and then, finally, his tone shifted.

    "If she¡¯s sure... then I won¡¯t stand in her way." he said with a serious expression.

    My breath caught. "Dad.. "

    "But, If you ever hurt her again, Kendrick, I will make sure the ck name disappears from the face of this city," he added firmly.

    Kendrick nodded solemnly.

    "You have my word, sir." he said.

    For the first time in what felt like forever, hope flickered in my chest. Maybe.. just maybe things could finally change.

    But that fragile hope shattered in seconds.

    Because his mother, Lauretta, suddenly mmed her purse onto the table.

    "Over my dead body," she snapped.

    And just like that, the war we thought was ending... was only beginning.

 Chapter 73 - SEVENTY-THREE: Sign The Divorce Papers

    <h4>Chapter 73: Chapter SEVENTY-THREE: Sign The Divorce Papers</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The moment my mother spat those words,

    something inside me snapped. I didn¡¯t even wait for anyone to say anything else.

    I just grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the room before she could spew another nonsense in front of Christy¡¯s father.

    "Let me go, Kendrick!" she hissed, trying to yank her hand free.

    But I didn¡¯t, instead I tightened my grip and pulled her down the hallway, ignoring the stares from nurses and visitors who probably thought we were insane.

    "Have youpletely lost your mind?" I growled, as I finally stopped near the end of the hall and away from everyone¡¯s eyes.

    "You had no damn right toe in there and insult her family like that!" I yelled at her angrily.

    She yanked her hand back roughly with an arrogant expression.

    "Her family? Don¡¯t tell me you are defending them now, after what they did to us?" she asked me angrily.

    I clenched my jaw as I forced myself to stay calm.

    "You mean after what you did to yourself." I replied her angrily.

    If she had known her limit and given up early, none of this would have happened. All she does is me others for her mistakes.

    "Excuse me?" Her eyes widened.

    "You heard me," I said coldly.

    "You disappeared for years, left me thinking you were dead, let me grow up without the love of a mother and now you show up out of nowhere and want to control me. You go around throwing insults at people like you didn¡¯t destroy everything first?" I added angrily.

    Her lips trembled slightly before hardening again.

    "You don¡¯t understand anything, Kendrick. You never did." she said with a frown.

    "Then make me understand!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the silent hallway.

    "Where the hell were you all this time? Why didn¡¯t youe back when I needed you? Do you know what that did to me?" I fired a bunch of questions at her.

    She went quiet for a second, I saw guilt sh in her eyes but it vanished just as quickly and was reced by cold indifference.

    "I had my reasons," she said simply.

    "Bullshit," I spat.

    "You don¡¯t disappear for years and call it ¡¯reasons.¡¯ You either ran away from something or you didn¡¯t care enough toe back!." I said to her angrily and her face immediately darkened.

    "Watch your tone. I am still your mother." she said angrily while ring at me and I let out a bitterugh.

    "You stopped being my mother the day you left me to rot in that house with a man who only cared about his pride." I said to her angrily.

    Her nostrils red, but before she could reply, I continued.

    "So tell me something Mother, what are you even doing here? How did you know I was here with Christy?" I asked with a raised brow.

    She crossed her arms and her face twisting into a mocking sneer.

    "You think I came here for you? Oh..Please, I was here to see your father."she said mockingly.

    "What?" I asked with furrowed brows.

    "Yes," she said with a sly smirk.

    "Raymond is here, with his pregnant mistress. Celeste, I believe that¡¯s her name?" she added.

    I looked at her with a frown, Celeste is one of the names I havee to hate so much.

    "Your father is really good at his game to be able to catch such a young prey" she said with a slight smile.

    "I just happened to see you rushing in earlier with that Lancaster girl and decided to follow. Imagine my surprise when I realized that both of my beloved family members are having emotional breakdowns under the same roof." she said with a sarcastic tone.

    "You really have no soul, do you?" I muttered.

    She tilted her head, clearly unbothered you what I said.

    "I call it being realistic." she said with a smile.

    "Then you better face reality and stay away from me and Christy" I warned her coldly.

    "You don¡¯t know half the things that happened, Kendrick. So don¡¯t stand there judging me with those self-righteous eyes." she said angrily.

    "Then tell me!" I snapped.

    "Tell me what the hell happened. Why did everyone think you were dead? Why did you leave me to grow up in that hellhole of a house with your husband pretending like I was some kind of curse?!" I asked her angrily.

    She turned away while avoiding my gaze.

    "Nothing to say?" I asked bitterly.

    Her shoulders tensed, but she didn¡¯t look at me.

    "I¡¯m not exining myself to you," she said tly.

    Something inside me cracked. I took a slow breath, fighting the urge to yell again.

    "Then don¡¯t ever show your face to me again. If you can¡¯t even tell your son the truth, then you¡¯re just another stranger I wish I never met." I said while looking at her with disgust.

    Her lips parted slightly, but I didn¡¯t wait for her to answer. I just turned and walked away.

    I didn¡¯t stop even when I heard her call my name. I had reached my breaking point.

    The moment I turned the corner, I leaned against the wall, trying to steady my breathing as my mind was spinning with numerous thoughts.

    I straightened and walked back to the room where Christy and her father were waiting for me.

    *****

    Lauretta¡¯s POV

    I watched my son disappear down the hallway, his tall frame swallowed by the dim light at the end of the corridor. For a moment, the urge to call him back nearly broke through my pride.

    But then, I remembered who I was. I wasn¡¯t some weeping woman begging for forgiveness. I was Lauretta ck, the woman everyone thought was dead.

    He wanted answers? Fine. He would have to earn them.

    <fn148a> Read full story at find¡¤novel</fn148a>

    I took a deep breath and adjusted my coat. Then, I turned and began walking in the opposite direction.

    The closer I got, the stronger the scent of expensive perfume and hospital-grade disinfectant filled the air.

    My heels clicked softly against the marble floor as I stopped in front of a door marked 204.

    Without hesitation, I pushed the door open.

    The sight inside made me frown in disgust.

    Raymond was sitting on the edge of the bed, spoon-feeding Celeste. She was giggling softly, acting like a spoiled child, while he looked at her with soft eyes.

    Disgusting.

    I mmed the door shut behind me, making sure it was loud enough to get their attention. Their heads snapped up instantly.

    "Lauretta?" Raymond gasped, standing up so quickly the spoon ttered to the floor.

    Celeste¡¯s face drained of color, her hand instinctively going to her belly.

    "W-What are you doing here?" she stammered.

    I took my time walking toward them, each step deliberate.

    "I could ask you the same thing, darling. But then again, I suppose it¡¯s obvious. You¡¯ve made yourself veryfortable, haven¡¯t you?" I asked her with a smile.

    "This isn¡¯t the time, Lauretta." Raymond said with a frown.

    "Oh, I think it¡¯s exactly the time." I reached into my bag and pulled out a crisp set of papers and tossed them onto the small table beside the bed.

    "You have been living like a divorced man for years, you even got yourself a second wife and a mistress, so let¡¯s make it official, shall we?" I said with a serious tone.

    "Divorce papers?" He asked as his eyes narrowed.

    "Yes." I smiled sweetly. .

    "It¡¯s not like our marriage means anything anymore. You have your wife and precious mistress and your illegitimate children. So let¡¯s not pretend we are something we are not." I said to him while still maintaining my sweet smile.

    Celeste shifted nervously. "You don¡¯t need to talk like that, Mrs. ck.. "

    "Shut up," I said calmly, without even looking at her.

    "You¡¯re lucky I haven¡¯t wed that smug face of yours yet." I said while still looking at Raymond.

    "Don¡¯t speak to her like that."Raymond¡¯s jaw tightened and I smiled.

    "Oh, how chivalrous of you. Defending your whore like the honorable man you pretend to be." I replied and his face darkened.

    "Lauretta... "

    "No, you listen to me," I interrupted, my tone dropping coldly.

    "You have been livingfortably in the ck family for so long and you seem to have forgotten that you are not rted to the ck family by blood" I said coldly.

    He flinched, and I knew I hit a nerve.

    "Don¡¯t you dare bring that up," he warned.

    "I will bring up whatever I damn well please," I replied.

    "You think you are the only one with scars?" I sneered.

    Celeste gasped, tears forming in her eyes.

    "You¡¯re horrible." she said with a pitiful tone.

    I turned to her with a smirk. "You have no idea how horrible I can be."

    Raymond stepped closer, his voice tight with anger. "Enough of this! I¡¯m not signing anything."

    My brows lifted slightly. "Excuse me?"

    "I said I¡¯m not signing your stupid papers," he repeated.

    "You disappear for years, im you lost your memory, then show up demanding a divorce? No, I know how you work, Lauretta. You never make a move unless there¡¯s something in it for you." he said angrily.

    I smiled cold. "You always did know me too well."

    He frowned suspiciously. "What are you nning?"

    "Nothing that concerns you," I said sweetly.

    "But I will give you until tomorrow evening to think about it." I said with a fake smile.

    Celeste, apparently forgetting her ce, piped up again. "Raymond, don¡¯t let her intimidate you. You should make her pay! If she wants a divorce, she should give you part of the ck Enterprises shares. You¡¯ve earned it after all these years!"

    I turned my gaze to her slowly, letting the silence drag until she began to fidget under it.

    Then I smiled.

    It wasn¡¯t a warm smile, it was the kind that could freeze blood.

    "Sweetheart," I said softly, taking a single step closer to her. "If you value that child you¡¯re carrying, I suggest you keep your mouth shut while the adults are talking."

    Celeste froze, instinctively cradling her stomach.

    Raymond¡¯s face turned red with rage. "Don¡¯t you dare threaten her!"

    "Oh, Raymond," I said, my voice silky. "You of all people should remember what happens when I¡¯m threatened."

    His jaw tightened, but there was fear behind his anger now.

    He knew me and remembered.

    I leaned closer to him, lowering my voice. "You have until tomorrow evening. Sign the papers, or I¡¯ll remind you exactly how vicious I can be."

    Then I turned my gaze back to Celeste, my eyes dropping deliberately to her belly.

    Her breath hitched, and I smiled, an evil grin stretching across my face like a predator savoring the fear of its prey.

    "Take care of yourself, darling," I whispered. "Wouldn¡¯t want anything to happen to that precious baby of yours."

    Then I walked out of the room, my heels clicking sharply against the marble floor.

 Chapter 74 - SEVENTY-FOUR: A Shockingly Truth

    <h4>Chapter 74: Chapter SEVENTY-FOUR: A Shockingly Truth</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The ride home that evening felt too long, even though it barely took thirty minutes.

    Christy sat quietly beside me, her fingers brushing against the faint curve of her stomach, lost in thought.

    The streetlights shed across her face in intervals, revealing a weariness that made my chest ache.

    Neither of us spoke for a while. The air between us was thick with things we didn¡¯t know how to say yet.

    My mind kept reying what happened at the hospital, the argument with my mother, the look in Christy¡¯s father¡¯s eyes, the humiliation in Christy¡¯s silence.

    It was all tangled together in my head like a mess I couldn¡¯t untie.

    When we reached home, I parked the car and just sat there for a minute, staring out the windshield. The night outside was quiet, except for the hum of crickets and the soft whoosh of the wind against the trees.

    Christy turned to me slowly.

    "You have been quiet the whole time," she said softly and I forced a small smile.

    "So have you." I replied her.

    She gave me a tired halfugh that didn¡¯t reach her eyes.

    "Guess we are both trying not to explode." she said with a tired expression.

    "Yeah... something like that." I looked at her for a moment before replying.

    We got out of the car and walked inside. It was our new ce, and though everything was neatly arranged, it still felt like we were guests rather than owners.

    Christy sat down on the couch and rubbed her stomach absentmindedly. I could see it now, the faint bump that hadn¡¯t been there a month ago. It wasn¡¯t huge, but it was enough to remind me of everything we were fighting for.

    I knelt in front of her and ced a hand on her bump.

    "Hey there, little one," I murmured quietly, while using my thumb to trace small circles over her stomach.

    Christy¡¯s lips curved in a small, emotional smile as her fingers brushed through my hair.

    "You talk to the baby like he can hear you," she whispered.

    I looked up at her, a faint smile tugging at my lips.

    "Who says he can¡¯t?" I asked her with a smile.

    "You really think it¡¯s a boy?" she asked me with a soft chuckle.

    "I just... feel it." I shrugged.

    Herughter faded, reced by something softer.

    "Kendrick... what if they never ept us?" she asked me suddenly.

    I sighed and leaned my forehead against her stomach. "Then we will build our own family," I whispered.

    "Even if the world turns its back on us, I won¡¯t let them take you away again." I swore.

    She stroked my hair gently, her fingers trembling.

    "You mean that?" she asked with a shaky voice.

    I lifted my head and met her eyes. "Every damn word."

    Her eyes glistened, and I saw her fighting the tears that were threatening to flow out. I reached up and wiped one away before it could fall.

    "Hey... no more crying tonight, okay? You¡¯ve done enough of that." I said softly.

    She nodded, her voice breaking a little. "I just wish things were normal."

    "Normal is overrated," I said, trying to make her smile again.

    "Besides, our story was never meant to be simple." I added softly.

    "Yeah... tell that to my father." She gave a weakugh

    "I already did," I said dryly, and she chuckled softly.

    For a brief moment, the heaviness in my heart lifted but it didn¡¯tst.

    Because somewhere deep down, I could still feel my mother¡¯s words echoing in my mind.

    Her sudden appearance, her lies and her refusal to tell me anything. Something didn¡¯t add up.

    I stood up and walked to the window, staring out into the night. My reflection looked back at me, tired and lost while Christy watched me silently.

    Before either of us could say another word, my phone buzzed on the table.

    I picked it up and saw the name shing on the screen.

    Evans, I have been waiting for his call for so long.

    "Talk to me." I said as I pressed the phone to my ear

    "Boss," Evans¡¯ voice came through, calm but tense.

    "I found something. Actually... a lot of things." he added quickly.

    "Go on." I walked into the kitchen, away from Christy¡¯s hearing range.

    "I traced every possible lead about your mother, just like you asked. The trail was cold at first, but then I got a hit through an overseas financial record." he said.

    "Meaning?" I asked him as my grip on the counter tightened.

    "She has been living in Country Z for years, under a different name." he revealed and my heart thudded.

    "What name?" I asked him, trying to control my emotions.

    "Miranda Singania." he replied.

    "You¡¯re sure?" I murmured as I stood frozen.

    "One hundred percent," Evans replied.

    "At first, I couldn¡¯t find anything under Lauretta ck but when I used her picture, a local confirmed it. He said her name wasn¡¯t Lauretta, it was Miranda, Miranda Singania. He said she¡¯s been living there for more than a decade." he exined.

    <fn17bf> Follow current nov?ls on findnovel</fn17bf>

    My jaw clenched as I asked "What was she doing there?"

    "That¡¯s the part you are not going to like, sir." He said after a pause.

    I ran a hand over my face in frustration. "Just say it."

    "She is married, to a businessman named Adrian Singania and they have a son." he said.

    The world seemed to tilt slightly as my breath hitched. "She... what?"

    "She has a son, he is about twenty five years old and he is currently very sick, from what I gathered. The boy has been in and out of private hospitals for years, and the cost of treatment is enormous." he revealed with a serious tone.

    I leaned against the counter, trying to keep myposure.

    "You¡¯re saying my mother left her entire family, disappeared for years, and built another life and another family, like we never existed?" I asked him while trying to control my anger.

    "I¡¯m afraid so, sir." he replied.

    "Unbelievable." I said as a bitterugh escaped my lips.

    "There is more... Her husband¡¯s business recently went bankrupt and the boy¡¯s medical bills have been piling up. That¡¯s probably why she resurfaced now." Evans said after a slight hesitation.

    I swallowed hard as my mind spun. "So she¡¯s back... for money."

    "Yes, sir, It appears she deliberately made herself easy to find by your father. She wanted to re-establish contact with the cks." he added seriously.

    My knuckles whitened against the counter. "So all that drama at the hospital wasn¡¯t about guilt or family, it was about her trying to y both sides."

    Evans sighed. "I¡¯m sorry, sir. I know this isn¡¯t what you wanted to hear."

    I let out a shaky breath as my blood was boiling with anger.

    "Did you find any proof of the marriage?" I asked him.

    "Yes, I got a copy of the registry record from Country Z. She signed as Miranda L. Singania. The ¡¯L¡¯ probably stands for Lauretta." He replied quickly.

    I closed my eyes and let out a bitterugh. "Unbelievable."

    "Should I keep digging, sir?"

    "Yes," I said through clenched teeth.

    "Find everything...Every document, every hospital bill and every piece of dirt on her new life. I want it all." I instructed angrily.

    "Understood."

    "Evans?"

    "Yes, sir?"

    "Don¡¯t contact me until you have something concrete. And don¡¯t let her find out you are investigating her."

    "Got it."

    I ended the call and just stood there for a moment, staring nkly at the dark countertop.

    My throat felt dry and my chest tightened.

    Christy¡¯s soft voice broke the silence. "Kendrick?"

    I turned, and she was standing at the kitchen door with her face full of concern. "What happened? You look like you have seen a ghost."

    I hesitated, trying to find my words. "It¡¯s my mother."

    Her expression softened. "Did Evans find something?"

    "Yeah," I said hoarsely. "He found everything."

    She walked closer. "What did he say?"

    I wanted to shield her from this ugliness. But I couldn¡¯t, as it was best she knows exactly what was happening.

    "She has been living under another name, In Country Z. She is Married with a son." I said slowly.

    Christy¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. "She... what?"

    "She didn¡¯t die and didn¡¯t lose her memory. She just walked away and built a new life." I repeated.

    Christy covered her mouth in shock. "Kendrick..."

    I clenched my fists. "And now she¡¯s back because her son is sick, so she needs money."

    Her eyes filled with sympathy, but I shook my head before she could say anything.

    "Don¡¯t... Don¡¯t tell me to understand her. Don¡¯t tell me to give her another chance."

    "I wasn¡¯t going to," she whispered softly.

    I looked away, trying to swallow the lump in my throat.

    "All these years, I thought she was dead. I med my father, I med fate, hell...I even med myself. But she was out there, livingfortably with another man while I was drowning in that cursed house." I said angrily.

    Christy reached for my hand and squeezed it gently. "You don¡¯t have to carry that pain anymore, Kendrick."

    Iughed bitterly. "Pain doesn¡¯t just disappear, Christy, especially this type."

    She frowned. "Then don¡¯t let it consume you."

    I turned to her with my jaw clenched tightly. "How can I not? She is back now, pretending to be some tragic woman who lost her way, while the truth is she is just trying to bleed us and run away with the family¡¯s properties. I wonder how grandpa will react when he finds out"

    Christy sighed and stepped closer until her arms were around me. For a second, I didn¡¯t move. I just stood there, frozen. Then I slowly wrapped my arms around her and buried my face in her neck.

    She smelled likevender and warmth. Like the peace that I have been craving for so long.

    "I don¡¯t know what hurts more, that she left... or that she didn¡¯t even look back."I whispered.

    Christy¡¯s hand moved up and down my back gently.

    "Then let this be thest time she gets to hurt you, You can¡¯t change what she did. But you can decide what you¡¯ll do next." she said softly.

    Her words hit me deeply.

    After a long silence, I pulled back just enough to look into her eyes.

    She smiled faintly and ced my hand back on her belly.

    "This is your real family now, me and our baby, that is all that should matter." she whispered.

    I nodded slowly as my throat tightened. "Yeah... you¡¯re right."

    But deep inside my heart, the storm hadn¡¯t settled.

    Because now, it wasn¡¯t just about pain.

    It was about betrayal, lies and greed.

    And the realization that the woman who gave me life was capable of burying me emotionally to save another child.

    As I stared down at Christy¡¯s small bump, something inside me hardened.

    "I¡¯m done being yed," I murmured quietly.

    Christy looked up. "What?"

    I forced a small smile. "Nothing....Just thinking out loud."

    But my thoughts were far from harmless.

    If Lauretta thought she could waltz back into our lives, take what she wanted, and disappear again, she was gravely mistaken.

    I wasn¡¯t the same boy she left behind.

    This time, I would be the one writing the ending.

 Chapter 75 - SEVENTY-FIVE: A Scheming Mother

    <h4>Chapter 75: Chapter SEVENTY-FIVE: A Scheming Mother</h4>

    Lauretta¡¯s POV

    The morning sunlight filtered through the thick curtains, but the brightness only made me more irritated.

    I sat at the edge of the bed, staring nkly at the folded divorce papers lying on the table. Raymond still hadn¡¯t signed them. He was dragging things out, probably thinking I would give up and disappear again.

    How pathetic and naive.

    I clenched my jaw as I reached for the ss of water beside me, my hand trembling slightly. I hadn¡¯t slept well all night because of too many thoughts and that godforsaken son of mine who refused to listen.

    Kendrick, who is supposed to be my pawn, is the one ruining my ns with his stupidity.

    My own flesh and blood, yet he waspletely useless when it came to understanding what was best for this family.

    He had grown too bold and too self-righteous. I thought he would be easier to manipte with a few tears and a few stories about being lost and alone, I thought his cold heart would melt.

    But no...He had to go digging and question everything.

    Now, my ns were starting to crumble before my eyes.

    All I wanted was simple, to get what rightfully belonged to me, take the money, and save my son.

    My precious son, who needed me. The one who will never turn his back on me.

    But nothing was ever simple with the cks.

    The moment I came back, everyone started acting like saints, Raymond pretending he suddenly had morals, Kendrick acting like a victim, and Sameen... that woman acting like she owned the ck family.

    I stood up sharply, my silk robe brushing against my legs as I walked around the room angrily.

    No... I wasn¡¯t going to sit here and let them ruin my ns.

    If Kendrick wouldn¡¯t help me willingly, I would find another way. And the first step was to get Raymond out of the waypletely.

    I threw on a navy-blue dress and wrapped my hair into a tight bun. My reflection in the mirror was sharp, a reminder that I was not the fragile woman they thought I was. I had survived worse situations than this.

    Straightening my shoulders, I stepped out of my room and headed downstairs.

    The mansion was quiet, except for the soft hum of the television in the sitting room.

    Sameen was sitting elegantly with her legs crossed, pretending to read a magazine and Raina, her spoiled daughter, was scrolling through her phone.

    The moment I entered, Sameen¡¯s eyes flicked up, and her lips tightened as she frowned.

    "What do you want, Lauretta?" She asked like she owns the ce.

    "Good morning to you too," I replied coolly, walking in, to show her who the true owner was.

    "I see the parasites are up early." I added with a smile.

    "Oh, great. The ghost of bad decisions past." Raina said as she rolled her eyes.

    I smiled lightly before turning to her.

    "Still running your mouth, I see. You should be careful, dear. Someday that tongue might get you in trouble." I warned while still maintaining my smile.

    Sameen lowered her magazine and gave me a fake, calm smile.

    "We don¡¯t have time for your drama today. So whatever you¡¯re nning, take it elsewhere." she said with an irritated tone.

    "Oh, I¡¯m not nning anything," I said sweetly.

    "Just wondering how you feel about your husband getting another woman pregnant." I asked her with a chuckle.

    That got her as she froze and Raina¡¯s face immediately darkened as she red at me.

    "How is that any of your business?" Sameen asked angrily.

    I tilted my head innocently.

    "I¡¯m just asking how it feels, being reced by a woman half your age." I repeated with a mocking voice.

    Raina¡¯s eyes darkened as she yelled. "How does it concern you?"

    "I am still his legal wife, so it does concern me, unlike your mother, that has no say as she is also a mistress" I said with a shrug.

    Sameen¡¯s jaw tightened, but she said nothing.

    Her silence irritated me more than her words ever could.

    "Nothing to say?" I pressed. "Or are you used to men leaving you for younger women?"

    That made Raina shoot up from the couch. "You¡¯re disgusting," she snapped. "You waltz back in here after disappearing for decades, and you think you can insult my mother?"

    I turned my gaze on her as my smile deepened. "Careful, little girl. You weren¡¯t even born when I built this family from the ground up. Everything you are unting, from your clothes, your education and this mansion, all of it exists because of me."

    "That¡¯s a lie!" Raina barked. "You didn¡¯t build anything. You abandoned everyone! You left Kendrick and your father"

    I stepped closer, cutting her off. "Don¡¯t you dare lecture me about family, little girl. You have no idea what it takes to survive in this world."

    Sameen stood slowly. "Enough! You have said your piece, now leave."

    "Oh, I¡¯m not done," I said coldly. "In fact, I have been dying to tell you the truth. Since you both love pretending to be innocent."

    I folded my arms in disgust as I stared at them "Did you ever tell your precious daughter that when I was pregnant with Kendrick, you were sleeping with my husband?"

    The room went dead silent.

    Sameen¡¯s face went pale and Raina frowned.

    "You are lying," Sameen hissed.

    "Oh, don¡¯t look so shocked," I sneered.

    "You were just a poor, desperate little waitress back then. Serving drinks in that filthy bar downtown. You knew exactly who Raymond was, and you saw an opportunity to escape your miserable life. You seduced him while I was carrying his child." I said while staring at her in disgust.

    "That¡¯s not true!" Sameen shouted while trembling with rage.

    "It is," I said smugly.

    "You couldn¡¯t stand the thought of going back to poverty, so you clung to him like a leech. And when you thought I was dead, you convinced him to marry you. Tell me, did you cry at the wedding? Or were you too busy counting your new fortune?" I asked her mockingly.

    Sameen¡¯s hand trembled at her side.

    "You took everything that belonged to me," I continued viciously.

    "You gave your children everything that was meant for Kendrick. You spoiled them while my son was left with nothing." I said furiously.

    "Enough!" she snapped, tears brimming in her eyes.

    "You abandoned him! You left your son alone for years, we¡¯re you expecting me to ignore my own children and... ?" she asked me angrily.

    "And you took advantage of that!" I cut her off sharply.

    "Don¡¯t act like some selfless saint. You have always been power-hungry, Sameen." I added angrily.

    Her face twisted with fury. "You are vile."

    "And you¡¯re weak."

    Then her hand suddenly came flying across my face, the sharp sting echoing through the air.

    I froze, as I was shocked at the audacity. Then I smiled slowly.

    Then I returned the p and I made sure to use enough force.The sound echoed through the room.

    Raina rushed between us, shouting, "Enough! Both of you!"

    I stepped back while smoothing my dress, pretending to be unbothered even though my heart was pounding.

    I leaned forward and whispered, "Enjoy the mansion while you can. Because in one week, you will all be out on the streets where you belong."

    Sameen red at me while clutching her cheek, but said nothing.

    I turned sharply and walked out before I could do something worse.

    My heels echoed down the marble hallway as my pulse raced. My hands were shaking, not from fear, but from anger.

    I needed power and also needed to take control of the family business.

    If anyone could shift things in my favor, it was him. The old man still loves me immensely.

    I headed straight for his study and barely knocked before walking in.

    He looked up from behind his desk, startled. "Lauretta? You are here early."

    "I need to talk to you," I said firmly while shutting the door.

    He frowned, removing his sses. "What¡¯s going on?"

    I took a deep breath to steady my voice. "It¡¯s about Kendrick."

    "What about him?" he asked cautiously.

    "I think it¡¯s time we remove him as CEO of the familypany," I said tly.

    He froze. "What?"

    "He is reckless, emotional, and far too involved with that Lancaster girl," I pressed on.

    "He is not fit to lead the cks and might end up ruining everything you built." I added with a serious tone.

    My father¡¯s eyes narrowed. "You want to remove your own son?"

    "Yes, before he destroys us."I said without hesitation.

    He leaned back slowly, disbelief clearly written all over his face. "And who do you suggest reces him? You?"

    "I could manage it until a proper sessor is chosen," I said calmly, though my pulse was racing with anticipation.

    He studied me in silence for a long, tense moment before sighing deeply.

    "Lauretta," he said quietly.

    "I have been patient with you since you came back. I thought time would change you but I see it hasn¡¯t." he said with a disappointed expression.

    I blinked, as I was caught off guard by his words. "What¡¯s that supposed to mean?"

    "It means, you are still the same stubborn and selfish woman who almost tore this family apart years ago." he said, as he slowly got up from his chair.

    "Father.. "

    "Don¡¯t interrupt me," he snapped.

    "Everything that happened, the feud, the bitterness and Kendrick¡¯s suffering, all of it started with you." he said while ring at me.

    My chest tightened. "That¡¯s not fair... "

    "It¡¯s the truth!" he barked.

    "You lied, manipted, and ran away when things didn¡¯t go your way and now you are back, trying to destroy your own son? Shame on you, Lauretta!" he yelled at me.

    His words hit me like a p and I flinched, as my throat tightened.

    He stepped closer, his voice shaking with fury. "Do you know what I have been thinking since Ist saw Kendrick? That maybe, just maybe, we should stop punishing him for the past. That boy has suffered enough. He deserves peace and if that peacees from being with Christy Lancaster, so be it!." he said with amanding tone.

    My stomach dropped as I looked at him in shock. "You can¡¯t be serious."

    "I am, you will not interfere with them again. Do you understand?" he said coldly.

    I clenched my fists, struggling to keep my voice steady. "Father, you don¡¯t understand what¡¯s at stake.. "

    "I understand perfectly, what¡¯s at stake is your pride. And it¡¯s killing this family." he interrupted sharply.

    I felt the rage bubbling up inside me again.

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    "You are choosing them over me?" I asked him angrily.

    "I¡¯m choosing what¡¯s right! For once in your life, look beyond yourself." he thundered.

    I stared at him, my nails digging into my palms until I could feel the sting as my entire body trembled with fury and humiliation.

    He turned away, dismissing me like a child. "You can leave now, I have heard enough."

    I straightened, forcing my voice to stay calm even as my heart shattered inside. "Fine, but don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you when everything falls apart." I said quietly.

    Without another word, I turned and stormed out of the study, my heels mming against the marble floor.

    Tears burned in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

    I have to find a way to save my precious son, why should I care about Kendrick, a child that I conceived by mistake.

    He has no choice but to give everything to his brother.

 Chapter 76 - SEVENTY-SIX: Chao in the Black Mansion

    <h4>Chapter 76: Chapter SEVENTY-SIX: Chao in the ck Mansion</h4>

    Raymond¡¯s POV

    The morning air felt extremely sharp and cold on my skin when I stepped out of the car with Celeste by my side.

    I looked at the ck family Mansion in front of me and a wave of nervousness hit me out of nowhere.

    I adjusted my tie, trying to lookposed even though my heart was pounding. The household staff froze at the sight of me and Celeste.

    Some bowed slightly, others just stood awkwardly, exchanging nces filled with confusion and judgment.

    They were all aware of what happened and probably didn¡¯t expect me to bring Celeste over.

    Celeste, on the other hand, stood tall in her tight red dress, one hand resting protectively on her still t stomach, her lips were curled into a proud little smirk.

    She was trying to look confident, but I could feel her fingers trembling when they brushed mine.

    "This ce makes me so ufortable," she muttered under her breath.

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    "It¡¯s your home now," I said, forcing a calm smile even though my jaw was tightly clenched.

    I had rehearsed this moment a hundred times in my head.

    I would walk in, face Sameen, and tell her the truth. Tell her that I was done pretending, that Celeste and I were going to start a new life. That she should stop clinging to a marriage that had been dead for years.

    Simple and straightforward, that was how I nned it.

    But when the front doors swung open and I saw Sameen standing there, her hair loose, eyes red and expression twisted in disbelief, all myposure shattered.

    "Raymond?" she said, her voice cracking in disbelief.

    Her gaze darted from me to Celeste and then down to her stomach. Her lips parted in shock.

    "You brought her here?" she asked me angrily.

    "Sameen... " I said calmly.

    Before I could even start talking, Raina appeared from behind her mother, and the moment her eyesnded on Celeste, she froze.

    Her jaw clenched, and I could literally feel the air change.

    "You," Raina said in a low, trembling voice.

    "Raina, please.. " Celeste tried to exin, but Raina¡¯s palm shot through the air so fast I barely saw it.

    SLAP!

    The sound echoed through the quiet house.

    "You disgusting snake!" Raina screamed, as her chest heaved because of intense anger.

    "You slept with my father? You ruined our family, you... " She said while ring at her.

    Celeste stumbled back a little, clutching her cheek, and the household staff gasped in shock. I saw one of the maids cover her mouth, another take a step back, whispering something under her breath.

    "Raina, stop it!" I shouted, stepping between them, but Raina shoved me aside.

    "Oh, I will not stop, Dad! How could you bring her here?" she yelled, tears brimming in her eyes.

    Celeste¡¯s eyes narrowed as she straightened her dress and her voice turned sharp. "Watch your mouth, Raina. You should be thanking me for giving your father the happiness your mother never could."

    Raina lunged at her angrily and I couldn¡¯t stop her on time.

    She grabbed Celeste by the hair and yanked her hard. Celeste screamed, staggering backward as Raina pushed her toward the wall. "You homewrecking witch!" Raina shouted, her voice echoing through the grand hall.

    "Raina!" I yelled, pulling her off, but she twisted out of my grip, pping Celeste again, this time so hard it made Celeste cry out.

    I snapped angrily and my hand moved before my mind caught up.

    SLAP!

    The sound was loud. Too loud.

    Raina¡¯s head jerked to the side, and for a moment, everything froze.

    The staff gasped audibly.

    Sameen¡¯s scream tore through the silence. "RAYMOND!"

    She ran straight to Raina, who stood there clutching her cheek, eyes wide and full of disbelief.

    "You hit her?" Sameen¡¯s voice trembled with fury. "You hit your own daughter for her?"

    I tried to exin, but my throat was dry. "She attacked Celeste first... "

    "Oh, shut your filthy mouth!" Sameen shouted, tears spilling down her face. "You brought shame into this house! You humiliated me! You..."

    Celeste, still trembling, clung to my arm. "Raymond, let¡¯s just go. They¡¯re crazy.. "

    That was when Sameen moved.

    She grabbed the nearest vase from the side table and before I could react,

    CRASH!

    It hit me square on the shoulder. The pain exploded through my arm, sending me staggering back.

    "Sameen!" I shouted, wincing. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

    "What¡¯s wrong with me?!" she screamed, her voice breaking. "You brought your mistress into our home, Raymond! Our home! How dare you!"

    I clenched my jaw, my entire body shaking. "You made me miserable for years, Sameen! Always nagging and always suspicious... "

    "And you think sleeping with my daughter¡¯s best friend is a solution?!" she shot back. "You¡¯re disgusting!"

    Celeste started crying now, her hands shaking. "I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen..."

    Raina turned on her again, voice full of venom. "You didn¡¯t mean to sleep with a married man? You didn¡¯t mean to get pregnant? Spare us your pathetic act!"

    She moved toward Celeste again, but this time I grabbed Raina by the arm and pulled her back roughly.

    "Enough!" I barked, my voice booming. "You have done enough, Raina!"

    Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Done enough? You¡¯re defending her? Her?"

    "Raina!" I shouted, my temper snapping. "Stop talking to me like that! I¡¯m still your father!"

    "My father died the day you chose her!" she screamed back, tears running down her face.

    For a split second, the whole mansion went dead silent.

    My heart clenched as that hurt more than the vase and more than anything.

    But before I could speak again, a deep,manding voice boomed from the staircase.

    "What is going on in my house?!"

    Every head turned towards the direction that the voice came from.

    Thest thing I needed right now was the old man getting involved. He stood at the top of the stairs in his robe, silver hair glinting under the chandelier light, his eyes were as cold as ice.

    "Grandfather..." Raina whispered softly.

    He descended slowly, each step making the tension thicker.

    "Raymond," he said, his tone low and dangerous. "Exin yourself."

    I swallowed hard. "Father, I.. "

    "You brought your mistress,into my home?Did you get my permission?"he interrupted coldly.

    Celeste shifted ufortably and bowed her head.

    "Sir.. " she began, but he raised a hand sharply.

    "Do not speak in my presence!" hemanded and she went quiet immediately.

    Sameen stood beside Raina, holding her protectively, while I just stood there, my mouth opening but no wordsing out.

    "You have brought shame to this family, Raymond. Not only did you betray your wife, but you also dragged your disgrace into this house for everyone to see." he said sternly.

    "I love her!" I blurted out. "I love Celeste, and she¡¯s carrying my child. I won¡¯t apologize for that."

    "Love?" Grandpa scoffed. "You think this is love? You humiliate your wife, strike your daughter, and parade your mistress before the household? That¡¯s not love...That¡¯s madness."

    "Have I been too tolerant with you that you have forgotten your ce?" she asked me angrily.

    Celeste wiped her tears, stepping forward. "With all due respect, sir, I didn¡¯t ask for this.. "

    "I said silence!" he thundered again.

    The sound of his voice echoed through the hall, making even the maids shrink back.

    He turned back to me. "You will pack your things and leave this house today, you, and your mistress."

    My heart dropped. "Father.. "

    "I said today, Raymond!" His voice was final, sharp as a de. "I will not have your filth stain the ck name any further. I took you as my own son but you have never considered me in any of your decisions"

    Celeste gasped. "But where will we go?"

    "That is not my concern," he said coldly. "You made your bed, now lie in it."

    Sameen crossed her arms, watching me with a look I had never seen before, she looked both broken and vindicated. While

    Raina just red at me as her lips trembled.

    I tried to speak, to defend myself, but nothing came out. The humiliation burned through my chest.

    "Father, please... "

    "I said enough!" Grandpa snapped. "You will leave before the sun sets, or I will have the guards escort you out myself. You should be thankful that I am not throwing your wife and children out as well"

    Then he turned and walked back toward his room, leaving behind a heavy silence.

    I just stood there frozen.

    The maids whispered among themselves, the butler avoided my gaze, and Celeste clung to my arm, crying softly.

    Sameen stepped forward, voice low but sharp. "You heard him.,Get out, Raymond."

    Raina just shook her head slowly. "You¡¯re not my father anymore."

    Those words hit harder than any p ever could.

    Celeste tugged my hand. "Let¡¯s go," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Please, let¡¯s just go."

    I turned onest time toward Sameen and Raina. My throat was tight and my pride was in shreds.

    "I hope you are happy," I said bitterly.

    Sameen red at me. "No, Raymond, Happiness died the day you betrayed us."

    I looked away as my chest tightened even more as I led Celeste toward the door.

    As we stepped outside, the wind howled through the front yard.

    Behind us, the mansion doors mmed shut with a loud thud.

    For the first time in my life, I realized something bitterly true.

    When you burn bridges, there¡¯s no walking back.

    Only ashes and I was standing right in the middle of mine.

 Chapter 77 - SEVENTY-SEVEN: A Golddigger

    <h4>Chapter 77: Chapter SEVENTY-SEVEN: A Golddigger</h4>

    Raymond¡¯s POV

    The drive to my personal apartment at the center of the city was long.

    Celeste didn¡¯t say a single word the entire ride. Her arms were crossed, her eyes fixed on the window, and her lips were trembling slightly. I didn¡¯t know if she was crying or just trying not to scream.

    Every second that passed made the silence heavier. The humiliation at the mansion kept reying in my head like a broken record. Sameen¡¯s face, Raina¡¯s tears and the old man¡¯s words. Every piece of it stabbed my chest over and over.

    I gripped the steering wheel tightly and my knuckles turned white.

    Celeste let out a small sigh. "So that¡¯s it?" she said quietly.

    I didn¡¯t look at her. "What do you mean?"

    She turned her head, her tone suddenly sharper. "You are not even going to defend me? You just stood there and let them humiliate me like I¡¯m some cheap street girl."

    I clenched my jaw. "I tried, Celeste but what did you expect me to do? Hit the old man too?"

    She scoffed. "Maybe, He talked to me like I was trash. You just stood there like a scared little boy."

    That hit harder than she probably meant it to but I stayed quiet as there was no point arguing now.

    When I pulled up in front of my private apartment building, she didn¡¯t wait for me to park properly before opening the door and stepping out. Her heels clicked loudly against the pavement as she stormed toward the entrance.

    I followed her silently dragging my feet. The doorman opened the door immediately, clearly confused at the sight of us, her in tears and me looking like I had just crawled out of a war zone.

    Inside the penthouse, Celeste walked straight to the minibar, grabbed a bottle of wine, and poured herself a ss with shaky hands.

    I watched her gulp down half the ss in one go before finally saying, "You should rest, you have had enough stress for today."

    She spun around to face me. "Don¡¯t tell me what to do, Raymond."

    Her voice was sharp, filled with something that didn¡¯t sound like pain anymore, it sounded more like anger mixed with entitlement.

    I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly. "Celeste, please.. Not now. I¡¯m not in the mood for another fight."

    "Oh, but we need to talk," she said, cing the ss down and crossing her arms. "Do you have any property under your name?"

    That question came out of nowhere and I frowned. "What?"

    "You heard me," she repeated, her tone firmer. "Do you have any properties, assets, businesses, anything that belongs to you alone?"

    "Why are you asking that?" I asked quietly.

    She tilted her head slightly, her red lips curling into something close to a smirk. "Because I want to know what I¡¯m getting into, Raymond. You just got thrown out of the ck family, remember?"

    My heart dropped a little. "What are you talking about?"

    "I¡¯m talking about the fact that your family just kicked you out," she said. "If you don¡¯t have anything of your own, then what¡¯s the point?"

    I blinked at her, my chest tightening. "What¡¯s the point?"

    She shrugged casually. "Yeah. I mean, I¡¯m too young to be tied down with a baby if there¡¯s no guarantee for the future. I need to know if my life is secure with you or if I¡¯m just setting myself up for failure."

    I stared at her in disbelief. "Celeste... are you hearing yourself right now?"

    She looked me dead in the eyes. "I¡¯m just being realistic. Love doesn¡¯t pay bills, Raymond."

    Something inside me snapped. "You¡¯re unbelievable," I said quietly. "I lost everything for you, my family, my daughter, my father¡¯s respect. And now you¡¯re asking me if I¡¯m rich enough to keep you?"

    <fnfd97> Newest update provided by FindN()vel</fnfd97>

    She rolled her eyes. "Don¡¯t be dramatic. You didn¡¯t lose them because of me. You lost them because you couldn¡¯t handle your own lies and I just happened to be there."

    My fists tightened. "You¡¯re a gold digger."

    Her expression darkened, but then she let out a dryugh. "Finally...The truth, took you long enough to figure it out."

    I froze, staring at her as my stomach turned. "What?"

    She shrugged again, this time with a smirk that made my skin crawl. "What did you think this was, Raymond? Some grand romance? Please. You think I would¡¯ve followed you if you weren¡¯t Raymond ck, the powerful, wealthy man with all the connections and the name that opened doors? Get real."

    I took a step back, my chest pounding. "So everything you said, all the love you confessed... it was all fake?"

    She looked at me nkly. "Does it matter now?"

    "Yes, it damn well does!" I shouted. "Because I believed you! I destroyed my family for you!"

    She sighed, almost bored. "And that¡¯s not my fault. You are a grown man who made his own choices. Don¡¯t act like I forced you into anything."

    I stared at her, my throat tight. "What about the baby? Is it even mine?"

    She smirked faintly, picking up her ss again. "Oh, don¡¯t start that now."

    "Answer me, Celeste!" I roared.

    She flinched but quickly regained her calm. "You will never know, will you?" she whispered, her tone cold and taunting.

    I felt dizzy, the room spun and I had never hated anyone as much as I hated myself in that moment, for being so stupid, so blinded and so desperate for something that never even existed.

    She ced the ss down and leaned closer, her voice soft but venomous. "Here¡¯s what you are going to do, Raymond. You will go meet Lauretta, sign the divorce papers, and make sure you demand a lot of money and shares. If you don¡¯t, well..." She ced a hand on her t belly and smirked. "I might just change my mind about keeping this baby."

    "You are insane," I muttered.

    "No," she said coldly. "I¡¯m practical....You should try it sometime."

    Then she turned around, walking toward the bedroom. I watched her slim figure disappear behind the door before she mmed it shut so hard the sound echoed through the apartment.

    I stood there frozen, my chest heaving as anger and heartbreak tangled inside me like barbed wire.

    I sank onto the couch, burying my face in my hands.

    My head pounded and everything, every single thing felt like a cruel joke.

    Celeste had yed me, Sameen now hated me, Raina despised me and I have been thrown out of the ck family.

    And I was standing in the ruins of everything I once thought I controlled.

    I stared at the floor for what felt like hours until the light from the window dimmed into dusk. My mind kept repeating one name over and over, noLauretta.

    I picked up my phone with trembling hands and dialed her number.

    She answered on the second ring. "Raymond."

    Her voice was calm and smooth, like she was expecting me to call her.

    "I want to meet," I said hoarsely. "Tonight."

    There was a pause. "Where?"

    "XX Restaurant, 8 p.m."

    "Fine," she said. "I¡¯ll be there."

    Then she immediately hung up. No questions or no small talk. Just that same cold tone she always used when she wanted to remind me that I no longer mattered.

    By the time I got to XX Restaurant, the ce was half-empty and quiet. The waiter led me to a private booth in the corner, and I sat down, staring nkly at the empty chair across from me.

    Lauretta arrived a few minutester, dressed in a sleek ck dress, her hair tied neatly in a bun and her expression was unreadable.

    She sat down without saying a word, and the silence between us was heavy enough to suffocate me.

    I finally spoke. "I¡¯m ready to sign the papers."

    Her brows lifted slightly. "Oh?"

    "But," I continued, "I have conditions."

    A small smirk yed on her lips. "Of course you do."

    "You will give me thirty percent of thepany shares, the house in Midtown, and a lump sum of twenty million dors," I said firmly.

    She didn¡¯t even flinch. "Done."

    That startled me. "Just like that?"

    She leaned back in her chair. "Raymond, I don¡¯t care about the money. I just want this over with. You¡¯ll have everything you asked for."

    I frowned. "Then why are you really back, Lauretta?"

    Her eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"

    I leaned forward, my voice dropping. "You faked that ident years ago. I know it. You wanted everyone to think you were dead."

    Her lips curved into a faint, cold smile. "You always were more observant than I gave you credit for."

    "So why?" I asked, my tone sharp. "Whye back now? Why destroy everything again?"

    Sheughed quietly, that bitter kind ofugh that made my skin crawl. "Destroy everything? Raymond, everything was already destroyed long before I came back."

    "Don¡¯t y games with me, Lauretta," I warned. "Why do you want to hurt Kendrick?"

    That made her pause and her gaze turned sharp as her smile faded.

    "Ah... Kendrick," she murmured. "You mean the son I never wanted?"

    My heart skipped. "What?"

    She stared right into my eyes. "You know it¡¯s true, having Kendrick was a mistake. I told my father years ago. I should have aborted him, but he insisted I keep the child. Said it would make the family lookplete."

    My blood ran cold. "Lauretta, what the hell are you saying?"

    She shrugged, her tone icy. "I¡¯m saying what you already knew deep down. I never wanted to be a mother, Raymond. And Kendrick? He was nothing but a chain tying me to a life I didn¡¯t want."

    I mmed my hand on the table, making the cutlery rattle. "You¡¯re sick."

    She tilted her head, unfazed. "Maybe. But at least I¡¯m honest."

    I could barely breathe. My mind was racing, trying to process every word, every venomous truth spilling from her mouth.

    She reached for her purse, pulled out a pen, and slid the divorce papers across the table toward me. "Sign it," she said tly. "Let¡¯s stop pretending this marriage ever meant anything."

    I stared at her, my pulse pounding in my ears. "You¡¯re not even human."

    She gave me a slow, eerie smile. "Neither are you, Raymond. You just hide it better."

    For a long time, neither of us spoke. The restaurant around us buzzed quietly, clinking sses, soft chatter and faint music but it all felt far away.

    Finally, I picked up the pen and signed my name.

    She folded the papers neatly, slipped them back into her purse, and stood up.

    "This is thest time we ever have to see each other," she said with a smile.

    I wanted to say something, anything but the words wouldn¡¯te.

    She leaned closer, her perfume cold and expensive, and whispered, "Tell Celeste she can keep the baby... if it¡¯s even yours."

    Then she walked away, her heels echoing on the marble floor until she disappeared out the door.

    I sat there, staring at the ss of wine she had left untouched. My reflection in it looked hollow like a stranger.

    Everything I had built and everything I had believed in was gone.

    Celeste¡¯s betrayal and Lauretta¡¯s confession. It was like the universe wasughing in my face.

    When I finally walked out of the restaurant, the night air hit me hard. The city lights blurred as tears filled my eyes, but I didn¡¯t bother wiping them away.

    For the first time in my life, I didn¡¯t know where to go.

    Because somewhere between love and betrayal, I had lost everything, including who I was.

    And as the cold wind brushed against my skin, one thing became painfully clear.

    This was just the beginning of my downfall.

 Chapter 78 - SEVENTY-EIGHT: Cleaning The Company.

    <h4>Chapter 78: Chapter SEVENTY-EIGHT: Cleaning The Company.</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The morning light barely touched the skyline when I pulled up in front of ck Corporation.

    Today, I was cleaning my father¡¯spdogs from thepany.

    I walked towards the boardroom where everyone was already waiting for me. I camete on purpose as I wanted to make sure everyone was there before I arrived.

    The boardroom was so quiet that the sound of the clock ticking on the wall felt deafening. Every director, every manager, and every executive sitting around the long ss table avoided my eyes because they knew what wasing.

    I leaned back in the leather chair at the head of the table, my fingers lightly tapping on the table and I just stared at all of them coldly. Evans stood by the door, holding a stack of termination letters that would soon change a lot of lives.

    The air was thick and the tension heavy, as I could see cold sweats trickling down the faces of some of the guilty people.

    "Read the list," I ordered. My voice came out low, calm, and extremely cold.

    He cleared his throat swiftly before opening the file he was holding. "Yes, sir,.. Mr. Thompson, Head of Finance, Mr. Glenn, Head of Public Rtions, Mr. Sanders... "

    I raised my hand to stop him, as I saw the name calling as a waste of time. "Skip the formalities, Just make sure they are out by noon."

    He nodded quickly, sweat glistening on his forehead.

    One of the older directors finally gathered the courage to speak. "Mr. ck, most of these people have been in thepany for years. Firing them all in one day might... "

    I turned my gaze on him and just one look was all it took to shut his righteous mouth up.

    "Years of service mean nothing if loyalty lies elsewhere," I said calmly. "Every single person on that list was working for Raymond. They were the ones leaking information and manipting numbers, I won¡¯t have snakes running thispany."

    The silence in the room became suffocating as no one dared to reply.

    I stood up slowly, buttoning my jacket with an unreadable expression. "Effective immediately, I want all their ess revoked. Make sure security escorts them out. If they resist, call the police."

    "Yes, Mr. ck," Evans replied.

    "And send a copy of this decision to my grandfather. He gave me full authority to clean up this mess. I will make sure Raymond never steps foot in thispany again."

    There was a heavy silence. Then, one by one, the directors nodded. I left the boardroom without looking back.

    As I walked through the hallway, I could feel eyes following me with a mixture of fear, awe and resentment.

    It didn¡¯t matter, thispany was mine now, and I was going to make sure no one ever doubted that again.

    When I stepped into my office, Curtis was already waiting. He was sitting on the couch like he owned the ce, one leg crossed over the other and a smirk stered across his face.

    "Wow," he said slowly while pping with a sneer on his face. "You really went all out, didn¡¯t you? Half the senior staff fired in a single morning."

    I walked to my desk and ced my phone down. "You have a problem with that?"

    Heughed under his breath. "Not really, I just find it interesting that you didn¡¯t even discuss it with me. You know most of those people were my allies too, right?"

    I looked at him nkly. "Then maybe you should be careful who you call allies."

    He stood up as his expression hardened. "You¡¯re acting like some untouchable god just because Grandfather gave you control. Don¡¯t get toofortable, Kendrick, that seat you are sitting on doesn¡¯t belong to you forever."

    I smiled faintly. "Neither does your ce in thispany belong to you, Curtis."

    He scoffed. "You wouldn¡¯t dare."

    "Oh, I would," I said quietly, leaning back in my chair. "The only reason you still have a job is because Grandfather said so. If it were up to me, you would be gone with the rest."

    Curtis¡¯s jaw clenched. "You think you can just erase everyone connected to father? You think that¡¯s going to solve everything?"

    "It already has," I replied coldly. "I don¡¯t n on letting history repeat itself."

    He took a step closer to my desk, his eyes dark with anger. "You think you¡¯re untouchable, huh? Acting all high and mighty just because Christy¡¯s by your side now? And you have the backing of the Lancaster family? Let¡¯s not forget, Kendrick, I met her first."

    My smile faded instantly. "Watch your mouth."

    He chuckled, clearly enjoying my reaction. "What? Did I hit a nerve? You think she loves you just because you are ying the protective hero? Let me tell you something, brother, girls like her fall for whoever gives them the most attention."

    I stood up slowly, my eyes locked on him. "Try it then."

    He blinked. "What?"

    I stepped around the desk, closing the distance between us. "You said you met her first, Fine. Try to take her from me again and let¡¯s see how far you get this time."

    Curtis¡¯s smirk faltered, just slightly.

    I lowered my voice, as my tone turned sharp. "But I will warn you once, touch her, or even speak to her again the wrong way, and I will forget Grandpa¡¯s wish, you wouldn¡¯t know how you die."

    His throat moved as he swallowed hard, but he didn¡¯t reply.

    "Now get out," I said calmly.

    He stared at me for a moment longer, then grabbed his jacket and walked toward the door. Before leaving, he turned slightly and said, "One day, she will be mine and you will be left broken, just like Raymond."

    The door mmed behind him.

    I exhaled slowly, rubbing my temples. My patience was hanging by a thin thread.

    I nced at my phone and saw that Christy had texted me an hour ago.

    Christy: Mom¡¯s awake, the doctor says she¡¯s recovering well.

    Just reading her message softened me a little. She always has that effect on me, like sunlight through a storm.

    I grabbed my jacket and left the office. I have had enough work for today, and I miss her already.

    By the time I got to the hospital, Christy was sitting by her mother¡¯s bedside, holding her hand and smiling softly. The sight hit something deep inside me.

    <fn99c7> Fresh chapters posted on Find~Novel</fn99c7>

    "Hey," I said quietly as I entered.

    She turned her head, and that smile of hers reached her eyes instantly. "You are here."

    "Of course I¡¯m here," I replied, walking closer. "How¡¯s she doing?"

    Her mother smiled faintly. "I have been worse. They said I can go home tomorrow."

    "That¡¯s great news," I said, cing a bouquet of lilies on the table beside her bed. "You¡¯re looking better already."

    She chuckled weakly. "You¡¯re too kind, young man."

    Christy squeezed her hand. "Mom, don¡¯t start with the teasing."

    Her mother smiled and turned to me. "Take care of her, Kendrick and that little one she¡¯s carrying."

    Christy¡¯s cheeks flushed pink. "Mom!"

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile. "You have my word," I said softly. "I¡¯ll protect them with my life."

    Her mother¡¯s eyes warmed, but there was sadness in them too. "You remind me of your grandfather. Strong and quiet, but always carrying too much inside."

    I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I just nodded.

    A few minutester, she started to feel drowsy, so Christy tucked her in, kissed her forehead, and whispered something softly before stepping out with me.

    We walked down the hallway, hand in hand. She was quiet, probably thinking about her mom and the baby. I tightened my grip on her fingers, just needing that small touch to remind myself that she was real.

    "Are you hungry?" I asked.

    She blinked innocently then smiled. "Starving."

    "Good," I said, brushing my thumb over her knuckles. "Let¡¯s go somewhere nice."

    I decided to take her to XX restaurant and on getting there, I was extremely surprised to see my mother heading to a private room.

    Without saying anything, I gently pulled Christy closer and motioned for her to stay quiet. We stopped right outside the slightly open door of the private room.

    Then I heard Raymond¡¯s voice and my pulse quickened.

    I nced through the small gap and saw him sitting across from her. Both looked tense and the air between them was extremely thick.

    "I¡¯m ready to sign the papers," Raymond said. His tone was rough and tired.

    Lauretta leaned back, her expression cold. "Oh?"

    I felt Christy stiffen beside me, She looked at me, confused. I just pressed a finger to my lips, signaling her to stay silent.

    We stood there quietly, listening.

    They talked about divorce, money, and property. It was all business. But then the conversation shifted and that¡¯s when everything inside me stopped.

    Raymond asked her why she came back.

    Laurettaughed softly. "Destroy everything? Raymond, everything was already destroyed long before I came back."

    Then she said the words that ripped something open inside me.

    "You mean the son I never wanted?"

    My chest went cold as I just stood there frozen. .

 Chapter 79 - SEVENTY-NINE: Fake Heiress

    <h4>Chapter 79: Chapter SEVENTY-NINE: Fake Heiress</h4>

    Celeste¡¯s POV

    The world felt like it was closing in on me.

    Since that morning at the ck mansion, I hadn¡¯t slept properly. Every whisper in the city, every headline that mentioned the cks, somehow had my name tangled in it.

    The mistress...The pregnant traitor....The woman who ruined a family.

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    Someone seems to be targeting me on purpose, I can¡¯t even go out without people pointing at me and whispering.

    I stared nkly at my reflection in the mirror, my skin looked pale, my eyes were hollow. There was no trace of the confident, wless heiress I used to see.

    The mascara wand in my hand hovered in midair, trembling slightly before I dropped it into the sink.

    Raymond had been thrown and out just like that, my ns were ruined.

    One sentence from Grandpa ck and the whole house has turned against him as well.

    The staff looked at him like a stranger, the guards refused to open the gate for him, like he was some peasant.

    I could still hear Raina¡¯s words echoing in my head.

    "You homewrecker! You will never belong here!"

    Now Raymond was staying at some apartment downtown, he waspletely cut off and didn¡¯t want anything to do with me since ourst quarrel.

    And me? I was sitting here with his child inside me, surrounded by silence and bills.

    My phone buzzed on the counter.

    When I saw Dad shing across the screen, my stomach dropped.

    "Celeste," he barked before I could even say hello.

    "What the hell is going on over there? I have been trying to reach Raymond but his phone is off." He asked me angrily.

    "He¡¯s... not avable right now, Dad. There¡¯s been some... family trouble." I replied as I exhaled slowly while gripping the counter for support.

    "What kind of family trouble? You were supposed to secure your position! Now I¡¯m hearing rumors that he has been disowned. Is that true?" His voice turned sharp

    My silence said everything, as I couldn¡¯t lie.

    A loud curse echoed through the line. "You useless girl! Do you have any idea how much I have invested in this? Do you know how much money I have borrowed because of this project? The investors are breathing down my neck!"

    I squeezed my eyes shut. "Dad, please... "

    "No, you listen to me," he snapped. "You better get Raymond to release that money. I don¡¯t care how you do it. Cry, beg or fake a miscarriage for all I care! I need that transfer today."

    I felt something twist painfully inside me. "Dad, I told you, he has been kicked out of the ck family! He doesn¡¯t even have ess to the ounts anymore."

    The line went silent for a second, then, his tone dropped to pure anger.

    "Then what the hell are you good for?"

    "Dad... "

    "You have embarrassed this family enough," he spat angrily.

    "You think you are clever? ying mistress to a married man? At least if you had seeded, it would have been worth it! But now? You are carrying a bastard child, and we have got nothing to show for it." he continued, his voice bing harsher and sharper with each word.

    Tears stung my eyes, but I forced them back. "You think I wanted this? You think I nned for him to lose everything?"

    "You are damn right you did," he snapped.

    "If you hadn¡¯t fought with his wife and daughter, maybe we would still be benefiting from them! But no, you had to open that stupid mouth of yours and ruin everything." he added furiously.

    Sometimes, I find it hard to believe that this shameless and greedy person was my own father.

    My chest tightened. "They came at me first... "

    "They were your ticket, Celeste! Raina was our cash cow before you got greedy. We could have bled her slowly, her shopping addiction, her charity fund, her trust money.. it was all under your influence! And now? You¡¯ve destroyed that too." he shouted.

    The silence that followed was deafening.

    I swallowed the lump in my throat. "So what do you want me to do now?"

    He exhaled heavily, as his voice turned cold. "Get rid of that baby."

    My heart stopped. "What?"

    "You heard me, it¡¯s over. The ck family won¡¯t take Raymond back and that child won¡¯t get you a penny. We can¡¯t afford another mouth to feed." he said tly

    "Dad! You can¡¯t be serious... "My voice broke.

    "Oh, I¡¯m very serious, You are not bringing shame on this family again. Do it quietly, and send me the hospital papers when you are done." he said with an authoritative tone.

    I couldn¡¯t breathe and my hand shook so hard the phone nearly slipped. For a moment, all I could hear was my pulse hammering in my ears.

    "I¡¯m not killing my baby," I whispered.

    "Then you are on your own," he said coldly. "Don¡¯t bothering home."

    Then the line went dead.

    I stood there, staring at the screen, the silence pressing against my chest like a weight.

    On my own....That¡¯s what he said.

    Like I hadn¡¯t already been abandoned by everyone else.

    My knees gave out, and I sank to the cold marble floor.

    My palms rested on my stomach, as tears streamed freely down my face.

    "I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you," I whispered to the small life inside me. "Even if I have to do this alone."

    I couldn¡¯t kill my baby, he was the only person that I feel connected to now and I will do everything to ensure his safety.

    But I knew crying wouldn¡¯t fix anything.

    Money!

    That¡¯s what I needed, enough money to survive and keep this child safe.

    And there was still one way to get it.

    Raina, my sweet stupid little cash cow.

    She still didn¡¯t know everything. Maybe I could y the sympathy card onest time. Not directly, of course. She would never give me a dime again if I asked her myself.

    But Mark could.

    I stood up quickly, wiping my tears. Mark is my ally and Raina¡¯s current boyfriend.

    The same man who helped me manipte her before things fell apart. He still owed me favors and I was going to collect.

    I grabbed my purse and keys, heart pounding fast as I headed out.

    Mark¡¯s apartment was on the first floor of a modern ssplex downtown.

    When I got there, the door was slightly ajar, and music was ying faintly from inside. I pushed it open and stepped in without knocking.

    "Mark?" I called softly.

    But before I could take another step, a tall brte in a silk robe appeared from the hallway. She looked at me like I had crawled out of a trash can.

    "And who the hell are you?" she demanded, folding her arms. Her long nails glistened under the light.

    "I could ask you the same thing," I replied coldly, eyeing her from head to toe.

    "Where¡¯s Mark?" I asked her with a frown.

    She scoffed. "Probably in the shower and you better watch your tone, honey. I don¡¯t know what kind of side chick you are, but this is my ce."

    My jaw tightened. "Side chick?" Iughed dryly. "Please... Mark doesn¡¯t date women who wear high-end imitations."

    Her face twisted instantly. "Excuse me?"

    I tilted my head, smiling faintly. "You heard me, now be a good girl and tell him Celeste is here."

    That seemed to piss her off.

    She stormed closer, jabbing a finger toward my chest. "You better get your stic self out of this apartment before I.. "

    "What the hell is going on here?"

    Mark¡¯s voice cut through the tension as he appeared shirtless from the hallway, towel slung around his neck. His eyes widened the moment he saw me.

    "Celeste?"

    "Miss me?" I said tly, crossing my arms.

    The brte red between us. "You know her?"

    Mark sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Callie, calm down, I will handle this."

    "Oh, I bet you will, you didn¡¯t tell me you had this kind of trash showing up at your door!" Callie snapped.

    "Watch your mouth, Callie." Mark warned.

    Mark stepped between us before it got worse. "That¡¯s enough! Both of you!"

    Callie huffed, muttering something under her breath as she stalked off toward the bedroom.

    Mark turned to me, his expression hardening. "What are you doing here?"

    I took a slow breath. "We need to talk."

    He chuckled bitterly. "Let me guess...about money?"

    I didn¡¯t reply, the silence was enough.

    "Unbelievable," he muttered, shaking his head. "After everything that¡¯s happened, you still think you cane to me for help?"

    "I wouldn¡¯t have to if you hadn¡¯t ruined everything!" I snapped. "You blew our cover, Mark! Raina found out about everything because you couldn¡¯t keep your damn mouth shut."

    "Don¡¯t you dare me me. You are the one who got greedy. You pushed me to keep using her even when I told you it was getting dangerous!"Heughed dryly.

    "Because it was working! She would have given us anything we wanted!" I shouted.

    "Yeah? Well, not anymore, she knows the truth now, about the thugs¡¯ attack and using her as a cash cow, all of it. She hates both of us now." he said coldly.

    My chest burned with fury. "You idiot... Do you have any idea what you have cost me?"

    "I don¡¯t care! You yed me, Celeste. You made me believe we were partners, but you were just using me to get close to the ck¡¯s and distract Raina. Don¡¯t act like some innocent victim now." Mark snapped back.

    Something inside me snapped and I pped him across the face so hard the sound echoed through the apartment.

    "You ungrateful bastard, If it weren¡¯t for me, you would still be walking around on the streets without a ce to stay or food to eat."I hissed.

    Before he could respond, Callie stormed back into the room and without hesitation, she pped me really hard.

    I staggered back, as my hand flew to my cheek in shock. "You... "

    "Don¡¯t you ever touch my boyfriend again, you fake little wannabe," she spat.

    Mark grabbed her arm. "Callie, stop... "

    But I was already shaking with rage. "You are both pathetic. You think you are better than me? Look at you, living off Raina¡¯s money and calling me fake?"

    Mark¡¯s eyes turned cold. "At least I¡¯m honest about what I am. You, Celeste, you are nothing but a fake heiress. Everyone in this city knows it now."

    The words hit me harder than the p.

    He opened the door and gestured toward the hallway. "Get out."

    I stared at him, my jaw trembling in rage. "You will regret this."

    "Doubt it," he said. "Now leave before Callie drags you out herself."

    The door mmed shut behind me.

    I stood there for a long moment, staring at the number on his door through the blur of my tears. Then I turned and walked away.

    By the time I reached the parking lot, the evening sky had dimmed to a dull gray.

    I got into my car and gripped the steering wheel tightly, forcing myself to breathe.

    Where had I gone wrong?

    I used to have everything, luxury, attention and influence. Now I was nothing but a scandalous mistress in designer clothes.

    "Fake heiress."

    The words echoed like poison in my mind.

    I touched my stomach again, whispering softly. "Don¡¯t worry, baby. Mommy is not giving up yet. They¡¯ll all regret underestimating me."

    My tears blurred my vision as I started the engine and drove off into the dark.

    I didn¡¯t know where I was going, I just knew I couldn¡¯t stop.

    Not yet.

    I must find a way to get everything that I deserve.

 Chapter 80 - EIGHTY: A peaceful life

    <h4>Chapter 80: Chapter EIGHTY: A peaceful life</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    The days had started blending together in the best possible way.

    It had been a few quiet weeks since I moved in with Kendrick, and for the first time in my entire life, peace didn¡¯t feel like a luxury.

    Every morning, sunlight filtered through the curtains and brushed over the soft sheets we shared. Kendrick always woke up before me, but somehow, he never left without kissing my forehead. I could always tell when he was gone as the bed got cold too quickly.

    Now, at three months pregnant, I had started getting used to the strange rhythm of my body. The morning nausea was still there sometimes, but my energy was slowlying back. I had even found something that made me feel like me again.

    It started out as a small thing, just notes in my journal whenever Kendrick went to work. But somehow, my stories started gaining attention online.

    Romance stories, mostly, the kind of love I had always dreamed of but never believed could be real. I wrote about stubborn men who softened only for one woman, about quiet women who found the courage to fight for themselves and unknowingly, I realized that every story I wrote had a piece of Kendrick in it.

    I have gotten nearly ten thousand followers in just a few weeks and it was insane.

    People loved my stories, they said my writing felt raw and emotional, like they could feel every heartbeat between my characters. I smiled every time I read thements, it was the first time I felt seen for something I did, not just who I was connected to.

    This evening, I was at my desk by the window, finishing another Chapter when I heard the front door open. My fingers froze on the keyboard. My heart reacted before my head did, it fluttered sweetly, a soft flutter that always came whenever he was near.

    "Kendrick?" I called softly, smiling to myself.

    A deep voice replied from the hallway, "Yeah, it¡¯s me, baby."

    He sounded tired, but there was warmth in his tone that instantly calmed me. When he stepped into the room, my chest tightened a little.

    No matter how many times I saw him, he still made my stomach flip. The shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, his tie loose, and his hair slightly messy.

    He smiled when our eyes met. "You have been writing again, huh?"

    I nodded. "Trying to consistently update, my readers are addicted to the new story."

    He chuckled, walking toward me. "Your readers, huh? So you are famous now?"

    I turned slightly in my chair to face him. "Not yet.... But I will get there."

    He leaned down, brushing his lips over my cheek. " To me, you already are."

    I could see the exhaustion in between his brows, but also something else.

    That unspoken connection that never seemed to fade, no matter how many days passed.

    "Dinner is ready," I said softly. "I made your favorite."

    His eyes lit up instantly. "Please tell me it¡¯s fried rice and sauced chicken."

    "It is," I said proudly. "And I didn¡¯t burn it this time."

    Heughed, his voice was low and gentle. "Then let¡¯s eat before I fall in love with you all over again."

    We sat together at the small dining table and I watched him eat with that quiet intensity he always had. He was always focused and deliberate, like every bite was grounding him.

    There was something so domestic about the whole scene that it almost made me emotional.

    After we finished eating, he leaned back, his eyes still on me. "You¡¯re glowing," he said suddenly.

    <fnb95f> The source of th?s content is </fnb95f>

    I blinked. "Glowing?"

    He smiled faintly. "Yea, peace looks good on you."

    His words sank deep. For a moment, I didn¡¯t know how to reply. I looked down at my belly instead, my hand instinctively brushing over it. "Maybe it¡¯s the baby."

    "Or maybe," he said softly, "it¡¯s because you finally stopped running."

    That made my chest ache a little and he was right. For the first time, I wasn¡¯t fighting anyone or anything. I was just... living.

    When he stood, I thought he was about to leave the table, but instead, he came around behind me. His hands rested lightly on my shoulders. "You work too hard," he murmured, kneading the tension from my neck.

    A soft sigh escaped me. "I¡¯m not overworking, I just don¡¯t want to be idle."

    He leaned closer, his breath warm against my ear. "I know, but still... let me take care of you, yeah?"

    Before I could respond, he turned my chair slightly and knelt down, resting one hand gently on my belly. "How is my little one doing today?"

    The tenderness in his eyes made my throat tighten. "He is fine," I whispered. "We both are."

    He smiled and kissed the spot just above my hand. "Good."

    Then, slowly, he looked up at me with that same look that always seemed to melt my resolve. "You have no idea what you do to me, Christy."

    My breath caught in my throat.

    He stood, helping me up and guiding me toward the couch. The room was dim now, the fading light slipping through the curtains. He sat down first and pulled me gently onto hisp.

    Iughed softly. "Kendrick, you just ate."

    "I know," he murmured. "But I was starving for something else."

    I swatted his chest yfully, but my heart was racing. His hand slid to my waist, his fingers tracingzy circles through the fabric of my dress. He looked at me the way he always did, like he was trying to memorize every inch of me.

    When his lips found mine, it was slow but deep, deliberate but tender. My whole body responded before my mind could even think. His kiss was patient but hungry, restrained but full of emotion.

    I could feel him trying to hold back, his breathing uneven against my lips. But I knew what he was doing. He had been doing it for weeks now, controlling himself, and pulling away before things got too heated.

    When he finally broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against mine. "I should stop," he said quietly. "If I don¡¯t, I won¡¯t be able to."

    I could see the conflict in his eyes, his desire warring with self-control and that made me love him even more.

    He smiled helplessly. "You make it really hard to be a gentleman."

    Iughed softly, brushing his cheek. "You don¡¯t always have to be one."

    He chuckled. "Temptress."

    I tilted my head, pretending to pout. "I just feel bad, that¡¯s all. You have been taking cold showers every night."

    His eyes widened, then heughed. "And you know how?"

    I smiled knowingly. "I hear the water running and you alwayse back looking like you fought a war."

    He groaned dramatically. "That¡¯s because I am fighting a war with myself."

    I bit my lip, watching him. "Then let me help you win for once."

    He froze, as his eyes darkened slightly. "Christy..."

    "Let me," I whispered.

    There was charged silence, full of things we didn¡¯t need to say. Then he exhaled slowly and nodded.

    He quickly led me to the bathroom. I felt slightly nervous at first but when I remembered how he had been holding back, I became more determined to help him.

    I slowly sat on the edge of the bathtub and I could feel his hot gaze on me as I slowly undid his belt.

    His hard member immediately sprang out and stood tall as soon as I pulled down his brief.

    I slowly wrapped my fingers around it and noticed it was so big that my fingers couldn¡¯t hold it fully.

    I started stroking it slowly, while observing his expressions.

    "Ugh fuck" he groaned as I increased the speed.

    I used my other hand to slowly touch his balls before taking the tip of his hard rod in my mouth. I started sucking it really fast and his legs shook with pleasure.

    "Fuck.. Fuck... Babe"

    "Uggggh"

    "Just like that, slowly"

    He kept groaning and I became more bold and took more length into my mouth and took it down my throat.

    He thrust his hips slowly and it went on for a while before he poured his hot load into my mouth.

    I swallowed it before he could say anything and he looked at me helplessly.

    It wasn¡¯t about lust, it was about connection and easing the ache between us in the only way that felt right.

    Afterward, we stayed close, quiet and still, the sound of our breathing was the only thing filling the room.

    He kissed the top of my head and whispered, "Thank you."

    "For what?" I asked softly.

    "For loving me like this."

    I smiled faintly. "Always."

    We stayed that way until the air began to cool. Then we cleaned up together,ughing quietly when he tried to help me dry my hands and almost dropped the towel.

    By the time we came out of the bathroom, the night had settledpletely. I sank onto the couch, feeling both tired and light. My hands were weak, but my heart was full.

    Kendrick sat beside me, still watching me with that mix of pride and longing. He brushed a strand of hair away from my face. "You look exhausted," he murmured.

    I nodded. "A little but I¡¯m happy."

    He smiled. "Good, that¡¯s all I want for you."

    He leaned in, kissing me softly again. I wanted to stay in this moment forever, the calm after weeks of chaos and the quiet after a lifetime of storms.

    Then my phone rang.

    I groaned softly, reaching for it, the screen shed with a name I hadn¡¯t seen in a while.

    Mason.

    Kendrick frowned slightly. "Mason?"

    I nodded slowly and answered. "Hello?"

    "Christy," Mason¡¯s voice came through, serious but steady as always. "I found something. About your disappearance... from when you were a child."

    My heart skipped a beat. "What did you say?"

    "There is a lead and I think it¡¯s big. We need to talk tonight if possible."

    I froze, my fingers tightening around the phone.

    Kendrick¡¯s hand closed gently over mine. "What¡¯s wrong?"

    I met his eyes, my heart pounding faster with each breath. "He found something," I whispered. "About... my past."

    The room suddenly felt smaller.

    For weeks, I had been wrapped in peace, in love, in the safety Kendrick gave me. But now, it felt like the world outside was knocking again, demanding answers I wasn¡¯t sure I was ready to face.

    I looked down at my belly, seeing my baby bump that reminded me of everything I had to protect.

    Maybe it was time and I needed to know.

    I exhaled shakily and whispered, "Tell him we will meet."

    Kendrick nodded silently, but his eyes said what his lips didn¡¯t, that whatever truth was waiting for us, we would face it together.

 Chapter 81 - EIGHTY-ONE: Piper Is Free

    <h4>Chapter 81: Chapter EIGHTY-ONE: Piper Is Free</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    Kendrick offered to go with me but I refused as I wanted to talk to Mason privately.

    He came to the apartment to pick me up and he drove quietly. The city lights blurred against the car window as I watched them pass by, one after another, like fleeting memories.

    Mason was focused on driving, his expression was stern and he was giving off an extremely cold vibe.

    I haven¡¯t spoken since we left the house as my thoughts were tangled and my heartbeat was too loud.

    Mason nced at me from the driver¡¯s seat. His jaw was tight and his hands steady on the wheel. He looked extremely stressed as there was a deep frown on his forehead.

    "Sorry, I couldn¡¯t wait till tomorrow because I will be traveling out of the country very early tomorrow morning," he said finally, his voice was calm but strained.

    "No... I needed to know."I said and wallowed hard

    He nodded, eyes flicking toward me briefly before returning to the road. "I figured you would say that."

    Then we fell into a not so rxing silence. I shifted slightly in the seat, resting a hand over my belly to feel the baby bump, it was a reminder that I wasn¡¯t alone. I felt strengthened and smiled.

    We drove until the streets grew quieter and the noise of the city faded into the distance. Mason finally pulled over beside an old park, it was filled with rusting swings and empty benches.

    He turned off the engine but didn¡¯t move. For a long moment, he just stared at the steering wheel, as if the words he was about to say were stuck somewhere deep inside him.

    "Mason," I whispered, my voice small but steady. "Please talk to me."

    He exhaled slowly and finally looked at me. His eyes were soft, but I could see the storm beneath them. "Christy... I need you to brace yourself for what I¡¯m about to say."

    My heart thudded painfully and I took a deep breath to calm down. "Just tell me."

    "The day you went missing, we couldn¡¯t find any traces of you in the water, so we all assumed you had drowned after several searches. No one knows how you fell into the water and all the security cameras were destroyed by unknown people.

    We all gave up but after I found you, I knew that there was more to that incident. So I started a thorough investigation. I got a foreign tech expert to fix and retrieve the videos of that day." he said after a slight hesitation.

    I nodded stiffly. The memory was faint, almost dreamlike. "I remember water...cold....Then... nothing."

    Mason¡¯s throat moved as he swallowed and his expression also darkened. "The video showed that it was wasn¡¯t an ident, Christy. You didn¡¯t fall into the river by mistake, someone pushed you."

    My breath caught in my throat. "What?"

    He looked straight into my eyes. "You were pushed into that river, they wanted the world to think you were dead."

    The words sank slowly, like stones sinking into deep water. I blinked, trying to process what he said, but they made no sense. "Who? Who would do that?"

    "That¡¯s the part that took me the longest to find out," he said quietly. "After you disappeared, the police closed the case too quickly. But I couldn¡¯t let it go,I had to know why my little sister was never found."

    My hands were trembling now. "And?"

    "I went back to the town you grew up in," Mason said. "The one Benjamin took you to."

    Just hearing that name made my stomach twist. Benjamin. My so called foster father. The man who had raised me and used my as a cash cow by forcing me to dance as a stripper. I still remembered his voice that was always filled with hatred towards me.

    My fingers clenched. "What about him?"

    Mason leaned back slightly, his voice lowered. "I found out he is in prison and I went to see him."

    I blinked, staring at him in disbelief. "You went to see Benjamin?"

    He nodded. "He didn¡¯t recognize me at first but once I told him who I was, he startedughing like it was some big joke that finally caught up to him."

    My heartbeat quickened. "Mason, what did he say?"

    "He told me everything," Mason said. "Or at least... enough to piece the truth together."

    He paused for a moment before continuing. "After you were pushed into the river, Benjamin was waiting nearby with two men. He was supposed to... take care of you, as in kill you. But he didn¡¯t, he pulled you out before you drowned."

    I frozepletely.

    "He.. he saved me?" My voice cracked as what I just heard was unbelievable. "Why would he do that?"

    "Not out of kindness," Mason said bitterly. "He saw an opportunity. Apparently, someone paid him to make you disappear, but he decided to keep you alive. He knew he could get more money if he held on to you."

    I stared at him, and I could feel my throat burning. "He kept me alive... to use me?"

    Mason nodded grimly. "Yes, he raised you like his own until the time came when he could use you for leverage. He knew exactly who you were, Christy, the precious daughter of the Lancasters. He knew what you meant to our family... and what you were worth."

    I covered my mouth with my hand, as memories of what I suffered resurfaced. All those years I thought I was unwanted, all the beating, scolding and emotional torture. All those nights I cried, his hatred towards me and how I was forced to do things against my will?

    I wasn¡¯t unwanted but was being kept to be used for more money, like I was a transaction.

    My voice was shaking with anger and hatred. "He is such a monster.. " I broke off, my eyes filling with tears. "He maltreated and made my life a living hell."

    Mason¡¯s jaw clenched. "I know, I wanted to kill him when I found out."

    I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to breathe through the ache. "So he knew I was a Lancaster... all along?"

    "Yes," Mason said softly. "He said he was told everything, who your parents were, what your name was.He knew exactly who you were."

    I felt something inside me crumble. "All those years... ."

    Mason reached over, cing a hand on mine. "I¡¯m sorry you had to find out like this."

    I shook my head. "No, I needed to know. I needed to understand why everything felt wrong growing up."

    He nodded silently, then added, "But there¡¯s more."

    I looked up sharply. "More?"

    He hesitated again, then exhaled sharply. "I asked him what he needed to tell me all these."

    My chest tightened. "What did you give him?"

    "I negotiated with the authorities," Mason admitted. "His sentence was reduced by five years."

    I stared at him, disbelief flooding through me. "You what?"

    "Christy, I had to," Mason said firmly. "He wouldn¡¯t talk otherwise. He said he wouldn¡¯t reveal a damn thing unless I helped him get something in return."

    I shook my head in frustration. "Mason, he¡¯s a maniptive criminal! You shouldn¡¯t have bargained with him!"

    He looked away briefly. "I know, but I needed the truth and now we have it."

    I leaned back against the seat, trying to calm my breathing. It felt like my entire past was unraveling before my eyes, every memory was redefined by this revtion.

    Then something clicked in my mind. "Wait," I said slowly. "You said he wanted something, was it just his sentence reduced? That¡¯s it?"

    Mason didn¡¯t answer immediately.

    I turned to him sharply. "Mason."

    He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "There¡¯s... one more thing."

    My heart sank immediately. "What did you do?"

    He hesitated for a long moment before saying, "He asked me to free his daughter."

    I froze and my breath hitched. "Piper?"

    Mason nodded reluctantly. " yes, Piper or Emily, anyone you call her."

    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t even speak.The girl who made my life a nightmare. The one who deceived, hurt me and sabotaged me in ways no one ever found out. I remembered herugh, cold and cruel, the way she looked at me like I was nothing but dirt.

    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. "You let Piper go?"

    Mason looked pained. "I didn¡¯t just let her go, I made her sign an agreement. She promised she wouldn¡¯te near you. She wouldn¡¯t contact you, she is legally bound to stay away."

    I let out a bitterugh, shaking my head. "You think that will stop her?"

    "She signed it," Mason insisted. "If she vites it, she¡¯ll go straight to prison."

    I turned to him angrily. "You don¡¯t know her, Mason. Piper doesn¡¯t care about rules., she will find a way."

    He was quiet for a moment. "Then we will deal with it if she does."

    I looked out the window again, my reflection pale against the dark ss. My heart was pounding, but not just from fear but anger. From the feeling of years stolen and rewritten.

    "Do you know what she did to me?" I whispered.

    Mason looked at me, confused. "What do you mean?"

    I met his gaze, my voice trembling. "Piper was too good at pretending, I took her as a sister but she only saw me as a tool. She is just as heartless and cruel as her parents. She set me up, trapped me and made me feel worthless. If Kendrick hadn¡¯te when he did... I don¡¯t even know if I would be alive."

    His expression hardened. "She what?"

    I nodded. "She¡¯s dangerous, Mason, and now that she¡¯s free, she¡¯lle for me. I can feel it."

    He leaned closer, his voice low. "Then she will have to go through me first."

    I smiled faintly through the ache. "That¡¯s what scares me."

    He frowned. "Why?"

    "Because she won¡¯te for you," I whispered. "She wille to destroy everything I have now, my peace, my family and my baby."

    The air in the car went still. Even Mason didn¡¯t know what to say after that.

    He finally reached for my hand again. "Christy... no matter what happens, you are not alone this time."

    <fn3bcb> Content originallyes from F¦Énd£Îovel</fn3bcb>

    I nodded slowly, but deep down, I wasn¡¯t sure if I believed it but the unease in my chest wouldn¡¯t fade.

    After a while, Mason started the car again and began driving me home. The silence between us was heavy and filled with everything we couldn¡¯t say out loud.

    When we reached Kendrick¡¯s apartment, Mason parked out front. He turned to me before I opened the door. "Are you going to tell Kendrick?"

    I didn¡¯t hesitate before saying "Definitely"

    He nodded. "Alright..just be careful, Christy."

    I gave a small, tired smile. "Always am."

    As I stepped out of the car, the cool night air hit my face. The house loomed ahead, warm light spilling from the windows. It looked peaceful and safe but inside me, something dark and restless had awoken again.

    I turned slightly to look back at Mason. He gave me onest reassuring nod before driving off.

    I walked slowly toward the door, my hand instinctively on my stomach. "Don¡¯t worry, baby," I whispered softly. "I won¡¯t let anyone hurt us again."

    But even as I said the words, a chill ran through me, because somewhere deep down, I could already feel it.

    Piper will definitelye for me and the past... never really stayed buried.

 Chapter 82 - EIGHTY-TWO: Lydia Is A Traitor

    <h4>Chapter 82: Chapter EIGHTY-TWO: Lydia Is A Traitor</h4>

    Mason¡¯s POV

    I couldn¡¯t sleep all through the night because every time I closed my eyes, I saw Christy¡¯s face when she realized Piper was free. The pain in her eyes and the disbelief, It reyed again and again until the first light of dawn slipped through my blinds.

    Did I make a mistake by freeing her? Should I just let the past go? What if the mastermind is still watching?.

    I had promised myself that I would protect her, but after hearing all she had been through, it felt like I was putting her in danger instead.

    The worst part was knowing the people behind her pain were still out there, walking free and livingfortably.

    By noon, I was sitting in my car outside a downtown caf¨¦, aptop was open on the passenger seat, as I typed away. I wasn¡¯t nning to rest until I found something concrete.

    My contact from the cyber-forensics unit had finally sent the files I had requested. I opened the encrypted folder, my eyes narrowing as I scrolled through the transaction records.

    Benjamin¡¯s personal ount showed monthly transfers, the amounts weren¡¯t huge, but the consistency was suspicious. Every month, for almost twelve years straight, he received deposits from the same sender.

    I finally checked the sender¡¯s name and I was so stunned and just stared at it.

    Lydia Lancaster.

    The name made me have goosebumps, how could it be my aunt.

    I blinked hard, scrolling through the records again to make sure I wasn¡¯t hallucinating.

    It didn¡¯t make sense, Lydia owned one of the biggest beauty salons in the city. She had money, influence, and the reputation of a charitable socialite. What business would she have sending money to a criminal like Benjamin?

    My jaw tightened as the realization sank deeper.

    This is definitely a payment or a shut up fee.

    A cold wave of anger rolled through me, and I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white. All the warmth I¡¯d once associated with family vanished.

    <fn4670> Latest content published on Find¡ïNovel</fn4670>

    Lydia had always been the one that wished and prayed that Christy was safe when she went missing. She cried so much and fasted for her safety.

    But I have noticed a change in her attitude after Christy returned but I thought it was because of the ongoing conflict between Mira and Christy.

    She is always smiling and always saying things like "familyes first" but now those words seem ridiculous.

    If she had anything to do with what happened to Christy, I would never forgive her and I will make sure she pays severely.

    I shut theptop, as I felt it was time to confront her.

    By the time I reached her salon, the afternoon sun was burning hot. The building gleamed like it was made of gold, with tall ss windows and a minimalist ck sign that read Lydia Luxe.

    The scent of expensive perfume and hair serum wafted out as soon as the automatic doors slid open.

    Inside, everything was screaming luxury. Clients with designer handbags sipped champagne while stylists fussed over their hair.The walls were lined with mirrors and soft gold lights.

    Lydia always did have a taste for mour, I thought as I nced around as it was my first time here.

    When the receptionist saw me, she smiled politely. "Good afternoon, sir. Do you have an appointment?"

    I didn¡¯t bother answering her as my eyes had already spotted Lydia across the room, wearing a white suit, that made it impossible not to notice her. Her hair was perfectly styled, her smile poised as she chatted with a woman at the manicure table.

    When she turned and saw me, the smile on her face froze.

    "Mason?" she said, blinking in surprise before quickly covering it up with a pleasant grin.

    "What a surprise! You should have called. I could have had the chef make something special." she said with a smooth smile.

    "I need to talk to you, privately."I said tly.

    The receptionist looked startled by my tone, but Lydia just waved a manicured hand, her charm still intact.

    "Of course, dear. Let¡¯s go to my office." she said before leading the way.

    Her office was at the back of the salon, decorated with white furniture, a crystal chandelier, and walls covered in framed awards.The faint scent of roses filled the air, she closed the door behind us and turned to me, still smiling politely.

    "Now, tell me," she said, gesturing to a chair. "What brings my favorite nephew here looking so serious?"

    I didn¡¯t sit, instead I reached into my jacket pocket, pulled out the printed transaction records, and dropped them on her desk.

    She blinked and her expression was unreadable. "What¡¯s this?"

    "Proof that you¡¯ve been sending money to a man called Benjamin for years."I said coldly.

    Lydia¡¯s perfectly drawn brows furrowed slightly. "Benjamin?" she repeated slowly before turning to look me in the eye.

    "I don¡¯t know any.... "

    "Don¡¯t lie to me, Aunt Lydia. I have bank records, timestamps and proof that the transfers were made from your personal ount.You were paying him." I cut her off sharply.

    Her eyes flicked down to the papers, then back to me. Her face stayedposed, but I saw a slight change in her demeanor.

    "Mason," she said softly, taking a seat behind her desk. "You have clearly misunderstood something. I donate to a lot of people. It¡¯s part of my charity work."

    "Charity? He is a fucking criminal. He was arrested for trafficking, extortion, forced prostitution and kidnapping. Don¡¯t y innocent with me, you knew exactly who he was."Iughed bitterly.

    Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Watch your tone, I won¡¯t be disrespected in my own office."

    "Then tell me why.. Why did you pay the man who tried to kill Christy?" I snapped, barely able to restrain my anger.

    For the first time, herposure faltered and color drained from her face, just for a second, before she quickly regained it.

    "I have no idea what you are talking about," she said, her voice was sharper now.

    "Really? Because I spoke to Benjamin myself. He told me everything. He said someone paid him to make Christy disappear, someone from her own family."I mmed my hand against the desk, making her flinch.

    Benjamin had refused to say anything about the mastermind, so I had to find a way to make her panic and scared.

    Her lips parted slightly, and she blinked a few times, pretending to look confused. "That¡¯s ridiculous. You are using me of attempted murder? Do you hear yourself?"

    I leaned closer, my voice low but dangerous. "Then exin the money."

    She hesitated, her eyes darting to the papers again. The silence stretched between us, as she seemed to be trying toe up with a suitable excuse.

    Then she did something that stunned me, she suddenlyughed like a crazy psycho.

    It wasn¡¯t her usual politeugh, this one was darker and mocking.

    "Oh, Mason," she said, shaking her head as she leaned back in her chair. "You always were the curious one."

    My pulse quickened as I red at her. "What¡¯s so funny?"

    She tilted her head slightly, her eyes gleaming. "You finally found it, didn¡¯t you? The little trail I left behind, took you long enough."

    My blood ran cold. "So it¡¯s true?"

    Her lips curved into a slow, sinister smile. "Of course it¡¯s true, but don¡¯t act so surprised. This family has always been built on secrets."

    I felt my chest tightening as I looked at her with disgust. "You paid Benjamin to kill her?"

    She looked directly into my eyes. "To get rid of her, yes. But killing wasn¡¯t supposed to be part of the deal. That fool went off-script."

    My breath caught. "Why?"

    "Because she was in the way," Lydia said, her tone turning almost casual, like she was discussing the weather. "Everything was fine until that girl came back into the picture. You think I didn¡¯t know? You think I didn¡¯t see how everyone suddenly started talking about ¡¯the lost Lancaster daughter¡¯? It was only a matter of time before she ruined everything."

    "Everything?" I repeated, my voice breaking with disbelief. "You are talking about family, Lydia! She is your niece!"

    She smiled faintly while looking unbothered. "Family means nothing when ites to inheritance."

    My stomach turned. "Inheritance?"

    She stood up and walked slowly to therge window behind her desk. "You know about the Lancaster trust fund, don¡¯t you? The one reserved for the eldest daughter of each generation."

    I frowned. "I have heard of it, but... "

    She turned around sharply. "Well, Christy was born two days before my Mira. Two fucking days, Mason. That¡¯s all it took for her to have the right to millions while my daughter got nothing."

    I just stared at her, too stunned to react for a few seconds. "You tried to kill her... over money?"

    Her expression hardened. "Don¡¯t make it sound so simple, that money represents control, legacy and everything the Lancaster name stands for. It was meant to secure the family¡¯s future and I couldn¡¯t stand by while all of it went to a girl who wasn¡¯t even supposed to exist in the first ce."

    My chest burned with fury as I red at her. "You disgust me."

    Lydia smirked. "Oh, don¡¯t be dramatic, I didn¡¯t do it alone."

    My brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

    She looked amused by my confusion. "You really think I came up with all this by myself? Please, I may be ambitious, but I¡¯m not suicidal."

    "Who helped you?" I demanded.

    Her eyes darkened, as the yful tone vanished. "You should stop digging, Mason," she said quietly. "Because the person who started this, the one who nned everything isn¡¯t someone you want to mess with."

    I took a step closer. "Who?"

    She smiled, slow and chilling. "Let¡¯s just say... they have more power than you could ever imagine. You think exposing me will fix anything? You will just be scratching the surface."

    Her words sent a shiver down my spine. "So you are protecting them now?"

    "I¡¯m protecting myself," she said coldly. "And if you are smart, you will do the same. Walk away, Mason and forget about what happened to Christy. Forget about this whole mess before you end up buried in it."

    I clenched my fists,as every muscle in my body screamed for me to hit something. "You¡¯re unbelievable."

    She just shrugged. "I have been called worse."

    I stared at her for a long moment, memorizing every cruel detail of her expression. Then I grabbed the papers off her desk and turned for the door.

    As I reached for the handle, she called out softly, "Mason."

    I stopped but didn¡¯t turn around.

    "Be careful who you trust," she said, her tone suddenly sweet again. "Because in this family, loyalty has a price."

    I walked out without another word.

    By the time I got into my car, my hands were shaking. The truth I had uncovered felt heavier than I had imagined. Lydia wasn¡¯t just guilty, she was part of something bigger and darker.

    And whoever was behind her... was still out there.

    I started the engine and drove off, my heart pounding. Christy deserved to know, but as I looked at the road ahead, I couldn¡¯t help wondering if telling her would only put her in more danger.

    Because Lydia was right about one thing, whoever was in the shadows wasn¡¯t someone to mess with.

    But I have already made my choice.

    I wasn¡¯t backing down until every single one of them was exposed.

 Chapter 83 - EIGHTY-THREE: The Note

    <h4>Chapter 83: Chapter EIGHTY-THREE: The Note</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about everything that Mason had told me about. I told Kendrick as soon as I got homest night.

    He promised to ensure my safety and swore that no one would be able to harm me or our child.

    The thought of Piper being free with all the hatred and anger she has towards me made me worry, I would have been calmer if I wasn¡¯t pregnant.

    But I know just how vicious she is and how she tried to kill me without batting an eye.

    I had tried to push it aside, to pretend like everything would be fine just like Kendrick said but I keep having this feeling that something bad was about to happen.

    With so many enemies vying for my life, there was no way I could be rxed.

    Kendrick had left for work early, kissing the top of my head, his hand lingering on mine for a moment before pulling away.

    "I will keep you safe," he murmured calmly as he must have noticed my unease and yet... I still couldn¡¯t calm down.

    The apartment felt too quiet and I wasn¡¯t feeling quitefortable with being alone at the moment.

    So, I immediately got dressed and prepared to go over to my family¡¯s house and spend some time with my mother instead, and it can also help me get my mind off things.

    My phone suddenly started ringing and I grabbed it from the table to see who was calling.

    I stared at the name shing on the screen in surprise.

    Curtis?.

    Why was he calling me all of a sudden? I can¡¯t even remember thest time I saw or spoke to him, so it was weird to see his call.

    I hesitated for a while, as I thought of the possible reason for the call but I couldn¡¯t think of any.

    He has helped me a lot on several asions, protected me when Celeste and Raina schemed against me, which I am very grateful for, but he was also Kendrick¡¯s biggestpetitor, he thrived on power and influence, and also had his eyes on thepany and I couldn¡¯t ignore that side of him.

    I swallowed hard before tapping the screen.

    "Hello?" I said calmly.

    "Christy," he said with a calm and friendly voice.

    "I want to meet you, there is something I need to discuss with you, something important." he said with a slightly serious tone and I frowned.

    I wanted to say no, but then I decided to just hear what he wanted to say that was important.

    "Fine, where are we meeting?" I asked him calmly.

    "XX Cafe, it isn¡¯t too far from Kendrick¡¯s apartment." he replied swiftly.

    I agreed, slipping on a light coat over my sweater as I had to see him. I owed him that, at least, for the past favors, for the times he had saved me when others schemed against me.

    The cafe smelled of roasted coffee beans and warm pastries. Sunlight spilled across the polished wooden tables, and soft music was ying in the background.

    Curtis was already there, sitting in a corner booth with that familiar air of confidence that made him impossible to read. He smiled when he saw me and waved a hand at me.

    "Christy," he said, standing slightly as I approached.

    "You look amazing" he said but I saw a flicker of emotion in his eyes when he looked at my baby bump but he quickly masked it.

    I nodded, returning a measured smile. "thank you."

    He gestured to the seat across from him. "Please, join me."

    <fnce64> This text is hosted at f?ndnovel</fnce64>

    I slid into the booth, keeping my bodynguage neutral. I was only here because of his help in the past.

    Curtis knew me well enough to see through any false pretenses, so I kept it simple.

    "How have you been?" he asked with a calm voice but with that unmistakable edge that made me wary.

    "I have been great," I said curtly.

    "Kendrick has been taking great care of me." I added with a smile.

    He gave me a soft smile while maintaining his smile. "Good, he seems devoted, which is quite rare."

    I also gave a small smile, but didn¡¯t rx. Curtis leaned in slightly, his voice lowered and more serious. He definitely wasn¡¯t here for a casual conversation.

    "Christy, I didn¡¯t ask you here to talk about Kendrick," he said, his eyes had an intensity that made me avoid looking into them, as he seemed to be scanning mine.

    "I need your help with getting a major construction project" he finally revealed and I frowned as I wasn¡¯t sure if I could help him with it.

    "I want you to help me talk to your father, Mr Lancaster, he is the head of themittee in charge of the project" he exined when he noticed my confused expression.

    I froze when I finally remembered the project he was talking about. My mind immediately went to Kendrick as he was also going after the same project.

    I didn¡¯t need to think twice to know what he was up to, why would he be trying to get a project that thepany is interested in.

    "I can¡¯t," I said finally with a frown.

    "I can¡¯t do anything that would go against Kendrick, I can¡¯t help you secure this project. He is already involved, and I... I won¡¯t betray him." I said firmly.

    Why would he secretly be trying to get a project when he is part of thepany? He is definitely going against Kendrick and the fact that he felt I would help him is really crazy.

    Curtis¡¯s smile faltered for a moment, his gaze became sharper.

    "You can¡¯t? Or you won¡¯t?" he asked with a frown.

    I stiffened and sat up straighter.

    "I won¡¯t, It¡¯s not about if I can¡¯t, It¡¯s about loyalty and Kendrick has my loyalty." I said firmly.

    His eyes darkened, studying me like I was a puzzle he wanted to solve. "And why exactly? What¡¯s so good about him? You really think he is with you for you, Christy? Or is it... for the Lancaster influence?"

    I felt a sudden rush of anger and I immediately red at him.

    "Kendrick loves me and He promised to protect me and our baby. That¡¯s all that matters and You don¡¯t get to question that, Curtis." I said angrily.

    "Promises? He hasn¡¯t even married you. He didn¡¯tmit fully until he found out your true identity, Isn¡¯t that the truth?" He leaned back, and said slowly, a faint smirk ying at his lips.

    I could feel the rage rising like a wildfire inside me. "You don¡¯t know him!"

    "You never understood him, Curtis and you never will! So stay out of my life!" I snapped angrily.

    His smirk disappeared, reced by a calcting re. "I¡¯m only trying to show you the truth. One day, you will see that I was right. But that day isn¡¯t today."

    My hands shook with anger as I pushed back from the table. "I don¡¯t care, we are done here and this conversation is over."

    I stormed out of the cafe, the noise of coffee machines, conversations, and ttering cups fading behind me.

    Every nerve in my body screamed in anger and I could feel my blood boiling.

    Outside, the sunlight was harsh and I had to close my eyes for a moment before adjusting to the light.

    I tried to steady my breath while trying hard not to think about everything Curtis just said.

    He just had to add to my anger and restlessness.I wonder what gave him such an audacity to call me out of the blue and tell me to ask my father to help him after all the evil things his mother and sister did to me in the past.

    And then, a small, sudden movement caught my attention.

    A little girl, no older than seven, ran toward me, holding a folded piece of paper in her tiny hands. She handed it to me with a nk expression, and then disappeared down the street as quickly as she appeared.

    I blinked, staring at the paper, my heart hammering in my chest and my fingers trembled as I unfolded it carefully, the words on it burned into my mind as I read them.

    "See you soon my darling big sis... Little sister misses you"

    I froze and the paper slipped from my hands and my stomach lurched.

    Piper!

    Her name echoed in my head and fear flooded through me. My eyes scanned the street frantically for any sign of her as my pulse pounded in my ears.

    Piper was back for revenge and she was watching me from the dark.

    The world suddenly felt darker as Mason¡¯s warnings, Curtis¡¯s confrontation and Kendrick¡¯s promises intertwined in my head, but they were all irrelevantpared to the threat standing in the dark right now.

    I shoved the note into my pocket as my hands shook violently, my chest felt tight with dread and adrenaline.

    I have to tell Kendrick, but how did Piper find me so quickly? And why now? The questions spiraled in my mind relentlessly.

    I forced myself to take a shaky breath, trying to steady my racing heart. I have to inform Mason as well and someone must be helping her because she can¡¯t just locate me in less than a week. The city wasn¡¯t so small for it to be called a coincidence.

    I knew deep down that I had to face her, because running wouldn¡¯t protect me and definitely wouldn¡¯t protect my baby.

    My chest heaved with a mix of fear, rage, and determination. I would do everything to protect myself, Kendrick, and our baby.

    I will make sure Piper pays for all the pain she caused me.

 Chapter 84 - EIGHTY-FOUR: The Sudden Accident

    <h4>Chapter 84: Chapter EIGHTY-FOUR: The Sudden ident</h4>

    Mason¡¯s POV

    My phone started buzzing just as I was getting into my car after a very stressful day at work. I nced at the screen and frowned slightly when I saw Christy¡¯s name shing.

    She hasn¡¯t called me ever since I told her about what I found out, I knew she wasn¡¯t happy about me letting Piper out.

    "Christy?" I said as soon as I picked up, I made sure my voice was as calm as possible.

    "Mason..." her voice trembled softly. I could detect a hint of fear in it and it made me instantly alert.

    "I... I just got a note." Sue stuttered.

    My grip on the phone tightened as I frowned deeper.

    "A note? What kind of note?" I asked her.

    "It was from Piper." she whispered softly.

    For a second, I couldn¡¯t speak. I just stared nkly ahead, as the name echoed in my head.

    Did I really make a mistake by releasing her?

    What if this single decision of mine ends up causing hurt to the person I want to protect?.

    Lots of questions kept running through my head and I felt a slight headache.

    "What did the note say?" I forced myself to ask as my jaw tightened in restrained anger.

    "See you soon, my darling big sis... Little sister misses you." she said and I noticed that her voice cracked on thest word.

    I could hear how shaken she was, and anger boiled deep in my chest.

    "Christy, where are you right now?" I asked immediately.

    "At home, Kendrick¡¯s not back yet. I didn¡¯t know who else to call." she replied quickly.

    "Good," I said firmly, already pulling the car door open and sliding in.

    "Lock all the doors and don¡¯t go anywhere. I¡¯ will call Kendrick and my men will get there in ten minutes. Do you understand me?" I said with a very serious tone.

    She mumbled a small yes and I could tell she wasn¡¯t her usual self.

    <fn8207> Updates are released by ?ovelFind</fn8207>

    "Christy, listen to me carefully," I said, trying to keep my voice steady even though rage was wing its way through me.

    "This isn¡¯t just Piper ying games anymore. If she is close enough to leave a note, that means she has been watching you and testing boundaries." I voiced out my suspicions.

    I could practically hear her ragged breathing through the phone.

    "I know Mason, she found me too quickly. It¡¯s like she is everywhere." she said weakly.

    She is usually very strong, I don¡¯t know if it was the pregnancy hormones that were getting to her.

    I closed my eyes, and pressed my forehead against the steering wheel for a second. "I will handle this, I promise you, I will definitely handle it."

    There was a brief silence. Then she whispered, "It¡¯s just really scary, knowing that someone is watching me."

    That word hit me like a knife and my hands tightened on the steering wheel.

    "I know, Christy, but you are not alone, okay? I¡¯m going to fix this."

    After ending the call, I gripped the steering wheel tighter and mmed my foot on the gas pedal. My mind was spinning with questions and theories, but one thing was clear, Lydia was the key. She knows something that no one else knows and she is the only one that can help me take out the mastermind in the dark.

    I couldn¡¯t keep this to myself anymore as things were quickly getting out of control, It was time to tell my father and grandfather about everything.

    I know they will definitely have a way of making everything work in our favor.

    I called my father immediately, "Dad, I need toe over, It¡¯s about Lydia."

    There was a pause, then his tone sharpened. "What did that woman do this time?"

    "She has done too much this time," I muttered.

    "Come home now," hemanded before ending the call.

    By the time I got to the mansion, my heart was pounding. My father and grandfather were already seated in the study, both of them with that cold, expectant silence that meant they knew this wasn¡¯t a casual visit.

    My grandfather, old but still intimidating in his posture, turned toward me with a calcting gaze. "You look like you have seen a ghost."

    "Worse," I said, as I slowly sat on the armchair across from them.

    My father leaned forward. "Talk."

    He is a military general, so even if he was being casual, he still sounded extremelymanding.

    I didn¡¯t waste time. I told them everything from Piper¡¯s release to Lydia¡¯s confession about how she had helped cover up Christy¡¯s disappearance when she was little.

    Every word felt heavy on my tongue, but I had to get it out.

    Grandfather¡¯s expression darkened with each sentence, his hand curling into a fist on the armrest while my father¡¯s knuckles whitened, veins popping against his skin.

    When I finished, there was silence, and it made the air heavy.

    Then my grandfather spoke. "That vile woman... she was part of it all along?"

    "Yes," I said coldly. "She did it for money and protection, she was working with them behind our backs."

    My father mmed his fist against the table. The sound made me sit straighter.

    "I knew she was rotten," he hissed. "But this... this is treachery!"

    "She has been lying to us for years," my grandfather said bitterly. "And to think your mother trusted her."

    I nodded slowly. "We can¡¯t wait anymore. If she has been working with Piper, she will try to cover her tracks."

    "Call her now! Tell her toe here immediately. She owes us an exnation! ." My father stood abruptly and yelled furiously.

    I took out my phone and dialed Lydia¡¯s number without wasting time. It rang once, twice, then someone picked up.

    "Hello?" I said, frowning.

    A man¡¯s voice came through. "Who is this?"

    "This is Mason, I am calling for Lydia. Where is she?"

    There was a pause, and I could hear sirens in the background.

    "Sir," the man said quietly. "The owner of this phone was involved in a serious ident. She is being transported to the City Hospital right now."

    My breath caught. "What?"

    "A truck collided with her car, it was quite bad. She is still alive, but barely holding on. The paramedics are doing what they can."

    The line went dead before I could say another word.

    I just stood there for a moment, staring at the phone in disbelief.

    "Mason?" my father¡¯s voice broke the silence.

    I swallowed hard before replying. "She has been in an ident, a very bad one."

    Grandfather stood immediately, his cane striking the floor. "Where?"

    "City Hospital," I replied quickly.

    My father grabbed his coat. "Let¡¯s go, If she lives, she will tell us everything. If she dies..." His eyes flickered with anger. "Then she is taking her secrets to the grave."

    We rushed out, the sound of our footsteps echoing through the mansion.

    But in the back of my mind, something felt off, the ident was too sudden and coincidental.

    Lydia was the only one who could expose whoever had been pulling the strings all this time and now she was conveniently taken out.

    Someone definitely wants her silenced.

    *****

    Unknown POV ¡ª Thirty Minutes Earlier

    Lydia¡¯s hands trembled as she shut the door of her salon office. Her mind was spinning and she looked extremely flustered.

    She could still hear Mason¡¯s voice in her head, his cold tone when he told her he knew the truth. He had looked at her like she was an enemy and she knew it was only a matter of time before he informed the entire family about her betrayal.

    Her breathing turned shallow as she stumbled toward the desk and grabbed her phone.

    She needed protection as Mason wasn¡¯t someone she could go against and if his father found out... she would be ruined.

    Her fingers shook as she dialed a number she had memorized years ago.

    "Hello?" a calm voice answered.

    "It¡¯s me," she hissed, ncing toward the window like someone might be watching. "Mason knows everything, I need you to help me... Please."

    There was silence. Then the other person sighed on the other end. "Calm down...you are panicking."

    "You don¡¯t understand! He knows about what happened with Christy, and if his father finds out... "

    "Enough," the voice interrupted smoothly. "Meet me at the usual ce, I will take care of it."

    Lydia nodded quickly, snatching her purse and car keys. "I¡¯m leaving now."

    She stormed out of the building, ignoring the confused looks from her workers as she walked briskly to her car.

    The street was busy, but all she could hear was the pounding of her own heart and her mind was in chaos.

    She shouldn¡¯t have gotten involved, she should have walked away when that person first came to her years ago. But greed had blinded her, and now, everything was crumbling.

    She climbed into her car, mming the door shut. Her fingers fumbled with the seatbelt as her breathing grew harsher.

    "Calm down, Lydia," she whispered to herself, gripping the steering wheel. "Just get there, you will be fine."

    She started the engine and drove out of the parking lot, her eyes darting to the rearview mirror every few seconds.

    Her palms were soaked with sweat and her vision was slightly blurry from panic. She turned onto the main road, speeding toward the meeting point.

    "Come on...e on," she muttered under her breath. "Almost there... "

    Suddenly, blinding headlights shed from the side and her eyes widened in shock.

    "No.... !" she screamed in fear as a massive truck mmed into the driver¡¯s side of her car with a deafening crash.

    The impact tore through the car, shattering all the ss. The force of the impact caused the car to somersault three times before it screeched and rolled across the road.

    Her scream was drowned by violent crashes.

    When the car finally stopped, it was upside down and smoke was rising from the crushed hood.

    Thick blood dripped from her forehead, and covered her face.

    Her phone was beside her, the screen was cracked and still faintly glowing. She could slightly see Mason¡¯s name shing on the screen. .

    Her fingers twitched weakly, reaching out, but darkness was already closing in.

    In the distance, faint sirens wailed, the sound kept getting louder and closer but by then, Lydia¡¯s life was slowly slipping away.

    Mason didn¡¯t know it yet, but the truth he was desperate to uncover had just crashed into silence on that lonely road.

    And somewhere, in the shadows, someone else was already watching and smiling viciously.

 Chapter 85 - EIGHTY-FIVE: Lydiaéˆ¥æªš Death

    <h4>Chapter 85: Chapter EIGHTY-FIVE: Lydia¡¯s Death</h4>

    Mason¡¯s POV

    The drive to City Hospital felt like the longest one of my life, I had to get the name of the mastermind from Lydia, no matter what!.

    My father sat beside me,pletely silent, his expression was hard and unreadable. The only sound in the car was the roar of the engine.

    The one person who had answers to a lot of my questions about the past was on the verge of death and if she dies, I might never find out who the mastermind is.

    I pressed harder on the gas pedal, weaving through traffic like a madman, ignoring all the red lights on the way.

    "Slow down, Mason," my father finally said, his voice low but firm.

    "I can¡¯t," I muttered.

    When we pulled up at the hospital, the emergency ward was a blur of shing lights and shouting nurses. Paramedics rushed through the automatic doors, pushing a stretcher covered in blood.

    My chest tightened when I saw Lydia¡¯s pale face beneath the oxygen mask.

    "Lydia Lancaster, age forty-eight," one of the paramedics said quickly to the doctors waiting. "Severe internal bleeding, multiple fractures, copsed lung and her pulse is unstable!"

    My father and I followed them as far as we could until a nurse blocked us at the door.

    "I¡¯m sorry, sirs, you can¡¯t go in there, she¡¯s being taken into emergency surgery."she said with a professional tone.

    "How long will it take?" I asked immediately.

    "There is no time frame sir, it all depends on the patient¡¯s condition. We will keep you updated."she said without hesitation.

    We had no choice but to wait.

    Three hourster, I felt like my body had turned to stone. My hands were sped so tightly that they had gone numb. My father was pacing, his jaw ticking in quiet frustration.

    Finally, two doctors came out of the operating room, their faces grim and exhausted.

    I stood up immediately. "How is she?"

    The older doctor sighed heavily and slowly removed his mask. "We did everything we could. She has severe internal bleeding and multiple organ ruptures. I¡¯m afraid... she is not going to survive the night."

    My father cursed under his breath and mmed his hand against the wall. I just stood there, staring nkly at the floor, trying to process the words.

    "She will regain consciousness briefly, but she won¡¯t make it past twenty-four hours.... I¡¯m sorry." the doctor added quietly.

    My father took a deep breath and turned to me. "Call Mira."

    "What?"

    "She deserves to know," he said stiffly. "No matter what Lydia did, she is still her mother and she should see her onest time."

    I sighed as I pulled out my phone from my pocket. I didn¡¯t want to do it, but he was right.

    It rang for a while before she finally answered.

    "What do you want, Mason?" Mira¡¯s voice came sharp and annoyed, like always.

    I clenched my jaw and tried to suppress my irritation. "You might want to drop the attitude, Mira. Your mother has been in a serious ident."

    There was silence on the other end for a few seconds. .

    "What?" she whispered with a disbelieving tone.

    "She is at the City Hospital. Get here as fast as you can," I said coldly and hung up before she could say anything else.

    Thirty minutester, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway. I looked up just in time to see Mira rush in, her face pale and streaked with tears.

    But what made me frown even more was the man right behind her.

    When did they get back together? Didn¡¯t he say he broke up with her?

    I just stared at Jasper, who was behind her as my frown deepened.

    She didn¡¯t even look at me when she passed, heading straight for the door of the room where Lydia was. The doctor stopped her briefly, then finally let her in after she begged.

    I stayed behind the ss window, watching quietly and my father stood beside me with his arms folded.

    We couldn¡¯t hear what Lydia was saying, but the way Mira suddenly broke down and covered her face said it all. She dropped to her knees beside the hospital bed, sobbing uncontrobly.

    Lydia reached out weakly and touched her daughter¡¯s hair. The monitors beside the bed kept beeping slowly, the rhythm fading a little more with every passing second.

    I looked away for a moment, my throat tightening unexpectedly.

    I wasn¡¯t the kind of man to pity someone who had betrayed my family, but watching her like that... I almost did.

    Fifteen minutester, Mira came out, eyes red and swollen and her makeup waspletely ruined.

    She walked straight up to me, her voice shaky but firm. "She wants to see you."

    I stared at her for a moment. "Me?"

    She nodded. "Please... just go."

    I didn¡¯t say a word as I stepped past her and entered the room.

    The room was dim and filled with the steady hum of machines. Lydiay there, pale and frail, her chest rising and falling with effort and her right hand was trembling as it rested on her stomach.

    When her eyes found mine, she gave a weak and bitter smile. "You must be happy now."

    I didn¡¯t respond, I just stood beside the bed while staring down at her.

    She coughed weakly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I wouldn¡¯t be here if you hadn¡¯t gone digging into things that were buried."

    "I guess we both made mistakes," I said tly.

    Her eyes watered, and for a brief second, I saw regret there....Genuine regret.

    "I thought I could control everything," she said, her tone breaking. "But that person ... She is too dangerous. I thought if I helped her once, she would go away."

    "You helped her abduct a child," I said coldly. "That is not something you walk away from, Lydia."

    She turned her face away from me as tears streamed down her temples. "You think I don¡¯t know that? I have been paying for it every day."

    I wanted to feel angry, but all I felt was exhaustion and a hint of pity. .

    "Then tell me the truth," I said quietly. "All of it, before it¡¯s toote."

    She looked at me again, her breathing shallow. "I will... but you have to promise me something first."

    "What?"

    "Protect Mira," she whispered. "No matter what happens. Don¡¯t let anyone hurt her...Please."

    I hesitated, watching her trembling lips. "I will."

    She smiled weakly. "You sound like your mother."

    Her voice dropped even lower. "The mastermind... the one who nned everything from the start... is.."

    The door suddenly opened, and a man in a doctor¡¯s coat stepped in.

    He was tall, with a surgical mask still hanging from his neck. I recognized him vaguely, he had been in the hallway earlier.

    "Doctor," I said quickly, as I stepped back slightly to give him space.

    He didn¡¯t answer, his eyes werepletely nk and expressionless.

    Something about the way he moved made the hairs on my neck stand up.

    "Is everything okay?" I asked carefully, but he didn¡¯t respond,

    Instead, he walked straight to Lydia¡¯s bedside and checked her pulse. Then, in one swift motion, he pulled a small scalpel from his pocket.

    "Wait... what are you.. "

    Before I could even finish, he plunged the scalpel into Lydia¡¯s chest.

    She gasped violently, her body arching off the bed as blood poured from the wound.

    "NO!" I roared, grabbing him by the arm, but the man was faster than I expected. He twisted free, turned the de toward himself, and shed his own throat open in one brutal motion.

    <fn3e17> Content originallyes from ?ovelFind</fn3e17>

    Blood sprayed across the white floor as he copsed beside the bed.

    The nurses screamed and rms red. I just stood there, frozen for a second, staring at the sudden turn of events in disbelief.

    "Code Blue! Code Blue!" someone shouted.

    Two nurses rushed in with a crash cart, pushing me back. My father burst in secondster, his gun already drawn out of instinct.

    "What the hell happened?!" he demanded.

    "The doctor seems to be working with the mastermind" I couldn¡¯t even finish as I was still covered in Lydia¡¯s blood.

    They tried to revive her, but it was useless. The monitor went t within a minute, and the sound of the long, continuous beep filled the entire room.

    Lydia Lancaster was gone and the man who killed her was gone too.

    But one thing was clear, It was all a huge setup.

    Someone had made sure she would never get the chance to talk.

    I stood there, my fists trembling and my heart pounding in fury.

    My father walked closer, his voice was low and cold. "This was no ordinary murder, someone¡¯s cleaning up the mess before we can get to them."

    I nodded silently. "And whoever it is... they are still out there."

    The nurse quietly pulled the sheet over Lydia¡¯s face. Mira¡¯s sobs echoed faintly through the hallway.

    I looked down at my blood-stained hands, and for the first time that night, I realized that I had underestimated just how deep this went.

    Whoever the masterminds are, they definitely have strong influence and connections to be able to pull this off.

    They were enjoying pulling the strings in the shadows.

    I stepped out of the room, still in a daze. Mira was standing there, leaning against the wall with tears pouring down her cheeks.

    Her voice cracked when she asked, "She is gone, isn¡¯t she?"

    I nodded silently.

    She let out a painful sob and covered her mouth with her hands. Jasper moved closer tofort her, but she shoved him away and turned to face me.

    "She said you would protect me," she whispered brokenly.

    I met her gaze and gave a slow nod. "I will."

    She didn¡¯t say anything else. She just looked at me with those terrified eyes and for the first time, I realized she had no idea how much danger she was really in.

    Because whoever killed Lydia... wasn¡¯t done yet.

    That night, as I walked out of the hospital, my father ced a hand on my shoulder.

    "Find out who did this," he said quietly. "No matter what it takes."

    I looked up at the cold, starless sky and nodded.

    "I will."

    But deep down, I already have a hunch who was behind it.

    Piper finding Christy so easily, the note, the timing and the silencing of Lydia. It all pointed to the same person but I was certain yet.

    And if she thought she could hide in the shadows forever, she was wrong.

    Because this time, I wasn¡¯t just going after her.

    I was going after whoever dared help her and I wouldn¡¯t stop until I buried them all.

 Chapter 86 - EIGHTY-SIX: It Was Like She Was Being Controlled

    <h4>Chapter 86: Chapter EIGHTY-SIX: It Was Like She Was Being Controlled</h4>

    Mason¡¯s POV

    The morning sky was gray and heavy and it was a perfect match for the mood that hung over the Lancaster family.

    Lydia¡¯s coffin sat at the center of the quiet cemetery yard, surrounded by people dressed in dark suits, ck veils, and the hushed voices of people were asionally heard. The ceremony was small, as only family members and close friends were in attendance.

    I stood a few feet away, watching as the priest murmured the final prayers. My hands were deep in my pockets, eyes hidden behind ck shades. I wasn¡¯t close to Lydia, but her sudden death had thrown the entire family into chaos.

    Mira stood beside Jasper, her hand clutching his sleeve tightly. Her face was pale, lips trembling and her eyes were red and swollen. She looked like a shadow of herself, broken and fragile, like one more push would make her shatterpletely.

    Christy stood quietly next to Kendrick, holding his hand. I could tell by the way she nced at Mira that she was slightly worried as well. Lydia¡¯s death was too sudden.

    My grandfather, as the Lancaster patriarch, was at the front with my father and my mother. They were all stone-faced and their grief was buried deep under theyers of dignity that came with being Lancasters.

    We all had to be present as Lydia¡¯s husband, myte uncle, left her and Mira in our care before his passing.

    I didn¡¯t say anything, I just stood there, watching the coffin being lowered into the ground. The sound of the dirt hitting the wood echoed sharply in the quiet air, and I saw Mira flinch.

    She made a small sound, like a muffled sob, and Jasper pulled her closer.

    Gary cameter with Anderson, an old friend I hadn¡¯t seen in months. They stood behind me quietly. Anderson gave me a small nod, the kind that said, I¡¯m here if you need me, but I didn¡¯t respond.

    The priest finished his words, and everyone started cing flowers on the grave. I watched Christy step forward, her hair blowing lightly in the wind as she ced a single white rose on top of the coffin while Kendrick wrapped his arm protectively around her shoulders.

    When it was my turn, I dropped a small handful of soil into the pit and whispered, "Rest easy, Aunt."

    I didn¡¯t feel much grief, just a strange sense of finality. Lydia wasn¡¯t a saint, she was very far from being one, but her death had stirred something in everyone. Fear, guilt and suspicion were all tangled together.

    For a moment, everything stayed calm as everyone paid their respects to the deceased.

    The sound of heels clicking against the stone path drew everyone¡¯s attention. We all turned to see Lauretta.

    She moved arrogantly like she owned the ce, she was dressed elegantly in ck silk and dark sunsses. Her lips were painted deep red, and her presence alone sent a wave of unease through the crowd.

    Even my grandfather straightened a little when he saw her. She wasn¡¯t part of the Lancaster family, but she was someone people learned not to underestimate.

    She walked straight to Lydia¡¯s portrait, her heels clicking sharply on the stone floor. The bouquet in her hand was pure white lilies.

    Without saying a word to anyone, she ced them down and looked at the photo.

    "I hope Lydia is smarter in her next life." she said with a mocking sweet voice.

    The silence that followed was brutal as everyone froze in shock.

    Mira¡¯s head snapped up immediately. She turned toward the sound of Lauretta¡¯s voice, and I saw something in her eyes, something wild and unhinged.

    "You killed her!" She screamed with no hesitation.

    Before anyone could react, she lunged towards her, as she screamed maniacally.

    "Mira!" Jasper yelled, trying to hold her back, but she slipped out of his grip and charged at Lauretta.

    She mmed into her with both hands, her fingers wing and pulling. Lauretta staggered back, startled, but didn¡¯t even scream. She just tried to shield her face while Mira kept hitting, sobbing and shouting, "You killed my mother! You did it! You... "

    Two guards rushed in, and Kendrick and I moved at the same time. I grabbed Mira from behind, wrapping my arms around her trembling body as she kicked and screamed.

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    Her nails scraped my wrist as she tried to break free and her voice cracked with every word.

    "Why did you kill her?! What did my mother ever do to you?! Say it! SAY IT!"

    Lauretta didn¡¯t answer, she just straightened and adjusted her coat, she simply looked down at Mira with a calm and superior stare. Her face was scratched and her lipstick was smudged, but her eyes were cold.

    She didn¡¯t even look angry but just mildly irritated.

    "Control your niece, Ethan," she said to my father softly, brushing off a strand of hair that had fallen out of ce.

    My jaw clenched and my father didn¡¯t respond. Mira was shaking in my arms, sobbing uncontrobly and whispering her mother¡¯s name over and over again.

    The guards finally took her from me and led her away while Jasper followed behind with a pale and worried expression.

    My grandfather exhaled heavily and turned toward Lauretta. "Mrs. ck, forgive her outburst, Mira has been... deeply affected by her mother¡¯s death. She isn¡¯t herself." he said with a restrained tone.

    Lauretta¡¯s lips curved faintly. "Of course," she said smoothly. "Grief makes people say strange things."

    She gave Lydia¡¯s portrait onest look, turned, and left without another word.

    Everyone stayed quiet for a long time after that.

    Christy was holding Kendrick¡¯s arm tightly and she looked tired. My mother was whispering to my father, probably telling him to end the ceremony before something worse happened.

    Eventually, everyone started leaving.

    When we got back to the Lancaster mansion, the house felt unusually quiet. No one spoke, even the servants moved quietly, their faces heavy with the tension that hung over everything.

    I found myself walking toward the east wing, where Mira¡¯s room was.

    Her door was slightly open and the lights were dim. She was sitting on the floor, knees pulled to her chest, staring nkly at the wall. Her hair was a mess and her eyes were red and hollow.

    She looked up when I entered but didn¡¯t speak.

    I sat down beside her without saying anything. The silence stretched between us for a few minutes.

    After a while, she finally spoke with a low and trembling voice.

    "I¡¯m not crazy, Mason."

    "I know," I said simply.

    She turned her head slowly to look at me. "Everyone thinks I am, but I know she did something to my mom."

    Her voice cracked at the end, but she kept going.

    "She said something... something before she died. She told me that if anything ever happened to her, I should remember one thing, and that¡¯s to never offend Lauretta."

    I frowned. "She said that?"

    Mira nodded slowly. "She was scared of her, Mason. My mom always acted brave, but around Lauretta, she was different. Always nervous and obedient. Like... like she was being controlled."

    Her words made my stomach twist and I frowned.

    "What do you mean controlled?" I asked carefully.

    She looked down at her shaking hands. "Lauretta made her do things and she used her severally. I overheard them one night before her return. My mom was crying, saying she didn¡¯t want to do it anymore, and Lauretta told her she would ruin her if she stopped."

    I went still. "Do what?"

    "Spy on our family and inform her of our every move." she whispered.

    Her words hit me like a punch.

    I stared at her, my mind racing. It made too much sense, the strange way Lydia always seemed to know too much, her loyalty shifting whenever it suited her, her nervous nces during family events.

    "She said she didn¡¯t have a choice," Mira continued quietly. "Lauretta helped her once, a long time ago, and she said she owed her. But I think it was ckmail. My mom was terrified of her. She did whatever Lauretta asked."

    She looked up at me then, her eyes wide and wet. "So when she died... I knew. I knew it wasn¡¯t an ident."

    I didn¡¯t speak as I allowed everything to sink in slowly.

    Her voice broke again, trembling as she wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "No one believes me, they all think I¡¯m losing my mind, but I saw the way Lauretta looked at her photo today. Like she was proud.... Like...Like... she was saying she finally won."

    I swallowed hard as my jaw tightened. "You are not wrong for feeling that way."

    She looked at me, her lips trembling. "Do you think she did it?"

    I sighed and leaned back slightly. "I think Lauretta doesn¡¯t do anything without a reason."

    We sat there for a long time, neither of us said anything else.

    Eventually, Mira¡¯s breathing evened out, and she leaned her head on her knees, her body still trembling.

    I looked at her, at the broken girl who had just lost the only person she had left and felt a familiar burn of anger settle deep in my chest.

    Lauretta had crossed a line, and Mira wasn¡¯t wrong to sense it.

    Somewhere in the middle of all this tragedy, there was a truth buried deep, and I was going to find it.

 Chapter 87 - EIGHTY-SEVEN: You Could Have Married Kendrick

    <h4>Chapter 87: Chapter EIGHTY-SEVEN: You Could Have Married Kendrick</h4>

    Celeste¡¯s POV

    Nothing was fine and I am feeling extremely stuck. I can¡¯t go out anymore as people just point fingers at me and make snide remarks.

    I had no money and couldn¡¯t afford any nutritional supplements needed during pregnancy.

    Where can I get money from?

    This question keeps swirling in my head repeatedly.

    My phone suddenly started vibrating and I didn¡¯t need to check to know who was calling.

    It was definitely my father, I have been ignoring his calls for days as I haven¡¯t been able to get the money he needed.

    The phone kept vibrating nonstop, so I decided to pick up.

    "You little bitch!" he yelled angrily immediately I picked the call.

    "Father, I am still trying to get the money" I said weakly.

    "Since you can¡¯t get the money, I have found a good way to get it fast and easy" he said with a sinister tone that made my skin crawl.

    "Father please, I can¡¯t do that... I am pregnant" I begged anxiously as I was well aware of what his so-called ¡¯good way¡¯ is.

    "I told you to get rid of that bastard, why are you being so stubborn? Do you want the loan sharks to kill me first?!" he yelled angrily at me.

    I was certain that he would have probably hit me if I were close to him.

    "Loan sharks? What loan sharks?" I asked him with a frown.

    "I told you that I needed money for an investment, you couldn¡¯t give it to me so I had no choice but to borrow from a loan shark" he said with an emotionless voice.

    "Why don¡¯t you just wait for the investment to work out, then pay them back?" I asked him with a frown.

    It would be great if the investment works out, at least we will have money to spend.

    "Father" I called, when he didn¡¯t say anything.

    "it was a scam... Those bastards tricked me and ran away with all my money" he said through gritted teeth.

    I was too stunned and couldn¡¯t react for a few seconds.

    It felt like I was going to run mad.

    "How could you be so foolish?!" I asked him angrily.

    "Watch your words Celeste, didn¡¯t you hear that I was scammed?! " he yelled back at me and I just kept mute as I didn¡¯t know what else to say at the moment.

    "There is a very rich man, he seemed to have interest in you so get rid of that thing in your stomach ande home!" hemanded before ending the call without waiting for my reply.

    There was no way I would let him send me to another old man¡¯s bed.

    And Raymond had disappeared since ourst quarrel and hasn¡¯t returned.

    I had texted, called, even begged, and when that didn¡¯t work, I went as low as threatening him that I would abort the baby if he didn¡¯t show up and still he didn¡¯t.

    I was tired of waiting, hoping and tired of his silence that made me feel like a fool.

    So I decided that I would stop being pathetic and go find him.

    I was sure that there was only one ce a heartless man like Raymond would go when he ran out of options, and that is back to thefort of the ck family mansion.

    That old jag Sameen, loves him too much to let him suffer and if he wasn¡¯t there, then he definitely has money to get another ce or has secret properties that I wasn¡¯t aware of.

    I threw on the only decent dress I had left, fitted but modest enough not to attract stares and took a cab straight to the cks¡¯ estate.

    When the tall iron gates came into view, my heart started pounding. I took a deep breath and stepped out of the cab.

    <fn0e7e> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? ?ovelFind</fn0e7e>

    I forced my voice to stay steady as I spoke to the security guard, who seemed new as he wasn¡¯t the one that I knew.

    "I need to see Raymond ck," I said, clutching my bag tightly against my chest.

    The guard didn¡¯t even look at me properly. "Name?"

    "Celeste Martinez."

    He typed something into his tablet, frowned, and then looked at me again, this time with a mix of boredom and disdain. "You have been cklisted by the family head and can¡¯t enter the estate."

    "I just want to know if Raymond is inside, did he move back?." I asked him with a pleading voice.

    The man¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. "Miss, I¡¯ll have to ask you to leave."

    I opened my mouth to argue, but two more guards stepped closer, hands resting casually on their belts. I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to cause a scene here, so I left.

    I turned away, blinking fast to stop my tears from falling down. The humiliation burned my heart deeply.

    I loved Raymond Or maybe I had just been in love with the idea of someone finally choosing me. Either way, it didn¡¯t matter now. He has thrown me away like trash.

    I walked down the quiet street, trying to figure out what to do next, when a sleek ck car slowed beside me. The tinted window rolled down, and a cold, familiar voice sliced through the air.

    "Celeste Martinez."

    I froze as I stared at the woman that was looking at me.

    Lauretta ck.

    Of all the people to bump into today, she was thest one I wanted to see. She sat in the backseat, face half-hidden behind dark sunsses, but even from where I stood, I could sense the sharpness of her gaze. The kind that could strip you down without touching you.

    "Get in," she said.

    My instincts screamed no, but there was something about the way she said it that made my body move before my brain could stop it. The driver opened the door, and I slid inside, while clutching my bag .

    The scent of her perfume filled the entire car. She was dressed in ck, her hair perfectly styled despite the faint red scratches marring her face. Her skin looked pale and her expression was unreadable.

    I wanted to ask what happened to her, but my voice refused to work. The silence between us was suffocating.

    She finally spoke, her tone dripping with amusement.

    "I must say, Celeste, you never fail to disappoint me."

    I frowned slightly. "I... I didn¡¯t know you expected anything from me."

    "Oh, please," she scoffed, crossing her legs. "You had every opportunity to secure a future for yourself, yet you let it slip right through your fingers. You could have been the wife of Kendrick ck, now that would have been a smart move. But instead, you chased after a used up old man."

    I stiffened. "Raymond isn¡¯t... "

    "Don¡¯t defend him." Her voice turned sharp as she gave me a re. "You knew exactly what he was, a reckless fool who can¡¯t even manage his own family and yet, here you are, carrying his child."

    Her gaze dropped to my belly, then back to my face, and her lips curling in mock pity.

    "I should congratte you, I suppose. How noble of you to breed stupidity."

    I clenched my fists on myp. "With all due respect, Mrs. ck, you don¡¯t have the right to talk about my child like that."

    Herugh was low and cruel. "Respect? Do you think I care for your respect, Celeste? Girls like youe and go. Pretty, ambitious and desperate. You think sleeping with a ck makes you one of us, but all it does is remind us that you will never belong."

    Her words hit hard and I hated that my throat tightened. "I never asked to belong," I said quietly. "I just wanted to be with the man I love and be loved."

    That earned me another mockingugh. "Love? You poor, delusional child. Love doesn¡¯t exist in families like ours, the only thing that exists is leverage."

    I looked at her, trying to understand why she even stopped the car. "Why are you telling me all this? What do you want?"

    For a moment, she said nothing. Then she turned her head and studied me closely. "I¡¯m curious," she said finally. "Who is the father of your child?"

    I blinked. "I told you.. it¡¯s Raymond."

    She smiled slowly and it carried a hint of viciousness. "Raymond." She said his name like it was something rotten. "Interesting."

    I felt my stomach twist. "Why? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?"

    Instead of answering, she leaned back against the seat and sighed dramatically. "The Martinez family... so cheap, so desperate and so disgustingly ambitious. Your father has been selling pieces of his dignity for years, and now you are following his example."

    I froze. "My father¡¯s business has nothing to do with this."

    "Oh, it has everything to do with it," she replied. "You think I don¡¯t know who your father owes money to? Or how far he¡¯s willing to go to pay his debts?"

    Her voice was soft but venomous.

    My pulse raced. "What are you implying?"

    She didn¡¯t answer immediately. Instead, she looked at me for a long time, her smile growing colder by the second.

    "Tell me, Celeste," she said, tilting her head, "how do you sleep at night, knowing you are carrying the child of a male escort, whose name you can¡¯t even remember?"

 Chapter 88 - EIGHTY-EIGHT: A Deal With The Devil.

    <h4>Chapter 88: Chapter EIGHTY-EIGHT: A Deal With The Devil. </h4>

    Celeste¡¯s POV

    I just stared at her in shock before quickly adjusting my emotions.

    "I don¡¯t know what you are talking about" I said, doing my best to stop my voice from shaking.

    She continued staring at me with a mocking expression.

    "Oh dear, why do you look so panicked? Look how much you are sweating" she said with a littleugh.

    "You can drop the act now! You aren¡¯t fooling me little girl" her face suddenly turned serious and she red at me.

    How did she find out?

    Did she tell Raymond and that¡¯s why he abandoned me?

    So many questions were running through my mind and my palms became sweaty.

    "What do you want?" I asked her with a frown.

    I couldn¡¯t just let her y with my emotions and I was certain that she must have something in mind.

    "It¡¯s this smartness of yours that I find quite attractive, despite your numerous acts of foolishness" she said with a serious expression before slowly putting her hand in her bag.

    She pulled out a document and handed it to me.

    "We both have amon enemy and there is a popr saying that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. So I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation" she said with a businesslike tone.

    I slowly opened the document as I couldn¡¯t understand what she meant.

    The first page contains a picture of a girl of about sixteen years, Piper Scott.

    Scott?

    Isn¡¯t that the name of Christy¡¯s foster family?

    Then this girl must be the sister in my investigation report, the one that tried to kill her back then.

    I turned to the next page and saw a face that left quite a mark on me a few days ago.

    Callie Mathews, that vulgar and violent bitch.

    Turns out she was Christy¡¯s best friend, who betrayed her by having an affair with Mark while they were still dating. She also used to work in the same club as Christy back when she was still working as a stripper.

    Then, I turned to thest page and saw a photo of Mark. All his details were there and also his rtionship with Raina was documented as well.

    "Why are you showing me this?" I asked her, when I noticed that the file only contained information about the three of them.

    "Don¡¯t pretend like you don¡¯t want revenge on Christy, luckily for you, I don¡¯t want her around Kendrick anymore" she replied while staring at my eyes.

    I immediately looked away as it felt like she was staring into my soul.

    "What¡¯s in it for me?" I asked bluntly.

    There was no need pretending like I wasn¡¯t interested, I will always be interested in anything that has to do with making that bitch¡¯s life miserable.

    "I will take care of your father¡¯s loans and I will also make sure that Raymond doesn¡¯t find out the truth about who is truly responsible for that child you are carrying" she said with her signature sweet smile.

    "How am I supposed to convince Mark and Callie to work with me? And how am I to find Christy¡¯s sister?" I asked her with a frown.

    "You don¡¯t need to convince or find them, they are already together. All you have to do is get inside information about Christy and they will handle the rest" she said with a serious expression.

    They are together?.

    "So, I don¡¯t need to show my face, just phone calls? And what do you mean by inside information?" I asked her with a frown.

    "I heard you are quite close to Mira, the second Miss of the Lancaster family and she isn¡¯t on good terms with Christy either" she said.

    "I am not sure Mira would be willing to help me, I¡¯m sure you know about her mother¡¯s death, today is the funeral and I heard she is badly shaken up" I replied to her with a frown.

    "As long as there is hatred, you wouldn¡¯t have to do much" she said with a slightly annoyed tone.

    "I only approached you because I thought you were smart enough to get the job done, but now it seems like I was wrong," she added and took the document back.

    "I can do it, I will convince her" I said in a rush.

    There was no way I was going to let such an opportunity get past me. Especially now that I am in desperate need of money.

    "I will send you some money, get something good to wear and go to a spa. You have the smell of a fish market vendor" she said before tapping the driver¡¯s seat for him to stop the car.

    I didn¡¯t respond to her insult and just got down. I had to bear this humiliation for now, it¡¯s only a matter of time before I turn things around.

    I smiled as I brought out my phone and saw that our entire conversation was well recorded.

    Ding!

    My phone chimed and I quickly brought it out to check. She transferred ten thousand dors to me.

    Just ten thousand?

    She acted like she was going to send me a hundred thousand or a million.

    I hissed and was about to put my phone back in my purse when it chimed again.

    I quickly checked and saw a text from an unknown number.

    "<i>You shouldn¡¯t try to act smart with me little girl, I can get rid of you without leaving a trace. So if you know what is good for you, you better delete that recording"</i>

    I just read the text over and over again with trembling hands.

    She knew that I was recording and didn¡¯t say anything?

    This old hag is scary.

    I quickly sent a copy of the recording to my email before deleting it.

    <i>"Your father is at XX bar, I can get the loan shark to find and cripple him if you do not delete every trace of that recording. Including the one you just sent". </i>

    Another text came in before I could keep my phone. I immediately deleted every trace of the recording.

    How did she know?

    <fn5e4a> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn5e4a>

    I looked around as a chill ran down my spine, before hurrying into the apartment.

 Chapter 89 - EIGHTY-NINE: I Donéˆ¥æª› Know Who I Am Anymore

    <h4>Chapter 89: Chapter EIGHTY-NINE: I Don¡¯t Know Who I Am Anymore</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    My mind was filled with so many unanswered questions and worry about all the recent happenings.

    I kept staring out the window as we were returning to Kendrick¡¯s ce from Lydia¡¯s funeral.

    Nothing feels right and I can¡¯t even recognize myself anymore.

    Where was the fierce Christy that faced life head on and always tries to find joy in every dark situation?.

    I looked at my reflection on the window and all I can see is a sad, lonely and scared damsel in distress.

    This wasn¡¯t me!

    When did I be like this? So dependent on others and unable to do anything meaningful for myself.

    Lydia wouldn¡¯t have believed it if anyone had told her that she would die yesterday.

    Life is so fragile and things can change in a second and just like that, we will be gone, leaving only achievements.

    What have I achieved so far?

    "What¡¯s wrong? You have been sighing a lot" Kendrick¡¯s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

    "I want to start up something for myself" I told him directly and he looked at me with a frown.

    "Why all of a sudden?" he asked me and I turned to look at the window, as the intensity in his eyes was too much for me to handle.

    "I just want to have something to my name, something that is mine" I replied calmly.

    "Everything that I have also belongs to you. Where is all of thising from?" he asked and I could detect the faint annoyance in his voice.

    "Why are you annoyed about me having something to my name? Is it a crime? I just want something that belongs to me, not something that belongs to you or my family!" I said and angrily turned to face him.

    He looked at me before sighing.

    "Christy, I don¡¯t know what has gotten into you all of a sudden, what changed?" he asked me as his frown deepened.

    "Nothing changed Kendrick, it¡¯s you who have forgotten how I am. I can¡¯t even recognize myself anymore! I am not some caged bird or a pet. I was bold and fearless when you met me and now look at me!" I yelled at him angrily and he clenched his jaw to restrain his anger.

    "I go out every day to work hard and make sure you and our child arefortable. Do youck anything that makes you want to work?" he asked through gritted teeth.

    "Do I need tock anything first? Can¡¯t I just work to be upied? Instead of staying indoors every day and doing nothing" I asked him with the same momentum.

    I wasn¡¯t going to just give in this time, I don¡¯t understand why he doesn¡¯t want me to work and always finds an excuse to not talk about it.

    He just stared at me for a few seconds before taking a deep breath.

    "I told you that if you want to be leaving the house or are too bored, you can go over to your family house" he said calmly.

    "I don¡¯t want to go to my family¡¯s house, I need to go out and meet people, make friends and gain connections of my own" I tried to exin calmly as well.

    "Christy please, you don¡¯t need any connection, just mention my name and everything would go well. You have several bad memories and experiences when ites to friendship, take that Kara and Callie for example" he said with a serious expression.

    "I am not asking for much, I just want to open a restaurant. I have always loved cooking and it is something that I am passionate about" I exined calmly.

    <fn1b56> The source of th?s content is f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn1b56>

    "Even if you want to start up something, now isn¡¯t the right time, with Piper on the loose and so many hidden enemies in the dark" he said and held my hand.

    "I can¡¯t put my life on hold because of others. When will the hidden enemies be exposed? And when will Piper be caught? Am I supposed to wait forever if they are never caught?" I asked him with a frown.

    "I don¡¯t want to hide anymore Kendrick, that¡¯s not me. I want to fight and be strong, I want to be able to stand with you in public without people whispering about my past. I want to go to school and get a diploma, I want to be respected. Don¡¯t you get it?!" I asked him while holding back my tears.

    "Okay fine, I will think about it" he said calmly while rubbing the back of my hand gently.

    I removed my hand angrily and red at him.

    "What do you mean by you will think about it? Can¡¯t I make my own decisions. If I want to do it, will you stop me?!" I asked him angrily.

    Am I a baby?

    "Everything I do is for your own good and..."

    "No, everything you do is for your own selfish reasons. Do you think I didn¡¯t see how you looked at the man that spoke to me at the funeral? I am not your property Kendrick, you can¡¯t just keep me locked up in a golden cage and expect me to be happy. Can¡¯t you see that you are slowly killing the real me?!" I interrupted him angrily.

    "I am just protecting what is mine, even Jasper was ready to sacrifice our friendship to have you. Should I be happy that other men have their eyes on you?" he asked me angrily and that was when it finally clicked.

    How could I not have noticed this possessive side of him?.

    " You are the only one that is destined for me, don¡¯t you understand? I can¡¯t have a rtionship with any other woman apart from you!" he said coldly and his eyes held a kind of wildness that I haven¡¯t seen before.

    I didn¡¯t know what to say and just stared at him in shock. I know he has that condition but I thought it got better.

    "How did you know that your condition hasn¡¯t gotten better?" I asked him with a raised brow but he turned his face away.

    "So, you tried being intimate with other women when we got together but you weren¡¯t aroused, that¡¯s the reason you want to ensure I don¡¯t leave you by locking me up? You are sick" I said with a mixture of disgust and disappointment.

    "Why did you go to see Curtis?" he suddenly asked out of the blues.

    "You are monitoring me now?!" I asked him angrily.

 Chapter 90 - NINETY: I Want To Move Out

    <h4>Chapter 90: Chapter NINETY: I Want To Move Out</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    He just stared at me without giving me a response.

    "Can¡¯t I go out and associate with people now?" I asked him angrily.

    "You can go out, I am not stopping you from meeting people. I want you to never see Curtis again, no matter the reason" he said sternly, like he was lecturing a child or a subordinate.

    "Kendrick. I am not your fucking property!" I yelled angrily at him.

    "I have gotten an admission into a culinary school and sses will be resuming at the beginning of next month" I informed him with a serious tone.

    "And you didn¡¯t see it fit to tell me about it? I really don¡¯t understand you anymore. Is it that you were pretending all along or you just decided to change? Because the woman I fell in love with was never like this" he said angrily, like I didn¡¯t have any rights to make my own decisions.

    "Kendrick, I will be twenty one next month and I don¡¯t have anything to show for all my years on this earth! I just want to do something with my life and not spend my entire life being your trophy wife! Is that too much to ask?" I asked him while trying to stop my tears from falling.

    "I have a lot that I am dealing with at thepany, then there are all these other things that are all happening at the same time. I wish you could be more understanding, Christy" he said with a frustrated expression.

    "Kendrick, when will it ever be about me? You are always dealing with a lot, you are stressed, you are under a lot of pressure and so on. When will you look at things from my perspective?"I asked him with tears streaming down my face.

    "Where did you get the money for the application and clearance? Did Curtis give it to you? Is that why you are trying to pick a fight with me?!" he asked me with a frown and his tone sounded like he was holding back his anger.

    "Kendrick, I am not the helpless Christy that you picked up from a strip club or the one that was homeless! I am Christiana Lancaster, the daughter of the Lancaster family. Do you really think I need to ask others for money when my family will do anything for me?" I asked him angrily as I didn¡¯t know if to continue crying orughing from the anger I was feeling at the moment.

    "So you asked your parents for money? You know they already have a prejudice against me and with you asking them for money, you just proved to them that I am incapable of providing for you" he asked with a frustratedugh.

    "I didn¡¯t ask them for money, my father put me on a monthly allowance" I said, as I didn¡¯t have the strength to continue arguing with him.

    He was just being simply unreasonable at the moment and I was tired.

    <fn94cb> Chapters first released on F¦ÉndNovel</fn94cb>

    "What did you and Curtis talk about?" he suddenly asked after a few minutes.

    "I am tired please" I said and turned my face to continue looking outside the window.

    "Curtis is not a good person, I don¡¯t want you to be deceived by him. He is extremely maniptive and will resort to any means to achieve his goals...that¡¯s why you need to tell me what he told you" he said calmly and I just shook my head and chuckled.

    It sounded more like he was mentioning his own traits. He just needed to add selfish, possessive and unreasonable for the list to bepleted.

    "Christy, I am asking for your own good" he said with a serious tone and I finally turned to face him.

    "No Kendrick, you are doing it for yourself. You just believe that everyone is out to get you and everything has to always be about you and you are never wrong" I replied nonchntly.

    He gave me a frustratedugh and ran his fingers through his hair.

    "I always do my best to make right decisions and avoid as much regret as possible," he said with a serious expression.

    "Right decisions? Like putting a tracker in my phone, having me followed, investigating my entire family, so you would have shit to use against them, just like you did to Kelvin? Are those the right decisions? I asked him angrily and he frowned.

    " You went into my study?" he asked me as his frown deepened.

    "Why do you have all those files on my family?"I asked him without bothering to answer his own question.

    "All of these are just because I asked what you and Curtis talked about?"he asked me and I could see how he was trying to hold back his anger.

    It felt like I was talking to a totally different person at the moment and my heart hurt so much that breathing felt so difficult and painful.

    "I want to move back home, I need my space" I informed him bluntly.

    "What? We have just a little argument and you want to leave?" he asked coldly with a darkened expression.

    "It was my fault for not thinking things through before moving in. I love you but it is very evident that only love isn¡¯t enough. I need to adjust to my new life, spend time with my family and meet new people. I need to have a life that I will be proud of and our baby wouldn¡¯t want a weak mother. I know how bad and frustrating it is to have a weak woman as a mother, I have experienced it first hand with myte foster mother, Belinda Scott." I said while rubbing my little baby bump gently.

    "You can do all of that without moving out" he said, his voice was more gentle and calm now.

    "No Kendrick, the next time I move into your house will be as your wife and that¡¯s if we ever get married. You keep telling me how much you love me but you have never brought up marriage. Do you even have any ns to marry me?" I asked him while staring into his eyes.

    "Marriage isn¡¯t something that I want to get into at the moment, we don¡¯t need to rush anything, let¡¯s just let things progress slowly" he said with a hesitant expression and Iughed.

    "You love me and want me to stay with you but you don¡¯t want to marry me? Didn¡¯t you promise my parents that you will do everything to make me happy?"I asked him with a smile and he couldn¡¯t reply.

    I knew he had a thing against marriage, he thinks it¡¯s a trap.

    Am I just going to be a baby mama?

    Don¡¯t I have my own reputation and principles?.

    "I will move out tomorrow morning. Evans, stop the car at the park ahead, I need to take a walk" I said with a firm tone.

    I got out of the car at the park and he didn¡¯t even try to stop me, Iughed bitterly before walking over to a bench.

    "I had doubts when I first noticed you but I knew I couldn¡¯t be mistaken. I will recognize you even if you turn to ashes" I voice that I haven¡¯t heard in a long while came from behind me.

 Chapter 91 - NINETY-ONE: A Devil Disguised As An Angel

    <h4>Chapter 91: Chapter NINETY-ONE: A Devil Disguised As An Angel</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I immediately turned to look behind me and was shocked to see Callie smiling at me with a mocking gaze.

    I quickly adjusted my expression before getting up from the bench to face her.

    "You should probably go ask for a refund from where you got your nose done, it¡¯s even more fake than your silicon imnted boobs" I said with a smile after observing her looks.

    "Shut up bitch!" she yelled with an agitated expression.

    Her body has always been her worst insecurity. She was t chested before and decided to get imnts. She never believed that her body was beautiful and always finds ways to change or ording to her, beautiful it.

    "Always trying to act high and mighty, like you are better than everyone else" she sneered at me and I just chuckled.

    "It isn¡¯t my fault that you suffer from low self-esteem and don¡¯t have the confidence to do anything for yourself, instead you try to grab whatever trash I don¡¯t want" I replied to her with a smile.

    She was just right on time, I really needed someone to pour my anger and frustrations on at the moment.

    "Don¡¯t think you are better than me because you are from a wealthy family, you will always be the little stripper whore from madam Collette¡¯s club!" she said angrily.

    "Can you smell the jealousy in the air? My love, why don¡¯t you focus on your own life rather than spending so much time on me?" I asked her with a mocking tone and her face immediately turned red as she was trying to hold back her anger.

    "Why are you here? Did Mark dump you? Oh, I forgot he is with Raina now and you were just his favorite brainless sex toy with big boobs" I said with a sweet smile.

    She moved closer and stood right in front of me while her eyes shot daggers at my head.

    <fnd5c9> Th?s chapter is updated by find[?]ovel</fnd5c9>

    "Mark and I are very happy together, he loves me very much. And that Raina girl was just a cash cow, he just used her to get everything prepared for me to move over. He used her, just like he used you" She said with a triumphant smile.

    I was shocked to find out that he used Raina, I can still remember how he acted all lovey dovey with her at the ck mansion.

    Once things turned for the worse, he dumped her quickly. A shameless gold digger.

    "Well, congrattions on sessfully loving and cherishing my leftovers," I said with a mocking smile and her face immediately changed.

    "You better think twice before making a move, do you really think that you can touch me and go scotfree? You must have heard that I am from a military family right?" I asked her with a smile, when I noticed that she wanted to get physical.

    I slowly put my hand over my stomach protectively while observing her every move.

    "Why are you so guarded against me? Are you scared that I will help you to forcefully get rid of that little bastard in your stomach?" she asked and took a step closer to me and I justughed.

    "Look at you, wearing expensive clothes, using expensive skincare products and carrying original branded bags" she said while touching my clothes and bag with a sneer.

    She did her best to appear nonchnt but the jealousy in her eyes was quite ring.

    "Okay, get away from me bitch!" I said and pushed her hands off me.

    "Whatever, just be prepared for what ising" she said with a smirk before turning around to leave.

    "Tell Mark that he shouldn¡¯t be too greedy if he wants to live long"I said and she turned back to re at me before hurrying away.

    I waited for a few minutes before looking at my bag and pulled out a little ck round object that was attached to it.

    I observed it for a while before knowing it was a mini listening device and I chuckled.

    Whoever decided to use Callie for such a job must have really underestimated her stupidity.

    I noticed she was acting weird the moment I saw her and she was also trying to get too close to me, which is definitely unlike her.

    I guess, I will just have to keep it and let them listen to whatever I want.

    Iughed before putting it in my bag and decided to return to Kendrick¡¯s ce to pack my things.

    *****

    Lauretta¡¯s POV

    I stared at my ount bnce and frowned in frustration. I just transferred the money I promised to that little bitch, I knew she wouldn¡¯t be willing to help me if money wasn¡¯t in the equation.

    I needed money and fast!.

    My phone suddenly started ringing, pulling me out of my thoughts.

    "My love, how are you doing?" I asked as soon as I picked up.

    I was expecting my husband to reply as usual and tell me how much he misses me but all I heard was a heavy sigh.

    "What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen to our son?" I asked him anxiously when he didn¡¯t say anything.

    "Say something!" I yelled angrily through the phone.

    "The doctor said if the surgery isn¡¯t done before the end of next month, our son will...." he said with a heavy tone and he didn¡¯t need to finish his sentence before I understood.

    No, I can¡¯t lose my son!

    My hands started trembling and hatred surged in my heart.

    If it wasn¡¯t for Kendrick being so stubborn and heartless, my precious son wouldn¡¯t be suffering right now.

    "I will call you back, don¡¯t worry I will definitely get the money!" I assured him before hanging up.

    I need to speed up my ns of removing Kendrick as the CEO of thepany.

    I decided to get money first, because it will require a lot of money.

    I headed for my father¡¯s room, I needed his help and I will make sure he helps me.

    "Have your manners been eaten up by dogs? What do you want now?" he asked me angrily when I barged into his room.

    "I want some money" I said bluntly as there was no use beating around the bush and I didn¡¯t care if he was angrily ring at me.

    "And what makes you think I would help you with money?" he asked with a frown.

    "I want money and you will give it to me" I replied with a smile.

    "Aren¡¯t you being too shameless, not only are you useless and couldn¡¯t do anything meaningful or live up to my expectations, you are now putting your eyes on thepany" he scolded harshly but I wasn¡¯t in the mood to banter words with him.

    "You are going to do as I say or I will expose the truth about who you really are to everyone" I threatened calmly.

    He immediately sprang up from his chair in anger and kept ring at me.

    "I dare you to!" he yelled angrily and Iughed.

    "Everyone thinks that I am the evil one, not knowing that you are the devil disguised as an angel.

    How do you think they would react when they find out that you were the one that wanted to kill Christy when she was a child and that you were the one that got rid of Lydia?" I asked him with a smirk.

    "You wouldn¡¯t dare!" he yelled, finally dropping the gentleman act.

 Chapter 92 - NINETY-TWO: I Want To Be Open

    <h4>Chapter 92: Chapter NINETY-TWO: I Want To Be Open</h4>

    Lauretta¡¯s POV

    I looked at him with a disgusted gaze, he was the reason for all the misery that I have been through and after all these years he still can¡¯t see his faults.

    "Why wouldn¡¯t I dare? Are you scared of everyone knowing who you really are? How evil you are and how many lives you have ended prematurely because of your selfishness and greed?" I asked him angrily, not even trying to hide my disgust.

    "What do you mean by my greed? Everything I did was for this family,I always put the interest and prestige of this family before anything else. Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t enjoy the privileges thate with being a member of the ck family!" he said with a righteous tone and I frowned.

    "Before anything else? Even your own daughter was not as important as this so-called prestige?" I asked him angrily.

    He looked at me without saying anything, but his eyes already told me the answer.

    "If you are so proud of this prestige and everything, why don¡¯t you reveal your true self to everyone, instead of making me the scapegoat!" I yelled as I felt a painful tightening in my chest.

    What did I do wrong in my past life to end up as the daughter of this man?

    "That¡¯s just a little sacrifice you should be willing to make in return for everything you are enjoying" he said with a righteous tone and I red at him.

    "You forced me to approach Ethan Lancaster because you felt like if I married him, our family would be more wealthy and have a wider connection. I told you that I didn¡¯t want to marry him or be in a rtionship with him when I found out that he already had someone he loves.

    You made that innocent woman¡¯s life miserable and I became aughingstock. Everyone thinks that I was the one responsible for everything but no one knows that I am also a victim" I cried bitterly and my heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand.

    "Didn¡¯t I allow you to leave and have a peaceful life with your lover?" he asked me with a frown.

    "You did, after forcing me to marry Raymond just because you wanted a child to inherit the family¡¯s property. You didn¡¯t care about how depressed and sad I was all through the time that I was pregnant with Kendrick. You are the reason why I hate him so much! Because he reminds me of all my pains and trauma" I said while crying bitterly.

    Instead of his heart wavering, all I saw in his eyes was impatience and disgust. He looked at me like I was disturbing him.

    "You should be grateful to me for everything that you have now, you have an extremely capable son and also married to the man you say you are in love with. What more do you want? He asked me with a frown.

    "Why are you acting like you don¡¯t know why I came back? Do you think I would have ever thought ofing back if I had another choice?" I asked him angrily.

    "I don¡¯t know why you are hellbent on saving that sickly son of yours. Even if he is saved, he would be nothing but useless" he said with a cold expression without any emotions.

    <fnb48d> Updates are released by find(?)ovel</fnb48d>

    "Don¡¯t talk about my son like that! He isn¡¯t useless and will definitely get well" I yelled angrily at him.

    "That¡¯s enough now, leave immediately" he said with a calm tone and turned his back to me.

    I stared at his back with so much hatred, how I wish I could just get rid of him... But my mother had loved and made me swear to be a good daughter to him on her deathbed.

    "If you continue trying to ruin my life, then I will have no choice but to tell Kendrick about who you really are and I know you have something to do with Raymond¡¯s disappearance" I said before walking out of the study.

    I have to go find Kendrick, it¡¯s either he agrees to work with me or we will be enemies.

    *****

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    I don¡¯t know what has suddenly gotten into Christy, she just seems to enjoy quarreling with me.

    She just got out of the car and walked off without looking back. I didn¡¯t know what to feel at that moment.

    Was I being too unreasonable with her?.

    "Evans, do you think I am keeping her locked up?" I asked.

    "Well boss..." he said hesitantly and paused.

    "Just speak," I said calmly.

    "Miss Christy is a free bird and she..."

    "What do you mean by she is a free bird?" I interrupted him with a frown.

    "I meant, she is someone that likes to move freely, a social and outgoing person. So, being locked up everyday..."

    "I never locked her up, I just wanted her to stay at home for her own safety" I corrected and he nodded.

    "That¡¯s right Boss, in your point of view, you are doing it for her own good while on her own, she is feeling restricted and controlled" he exined calmly.

    Her sudden outburst still doesn¡¯t make sense and the sudden talk about marriage.

    Was it something that Curtis said to her?

    "Let¡¯s go to the office" I instructed before closing my eyes to rest a little.

    I had just closed my eyes when my phone suddenly started ringing.

    I picked it up without checking who was calling.

    "Boss" as soon as I heard the person¡¯s voice, I immediately sat up as he never calls unless he had something important to report.

    "Report" I said calmly.

    "The Callie girl just confronted madam at the park. She didn¡¯t get physical but they exchanged some words which I couldn¡¯t hear as I wasn¡¯t close enough" he reported with a serious tone.

    Callie?

    Seems like I have to remind some people where they belong and who they shouldn¡¯t mess with.

    The drive to the office was fast and I quickly went into the executive elevator and went straight to the floor where Curtis¡¯ office was.

    As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I walked straight to Curtis office and barged in without knocking.

    "The almighty CEO of ck corporation has graced me with his presence. To what do I owe this honor?" Curtis asked me with a smirk.

    I pulled him closer by the cor but he still maintained his smirk.

    "What did you say to Christy?" I asked him while trying to hold back my anger.

    " Brother, what are you talking about?" he asked with a sarcastic tone that made me unable to stop myself from giving him a punch.

    The punch threw him a few steps back and blood dripped from the corner of his lips.

    "Did she tell you that she deserves better? And you aren¡¯t worthy?" he asked me with a smirk.

    I had to hold back myself from giving him another punch to wipe the stupid smirk from his lips.

    "I have warned you severally to stay away from her, I wouldn¡¯t be this nice the next time I pay you a visit" I warned him with a re.

    "Why are you so riled up? Did she tell you that she wants to leave because you haven¡¯t officially married her?" he asked with a mocking smile that made me frown.

    So he really was the one that put the whole marriage shit in her head!

    "You better stay away from her if you want to remain in thispany" I threatened but he justughed.

    "I guess you don¡¯t have everything under control like you want everyone to believe," he said with a mocking expression.

    "Whoever Christy wants to marry is her choice. Are you scared she would leave you?" he asked with an arched brow.

    "She is mine and no one can take her away from me!" I said with a serious tone.

    "That¡¯s what you think, but this is a fairpetition, may the best man win!" he said with an equally serious tone.

    "Boss, your mother is here," Evans informed me from outside the door.

    I gave Curtis onest look before walking out of his office.

    I took the elevator to my office and as soon as I stepped into my office, I saw my mother sitting on the chair and elegantly sipping tea.

    "Do you need something?" I asked her as I slowly sat down opposite her.

    "I have something important to tell you" She said with a serious expression.

    "I am listening," I said inly.

    "I want to be open and transparent with you about my life. I know I haven¡¯t been a good mother and abandoned you but I want you to know that I am not the enemy you all think I am.

    Yes, I faked my own death years ago just to get away from here and be with my lover. I have another son, he is twenty five years old and he ...."

    "I know" I interrupted her when I noticed that she was about to start crying.

    "So what do you want me to do for you exactly?" I asked her with a serious tone and she seemed stunned by the question.

 Chapter 93 - NINETY-THREE: Her Eyes On The Company

    <h4>Chapter 93: Chapter NINETY-THREE: Her Eyes On The Company</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    She stared at me for a while before taking in a deep breath.

    "I want you to save your brother¡¯s life" she said with an authoritative tone.

    She always has a way of amusing me, I smiled at her without saying anything.

    "What¡¯s with that expression? It¡¯s your duty to save him!" she said with amanding tone and Iughed.

    It seems like the woman that was about to cry a few minutes ago was just an illusion.

    "If you were going to be so unreasonable why did you put on an act from the start?" I asked her while still maintaining my smile.

    "is that how to speak to your mother? You always act like a person without manners and proper upbringing" she reprimanded angrily.

    "That¡¯s enough now, I don¡¯t have time to waste with you. So get straight to the point and drop the unnecessary drama" I said with a serious tone.

    I have a meeting in half an hour and I don¡¯t want her to ruin my mood as the meeting is very important.

    "I told you that I want you to save your brother" she repeated angrily.

    "You can ask grandfather for money, I am sure he will be happy to know that he has another grandson" I responded with a smile and her face immediately darkened in suppressed anger.

    "Looking at your face, I am certain that he knows but doesn¡¯t want to help, am I right?" I asked her after observing her expression.

    "I want you to answer me with a simple yes or no" she said through gritted teeth while staring at my face.

    "No" I replied nonchntly and she immediately got up from her chair in anger.

    "Do you really think I can¡¯t get what I want? I have ways to make youply" she threatened angrily.

    "You have already tried but failed and that¡¯s the reason why you are here, begging for me to help you" I said with a mocking tone while looking at her in disgust.

    "It was you, You did it on purpose!" she yelled angrily at me.

    <fn1e42> Latest content published on find{n}ovel</fn1e42>

    I had thepany¡¯s ounts strictly monitored after I noticed that she was in desperate need of money.

    She tried to secretly move money from thepany¡¯s ount but the transaction was instantly blocked as it triggered the security set up.

    "How sure are you that he will survive even if you get the money?" I asked her with a smile and noticed that she was so angry that her face had turned bright red.

    "He will survive! How could you curse your own brother?" she yelled furiously at me.

    I didn¡¯t know how to feel, seeing her so agitated because of her other son while she treats me like her worse enemy.

    "If you won¡¯t help me, then it is obvious that you are against me. So you better be prepared" she threatened, she looked at me with so much hatred in her eyes.

    "I will be waiting Mrs Singania" I said with a serious tone.

    She is stunned by the way I addressed her and she red at me before storming out of my office.

    I took a deep breath to calm my emotions before bringing out a file from the hiddenpartment in my desk.

    I slowly opened it and saw a photo of a happy family. The man and woman seemed to be very in love and their son was a carbon copy of the man.

    The woman who looked so beautiful and happy with a smile was my mother, who had abandoned him at a tender age.

    While I was struggling to grow up and faced a lot of hardships, she was in another country with her lover. She got married and had another child, whom she showered so much love on.

    My mother never tried to see how I was doing all these years and now...

    My eyes darted to their names, my mother had changed her name to Miranda Singania after marrying her lover, Adrian Singania and three yearster, she gave birth to her precious son, Zain Singania.

    She lived happily for years until Zain was diagnosed with brain tumor. Her husband has spent all his money and even hispany had to dere bankruptcy.

    But when they ran out of money, she finally remembered that the ck family still exists and schemed her way back.

    And my good for nothing father, Raymond?

    No one knows where he suddenly disappeared to and no one has seen him. He even abandoned Celeste and his unborn child.

    I immediately dialed Evan¡¯s number and he picked up on the first ring.

    "Come to my office" I instructed before hanging up without waiting for his response.

    Few minutester, he knocked and entered the office with a stack of documents.

    "Boss, here are some of the documents for the meeting" he said while handing me the documents.

    "Have you found any news about Raymond?" I asked him with a serious tone while flipping through the documents.

    "No Boss, we have checked severally but still no news, Even Curtis is searching for him as well.

    But there is something that I think you sh know about...." he paused for permission to continue and I nodded.

    "Your mother was thest person that Raymond saw before he suddenly went missing and also she met with Celeste yesterday. Later, she transferred ten thousand Dors from her ount to Celeste.

    We don¡¯t know what their transaction is about yet but whatever it is, it definitely wouldn¡¯t be in our favor" he reported with a serious expression and I pondered on his words.

    "Arrange people to keep an eye on all of them, especially Celeste. She is always up to no good" I instructed and he nodded before quickly leaving to make the calls.

    I put the folder back into the hiddenpartment and continued going through the document for the meeting but my mind was filled with questions and uneasiness.

    Lauretta was too good at erasing her tracks and now, she has her eyes set on thepany.

    The only way she can get it is by removing me from power which wouldn¡¯t be possible with grandfather supporting me.

    What could she be plotting by getting involved with Celeste?

    Could they be targeting Christy again?

 Chapter 94 - NINETY-FOUR: Feeling Loved For The First Time

    <h4>Chapter 94: Chapter NINETY-FOUR: Feeling Loved For The First Time</h4>

    Mira¡¯s POV

    Nothing has been the same ever since my mother¡¯s death. I just stay in my room all day thinking of how I could move on without her.

    Knock Knock!

    I turned to look at the doorway and saw Mason staring at me.

    Hees to check on me everyday despite his busy schedule. It is funny how the people that I have hated all my life turned out to be the ones that cared about me the most.

    Even Christy called to check up on me and I felt so ashamed of everything I had done and for blindly following in my mother¡¯s footsteps.

    "How are you doing today?" he asked me, as he slowly sat on the edge of the bed.

    "Better, I think" I replied calmly and he smiled while patting my head softly.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel emotional as I couldn¡¯t understand why he was treating me so well, despite everything I have done to everyone.

    "Why are you all being so good to me? I don¡¯t deserve your care" I asked him amidst sobs.

    He just smiled and brought out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to me. I took it and wiped my tears but more kept spilling out.

    " Mira, when I went to see Aunt Lydia for thest time at the hospital, she told me that you only acted the way you did because of her influence and that you are actually a good person.

    I found it hard to believe but after observing you recently, I noticed that I haven¡¯t really taken out time to get to know you. You always felt neglected and jealous because uncle passed away early and you had to stay in this house and watch how my parents shower their love on me and Kelvin while aunt Lydia never allowed you to have friends or take you out.

    You never felt wanted because she never gave you the love of a mother that you craved. So you started hating everyone that had what youcked" he said calmly while looking at me as I sobbed hard.

    "I... I.. I¡¯m sorry" I stuttered amidst sobs and he just patiently rubbed my back to calm me down.

    "No Mira, I should be the one apologizing. I am sorry for not being a good brother to you. All these years, I was consumed by the guilt of not being able to protect Christy back then and it caused me to ignore the other sister that was right in front of me" he said and my sob immediately became louder.

    I couldn¡¯t exin how I felt when I heard him call me sister.

    I felt content and seen for the first time in my life.

    I cried for a few minutes more, before finally calming down. He handed me a ss of water and I gulped it down before handing it back to him.

    "My mother was not a bad person, she was just a fragile and overly sensitive woman. She was scared that I would be treated unfairly as my father was no longer with us and she wanted to fight for things and make sure my future is secured.

    But I can¡¯t make excuses for her about how cruel she was to Christy. She never told me who the mastermind in the dark was, she only warned me to be careful and never offend Lauretta ck" I said with a calm tone.

    I didn¡¯t feel the usual tightness in my chest that was usually there whenever I talked about my mother.

    "That¡¯s why you believed that Lauretta was the one responsible for her death?" he asked me and I nodded.

    "I don¡¯t think she is the one, but she definitely knows who the mastermind is" he added and I frowned.

    "Who could it be apart from Lauretta? She is the one that hates our family with her life. She was even willing to disown Kendrick because he got together with Christy" I said, as nothing really made sense at this point.

    "I found out that Aunt¡¯s murderer was ast stage cancer patient that had only a month left to live. Someone probably offered him a lot of money to kill aunty and end his own life" he informed me and I immediately frowned.

    A dying man?

    "What will a dying man do with money? For him to have only a month left to live, it means he was beyond saving, so he couldn¡¯t have needed the money for treatment" I analyzed while looking at him in confusion.

    "He might not have use for the money but that doesn¡¯t mean his loved ones don¡¯t need it. He probably agreed to do it and gave the money to ensure his family wouldn¡¯t suffer when he dies" he exined calmly.

    "Can¡¯t we find his family?" I asked him anxiously.

    "I found out that he had a wife and two kids. She left the country with the kids the day before the incident and all traces were wiped.

    The man had personally sent them to the airport and only left after they had boarded the flight but there is no record of the country they went to and even if we knew the country, they must have been given fake identities for protection" he exined with a sigh.

    "Whoever the mastermind is, he or she is very thorough and never leaves any clues," he added with a frustrated expression.

    We fell into afortable silence for a few minutes before he looked at me again.

    "So, what do you n on doing now?" he asked with a serious expression.

    "I want to go back to school. I shouldn¡¯t have dropped out in the first ce" I replied with a determined tone.

    "I heard you were one of the top students in the Art and Design department, you even won several awards before your sudden drop out" he said with a smile and I nodded.

    I couldn¡¯t even remember why I had dropped out in the first ce, my mother just allowed me to do whatever I wanted.

    After thinking for a while, I remembered the reason. I wanted my mother to show some care or love to me. I thought if I dropped out, she would definitely be upset and give me a good lecture but she never did.

    She just told me to live freely and enjoy my youth.

    What a mother.

    I suddenlyughed and Mason looked at me with a concerned expression.

    "I¡¯m fine big brother" I said when I noticed his gaze.

    Calling him big brother felt so natural and my eyes immediately became moist again.

    But the mood was interrupted by the ringing of my phone. I grabbed it from the bedside table and was surprised to see Celeste shing on the screen.

    I looked at Mason and he gave me a nod to pick up the call.

    <fn36e2> Discover more novels at F¦Énd£Îovel</fn36e2>

    "Hello" I said calmly.

    "Hi Mira, I heard about your mother, please ept my condolences" She said with a friendly tone that made me ufortable.

    "It¡¯s fine," I replied inly.

    "I actually called because I have something to tell you that I am certain you would be interested in" she said and I frowned.

    "What¡¯s that?" I asked calmly and switched to loudspeaker so Mason could hear her as well.

    "I have a n to teach Christy an unforgettable lesson. I guarantee that you won¡¯t have to worry about her, ever again" she said with an excited voice.

 Chapter 95 - NINETY-FIVE: Your Promise Means Nothing

    <h4>Chapter 95: Chapter NINETY-FIVE: Your Promise Means Nothing</h4>

    Mira¡¯s POV

    I didn¡¯t know how to respond to her and I was worried that Mason might misunderstand that I wanted to harm Christy.

    "Brother" I whispered and shook my head at him.

    He gave me a light pat on the back and aforting smile.

    "Hello, are you there?" Celeste asked when she didn¡¯t hear anything from my end.

    "Yes, I¡¯m listening" I responded after taking a deep breath.

    Mason brought out his phone to record our conversation.

    "So are you interested?" she asked.

    "Of course I am, have you forgotten how much I hate her?" I asked her, trying to sound as natural as possible and to also make herfortable enough to tell me her ns.

    "That¡¯s good to hear," she replied excitedly.

    "So what¡¯s the n?" I asked with an eager tone.

    "You don¡¯t need to know that, all you have to do is tell me what Christy is up to and her ns. I will take care of the rest" she said with a mysterious tone.

    I looked at Mason and he whispered for me to press her for answers and I nodded.

    "Celeste, do you think I am a fool? I¡¯m supposed to just trust you and do as you ask? Do you think I am Raina who trusted you blindly?" I fired questions at her aggressively.

    She stayed quiet for a few seconds, probably shocked by my sudden outbursts.

    "Mira, you can trust me. I promise you that no one will know of your involvement" she assured with an anxious voice.

    "Your promise means nothing to me and you shouldn¡¯t be talking about trust either, thest person that trusted you is still living in regret" I said mockingly.

    "My issue with Raina has nothing to do with you, so please stop bringing it up!" she yelled angrily.

    "Wow, you are already revealing your true colors, I am not interested in your offer so you can do it yourself or find someone else" I said before hanging up.

    "Brother, what do you think she is up to? Why is she suddenly going after Christy again?" I asked Mason, who was also trying to figure out what Celeste was up to.

    We were still thinking when Kelvin barged into the room, he seemed to have something urgent to tell Mason and he had an anxious expression on his face.

    "What¡¯s wrong?" Mason asked him immediately and he looked at me with a hesitant expression.

    "Just say it, she is family" Mason said to him and he nodded and it was obvious that he still couldn¡¯t trust me fully.

    I looked at him with a slight smile, I was grateful that he was willing to give me a chance and I will cherish it well. I will slowly change their minds with my actions rather than crying andmenting in self pity.

    "The guard I got to secretly follow Christy just called to inform me that one of the people we investigated confronted her in the park," he exined with a serious expression.

    "Piper, her foster sister?" Mason asked him and he shook his head.

    <fne0f9> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? find(?)ovel</fne0f9>

    He brought out a file and opened a page for us. Inside was a photo of a girl, the name written close to it was Callie.

    And it stated that she and Christy grew up together, they were best friends until Callie betrayed her by having a secret affair with her boyfriend.

    "Why would she suddenly show up and even have the guts to confront Christy?" I asked with a frown while staring at the photo.

    It didn¡¯t make sense, she couldn¡¯t be doing it for money, Christy wasn¡¯t stupid.

    "Does she have something on Christy?" I asked and they both frowned.

    "I don¡¯t think so, if she did she wouldn¡¯t have waited this long before showing up. Something was definitely happening and we need to find out as soon as possible" Mason said before turning to look at me.

    I felt frightened by his serious gaze and also anxious as I thought he might be suspecting me like before.

    "Calm down Mira, why are you so easily frightened?" he asked me with a frown.

    "I really don¡¯t know anything about it," I whispered softly.

    "Of course you don¡¯t, how is it possible for you to be mourning your mother¡¯s death and plotting against Christy despite all the love we have been showing you" Kelvin said and I smiled softly.

    I felt shocked that they didn¡¯t even think of suspecting me.

    "Mira, I want you to tell me the truth about what happened on the day of Christy¡¯s ident" Mason said and I immediately panicked.

    "Just rx, we have all forgiven you and won¡¯t me you for what happened" Kelvin said when he noticed my reaction.

    "The truth is... I.. I was the one driving the car and I purposely hit her with it" I confessed and observed their expressions but they were both angry at all.

    "How did the look alikee about?" Mason asked.

    "I don¡¯t know, my mother told me that she had a way to handle everything. Sheter told me that she got help from her person but she never told me how the person helped" I replied quickly and he nodded.

    "I checked the look-alike¡¯s background and found nothing substantial. She is an orphan who became a drug addict after pushing drugs for years. No record of her date of birth, parents or ce of origin" Kelvin said with a frustrated sigh.

    Mason¡¯s phone suddenly started ringing and I saw Christy¡¯s name on the screen.

    He immediately picked the call up with a frown.

    "Hello," he said but the other side was quiet.

    There was no response at all and his frown deepened.

    "What¡¯s wrong?" he asked her with a serious expression.

    "I am moving back home tomorrow morning" she finally said and we all were stunned by her words.

    "Did something happen?" Mason asked her with a frown.

    "I will tell you when I get back. I just wanted to let you know that I aming. That¡¯s all" she said and before he could say anything else, she hung up.

    "That bastard must have done something to her!" Kelvin yelled angrily while Mason only clenched his fist.

    It seems like the house is going to be more lively from tomorrow.

    "I will go tell everyone" I said and when I noticed they didn¡¯t stop me, I immediately walked out.

 Chapter 96 - NINETY-SIX: Life Is Unfair

    <h4>Chapter 96: Chapter NINETY-SIX: Life Is Unfair</h4>

    Callie¡¯s POV

    I couldn¡¯t control my jealousy and anger after seeing how well Christy was living.

    Why does she always have to get all the good things?!

    I also want to wear expensive clothes, go to luxurious spas and spend extravagantly. But that was all a dream for me.

    Iughed at myself while thinking about how unfair life was.

    "Why are you suddenlyughing?" Piper asked me with a frown.

    I turned to look at her and noticed she was ring at me. I gave her a side eye before looking out the window.

    She had followed me and waited in the car while I went to put the chip on Christy. ording to her, she didn¡¯t want me to mess it up.

    She was nothing like the little girl that always hid behind Christy. When I saw herst week for the first time in months, she was already apletely different person.

    She had this dark and ominous aura around her and her eyes were filled with so much cruelty than I have ever seen in my life.

    It seems like she would be willing to take Christy¡¯s life without batting an eyelid.

    "She must be very happy being a rich Heiress" She suddenly said and I turned to look at her.

    "The both of you were so close before and she was willing to sacrifice everything for your happiness.. What changed?" I asked her but she just twisted her lips into a wicked grin.

    " I never liked her and never will. She is not my sister, so why should I be nice to her? My family raised her for years but she wasn¡¯t grateful. Instead she sent my parents to jail!" she said angrily.

    I couldn¡¯t hide my disgust as I stared at her.

    Even though I hate Christy, I am very sure she genuinely loved and cared for this ungrateful thing in front of me.

    "Raised her? Didn¡¯t you people just use her as a cash cow?" I asked her with a sarcastic smile.

    "That¡¯s what she is supposed to do!" she yelled angrily like a psycho.

    Now, I was very certain that she must have some kind of mental disorder because only a crazy person would behave and think like that.

    It isn¡¯t surprising that she is like this, considering the fact that her parents are Collette and Benjamin.

    The car arrived at Mark¡¯s apartment and I got down but Piper just shut the door and ordered the driver to start the car.

    "Where are you going? Weren¡¯t you instructed to stay here and not go out?" I asked her with a frown but she just ignored me and ordered the driver again.

    I watched angrily as the car slowly drove away before heading into the apartment.

    "What took you so long?" Mark asked as soon as I opened the door.

    "Where is Piper?" he asked me with a frown when he didn¡¯t see her.

    "She left in the car, I don¡¯t know where she went to" I replied nonchntly.

    He stared at me without saying anything for a while before slowly getting up from the couch and walking over.

    "Why are you in a bad mood? Jealous of how Christy is living now?" he asked me with a smile.

    I didn¡¯t know if he was mocking me or trying to understand what was wrong. But it felt more like the first.

    "What? You seem quite eager to talk about her" I snapped at him angrily before storming into the bedroom.

    He followed me and shut the door when he entered.

    <fnfbb8> Latest content published on find~novel</fnfbb8>

    "She said I took her leftovers," I said angrily.

    "Me? A leftover?" he asked me with a smirk.

    "We both know she was dying to be on my bed back then. She always pleaded with me to im her but I never did" he added and I smiled.

    "How can I be her leftover when we never had sex?" he whispered into my ear and my knees immediately went soft.

    That¡¯s right, he never touched her and I remember how she always fantasized about how their first time would be but unfortunately for her, it never happened because he was enjoying my body.

    "What are you thinking about?" Mark asked while roaming his hands on my body.

    He grabbed my boobs and buried his face in the middle.

    "A... My favorite melons" he said before taking off my shirt to have a clearer view of them.

    He wasted no time, he immediately ripped off my bra and before I could react, he sucked one of my nipples.

    "Oh fuck!" I moaned as he sucked and fumbled my boobs.

    I could feel a lot of wetness pooling in my panties and I had to clench my thighs to control the throbbing down there.

    After sucking to his satisfaction, he immediately pushed me on the bed and ate my pussy clean before sliding in his monster.

    "Damn! Ahhhhh!" I moaned in pleasure as he pounded into me. Each thrust deeper than thest.

    "You like that huh?.. Tell me you like it!" he demanded while increasing the speed of his thrusts.

    "Yes, give it to me... I love it hard!" I screamed in pleasure as he increased his speed.

    We continued for hours and I lost count of the number of rounds as we finallyid down on the bed in exhaustion.

    "Don¡¯t think too much about Christy, it¡¯s only a matter of time before everything falls into ce and we leave the country to start a new life abroad" Mark said softly with his hands wrapped around my waist.

    "Thanks for not leaving me, Mark. I thought you would abandon me after getting together with that Raina girl but you proved to me that you genuinely love me" I said while looking at him with a grateful smile.

    "I told you to just trust me" he said with a smile as well.

    I hugged him tighter and imagined how wonderful our life would be abroad.

    "How sure are you about that woman¡¯s promises, is she trustworthy?" I asked him with a frown as I always have a bad feeling anytime I remember that woman¡¯s face.

    "She hates Christy and will do anything to separate her from her son. So we are just going to lend her a hand and she would reward us handsomely" he assured me with a smile and I breathed a sigh of relief.

    As far as she wasn¡¯t ying us, I am willing to do anything and it is also a good opportunity to watch Christy suffer.

 Chapter 97 - NINETY-SEVEN: My Mind Is Made Up

    <h4>Chapter 97: Chapter NINETY-SEVEN: My Mind Is Made Up</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I stared at my luggage that was all packed and sighed.

    I wish things could have gone differently but I need to have a life of my own.

    I am tired of being controlled and told what to do. I¡¯m about to be a mother soon.

    I gently touched my stomach before getting up and heading to the kitchen to make myself something to eat as I was feeling very hungry and it wouldn¡¯t be good for the baby as I was eating for the both of us now.

    I looked at the wall clock and saw that it was almost midnight.

    He is always like this, any time things don¡¯t go how he wants, he would stay outte and only return when he was certain that I would be awake.

    I made a simple sandwich and grabbed some milk before heading to the sitting room to watch TV as I couldn¡¯t sleep.

    I decided to watch a recent movie that lots of people have been talking about online.

    I was almost done eating when the front door opened and Kendrick walked in.

    I turned my gaze back to the TV and continued watching my movie while finishing my sandwich.

    He walked to the living room, stopped and stared at me for a few seconds before heading towards the bedroom without saying anything.

    I couldn¡¯t focus on the movie anymore and the voices of the characters were giving me a headache, so I turned it off and decided to go to bed as I would be leaving early in the morning.

    On getting to the bedroom, I saw Kendrick sitting on the bed, slowly massaging his temple with a dark expression.

    "Aren¡¯t you going to say anything? Why are you being so stubborn?!" he yelled angrily at me when I got into the bed to sleep.

    I ignored him and shut my eyes as I did not have the strength to quarrel or argue with him again.

    But he definitely wasn¡¯t ready to just let me have my peace.

    "Christy!" he yelled as he roughly pulled the nket off me, causing me to almost fall off the bed.

    "What is wrong with you?!" I yelled at him and he just looked at me without any hint of worry in his eyes.

    I couldn¡¯t even imagine what would have happened if I had fallen down just now, the baby would have definitely been hurt.

    "Do you want to kill my child?!" I yelled at him again and he justughed.

    "Your child? It¡¯s always about you, you just want everything to be about you" he said angrily while ring at me.

    His attitude made my blood boil and I got down from bed to stand in front of him.

    "If wanting to go to school and have something to my name is me being selfish, then I am. If trying to be my real self doesn¡¯t make you feel good, then we shouldn¡¯t be together anymore because I can¡¯t continue living a lie!" I yelled at him angrily and his face became even more dark with restrained anger.

    "Haven¡¯t I done everything for you? You have what other girls would die for but you don¡¯t appreciate it" he said coldly.

    "That¡¯s where you are wrong, I am not other girls, I am Christy Lancaster, the one and only" I replied to him with a smile.

    "You..!"

    "What about me? All you do is project your insecurities on me. Have you ever thought of what I wanted? Have you sat down with me and asked? No! You just assume that I thought that I will ept everything and be your pet in a golden cage" I interrupted him angrily.

    "My insecurities? Do you even know what I have been through? Do you know the pain that I have to hide and act like I am alright?!" he yelled angrily but I just turned my face away.

    "You are not the only one that has gone through pain, I have also been there and I have seen the most ugly side of the world. What have you been through?!

    Have you stayed for days without food before? Have you been forced to sell yourself or entertain drunks?!" I yelled back at him.

    His mother abandoned him and he had to take over thepany at a young age. How was that miserablepared to what I went through in the hands of Benjamin and Collette.

    "Are weparing traumas now? Do you think it is easy to run apany at neen? Do you think it is fun to stay awake all night against my wishes? Christy I just want you to be more understanding and I don¡¯t want to lose you" his voice grew softer at the end.

    My heart tightened sharply when I saw him like this, I knew he hardly ever let his emotions show.

    "Christy, I don¡¯t want to fight and I don¡¯t want to lose you again. I know that I have been selfish but I want you to know that I will never hurt you" he held my face and whispered softly but I hid my emotions well.

    "So you don¡¯t have a problem with me going to school? And when are you going to make us official?" I asked while looking into his eyes.

    He suddenly let go of me and took a step back with a frown.

    "If you want to work, I can make you my personal assistant," he said with a serious expression.

    Personal assistant?

    "With what qualification? What would everyone say about me?" I asked him with a tiredugh.

    "Who cares what others say? What matters is what we think" he replied with a convincing tone but I wasn¡¯t buying that shit.

    "Do you have any ns to marry me?" I asked him directly as I was done listening to his bullshit.

    He didn¡¯t reply and just kept staring at me with an emotionless expression.

    "Then we have nothing to talk about. I will be twenty one in a few months time and I expected that at your age, you should have everything figured out for yourself.

    So it is very clear to me that I have no ce in your ns" I said with a sad smile.

    "Marriage isn¡¯t something that I want to get into now and I don¡¯t see the need for it, all that matters is that we love each other and our child will be born soon," he said hurriedly.

    Iughed again as I just stared at him mockingly.

    Did he love me?

    Yes, I am very certain he does but he just can¡¯t fit marrying me in his ns at the moment.

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    "Kendrick, I am leaving tomorrow, onlye to look for me when you are ready to give me a proper status and a proper home for our child" I said before slowly getting back into the bed and covering myself with the nket.

    I could feel his eyes on me but he didn¡¯t say anything or try to convince me to stay and even if he did, my mind was already made up.

 Chapter 98 - NINETY-EIGHTH: My Baby Is Gone

    <h4>Chapter 98: Chapter NINETY-EIGHTH: My Baby Is Gone</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV.

    I woke up as early as 5AM to recheck my stuff to make sure I wasn¡¯t forgetting anything.

    I knew that I have to be strong for myself and my baby but still I couldn¡¯t stop myself from crying.

    I didn¡¯t just make this decision on a whim but it came from weeks of deep thinking. I can¡¯t always rely on people for everything.

    I want to have my own reputation, so that everyone can stop telling me that I am lucky.

    I want the people around me to be the ones feeling lucky for knowing me.

    Kendrick wasn¡¯t in the room anymore, I slept off so I don¡¯t know if he leftst night or this morning.

    I was still lost in thought when the room door was suddenly pushed open. He walked in and headed straight to the bathroom without saying anything to me.

    I took a few deep breaths and got up to get the clothes that I want to change into after bathing.

    By the time I was done bathing, the time was already 7:30AM, so I quickly changed into a free Jean trouser and a in white t-shirt.

    Kendrick still didn¡¯t speak to me, he just sat in front of the table he had ced in the bedroom for urgent work before bed. He was busy working on hisptop and didn¡¯t even spare me a nce.

    When I was done getting ready and made sure I wasn¡¯t forgetting anything, I pulled my luggage out of the room.

    I slowed down a bit hoping he would say anything to me but he didn¡¯t. I shook my head before closing the door behind me.

    As soon as I opened the front door, I felt a heavy push from the front and I stumbled back before grabbing the wall for support.

    "Where is he?" I looked up and saw Lauretta¡¯s furious face.

    Who does this old hag think she is?

    Seems like I have really been too quiet and allowed her treat me anyhow.

    "Can¡¯t you hear me? Are you deaf?!" she yelled at me and I just gave her disgusted re.

    "Watch your words bitch, you should go look for your son and stop spitting on my face" I replied her with a smile.

    She was stunned by my reply and couldn¡¯t say anything for a few seconds. Then she looked at my luggage.

    <fnce92> For original chapters go to find?novel</fnce92>

    "Seems like he isn¡¯t stupid after all, he finally got tired of ying with you" She sneered mockingly.

    "I choose to leave because I couldn¡¯t bear the fact that he has your poisonous blood flowing through his veins" I replied her while still maintaining my smile.

    "Your unborn child will also have my blood, so you can continue crying over it" sheughed sarcastically.

    "Nah... I will cleanse my child with the pure Lancaster blood that flows in me. Thank God my father rejected you back then, I can¡¯t imagine how you would have contaminated our pure bloodline" I mocked her aggressively and ensure that I still maintained my smile.

    Her face immediately darkened and her hands trembled by her sides. I knew that what happened between her and my parents was her taboo but when it came to people like her, bottom lines were not to be respected.

    " You disrespectful little bitch! How dare you talk to me like that?!" she yelled angrily at me.

    "I only respect people that deserve it and you are definitely not on the list of people" I replied her with a calm smile.

    Smiling in this situation makes the other person go crazy with anger and that¡¯s exactly how Lauretta is at the moment.

    "As you can see I don¡¯t have time for this, i have decided to leave your precious son for you" I said as I picked up my luggage.

    I didn¡¯t see the joy that I was expecting on her face, instead she looked even more angry.

    "You bitch, Why didn¡¯t you leave since!" she yelled angrily and I frowned.

    Seems like she has been busy plotting against me but now, all her plotting has gone to waste.

    "You must have spent a lot of money to make sure I leave but unfortunately for you, even if I leave today he will always find me because I am carrying his child" I said and her she froze before quickly changing her expression. Seems like I guessed right, she really did.

    I looked at her onest time before dragging my luggage out of the door. I stood on the stairs at the entrance, impatiently waiting for the ride I ordered.

    I was still contemting on how to drag my luggage down the stairs when I felt a hard push from behind.

    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from falling and there was nothing to hold on to, I could only watch in horror as I fell down the stairs.

    "Ahhhhh!!!! " a heart wrenching scream came out of my mouth when I thought of my baby.

    As soon as my body made contact with the ground, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and a warm sensation in-between my legs.

    "Christy!" Kendrick¡¯s voice came to my ear followed by hurried footsteps.

    He held me in his arms with an extremely worried expression while Lauretta looked at me emotionlessly.

    "Save our baby" I said weakly to Kendrick.

    He was already panicking when he saw the blood, a car quickly drove over and he carried towards it immediately.

    "What do you think you are doing?" Lauretta screamed angrily.

    "Madam..." the driver called to her hesitantly.

    Kendrick ignored her and put me in the car before collecting the car keys from the driver.

    He immediately started the car and sped off, I couldn¡¯t even speak as I could already feel an emptiness in my stomach.

    I knew my baby was already gone, so I could only let my tears flow.

    "Hang in there, we will be at the hospital soon" Kendrick¡¯s anxious voice entered my ears.

    My baby is gone and it was all because of his heartless mother.

    I will make her pay!

 Chapter 99 - NINETY-NINE: Letting Her Go

    <h4>Chapter 99: Chapter NINETY-NINE: Letting Her Go</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    I felt extremely scared as I stared at Christy¡¯s pale face as she sobbed quietly.

    There was this sudden feeling of loss that made my heart ache painfully.

    I regretted noting out of the room earlier when I first heard Lauretta¡¯s voice.

    Who knew she could be so vicious?.

    Everything that happened shed again in my mind.

    When I heard Lauretta¡¯s voice, I wanted toe out of the room but I heard Christy also standing up for herself so I thought it would be nice for her to put Lauretta in her ce once and for all.

    I stepped out of the bedroom when Christy mentioned her father, which I knew was Lauretta¡¯s biggest shame which she hates bringing up.

    They didn¡¯t notice my presence and when Christy walked out of the door, I breathed a sigh of relief but who would have thought that my own mother could be so vicious.

    There was no way she could call what she did a mistake because I saw her when she pushed Christy down the stairs.

    I shook my head to focus on the road and when I looked at Christy again, her eyes were closed causing me to panic.

    I focused on driving and ran a few red lights before getting to the hospital. They immediately brought over a stretcher and I carefully ced her on it.

    "Christy"

    "Christy, can you hear me?"

    "My love, you will be fine"

    I kept calling to her but she didn¡¯t respond and her hands felt extremely cold which scared me even more.

    She was rushed into the emergency room and I had to wait outside. It felt like I couldn¡¯t breathe as I remembered the pool of blood in the car when I carried her out.

    There was this overwhelming ache and tightness in my chest that made breathing extremely painful.

    I kept pacing around and couldn¡¯t bring myself to sit as I felt scared.

    Would things have turned out differently if I had been more understanding?

    Or spoke to her when she was leaving?

    Why did I do that to her?

    <fnf685> Fresh chapters posted on fin?novel</fnf685>

    I held my head in frustration when I remembered that my own mother was the one behind all this.

    A sudden rush of footsteps came from behind me and I turned to check who wasing.

    I froze when I saw Mason¡¯s extremely furious face, it was the first time that I was seeing him like this since I knew him. Gary and Jasper were behind him as well.

    "Mas...Arggh" I was about to talk to him when he delivered a hard punch to my jaw.

    The punch made me take two forceful steps back before regaining my bnce. Before I could catch my breath again, he followed with another two punches.

    "Mason that¡¯s enough" Gary said while pulling him away from me while Jasper just kept ring at me.

    "Do you know that I actually defended him in front of my family? I told them that she was safe with him but now look what he has done to her!" he yelled angrily while struggling out of Gary¡¯s hold.

    I couldn¡¯t tell him that my mother had purposely pushed her down the stairs as it would definitely cause a problem between our families again.

    "Do you think I am happy that this is happening? It¡¯s my child¡¯s life that is at stake here!" I yelled at him angrily.

    "Your child?! My sister is fighting for her life and all you care about is your child?!" Kelvin¡¯s voice boomed in the hallway.

    We all turned back and saw him storming over with their parents and Mira.

    "Kelvin!" Gary quickly grabbed him as he charged furiously towards me.

    "Let me go, I need to teach this bastard a lesson!" he yelled angrily and Jasper also joined in to hold him back.

    Uncle Ethan¡¯s expression was unreadable as he stared at me while Mira and Aunty were crying sadly.

    "I will definitely make sure the culprit is severely punished" Mason said and I looked at him in surprise.

    How did he know it wasn¡¯t an ident?

    "What¡¯s with that expression? Do you really think that we will just leave her with you without any protection?" Kelvin asked me with a sneer.

    "There is video evidence of what happened and I will make sure to get justice for my little sister," Mason revealed angrily.

    I took a deep breath and sighed.

    There was no way I could protect Lauretta now, I don¡¯t even know why I wanted to protect her instead of being furious for what she did to Christy.

    But there was no anxiousness as I was certain that the child was gone. I just hoped that Christy is okay.

    I spent the whole night thinking about everything that¡¯s been happening between us and I figured that she was right. I know I have been selfish but I just love her too much.

    What if she goes to school and meets someone younger?

    So, I was happy that our child could prevent other men froming close to her but now, my good mother has ruined everything.

    And marriage isn¡¯t something that I want to get into at the moment despite how much I love her.

    I was still lost in thought when the emergency room door finally opened. The doctors came out and Mason went to meet him.

    "Doctor, how is my sister?" he asked anxiously.

    "The patient lost a lot of blood and is extremely weak, unfortunately the child was already gone before she arrived, so we just cleansed her body. With proper rest she will be fine" the doctor replied with a professional tone.

    "Thank you for your hard work, I will see youter" Uncle Ethan said to the doctors.

    They nodded before walking away, then the nurses wheeled Christy out of the room. Her face was terrifyingly pale and she looked so weak.

    Her mother started sobbing loudly and my heart clenched in pain.

    I knew it was time to let her go, as it was very obvious that she wasn¡¯t safe with me. Thest time she got into an ident and this time, she lost our child because of my mother.

    I watched as she was wheeled towards the VIP area, they all followed but I couldn¡¯t move.

    "You know the Lancaster family wouldn¡¯t let this go right?" Gary¡¯s voice came from my side but I remained quiet.

    "I thought you loved her? Is this how cheap your love is?" he asked me and Iughed.

    "You are the only one that knows me well Gary and you know how much I love her but if my love makes her get hurt and always fighting for her life, then it¡¯s best to let her go" I replied with a sad smile.

    "What are you going to do about your mother?" he asked.

    "I have to put her in her ce, she will only listen and behave well when she is at risk of losing what she loves the most" I said coldly while staring in the direction that Christy was wheeled in.

    "You want to kill her son?" he asked me and I turned to face him.

    "Of course not, he already doesn¡¯t have a lot of time left and the only way for him to be saved is through surgery. Lauretta has been desperately looking for money to save him." I replied to him with a slight smile.

    "So if Mason takes action and gets her arrested with the video evidence, then she most definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to save her son, which will increase her hatred for the Lancaster family." I exined calmly.

    "It would only make it impossible for you and Christy to live in peace. So that¡¯s why you are letting her go" he said calmly while looking at me with a hint of pity.

    Letting her go is my own way of protecting her and she can finally have the life that she wants.

 Chapter 100 - ONE HUNDRED: A Fresh Start

    <h4>Chapter 100: Chapter ONE HUNDRED: A Fresh Start</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I saw was a white ceiling. Then I slowly turned my head to the side and saw my mother sobbing emotionally.

    "My baby, you are finally awake" she said then I noticed Mira behind her.

    "Mother" I called to her softly and noticed that my voice was hoarse and my throat was extremely dry.

    Mira quickly poured me a ss of water and I took a few sips before my throat felt better.

    Memories of what happened came rushing into my head, my hand immediately went to my stomach and I could feel the emptiness.

    "My baby..." I cried bitterly, the tears came out in waves.

    My mother quickly rushed to hold my hand while also crying.

    "I¡¯m so sorry my child, you have been through so much at such a young age" she said while rubbing my back gently.

    I cried for a while before calming down, it was best that I let it all out now.

    My baby is gone!

    "I am going to kill that old bitch! My baby was innocent!" I yelled angrily and tried to get out of the bed but my mother and Mira held me back.

    "The doctor said you need to rest, Mason has taken care of everything else" My mother said anxiously and I stopped struggling.

    "What did he do?" I asked her while breathing heavily.

    "He got Lauretta locked up for attempted murder, there is video evidence" she exined calmly.

    Attempted murder?

    "It wasn¡¯t an attempted murder, she killed my baby!" I yelled angrily.

    "Mother, I would like to talk to her alone" Mason¡¯s voice came from the door and I turned to see him looking at me with a serious expression.

    My mother patted my hand gently before walking out with Mira.

    "How are you feeling?" he asked as he slowly sat on the edge of the bed.

    I just stared at him calmly, waiting to hear what he wanted to say.

    "Lauretta was arrested for attempted murder and she was supposed to be put on trial but...." he paused and stared at my face.

    "Supposed?" I asked him with a frown.

    "Someone pulled some strings and she was released" he said with a sigh.

    "What do you mean she was released? How can you let that happen?" I asked him angrily while breathing hard because of how hot the anger in my chest was at the moment.

    "You know I would never let anyone hurt you and go scotfree, but there is nothing I can do about it. The ck family did everything to prevent her from going to jail and imed it was an unfortunate ident" he exined calmly.

    The ck family?

    "Kendrick helped her?!" I asked him with a frown.

    "He didn¡¯t get himself involved in the case, it was his grandfather that pulled the strings" he responded with a frown.

    He didn¡¯t get involved?

    She fucking killed our child and he didn¡¯t get involved?

    His grandfather helped her out despite knowing what she did? I guess all the old man¡¯s talks about kinship and bloodline is just a huge lie.

    The thought that Lauretta was walking around freely while my baby died makes my heart hurt badly.

    I will definitely get back at her for everything that she has done to me!

    "How long have I been unconscious?" I asked him calmly.

    "Three days," he replied with a tired expression.

    "He didn¡¯te right?" I asked him with a sad smile.

    "He has been sending Evans to check on things over here" he replied calmly without beating around the bush.

    I was happy with the fact that he wasn¡¯t making up excuses for Kendrick.

    I guess this is really how our story ends.

    Mason just kept staring at me without saying anything else.

    "When you called me that you wanted to move back home, I was surprised and thought maybe you were just missing home.

    I never thought you were leaving him for good and seeing your reaction right now, it seems like your mind is made up" he said with a gentle expression.

    I didn¡¯t say anything as I just stared at the patterns on the nket.

    "I know deep down that you are also very aware that this is the best oue for everyone. You wouldn¡¯t have been able to move onpletely as that baby would always remind you of him.

    I am not saying it¡¯s a good thing that the baby died and we can¡¯t change what has happened either, so we have no choice but to ept it" he added and I could feel the hotness of my tears as they slid down my face.

    He was right about this being the best oue, I can¡¯t even imagine how much pain and suffering he would have gone through because of the feud between our families.

    "You are just twenty, you still have a lot of opportunities to explore and grow. You said that you want to go to school right?" he asked me and I replied with a nod.

    "I will have everything sorted for you, Mira is also returning to school so I will get the both of you an apartment close to the Academy" he said and gently patted my head.

    "Thank you brother" I whispered amidst sobs.

    "Rest well, everything is fine now" he said before walking out of the room.

    I looked up at the white ceiling again and I felt calm.

    "Baby, I guess this wasn¡¯t the time for us to meet yet" I whispered while rubbing my t stomach.

    <fn8ca8> Readplete version only at Find~Novel</fn8ca8>

    I stayed for an extra three days before I finally got discharged from the hospital. Kelvin came to pick me and our mother up.

    On getting home, I found out that Mira and I would be sharing a room. It¡¯s not that there were not enough rooms in the mansion but my mother felt that doing so would make us be closer.

    "Umm I didn¡¯t know what you would like, so I bought different colors" Mira said with an awkward expression when she saw me looking at the pink bedsheets.

    "I like it" I said with a smile and she breathed a sigh of relief.

    We sat down in an awkward silence as we didn¡¯t know what to talk about.

    "I am so sorry for everything I did before, I know I was heartless and almost killed you out of jealousy and fear" she suddenly broke the silence with an apology.

    "I hope we can start afresh, I want to leave all the bad memories and experiences behind me. I don¡¯t want the past to have control over my present" I said calmly and she smiled gratefully.

    "I am not a saint that can just forgive, I haven¡¯t forgiven you yet but we have our whole life for you to convince me enough to forgive you" I added and she nodded in understanding.

    "I wasn¡¯t expecting you to forgive me immediately either. I just wanted you to know that I have changed and also hope for a fresh start" she said with a smile.

    She suddenly got up and went to the mini fridge to grab two cans of c and handed one to me.

    "To a fresh start and an unforgettable sisterhood" she said as she raised her can for a toast.

    I raised mine as well and clinked it with hers.

    "To a fresh start" I said before slowly taking a sip.

 Chapter 101 - ONE HUNDRED AND ONE: We Are Moving Out Tomorrow

    <h4>Chapter 101: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND ONE: We Are Moving Out Tomorrow</h4>

    Raina¡¯s POV

    I looked at my room and sighed. This is the ce I had spent my entire life, it held all the memories of my childhood.

    "Are you done parking?" Curtis¡¯ voice came from the doorway and I immediately turned to look at him.

    "Yes I am" I replied and he nodded.

    We fell into silence as he looked at me, I could tell he had something on his mind but was hesitating to speak.

    "Do you think he really ran away?" I asked him and he finally walked in and sat on my bed.

    I didn¡¯t want to believe what everyone was saying about my father.

    The father that I know is not such a coward.

    "I have tried to find out but there is no trace or clue to follow. It¡¯s like he suddenly vanished into thin air" he said with a deep frown.

    "Why would he just abandon us like this? And grandpa no longer cares about us, he allows that old witch to torment us every day" Iined angrily.

    "Raina, I know that I haven¡¯t been the best big brother but I promise to be with you whenever you need me. You have be more mature and no longer as childish and stubborn as before.

    I don¡¯t know what happened between you and that Mark guy, but I¡¯m happy you left him" he said with a slight smile while holding my hand gently.

    I couldn¡¯t hold back my tears as this was the first time that we were having such a moment.

    "He never liked me....He and Celeste nned to use me as a cash cow. I was so foolish" I said amidst sobs and he suddenly hugged me.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely take care of Celeste for you" he consoled me and I finally calmed down.

    "I heard that Kendrick and Christy broke up" I said and he nodded with a smile.

    " Are you going to pursue her?" I asked him but he justughed and shook his head.

    "She only saw me as a friend and because I wanted topete with Kendrick, I ruined our friendship. It took me a while to realize that I actually wasn¡¯t in love with her but rather, I was just trying to take her away from him" he said with a calm expression.

    "I am sure you will find someone that will love you immensely very soon" I said to him with a smile.

    He got up from my bed and gave me a gentle pat on the head before walking out.

    I looked around my room once more before deciding to check on my mother and see if she was all packed.

    It took a lot of courage for us to finally decide to move out of the ck family mansion. We never belonged here and now, it was very obvious that they didn¡¯t want us here anymore ever since my father was thrown out by grandpa.

    I walked down the hall and saw a maid peeping into my mother¡¯s room cautiously. I slowly and quietly walked up to her and tapped her hard on the back causing her to jump in fright.

    She immediately bowed her head and whispered an apology before running away.

    I didn¡¯t bother to stop her as I wanted to know what was happening inside that made her eavesdrop and I also didn¡¯t want to make any noise.

    I looked into the room quietly as the door wasn¡¯t properly closed.

    "It¡¯s a good thing that you are very self aware instead of pretending to be foolish and being a leech" Lauretta¡¯s disdainful voice came from inside.

    "Did you kill him?" My mother asked her but she justughed.

    "Why would I dirty my hand with his lowly blood?" She asked back amidstughter.

    "Lowly blood? Didn¡¯t you know that his blood was low and dirty when you slept with him to have Kendrick? Or when you were busy having fun with him before you fell in love with the Indian businessman?" My mother asked her with a mocking voice.

    What Indian man?

    "He would never tell you about my personal matters, Did you investigate me?" Lauretta asked angrily while ring at her.

    "Unlike when he was with you for the money, he actually loved me and shared a lot of things with me," my mother said with a smile that made Lauretta¡¯s face turn red from restrained anger.

    "Oh please, where did the love go? Didn¡¯t he also leave you for a girl of daughter¡¯s age?" Lauretta asked sharply, her eyes lingering on my mother¡¯s face.

    "I have nothing to say to you anymore Lauretta, I just hope that if you have something to do with Raymond¡¯s disappearance, you should let him go. He has suffered enough and wasted lots of years of his life being your father¡¯s pawn.

    You have no idea how much he regrets meeting you and your father" my mother said with a slightly emotional tone.

    "He regrets it? How funny, I can still remember the first day he came into this house, he was ecstatic and when he met me, he waspletely mesmerized.

    I saw how he looked at me and the greed in his eyes when the contract was handed to him. He didn¡¯t hesitate before changing his name to ck and immediately registering our marriage.

    He enjoyed everything, luxury cars, money, vacations and so on. So he really doesn¡¯t have the right to say he regrets everything" Lauretta said with a mocking voice.

    I just stood there and listened to everything they were saying. Some didn¡¯t make sense to me as I couldn¡¯t understand but I could figure out everything they meant by piecing two and two together.

    I didn¡¯t see any point in continuing to listen and I felt d that my mother was finally standing up for herself instead of crying like she always did.

    I decided to go for a walk in the garden to clear my head as a lot has happened recently.

    Things were finally falling into ce and I felt hopeful for the fresh start that I am about to embark on.

    By this time tomorrow, we will be in our own apartment that Curtis bought for us. We will finally be free from Lauretta¡¯s insults and disrespect, our mother will also have her own peace of mind.

    On getting to the garden, I sat down on the bench with a smile.

    The sky was already filled with stars and the crescent moon looked extremely beautiful tonight or maybe it¡¯s my mood that was making me see the beauty in everything.

    "What a rare sight to behold" Gary¡¯s voice came from behind me and I quickly turned back to look at him.

    "Why are you here?" I asked him, my voice sounded meaner than I intended.

    He just stared at me without saying anything and I felt ufortable under his gaze.

    "I didn¡¯t mean to sound rude, it¡¯s just that..."

    "Now you are apologizing? Did you hit your head or something?" he interrupted me with an exaggerated expression and I smiled.

    " I heard you are moving out" he said as he sat beside me on the bench.

    "How did you know?" I asked him with a frown as only a few people knew about it.

    " It seems like you are forgetting that I am Kendrick¡¯s best friend," he said with a casual smile on his face.

    Of course, how could I have forgotten. I guess it was the actual reason why I hated him.

    "We are moving out tomorrow, Curtis bought us an apartment" I said with a smile.

    "You seem quite happy," he said with a slight smile.

    "Of course I am, I think it¡¯s time to leave everything that doesn¡¯t belong to us behind. There is no use in fighting for something that would never be ours" I said with a serious expression and every time I remember how we have been humiliated by Lauretta and how the servants now treated us differently, my heart aches terribly.

    "So, what¡¯s your n now?" he asked me with a serious expression.

    I find it hard to believe sometimes, if anyone would have told me that Gary and I will be close enough to sit down together and talk, I would have probably called the person an idiot but looking at us now, I felt grateful for that night.

    <fn8388> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on find?novel</fn8388>

    The night I found out that Mark was cheating on me and about Celeste¡¯s plot. He appeared out of nowhere and gave me so much warmth.

    We just talk and enjoy each other¡¯spany and he has never tried to take advantage of me in any way.

    "I want to do my internship, so I will start applying to somepanies soon," I replied to him with a smile.

    "Why don¡¯t youe to mypany? You studiedputer science right?" he asked and I immediately nodded in response.

    "Is that really okay?" I asked him happily and he nodded.

    "Thank you" I said and hugged him out of excitement.

    When I realized what I did, I slowly pulled away from him. He seemed to have been too stunned and didn¡¯t say anything for a few seconds.

    Ring Ring!

    My phone suddenly started ringing and when I checked who was calling, I frowned deeply.

    Mark? Why was he calling me?

    I didn¡¯t pick the call, I knew Gary had also seen it. He didn¡¯t say or ask anything and I felt relieved.

    Ding?!

    Suddenly my phone chimed and I saw that Mark had sent me a video. I frowned before hitting the y button.

    As soon as I saw the content of the video, my phone fell off my hands and my body trembled.

    On seeing my reaction, Gary picked up the phone and before I could stop him, he was already watching it.

    The video was just ten seconds long but if it is uploaded on social media, my life would bepletely ruined.

    "What a lowlife, he really is disgusting" Gary said through gritted teeth after watching the video.

    Tears were already streaming down my face, I couldn¡¯t believe he recorded a video of me while I was bathing at his apartment.

    We never had sex as he said he wanted to wait until we were married and at this moment, I was d we didn¡¯t.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it, I will take care of it" Gary said and before I could react, he suddenly pulled me closer and nted a kiss on my forehead.

    I froze in shock, he immediately hurried away like he was being chased and I didn¡¯t know whether to cry orugh.

 Chapter 102 - ONE HUNDRED AND TWO: Make Them Die Of Jealousy

    <h4>Chapter 102: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND TWO: Make Them Die Of Jealousy</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    My body waspletely healed after an entire month of proper rest and I was ready to begin my new journey.

    Mason helped me to move all my stuff over from Kendrick¡¯s house and I have been home without seeing or hearing from him.

    I changed my phone number to prevent him from trying to reach me and I was healing pretty well.

    Everything felt fresh and I dyed my hair blonde and also changed my wardrobe.

    "You have been staring at that mirror for the past twenty minutes, should I be worried that you have fallen in love with yourself?" Mira teased while trying to hold back herugh.

    "I can¡¯t help it.. How can someone be this beautiful? Look at the hot figure, the lips and don¡¯t get me started on the legs" I said while checking myself out again and she finally couldn¡¯t hold back herugh.

    " Why didn¡¯t I realize that you were so narcissistic?" she asked amidstughter.

    When we were doneughing and ying around, I looked around the room again.

    "We are all packed to move to our new apartment, school starts in two days" She said with a smile.

    "Yes, I am kind of nervous about it though. You know, the new faces and characters" I said and she patted my hand gently.

    "Hey girl, you are a fucking Lancaster, people will want to attach themselves to you and will definitely beg to be your friends.

    All you need to do is focus on yourself, if you don¡¯t like anybody, just ignore him or her. It is as simple as that" Mira said with a smile and my nerves calmed down.

    I couldn¡¯t believe that I was finally going to school and I will be in the culinary department.

    "Girl, you better focus on your sses because I want to be eating some rare delicacies" she added and weughed again.

    My mother was right about us staying together because we were so close now and it felt quite surreal.

    "I got us lots of hot dresses for clubbing and hang outs" she said while looking vigntly at the doorway and Iughed.

    <fne29b> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n findnovel</fne29b>

    "You can finally go over to Jasper¡¯s ce without worrying about our parents" I whispered and her face immediately turned red.

    She has changed so much or let me put it this way, she has always been like this but she hid it and pretended to be mean.

    "He still doesn¡¯t trust me fully after everything that happened but he isn¡¯t avoiding me anymore" she said with a sad smile.

    "I am sure he loves you and he has definitely seen how much you have changed" I said as I pulled her into a side hug.

    "Thanks sis, and don¡¯t worry, you are going to see so many handsome boys that would want to hang out with us" she said andughed as she was wiggling one of her eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

    "What am I hearing about handsome boys?" Kelvin¡¯s voice came from the doorway and we jumped in shock as we never heard his footsteps.

    "Can you stop working like a ghost, this is not the military base" Mira said while still holding her chest.

    "Why would you be so shocked if you weren¡¯t up to no good?" he asked us with a smirk and we red at him.

    "I am thinking of getting both of you a bodyguard each, just for safety reasons" he said and our res became sharper.

    "Your eyes can¡¯t do anything to medies, they will only bulge out of their sockets and make you ugly" he said with a smirk and I threw a pillow at him.

    "Isn¡¯t your girlfriend in our school as well? Let¡¯s see what she thinks of you when we bad mouth you to her" Mira said and his smirk immediately faded.

    "My beautiful and lovely sisters" he immediately switched to a huge ttering smile and we giggled.

    "Her name is Valentina, I already told her about the both of you. She is in her second year and also in the same department as Christy" he said with a smile and weughed at him.

    This was like the thousandth time that he was saying this exact thing about his girlfriend.

    "Kelvin, why aren¡¯t the three of you down yet?" mother¡¯s voice came from downstairs and we red at him again.

    "Mother said that I should tell youdies toe downstairs for dinner" he said while taking small steps to the door.

    By the time we got up from the bed, he was already running away, so we chased after him.

    "How many times will I tell the three of you to stop running on the stairs?" mother yelled at us but you could see the smile on her face as she looked at us.

    We all sat down for dinner, Grandfather and Mason were also present but father was out of the country on official duty.

    "I want the both of you to be on your best behavior and do not forget the family you came from as everything you do out there will reflect on the family¡¯s reputation and integrity" Grandpa began his usual lecture.

    "You will...."

    "you will meet people of different backgrounds, the high ss, the middle ss and the lower ss but never look down on anyone as humility is one of thepulsory qualities that a person is supposed to have and always be honest, fair and avoid evil gatherings andmunication" I continued what he wanted to say and he sighed tiredly.

    "You little brat" he said but there was no hint of anger in his expression.

    "We will be fine grandpa, all you have to do is make sure our cards are well charged" Mira said and we allughed.

    "You better focus on your academics and I better not catch you sneaking off to the mall when you are supposed to be in school" he warned us and we nodded as usual.

    "Okay girls, sleep early as you will be moving tomorrow morning" mother said when we were done with dinner.

    "Yes mother" we said before hurrying back to our room.

    Mira now addresses her as mother as well, we all felt that she wouldn¡¯t feel so lonely if she had someone to call a mother.

    We didn¡¯t want her to be held back by the fact that both her parents were dead. At first it was awkward but now the awkwardness was gone.

    As soon as we entered the room, I immediately rushed to the cupboard and brought out the small listening device that Callie had put in my bag. I switched it on and ced it on the table with a smile.

    "Oh my gosh, I can¡¯t believe grandpa got you a diamond ne, Christy I am so jealous of you right now" Mira said with a slightly jealous tone.

    "Not just the ne, he also bought me a Maserati and I asked him to get you one too" I said while holding back myugh.

    "That¡¯s so nice of you, what about the trip to the Maldives?" she asked with a slightly exaggerated tone.

    "That would be next month," I replied with a calm voice.

    "Mother is probably calling us, let¡¯s go" I said before swiftly switching the device off again.

    Weughed so hard that tears came out of our eyes. It took us a few minutes to calm down.

    "That should be enough for them to die of jealousy for the next one week" Mira said with a grin.

    It was her idea to make whoever was listening to die of envy and jealousy.

    We talk about luxury items that we got, most of which were lies but the listener wouldn¡¯t be able to tell because our family can get all those things for us if we wanted them.

    I can already imagine Callie¡¯s twisted expressions whenever she listens to our conversations.

 Chapter 103 - ONE HUNDRED AND THREE: Play The Fool A Little Longer

    <h4>Chapter 103: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND THREE: y The Fool A Little Longer</h4>

    Callie¡¯s POV

    Everything has be quite frustrating and nothing is going ording to n.

    Mark is barely at home these days and he never tells me where he goes. The only thing I know is that the old witch has put the ns against Christy on hold.

    How the hell would she suddenly halt everything without considering the time we have wasted oning up with the ns.

    "Why are you always walking around so annoyingly?" a mocking voice came from behind me.

    And there was this little witch that keeps getting on my nerves every single day.

    "Piper, it seems like you want me to put my hands on you! You better watch your mouth or else I will tear it apart for you" I yelled at her angrily.

    "All you know is how to shout and behave like a shrew, if you put that same energy into something meaningful, you won¡¯t be so useless" she said with a provocative smile.

    "You little bitch!" I yelled angrily and she didn¡¯t even flinch.

    "You better learn to control yourself and stop all these unnecessary shouting. I won¡¯t mind bursting those silicon balls on your chest the next time you try to damage my ear drums" she threatened and I took a step back in fear as I knew how evil and heartless she can be.

    I knew she was definitely plotting something with Mark but they refused to let me in on the n.

    "You must be wondering why we excluded you from our ns and the answer is very simple, you¡¯re just simply annoying and stupid" she said with a mocking expression that almost drove me crazy.

    I am tired of everyone calling me stupid and foolish!

    I will definitely show them what I am made of and by then, they would never underestimate me again.

    I went into the bedroom and shut the door angrily. That little witch always had a way of getting me extremely pissed.

    I opened an app on my phone and I saw a recorded voice note.

    <fn84ef> For more chapters visit f?ndnovel</fn84ef>

    Mark and Piper called me stupid and used me of not turning on the listening device when I put it in Christy¡¯s bag.

    They abandoned the n but I was very certain that I turned it on, so I secretly downloaded the app and stole the necessary connection details from hisptop and now, I can listen to Christy¡¯s conversations.

    The device seems to be having some malfunctions as it onlyes on, once in a while.

    Luckily for me, the conversations automatically save as voice notes which I can listen to anytime I feel like it.

    I put on my headset before clicking on the voice note.

    As soon as I heard the first sentence, I felt a wave of jealousy.

    What makes her so lucky and special, I can still remember how she was willing to eat leftovers at my house back then.

    A Maserati and diamond ne?

    Why was God so unfair? Haven¡¯t I suffered enough?

    She is living the best life while I am stuck in an apartment with Mark and that little witch.

    I don¡¯t have any money and he hardly gives me money anymore. All he knows how to do is thrust his stupid dick relentlessly.

    Why did I even settle for him? Was it not because I just wanted what Christy had.

    Then I slowly got attached to him but now, things have changed and I need money to live the kind of lifestyle that I deserve.

    Maldives? Is that supposed to be some kind of a fancy ce?.

    How is going there a big deal, she is still acting like a poor girl despite having everything. She is so easily satisfied.

    If I was in her ce, I would definitely get more things than her.

    When the voice note ended, I angrily tossed the headset aside.

    "Would things have been different if I didn¡¯t betray her? Would she have taken me with her when she was returning to her real family?" I murmured to myself and my heart clenched painfully.

    I would have probably met a rich second generation heir and lived afortable life while swimming in luxury.

    But there is no medicine for regret and I can¡¯t turn back the hands of time.

    "Oh my god! What happened to you?" Piper¡¯s panicked voice came from the sitting room and I also heard the sound of the front door opening.

    I hurried out of the bedroom and was shocked by the scene that greeted me.

    "Mark!" I screamed as I rushed to his side.

    He was all bloodied and covered in bruises, his face was barely recognizable and his legs were also bleeding profusely.

    Whoever did this to him made sure to avoid vital parts of his body and definitely didn¡¯t have the intention to kill him or else he would have been dead.

    "That bitch!" he said through gritted teeth and blood flowed out of the corner of his lips.

    "What happened? Did you get the money?" Piper asked him anxiously.

    My ears immediately perked up when I heard her mention money.

    I only had a hunch before but now I am very certain that they were definitely doing things behind my back.

    "What would you mean if I got the money? Are you blind?" Mark said with difficulty as his face twisted in anger and pain.

    "How am I supposed to trust you? You can do all these things to yourself just so you can keep all the money" she replied angrily to him.

    "What nonsense are you talking about? Can¡¯t you see how badly injured he looks? And what money are you talking about?!" I yelled at her angrily but she just gave me a lopsided grin.

    "Babe, please help me up and get the first aid kits, the cuts are not deep. They just gave me a warning and I will definitely get my revenge on that bitch" he said angrily.

    "Who is the fucking bitch?" I asked him angrily and he gave me a hesitant expression.

    " It¡¯s that stupid and gullible Raina, she suddenly became smart and can now scheme against me" he said through gritted teeth as his clenched fists trembled in anger.

    So that¡¯s what they have been up to, I remember telling him to ckmail her with her shower video but he told me that it was a stupid idea. Then he went behind my back to do it and things didn¡¯t work out well for him.

    "So your n was to get the money and abandon me right?" I asked him angrily and he immediately shook his head.

    "No baby, I told you that my n is to take you abroad and start a family of our own but that old hag suddenly ruined things for us. That¡¯s why I decided to take your advice and ckmail Raina but she tricked me to a location and had me tortured" he exined quickly but I wasn¡¯t buying that shit.

    But I have no choice but to put up with it for the time being. I will get rid of him as soon as I catch a wealthy man that can take care of me.

    "It¡¯s fine baby, just rx. I believe you" I said with a sweet smile and he breathed a sigh of relief while Piper hissed.

    I am good at acting easy to manipte, so I can y the fool for a while longer,

 Chapter 104 - ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR: An Unexpected Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 104: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR: An Unexpected Reunion</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    Everything about the new apartment is perfect, Mira and I had our own rooms for privacy reasons but we share the sitting room, kitchen and every other thing.

    Iid on my bed and stared at the ceiling as I couldn¡¯t sleep. Just the thought of tomorrow being my first day at school made me super nervous.

    My mind suddenly drifted to him but I quickly shook my head to clear it out.

    This is my new start and I won¡¯t mess it up.

    Knock knock!

    I didn¡¯t bother to ask who was at the door, as Mira and I were the only ones in the apartment.

    "Hey, sleeping?" she asked after opening the door slightly.

    "No, I¡¯m just kind of nervous for tomorrow," I replied truthfully.

    I didn¡¯t see the point in hiding anything and it seems like she was also having the same issue.

    "Me too" she said as she walked into my room and shut the door behind her.

    I made space for her on the bed and she swiftly got in. We both stared at the ceiling for a while without saying anything.

    "You know, I am actually kind of scared and also nervous. Scared because I¡¯m afraid of what people will say about me and the way they would gossip about me and nervous because I don¡¯t know how I would react in such a situation" she said with a slightly sad voice that made my heart ache for her.

    "Why would they gossip about you?" I asked her with a frown as she wasn¡¯t someone that could get bullied easily.

    "You know I dropped out of school in my second year just because I wanted my mother¡¯s attention. Now that I am going back, I want to start all over again, from year one.

    My previous coursemates, that¡¯s my set before I dropped out, are all in their finals now, so you can guess how they would react when they see me" she exined briefly.

    I slowly moved over and pulled her into a tight hug as that was the only thing I could offer her at the moment.

    "Come on girl, we have got this! We will go to school tomorrow and take the entire campus by storm. They wouldn¡¯t be able to forget the day that the Lancaster sisters stormed their campus" I said while hugging her tightly and she finallyughed.

    "Thanks sis" she whispered softly.

    "Anytime" I replied to her with a smile.

    We slowly drifted into the dream world and by the time I opened my eyes again, it was already 6AM in the morning.

    "Mimi wake up" I said while giving her gentle taps on the back.

    She opened her eyes but it took her a few seconds to reboot. I couldn¡¯t stop myself fromughing as she looked quite funny with her early morning silly expression.

    "Why are youughing?" she asked with a confused expression that made meugh even harder.

    "Come on, go get ready. We don¡¯t want to bete on our first day of school" I said while dragging her out of bed.

    She quickly left to go to her room to get ready and I immediately went into the bathroom to get ready as well.

    By 8AM, we were set to leave the house. I wore a beautiful blue bodycon gown that showed off my figure and ck sandal heels that highlighted my long legs. My hair was parked into a high ponytail.

    Mira was wearing a short brown leader skirt coupled with a ck armless top and ck knee length fashion boots. Her hair was styled into deep waves.

    Overall, we looked breathtaking and we were ready for campus!

    We have been waiting for quite a while now but our driver hasn¡¯t shown up.

    "What¡¯s keeping him?!" Mira was starting to get pissed and I was tired of waiting as well.

    Then, a sh of white caught my eyes and I turned to get a clearer view. When I saw it clearly, I turned to look at Mira, who also had an equally stunned expression on her face.

    Two Maseratis!

    Two fucking Maseratis!

    Kelvin got out of the white one and our driver got out of the second one which was red in color.

    "Welldies, Grandfather feels that it would be better for you to have your own cars to avoid the inconvenience of waiting for each other everyday" he said as he handed the key to the white one to me.

    The driver also handed the key to the red one to Mira, who still hadn¡¯t snapped out of her shock.

    I can¡¯t believe we just made up a lie about getting a Maserati a few days ago and now it was actually happening.

    Could grandpa be spying on us?

    This weird question came to my mind but I quickly shook my head as it made no sense.

    "Won¡¯t the both of you say anything? What¡¯s wrong with you?" Kelvin asked us with a frown when we still didn¡¯t react.

    His voice seemed to have snapped us out of our daze as we finally looked at each other.

    "Arrrrrrrrrrrttgggghhhh!"

    We let out an earth shattering scream and Kelvin had to cover his ears to prevent his eardrums from getting damaged.

    "Is that why you and big brother insisted that we learn how to drivest month?" I asked him with a smile and he nodded.

    They forced us to get our driver¡¯s licensesst month. It seems like they had such a huge surprise nned all along.

    "Okaydies, goodluck on your first day" he said to us with a smile.

    We quickly ran to our respective cars and as soon as I got into mine, I felt like I was heaven because only heaven could be used to describe such beauty.

    The drive to the campus took us less than twenty minutes and as soon as we drove in, all eyes were on our cars.

    I felt weird with so many people looking at me and I just sat in the car after parking. Mira knocked on my window and I finally mustered the courage to step down.

    The students continued staring at us, probably trying to guess who we were then there was a sudden gasp from the side.

    "Oh my gosh, Mimi?!" a high pitched scream followed the gasp then a sudden rush of footsteps.

    <fn51b8> For more chapters visit Find¡ïNovel</fn51b8>

    A short red haired girl ran over and gave Mira a huge hug.

    "Am I dreaming? Someone please pinch me!" she screamed emotionally while still hugging her.

    "It¡¯s good to see you again Celine," Mira said while hugging her back.

    "This is Christy, she is my sister" she introduced me to her friend after they were done hugging.

    "Hi, I¡¯m Celine," she said and extended her hand for a handshake.

    "It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Celine" I said to her with a smile as I gave her a handshake.

    "I couldn¡¯t believe it when Mrs Jackson told me that you wereing back to school. I am so proud of you. I heard about your mother, I wanted toe over but I didn¡¯t know how you would react" Celine said with a sad voice.

    "I¡¯m so sorry for being so rude and mean to you when you visited" Mira apologized and they hugged again.

    It seemed like they were forgetting that we were still surrounded by a crowd of curious onlookers.

    "I was appointed by the fashion design department to wee you and give you a tour of the school" Celine said to Mira before turning to look at me.

    "Your department must have also appointed someone for you, what department are you?" she asked me.

    "Culinary department" I replied and she quickly looked around the crowd for someone.

    "I saw Ashton Coleman, he is the top student of your department and the one that usually wees the new students" she said while still ncing round in a bid to locate the person.

    Ashton?

    There was no way he would be the person in my memories.

    "Ashton, over here!" she yelled and I quickly turned in the direction she was waving.

    No fucking way!

    How is this possible?

    My eyes were glued on the guy that was rushing over and when he stood in front of me, he had a stunned expression on his face.

    "Umm... Do you guys know each other?" Mira asked when she saw our reactions.

    "Yes, I knew him when we were kids" I said to her but he was just focused on my face.

    "Ashton, this is....."

    "I know, Christy Scott" he interrupted Celine when she wanted to make introductions.

    "Christy Lancaster, not Scott" Mira corrected him with a frown.

    She knew how much I hated being associated with the Scott family after everything they did to me.

    "Hi Christy" he said with a smile.

    "Hi Ashton" I replied to him with a smile as well.

    "I think we should go somewhere more private because some people are recording," Celine said anxiously and we all walked into the school building.

    I could still feel lots of gazes on me but I didn¡¯t care at this moment as all I could think of were the numerous questions that I have for Ashton.

 Chapter 105 - ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE: A Friendly Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 105: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE: A Friendly Reunion</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    Celine led us to a quiet corner where we could talk without being watched by everyone.

    "What happened to you?" I asked Ashton and he smiled.

    "What did you hear about me back then?" he asked me instead of answering my question.

    "The olddy at the orphanage said that you were adopted by a wealthy family" I replied to him truthfully.

    Everything happened so suddenly back then, one evening we were still ying around, the next morning he was gone and I never saw him again.

    "The truth is my biological father actually came for me but everyone thinks I am adopted" he said with a slight smile and I frowned.

    "Why would your father not announce your identity? I remember you told me that he and your mother were a very loving couple before he went to the capital and she lost contact with him.

    Even when she died, he didn¡¯te back to take you and now he..." I said but suddenly stopped talking when I remembered that we were not alone.

    <fn5da2> The rightful source is find?novel</fn5da2>

    I gave him an apologetic smile for blurting out so much as I wasn¡¯t sure he wanted others to find out about his life.

    "It is fine, Celine is a good friend of mine and she is your sister right?" he asked as he nced at Mira.

    "Yes she is and she wouldn¡¯t tell anyone" I replied quickly.

    "Mira, this is Ashton, we were friends when we were kids. He was one of the few people that truly epted me back then" I introduced her to him.

    "Nice to meet you Ashton and thank you for taking care of her" she said as she gave him a handshake.

    "It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you" he said calmly as he shook her hand.

    "So let me just give you a brief exnation of what happened. My father cheated on my mother when he came to the capital to work. He got married to a rich heiress and had to change his name to her family¡¯s name. Apparently he married into the family, he ignored us and never came back and the Heiress was aware that he had a son and a wife in his hometown but she didn¡¯t care.

    She even secretly came to warn my mother and threw a pile of cash on her, that was the cause of my mother¡¯s depression that consequently led to her death.

    Even when my father learnt about her death, he didn¡¯te for me. Instead he gave money to the olddy at the orphanage to take care of me.

    A few monthster, he suddenly came to take me to the capital, apparently his precious wife was worried that I would bring them trouble in the future, so they brought me here to keep their eyes on me and prevent such from happening" he narrated with a calm expression.

    He spoke like he wasn¡¯t talking about himself but rather he was telling someone else¡¯s story.

    "It¡¯s good you are fine, Ash. I was so worried back then" I said as I gave him a hug.

    "The truth will definitelye out some day, so it¡¯s best you know now" he said as he hugged me back.

    We pulled away a few secondster and he looked at his watch.

    "Your first ss is starting in fifteen minutes, so we have to go," he said to me.

    "Come on Mira, we have to go too. You don¡¯t need a tour as you are already quite familiar with the campus and there hasn¡¯t been any significant changes in the past two years" Celine said to Mira.

    "See youter sis" Mira said to me before walking away with her.

    "Let¡¯s talk and walk" Ashton said as it seemed like he had something else to tell me.

    "You seem really close to Mira, are you sure she is trustworthy?" he suddenly asked me.

    "Of course I am sure, but if you weren¡¯t certain she was trustworthy, then why did you tell her about your family?" I asked him with a frown.

    "That¡¯s just the surface that anyone can find out if they investigate me, so it¡¯s not a big deal. I left out the deeper details" he replied with a smile.

    "You always think ahead of time," I said with a littleugh.

    "You can trust Mira, she has changed a lot" I said with a serious expression and he nodded.

    "I saw that video online back then and wanted toe find you but I was under house arrest" he said and I froze.

    The video that was released by Celeste at the engagement party.

    "It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m with my real family now and that¡¯s all in the past" I said after snapping out of my initial shock.

    "And what do you mean by you were under house arrest?" I asked him with a frown.

    "My stepmother¡¯s family is a very influential military family. They are very strict and would never tolerate anything that threatens their reputation" he said with a sigh.

    "Which family is that?" I asked him as I was quite familiar with most of the influential military families as my grandfather felt it was important to be on good terms with them.

    "The Michaelson family" he replied and I suddenly stopped walking.

    "Now I am very certain that your stepmother is a vicious character" I said with a disgusted expression.

    "They hate your family," he said with a chuckle.

    "We hate them too, they never y fair in anything" I said with a slight anger.

    The Michaelson family is the third most influential military family in Country N, the second being the Williams and the first the Lancasters.

    The Williams are very calm and easy going and my family is on good terms with them but the Michaelson family members are greedy and are always looking for ways to bring down the other two.

    "I guess we will have to be careful how we interact with each other, as they would want to use me to get to your family" he said and I nodded.

    He was right about them, they would never let go of such an opportunity.

    By the time we realized it, we were already standing in front of a ssroom door. He knocked on it gently and the door was opened by a middle aged man. He had blonde hair and blue eyes with a very good facial structure.

    "Ashton, my boy," he said with a heavy Italian ent.

    "Hello Sir Sebastian, this is Christy, the new student" Ashton introduced me to the man.

    The man observed from head to toe with his eyes with a serious expression then he suddenly gave me a wide smile that gave me goosebumps.

    "Wee beautiful" he said while still maintaining his smile and I smiled back.

    "Thank you, Sir Sebastian," I said.

    "I also have a ss, so I will leave her to you" Ashton said to him with a respectful smile.

    "I will see youter" he said to me before walking away.

    "Come in," Sebastian said and I stepped into the ssroom.

    I was surprised by what I saw, as it looked nothing like a regr ssroom.

    It looked more like a huge kitchen and ssroom merged together and students were seated in twos.

    "Introduce yourself to everyone" He said to me and I nodded before taking a few steps to the front of the ss, just like I practiced with Mira.

    "Hello everyone, my name is Christy. Please take care of me" I said with a smile when I noticed that all eyes were on me.

    "Wee" they all said in unison.

    Some gave me a polite smile, some were busy looking at my clothes and some were just nonchnt.

    "Take the empty seat at the back" Sebastian instructed and I nodded before walking to the seat.

    When I looked at my seat mate, I was first stunned but quickly adjusted my expression as I didn¡¯t want to be rude.

    He was quite handsome but had a lot of piercings and tattoos. But there were no tattoos on his face but his ears and eyebrows were pierced.

    His hands and fingers were covered in tattoos and his hair was dyed in fiery red color.

    "Hello, I¡¯m Christy" I said to him with a smile.

    "I¡¯m not deaf" he said with a frown without bothering to look at me.

    I decided to ignore him and focus as the ss was about to start.

 Chapter 106 - ONE HUNDRED AND SIX: A Petty Scheme

    <h4>Chapter 106: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND SIX: A Petty Scheme</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    It has been a month since everything happened and I haven¡¯t seen Christy since that day.

    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to face her and I also knew that it was the best thing to do for her safety.

    But it isn¡¯t as easy as I had imagined it to be, I thought it wouldn¡¯t hurt so much and I would forget about her in no time.

    I find it hard to sleep at night as the scene of her being pushed down by my mother and covered with blood that led to the death of our child still haunts me.

    I have been avoiding my mother ever since as I didn¡¯t know what I would do to her if she was to appear in front of me.

    But she has been constantlying to thepany and trying to act smart with me, unaware that everything was within my control.

    And today was one of those days that she would be left embarrassed again.

    Knock knock!

    The sudden knock on my office door pulled me out of my thoughts.

    "Come in," I said calmly.

    The door opened and Evans stepped in with a file in his hand.

    "Boss, here is the marketing report that you requested for" he said while carefully cing the file on my desk.

    "How is the recruiting process for a new secretary going?" I asked him while ncing through the file.

    "Sir, most of the applicants with the appropriate qualifications aredies and you specifically said not to employ a female secretary" he replied with a frustrated voice.

    "So there is no man that is willing to be my secretary?" I asked him as I nced at him with a frown.

    "Boss, you... YouYou know how things have been recently" he stuttered.

    "So you are saying that no man came for the interview because I have fired five male secretaries in a month?" I asked him coldly and he looked even more frustrated.

    "Yes Boss, everyone now thinks that you don¡¯t want a male secretary and that¡¯s the reason you keep firing them" he replied with a tired expression.

    I dropped the file and stared while trying toe up with a good solution.

    "Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s employ a female secretary. Make sure she is nothing like thest one and ensure you screen her properly" I instructed him and he took a deep breath of relief.

    "Okay Boss, I already have one in mind," he said with a smile.

    "Who?" I asked while flipping through the marketing file again.

    "Elena Alvarez, she was the best among all the applicants" he said.

    "Alvarez? Doesn¡¯t her family have a bigpany?" I asked him with a frown.

    "She said she needed space to grow," he replied swiftly.

    "You better keep your eyes on her, I will hold you responsible if she messes up" I warned and he nodded with a serious expression.

    I had refused to have a female secretary ever since my previous one misbehaved with Christy.

    I guess this is a sign that I was slowly moving on.

    "Any news about her? What has she been up to?" I asked him while still going through the file.

    "Today is her first day at school and the old man got her a Maserati, she should be in ss now" he replied quickly.

    I didn¡¯t need to mention her name before he understood who I was talking about.

    "He is really spoiling her huh?" I chuckled calmly.

    "How is her health?" I asked him without lifting my head from the file I was reading.

    <fn1eef> Follow current nov?ls on F¦ÉndNovel</fn1eef>

    "The doctor said she was fine now and there were noplications" he replied and I nodded.

    As long as she is okay and happy.

    "Boss, the meeting that was organized by Madam is about to start. She invited the shareholders and top executives. I think she must really have a good trick up her sleeves at the moment" he informed me and I immediately closed the file before grabbing my jacket.

    "Let¡¯s go and watch her make a fool of herself" I said as I walked out of my office and headed straight for the conference room.

    As soon as I stepped in, all eyes were on me and my mother was already seated at the head of the table. I smiled and calmly walked towards her.

    "Mother, it seems like you mistakenly took the wrong seat," I said calmly.

    " I am sitting on what is rightfully mine" she said while ring at me.

    "Evans, call security" I instructed as I wasn¡¯t in the mood to y word games with her.

    "How dare you!" she yelled angrily when she saw that Evans was really calling security.

    She red at me again before standing up in anger and taking the next chair.

    I slowly sat down on the chair that is meant for only the CEO of thepany. I looked around the room and saw some allies and foes.

    Curtis was also present and Raymond¡¯s seat was empty as he still hasn¡¯t been found.

    "Let¡¯s begin" I instructed and the atmosphere immediately became tense.

    "We were all invited by Madam ck, so she should please tell us what is so important that she set up this meeting without the permission of the CEO" I said while looking at her.

    She threw me a re before quickly adjusting her clothes and stood up with a confident smile.

    "I know that you are all very busy people, but I found out something which would be detrimental to the entirepany if it isn¡¯t resolved now" she said with a serious expression.

    The shareholders immediately became more focused after hearing her words and I must admit, I was quite curious as well.

    "Yesterday, while going through the ount, I found out that a transfer of one million dors was made to an overseas ount. I confirmed this multiple times, so I can boldly say that someone is embezzlingpany funds" she rounded up her statement and the entire room was filled with murmurs and whispers.

    Curtis had a smile on his face and he was probably enjoying the show.

    "How is this possible?"

    "The only person that can authorize such a huge transaction is the CEO"

    "CEO ck, you have to give us a good exnation"

    The shareholders were angry and the oldest among them, directly demanded an exnation from me.

    "Well, I am very aware of what Madam ck is talking about and I had already made sure it was well rectified.

    Apparently, the bank had a slight glitch and the money was reversed after I made it known to them" I said calmly before gesturing to Evans to show them the current report.

    My mother grabbed one of the papers in panic and when she saw what was on it, she ran out of the room in panic.

    "Since there is no issue, have a great day everyone" I said before walking out of the room as well.

    "You heartless bastard!" my mother¡¯s furious voice came to my ears as soon as I stepped into my office.

    "I guess I inherited being heartless and wicked from you" I replied to her calmly.

    "You want your brother dead?!" she asked angrily.

    "My brother? Howe I don¡¯t remember ever having a brother?" I asked her with a smile and she became even more mad with anger.

    "Grandpa told me that he offered to help you with the money but you refused. So this was your n all along? Transfer money from thepany¡¯s ount and frame me, thereby saving your son and also removing from the position of CEO. What a marvelous scheme?" I said with a mocking smirk.

    "His help came with conditions that I can¡¯t ept!" she yelled angrily.

    "He said that your son would have nothing to do with thepany but you refused because you want him to be in charge of thepany" I said with a serious expression.

    "It is rightfully his!" she yelled angrily at me.

    "And you think that I would just let him take what belongs to me? Is he worthy?" I asked her angrily.

    "Now let me tell you, if he gets better andes to country N with the intention of fighting with me, then you should be prepared to attend his funeral" I warned and she took a step back in fear.

    I was done being calm with her, it was time to make her know her ce once and for all.

    "You better go to your father and tell him that you ept his offer or else you want your precious son to die. I heard he only has a maximum of one week left if the surgery isn¡¯t done" I said while looking into her eyes. She couldn¡¯t hide her fear and her body trembled slightly.

    "Evans, see her out" I instructed before sitting down to continue working.

 Chapter 107 - ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN: A Spoiled Princess Bully

    <h4>Chapter 107: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN: A Spoiled Princess Bully</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    Everything has been going well for the past two days and today is my third day at school.

    I was fitting in pretty well with some of my coursemates.

    There were some that were being rude and unreasonable but I definitely don¡¯t give a fuck about them.

    Then there is my Seatmate, all he does is sleep during lectures and only participates in practicals just like right now.

    "Today, we are going to be making one of my favorite soups, The French Onion soup" Sir Sebastian began after carefully arranging the ingredients in front of us.

    "We will make it rich and simple. I want everyone to pay close attention to each step and I will exin as we proceed" he said and I immediately sat up straight and brought out my notepad to take notes.

    "You know the recipe can be easily found online right?" a calm male voice came from my side and I turned to look at him in shock.

    This was the first time that he was taking the initiative to say anything to me.

    "What¡¯s with that expression?" he asked me with a frown and I smiled.

    "I still don¡¯t know your name" I replied after snapping out of my initial shock.

    "Dexter" he said with a bored expression.

    "Okay, nice to finally have a normal conversation with you Dexter" I said with a smile but he didn¡¯t return it, instead he looked away.

    I felt a hot gaze on me and turned in the direction. I was not surprised to see Emily ring at me as usual.

    I don¡¯t know if I was the one overthinking or she had something wrong with her eyes because that bitch has been ring at me since my first day in this school.

    I already have a strong hatred for the name Emily because of what happened with Piper and it is definitely going to rub off on her if she pisses me off.

    I ignored her and Dexter also stopped talking, so I just focused on what Sir Sebastian was saying.

    "It takes fifty five minutes to be fully prepared, with a prep time of fifteen minutes and cook time of forty minutes. But it could also take a longer time, depending on the speed of the chef" he said and I quickly jotted down the points.

    "Before we get into cooking, we first need to know what we are cooking. So I am going to give a brief introduction of our selected dish.

    French onion soup, or soupe ¨¤ l¡¯oignon gratin¨¦e, is a ssic French dish made with caramelized onions and beef stock or broth. The soup is topped with bread and cheese, then gratin¨¦ed to rich, gooey perfection. It¡¯s traditionally served in a ramekin or a ceramic crock with a handle." he said and showed us the ceramic crock. He handed it to the person in front to pass round.

    "Then another very important thing that you need to note is choosing the type of cheese that¡¯s best for making this soup.

    French onion soup is traditionally topped with Gruy¨¨re, but other cheeses can be used. Most French onion soups are topped with three cheeses for maximum decadence.

    This recipe calls for Parmesan, provolone, and Swiss. Other popr choices include Fontina and mozzare. No matter which cheeses you choose, make sure not to skimp! French onion soup should be rich and satisfying." he added while showing us the different kinds of cheese he wants to use.

    "Can we get to the cooking and tasting already?" A student asked from the front row and the entire ss erupted inughter.

    "We can¡¯t skip this part Anthony, because I want you to know what a French Onion soup looks and tastes like, so you wouldn¡¯t be deceived and you wouldn¡¯t make a terrible concoction while telling everyone that you are my student" Sir Sebastian said to him and we allughed again.

    I feel really excited everytime I learn a new dish because I make sure to practice it when I get home.

    "Now, what are the best onions for French onion soup?

    French onion soup is traditionally made with thinly sliced yellow onions. You can also make delicious soup with red or white onions ¨C it just depends on your vor preferences and what you have on hand." he continued and we all listened attentively.

    Then he went on to exin how to store the soup, how to reheat it and how to freeze it.

    After exining everything theoretically, he finally started the long awaited practical.

    By the time he was done, the entire ss room was filled with the aroma of the soup. We all got to taste it and it was heavenly.

    "You are such a foodie" Dexter said when he saw the way I was happy after being served a bowl.

    "I admit that I am a foodie, do you need help with yours?" I asked him while trying to reach for his own but he quickly moved it away.

    "How stingy" I said with a pout and heughed slightly.

    I was shocked to hear himughing and couldn¡¯t react for a few seconds.

    "What? I know that I am very handsome but you don¡¯t have to drool over me" he said with a smirk when he noticed my expression.

    "I have seen more handsome guys" I said and Kendrick¡¯s face suddenly shed through my mind.

    "Are you okay?" Dexter asked and I noticed the frown on his face.

    I guess I couldn¡¯t control my emotions again. I sighed and slowly took a sip of my soup.

    "Dexter, I am having a birthday party at my house this weekend, this is the invite" Emily said loudly while stretching an invitation card towards Dexter.

    I didn¡¯t even notice when she walked over and she just acted like I was invisible. She raised her voice on purpose to get everyone¡¯s attention.

    Dexter just focused on his soup without bothering to look at her or collect the invite.

    "Dexter, I said...."

    "I heard you the first time and I¡¯m not interested" he interrupted her coldly.

    There were faint sounds of suppressedughter in the ssroom as no one wanted to be her scapegoat.

    I didn¡¯t know why everyone is so scared of her but I found out from Ashton that she was his half sister.

    Apparently she is the little princess of the Michaelson family and she always gets what she wants, she is also one of the big bullies on campus.

    "What are you allughing about? How dare youugh at me?! She yelled angrily while looking around the ss.

    "Something funny happened, that¡¯s why weughed" I replied to her with a mocking smile.

    Her face immediately turned red with anger as she red at me with hatred.

    <fn3362> Chapters first released on Find?Novel</fn3362>

    "Bitch! Did I talk to you? How dare you act like you are untouchable, do you know who I am?!" she barked furiously.

    "She is a Lancaster and that gives her the right to be proud and put you in your fucking ce" Mira¡¯s angry voice came from the door and I turned to see her storming over.

    Emily expression instantly became tensed when she saw Mira, it looked like they had a history or something.

    "You better watch your mouth and stay away from my sister or else I will make your life miserable" Mira threatened meanly.

    I could see the previous Mira and realized that this was also a part of her that she only showed to people that she doesn¡¯t like.

    "Let¡¯s go" I didn¡¯t notice Ashton behind her before and he just red at Emily before looking back at me.

    "Wow, isn¡¯t this beautiful? You are siding with outsiders to bully me,you better be prepared for what¡¯sing. My mother will never let you go!" Emily yelled at him angrily.

    I immediately became worried as I didn¡¯t want him to get hurt because of a silly misunderstanding.

    "You better keep your mouth shut if you don¡¯t want me to get involved" Dexter suddenly said and the ss fell into a deep silence.

    Emily looked at him in shock before ring at me and storming away angrily.

    "Won¡¯t she make things difficult for youter? I asked Ashton worriedly.

    He just smiled and shook his head before walking towards Dexter.

    "Thanks Dex" he said and they did a special handshake.

    "You guys know each other?" I asked them with a confused expression.

    "I met himst year and I was the one that recruited him to the culinary department. He saved my life and I found out that he was a good cook" Ashton exined briefly.

    I noticed that Mira¡¯s expression was still tense and unfocused.

    "What¡¯s wrong?" I asked her with a frown and she forced a smile.

    "Tell me" I insisted and she sighed heavily.

    " I saw him outside just now, I don¡¯t know why he is in the school but whatever it is, I just don¡¯t want him anywhere near you" She said through gritted teeth.

    Who else would make her so pissed if not Kendrick.

    Why was he here?

 Chapter 108 - ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT: Meeting Again

    <h4>Chapter 108: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT: Meeting Again</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I don¡¯t know why he suddenly came to the school and I didn¡¯t want to talk about it either.

    "Let¡¯s go, just ignore him if you see" Mira said to me and I nodded.

    Ashton and Dexter seemed to have noticed my mood and were giving me inquisitive nces but I didn¡¯t want to talk about it so I immediately grabbed my bag and walked out.

    But I guess that no matter how we try to avoid certain things, they always happen.

    As soon as I stepped out of the ssroom, Mira and the others caught up and we were heading for the cafeteria.

    "Christy, can you spare a few minutes" Sir Sebastian¡¯s voice came from a corner and he seemed to be having a conversation with someone.

    I didn¡¯t see anything wrong, so I told Mira and the others to wait for me as I hurried to where he was standing.

    By the time I realized who he was talking to, it was already toote for me to make up an excuse.

    "Thank you, I need your help with something" He said with a smile.

    "This is Mr ck, he just donated a lot of premium equipment to our department and also paid for a daily supply of fresh ingredients.

    I wanted to give him a tour of the school but I have another ss starting in a few minutes, so I was wondering if you could help me with showing him around" Sir Sebastian said with a polite smile.

    He looked at Kendrick with eyes full of excitement and praises.

    Kendrick didn¡¯t say anything and just kept staring at me, I also did everything in my power to avoid looking at him.

    "Sir, I am very sorry but I can¡¯t help you. I think Ashton would be more suitable for the job as he has a good knowledge and understanding of how the department works and some good locations to visit on campus.

    Today is my third day in this school and I barely know anywhere" I declined politely while also giving him a better suggestion. That way, no one is offended.

    "Oh, I am sorry dear, I totally forgot that you are new here" he said with an apologetic smile.

    "Ashton, please can youe over?" he immediately called him.

    Ashton came over and Sir Sebastian repeated what he told me earlier. He had no issue with giving Kendrick a tour, so he agreed without any hesitation.

    "Thank you, I am counting on you" Sir Sebastian said before hurrying away.

    "I will meet you in the cafeteria when I am done" Ashton said to me with a smile while gently arranging my hair.

    I felt a cold gaze on me and I instinctively looked up. My eyes met Kendrick¡¯s cold ones and his eyes were focused on Ashton¡¯s hand.

    "Can you take my bag with you?" Ashton said as he handed me his bag.

    "Okay, what do you want to eat? So I can order it before youe" I asked him after collecting the bag.

    Wepletely ignored Kendrick and his clenched fists on his sides told me that he wasn¡¯t as cool as he pretends to be.

    I felt kind of happy seeing him like this, at least I wasn¡¯t the only one suffering.

    "I will have anything you order," Ashton said with a smile.

    I knew he was acting all touchy on purpose because he wants to annoy Kendrick.

    <fn8567> Checktest chapters at Find[?]ovel</fn8567>

    I told him everything about my life since we separated and he has a strong anger and dislike for him.

    "Why are you touching and smiling with my babe?" Dexter¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind us and we turned to see him slowly walking over.

    Kendrick¡¯s eyes were on me, probably hoping for me to deny being his babe but I chose to be quiet.

    "Miss Lancaster sure has a lot of admirers," Kendrick said with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes.

    " She is beautiful, so it¡¯s natural for her to be admired," Dexter replied before holding my hand.

    "Let¡¯s go," he said. We walked back to where Mira and Celine were waiting for us.

    I didn¡¯t look back to see Kendrick¡¯s reaction and I definitely didn¡¯t want to see his reaction.

    I don¡¯t want to even think of him but now that he suddenly appeared in front of me, I couldn¡¯t exin how I felt.

    "Are you okay?" Mira asked worriedly and I nodded before walking towards the cafeteria.

    *****

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    I just wanted to see how she was doing, so I made donations to her department. She wouldn¡¯t think too much if I was visiting as a donor.

    I specifically asked her head of department to tell her to give me a tour around the school but she cleverly declined.

    Then some tattooed brat is calling her babe and holding her hand.

    It took every ounce of self control in me not to punch the smug smile on the brats face off.

    "Mr ck, are you ready to begin the tour?" the second brat asked me with a smile.

    "Mr Michaelson, let¡¯s go" I replied to him with a smile as well.

    His expression quickly changed and he looked at me with an angry gaze.

    "It¡¯s Coleman, not Michaelson" he corrected through gritted teeth.

    "You quite an interesting person, others would kill to be addressed as a Michaelson but here you are, rejecting it like it is a curse" I said calmly before gesturing for him to lead the way.

    He immediately walked out of the departmental building and headed for the recreation area that was covered by trees.

    "I remember that you had once taken a course here and also done some research during your days in the university. So I really don¡¯t understand why you need someone to give you a tour.

    It¡¯s either you are just being unreasonable or you are starting to forget things due to old age" he said with a smile.

    I was quite impressed by his bravery to say such a thing to my face.

    "You should stay away from Christy, I don¡¯t like repeating myself and everyone knows that The Lancaster family and the Michaelsons do not get along" I warned him with a serious tone.

    "I can say the same for you, the Lancaster and cks also don¡¯t get along" he said with an equally serious expression.

    "I will have a talk with Madam Michaelson with regards to your manners" I said with a frown.

    "Do whatever you want but stay away from Christy" he warned and I found it quite amusing.

    "Thest person that gave me a warning is still missing" I threatened while trying to hold back my anger.

    "She isn¡¯t even twenty one yet, aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself. You have such a huge age gap between you. If you were in some countries, you would be called a pedophile" he said with a disgusted expression.

    His expression finally made me lose my cool. How dare he look at me with disgust.

    "Boss, we have to go now" Evan¡¯s voice came from behind me.

    He must have noticed that I was angry and hurried over before anything happened.

    I immediately turned around and walked to the car, as I felt a strong urge to give this brat a few punches.

    How dare he call me old and a pedophile!

 Chapter 109 - ONE HUNDRED AND NINE: I Will Make Them Pay

    <h4>Chapter 109: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND NINE: I Will Make Them Pay</h4>

    Lauretta¡¯s POV

    Where did everything go wrong?

    I couldn¡¯t figure it out, I had confirmed that the money was sessfully transferred and credited into the hospital ount.

    How did it get reversed?.

    When I called the hospital, they confirmed that the money was really reversed. So my son¡¯s surgery has been put on hold.

    I drove like a mad woman and on getting to the house, I hurried towards my father¡¯s room.

    "I ept your terms" I said after barging into his room but immediately took a step back in disgust when u saw what was happening in the room.

    The young maid immediately scrambled for her clothes before rushing out of the room.

    "A maid? You couldn¡¯t get someone better?" I asked him with a disgusted expression.

    "What do you want?" he asked with an annoyed expression.

    He seemed upset that I interrupted his good time and I felt another wave of disgust.

    "I agree to your terms, send the money for his surgery immediately" I said with a serious expression.

    He looked at me for a few seconds. Before slowly adjusting his robe and walking towards me.

    "You are really my daughter, your schemes are even more devious and evilpared to mine but unfortunately, you have a son that is extremely smart and always a step ahead of you" he said with a mocking smile.

    "Your people must have already informed you, so you canugh all you want. I did nothing wrong and only fought for what is rightfully mine" I said coldly.

    I don¡¯t give a damn about what he thinks, all I care about is my son¡¯s life.

    "You can transfer the money now" I repeated and heughed.

    "You didn¡¯t ept the offer earlier and now, I have changed my mind because I can¡¯t trust you to keep your end of the deal" he said coldly, like he was talking to a stranger and not his only daughter.

    "What do you mean? I said I will leave everything and leave the country" I yelled angrily as I began to panic.

    "That¡¯s what you saidst time but when you encountered a little trouble, you came back without a warning" he said emotionlessly and I froze.

    The look in his eyes told me that he wasn¡¯t going to change his mind and he was being serious.

    "Father please" I put my pride aside to beg but he just turned his face away.

    "Father please save my son... Please save him" I went on my knees but he still didn¡¯t budge.

    "Why are you so cruel? Mother died of depression because of your cruelty and now you are pushing me into a dead end!

    What crime did I evermit toe into this world as your daughter!" I yelled angrily after begging on my knees for almost half an hour without any reaction from him.

    "I told you the offer has expired, so you better go stay with your son and spend hisst days with him" he said coldly before walking out of the room.

    I just stared at his back with hatred, anger, pain and panic mixed together.

    I wasted no time, as I quickly grabbed my passport and rushed to the airport. I kept thinking of possible ways to get the money to save my son.

    I decided to beg Kendrick for help as I was left with no other choice but his phone was unreachable.

    On getting to country Z, I rushed to the hospital. I couldn¡¯t find anyone in the room that my son was supposed to be in.

    So I called my husband before rushing to the ICU. On getting there, I saw him pacing around with an extremely worried expression.

    He looked frail and thinnerpared to thest time I saw him.

    "Adrian, what¡¯s wrong with our son? Why is he in there?" I asked him.

    "He is having a crisis, the doctors said his organs are starting to fail" he said coldly.

    His eyes held a kind of hostility that I have never seen before and he wasn¡¯t even trying to make me feel better.

    "Why are you looking at me like that? I have been running around, looking for ways to save our son" I said angrily.

    "Didn¡¯t you say the money wasn¡¯t a problem? That you would get it in less than a month? Well it¡¯s been more than two months and you still haven¡¯t gotten it.

    You never came to check on our son¡¯s condition either" heshed out angrily.

    Was he ming me?

    "Are you really ming me? How dare you? Do you know what I have been through in these two months? And how I begged and suffered?" I asked through gritted teeth as tears rolled down my cheeks.

    "You certainly don¡¯t look like someone that is suffering or a mother that is worrying about her child.

    Look at what you are wearing, expensive clothes and jewelries, carrying branded bags. Would you kill you to sell all of them!" he yelled angrily at me.

    "Why should I sell my things? Should I be dressed in rags before you know that I am worried?" I asked him angrily as well.

    Why should I sell my personal belongings, these are the things that I have to ensure my future.

    What will people say when I start wearing cheap clothes?

    "Why would you sell them? Our son is dying and all you care about are these things?" he asked me and raised his hand like he wanted to strangle me.

    "I sold everything I have to save our son, mypany, all my investments and shares in otherpanies!

    And you have been busy enjoying yourself with your ex husband in Country N for two months" he said through gritted teeth.

    I froze when I mentioned Raymond and I felt suddenly panicked.

    "Lauretta, didn¡¯t you tell me that you had gotten officially divorced from your ex husband before we got married?" he asked me and I couldn¡¯te up with a good exnation or excuse.

    "You lied to me for more than two decades! You never got divorced which makes our marriage void and our son, an illegitimate child.

    Do you think he would want to live if he finds out?" he asked angrily but I still stayed mute.

    "Answer me Lauretta!" he yelled and roughly grabbed my shoulders.

    "I just love you so much and wanted to be with you" I said weakly and I felt scared as this was the first time I was seeing him this angry.

    "Am I supposed to believe thatme excuse? Well let¡¯s just say that I believe you!

    Why do you not want to save our son?" he asked while trying to hold back his anger.

    But his hands tightened on my shoulders and his face was so close to mine that I could feel his hot breaths as he stared into my eyes.

    "Adrian, calm down, what are you talking about? Why wouldn¡¯t I want to save Zain?" I asked him with a confused frown.

    "Lauretta, I just found out that you have overseas ounts andnded properties that are worth more than the money required to save our son and live afortable life," he said with a disappointed expression.

    "You investigated me?" I pushed him away angrily and heughed in rage.

    Those things are all mine, why does he want me to sell them?

    "They were given to me by myte mother! Why should I sell them?!" I asked him angrily.

    He pulled his hair in frustration and it seemed like he was holding himself back from hitting me.

    We were still arguing when the doctors suddenly rushed into the ICU and there was a loud beeping of machines.

    We also rushed forward but the nurses held us back, we could only watch as they were trying to save Zain.

    Seeing his pale and bloodless face, I slowly took a step back in fear.

    Memories of how he was before he fell sick rushed into my head and I felt dizzy.

    I had a feeling that he was gone and I didn¡¯t want to ept it.

    Was I really selfish for not selling everything to save him? But how will we survive afterwards?

    After more than half an hour, the doctors slowly came out and Adrian¡¯s eyes were red.

    I shook my head in denial before rushing into the ICU. A nurse was already covering Zain¡¯s body with a white cloth.

    "Zain!!!.. Son please wake up!" I yelled as I pushed the cloth away and held his face.

    I couldn¡¯t control my tears as I cried and screamed until I ran out of strength.

    His body waster moved to the morgue and Adrian went to take care of everything.

    Then he returned to where I was sitting when he was done.

    "Let¡¯s go our separate ways, I can¡¯t live with you peacefully and there is no need for a divorce as our marriage wasn¡¯t even legalized in the first ce" he said emotionlessly.

    "What do you mean our marriage isn¡¯t legal? It was registered here and is recorded!

    I have divorced Raymond, we can start all over again" I said in panic.

    "Start all over again like our son never existed? I can¡¯t" he said before walking away.

    I just sat there in anger as I watched him walk away.

    Zain would be alive right now if Kendrick hadn¡¯t reversed the money.

    I will definitely make him pay!

    I will make all of them pay!

 Chapter 110 - ONE HUNDRED AND TEN: This Is Your Karma

    <h4>Chapter 110: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND TEN: This Is Your Karma</h4>

    Mark¡¯s POV

    "Will you let me breathe please? Haven¡¯t I done a lot for you? Why are you so ungrateful?" I yelled angrily at Callie, who has been nothing more than a headache for the past few weeks.

    "How am I ungrateful? I just want to go to the salon and get my hair done! Is that too much?" she yelled back and I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration.

    "I don¡¯t have a problem with you doing your hair, the problem is where you chose to do it? Do you have to go to that high-end salon?" I asked her with a frown.

    We barely have enough money left for upkeep and now she wants to go to a high-end salon and spend so much money on her hair.

    "I just want to look good and you seem to have a problem with it" she said with a mocking smile.

    "I don¡¯t have a problem with you looking good, it¡¯s where you chose to make it happen that¡¯s the problem" I said calmly.

    "It isn¡¯t that expensive, thest time I went there, I really liked the...." she suddenly paused when she realized what she just said.

    I immediately got up from the bed and held her shoulders with a smile.

    "You have gone there before? Howe I am not aware of this?" I asked her through gritted teeth while trying to restrain my anger.

    "I.. I... UmmUmm... Mark" she stuttered withouting up with any excuse.

    She seemed shocked that she had mistakenly spilled the beans.

    "Who is the bastard that you are cheating on me with!" I yelled angrily and she she trembled in fear.

    "Mark please listen to me" she said with a shaky voice.

    "So you have been cheating on me?"

    "What nonsense are you talking about? Can¡¯t I spend my own money there?" she yelled defensively.

    "Your own money? Callie, we both know that you have no mary value to your name, so think of another excuse!"

    "Think whatever you want, what¡¯s wrong with me getting a little proper treatment once in a while?" she pulled my hands off her and took several steps back.

    "Callie, how dare you cheat on me?!" I stepped closer to her and she kept stepping back until her back hit the wall.

    "I didn¡¯t cheat on you, why are you using me of cheating?" she said but the look in her eyes betrayed her.

    "I really didn¡¯t believe it when Piper told me that you were having an Affair with thendlord. A fucking old man!" I punched the wall angrily and she flinched.

    "What? You chose to believe that little bitch over me?" she red at me angrily with an aggrieved expression.

    I would have probably believed her if Piper hadn¡¯t shown me pictures of her being intimate with the old man.

    "Why do you think I haven¡¯t touched you for the past two weeks? You disgust me" I red at her angrily while holding back from pping her pretentious face.

    She wiped her crocodile tears and sneered at me with a disgusted expression.

    "It¡¯s a good thing that you found out, at least I wouldn¡¯t have to pretend anymore" she pushed me back and walked towards the bed like she wasn¡¯t the one crying and acting like a victim a few minutes ago.

    The sudden change stunned me and I couldn¡¯t react for a few seconds.

    "What do you mean by not pretending any more? I marched to the bed and grabbed her roughly.

    "Why are you reacting so strongly? Didn¡¯t you also cheat on Christy back then? This is your karma" she pushed me away and looked at me with a mocking expression.

    "Weren¡¯t you the one that told she cheated on me and have you forgotten how you shamelessly seduced me!" I smashed a vase in anger as all I wanted to do at the moment is to strangle her.

    "Are you regretting it now? Didn¡¯t you enjoy every moment of my seduction, did I force you?" she asked sarcastically while looking at me with a mocking smile.

    "Fuck you!" I yelled as I grabbed her hair.

    "Let go of me Mark! How dare you touch me?" she yelled while trying to free her hair from my grip.

    "You bitch! You dare to betray me after everything that I did for you. Have I ever treated you badly?" I pulled her hair harder and she screamed.

    "Let go of my hair.... Ahhhhh" her screams filled the room.

    I felt extremely angry and frustrated after everything that has been happening.

    I wondered how my life would be if I hadn¡¯t broken up with Christy. I would have been living in luxury now with a stable job and everything I ever dreamed of.

    Who would have thought that she was lost Heiress?

    If only I could go back in time and change my mistakes.

    This bitch that I chose over her is now busy telling me about karma.

    I roughly pulled her towards the bedside table and opened the drawer to take out a handcuff.

    "Mark, you better not try that rubbish with me" she struggled violently after seeing the handcuff.

    I ignored her and forcefully wore it on her hands before pushing her on the bed.

    "Mark... No.. I am sorry" she finally had a hint of fear in her voice and her expression was extremely pale from fear.

    "I am going to prove to you that the old man would never be able to satisfy you like I can and I will also make sure you never forget about me" I smirked as I slowly unbuckled my belt while she struggled to escape.

    She slid off the bed but I threw her back in before ripping her dress and undies.

    Her huge boobs stood majestically on her chest and I felt a sudden rush of blood to my dick.

    "Mark please listen to me... I.. I didn¡¯t mean to cheat on you" She begged when I positioned her body.

    I ignored her pleas and shove my hardness into her without caring if she was ready or not.

    "Ahhhhhhhh... Please!" she begged and screamed when I started mercilessly thrusting into her.

    "After everything I have done for you, this is how you repay me" the more I thought of her betrayal, the harder my thrusts became.

    "Ahhhh... Piper please help me!" she cried and screamed for help.

    I was certain that Piper could hear her but she will never interfere in what doesn¡¯t concern her.

    And she has been acting weird ever since I couldn¡¯t get money from Raina.

    How would I have known that she has hooked up with Kendrick¡¯s heartless friend, Gary.

    He is a pure definition of wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. I wouldn¡¯t have believed it if I wasn¡¯t the one on the receiving end of his brutality.

    "Ahhhhhjhjggggg" her screams got louder as my anger increased after thinking of everything that has been going wrong recently.

    I was already feeling frustrated and this bitch just had to cheat on me.

    "You better be prepared for me everyday... BecBecause this will be your new life from now on. You want to be treated like a whore, so I will fulfill your wish!" I increased the speed of my thrusts.

    "Ahhhmmm... More please" her sudden moan made me confused and my anger increased afterwards.

    I felt even more annoyed that she seemed to be enjoying it. What a bitch!

    Isn¡¯t she supposed to be crying in pain or something? Wasn¡¯t she crying and calling for help?.

    I pulled out of her and pushed her away, before storming towards the bathroom.

    "Why did you stop? Even an old man is better than you" Sheughed mockingly and my steps halted.

    "What did you just say?" I grabbed her neck in anger but she just keptughing like a mad woman.

    How dare she make fun of my stamina and manliness.

    "Since we are not pretending any more, let me tell you the truth. You are so nd in bed, and your dick is so small, it feels like I am being fucked by a kid and I have never had an orgasm with you.

    Why do you think I have so many sex toys? I would have ran mad already if I didn¡¯t have them and don¡¯t get me started on your inability tost long in bed" she mocked while looking at my dick with a disgusted expression.

    I couldn¡¯t exin my feeling at the moment as I just red at her and my hand tightened around her neck but she just kept giving me a mocking smile.

    "What.... Why do you look so surprised and shocked? If not for the financial benefits that I was getting from you, why would I torment and punish myself by dating a man who cums every three minutes? You better go get yourself checked!" she continued mocking me despite her face turning pale as I strangled her neck.

    "Bitch!" I threw her back angrily and she fell backwards. She groaned in pain because the handcuff was still on her wrists.

    "Bitch... Bitch... Bitch... That¡¯s all you know how to say! Try something different please, I¡¯m already used to being called a bitch" she said with a sarcastic tone.

    "That old man was so good and the fact that a young man like you can¡¯tpare to him is enough reason for me to fucking cheat!

    He ate me so good and took me to the highest peak of ecstasy several times. Something that you haven¡¯t been able to do since we started dating" she continued and I felt like I would kill her if I remained in the same room with her.

    I immediately pulled up my trousers and walked out, I saw Piper nonchntly watching TV in the sitting room.

    I left the apartment and bumped into the shameless old man, he greeted me with a smile but I ignored him as I didn¡¯t want to do something to him in anger.

    Bang... Bang... Bang!.

    I unleashed my anger on the trash cans outside the building, before finding a bench to sit and clear my head.

    My phone suddenly started ringing and I looked at the screen nonchntly but when I saw Madam Lauretta¡¯s shing on it, I instantly picked up.

    "We will continue as nned" she hung up after saying just this one sentence.

    I felt slightly better and smiled in anticipation of what was about to happen.

 Chapter 111 - ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN: A Plot Against Christy

    <h4>Chapter 111: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN: A Plot Against Christy</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    No matter how I try to stay focused, the image of that little boy touching her hair keeps popping up in my head.

    "Boss, are you okay?" Evans asked when I flung the document I was holding.

    I didn¡¯t respond as I was trying to get the image off my mind.

    "Did Mr Michaelson still bring his proposal? I remember he seemed desperate to work with us right?" I asked him after getting a slight hold on my emotions.

    "Yes boss, he called to inform us that he would be here by noon" he replied quickly and I nodded.

    "Let me know when he arrives" I said before picking up my tablet to check thepany¡¯s stock.

    "Anything else?" I noticed he wasn¡¯t leaving and had a hesitant expression on his face.

    "There¡¯s news about madam ck" he said with a not so calm expression. My hand paused and I dropped the tablet to listen.

    "Her son couldn¡¯t be saved due tock of funds for his surgery and she seemed to have also had a fight with her husband. He filed for a divorce and prevented her from being at their son¡¯s funeral" he observed my expression after he was done reporting.

    "How were you expecting me to react?" Iughed when I noticed his gaze and smiled.

    "I¡¯m afraid she will definitely me you for her son¡¯s death because of the money reversal," he said with a worried expression.

    "She would have still had an issue with me if he had survived, so I am not surprised about hering for me, what is really surprising for me is the fact that she allowed the son she imed to love so much to die" Iughed at how heartless she can be, even to those she imed to love.

    "Boss, are you saying she has the money but refused to use it?" Evans asked with a shocked expression and Iughed again.

    That¡¯s my mother, I know her like the back of my hand.

    "Do not underestimate her, she has more money and properties than you can even imagine. She is the type of person that would rather die than spend a penny of her own money on someone else, even if she cares about that person" I said with a calm smile.

    "Inform me when Mr Michaelson arrives" I instructed and he nodded in a daze before walking out of my office.

    What a mother!

    Iughed as I remembered how she had said I was nothingpared to her son but in the end, she only cared about herself.

    And it¡¯s a good thing that I always n ahead, as I was certain she would act this way.

    I can still remember how her husband, Mr Singhania spoke to me with so much hatred over the phone.

    Asking me why I wanted his innocent son dead, but after I sent him a file containing the list of my mother¡¯s overseas ounts and properties, he became speechless.

    Now, he knows the kind of woman he has been loving all these years and he was smart enough to file for a divorce instead of wanting to make life difficult for her.

    Ring Ring!

    The long awaited call finally came in and I picked it up with a smile.

    "Do you think you have won?" My mother¡¯s furious voice came through the line.

    "I was never in apetition with you Lauretta" I replied coldly.

    She seemed stunned that I addressed her by her name and was silent for a few seconds.

    "Oh... I see how it is now, you have drawn the battle line" she said aggressively.

    "I am a very busy person, I don¡¯t have time for your petty games" I responded while casually tapping a finger on my table.

    "Now I have nothing to lose, so you better be prepared for me!" she said with a sinister voice before hanging up.

    I knew this day woulde and it was the major reason why I let Christy leave.

    It¡¯s better to not have a weakness that is known by your opponents, if not it would definitely be used against you.

    That¡¯s what my grandfather told me when our baby died. I didn¡¯t understand what he meant until this moment.

    But would Lauretta really let her go?

    Knock knock!

    My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

    "Come in," I said without lifting my head.

    "Congrattions... I heard the good news" Curtis¡¯ voice came from the direction of the door and I looked at him without saying anything.

    "Now, your position as the only legitimate heir is totally secured and no one would threaten you ever again" he said with a sly smile.

    "It¡¯s good that you have finally gotten some awareness and stopped trying to fight for what isn¡¯t yours. Even being an employee of thispany is because I showed you mercy" I said coldly and his expression immediately darkened with restrained anger.

    He hated being told that he wasn¡¯t truly rted to the ck family.

    "You must be happy that your brother is dead but Lauretta would never let you go," he said with a mocking voice.

    "I never had a brother and I am not responsible for his death, so why would shee for me?" I asked with a smile.

    "And you seem to be very interested in other people¡¯s business, if you actually invest the same time and energy into your job, your department wouldn¡¯t be such a failure" I added and his face scrunched up in anger as his clenched fists trembled on his sides.

    "You better...."

    "I heard that you moved out of the ck family house with your mother and sister. You told grandfather that you wanted a fresh start.

    Is your definition of a fresh start embezzlingpany funds to set up your ownpany" I interrupted him coldly and he froze before quickly masking his expressions.

    "I have no idea what you are talking about and you better not use me of what I know nothing about" he said through gritted teeth while ring at me.

    "Don¡¯t you think your reaction is a little too much for someone being used? You look more like someone whose schemes have been exposed" I said with a calm voice and tossed a folder to him.

    He immediately opened it and his expressions were quite entertaining to watch.

    " Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t notice? I had personally set up a system that alerts me even when a dor is missing from the ounts.

    I kept turning a blind eye to your little moves but you seem to be getting even more greedytely" I said with a sly smirk.

    He dropped the file after going through it and looked at me with a hateful gaze.

    "There are a lot of people that wish they could kill me with their gaze but unfortunately that is impossible" I said coldly.

    "What do you want?" he asked angrily and I slowly tapped my finger on the table while thinking.

    "Nothing for now, I will let you know when I find you useful and remember that I have enough evidence to make you sleep in prison for the rest of your life" I said with a serious tone.

    He could only clench his fist in anger and remain quiet. I wouldn¡¯t mind sending him to jail if he crossed my bottom line.

    "You can leave now" I said coldly, he walked away and mmed the door behind him.

    "Boss" Evans barged in with an anxious expression.

    "What¡¯s wrong?" I asked him with a frown as I wondered what could get him so riled up.

    "Madam Lauretta called Mark, and she told him they are continuing as nned" he reported and I frowned even more.

    What n could she have with him?

    "And Boss, the man we stationed to watch Mark just reported that there is another girl in his apartment, after careful investigation, we found out who she is" he paused and I gestured for him to continue.

    "She is Miss Christy¡¯s foster sister, Piper" as soon as I heard the name, I immediately came to a conclusion.

    Lauretta wants to go after Christy but why her?

    "Why do you think she wants to go after Christy?" I asked him and he frowned.

    "She probably thinks that harming Miss Christy would deal a huge blow on you and the Lancaster family... KiKilling two birds with one stone" as soon as he confirmed my thoughts, I immediately picked up my jacket to leave.

    "Give Mason a call, tell him to meet me in our usual ce" I instructed before hurrying out of the office.

    We need toe up with a way to protect Christy without her knowing.

    "President ck, I was on my way to your office" a middle aged man rushed up to me as soon as I stepped out of the elevator.

    "Mr Michaelson, how may I help you?" I asked him impatiently.

    "I submitted a proposal earlier and I was asked toe for discussion today" he replied with a smile.

    "I think your proposal is great but your son, Ashton, seems to have a bad opinion of me. So I will have to politely decline your offer" I said coldly before walking away while he stood there with a pale expression.

    I didn¡¯t have time to deal with trivial things at the moment.

 Chapter 112 - ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE: Piper Is Watching

    <h4>Chapter 112: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE: Piper Is Watching</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    Mason was already waiting before I got there, he looked extremely anxious and I guessed that Evans must have briefed him.

    "I have been going easy on her because she is your mother!" he said angrily.

    I sat down calmly and poured myself a ss of whiskey and took a sip before looking at him.

    "You don¡¯t need to be mindful of my rtionship with her, do as you please" I said with a serious tone.

    "Did you do anything to her? Why is she suddenly hellbent on hurting Christy, even gathering everyone that wants to hurt her" he asked me with a frown.

    I gave him a brief summary of what happened recently, how Lauretta¡¯s son died and her husband filing for a divorce.

    "So she is putting the me on you, despite being the one that refused to save him with her own money?" he asked with a confused expression.

    "She is one hell of a crazy woman," he added with a disgusted expression.

    "What¡¯s your n now?" he asked with a serious tone and I just stared at my ss.

    I initially predicted that Lauretta would save her son when she didn¡¯t get the money she was after but now, I guess I had underestimated her level of cruelty.

    "You don¡¯t have a n?" he frowned when I didn¡¯t say anything.

    "She called Mark, so I think they are plotting something, Piper is also staying at Mark¡¯s ce" I observed his expression as I slowly twirl my ss.

    I knew he regrets ever setting Piper free but there is no medicine for regret.

    "The best thing to do now is to keep our eyes on Mark and the others, monitor every of their moves" I suggested and he nodded.

    "I will appoint some of my people to watch them and I will also increase the security around Christy" he said before getting up to leave.

    "I saw your most outstanding student in the school, he seems to be in the same ss as Christy" I said when I remembered the Tattooed guy that had taken her away thest time.

    "Don¡¯t think too much, I just want him to do what he is passionate about and he chose to be a professional chef" he said with a defensive attitude.

    I walked up to him and observed his expression. He is someone that I have known for ages and I can easily see through him.

    "Mason, for the sake of our friendship, stop trying to meddle in my affairs" I warned with a smile and he smirked.

    "Anything that involves my sister is my business. I want her to move on and forget every unpleasant memory. Dexter is a good guy, he is very mature and patient, these are the attributes that youck" he turned around and walked away after he was done talking.

    I watched his back with a mixture of emotions, wondering when our rtionship became so cold and distant.

    I remember we were willing to do anything for each other before but now, we only disagree on everything.

    "Boss, you have an important meeting in an hour." Evans¡¯ voice interrupted my thoughts and I turned to look at him.

    "Was I really that bad for her?" he looked stunned by the sudden question.

    "No Boss, you were very nice to Miss Christy, it was just that she is young and probably expected you to be more romantic like most boyfriends" he said quickly and he immediately panicked when he saw that I was frowning.

    She is young?

    Am I old?

    "We are only eight years apart, am I old?" I said angrily.

    "No... No.. No.. Boss, I meant you were old fashioned" he quickly exined but it still didn¡¯t make me feel any better.

    "You didn¡¯t give her gifts, go on romantic dates, buy her flowers.... ThThings like this make girls feel special and loved by their partners" he added and I tried to recall if I had done any of the things he mentioned.

    I sighed and emptied my ss in one gulp. There was no memory of such ever happening.

    Was that the reason why she suddenly lost feelings for me?

    "Let¡¯s go" I said to him as I walked back to the car.

    *****

    Christy¡¯s POV

    It¡¯s been two days since my encounter with Kendrick, surprisingly I didn¡¯t cry or feel sad.

    I was just okay but I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to hate him and he seemed to be going through a lot as he looked thinner than I remember.

    "You have been staring at that sd for almost twenty minutes now, is it that beautiful?" Dexter¡¯s voice pulled me out of my thoughts and Iughed.

    "What are you thinking about?" he asked while observing my expression.

    I started eating my sd to avoid answering him and he got the memo as well and didn¡¯t ask anymore questions.

    There was a sudden rush of footsteps and I turned around to see Mira and Celine rushing over.

    "Christy, have you heard about what happened to Ashton?" Celine asked as soon as she sat down.

    My chest immediately tightened and I hoped it wasn¡¯t what I had predicted.

    "My cousin works at the Michaelsons house, she saw him being flogged mercilessly by some soldiers and his stepmother poured alcohol on his injuries, then they left him for hours until his father secretly rushed him to the hospital" she exined anxiously.

    ng!

    My fork fell out of my hand as I imagined the scene of what she just said.

    I had a feeling that something was wrong when he didn¡¯te to school for the past two days.

    He had told me that he doesn¡¯t miss school as it was his only escape from that hellhole.

    "Look at her smiling and acting like nothing happened...I wonder how dark her heart must be" Mira said angrily while ring at Emily who was giggling with herckeys.

    "Ignore her" I said but my mind was still upied with what happened to Ashton.

    "You don¡¯t know what she has been saying, that¡¯s why you are so calm" Celine said through gritted teeth.

    I raised a brow for her to continue and she red at Emily.

    "She is spreading rumors that Kendrick is interested in her and he even got Ashton punished for going against her. She says it¡¯s a matter of time before they get engaged" Mira immediately burst intoughter when she heard what Celine said.

    "Does she think that Kendrick is blind? Oh please, let¡¯s ignore that clout chaser" she said with a disgusted expression.

    None of Emily¡¯s rumors were my business, the only thing I got from everything Celine said, is the fact that Kendrick had a hand in what happened to Ashton.

    He must have been offended the other day and took it out on Ashton.

    He has always been a petty person.

    "You still have a ss to attend right?" I asked Mira and she nodded.

    The fashion design department students always leave the schoolte.

    "Okay, I will go visit Ashton first...Celine, do you know which hospital?" I stood up and packed my stuff.

    "The military hospital, it¡¯s not far from here but I don¡¯t think you would be able to get in. They are very strict" she said with a worried tone.

    "I know someone there and...."

    "I will go with you" Dexter interrupted me and before I could react, he was already standing beside me.

    "Be careful sis, I will see youter" Mira said as I turned to leave.

    As soon as we walked out of the school gates, my body immediately became tense as I felt a hot gaze on my back.

    "Don¡¯t look back, just act like you don¡¯t know... Remember what I taught you yesterday" Dexter said with a serious tone and I immediately took a deep breath.

    I have noticed that someone has been watching me for days now and yesterday I finally confirmed who the person is with Dexter¡¯s help.

    Everything that has been happening recently made me lower my guard against Piper.

    "I need you to be strong, that¡¯s why you need to train" he said and I nodded.

    Mason has agreed for me to learn how to fight, at least to defend myself when the situation arises.

    Dexter is his student that he trusts, so he appointed him to be my bodyguard along with his studies.

    "She seems to be getting desperate as she no longer hides like before" he informed me.

    "That means she would be attacking anytime soon, so I will move to an apartment in the same building as yours to easily protect you" he added before handing me a helmet.

    I was confused as I stared at it but a few minutester, he stopped beside a bike.

    A few minutester, we arrived at the hospital and I gave Jasper a call, so he could pick us up.

    "Thank you" I smiled at him and he nodded with a polite smile.

    He led us to Ashton¡¯s room before leaving.

    "Why was he acting weird?" Dexter frowned after he left.

    "Something happened before, so it is kind of awkward every time we meet," I gave him a vague reply.

    "You have so many men who are crazy about you," he teased.

    "Be careful not to fall for me" I smirked before raising my hand to open the door.

    "You better find a way to apologize to Mr ck and beg him to reconsider our proposal or else I will send you to hell to be with your dead mother!"

 Chapter 113 - ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN: I Want To Be Strong

    <h4>Chapter 113: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN: I Want To Be Strong</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    We paused as soon as we heard the scolding that wasing from the room.

    "My love calm down, I will make sure he apologizes" a man¡¯s voice came after the woman¡¯s harsh scolding.

    "You better keep quiet, did I ask you to speak? You went behind my back to send him to the hospital...How dare you!" the woman scolded again.

    I already knew that the woman was his stepmother, who is also Emily¡¯s mother.

    I took a deep breath and nced at Dexter before walking into the room.

    "Your good for nothing son is a burden to...." the woman was about to continue her scolding when we entered.

    She looked at me with a frown then her eyes shed with a surge of hatred. She seemed to know who I am but I don¡¯t care.

    We walked to the bedside and Ashton¡¯s seems panicked when he saw us and tried to get up.

    "Rx, we came to see how you are doing" Dexter said as he helped him lie back down.

    I was happy that we both had a tacit understanding to not say anything to the two other people in the room but the woman¡¯s res were hard to ignore.

    "How are you feeling?" I asked while looking at the bandages all over his body.

    He couldn¡¯t lie on his back as it was severely injured, so he was lying on his side.

    He seemed to have lost a lot of blood as his face was extremely pale.

    "I just move into an apartment and happens to need a roommate, are you interested" Dexter asked him directly without caring about the woman¡¯s darkened expression on the side.

    "Who are you? How dare youe here and behave so disrespectfully?!" she finally couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore.

    "If you are interested, I will help you move and if there is any issue, Sir Sebastian might be able to help" Dexter continued talking like she didn¡¯t exist.

    "Where is this bastard from? Who allowed you in... Guards!" the woman couldn¡¯t ept being disrespected and screamed angrily.

    "I have heard a lot about Madam Michaelson and I must admit that you are nothing like what people say because I don¡¯t see the gracefulness or high-ss mannerisms they talk about" I chuckled while observing her darkened expression.

    "I am not surprised that youck respect for your elders. I expected nothing less from a child of the Lancaster family" she sneered with her nose scrunched up.

    "Your precious daughter, Emily, is nothing better, I guess she got her shamelessness and scheming mindset from you" I responded with a provocative smile.

    "At least I raised her, unlike you that was raised by a bunch of criminals and made to be a stripper at a young age.

    Then when you finally returned, you decided to trap Kendrick ck with a bastard child but all your ns failed.

    Sopared to you, my daughter is considered a saint" she mocked with a grin.

    I froze slightly but quickly adjusted my emotions. Dexter gave me a gentle pat on my back.

    "If we want to talk about the past, then you should probably be hanged or stoned to death for stealing another woman¡¯s husband and forcing the poor woman to her death." I said before ncing at the quiet and timid looking man by her side.

    "At least I went for a handsome and sessful man unlike you that settled for a puppet" I added and her face turned red from restrained anger.

    "Ashton, we will help you when you want to move" I said to him while ignoring the annoying woman.

    "If you move out of the Michaelson family, you better never step your foot there again!" she yelled at Ashton but he just smiled.

    " You don¡¯t know how long I have waited to hear those words from you" he said with a smile and she looked like she was about to hit someone.

    Pah!

    She pped her husband in anger before storming out of the room. The shameless man immediately chased after her.

    "You must have been a very wicked person in yourst life to be given such a useless father" Dexter said to lighten the mood and we allughed.

    "Are you serious about the apartment?" Ashton asked with a serious expression.

    "Of course, you just have to get better and move in" Dexter replied with a smile.

    I stared at his pale face for a few seconds and couldn¡¯t resist asking him the question that has been on my mind.

    "Did you offend Kendrick?"

    "We just exchanged a few words, I didn¡¯t know he has such a fragile ego" he replied honestly.

    "Avoid him next time and... "

    "Don¡¯t me yourself, it is not your fault" he interrupted me before I could apologize.

    I knew the only reason he would have offended Kendrick is because of me.

    "We have to go now" Dexter said while ncing at his wristwatch.

    "See you guys soon" Ashton waved us with a smile as we left.

    As soon as we stepped out of the hospital, a familiar looking man walked up to us. Dexter immediately pulled me behind him while I was wondering where I had seen the man before.

    "Hello Miss Christy, I don¡¯t know if you remember me but I am Harold, Old Master ck¡¯s Assistant" he introduced himself and I finally remembered seeing him a few times at the ck family residence.

    " Hello Mr Harold, what can I do for you?" I asked him with a frown.

    The few times I saw him, we never spoke so his sudden approach is surprising.

    " Old Master wants to have a word with you" he said while gesturing to a ck Cayenne that was parked at the corner.

    I wondered why grandpa would suddenly want to talk to me, I remembered how he has refused to interfere when everything was happening but he protected Lauretta when she killed my baby.

    "I will be quick"I said to Dexter before walking towards the car.

    I was curious to hear what he wanted to say.

    "Please" Harold opened the car door and gestured for me to enter.

    Grandpa... No, Master ck was sitting at the back, so we were both at the back seat.

    "You look well" he said with a polite smile but I didn¡¯t return it.

    "Hello Master ck" I greeted and he sighed heavily.

    "Do you hate me?" he asked calmly.

    "I don¡¯t have the strength to hate anyone, I just want to live peacefully"

    "I have always liked you from the first time I met you but after that video was released, I had to think of the reputation of the ck family" he said but I just kept a straight face.

    "Do you need something?" I asked directly as I wasn¡¯t in the mood to listen to any unnecessary reasons.

    "I wanted to apologize to you for everything that you went through because of my family and alsopensate you for the child you lost" he said and stretched his hand into the briefcase by his side.

    He pulled out a cheque and handed it to me. I took it and looked at the stream of zeroes.

    "I still had a little bit of respect left for you and that¡¯s why I agreed to meet you but now, there is none" I said with a smile that didn¡¯t reach my eyes.

    He watched with a frown as I tore up the cheque before opening the door to get down.

    "So many people would kill for that cheque" he said with a cold smile.

    "Then give it to them, my child¡¯s life can¡¯t bepensated for" I got down and mmed the door before walking towards Dexter.

    He didn¡¯t ask me any questions and just handed me a helmet before getting on his bike.

    I got on as well and held him tightly, as he sped and the cool breeze touched my face, I finally let loose and cried my heart out.

    I cried for everything I had to go through in the past, cried for my baby and cried because of my weaknesses.

    By the time I got a hold of my emotions, I noticed that my tears had soaked Dexter¡¯s back.

    He still didn¡¯t say anything and I also noticed that he took a longer route just to give me enough time to cry.

    "How are you feeling now?" he asked when we got to the apartment.

    " I feel lighter" I responded with a smile and he handed me an ice pack for my swollen eyes.

    "I want to be strong... SoSo strong that no one would dare to mess with me ever again" I said with a determined tone as I clenched the ice pack.

    "That¡¯s easy, it all depends on your mindset" he said before walking out with his phone in his hand.

    I knew he was going to report what happened to Mason but I didn¡¯t care anymore.

    I am done running away from all the threats and problems.

    If Lauretta, Piper, Mark, Callie and Celeste want toe after me, then they better be prepared to face me.

    I walked to the mirror on the side to look at my face, my eyes were swollen but there was a fire that couldn¡¯t be hidden in them.

 Chapter 114 - ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN: Broken Illusions (1)

    <h4>Chapter 114: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN: Broken Illusions (1)</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    "Do you need something?" I asked without lifting my head to look at him.

    We just finished a three hour long board meeting. I was about to leave when Curtis suddenly walked up to me.

    "I am resigning" he said and I finally looked at him.

    "Okay" I replied calmly and returned to looking at the documents in front of me.

    "You should be careful with Lauretta, I saw her with Celeste a few days ago" he said before walking away.

    I stared at his back as he left, I shook my head and sighed.

    What was all the hatred for?

    I remembered how Sameen made my childhood miserable and how I had to watch Curtis and Raina as Raymond showered all his love on them.

    I sighed heavily when I remembered that I might have to be alone for my entire life.

    ording to the doctors, my condition hasn¡¯t changed and they can¡¯t exin why Christy is the only woman that can make my body have a reaction.

    There are just too many issues between us and our families. So getting back together might be impossible.

    "How is she doing recently?" I asked Evans and he immediately knew who I was talking about.

    "She has been going to the special forces base forbat training. Mason put Dexter in charge of her training and she visited the boy from the Michaelson family.

    She might have found out that you were responsible for what happened as well.

    The Old Master paid her a visit and it didn¡¯t end well..."

    "Why did he go to see her?" I interrupted him with a frown.

    "ording to what I found out from Uncle Harold, the old master offered her money aspensation for the child..."

    BANG!

    I flung the documents on the table down in anger.

    When will this old man stop interfering with my life?

    "Pack up, I want to go see him!" I ordered as I stormed out of the conference room.

    I went to my office to grab my jacket and I heard footsteps behind me.

    "Is everything packed?" I didn¡¯t look back as I was certain that only Evans woulde in without knocking.

    "You are still like before, getting riled up every time that girl is mentioned" grandpa¡¯s voice came into my ears and I stiffened slightly before turning around to face him.

    "I was about to pay you a visit" I said coldly while looking at his aged face.

    "I know you haven¡¯t forgotten about her, that¡¯s why I went to settle it once and for all" he said with a disappointed expression.

    Was he disappointed in me?

    "Grandpa with all due respect, I will really appreciate it if you would stay out of my business" I said coldly and he frowned.

    "Kendrick, how dare you use that tone with me?!" he yelled angrily but I didn¡¯t care.

    "Lauretta told me everything, about how she is just a scapegoat while you are the real mastermind" I noticed his eyes shed with a hint of panic and my heart felt like it was being squeezed.

    So all these years that everyone has been hating on Lauretta was all a big mistake?

    She is just an innocent victim.

    So everything that Christy and I have been through was actually because of this devil in disguise?

    "How can you be so heartless?" I asked him angrily.

    "Lower your voice boy!" he growled with a frown.

    "What do you know? Do you think your life would be so perfect if I didn¡¯t do what I did? Everything I did was to protect the prestige and honor of this Family.

    And as for your mother, she became the scapegoat because of her stupidity. She had only one task and that was to make Ethan Lancaster fall in love with her but what did she do instead? She failed woefully and came back crying!" his face twisted in rage as he spoke about Lauretta.

    Now I know where she got her wicked traits from.

    "Don¡¯t you have any regret about what you did?" I asked him with a disgusted tone.

    How can he try to justify so many inhumane acts?

    "I did everything for the growth of the ck family, so there is nothing to regret. My father did worse" he tried to justify his actions with a righteous attitude.

    "You never liked Christy right? Especially when you found out about her true identity, you were the one that desperately wanted me to marry Celeste but your ns didn¡¯t work out.

    So you instigated Mira to run her over while promising her protection but she still survived, so you became even more desperate.

    You kept Curtis in thepany because it was easy to watch and control his every action." I paused to observe his expressions and noticed he wasn¡¯t as calm as he previously was.

    " The reason grandmamitted suicide was because she found out about your affair with Sameen and Raymond also found out about it, he confronted you the same day that he went missing" I continued and he suddenly got up to leave.

    "Why are you in such a hurry? I asked him with a smile and pressed the remote to automatically lock the door.

    He looked at me like he wanted to kill me on the spot.

    "You must be wondering how I found out about all of these" Iughed and walked to the wine cab in the corner of my office and pulled out one of my favorite wines.

    I poured myself a ss and took a few gulps, before walking back to him.

    "Curtis establishing his ownpany came as a surprise to me, so I did a little investigation and noticed that he was secretly moving funds from thepany¡¯s ount but the funds he moved are too small for therge scalepany that he is creating.

    So I figured that he wanted me to think it was thepany¡¯s fund but I am not that easy to deceive.

    I remembered what you taught me grandpa, you said that when it looks too obvious, then there is definitely something hidden.

    After a little investigation, I found out that you were his secret sponsor. I was shocked and didn¡¯t believe it at first.

    I knew you were monitoring my movements so I allowed Mason to do the investigations" I noticed how pale he was looking and I took a sip of my wine as I enjoyed the moment.

    "What nonsense are you talking about? Why are you making up conspiracy theories? What Affair are you talking about?" he asked with an extremely agitated expression but it only made his panic more obvious.

    "I always wondered why you were so lenient with Sameen and her children. You allowed them to do as they pleased while I suffered in the same house.

    But it all made sense after Mason checked how grandma died and I couldn¡¯t believe what I found out. You told everyone that she was attacked by a servant who was unsatisfied with how she was treating them but the truth is shemitted suicide and then you paid the man¡¯s family enough money for him to stab her and make it look believable.

    She was already dying when he stabbed her and you had him secretly released and sent out of the country to ensure your secret isn¡¯t exposed" his forehead was now covered by beads of sweat.

    "The truth you have been desperately hiding is the fact that Curtis is your son, the result of your affair with Sameen"

    "Shut up! What do you know about leading a family and maintaining dignity?" he yelled angrily, his breathing bing rapidly short.

    "Your biggest pain in life was not having a son, so you got Raymond to marry into the family with the hope of grooming him but things didn¡¯t go as nned as he became greedy and wanted everything for himself.

    So you set your sights on me but I was too rebellious and stubborn. You had no choice than to secretly push your biological son up thedder, all the while making sure no one notices.

    You needed time to personally groom him, so you got me injected with a toxin that affected my body and made me unable to be with a woman, then you convinced me to go abroad for treatment and ensured I didn¡¯te back on time. So in the three years I was gone, you were grooming and making necessary connections for Curtis"

    "So what if you know? You should be grateful that I didn¡¯t hand over thispany to him!" he growled angrily, his eyes were filled with so much hatred that it sent chills down my spine.

    "I must admit that you and Sameen are really good, she cried so pitifully when Raymond got Celeste pregnant but who would have guessed that she nned everything?" Iughed coldly.

    "She really yed a good game and if not for all the evidence I have, I wouldn¡¯t have believed it as well"

    "Kendrick, just let them go.. They are innocent" he suddenly said with a slightly pleading tone that made me surprised.

    "Who would have thought that a day woulde that the almighty Damien ck would beg" Iughed coldly.

    "You should be more worried about your mother right now, she might make her move any moment from now" he warned but I justughed again.

    I pressed the remote again and the door unlocked, Lauretta walked in with a smile.

    "Why would I harm my own son, father?" she asked him and he seemed to realize what was going on and his face turned paler.

 Chapter 115 - ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN: Broken Illusions (2)

    <h4>Chapter 115: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN: Broken Illusions (2)</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    Lauretta slowly walked over and sat on the chair opposite grandfather.

    "Why would you think that I want to hurt my own son?" she asked him again but his face only grew paler by the second.

    "You... You all have been scheming against me!" he growled angrily and I finally got serious.

    I pulled out a few files from my drawer and handed them to him, he collected them with a hesitant expression.

    "At first, I thought my mother was the evil mastermind but after thinking through everything, I realized that she was the one that actually suffered the most.

    She told me everything the day I rescued her but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to believe her as I had so much trust in you." I began as soon as he opened the first file.

    "You were very smart and made sure everything was well taken care of and every trace wiped.

    Every one of your moves were always deadly and you never leave a way out for your victims.."

    "So you chose to believe the woman that abandoned you when you were a child rather than me that raised you?" He red at me with so much hatred that made my heart feel like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand.

    " I didn¡¯t believe her at first but after the incident with Lydia, everything started to make sense.

    Lydia was scared that you would also hurt Mira, so she told her to stay away from Lauretta, that way, everyone would think that Lauretta was the mastermind.

    But her call record showed that you were thest person she called before her death, so that made me start doubting you" I replied calmly and his eyes shed with anger.

    I have gotten used to calling my mother by her name and she had no issue with it as well.

    "Father, you have always underestimated me, you felt that I was weak and useless but I came back just to prove you wrong!" Lauretta yelled angrily at him.

    "Keep quiet... When is it your turn to yell at me?!" he growled at her and she could only re at him with hatred.

    What a family!

    Iughed inwardly as I looked at them, as they stared at each other with so much hatred and anger.

    "What if I did all those things? She is still the reason that you would never be with the girl you love... I saw how much she hated you and I only went to see her to confirm that she really did not want anything to do with you ever again" he sneered at me with a mocking voice.

    "At first, I also thought she was the one responsible but when you suddenly intervened and bailed her out, I became suspicious.

    So I started investigating all your movements prior to the incident and I found out something quite interesting" I walked closer to him and looked him directly in the eyes.

    "You were so desperate to end my rtionship with Christy because you were scared that if we got married, I might go against you with the support of the Lancaster family.

    So you got someone to look exactly like my mother, through stic surgery and it was that person that pushed Christy down the stairs and killed our child" my breathing became rapid and short as I was doing my best to not hit his old face.

    How can someone be so evil?!

    "stic surgery? What nonsense are you talking about? You can¡¯t just use me without evidence!" he got up furiously but I pushed him back on the chair.

    "Kendrick!" Lauretta immediately panicked and called out to me.

    "You can¡¯t let him off so easily, you would only cause trouble for yourself if you kill him and that would render all of our hard work useless" she said anxiously.

    I took a deep breath and looked at the wicked old man in front of me and I couldn¡¯t recognize him at all.

    He was nothing like the grandfather that I remember and it seemed like I never really knew him.

    "You thought your n was perfect but you forgot one tiny detail and that¡¯s the fact that Lauretta doesn¡¯t have a tattoo.

    The woman you paid has one on her wrist and I noticed it after thoroughly going through my apartment surveince record.

    Lauretta was not in that vicinity at the time of the incident and she was at the beauty saloon, the saloons CCTV were enough evidence to prove her innocence.

    And you had personally gone to the police station to bail her out and take her away in your car. That was another suspicious thing as you have been acting nonchnt and didn¡¯t want to get involved in her matters." I paused to take a sip of wine to moisten my throat.

    "So, you are telling me that all of you have been ying me? You and Christy are still together?!" he yelled while holding his chest and breathing heavily.

    "You have your people everywhere, monitoring our every move, so we have to make you believe that your ns are working perfectly" I replied to him with a mocking smile and he calmed himself before picking up the files again.

    His face kept changing as he flipped through them.

    BANG!

    He mmed them on the floor angrily while trying to catch his breath again.

    "How dare him betray me! I gave him everything!" he yelled furiously and looked like he would pass out any moment from now.

    The door opened again and his assistant walked in with a serious expression.

    "Harold, haven¡¯t I been good to you? Why would you betray me, you ungrateful wretch!" grandpa immediately walked forward and questioned him while holding his cor.

    "Get away from me!" Harold shoved him angrily and I had to support him to make sure he didn¡¯t fall.

    I didn¡¯t want to give him an easy escape, he must face everything that he has done and all the people he has hurt all these years.

    "I gave you everything you ever wanted" grandpa red at him with hatred. His voice carried a hint of hurt and it seemed like he really cared about Harold.

    "No, you took everything from me! Let me remind you who I am. My name is Matthew Vanzica... Does the name ring a bell?" he asked and grandpa¡¯s face turned white in shock.

    "You ordered for my family to be killed because my father refused to sell hisnd to you. Thend where the ck Corporation building stands belongs to my family and my father refused to sell it.

    You tried to negotiate with him severally but he didn¡¯t agree, so you ordered for him and his family to be killed to avoid future troubles.

    Fortunately for me, I was out with friends that night and when I returned, my mother and younger sisters were already dead and my father was barely alive.

    Hisst words were that you were the one responsible, so I dedicated my entire life to working hard and gained your attention.

    But who would have thought that you didn¡¯t even spare your own flesh and blood?" heughed mockingly and the old man seemed to have recovered from his initial shock and seemed less pale.

    I must admit that I have never seen someone so prideful in wickedness.

    "It seems like I won¡¯t escape this time," he suddenlyughed and I frowned in disgust.

    He pushed my hands off and steadied himself, before walking back to the chair he had been initially seated.

    "I have never regretted any of my actions. I do everything with the growth and prosperity of this family in mind. There is no decision I have made without ensuring that it won¡¯t affect the ck family name.

    And I don¡¯t have many years left to live, so jail wouldn¡¯t be such a bad ce to spend the rest of my life, as I have tasted every kind of luxury that this life has to offer" he said with a triumphant smile.

    "You disgust me!" Lauretta yelled angrily at him and I couldn¡¯t hide my disgust either.

    "I hope you also have the same thoughts towards your lover, Sameen, because she would definitely go to jail for her crimes" I said coldly and his face changed slightly.

    "Leave innocent people out of this, they are innocent!" he said protectively while ring at me.

    " I must say that you are both a perfect couple, because she has been crying and urging the police to find her darling husband, Raymond, while she has already killed and disposed off his body.

    Your son is equally vicious and helped her without batting an eye" his face froze and I saw a sh of panic before he quickly adjusted his emotions again.

    This level of evilness is really scary.

    "There are so many people that want to see your end, so even if we let you go, the Lancaster family won¡¯t let you go for Lydia¡¯s death" I said before walking towards the door.

    As soon as I stepped out, I saw Mason and others waiting outside. Christy was busy consoling Mira who was crying while Raina was also sobbing in Gary¡¯s arms.

    All the acting has taken a toll on everyone, pretending for months is not an easy thing to do but it was all worth it in the end.

    "You can arrest him now" I said to Mason and he gestured to his people to take action.

    "Have you ever felt any fatherly love for me since I was born?" Lauretta¡¯s sad voice came from the office.

    "A daughter is useless and can¡¯t carry on the family name, you were even more useless and weak like your mother. If I get another chance, I will definitely choose the same path!" Grandpa¡¯s emotionless and cold voice followed.

    I sighed and slowly pulled Christy into my arms.

    It was finally over.

 Chapter 116 - ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN: Broken Illusions (3)

    <h4>Chapter 116: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN: Broken Illusions (3)</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    I watched as my grandpa was taken away by the special forces officers, my mother was a crying mess but things weren¡¯t over yet.

    I still have to take care of Sameen and Curtis. I had someone secretly inform them that Raymond¡¯s body had been found to make them panic.

    And I am sure it was the reason for Curtis¡¯ sudden resignation.

    "I just got a call from the officers, Raymond¡¯s body has been fished out from the river" Evans informed me and I nodded.

    "I can¡¯t believe all of these are true, how could they be so heartless" Raina sobbed sadly in Gary¡¯s arms.

    "Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s time to punish those responsible for his death" I said before leading Christy out.

    We all boarded our car and headed for the location, my mind was upied and I couldn¡¯t describe my emotions at the moment.

    It still feels so unbelievable that my grandpa was the evil mastermind all these years.

    And Raymond, I didn¡¯t know how to feel about him as we weren¡¯t exactly close.

    He was never a good father and his greed for power and wealth made him make several irrational decisions that led to his horrible end.

    "Everything will be fine" Christy suddenly held my hand and her warmth immediately wiped away all my worries.

    "I¡¯m so sorry for making you go through so much and thank you for believing me" I whispered as I pulled her into my arms.

    I would have been more careful if I had known that my grandpa could be so vicious to not even spare an unborn child.

    That incident almost made me call off the n but Mason urged me to continue and Christy, she was also so understanding despite the pain she went through.

    As the memories of everything shed through my mind, I held her tighter and wished I could merge her into my skin.

    "I have to thank your mother for keeping Piper and the rest under control" she whispered and I nodded with a smile.

    Lauretta has been in touch with Mark and the others, she came up with the n herself.

    She made them believe that she wanted to harm Christy and also gave them money to make it more believable.

    That way, we get to monitor their moves and keep them under control.

    "Why did you hurt Ashton?" she suddenly asked and I frowned.

    "I just wanted him to learn how to keep his hands to himself," I said coldly.

    "So you got him beaten up so badly because of jealousy? Howe I never realized that you are so sensitive?" she chuckled while smoothening my brows.

    "Stop frowning so much, you will be old quickly" she added with a smile and I red at her.

    "Do you have an issue with my age? Am I too old for you now?" I red at her unhappily.

    She rolled her eyes andughed slightly. I knew she was just trying to distract me from everything that was happening and I couldn¡¯t be more thankful that she was here.

    The car suddenly stopped and I looked out to see a row of police cars and trucks. I also noticed that we were at the shore of the biggest river in Country N.

    "What did you say? Where is my husband? Why would he be here?" A loud wailing voice came into my ears as soon as I stepped down from the car.

    We all looked in the direction of cries and saw Sameen, who was busy crying dramatically with Curtis holding her calmly.

    "Raina, they said your father somehow fell into the river, how can he just leave us like this?!" She rushed up to Raina and held her hands while crying pitifully.

    "Who told you that he fell into the river?" Raina asked her with a calm expression.

    "How else would he be inside the river? Why aren¡¯t you sad? He was your father!" Sameen said angrily when she saw that Raina didn¡¯t look sad or panicked but rather calm and collected.

    "Can you stop with the noise and drama, it is irritating" My mother said with a frown and Sameen immediately turned in her direction.

    "Lauretta, you must be very happy right? You and your son have finally seeded in pushing him to a dead end and he had no choice but to end his own life... How can you people be so heartless?" She used us while pointing her finger at our faces.

    "When are you going to drop the Sameen act? How can you be so shameless?!" Raina couldn¡¯t stand her pretense anymore and immediatelyshed out.

    "Raina, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you siding with the people that are responsible for our father¡¯s death?" Curtis immediately questioned her angrily.

    "He was my father... Mine not yours!" she yelled and pushed him angrily.

    He quickly exchanged a look with Sameen before adjusting his emotions.

    "What nonsense are you saying? Have you fed your senses to the dogs?" Sameen red at her in rage.

    I just stood aside with Christy and the others as we watched how they tried to manipte things in their favor.

    "I feel so ashamed that you are my mother, you didn¡¯t even feel anything when you cheated on my father with grandpa... HowHow has father ever mistreated you in all the years of your marriage? He has been nothing but good to you!" Raina snorted angrily.

    Sameen froze and her eyes were immediately filled with panic but Curtis quickly held her shoulder and she calmed down.

    "What nonsense are you talking about? How can you use our mother of having an affair with grandpa? Father was the one that cheated on her and got your best friend, Celeste, pregnant" Curtis defended angrily.

    "You can continue denying it but let me inform you that your precious father, Grandpa, has been arrested. All his crimes have been exposed" Raina said with a smile and Curtis¡¯ expression was one of disbelief.

    "He is the patriarch of the ck family, there is no way he can just be arrested!" Sameen yelled angrily.

    "Oh, so you are finally admitting that you have an affair with him" Rainaughed and walked to her, she delivered a very hot p to her mother¡¯s face before anyone could react.

    Pah!

    "That¡¯s for my trust and ying me as a fool all these years," she said before raising her hand again.

    Pah!

    Pah!

    "These two are for my father, whom you took away from me forever" she said before walking back to hug Gary.

    "Mrs Sameen and Mr Curtis, you are both under arrest for the murder of Mr Raymond ck. Whatever you do and say can be used against you in court"

    Two officers stepped forward with handcuffs and before Curtis could react, he and his mother had already been handcuffed.

 Chapter 117 - ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN: Broken Illusions (4)

    <h4>Chapter 117: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN: Broken Illusions (4)</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    Everything felt so surreal as we all watched as Curtis and Sameen were taken away by the police.

    We immediately got into our cars to leave, as this was only a trap for Sameen and Curtis.

    Raymond¡¯s body has already been found four days ago and it is currently in the morgue.

    "Make arrangements for the funeral," Kendrick instructed Evans.

    "already on it boss" Evans replied with a serious expression.

    We have all been so tense for months now, we had to act carefully to avoid leaving anything for the old man to suspect.

    "We can finally rest properly" I hugged Kendrick, he was looking all calm like he had everything under control but the slight trembling of his hands gave him away.

    My heart tightened as I stared at him and hugged him tighter.

    "There are a lot of things to take care of, so I will have to go to the police station" he said as he slowly pulled out of the hug.

    I picked up my phone and noticed that the time was already 6 PM, so I called Kelvin.

    "Hey bro, I need your help" I said as soon as he picked.

    Kendrick looked at me with a frown and raised his brow to ask what I was up to but I didn¡¯t give him any reply.

    "What do you need sis?" Kelvin asked me with a calm voice.

    "Kendrick said there is some paperwork that needs to be done with regard to the old man¡¯s case... I was wondering if you could take care of it" I asked, my hand tightened on the phone as he seemed to be pondering on it.

    "Bro, he is..."

    "I will take care of it, just rx and also tell him not to worry" he finally responded and I sighed in relief.

    Kendrick was just staring at me calmly, I knew he heard my call but I didn¡¯t care. I just want him to have a quiet moment to himself.

    "Thanks brother" I said before hanging up, before I could drop my phone, I felt a warm hand enveloping me and I leaned in.

    "Let¡¯s go home" I said to the driver and he immediately headed in the direction of Kendrick¡¯s apartment.

    His grip seems to get tighter every minute but I didn¡¯t resist as I knew he really needed it.

    On getting to the apartment, I opened the door with his key car. He pulled me directly to the bedroom.

    I couldn¡¯t believe he wanted to get intimate at this moment and Iughed before turning around to hug his neck but when I saw his face, I froze.

    His eyes were already wet with tears and his eyes were red

    "Ken.. My love, you can cry... It doesn¡¯t mean you are weak, it means you are only a human" I said and his tears immediately fell.

    He knelt down weakly and I couldn¡¯t hold back my own tears. His tears broke my heart and made it feel like it was being stabbed.

    "It¡¯s okay, you still have me, Mason, Gary, Jasper, Anderson and your mother. We won¡¯t leave or betray you... WeWe never will.

    And I will be here to protect you every step of the way. We will have the biggest wedding in the history of this country and also have lovely kids" I kept talking to him as he cried.

    He hugged me tightly and his head rested on my stomach.

    "Why would he do such a thing to me? If I hadn¡¯t met you, then I would never be able to have a family of my own" he said amidst sobs.

    His voice was extremely heartbreaking and my tears spilled out even more.

    "Kendrick, now listen to me, I love you with everything in me! You brought me out of the abyss that I was stuck in and showed me such a beautiful life.

    So it¡¯s destiny that we met, because if we didn¡¯t meet back then, I would have never found my way back to my family.

    I would have still been working at Collette¡¯s club, dancing as a stripper and being mistreated and used by Benjamin.

    So you are my knight in shining armor and my light" I whispered into his ears as he cried.

    "I want you to cry out all of your pains tonight, so we can have a fresh start tomorrow.

    Think of our future together, just me, you and everyone we care about" I kept whispering as I couldn¡¯t let him tie himself to these hurtful events.

    After crying for almost an hour, he finally calmed down and I slowly led him to the bed as his knees were weak from kneeling on the hard marble floor.

    I helped him lie down and ced his hair on myp. I gently stroked his hair and waited for him in silence.

    "He told me that he loved me and I believed him. He was the only person that showed me a little warmth all through my childhood.

    Even when I first noticed the issue with my body, he was the first person I ran to and I believed him when he told me to go abroad for treatment.

    He always advised me to be nice to Curtis and treat him well but he really didn¡¯t care about Raina¡¯s affairs. Sameen made my childhood miserable and Raymond was even worse.

    I chose to stay in a boarding school in my high school days just so I wouldn¡¯t have to face them.

    But now, everything has changed and I don¡¯t know how to feel about it" he just kept talking randomly and I listened.

    I allowed him to finish everything he was saying and only moved when he was breathing evenly.

    I watched his tired and tear stricken sleeping face and sighed.

    Ring Ring!

    My phone suddenly started vibrating in my pocket and I was relieved that it was on vibration, as it would have interrupted his sleep.

    "Hello Mira" I said after walking out of the bedroom to avoid disturbing him.

    "How are you?" She asked. I could hear her hoarse voice and knew she must have cried.

    "Are you alone?" I asked worriedly.

    "No.. Jasper is here" she responded and her voice sounded like she was about to cry again.

    "I don¡¯t know what to feel now, I miss my mother so much but I¡¯m happy that the culprit has been arrested." she said amidst sobs.

    "You have all of us Mira, so don¡¯t cry. Aunty wouldn¡¯t be happy where she is if you are sad" I consoled her calmly.

    "I just wanted to hear you say that... I wanted to confirm that our closeness wasn¡¯t just for the act" she said with a choked voice.

    "We are sisters, that will never change" I assured.

    "Thank you," she whispered before hanging up.

    I dropped the phone on the table and walked to the floor to ceiling window.

    I looked at the sky but there was no star and even the moon was hiding as well.

    I sighed and headed to the bathroom to quickly freshen up.

    I got into the bed and hugged Kendrick tightly before slowly falling asleep.

 Chapter 118 - ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN: They Are Missing

    <h4>Chapter 118: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN: They Are Missing</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I woke up very early the next morning to make breakfast for Kendrick and I.

    He was still asleep after all the drama that happened yesterday.

    I made a simple dish that I learnt from Sir Sebastian¡¯s ss the previous week. Thanks to all his sses, my cooking has been getting better and better.

    "That smells great" Kendrick¡¯s voice came from the door and I turned around to face him.

    He looked better than yesterday and was well rested. He entered the kitchen and stood behind me.

    "Thank you my love" he whispered as his hands slowly wrapped around my waist.

    "I¡¯m d you are feeling better now, go out of the kitchen and freshen up" I pushed him slightly and he gave me a brief kiss before walking out.

    I quickly set the table and gently ced the dishes on it. Then decided to watch some TV while waiting for him.

    "Let¡¯s eat" I didn¡¯t notice when he walked into the sitting room as I was totally engrossed with watching the TV.

    "Mason called but I told him you would call him back when you wake up" I informed him while dishing food for him.

    We ate in afortable silence and when we were done, I cleaned the dishes before I continued watching TV.

    "Okay, we will be there" he said to whoever he was talking to on the phone.

    "Evans just informed me that he is done with the preparations for Raymond¡¯s funeral. It will be held this evening at the city cemetery.

    I told him to invite family and close friends" he informed me with a calm expression.

    I turned off the TV and walked to where he was standing, slowly wrapped my hands around his waist and hugged him tightly.

    "Everything will be fine soon" I whispered and he hugged me back.

    "Do you hate my family? I mean, everything that has ever gone wrong in your life was all caused by them" he said with a sad voice.

    "I don¡¯t care about others, you are the one I love and care about and I definitely can¡¯t hate you" I replied to him immediately.

    I didn¡¯t want to dy my response and make him over think things.

    "Why don¡¯t we do something that would help clear your mind?" I raised my head to look into his eyes.

    He threw me over his shoulder before I could react. On reaching the bedroom, he gently dropped me in the bed and captured my lips in a deep kiss.

    "Ahhhnnmn" I moaned as my hands tightened around his neck to pull him closer.

    We continued kissing and he only let me go when I was struggling to breathe.

    "How long has it been since west..." he didn¡¯t finish his sentence but I already understood what he was saying.

    "More than two months" I replied while giving him a seductive smile.

    That was all it took for him to let go of his restraints and act on his desires.

    He immediately yanked the little dress that I was wearing off my body before taking off my undies. He spread my legs apart and buried his face in my core.

    "Ahhhmmmmm... Fuck!"

    I moaned in pleasure as he sucked and licked my wet core. My eyes rolled back and forth with every wave of pleasure.

    "Ken... Ken... Ken..."

    I moaned his name repeatedly as I couldn¡¯t remember any other word.

    I pushed his head back to stop him before quickly getting off the bed and kneeling in front of him. I quickly pulled down his briefs and wrapped my fingers around his hard member.

    "Aghhhmm"

    He groaned as I gently stroked it before taking the rip in my mouth. I sucked and licked the tip repeatedly, making him groan continuously in pleasure.

    The temperature of the room increased and the only sounds that could be heard were wet slurping sounds as I sucked his hard cock.

    "You make me feel things I never thought were possible" I groaned and it made me more excited and I took his entire length down my throat.

    I choked on it severally and he kept trying to get me to stop but I refused.

    I wanted him to feel every ounce of passion in me.

    "Damn...e here"

    He groaned and lifted me off the floor. As soon as Inded on the bed, I could feel his hardness at the entrance of my core.

    "Ahmmmm.. Yes"

    "Fuck you are so tight"

    He groaned and I moaned as he entered into me, his thrusts were slow at the start but he gradually increased the speed and force.

    "Ahhhh... Yes... Yes.. Yes... Baby!" I cried out in pleasure as he continued giving me his love.

    We continued until we reached the peak of ecstasy before cuddling on the bed and stayed like that for hours.

    By the time we were done getting ready for the funeral, Evans had arrived to pick us up.

    The time was already 4PM when we arrived at the venue. There were only a few people in attendance, so it was rtively quiet.

    The final rites were quickly done and Raymond¡¯s body wasid to rest.

    "Kendrick, how are you feeling?" Lauretta¡¯s voice came from the side.

    She wore a ck gown and hat, behind her was a middle aged man and a young man, who looked really lean and sickly.

    "I am fine" Kendrick replied calmly and she nodded with a slight smile.

    She looked slightly hesitant and awkward, as she was probably wondering how to do the introductions.

    "Hello big brother, I¡¯m Zain" The young man made it easy for her by introducing himself to Kendrick with a smile.

    "Hello Zain and Mr Singhania" Kendrick replied and gave the middle aged man a handshake.

    "It¡¯s nice to meet you Kendrick, your mother has told me a lot about you" The man gave him a handshake.

    Kendrick¡¯s hand that was holding mine tightened slightly and I gave it a gentle pat.

    "We have decided to move here and settle down as a family. I am thinking of having the old ck mansion renovated and clear out every trace of those evil people" Lauretta said with a serious expression and Kendrick nodded.

    I felt a strong gaze on me and I looked up to see Zain staring at me, his eyes gave me chills and an unsettling feeling.

    "Are you cold?" Kendrick asked when he noticed my slight shiver.

    "I¡¯m fine" I replied to him with a smile before looking at Zain again.

    "Brother" Raina walked over and hugged Kendrick.

    The DNA test that was done earlier proved that she was really Raymond¡¯s daughter, so Sameen had a child each for both grandpa and Raymond.

    She really redefined shamelessness.

    "How are you?" Kendrick asked her after she pulled away from the hug.

    "I am fine, Gary asked me to be his secretary," she said with a smile.

    "Congrattions" she smiled at me before nodding.

    "She wants to renovate the old mansion, inform her in case you have anything that shouldn¡¯t be touched" Kendrick said to her.

    "I don¡¯t have anything there, I just want to let go of the past and start afresh. I have buried everything from the past with my father" Raina said with a determined expression.

    "Come to me if you need anything in the future" he gave her a gentle pat and she nodded before leaving with Gary.

    "Excuse us" he said to Lauretta and her family before pulling me out of the venue.

    Ring Ring!

    His phone suddenly started ringing as soon as we got into the car.

    "Boss, something is wrong" a man¡¯s panicked voice came through the phone.

    I could hear it clearly as I was sitting very close to him.

    "What happened?" He asked with a frown.

    "The people that we have been watching are nowhere to be found" the man replied quickly.

    The people?

    Piper and the others?

    "What do you mean by that?" Kendrick asked, his voice was so cold that it made me tremble.

    "They were in the housest night, Celeste came over to visit them and up till this evening, none of them have stepped out of the apartment.

    Piper usually goes out in the morning but she didn¡¯t go out either.

    We got tired of waiting and entered the apartment but found none of them. After searching around, we found that the old abandoned gate at the back was open and the bush looked like what people have walked through" the man quickly narrated what happened.

    "You all had one job!"

    "We are already searching for them, Boss," the man said with a trembling voice.

    My heart tightened at the thought of Piper no longer being under our watch. She could attack me at any time.

    "Keep searching and I want to hear that you have found them before midnight" Kendrick ordered before hanging up angrily.

    "Seems like Celeste must have given them a heads up" I whispered with a frown.

    "Should I call Mason?" I asked him when I noticed he was silent.

    "I am sure he already knows," he replied before pulling me into his arms.

    "Don¡¯t be scared, I will protect you. She won¡¯t be able toe near you" he whispered into my ear and I felt slightly better.

 Chapter 119 - ONE HUNDRED AND NINETEEN: Evans Is Dead

    <h4>Chapter 119: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND NINETEEN: Evans Is Dead</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    After finding out about the sudden disappearance of Celeste and the others, I knew that I had to find them urgently because I don¡¯t believe that Celeste is smart enough toe up with such an borate scheme.

    "Evans, I will stop at the intersection in front. Take Christy to the Lancaster family house and ensure you arrange enough security for her" I instructed with a serious expression.

    "Where are you going?" Christy asked me with an anxious expression.

    "I am going somewhere with Mason, just go home, Mira and your other friends are waiting" I said while stroking her hair.

    "Okay, please stay safe" She embraced me tightly.

    She stayed in my embrace until we got to the intersection, where Mason was already waiting for me.

    "I have to go now, be good" I gave her a brief kiss on the lips before getting down from the car and walked over to where Mason¡¯s car was parked.

    As soon as I got into the passenger seat, he wasted no time and immediately drove off.

    "Any news?" I asked him but he just shook his head and sighed.

    "Celeste is definitely taking orders from someone, how is it possible that she was able to easily convince them to leave with her?" he asked and I fell into a deep thought.

    Wasn¡¯t grandpa the mastermind? Could there be another person involved?.

    "I actually have a strong conviction that your grandfather might still be controlling things despite being behind bars" I frowned when I heard what he said.

    Why won¡¯t this old man just allow everyone to live in peace?

    "Let¡¯s go to the police station" I said and he immediately understood my intentions.

    The only way to know the truth is to confront him directly.

    "Hello Chief, I¡¯m on my way to the station, please make arrangements for me to meet Old Master ck" he immediately called to arrange it.

    That¡¯s one thing I admire most about him, he is always swift and decisive.

    We fell into a deep silence as we were lost in our own thoughts.

    Everything was ready by the time we got to the police station, so I headed straight to the visiting room.

    I sat down, facing the iron that separates the prisoners and the visitors. A few minutester, Grandpa was led in by an officer.

    I was surprised that he didn¡¯t look haggard or regretful. He had a calm expression on his face and when he saw me, he grinned.

    "It has only been a day and you already miss me" he said with a sarcastic tone as he took his own seat.

    "Miss you? Seems like the prison is getting to you" I replied calmly.

    "To what do I owe this visit?" he asked while staring directly into my eyes, his grin made him look extremely creepy.

    "I wanted to..."

    "You wanted to know if I had anything to do with the disappearance of Celeste and the others right?" he interrupted me with a slightugh.

    I was stunned as I didn¡¯t expect him to actually admit it so easily.

    "Do you really think that by locking me up here, my control of everything that happens outside would slip? No boy.

    I have been in this game way before you were born and I can tell you that my schemes are beyond yourprehension" he said with a proud expression.

    How can someone be so heartless?

    I just felt like grabbing his neck and breaking it to send him straight to hell where he belongs.

    "You are just like your mother, weak and pathetic. All my years of teaching you how to be a real man all went down the drain because you couldn¡¯t let go of a girl.

    To be a great man, you have to be vicious in everything you do, instill fear in others and make them tremble when they see you but what did you do instead?

    Acting like a puppy all because of that Lancaster girl, trying to impress her family and acting all morally upright!" he yelled as he looked at me with disgust.

    "I am surrounded by people who love and genuinely care about me because I didn¡¯t follow your teachings.

    Unlike you, who doesn¡¯t have anyone that loves you and even if you die, no one will cry for you because of all the evil you have done" I replied to him with a disgusted expression.

    I observed his face for any hint of regret but there was none.

    "You want to find Celeste and the others right? That¡¯s the reason you are here, so I will make it easy for you.

    Let¡¯s consider this as myst act of kindness as your grandfather" he said with a serious expression.

    "What do you want?" I knew there was no way that he just wanted to help.

    He never does anything that doesn¡¯t favor him, so I was quite certain that he must have a condition.

    "You know me so well," he chuckled.

    I just stayed silent and waited for him to continue.

    "My condition is simple, I want you to make sure that Curtis isn¡¯t sentenced. He should be free and his involvement in Raymond¡¯s death should not be recorded" he said with a serious expression.

    "Wow... You are really such a loving father" Iughed mockingly and his expression immediately darkened.

    "Ensure his safety and I will tell you the whereabouts of Celeste and the others" he said coldly.

    "I will rather spend the next two years searching for them than allow Curtis to roam free" I responded with a smirk and he seemed to finally snap.

    "Kendrick! Don¡¯t act too tough for your own good, I gave you everything that you have now and I can easily take it all away, So you better not push me!" he yelled angrily.

    His fingers held the metal like he wanted to pull it down and attack me.

    " I can see that you really love your son, and here I was, thinking that you had no weakness.

    If I can get Curtis in prison, I can also get him identally killed" I said with a smile.

    "How dare you threaten me! If you touch my son then I will die with you and everyone you care about!" he yelled with an extremely agitated expression, his face was red because of how angry he was.

    His eyes darkened and I knew he wouldn¡¯t hesitate if given a gun to shoot me at the moment.

    "Even if I don¡¯t touch him, there is Harold and the Lancaster family. They will be thrilled to know how much you really love your son" I said calmly and I pounded angrily on the with his bare hands.

    "I dare you and anyone else to touch him! You better behave yourself and get that family of buffoons to also behave or else, I will have no choice but to get rid of the one person that you all care about the most" he threatened angrily.

    I clenched my fist as I tried to restrain my anger.

    How dare he threaten me with Christy¡¯s life?!

    "Touch my sister If you want me to bury you and your precious son alive!" Mason¡¯s angry voice came from behind me.

    I don¡¯t know when he came in or how much he had heard but from his expression, he clearly heard the parts about Christy.

    "Get Curtis out, thene back to know where they are" Grandpa ignored himpletely and continued talking to me.

    "That¡¯s not going to happen," I replied calmly. It took me a few seconds to finally adjust my emotions and face him calmly.

    "You better not say I didn¡¯t give you a chance" he said with a mysterious tone before walking out of the visiting room.

    "What do you think he meant by what he said?" Mason asked me but I wasn¡¯t sure either.

    A sudden feeling of unease rose up within me and my chest tightened slightly.

    "I have a terrible fee...."

    Ring Ring!

    I was interrupted by the ringing of Mason¡¯s phone. He picked up the call and turned on the speaker.

    " Dexter... "

    "Sir, some mercenaries broke into the mansion and there were lots of casualties. They seem to havee specifically for Christy but Mr ck¡¯s PA, Evans, shielded her with his body and he was shot severally.

    He couldn¡¯t be saved as his major organs were hit by the bullet..."

    I didn¡¯t hear any other thing that he said after that.

    Evans is dead!

    He couldn¡¯t be saved!

    These two sentences kept reying in my head.

    "Ken, we need to go, lots of people were injured, including my mother" Mason¡¯s anxious voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

    How could Evans be gone? We were in the same car less than an hour ago and now he is dead.

    We rushed out of the police station and got into Mason¡¯s car. He drove above speed limits and ran many red lights before we arrived at the Lancaster mansion.

    We had to park outside the gate as the inside was filled with police, ambnces and numerous reporters.

    I quickly looked around for Christy, but after searching for a while, I couldn¡¯t find her.

    "Kendrick"

 Chapter 120 - ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY: He Saved Me

    <h4>Chapter 120: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY: He Saved Me</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I had a terrible feeling when we parted with Kendrick at the intersection but I didn¡¯t think much about it.

    "Can you take me to any eatery around? I need to get something for everyone to eat" I said to Evans.

    "Sure, there is one in front" he replied as he was focused on the road.

    A few minutester, he stopped in front of a huge restaurant and I got down from the car.

    "You don¡¯t need to follow me, I will be quick" I said when I noticed that he got down too.

    "Boss asked me to ensure your safety, so I have to go with you" he replied with a calm expression.

    I knew there was nothing I could possibly do to make him change his mind so I allowed him do as he pleases.

    "Hello, I will like five of the familybo and a single meal" I said to the waitress after ncing through the menu.

    "Hello Mr Evans, how are you doing? Do you remember me?" An annoying and high pitched voice came from behind me.

    Who else would have such a hateful voice?

    "Sorry Miss, I don¡¯t remember ever meeting you" Mark replied with his usual calm tone and I almostughed.

    I didn¡¯t turn back as I didn¡¯t want her to notice me, so I just enjoyed her little episode.

    "You must have forgotten because of the numerous things you do as Mr ck¡¯s personal assistant" She gave herself a reason to not feel awkward.

    "Let me reintroduce myself, my name is Emily, the Heiress of the Michaelson family" she said with arrogant voice.

    " Oh, it¡¯s Miss Michaelson? I remember now. Weren¡¯t you thrown out from thepany a few days ago because you were trying to sneak into Mr ck¡¯s office" Evans said calmly.

    I wanted tough at the beginning but when I heard the end, a nameless anger shed in my head.

    "Who would have thought that the almighty Michaelson Heiress is such a shameless person" I turned to face her and her expression was worth the wait.

    "You...What are you doing here?!" She stuttered while ring at me.

    "If I wasn¡¯t here, how would I have known that you are so desperate to seduce my boyfriend" I gave her a provocative smirk.

    Her face contorted hideously and theyers of powder on her face cracked slightly.

    "Your boyfriend? He dumped you!" she yelled angrily, her spoiled princess attitude was starting to show.

    "Why would his assistant be with me, if he really dumped me?" I asked her with a smile.

    "You... You...Bitch!" she stuttered but couldn¡¯t find anything to say, then she suddenly tried to get physical but Evans restrained her.

    "You better watch yourself because I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kick off that stic nose of yours" I warned angrily and she looked at me with a stunned expression.

    "What... WhatWhat.. Nonsense are you talking about? I have never had any stic surgery" she said angrily but it was so ring that she was lying.

    Her nose was so sharp and pointed that even a blind man wouldn¡¯t believe it was natural.

    "Are you treating us like we have issues with our brains and can¡¯t differentiate between a real and fake nose?" Evans frowned at her.

    "No.. No, that¡¯s not what I meant" she tried to exin but we just turned away to focus one the waitress that was bringing my order.

    "I will definitely not let you go!" she yelled before storming away on her heals.

    "Here is your order" the waitress handed me two huge bags and a small one.

    Evans carried the big bags and I held the small one as we returned to the car.

    He started the car and we headed in the direction of the Lancaster family residence.

    "How long have you been with Kendrick?" I asked him a question that I have been meaning to ask for a while now.

    "It¡¯s been twelve years" he replied with his eyes fixed on the road.

    "That¡¯s nice... Did you guys meet in school?" I asked curiously.

    "No, I took a few courses eight years ago... I never went to the university" he replied, I didn¡¯t know how to ask more to not make it seem like I was being too inquisitive.

    "Boss is a very good person, he is the reason why I am alive now..." he seemed to have noticed my hesitant expression, so he decided to tell me.

    "He saved you?" I asked and he nodded.

    "I was raised in a really poor family, my father was a gambler and my mother had numerous lovers.

    I was the only child, they didn¡¯t care about me. My father got beaten up every few days by the gambling dens while my mother would be gone for months with her lovers.

    One day, my mother brought her new lover home and when she saw me, she immediately hurled insults at me. I was ten at the time, so I cried my eyes out as it usually helped me to feel better but this time it didn¡¯t.

    Her new lover saw me crying and offered me something that would make me numb to all the pain.

    He gave me a bunch of pills and I took them immediately, it actually worked and I felt lighter.

    He continued bringing more for me and by the time I turned twelve, I was already an addict" he paused to take a deep breath.

    My heart ached for him, who would have ever thought that such a calm person had gone through so much.

    "I was twenty two when Boss found me, he and Anderson, were out to have fun that night and he saw me being beaten up by a drug seller because I stole some pills.

    I couldn¡¯t afford them anymore as all my savings have already been spent on the pills because I took them more frequently.

    The boss paid the seller and then he walked up to me. I was expecting him tough like all the other rich kids but he was different.

    He helped me up, asked for my name and then gave me some money, along with his phone number.

    He told me to call him only when I was ready to get clean. I went home that night and gave him a call the next day.

    I didn¡¯t have much hope but he really showed up and took me to the rehabilitation facility.

    I was there for four years and when I finally got cleaned, he made me take some courses in business administration.

    He gave me a job and an apartment, so everything I have and I am, is all thanks to him" he finished narrating his story.

    I don¡¯t know at what part I started crying but my face was already soaked with tears.

    "He really loves you, please don¡¯t ever leave him" he suddenly said and I nodded.

    "It seems like he has a thing for saving people... HeHe literally pulled me out of the abyss I was in and gave me a whole new lease on life" I said with a smile.

    When we arrived at my family¡¯s residence, I heard a lot of voicesing from the inside.

    "Finally.. I was starving" Mira said when she saw the food we brought.

    She grabbed one of the big bags from Evans and immediately opened it, before stuffing her mouth with fried chicken.

    "Eat like ady!" my mother yelled on seeing her.

    "Arrgh.. I am so hungry, I will be ady when I am done" Mira replied with her mouth still filled.

    "Stop being disgusting.. Jasper is here, don¡¯t you have any shame" Mother grumbled angrily but Mira didn¡¯t stop.

    I turned to look at Jasper who had no reaction at all like her eating like a starved lion cub was a normal thing.

    Dexter and Kelvin also grabbed some and before I knew it, the food had been distributed round.

    "Here is yours Evans" I handed the small bag to him and we all started eating and gisting.

    We talked about how we deserved Oscars for our acting as it wasn¡¯t easy to pretend and be all tense for more than two months.

    Thankfully everything is settled now, except the issue of Celeste and the others.

    BANG!

    "Was that a gunshot?" Dexter asked as he swiftly pulled out his gun.

    Kelvin and our father also pulled out their guns while Jasper and Evans led the women to a corner.

    BANG!

    BANG!

    BANG!

    More gunshots rang out and it seemed like our people were exchanging bullets with whoever was trying to get into the mansion.

    "Be ready, I can hear footsteps which means they are close" My father said and the front door was immediately kicked down.

    Three men dressed in all ck attires walked in with guns.

    BANG!

    BANG!

    BANG!

    Dexter, Kelvin and father, took each one out with a bullet to the head.

    More immediately rushed in while shooting sporadically. We all ran to hide from the flying bullets.

    I noticed that the men were focused on me and before I could react, they were already firing in my direction.

    BANG!

    BANG!

    I watched as the bullets flew towards me and closed my eyes knowing that there was no way I could escape but the expected pain did note, instead, I heard a muffled groan before a heavy thud.

    When I opened my eyes again, I noticed the attackers were hurriedly retreating and a few of them had been shot dead.

    I looked down and my body immediately froze.

    "Evans!"

 Chapter 121 - ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE: He Still Needs Me

    <h4>Chapter 121: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE: He Still Needs Me</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I stared in horror at Evan¡¯s bloodied body and unusually pale face.

    "Evans!" I quickly went on my knees and checked for a heartbeat but there was none.

    The person that I had chatted with a few minutes ago was gone, just like that.

    It was terrifying how fragile life actually is, that it could be extinguished in a matter of seconds.

    "Christy, let me check on him" Jasper rushed over and I quickly moved aside for him to check for any signs of life.

    I watched with tears streaming down my face as he checked repeatedly for a pulse but there was none.

    "He is gone" He finally dered and my muffled sobs turned into loud wails.

    He died protecting me, because he knew how important I am to Kendrick.

    He would rather die than see Kendrick breakdown.

    "I have called an ambnce, a lot of people are injured" Dexter said from the side.

    "Mother... Mother.. Mother!" Kelvin¡¯s anxious and panicked voice came into my ears and I quickly turned to see my mother lying in a pool of blood.

    My blood ran cold as I couldn¡¯t imagine losing two people in a matter of a few minutes.

    Jasper rushed over to check on her and when I noticed his relieved expression, my heart calmed down a bit.

    "She was shot on her thigh and passed out from excessive blood loss" he informed us.

    The ambnce arrived quickly and lots of police officers and military personnels also came.

    Some soldiers were killed in the attack so the military had to be involved and also considering the fact that my father is a high ranking general.

    "Miss, please move aside, we have to move the body" a paramedic said to me but I didn¡¯t respond or move.

    I just kept staring at Evans, his closed eyes made it look like he was just taking a nap but the pool of blood on the floor and his bloodied shirt showed the reality.

    "Christy,e on" Dexter pulled me up but I couldn¡¯t stand as my legs were numb from squatting beside Evan¡¯s body.

    "How would I console him? He would be heartbroken to know that Evans is gone. How do I face Kendrick, knowing that he died protecting me?" I said amidst sobs.

    Dexter gently patted my back and allowed me to rant to my heart¡¯s content.

    "I have exined everything to Captain over the phone, they will be here soon" He informed me before leading me out of the house.

    There were a lot of reporters and the shes from their cameras were blinding. So Dexter took me to a quiet corner, he left me there and hurried into the house.

    A few minutester, I saw Kendrick frantically searching around and I knew he was looking for me. I felt guilty for what happened to Evans and didn¡¯t know how to confront him.

    But watching his anxious expression, I finally walked towards him.

    "Kendrick" I called softly as I got closer to him.

    He swiftly turned around and before I could react, he was already in front of me, hugging me tightly like he wanted to merge us into one.

    "I am so sorry" I cried in his arms.

    "Shhh... It wasn¡¯t your fault, no one could have predicted such a thing" he whispered into my ears.

    "I feel so terrible... He died protecting me. I am the one they were after" I cried harder.

    Hearing that he wasn¡¯t ming me, made me more emotional.

    "I need someone close to the deceased to sign this " A man in a doctor¡¯s coat handed Kendrick a document.

    I looked at it as well and noticed that it was a permission that needed to be signed to move the body to the morgue.

    Kendrick¡¯s hand trembled slightly and more tears spilled out of my eyes as I hugged him again.

    I could see how hurt he was and he couldn¡¯t even hide his emotions as he usually does. A lone tear slid down his face and I immediately wiped it.

    He signed the document and we followed the doctor to see Evans onest time before he was moved to the morgue.

    As soon as the white cloth was removed, I covered my mouth with my hands. I stared at his face as I cried.

    He is gone... Really gone forever!

    "My dear friend, thank you so much for everything that you did for me. You have been a tremendous assistance in both my professional and personal life.

    You always wanted to protect me and today, you didn¡¯t hesitate toy down your life for the woman I love.

    You weren¡¯t just an assistant to me, you were even more than a brother to me and I will remember you for the rest of my life" Kendrick said before slowly closing the white cloth again.

    He led me to where my mother was being treated, she had regained consciousness but her thigh was still being bandaged.

    "Mother, how are you feeling?" I asked her and she tried to give me a smile but her pale face didn¡¯t make itforting.

    "We need to get all the patients to the hospital" The chief medic announced and the other swiftly got the injured people on the ambnces.

    Kendrick led me to his car and I got into the passenger seat while he sat on the driver¡¯s seat.

    "Kendrick you have to be careful, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe for you to take Christy with you" Mason rushed over with an annoyed expression.

    But Kendrick just stared at the steering wheel for a few seconds before slowly turning to face him.

    "He wouldn¡¯t try anything with me because he still needs me to get his precious son out of prison," Kendrick said with a cold expression.

    His precious son?

    Prison?

    "Those people were ordered by your grandfather?" I asked him in shock.

    How was he still doing evil despite being locked up?

    "We underestimated his influence and connections. He is in jail but his allies are still free and doing his dirty works" Mason said through gritted teeth.

    "Why wouldn¡¯t he just let us live peacefully?" I asked angrily.

    Why won¡¯t this old man just fucking die!

    I felt so angry when I remembered how Evans was brutally murdered by those people.

    Kendrick suddenly held my hand and gave it a tight squeeze.

    I took several deep breaths to get my emotions under control.

    I knew he wasn¡¯t having it easy coupled with the fact that the person responsible was his own grandfather.

    "Check the police station records, find out the list of people that have visited my grandfather recently" he said to Mason before driving off.

    I just stared at him without saying anything as he continued increasing the speed like he was venting all his anger on the car.

    He ran several red lights before finallying to a stop. I looked out the window and noticed we were at a river bank.

    He got down and headed straight towards the river and I immediately panicked.

 Chapter 122 - ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO: Your Son Is Dead

    <h4>Chapter 122: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO: Your Son Is Dead</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    I couldn¡¯t get Evan¡¯s face off my mind, he was just fucking fine an hour ago and now, he was gone just like that.

    Why won¡¯t God just take away all the evil people that are making my life a living hell and leave the ones that genuinely care about me.

    That old man is really ruthless and he never cares as long as his interest is not affected.

    As soon as I stopped the car, I immediately got down and headed towards the river.

    "Kendrick!" Christy yelled anxiously from behind. I stopped to look at her and figured out what she was thinking from her expression.

    "I am not that fragile, just wait here for me"I said and continued walking to the river.

    On getting to the river, I slowly dipped my legs into the water and looked at the huge expanse of water.

    "Evans, brother I don¡¯t know if you can hear me, but I am in your favorite ce. You said this is where you get peace, so I am hoping you could lend me some.

    Thank you so much for everything you have done for me in the past twelve years. You have been my biggest inspiration to get better, you fought for me severally and did things under the table just to ensure that my position is never shaken.

    You traded your life for hers, so I am telling you that your sacrifice would never go to waste. We will definitely get married and have lots of children...." I paused to wipe my tears, the cold wind pierced my skin but I was too overwhelmed with emotions to even shiver a bit.

    "I want you to be happy over there and continue watching over us. Hopefully you return to my side as my son, so I will give you the childhood you never had in this lifetime ... .Goodbye brother" I whispered before stepping out of the water and heading back to the car.

    When I looked up, I noticed Christy was still standing beside the car and shivering slightly.

    "I told you to wait in the car" I reprimanded her softly.

    She didn¡¯t respond and just kept staring at me before rushing into my arms. She wrapped her hands around me tightly and I finally calmed down a little.

    A few minutester, she pulled away and ced a soft kiss on my lips.

    "You know, today on our way to the house, he told me how you saved him twelve years ago and how you are the reason for everything he had.

    He told me not to leave you because you love me and I never imagined that less than an hourter, he would die in front of me ... .He didn¡¯t deserve to die but he blocked the bullets without hesitation.

    If I was the one in his shoes... I don¡¯t know if I would be that brave to die just so the person I care about can remain happy" she said amidst sobs.

    "That¡¯s enough... I am sure he is finally resting and found peace where he is now. Everyone is different, even I won¡¯t think twice beforeying my life down for someone I love , no matter how much we think about it, just the thought of how life would be if that person was gone is enough punishment" I said softly while wiping her tears.

    "Come on, I need to inform his parents" I said as I opened the passenger door for her, she slowly got in and I got into the driver¡¯s seat as well.

    "He told me about them as well... Are they better now?" she asked and I shook my head.

    "They got worse with time" I said calmly as I drove towards the suburbs.

    The drive took almost an hour and when we arrived at the familiar old building which Evans has shown me severally, I found a corner to park.

    "I know the apartment that they stay in but they have never met me" I said as I stared at the second floor.

    "Why?You never went inside?" Christy asked with a frown.

    "He never allowed me to meet them, he said they won¡¯t let me go and will disturb me for money if they found out I was his Boss. I increased his sry to make it easier for him to send them money monthly, but they were never satisfied" I said as we walked up the old stairs.

    Knock knock!

    On getting to the apartment, I knocked and we waited for someone to respond but a few minutester, there still wasn¡¯t any response.

    Knock knock!

    I knocked again as I had seen that the lights were on when we were downstairs, which means there was someone in the house.

    "Who is the idiot that won¡¯t mind their business!"

    "What do you want! You are disturbing my good time"

    Angry curses rang out from inside and we could also hear footsteps walking towards the door.

    "Who are you?!" A middle aged woman opened the door and yelled at us angrily.

    She had a bedsheet tied to her chest, her hair was messy and sticking to her face because of sweat. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess what she was busy with.

    I stared at her in disgust.

    "Hello Mrs Tarakim, I am Evan¡¯s boss and.."

    "You are his Boss? Didn¡¯t that bastard tell me that he was only working at a factory? How dare he lie to me! You look really rich, so he must be earning more than he is telling us, he better be prepared to give me more money, such an ungrateful brat!... Always lying like his useless father" she rudely interrupted me and ranted to her heart content before keeping quiet.

    Now I understand why Evans would rather spend Christmas alone than go home.

    With a mother like this, he definitely wouldn¡¯t get peace of mind.

    "Why are you screaming like a shrew... How disgusting!" A slurred voice came from the stairway and I turned to see a middle aged man staggering over.

    His splitting resemnce to Evan¡¯s made me know who he was.

    "Why are you back? You better wait outside, I have a customer in the house!" The woman yelled at him angrily.

    The man acted like he couldn¡¯t hear her and tried to force his way into the house but the woman shoved him back angrily and I caught his body before he could hit the wall.

    "You whore! All you know is sex... Fucking around each day!" the man yelled vulgarities.

    "Can the both of you shut up!" Christy couldn¡¯t take it any more and yelled at them.

    "Hey.. You little brat, how dare you yell at me? Should I worship you because you are that bastard¡¯s Boss? You better go find him if he owes you money.. I don¡¯t have money to pay anyone¡¯s debts!" the woman yelled back.

    "Your son is dead" I dropped the news brutally, since they don¡¯t want to act like normal people.

 Chapter 123 - ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE: The Accomplice

    <h4>Chapter 123: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE: The Aplice</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The woman frowned after hearing what I said but there was no sign of grief or despair.

    I looked at the man and he was no different. They acted like the person being spoken about was a stranger.

    "So, you are telling me that Evans is dead?" the woman asked.

    I felt she must have been too shocked to ept the news and needed rification.

    "Yes, he passed away and his body has been taken to the city hospital morgue" I replied and she sighed heavily.

    No tears or any other reaction, just the sigh before leaning on the door frame with a contemtive expression.

    "You look rich, that means he must have saved up quite a huge amount of money while working with you" She suddenly said and I looked at her in disgust.

    What a shameless woman?

    I felt Christy trying to free her hand from mine but I held it tighter as I didn¡¯t want her to hit the woman and dirty her hand.

    "Oh, so you are his boss? Didn¡¯t he tell us that his job wasn¡¯t paying much? That brat has money and still refuses to pay his own father¡¯s debts... How ungrateful, I am the reason he came into this world in the first ce!" the man yelled angrily as he staggered forward.

    "He is your son and definitely takes after you" the woman sneered angrily.

    "He just informed you that your son is dead," Christy said through gritted teeth. Her body trembled with restrained anger as she red at them.

    "Should I kill myself because he is dead? People die everyday, it¡¯s nothing new" the woman replied angrily.

    "You are disgusting" Christy said to her but she just scoffed.

    "Are you here topensate us for our son¡¯s life? And he must have an apartment in his name, I want it. His savings should also be given to me as well, I will take it for the stress of giving birth to him" the woman said, the greed in her eyes couldn¡¯t be concealed and it made me more disgusted.

    "What! I want his entire savings to pay off my debts. How can you be so greedy and want to take everything for yourself?" The man quickly yelled at her.

    "Let¡¯s go before I hit someone," Christy said angrily.

    We turned around and walked towards the stairs without saying another word to them.

    "Hey, when are you sending me the money? You betterpensate me for his life!"

    "Hey, don¡¯t just walk away, give me the money!"

    The both of them yelled for the money but felt no heartache for theirte son.

    On getting to the car, we sat quietly to control our emotions for a few seconds.

    "I feel so bad for Evans" Christy started sobbing and I gave her gentle pats on the back.

    "I came here with the mindset that if they cry and mourn him genuinely, I will get them an apartment and ensure they livefortably for the rest of their lives but they really exceeded my expectations of how heartless they would be" I said with a deep sigh.

    "Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s gettingte" she whispered softly and I immediately started the car.

    I drove straight to the hospital where all the victims were taken. Mason was waiting outside the hospital when we arrived.

    He looked extremely tired and tense, I frowned as I slowly parked. A lot has been happening recently and everyone has been affected.

    "Mother is in room 108 on the second floor, others are there as well" he said to Christy as soon as we got down from the car.

    She nodded before walking into the hospital, she probably figured that he wanted to speak with me privately.

    "Any news?" I asked as I rested on the hood of the car and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from my pocket.

    I handed him one and took one for myself before putting it back in my pocket. I lit them up and we both took a few drags before getting to business.

    "I haven¡¯t smoked in months," he said with a slight smile.

    "I personally checked the list of your grandfather¡¯s recent visitors at the police station and I found someone really interesting," he said and took another drag of his cigarette.

    I tried to think of someone that would have enough influence and status to make Mason notice them in a list of people.

    "Who?" I frowned.

    "Madam Michaelson," he replied calmly.

    I was surprised at first but when I thought of their intense growth and expansion in the past few years, I knew they weren¡¯t as clean as they pretend to be.

    "They train a secret set of soldiers every year but they always keep it under wraps. Nobody knows where they keep them or who all these people are but the government and military decided to turn a blind eye as long as their interests were not affected.

    I believe the people that attacked the mansion are these secret soldiers" He exined and I furrowed my brows in thought.

    "What makes you so certain that they are involved?" I asked him as I knew he never said anything without strong evidence or clue.

    "One of the generals that came to check on the dead soldiers, was extremely pissed when he saw one of the dead assassins and he left in rage.

    So, I asked Dexter to secretly follow him and he reported back that the man went straight to the Michaelson residence and had a huge argument with the patriarch" he exined and I nodded in understanding.

    "Let¡¯s pay a visit to the Michaelson Patriarch, he has been trying to meet up with me recently... Let me finally fulfill his wish" I said and threw the cigarette butt on the floor and extinguished it by stepping on it.

    Mason also did the same before getting into the car and I slowly drove out of the hospital.

    "Arrange a meeting between me and the general, who confronted the old man. We need all the allies we can get" I said to Mason and he immediately made the call.

    On arriving at the Michaelson residence, we were quickly led into the vi. We saw that they were having dinner.

    What was more surprising was the fact that my mother¡¯s son, Zain, was also at the table and he seemed pretty close to them.

 Chapter 124 - ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR: Big Brother

    <h4>Chapter 124: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR: Big Brother</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    I stared at Zain for a few minutes and when he noticed me, he seemed shocked before quickly adjusting his expression.

    "Big brother, what are you doing here?" he asked with an excited smile.

    Big brother?

    I frowned but didn¡¯t say anything and his expression turned awkward.

    "Hello Mr ck, I would never have guessed that you and Zain are brothers" A high pitched voice came from the table.

    A girl of about Christy¡¯s age, got up and rushed towards us with a smile.

    "Hi, my name is Emily. I am very sorry about what happened to your Assistant. If only he didn¡¯t protect that witch, he...."

    "Emily!" her mother immediately stopped her from saying anything further, as my expression wasn¡¯t very friendly.

    "I didn¡¯t mean to make you upset, I just feel that you deserve better. Christy is such a trouble ma and.. "

    "And when you say better, you mean yourself?" Mason asked her with a mocking smile.

    "Why can¡¯t you Lancasters mind your own business...."

    "Emily!" the old patriarch couldn¡¯t take it anymore and finally yelled at her.

    "Control her!" hemanded his daughter before walking forward with the aid of his walking stick.

    "I am honored that you took out time to visit me, Kendrick" he said when he got close enough.

    "I will prefer Mr ck, we aren¡¯t close enough for you to be addressing me with my first name" I said calmly and his expression changed subtly.

    But he quickly masked it and put on a smile.

    "Your grandfather always said you are quite the character" he said with a littleugh but I just stayed calm as I didn¡¯t find anything funny.

    "You must have been close to my grandfather. I hope you don¡¯t have simr hobbies as it wouldn¡¯t be a good thing for you to end up like him" I replied him calmly and he immediately frowned.

    "Why don¡¯t you men, go to the study" Madam Michaelson said to ease the tensed atmosphere.

    "This way, please" the old man said and walked ahead.

    I turned to follow him, then paused to look back at Zain, who was still staring at me.

    "Wait for me" I said to him and his eyes immediately lit up.

    I didn¡¯t wait for his response and continued walking to wherever the old man was taking us.

    We entered an old study, it was furnished with wooden tiles, a huge mahogany table stood at the center with three leather chairs beside it, and four huge bookshelves were ced in the four corners of the room.

    "Sit down" the old man said coldly.

    He had already dropped the act of a caring old man and his eyes stared at us with a creepy and evil glint.

    "Your grandfather is a good man, he always did what was best for the ck family. We grew up together and we didn¡¯t have it easy.

    But after everything that he did for you, you sent him to jail in his old age. Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself?" he said with a reprimanding voice.

    I chuckled softly as I stared at his righteous expression. Only a twisted and evil person would see my grandfather as a good person.

    "I never expected anything else toe from your mouth" Mason said and the old man red at him coldly.

    "Do you think that everyone is like your grandfather? He is weak and pathetic, so he hides under the act of having integrity and honesty" he said angrily.

    "And this act has made him better and achieved things that you could only dream of in your whole life" Mason didn¡¯t back down either.

    "Watch your tone boy! You are on my turf" the old man flew into a fit of rage.

    "Is this how you treat your guests?" I asked him with a frown and he sat back down.

    "This is how I treat uninvited guests" he mumbled and pulled a drawer open.

    A few secondster, he threw a file towards me and I caught it with a frown.

    He didn¡¯t say anything and just stared at me, so I opened the file to have a look at what it contained, the more I read the angrier I felt. When I was done, I handed it to Mason to read as well.

    "So, he is forcing me to agree to his terms?" I asked coldly.

    "He just wants to ensure that someone carries on his legacy, and the best person to do it, is his own biological son, Curtis," the old man said with a righteous tone.

    "Did you also kill your wife like he did?" Mason suddenly asked and the old man¡¯s eyes immediately darkened.

    "You better watch your words!" he growled angrily.

    "Sorry, I can¡¯t just help but remember what my grandfather said about you being madly obsessed with my grandmother and how you killed her after killing your own wife," Mason replied calmly.

    This was news to me but I was definitely enjoying how the old man¡¯s face alternated between red and white.

    "She was supposed to marry me but your useless grandfather got in the way and stole her from me!" he staggered up without his walking stick.

    "She chose the best man but you couldn¡¯t ept it" Mason said calmly, a huge contrast to the old man¡¯s current state.

    "She was mine... That bastard deceived her! And..."

    "You ended up with yourte wife, whom you married to bear you a son but when she gave birth to a daughter instead, she mysteriously died a weekter.

    The reports showed that she died from severe depression. I don¡¯t have to think much to guess what made her so depressed" Mason interrupted him coldly.

    "She was nothing like your grandmother, she was a weakling, always crying and throwing tantrums but couldn¡¯t give me the only thing that I wanted... A son!" The old man yelled angrily, he didn¡¯t even try to hide his disgust for histe wife.

    "So that¡¯s why you decided to go after my grandmother again, but when she rejected you repeatedly, you decided to kill my grandfather, but you never predicted that she loved him to the extent ofying down her life for him" Mason smiled and the old man¡¯s face turned pale.

    His hands trembled slightly and regret was written all over his face but a few secondster, it all turned to intense hatred and anger.

    He red at Mason before turning to look at me.

    "Your grandfather is waiting for your response, give me a call when you make your decision" he said to me with a dismissive tone.

    "There might not be evidence of your crimes now, but I promise you that I will definitely send you to join your good friend in jail!" Mason said with a smile before walking out of the study.

    "Remember your grandfather¡¯s teachings, power is everything" the old man said to me but I didn¡¯t respond as I walked out as well.

    "Are you leaving already?" his annoying granddaughter asked in her headache-inducing high pitched voice.

    I looked around the sitting room but couldn¡¯t find Zain, so I guessed he already left so I immediately walked out of the vi.

    When I looked in the direction of my car, I saw a frail figure squatting by it. He looked up when he heard our footsteps.

    "Big brother" he called with a smile and my heart felt lighter.

    I guess it wasn¡¯t such a bad thing to have a younger sibling.

 Chapter 125 - ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE: Calmness

    <h4>Chapter 125: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE: Calmness</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    "Get in" I said calmly after unlocking the door, he immediately got into the back seat and Mason got in the passenger seat.

    "Why are you here?" I asked while observing his expression through the rear view mirror.

    "I was invited by Emily" he replied with a smile and he didn¡¯t seem to be lying.

    "How did you two meet?" I asked as I slowly drove out of the vi¡¯s gate.

    "I met her at Summer camp five years ago and we have been friends ever since. She even visited a few times when I was sick" he said calmly.

    I focused on driving and didn¡¯t ask anything else.

    "Umm... Brother, are you having an issue with them?" he suddenly asked and I looked at him through the mirror again.

    "What makes you think we have an issue?"I asked, instead of answering his questions.

    "Emily¡¯s Mom asked me to speak to you on why you should be on their side. I was actually confused by her words but nodded to avoid the awkward situation" he exined calmly.

    Madam Michaelson is really desperate and greedy.

    "Stay away from them in the future, they are not good people and wouldn¡¯t hesitate to harm you" I advised and he frowned.

    "I know that you think Emily is your friend but the Michaelson family has never been genuinely involved with anyone, especially when it does not benefit them" I added and he nodded, but his face was still twisted in a frown.

    "I would like to go back to school and coincidentally, I found out that your girlfriend is also a student in the school I am interested in," he sighed before finally changing the topic.

    "I will have Eva..... I will arrange it" my grip on the steering wheel tightened and Mason tapped my shoulder gently.

    I guess I have to get used to doing things myself for now,at least before I get a new personal assistant.

    "I am sure he is in a better ce, when I was sick, I sometimes wished I was dead because of the intense pains I was feeling daily.

    But thanks to you brother, I have a renewed hope for a good life and now, I can finally pursue my music career" Zain suddenly said but I didn¡¯t look at him.

    I just noticed that his Indian ent is pretty strong despite not being raised there.

    "Brother, when am I meeting my sister inw?" he suddenly asked and I felt a gentle tug on my heart before smiling.

    Hopefully she bes my wife soon, I will definitely give her the wedding of the century.

    "I will drop you at the old mansion, I have somewhere else to be" I said to him and he nodded.

    The rest of the drive was quiet and calm, just three guys in the car, all lost in their own thoughts.

    "Thank you brother" Zain said before hurrying into the vi.

    "It¡¯s already 7PM, let¡¯s grab something to eat before we meet the general" Mason suggested and I immediately drove towards the nearest restaurant.

    I wondered if Christy had eaten as well, so I decided to get her something.

    I hurried into the restaurant as soon as I parked the car, as I didn¡¯t want us to keep the general waiting.

    "We have an hour before the meeting" Mason said from behind, I turned and red at him with a frown.

    "What¡¯s with that expression? You didn¡¯t ask for the time." he said with an innocent smile.

    We quickly ced our orders and were served some wine while waiting for the food to be delivered.

    "You bitch, how dare you?!"

    "Let go of her immediately!"

    "The only reason I am being calm is because I want to give you face, so you better tell her to let go of me or else I might just forget that we are in public"

    "Raina please calm down"

    When we first heard the first shout, I didn¡¯t think much of it and continued sipping my wine.

    But when we heard the second sentence, we wasted no time before rushing in the direction of the voices.

    I was certain that it was Gary¡¯s voice, then when he mentioned Raina, I confirmed it.

    "You bitch! Our engagement was canceled because of you! We have been engaged since we were kids, how could you be so shameless to seduce him despite being aware of this!"

    When I heard what the other woman was saying, I immediately knew who she was and I felt slightly annoyed.

    "That¡¯s enough Naomi, why are you suddenly ying the victim? Didn¡¯t you agree for the engagement to be canceled? You are only back now because Frederick cheated on you and married his other girlfriend!" Raina fired back.

    "Say whatever you want, I want Gary back!" Naomi demanded like the spoiled brat that she is.

    "You want me back? Am I your property? Or a thing that can be thrown away and picked back?. You better leave this ce because I can¡¯t promise that I wouldn¡¯ty my hands on you if you continue being unreasonable!"Gary¡¯s face darkened angrily and I knew he wasn¡¯t bluffing about hitting her as he has never been a gentleman.

    "You will hit me for her? You better be ready to face my father! You have no choice but to marry me because I asked you to!" Naomi screamed angrily before storming away on her high heels.

    "Raina, I am...."

    "When will this stop? She is always stalking us, embarrassing me and following us around. All you do is apologize every time and promise to take care of it.

    When are you going to take care of it?!" Raina interrupted him angrily before picking up her purse and walking away.

    "Brother" she greeted me softly as she walked past me.

    Gary sat down on the chair and stared nkly at the untouched dinner on the table.

    "Are you being pressured by her family? Why are you taking so much nonsense from her?" Mason asked the questions that were on my mind as we sat down as well.

    "Her father had helped my father with some money ten years ago based on friendship but now, her father is insisting that it was a loan, and he is demanding an exorbitant interest or I marry his daughter.

    It¡¯s quite funny how this same father of hers, forced my family to cancel the engagementst year because she hooked up with a multimillionaire heir and now that she has been dumped, he wants me to marry her like some puppet that is supposed to do whatever he says" he gave us a brief exnation of the situation.

    "You should have told me when all of this started, her father is just a little character and also has his hands in some shady businesses. I have a lot of evidence if you need it" Mason said and Gary finally smiled.

    "Thanks brother, what would I ever do without you guys. Let¡¯s have a drink tonight" He suggested excitedly.

    "We have an important appointment so we can¡¯t drink, especially not with you" I said with a smile and theyughed.

    Drinking with Gary is like making a deal with the devil. He won¡¯t let you go except you have forgotten how to walk on your own.

    "I think you should go find Raina instead" Mason suggested and he quickly called a waitress to package the food on the table.

    "Don¡¯t forget to send the stuff Mason, bye guys"Gary said as he hurried out of the restaurant with the packaged food.

    "I would have never guessed in my wildest dreams that the both of them would end up together. They hated each other so much back then that I was sometimes worried they might kill each other if given the chance." Mason said with a slight smile.

    "Life can be very unpredictable, if someone had told me back then that my grandfather was such an evil person, I wouldn¡¯t have believed either but see the reality now" I sighed in frustration.

    A few minutester, our food was served and we focused on eating. A peaceful meal has be a luxury recently.

    Ring Ring!

    The silence was broken by the ringing of Mason¡¯s phone and he picked it up without wasting time.

    "Speak" he ordered and I realized the person that called must be one of his subordinates.

    "Sir, the general with whom you asked me to arrange a meeting, was just rushed in for severe poisoning. He is in the ICU and the doctors said he might not make it.

    But he was still conscious when he was brought in and he said you should hurry over to see him. That was thest thing he said before losing consciousness.

    His phone speaker was loud, so I heard everything that the person just reported.

    BANG!

    Mason sent the table flying with a kick, the tes and cutleries ttered on the floor and the broken pieces flew in different directions.

    "Now I know why that old bastard was so calm!" he yelled angrily.

    I felt numb, I only felt calm, no anger, pain or frustration. Just oddly calm.

    I have to maintain a calm mind if I am going to avenge Evans and protect Christy.

    "Let¡¯s go" I said to him before walking out of the restaurant.

 Chapter 126 - ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX: Flatlined

    <h4>Chapter 126: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX: tlined</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    Mason and I were already out of the restaurant before the waiter even realized the table had been sent flying.

    The calmness in my chest felt unreal, like the world had gone mute everywhere except inside my head.

    "Get in," I said sharply as I unlocked the car. Mason didn¡¯t say a word, he just mmed the door and pulled the seatbelt with enough force to almost tear it off.

    The drive to the hospital felt like the longest five minutes of my life.

    Mason was shaking his leg nonstop, his jaw clenched so hard I could hear the faint click of his teeth grinding.

    I didn¡¯t bother calming him and I couldn¡¯t.

    My own calmness wasn¡¯t peace, it was the eye of a damn hurricane waiting to rip everything apart.

    The hospital entrance was already a mess when we arrived, nurses running, a panicked young doctor arguing with a security guard, the emergency elevator open with a stretcher still inside it like someone forgot to push it out.

    A soldier in uniform spotted us and rushed forward.

    "Mr. Kendrick! Captain Mason! This way, please, the general insisted on seeing you two only."

    That didn¡¯t make me feel better.

    If anything, it made my stomach tighten.

    It is definitely something important if a dying man is insisting.

    We were ushered into the ICU, and the cold, sharp smell of disinfectant hit my nostrils. Machines beeped in a chaotic rhythm, nurses whispered to each other, and right in the middle of it ally the general, a man who used tomand entire battalions with just his voice.

    Now, he looked like someone¡¯s frail grandfather about to take his final breath.

    His skin was pale, almost gray. His lips were cracked. There was blood on the corner of his mouth that hadn¡¯t been fully cleaned up.

    And worst of all, his eyes that were once sharp and calcting eyes, now looked clouded and dull.

    The nurses stepped aside when they saw us.

    "Mason..." he whispered, sounding like the air was cutting him from the inside.

    Mason rushed to his side. I stood at the foot of the bed, gripping the cold metal rail to stop myself from losingposure.

    "What happened?" I asked quietly.

    He swallowed painfully. "Michaelson... family..."

    I knew it.

    I fucking knew it.

    He took a shallow breath, his chest barely rising. "Your grandfather... the old head of the Michaelson family... he wants... to eliminate me. Because... because I found it."

    Mason moved closer. "Found what, sir?"

    "The base," he rasped. "His hidden soldiers... experiments... all of it. The location is... is... XX... deep mountains... country N..."

    He started coughing violently.

    A nurse stepped forward but the general raised a trembling hand to stop her, insisting on finishing his sentence.

    "...he poisoned my family... everyone... only Isted long enough... to warn you two..."

    His voice faded.

    For a second, the room felt too quiet.

    Then¡ª

    Beeeeeeeeeeep.

    A tline.

    Just like that... he was gone.

    The nurses scrambled. One of them shouted for the crash cart.

    Mason stood frozen, eyes wide, hands balled into fists so tight his knuckles turned white.

    "NO!" he barked, grabbing the railing. "Bring him back! He wasn¡¯t supposed to¡ª Don¡¯t touch him! DO SOMETHING!"

    A doctor rushed in, but I ced a hand on Mason¡¯s shoulder.

    "He¡¯s gone," I said quietly.

    "NO HE¡¯S NOT!" he snapped, shoving my hand off. His voice cracked ¡ª something I¡¯d never heard from him. "He said he would tell us everything! He said¡ª he said¡ª"

    His knees buckled slightly.

    "Mason," I said firmly, grabbing his jacket and pulling him close so he would focus on me. "Look at me."

    His eyes were glossy with rage. Pure, explosive rage.

    "We¡¯re going to destroy them," I whispered. "Every single one of them. But not recklessly."

    He swallowed hard, chest heaving.

    "You want to storm the base right now," I said. "But think. That¡¯s exactly what they want. For us to move blindly. For us to be emotional. For us to rush."

    Mason ran a shaky hand over his face. "He died because of them. His entire family¡ª"

    "I know."

    "And you¡¯re calm?!" he yelled.

    I didn¡¯t reply.

    Because I wasn¡¯t calm.

    I was burning. Quietly. Numbly. Violently.

    A slow poison simmering under my skin.

    Finally, he exhaled sharply. "What do we do now?"

    "We act like we know nothing," I said. "We pretend we arrived toote. We pretend we¡¯re shocked. We pretend we have no leads. If we show even a hint of direction, the Michaelson spies in this hospital will know he talked."

    Mason blinked. Then nodded once.

    "You¡¯re right."

    "Good. Then get the doctors."

    I turned toward the shocked medical team and said, loud enough for anyone watching or listening:

    "Please record that the general had already passed before we entered the ICU."

    The head doctor frowned. "But sir, you... "

    "We arrivedte, he had already tlined," I interrupted him with a cold smile. "Isn¡¯t that right, doctor?"

    His eyes widened in understanding.

    "Yes... yes, sir. That¡¯s... exactly what will be written."

    Good.

    I stepped back, putting on the mask of sorrow.

    Mason mirrored me immediately and damn, he should win an award because the pain in his expression looked so real even I almost believed it.

    "We¡¯ll find who did this," I said loudly, voice trembling just enough. "We won¡¯t let the general die without justice."

    A few nurses bowed their heads sadly.

    Let the spies hear that.

    Let them think we¡¯re clueless.

    The moment we stepped into the hallway, Mason pulled out his phone and dialed one of his men.

    "Start a full investigation into the general¡¯s poisoning. Every meal, every drink, every visitor. I want surveince, DNA tests, everything. And do it loudly, make sure every rat in this hospital hears about it."

    A perfect performance.

    The call wasn¡¯t for finding answers.

    We already knew the culprit.

    This was to flush out the spies trying to monitor our reactions.

    "We¡¯ll catch whoever did this!" Mason said loudly, shaking with fake frustration as two nurses walked past. "I swear on my life, Kendrick ¡ª we¡¯ll catch them!"

    I nodded and ced a heavy hand on his shoulder, making sure it looked like I was struggling to keep myself together.

    Then I spoke softly, but with enough rage to sell the act:

    "They killed our mentor. They killed a father to you. We won¡¯t rest. We won¡¯t stop. They¡¯ll pay."

    The nurses exchanged a look.

    Good.

    Let the gossip spread.

    As soon as they were gone, Mason lowered his voice and sighed.

    "This feels wrong," he muttered. "Acting like this."

    "War is dirty," I replied. "And so are we going to be."

    He nodded.

    As we walked down the hallway, I suddenly remembered Christy.

    Her soft voice... worried eyes and warm hand in mine.

    She was upstairs, somewhere in the VIP ward, staying with her sick mother.

    Just the thought of her grounded me a little.

    I needed to see her.

    "I¡¯m going to Christy," I said. "Stay here, finish the calls, make the noise. And make sure the cameras caught your breakdown."

    He smirked despite the tension. "I kicked a table earlier, I think the cameras got enough."

    I huffed a shortugh. "Yeah, you probably traumatized half the restaurant."

    "I¡¯ll try my best," he shrugged.

    But his smile faded quickly as reality sank back in.

    "We¡¯re really going to war, aren¡¯t we?" he asked quietly.

    "Not just war," I said. "We¡¯re going to burn them from the inside. And for that... we stay calm."

    His eyes hardened. "Understood."

    I left him and took the elevator up to the VIP floor.

    My heartbeat changed the moment I stepped out ¡ª softer, slower, like my chest finally recognized the ce.

    Christy was here.

    The corridor lights were dim.

    The nurses walked quietly.

    The whole floor felt peaceful, theplete opposite of the chaos downstairs.

    I stopped outside her mother¡¯s room and took a breath before pushing the door open.

    Christy was sitting beside the bed, gently wiping her mother¡¯s arm with warm water.

    Her hair was tied up messily, her eyes a little tired, but she still looked like the most beautiful thing I¡¯d seen today.

    She looked up at me immediately.

    "Kendrick...? What happened? Your face looks¡ª"

    I crossed the room in three strides and pulled her into my arms before she could finish.

    She tensed in surprise but hugged me back instantly, her hands sliding up my back.

    "What happened?" she whispered against my chest.

    Calmness.

    That damn calmness again.

    But when she held me, it actually made sense.

    It didn¡¯t feel forced or dangerous.

    It just felt... grounding.

    "The general died," I murmured, burying my face in her hair. "He was poisoned."

    She gasped softly and held me tighter.

    "I¡¯m sorry," she whispered. "I know he was important to you."

    "He was important to Mason too," I said quietly. "He raised him like a son."

    She pulled back enough to look at me, brushing a thumb along my jaw.

    "What can I do?" she asked gently.

    I cupped her face. "Just stay by my side."

    She nodded.

    I kissed her forehead ¡ª slow, lingering, grateful.

    Her mother stirred slightly on the bed, and Christy quickly pulled away to check her.

    I sat on the couch, watching her move around the room with soft, careful hands.

    There was something soothing about Christy during moments like this.

    Something that made the chaos in my mind go silent.

    For the first time since the call came in, I exhaled deeply.

    Christy nced back at me. "Do you want water? You look tired."

    I shook my head and stood, walking toward her slowly.

    "No," I said. "I just want you."

    Her cheeks flushed, and she bit her lower lip shyly.

    I pulled her into my chest again, resting my chin on her head.

    This war... this storm...and troubles.

    Everything could wait for a few minutes.

    Because right now, holding her was the only thing keeping me human.

 Chapter 127 - ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN: Dexteréˆ¥æªš Family

    <h4>Chapter 127: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN: Dexter¡¯s Family</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    As soon as Mason asked me to go keep my motherpany in her hospital room, something inside me tightened.

    He said it calmly, so casually like it was nothing, yet his eyes kept flicking toward Kendrick as if they were sharing a secret written in anothernguage.

    They thought I wouldn¡¯t notice and I would just nod and smile like some clueless child.

    Yeah... no.

    I had survived enough chaos to be allergic to people "protecting me" with silence.

    I stayed hidden behind the corner and watched the two of them through the ss. They looked tense, Mason pacing and cracking his knuckles, Kendrick leaning against the car with that cold face he only wore when danger was already breathing down his neck. Smoke curled around them as they talked, their lips moving quickly.

    Fine! If they weren¡¯t going to tell me, I was going to find out myself.

    I narrowed my eyes and focused on their lips. Dexter had drilled this lip-reading thing into my skull until I wanted to scream, but finally... finally it was useful. Unfortunately, the smoke kept drifting into the way, and their heads kept turning.

    I caught fragments of their conversation but it was nothing solid.

    "Madam Michaelson..."

    "...old master ck..."

    "...prison..."

    "...visit..."

    "...attack..."

    I kept murmuring the little I could understand but the rest blurred like water on ink.

    Great,how am I supposed to make sense of any of these?

    I sighed in frustration as I continued staring at them but they were now quiet and focused on smoking their cigarettes.

    "Madam Michaelson visited old master ck in prison, so they are going to pay a visit to the Michaelson family. And they seem to have something to do with the attack at the mansion."

    Dexter¡¯s voice came from behind me and I swear I nearly died from shock.

    I spun around so fast my vision blurred. "Can you try making sounds when you walk? You scared the life out of me!"

    Dexter didn¡¯t even blink. "I can see I¡¯m wasting my time training you. How could you not sense someone behind you?" He flicked my forehead like I was an unruly kitten.

    "If it was that easy, would you have spent years training in the military?" I muttered, while rubbing my forehead.

    He red at me and I gave him a smile but his face scrunched up in disgust.

    He stared at me. "Stop smiling, It looks hideous when it isn¡¯t genuine."

    "Oops... I forgot my fake smile subscription expired for the month." I gave him a ridiculous grin on purpose.

    He rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched.

    Then I noticed movements from outside and I turned to observe what was happening.

    Kendrick and Mason were heading out, Kendrick slid into the driver¡¯s seat, Mason taking the passenger side.

    My heart dropped as they looked really tense and upset.

    With their current mood I hope they would be able to control their emotions, if they end up doing something brutal at the Michaelson family house, those evil people will definitely not let them go.

    Dexter must have seen the panic clouding my eyes because he sighed and leaned his shoulder against the wall beside me. "Come on...You really think I would let you stay clueless?"

    I blinked. "What do you mean?"

    "I know a way to help you find out where Celeste and the others are hiding without those two noticing." His voice lowered but he looked really serious.

    My chest tightened slightly . "Dexter... are you sure?"

    "I wouldn¡¯t say it if I wasn¡¯t." He jerked his chin toward the exit. "But we will need someone inside the Michaelson vi to call you when Kendrick and Mason leave."

    I already knew who to call, he wasn¡¯t in the vi but would definitely have someone inside.

    I pulled out my phone and dialed Ashton. He picked on the second ring.

    "Please don¡¯t tell me you are calling to rant about Mason again," he said.

    "Not today," I whispered. "I need a favor... A big one."

    His tone changed instantly. "What¡¯s wrong?"

    "I need you to get someone to keep watch on Mason and Kendrick when they get to the Michaelson vi and call me the second they leave the vi."

    There was a pause, he always hesitated whenever I mentioned Kendrick ever since thest incident, even now, he was acting like Kendrick radiated ¡¯do-not-touch¡¯ energy even through a phone call.

    But Ashton finally exhaled. "Alright. I will call someone to do it."

    I thanked him before hanging up.

    Dexter nodded as if I had passed some test. "Good, Let¡¯s go."

    "Where?" I asked.

    "You will see." He started walking, and I followed because curiosity was dragging me like a leash.

    Outside, his bike rested under the streetlight, matte ck and mean-looking, just like its owner.

    "You are taking me on your bike?" I raised my brows.

    "Unless you prefer running."

    I red at him before climbing on, and gripped his jacket as the engine roared to life. The night wind pped against my face as the bike sped out of the hospitalpound, slicing through traffic like a shadow with no patience.

    I had no idea where we were going, but Dexter rode like he had a map etched into his bones.

    After fifteen minutes, he stopped in front of a quiet restaurant tucked between two abandoned buildings. The lights inside flickered like they were dying.

    I frowned. "Dexter... why are we at a restaurant?"

    He didn¡¯t answer but simply grabbed my wrist and led me inside.

    The ce looked empty except for a bored-looking waitress wiping tables. Dexter didn¡¯t even look at her. He walked straight toward the back and right into a storage room.

    I opened my mouth to ask how food supplies were going to help us find Celeste and the others , but Dexter pushed aside a stack of crates, revealing a narrow passage behind them.

    My heart thudded.

    "You have got to be kidding me," I whispered.

    Dexter smirked. "Wee to the real city."

    He stepped in first and I followed. The passage was dim and cold, the air smelling faintly of metal and damp concrete. Our footsteps echoed as we descended a spiral staircase I hadn¡¯t expected to exist under a restaurant.

    At the bottom, we arrived at a huge metal door.

    Dexter knocked twice, paused, then knocked three more times. Then the door suddenly swung open.

    The room before us was nothing like the world above. It was bright, loud, and filled with people who looked like they could kill someone with a spoon. Tattoos, scars, knives clipped to belts... It was danger in every direction.

    My stomach twisted, but I forced my shoulders back. I wouldn¡¯t let Dexter think I was scared.

    A tall man with a bald head and a thick beard grinned when he saw Dexter.

    "Look who came crawling back," the man boomed. "Did the military kick you out for being too annoying?"

    "Still funnier than your haircut, Uncle," Dexter replied calmly.

    Wait. Uncle?

    Before I processed that, the man pped his hand on Dexter¡¯s back, then looked at me with a slow, assessing gaze.

    "And who is this?"

    "My responsibility," Dexter said simply.

    Something warm flickered unexpectedly in my chest.

    The man¡¯s brows lifted, but he didn¡¯t argue. Instead, he nodded to one of the guards. "Take them to the back."

    We followed down another dim hallway until we reached a room thick with cigarette smoke. A middle-aged man sat behind the desk, a half-burnt cigarette dangling from his lips, his eyes sharp and unreadable.

    He looked up, recognized Dexter, and smirked.

    "Thought you forgot your roots."

    "Not possible," Dexter said lightly.

    His voice changed, it was now deeper and more respectful.

    The man¡¯s gaze drifted to me. "Do you trust her?"

    Dexter didn¡¯t hesitate. "Yes."

    The man leaned back, took a drag, and exhaled slowly. "Good... Then say why you are here."

    Dexter reached into his jacket and pulled out his phone, showing the man pictures of Celeste and Piper, Callie and Mark.

    "We are looking for them."

    The man stared at the photo so long I thought he didn¡¯t hear what Dexter said.

    But then he stood up abruptly. "Wait here."

    He walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

    My pulse hammered as we were alone now. Just me and Dexter in a ce thick with danger.

    I finally spoke. "You... know the gang leader?"

    Dexter brushed a hand through his hair. "Yeah... He is my uncle."

    My jaw dropped. "So, this is your family?"

    "Most of them," he said quietly. "I grew up around these people before I left."

    Everything suddenly made sense. The way he moved,the way he fought and the way nothing surprised him.

    I breathed out, stunned. "You never told me."

    "You never asked," he said with a small shrug.

    Before I could respond, my phone vibrated sharply in my pocket.

    When I saw that Ashton was the one calling, I answered immediately.

    "Christy," he whispered, breathless. "Kendrick just left the Michaelson house."

    My throat tightened as I immediately hung up. They were moving and now, we have to leave as well.

    "We need to wait for my uncle, I promise to get you back to the hospital in time" Dexter assured me.

 Chapter 128 - ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY EIGHT: Losing Control

    <h4>Chapter 128: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY EIGHT: Losing Control</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    We continued waiting for his uncle to return but after more than twenty minutes, he still had not returned and I started panicking.

    "Will you just chill, what¡¯s wrong with you? It¡¯s not like he is going to beat you up or something when he can¡¯t find you at the hospital" Dexter said with an annoyed voice and his expression didn¡¯t look good either.

    His words made me have a sudden realization which made me question why I was even scared in the first ce.

    Why was I scared of them finding out?

    I am not a kid anymore!

    "I don¡¯t even know why I am panicking" I replied to him with a slight smile.

    "It is how you have allowed them to treat you for so long, they make you stay where they can see you because that¡¯s what they think is best for you and you have neverined either.

    Your mind and body has now gotten used to being controlled by them, so that¡¯s why you are reacting so strongly" He exined calmly and I must admit that what he said makes sense.

    I didn¡¯t respond and just continued staring at the wall of the room, which was filled with numerous swords. Each one had a name written at the bottom and they looked well preserved.

    "My uncle has been collecting them ever since I could remember. He has one from different parts of the world and their value is astronomical" Dexter said with a calm voice and I smiled.

    I liked how he never dwells too long on an issue and always drops the topic as soon as he notices that I am notfortable talking about it.

    His uncle returned back to the room and noticed that I was staring at the swords.

    "Do you like swords?" he suddenly asked, his voice had a hint of gentleness in itpared to when we first arrived.

    "Yes, they look amazing," I replied with a smile.

    He walked forward and took one down, it wasn¡¯t really a long sword but looked more like an elongated dagger.

    He stretched it towards me and I looked at Dexter, who nodded for me to collect it.

    "Consider it our meeting gift, this boy doesn¡¯t have many friends. I am d he is finally fitting in slowly" the man said with a smile.

    I could easily tell that he really cares about Dexter. I held the sword gently, almost like it might crumble if I applied too much pressure.

    It was light... lighter than I expected, but the de carried a coldness that crawled into my palm and slid up my arm like a whisper. The metal gleamed even under the dim lights, it looked sharp enough to slice through a strand of hair without effort.

    "This one is from northern Wynth," Dexter¡¯s uncle said, watching me with a satisfied smile. "Forged by a man who spent half his life mastering steel and the other half breaking every rule that existed. Good weapon... and a good warning." He winked. "Sometimes, trouble finds you even when you are minding your business."

    I forced a small smile. "Thank you, I will take care of it."

    "You better, that de listens to its owner. If you treat it right, it will never fail you."

    Dexter huffed. "Don¡¯t start with your ghost stories, Uncle."

    His uncle raised a brow. "It¡¯s not a ghost story if the de actually screams when it cuts someone."

    I blinked, unsure if he was joking. Dexter just tugged my sleeve.

    "Don¡¯t think about it too much," he muttered. "He likes to scare people."

    But the more I looked at the sword, the more I felt... pulled to it. Like an old memory I couldn¡¯t quite reach was trying to resurface.

    Before I could dwell on it, Dexter¡¯s uncle cleared his throat and leaned against the table.

    "I will give you news in three days," he said. "Celeste and the others can¡¯t just vanish... I will find them, dead or alive."

    A weight lifted off my chest, not fully, but enough for me to breathe.

    "Thank you," I said with a deep bow. "I really appreciate.... "

    "Save it," he cut in. "Help the boy stop getting into trouble, that¡¯s thanks enough."

    Dexter rolled his eyes. "I won¡¯t get into trouble."

    "You are trouble."

    I stifled augh as Dexter dragged me toward the back exit. The moment we stepped out, the cold night air pped me in the face.

    "Come on," he said, climbing onto his bike. "If we don¡¯t hurry, Kendrick¡¯s gonna flip the entire hospital upside down."

    I climbed behind him and held on as he sped through the streets, he carefully helped me to keep the sword.

    Guilt gnawed in my stomach, not because I went behind Kendrick¡¯s back... but because a part of me feared that he would be right to worry. This world was darker than I expected, and every step I took toward finding Celeste felt like stepping deeper into quicksand.

    By the time we reached the hospital, my heartbeat was hammering. Not from the ride Dexter drove like he had nine lives but from the fear of being caught before I could even step a foot inside.

    But when I arrived no one was waiting. No angry Mason or a disappointed Kendrick.

    The hallway lights buzzed softly as I walked toward my mother¡¯s ward. Dexter remained by the door, arms crossed and expression nk, like he was trying to blend into the shadows.

    Inside the room, my mother slept peacefully. Her chest rose and fell in slow, steady motions. The sight soothed some part of me I didn¡¯t realize was tense. I sat beside her and pulled the nket closer over her body.

    For a moment... Everything was quiet.

    Half an hourter, the door opened quietly. I didn¡¯t react at first, not until the heaviness in the air shifted.

    Kendrick stepped in and he looked drained...Not tired but just drained.

    Like someone had scooped out everything inside him and left only the outline behind. His shoulders sagged, his eyes were darker than usual and his steps were slow.

    But the calm on his face terrified me more than any anger could.

    "Kendrick..." I whispered.

    He didn¡¯t say anything, just walked straight to me and pulled me into his arms.

    I melted into him without thinking. His warmth shed with the icy stillness in his body, like he was barely holding himself together. His breath trembled against my neck.

    I didn¡¯t ask questions and I didn¡¯t push, I just held him.

    Minutes passed silent, before he finally pulled back just enough for me to see his face. His jaw tightened, fingers trembling slightly as he brushed a stray hair from my cheek.

    "Are you okay?" I whispered but he didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he sat down, and I handed him a bottle of water. He drank a little, then kept holding my hand even after he set the bottle aside.

    I squeezed his fingers gently and he squeezed mine back.

    Then his phone suddenly buzzed. He ignored it at first, but when it didn¡¯t stop, he answered it sharply.

    "Yes?"

    I listened, my heart slowly sinking at the tone of the voice from the other end, urgent, hurried and nervous.

    "Sir," the man said loudly enough for me to hear clearly. "We... We tracked Miss Christy¡¯s location earlier. She seemed to have left the hospital. After investigating we found out that she went with Dexter to the underground tavern."

    Every muscle in Kendrick¡¯s body froze and my stomach dropped.

    He ended the call slowly... almost too slowly. Like he was giving himself time to stay calm but It clearly didn¡¯t work.

    He turned to me and his expression was unreadable. "Christy."

    My mouth went dry. "Kendrick, listen.. "

    "Why were you there?"

    "It¡¯s not.. "

    "Why," he repeated, voice low, "were you there?"

    "I was just.. "

    "Answer me."

    His voice cracked at the end, and my heart tightened sharply.

    "I am not a child," I shot back.

    That seemed to hit him like a p and tension snapped between us instantly.

    "You think this is about treating you like a child?" he demanded and stood up abruptly. "Christy, that ce... "

    "It is not your decision!" I cut him off, standing too. "I don¡¯t need permission to breathe, Kendrick!"

    His jaw clenched. "You shouldn¡¯t have gone."

    "You don¡¯t get to decide!"

    He inhaled sharply as if forcing air into lungs that refused to work. "I¡¯m trying to keep you safe."

    "And I¡¯m trying to help find Celeste and the others!"

    "That is not your job."

    "Well, it¡¯s clearly not yours either because they are still missing!"

    The second the words left my mouth, I regretted them.

    Kendrick seemed to flinch and before he could respond, Dexter opened the door.

    "That¡¯s enough," he said tly. "Let her talk."

    Kendrick¡¯s re snapped to him instantly. "Stay out of this."

    "No." Dexter leaned on the doorframe. "She gets to live her life.... Stop strangling her with your rules."

    Kendrick stepped toward him. "You think I

    will let a bad influence like you.... "

    "Bad influence?" Dexter scoffed. "At least I don¡¯t control her."

    "Control... ?" Kendrick let out a bitterugh. "You? Talking about control?"

    Dexter smirked. "Christy deserves a better man than you."

    The room froze, then Kendrick lost it and punched him really hard.

    Dexter staggered back, blood already forming on his lip.

    "Kendrick, stop!" I yelled, grabbing his arm.

    He turned toward me and I pped him before I could process what I was doing.

 Chapter 129 - ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE: Are You Having An Affair?

    <h4>Chapter 129: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE: Are You Having An Affair?</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I stared at him in shock and didn¡¯t know what to say. He seemed stunned as well.

    "I¡¯m sorry" I sobbed, I couldn¡¯t control my tears at this point and I was scared he would walk away from me.

    I couldn¡¯t imagine us quarreling again and being separated.

    He didn¡¯t respond, his jaw just tightened like he was deliberating on what to do next.

    "Kendrick, take her home" my mother¡¯s voice suddenly came from the bed.

    That was when I noticed she was awake, our shouts must have woken her up.

    "We will take our leave now" Kendrick said to her before holding my hand and pulling me away.

    When we stepped out of the room, Dexter held my shoulder, causing me to stop and Kendrick looked like he was about to explode.

    "Here, take care of it" he said while handing me the sword that his uncle had given me.

    "Thank you" I murmured as I collected it. I felt sad and guilty when I looked at his face that was now swollen because of Kendrick¡¯s punch.

    Kendrick continued walking forward, pulling me along in the process and I had to grab the sword tightly so it wouldn¡¯t fall.

    "Hey, are you guys leaving already?.... Christy, what¡¯s wrong?" Mason bumped into us on our way out.

    He frowned when he noticed the tears in my eyes and Kendrick¡¯s angered expression.

    "It¡¯s nothing... We are leaving" I murmured with my hair lowered.

    "Kendrick I don¡¯t know what happened but you better take care of her" Mason said with a frown before storming off.

    I turned to look at Kendrick and noticed the visible red handprint on his face.

    He didn¡¯t say anything and led me to his ck Cayenne. He drove like he was venting his anger on the car and I felt slightly afraid.

    "Ken, I am sorry"I apologized again but he still didn¡¯t respond, instead, he continued increasing the speed of the car.

    A drive that was supposed to take us an hour and half, ended in just half an hour.

    He got down from the driver¡¯s seat and walked over to the passenger side, he pulled me out roughly and I hit my head slightly on the roof of the car.

    "Ahhhh....What¡¯s wrong with you!" I yelled as I held my painful head with my free hand but he didn¡¯t stop or look back, his anger was more visible now as he wasn¡¯t trying to hide it anymore.

    He pulled me into the apartment and straight to the bedroom before finally letting go of my hand.

    The ce he had gripped, was looking red and bruised and it made my heart hurt even more. I didn¡¯t say anything and just waited for him to settle down as I was doing everything to avoid quarreling again.

    "You now have a thing for boys with tattoos?" he asked with a sarcastic tone and I was immediately dumbfounded.

    "What are you talking about? Dexter is just a friend" I said angrily while ring at him.

    "He is not just a friend! Are you blind and can¡¯t see the way he looks at you?" he questioned me.

    I just gave him a look of disbelief... How can someone be so unreasonable?

    "He is not a good person, that boy has a terrible and dark past which wille to hunt him any time soon" he said but this time I frowned and I had questions as well.

    "Everyone has a past Kendrick, so stop judging him with his own!" I yelled at him.

    "I have never seen you so defensive before, and yet you are still insisting that there is nothing going on between the both of you!" he yelled back loudly and I felt suddenly tired of trying to reason with him.

    "Are you tired? Do you feel like I am too old for you and that¡¯s why you need a younger man?

    Is he better than me in bed? Does he make you scream in pleasure?" he suddenly threw some nasty questions at me.

    Pah!

    I gave him another p and this time I didn¡¯t feel bad about it because he deserved it.

    "What? Did I hit a nerve?" he asked with a grin.

    "I am going to my apartment at school, I will stay there and give you some time to cool off" I said as I was doing my absolute best to restrain my anger.

    "Oh, you want to go to your apartment, so you can spend the night with him right? Do you think I don¡¯t know that you both live in the same building?" he sneered at me.

    That was it, I am done being quiet and tolerant.

    "You better stop sending people to watch and monitor me, because they seem to be more like spies than security personnels.

    I am not a child, Kendrick! I have my own fucking life and I am a hundred percent capable of making my own decisions!" I yelled angrily at him.

    "You were fine when I first told you about them, why are you suddenly having issues with them? Is it because they discovered your secret affair?" he questioned me angrily.

    Secret affair?

    Can he get any more ridiculous and possessive?

    "I am leaving now" I said before walking towards the door but before I could get to the door, it automatically shut and I heard the click of the locks.

    I turned back and saw Kendrick holding a remote control in his hand. He stared at me with a deep frown.

    "I want to leave" I said while taking deep breaths to calm down but he seemed to have a different n as he red at me.

    "You didn¡¯t seem to have an issue with my age before you met Dexter and Ashton but now, my age is suddenly a problem" he said while staring at my face.

    "I don¡¯t have the energy for all of this, so you can think whatever you want" I said to him angrily before trying to walk in the direction of the bathroom but he pulled me back.

    "Stop walking out on me! I have every right to be upset with you. You followed someone with a criminal record to the underground tervan, you could have been raped, your organs harvested and killed!" he yelled angrily and I finally lost it.

    "What nonsense are you talking about? What if he has a criminal record? That¡¯s his family you are talking about and they were nice and weing.

    They care about each other despite their upation, that¡¯s just their own way of surviving.

    You talk like your own family is clean, isn¡¯t your grandfather the reason why my childhood was so miserable and I suffered so much?

    If we want to cut people off because of their family, then you and I will not be dating right now because I hate your grandfather so fucking much!" I yelled in one breath and his expression turned even more gloomy.

    "I just said something about his family and you started yelling, why is he so important to you? If you don¡¯t have anything going on with him.

    And don¡¯t tell me about being friends because you haven¡¯t even known him for six months" he said angrily.

    "He is my friend, you are free to believe whatever you want, I don¡¯t care.

    You are always questioning me whenever I speak or get close to any other man. I am a beautiful girl, of course, men will want to get close to me and I always turned them down because I love you and I would never do anything that will hurt you.

    But you on the other hand, act like you can¡¯t see it whenever I turn them down, then you start using me of cheating.

    Kendrick do you really love me? Or are you just with me because I am the only woman that can arouse you?

    Are you frustrated that you can¡¯t get it up with other women? So there is no way you are going to cheat on me. Is that why you are pained?!" I asked him with a sarcastic smile.

    "Christy!" he yelled my name and before I could react, his hand was already grabbing my neck.

    "You better let go of me, if you hurt me in any way, that would be the end of us, we will be done forever and you will also have to deal with my brothers" I yelled provocatively.

    His grip wasn¡¯t tight but it made me feel ufortable as it brought back memories of being beaten and choked by my foster father, Benjamin.

    "Ahh! " I yelled when he suddenly lifted me and roughly ced me on the bed.

    His hand slipped into my dress and roughly squeezed my boobs, I wasn¡¯t in the mood so I felt no pleasure from his touch, instead I felt pains.

    My monthly flow would start in a few days so I was already having sore and tender boobs, so his forceful squeezing was too painful.

    He didn¡¯t look at my face and continued exploring my body until he started kissing my neck.

    I don¡¯t know how tears started flowing from my eyes, I felt humiliated and it was a terrible feeling.

    He suddenly stopped as he stared at my face, his expression shifted from anger to guilt and he stopped his movements.

    He slowly wiped my tears and and tidied my shirt for me.

    "I am sorry" he whispered into my ears but I just turned away from him.

 Chapter 130 - ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY:The Funeral

    <h4>Chapter 130: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY:The Funeral</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    I felt so frustrated after that night, she has been avoiding me and won¡¯t even spare me a minute of her time.

    She returned to school and hasn¡¯t called me ever since and it is worrisome as that bastard was also there with her.

    I never meant to doubt her but from the way he looks at her, he definitely has feelings for her and it is not just a feeling that an ordinary friend should have but she clearly doesn¡¯t know.

    Knock knock!

    "Come in"

    "Hello sir, you have a meeting in ten minutes. Everyone is waiting" my head secretary, Alicia, informed me with a polite smile.

    "Have you made a public announcement for applicants toe in for an interview? I need a PA as soon as possible" I asked and her smile froze, causing me to frown.

    "I have sir,... Umm but sir, I have been working here for more than six years and I was pretty close to Evans, I have worked side by side with him and I am certain that I can be your new PA" she said in one breath. The sweat on her forehead was dripping down her face.

    It must have taken a lot of determination for her to muster up the courage to speak to me.

    "I will think about it. Remember to tell everyone that we are leaving by 2 PM, so they should be ready and buses would be provided to convey them to the venue" I instructed before grabbing my jacket and heading to the conference room for the meeting.

    "Hello, President ck"

    "Hello, President ck"

    "Hello, President ck"

    As soon as I stepped into the conference room, everyone stood up to greet me.

    "Please sit down, let¡¯s start, I only have half an hour to spare, so you have to be fast" I said to the team that was sent by one of my partnerpanies.

    One of them quickly walked to the front and turned on the projector to show us his PowerPoint slides.

    "This project was proposed by our able CEO a few months ago. He believed that it will change the face of business as we all know it.

    Amusement parks are patronized every day and it won¡¯t be hard to get the capital back in a year" I listened attentively to what he was saying and I kept frowning as he continued.

    Amusement park?

    That¡¯s the earth shattering idea they have been talking about?

    I observed the faces of some of mypany¡¯s managers that were also here, at the meeting.

    They all had a simr stunned expression on their faces and it was quiteical.

    "If you invest in this project, it will be life changing for you and us because our children will have something to brag about.

    Imagine your child going to a kindergarten and telling his ssmates that his father owns an amusement park" when he noticed the expression on our faces, he tried to ease the atmosphere by cracking a joke but no oneughed.

    "Mr...?" I asked with a raised brow.

    "Clifford, sir" he responded quickly.

    "Mr Clifford, you are introducing a project to me and I must say that I am very surprised. Your boss had called me and told me that he had a proposal to make and I gave him a chance to show it to me.

    And here you are telling me about building an amusement park, do you think I am here to joke with you?" I asked him angrily.

    "No Sir, our Boss said he has been wanting to build the amusement park for a very long time, in memory of his lost daughter" he tried to exin but I didn¡¯t have the time to continue listening to his rubbish.

    "You can leave now, as you all know today is a very important day" I said before getting up from my seat.

    The others followed suit and we walked out of the conference room.

    Ring Ring!

    My phone started vibrating in my pocket and I took it out to check. I was shocked to see Christy¡¯s name shing on the screen.

    "Hello" I said after picking up the call.

    "Why are you not here yet? Guests are alreadying and we have a slight problem as well" she said with a slightly upset tone and I frowned.

    "What happened?" I asked. I entered my office and grabbed my car keys to go meet her at the venue.

    "Evan¡¯s parents are here, they are making a scene here, demanding that wepensate them for his life or else they would not allow his body to be buried" she said angrily and I could also hear some voices in the background.

    "Give me a few minutes, I will be there" I said to her before hanging up.

    I wondered how his parents found out about the funeral arrangements.

    On walking out of thepany, I saw a long eighty seater bus parked a few distance from my car and Alicia was busy talking to the driver.

    "Boss, is the meeting over?" she asked with a shocked expression.

    "Make sure you are at the venue in an hour" I ignored her question and gave her an instruction instead before getting into my car.

    I drove really fast like I have been doing anytime I get riled up or upset, the speed helps me to organize my thoughts.

    On arriving at the venue, I saw Christy and the others standing at the entrance with tensed expressions.

    "Oh, you are finally here" A familiar voice said excitedly and I turned to see Evans mother staring at me with a greedy expression.

    "Hello ma¡¯am" I greeted her out of respect for Evans but she didn¡¯t respond.

    "Last time you came to our house to tell us about Evan¡¯s death and I told you that his properties and money should be given to me as apensation for bringing him into this world!" she said shamelessly.

    When her husband heard what she said, he stumbled over, he looked drunk as usual.

    "I want his money! I am his father and have the right to get his money, I have debts to pay!" The man yelled angrily and I red at them before gesturing to the guards nearby.

    "Take them out of here" I instructed and I also noticed that some of the guests were watching the scene.

    "What, there is no way we are leaving! We wantpensation, it is our right!" the woman shrieked loudly and before she could say any other thing, a guard gave her a hand chop on the neck and she passed out. The man tried to stagger away but he met the same fate.

    "Take them to the riverside vi and watch them until I return" I instructed and the guards immediately carried them away.

    I walked up to Christy and the others, we all went into the hall to pay ourst respect to Evans.

 Chapter 131 - ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY ONE: Evans Black

    <h4>Chapter 131: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY ONE: Evans ck</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I woke up with a heavy heart as today is Evan¡¯s funeral. Mason informed me because I have refused to pick Kendrick¡¯s calls.

    "Christy, are you awake?" Mira¡¯s voice pulled me out of my thoughts as she pushed the door and walked in.

    "Are you okay?" she asked with a worried tone when she saw how worried and disheartened I was looking.

    "I am fine, it¡¯s just that I am remembering Evans, today is his funeral and I don¡¯t know why I feel kind of guilty and depressed" I tried to exin how I was feeling and she seemed to understand.

    "Evans didn¡¯t even hesitate to block the bullets for you, he wanted you to be happy and live a long and fulfilled life.

    So you don¡¯t need to feel guilty, the best thing you can do now is to honor him by living well" she advised and I smiled as she pulled me into a warm hug.

    A few minutester, I quickly got ready, I wore a fitted ck gown and ck sandals. Mira also wore all ck as it was a funeral.

    We arrived early to make sure everything was in ce. I stared at the photo of Evans that was ced near the coffin and I couldn¡¯t stop my tears.

    Such a kind man is gone forever and it was so sudden, no one expected such a thing.

    Shortly, some guests started arriving and I stood at the entrance to greet them, Gary also joined me as Kendrick wasn¡¯t here yet.

    I found it annoying that he couldn¡¯t take today off to honor Evans but I kept quiet about my dissatisfaction.

    We haven¡¯t been in contact since that night, or I have refused to be in contact with him despite his numerous tries to reach me.

    "thanks foring" I said to a guest expressionlessly.

    "Why don¡¯t you leave the greeting to me? You will scare them away with your expression" Gary said with a smile but I didn¡¯t find it funny as my mood wasn¡¯t the best at the moment.

    "This must be the ce, one of my customers found out for me"

    "Hmmp... Your customers, like you do a honorable job"

    "You better keep quiet or else I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to hit you right here"

    "I dare you to try it whore!"

    We suddenly heard an argumenting from outside, at first I didn¡¯t care but when I listened carefully to what they were saying, my blood froze.

    Damn... What are they doing here?

    I rushed outside and saw the couple arguing and threatening each other while also hauling vulgarities.

    "Security, please escort them out" I ordered and they stopped fighting.

    "What nonsense are you saying? What is wrong with us being at our son¡¯s funeral?!" the woman screamed like the old shrew that she is.

    "Are they really assistant Evan¡¯s parents"

    "They look so poor"

    "Could he have abandoned them when he was alive?"

    "What a heartless son"

    Most of the guests had stepped out of the funeral home because of the noise and the woman¡¯s scream.

    I immediately gave Kendrick a call, so he can handle them himself.

    They were all busy trying toe to a conclusion and making up scenarios in their heads.

    I couldn¡¯t stand and watch as they ckened Evan¡¯s name at his funeral.

    "Your son? Were you ever good parents to him?" I asked her angrily.

    "You, all you have ever done in your life is drink and gamble, thene to him for money to settle your debts!" I yelled at the man and he took a step back in fright.

    "Then there is you, a mother that knows nothing about her son. All you do is bring different men into your matrimonial home and get paid!" I yelled at her as well.

    "Oh my, how could people be so shameless and disgusting?

    "I feel so bad for Evans"

    The guests¡¯ views changed and they started sympathizing with Evans but it was toote now.

    The woman was about to continue when Kendrick arrived, he tried to reason with them at first but they were blinded by greed so he ended up knocking them out and had them taken away by the guards.

    We returned to the hall where the priest was already waiting to start the final rites for Evans.

    We all sat down facing the coffin that was carefully ced on the podium. I couldn¡¯t hold back my tears again and someone offered me a handkerchief.

    I looked sideways to see who was giving it to me and saw that Kendrick was the one sitting beside me, I didn¡¯t say anything and reluctantly epted it.

    "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the life of our brother and friend, Evans.

    I was asked by Mr ck not to include his surname as it brought him great pain when he was still alive, so in death, he should be free from its shackles.

    Before the choires in to sing a beautiful hymn, to make his journey into heaven smooth, if anyone has something to say about the deceased, please step forward now" the priest said while looking round the hall for anyone that signifies.

    I raised my hand and noticed that Kendrick and Gary had also raised their hands.

    I walked up the podium and the priest stepped aside for me to speak.

    "I didn¡¯t know Evans for long but the short time that I have known him, he left me with a strong impression.

    He always advised and looked out for me, he always wished for the best for I and Kendrick¡¯s rtionship.

    I..I.. I¡¯m the one that¡¯s supposed to be lying in that coffin but because he protected me, he died and I can¡¯t just help but me myself... I hope he is happy where he is now. "I couldn¡¯t stop crying and Mira had toe help me off the podium because I was a mess at the end of my little speech.

    "I always wanted to have siblings but my wish was never fulfilled until I met Evans twelve years ago.

    He was one of the bravest and determined people that I know and he will forever remain my brother.

    I am forever grateful for everything he did for me and for always being there tofort me at my lowest.

    I pray and hope that God epts him into his bosom and bless him richly over there" Kendrick gave his speech after me and when he returned to his seat, I handed his handkerchief back to him as he needed it more than I did.

    The choir sang amazing grace and we all prayed for him before concluding things in the hall.

    Evans¡¯ body was then moved to the cemetery and buried. A tombstone was built on his grave, with his name boldly written on it.

    But when I looked at the name, I cried again and couldn¡¯t stop myself from hugging Kendrick.

    Evans ck

    He knew how much Evans hated his father¡¯s name, so he reced it with ck instead.

    We all left the cemetery for our various homes but I decided to go with Kendrick as he was going to confront Evan¡¯s parents.

 Chapter 132 - ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO: A Motheréˆ¥æªš Regret

    <h4>Chapter 132: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO: A Mother¡¯s Regret</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    By the time we arrived at the vi where Evan¡¯s parents were being held, Mason was already waiting for us.

    "Why did you bring her along?" Mason asked Kendrick with a frown when he saw me getting down from the car.

    "And why can¡¯t I be here brother?" I asked him directly without waiting for Kendrick to speak.

    It¡¯s time I confronted them all at once and end this cycle of locking me up in a golden cage all in the name of protection.

    "Baby sis rx, you know big bro is only looking out for your safety" Kelvin said from the side.

    I hadn¡¯t noticed his presence until he spoke to me.

    "I am not a baby anymore, you all need to let me do things for myself, stop showing me how beautiful the world can be when I am well aware of how rotten it¡¯s core is.

    What if a dayes when you are not around to protect me?...."

    "Such a day will nevere" Kendrick interrupted me with a frown.

    "No matter how you try to deny it, the truth is that everything is not in your control. Take everything that has been happening for an example.

    None of you ever predicted such a vicious cycle of trouble and it is understandable because you are humans as well" I said to them with a serious attitude.

    "I just wanted to keep you safe, I can¡¯t risk losing you again" Mason said with a slightly emotional tone and I felt a sharp tightness in my chest.

    He hardly ever shows his emotions, so I felt touched that his care for me was so deep.

    "I am sorry for making you feel that way and for everything else"Kendrick suddenly apologized and I was too stunned to respond.

    "Okay that¡¯s enough now, the old couple have woken up and they won¡¯t stop quarreling and insulting each other.

    It¡¯s surprising that they got married despite hating each other so much" Kelvin said with an irritated expression.

    We all went into the vi and as we walked down the hallway, we could hear their shouts loud and clear.

    "I hope they kill you, so I can finally have some peace!" the woman shouted angrily.

    "Who are you cursing to die?! Watch how I beat you senseless!" the man yelled then we heard movements.

    "Ahhhh... Let go of my hair, you smelly old fart!"

    "watch how I knock out your teeth! Let¡¯s see if any man will want to patronize your whore business ever again"

    When we arrived at the door of the room they were in, we saw them pulling and dragging each other.

    They couldn¡¯t leave the room because of the guards at the door, so they decided to pour their frustrations on each other.

    "Separate them" Mason ordered one of the guards and he quickly pulled them apart.

    That was when they noticed our presence. The woman red at us while the man just looked away.

    "Don¡¯t you feel any shame... Today was your son¡¯s funeral" I asked her angrily and she hissed.

    We entered the room and a guard brought three chairs for Kendrick, Mason and I while Kelvin stood watched from the door.

    "How did you find out about the funeral?" Kendrick asked them.

    "My customer told me about it," the woman said with a nonchnt attitude.

    "How long have you known this customer of yours?" Kendrick asked and the woman frowned at him.

    "What kind of question is that? Am I supposed to keep the dates or years that I have known my customers in my head? Do you know how many customers I get in a day?" she asked with a smug smile.

    The way she says it, one would think she actually does an honorable job or something.

    "Please have some shame" I said to her with a disgusted tone.

    "Oh please, you will never understand the thrill of having different men beg for your body" she bragged and I felt like throwing up on her face.

    Could there be anyone in the world that¡¯s more shameless than this woman?.

    "So this customer of yours, told you about the funeral and also gave you half a million as fee for your service? Or was the money for something else" As soon as Mason asked this, her face immediately turned pale and white.

    "What? Half a million?... You old hag, you have half a million and I never heard anything about it" the man who has been quiet all along immediately lunged at her again.

    "Leave me... What... What concerns you with my money?!" she yelled as he pulled her hair again.

    "That¡¯s enough, don¡¯t force me to tie you up!" Kelvin yelled as he pulled the man back.

    "If you weren¡¯t so useless, would I have to sleep with other men for money? You fool!" the woman yelled while massaging her aching head.

    "Answer my question" Mason said to her with a frown and she trembled in fear.

    "He was a first time customer but he didn¡¯t touch me...."She stuttered.

    "Oh please... Come up with a different lie!" the man interrupted her with a mockingugh.

    "Gag him"Kendrick instructed one of the guards and the man¡¯s mouth was immediately stuffed with a cloth.

    The woman seemed to enjoy seeing him in such a miserable condition and I couldn¡¯t just understand... Their rtionship makes no sense.

    "How did you two end up together?" I couldn¡¯t stop myself from asking her.

    "He was the demon sent to ruin my life... I regret ever meeting him" she red in the direction of the man.

    "I started this business very young, my mother was also in the same line of business.

    On the unfortunate day that I met him, he hade to drink at our club and I offered to entertain him and he booked me for the night. Our club provided condoms to protect us and he was given one.

    Who would have thought that this despicable man poked holes in the condom and I ended up pregnant.

    My mother was not happy but when he came to ask for my hand in marriage, we were all excited.

    He lied to us that he was an heir to a multimillion corporation and I will have a good life in the capital.

    We had a simple marriage and I moved here with him. That was when I found out that he had been lying all along.

    His family were poor and only had a pork ughterhouse to their name, his father threatened to give the ughterhouse to his nephew if he didn¡¯t marry and give him a grandchild.

    His family were nice at first then a monthter, they revealed their true colors, I would go the entire day without food despite being pregnant.

    I could have easily gone back to my job if I wasn¡¯t pregnant and I couldn¡¯t abort the baby either as the doctor said it would be dangerous, so ..."

    "So you started hating the baby because he held you back?" I asked her with a frown.

    "Yes! Not just because he held me back but because he had the blood of this animal flowing through him" she yelled while pointing at the man,who looked like he wasn¡¯t the person in question.

    "So you returned to your business after giving birth to him? What happened to the ughterhouse?" I asked the man but his mouth was still gagged so I turned to the woman instead.

    "He sold it and squandered the money on his secret lover but when the money finished, she eloped to another city with her other customer" she answered with a mocking smile while staring at the man, who was now ring at her.

    What a useless man?

    He decided to dedicate his life to drinking and gambling without having any ns for his child and the mother was no good either.

    Evans must have suffered a lot.

    "Don¡¯t you feel regretful about how you treated Evans?" I asked her and she turned her face away like she was holding back her tears.

    "The customer that gave you money and the information is part of those responsible for his death. They wanted you toe make a scene at the funeral to ruin our reputations" Kendrick said after being silent ever since.

    "I always felt guilty whenever I saw him, that¡¯s why I always drove him away. There is too much that I couldn¡¯t make up for and I had no hope of him ever forgiving me.

    I was a terrible mother, all I ever gave him... UhUhhh... My... My little sweet boy, he was always so smart but when I found out that one of my customers had introduced him to drugs, I was too angry and threw him out.

    Why did I do that? I could have hugged him all the times he asked me for a hug but I felt unclean.

    Then when he came all sober and clear headed, I was ecstatic and hoped he could have the life we couldn¡¯t have but what did he do instead?... He died! He left me here forever to continue living in regret and wishing I had been a good mother" She finally broke down and I couldn¡¯t hold my tears back as well.

    I looked at the man and noticed his eyes were red as well. There is no medicine for regret, so they will have to live with this guilt forever.

    We gave her a few minutes to settle down and she slowly wiped her tears.

    "The man wore gold rimmed sses and has a scar slightly above his left ear..." she tried to describe the man.

    "Does he have a mole under his right eye?" Kendrick asked and she immediately nodded.

    "It¡¯s Harold," he said with a frown.

    " Your Grandpa¡¯s personal assistant? Isn¡¯t he on our side?" I frowned as I remembered the man.

    "He said he wanted revenge because my grandfather killed his family, I think he is after the entire ck family, not just my grandfather" Kendrick exined with a tense expression.

 Chapter 133 - ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY THREE: Thanks For Birthing Him

    <h4>Chapter 133: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY THREE: Thanks For Birthing Him</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I couldn¡¯t understand why Harold would suddenly turn against us and it made things moreplicated.

    "How much do you owe in gambling debt?" Kendrick suddenly asked Evan¡¯s father.

    The man looked stunned by the question and stared at him with wide eyes.

    "Remove the cloth" Kendrick instructed one of the guards to remove the gag.

    "I owe quite a lot of money," the man said, his voice barely above a whisper.

    "I asked how much?" Kendrick frowned at him and his wife also red at him.

    "Fool, won¡¯t you speak up?!" she yelled at him angrily.

    "Ten million dors" he said with his head lowered in shame.

    "What... So much?" The woman was shocked by the amount and so was I.

    "They kept increasing it all in the name of interest and there was nothing I could do," the manined. I could easily tell how much he hated the people.

    But it was his fault for going to a gambling den in the first ce. None of these would have happened if he wasn¡¯t greedy for quick wealth.

    "If you are both willing to go abroad and start a new life, I will arrange it. My people will watch you for the first two years, then you will be on your own afterwards" Kendrick said to them.

    They looked shocked and stared at each other in disbelief.

    "I am doing this for Evans, he still cared about the both of you despite all that you put him through.

    I will clear the gambling debt and settle everything else but you need to leave tonight. I will have everything arranged" Kendrick said and got up to leave as soon as he finished speaking.

    "Wait.. Why are you being so good to us? We treated him so badly... Your kindness makes me more regretful" the woman said as fresh tears streamed down her face.

    "I am thanking you for giving birth to him, he was more than a brother to me, so consider my help as a reward for birthing him" Kendrick replied to her before walking out of the room.

    Mason followed him out and I was left alone with the couple.

    "Sometimes pushing those we love away isn¡¯t the best approach. We might think that it¡¯s what is good for them or will keep them safe but we are always wrong.

    Those moments when theye to us are when they need us the most. So the best thing to do is to pull them close, embrace and wash their sorrows and worries away with our love and kindness.

    Just follow Kendrick¡¯s arrangement and I also want to thank you for giving birth to such an amazing man. He is the reason why I am still breathing" I said to them before walking out as well.

    Seeing the both of them crying as I spoke made my heart hurt and I had to rush out of the room to stop myself from breaking down.

    "Have everything arranged"

    "I want them out of the country by 9PM"

    When I stepped out, Kendrick was on the phone, making arrangements for their departure.

    "What are you going to do about Harold?" I asked Mason and Kelvin as Kendrick was busy with the call.

    "We have no idea for now, the issue is the disappearance of Celeste and the others. We aren¡¯t certain that he didn¡¯t have a hand in it and on the other hand, Kendrick¡¯s grandfather has already confessed to doing it" He exined with a frustrated sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.

    "We have a lead regarding the Michaelson family, so we are going to discuss it with some trusted superiors"Kelvin said from the side and I wanted to continue asking about what they found but Kendrick gave me a light pat on the head.

    "I am heading to the military headquarters with Mason and Kelvin, so you have to head back to school.

    You can¡¯te along because there might be a dangerous situations which I can¡¯t control" he exined to me as soon as he ended the call.

    "I know that I can¡¯te with you... I¡¯m not that unreasonable" I said with a slight smile.

    "It¡¯s good that you are very self aware" he chuckled before cing a gentle kiss on my forehead.

    "Enough of the lovey dovey stuff... It¡¯s disgusting to watch" Kelvin¡¯s voice broke our little moment and I red at him.

    "Dexter is here to pick you"Mason informed me and I turned to see Dexter in a ck Lexus outside the vi gate.

    "Stay safe.. You all better return to me in one piece" I said to them before walking out of the gate.

    I pulled the passenger door open and got in with a smile but Dexter¡¯s face was stoic.

    "What¡¯s wrong with you?" I asked him with a yful tone but he just ignored me and started the car before driving off.

    "What¡¯s wrong with you?" I asked him again with a frown but he still didn¡¯t respond.

    Well I can¡¯t force him to talk, so I decided to keep quiet as well and took out my phone to surf Instagram.

    "Isn¡¯t he too old for you?" he suddenly asked and I frowned as I didn¡¯t get his question at first.

    "We don¡¯t even have up to a ten years age gap, why do you think he is old? He is just five years older than you!" I asked him angrily when I finally understood.

    I felt really annoyed as this whole age gap thing has be really annoying and Kendrick seems to find it quite sensitive.

    "You need someone young, that can do things with you and show you what you are really missing, you ... " He added with a serious expression.

    "I am very okay in my rtionship, thank you" I interrupted him angrily.

    He suddenly stopped the car a few buildings away from the apartment building.

    "What¡¯s wrong?" I asked him with a frown but he just kept staring at me.

    "What if there is someone better, that truly understands and loves you" he suddenly asked and my mind immediately shed to what Kendrick said about him having feelings for me.

    But I shook my head in denial.

    Before I could say anything else, his face erged in front of me and I felt a cool sensation on my lips.

 Chapter 134 - ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR: Gave Me Chills

    <h4>Chapter 134: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR: Gave Me Chills</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    Pah!

    I pped him out of reflex and pushed him away angrily. He looked hurt by the way I reacted but I didn¡¯t care about his feelings at the moment.

    "I trusted and took you as my friend, I fucking defended you when Kendrick said you had feelings for me but here you are... Making me a big fool!" I yelled at him and angrily unbuckled my seat belt.

    "Christy, please calm down... I know that I overstepped my boundaries and I am sorry" he quickly apologized when he saw how angry I was.

    I didn¡¯t give him a listening ear as I opened the door, got down and mmed it shut.

    The apartment was just a few minutes away, so I decided to walk the remaining distance and use the opportunity to clear my head.

    I wiped my lips angrily and I felt extremely irritated when I remembered what just happened.

    I even quarreled with Kendrick, not knowing he was right all along and now I felt guilty.

    I looked behind and couldn¡¯t see the car anymore, he probably drove off to give me space which I think is the wisest decision he had made so far.

    "Hi sister inw, " As soon as I opened the gate of the building where my apartment is located, I was pulled out of my thoughts by a slightly unfamiliar voice.

    I looked up to see Zain, Kendrick¡¯s younger brother, smiling at me.

    I found it odd that he was here at this time but I didn¡¯t reveal any emotions as I stared at him calmly.

    "Hi, I am Zain..."

    "I know who you are" I interrupted him coldly, his overly friendly attitude was making my skin crawl and I just couldn¡¯t exin the feeling.

    This was the exact feeling I had when he stared at me at the funeral.

    "Why are you here?" I asked calmly while observing his every movement and expression.

    "I told big brother about enrolling in the academy and he agreed. So I am looking around for a good apartment to stay in, " he replied with a smile.

    "There are so many buildings around here but you chose the one that I live in?" I asked him with a frown.

    "I just want to take this opportunity to get to know you. I don¡¯t see your bodyguard anywhere... Is he off today?" he asked, his voice made me immediately tense and I took a few steps back from him.

    "You look scared... Don¡¯t be, we will be a family soon, it¡¯s best we get to know each other" he said and his lips curled into a bloodthirsty grin.

    It felt like I was being stared at by a venomous snake. I decided to run into the building and get the security to send him away.

    "Security, sec...." I stared in horror at the security counter. The usually friendly security guard was now lying in a pool of blood, his chest was filled with several stab wounds.

    "Oh no... Mira!" I rushed frantically up the stairs, when I pushed open the door to our apartment, I found Mira and Jasper unconscious on the floor.

    They weren¡¯t bleeding and didn¡¯t seem injured, just unconscious.

    "I gave them a little knock out dose... Someone needs to inform my brother" Zain¡¯s voice came from behind me and I turned around to see him standing at the doorway with a dagger in his hand.

    I tried to rush into the bathroom but he was too fast, he grabbed me before I could even get close and ced the dagger on my neck.

    "What do you want?" I asked with a trembling voice.

    He held me closer to himself and I couldn¡¯t struggle as a little movement can cost me my life.

    He was quite strong for someone that had just recovered, which made me doubt that he was ever sick.

    "I have her... Come pick me up" he said through his earpiece.

    "Kendrick will never let you go," I said through gritted teeth.

    "From the moment I was born, it was already determined to be this way. The ck family can only be inherited by the strongest. I know I am not strong enough topete with my brother, so I made a deal with the devil" he said with a creepy smile.

    By the time he pushed me out of the building, it was already dark. He threw my phone in the dustbin and also took off my bracelet, which contains a tracker.

    I was shocked that he knew about my bracelet and immediately figured out that we had a mole.

    I saw a white minivan as soon as we stepped out of the gate and there was a mean looking guy beside the van. He was dressed in ck from head to toe and had a vicious scar on his jaw.

    BANG!

    BANG!

    "Shit!" The sudden gunshots startled Zain and he almost stabbed me with the dagger.

    My life shed before my eyes at that moment, I thought I was going to die.

    "Stay back if you want her alive... I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to cut her throat" Zain warned as he used me as a shield to get closer to the van.

    I slowly looked in the direction of the gunshots and saw Dexter with some other men that Mason and Kendrick had ced around me for protection.

    "I am sorry" he mumbled helplessly and I could see the guilt in his eyes.

    Things might have turned out differently if he hade to the apartment with me but there was nothing we could do now... No one can turn the hands of time.

    Zain pushed me into the van and swiftly got in, while the mean looking guy fired shots at Dexter and the others.

    The guy had no ns of running and kept firing till he took hisst breath.

    I stared at Zain in horror, wondering what he must have done to make the man willingly surrender his life.

    "It¡¯s good to see you again, Christy" A very familiar voice came from the opposite seat and I froze.

    I hadn¡¯t looked at the person as I was watching what was happening outside.

    I turned swiftly to face him and he smiled at me.

    "Curtis?" I asked with my eyes wide open in shock.

    "The one and only" he replied with a smile.

    "Then, who is..." I was about to ask who was in prison when it finally clicked.

    "You are not the one that got arrested" I said with a tone of certainty.

    "You are so smart, that¡¯s why I love you so much" he said with a gentle voice that gave me chills.

 Chapter 135 - ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE : A Distraction

    <h4>Chapter 135: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE : A Distraction</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    As soon as we parted with Christy and Dexter at the vi, I had a strong urge to stop her and take her with me to the meeting but I had to suppress it as I wasn¡¯t certain that the meeting would be done safely and what would be discussed would be top secret, so I am very certain they wouldn¡¯t let her in as well.

    "What is bothering you?" Mason asked when he noticed how quiet I have been since we left the vi.

    "I just feel a little stuffy and I can¡¯t really exin it" I replied with a sigh and he gave me a pat on the shoulder.

    "You are just worried about Christy because of everything that has been happening recently. Don¡¯t worry, I believe Dexter can protect her" he said with a smile and I nodded.

    But my mind still wasn¡¯t at peace and the feeling of unease seems to grow stronger as time went on.

    "We are almost at the military base. I have arranged everything and the generals are waiting" Kelvin informed us and I looked out the window.

    I saw the huge gate of the military base as it opened for us to go in. There were numerous soldiers patrolling and security was tight.

    "Wee Captain Lancaster, this way please, everyone has arrived" A soldier came over to us, he saluted Mason and led us through a long hallway.

    When we arrived at the meeting room, I saw six middle aged men dressed in military uniform, they looked strict.

    Mason and Kelvin saluted them and I greeted them as well.

    "It¡¯s been a while Mr ck" one of the generals, whom I have met before, said with a polite smile and greeted him with a handshake.

    "Wee, let¡¯s begin" the man at the head of the table said after we exchanged pleasantries.

    Mason immediately presented the files from the investigation that he carried out to them, they skimmed through it and their faces changed the further they read.

    "How certain are you that this information is legitimate?" one of the Generals asked Mason with a frown.

    I couldn¡¯t understand why he was asking as there was enough evidence in the file and all that was left was for us to take action.

    We literally did all the hard work, so they could take care of the issue as soon as possible.

    "The information was provided to me by thete chief General on his deathbed. I don¡¯t see any reason why a dying man, whose entire family has been killed brutally, would lie" Mason replied to him with a serious expression.

    "I guess we will have to let you know that this exact information that you are presenting to us, was sent over a few days ago and we immediately took action by deploying thirty soldiers to go confirm the information.

    They returned with nothing, the ce was just a grasnd, nothing else. They took several videos which I can show you if you still don¡¯t believe my words" the man responded with a frown.

    The bad feeling that I have been having seemed to get worse at this moment, so I immediately grabbed my phone and rushed out of the meeting room.

    "Kendrick, what do you think? Why would they deceive us? I really don¡¯t understand their thoughts, they even killed the general and his family to make it more realistic" Mason said with a frown as we headed back to our car.

    "What if this was just a distraction and they have predicted that we woulde here for a meeting? . But why would they lead us away? What would they be unable to do when we are around?" Kelvin asked with a frown.

    I pondered for a while on his question.

    What would they be unable to do with us around?

    What do we all care about that they would have to get us away from?

    Then it finally clicked.. It wasn¡¯t what, it was who?

    "Damn... Christy! " I yelled and quickly dialed her contact but it kept ringing without anyone picking.

    Mason and Kelvin also pulled out their phones, but Mason¡¯s phone started ringing before he could dial any contact.

    "Dexter, where is Christy? Is she with you?" I immediately tensed up when Mason asked him, I waited for his response as well.

    But a few minutester, Dexter still hadn¡¯t said anything and I became anxious.

    "Will you fucking speak up!" I yelled into the phone.

    Mason and Kelvin¡¯s expressions weren¡¯t good as well and the suspense was suffocating.

    "Soldier, Report! " Masonmanded.

    "I am sorry sir, I failed to protect her" Dexter finally said and I felt a spark in my head.

    What does he mean by he failed to protect her!

    "What happened? Who took her?! " Kelvin yelled into the phone as his body trembled in anger.

    "She was taken from the apartment by Kendrick¡¯s younger brother, we couldn¡¯t do anything because he had a knife to her throat" he reported and I took a few steps back in shock.

    My younger brother? Zain?

    "Are you sure he is the person you saw?" Mason asked for confirmation.

    "Yes sir, I had seen him at the funeral earlier, so I can¡¯t be wrong" Dexter confirmed and Mason immediately ended the call.

    "Great... The ck family again! " Kelvin growled angrily but Mason gave him a pat on the shoulder to calm him.

    "Kendrick, what do you have to say? " he suddenly asked me with an emotionless tone.

    I couldn¡¯t say anything or respond as everything that was happening felt so unreal, it felt like I was dreaming.

    "Do whatever you please with him, I have never acknowledged him as my brother " I responded before getting into my car.

    They walked to a nearby military car and got in, they didn¡¯t want to go with me which was quite understandable.

    Mason was already making calls while Kelvin drove, they didn¡¯t even look in my direction again.

    I just watched as they drove out of the gates and disappeared into the darkness. I also started my car and sped off.

    I was scared by my own calmness, it felt like I had be numb to all the surprises and twists.

    I headed straight for the ck residence,

    my mother better tell me where her precious son is hiding.

 Chapter 136 - ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX: A Broken Mother

    <h4>Chapter 136: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX: A Broken Mother</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    Ring Ring!

    I kept driving as fast as I could, then my phone suddenly rang. I picked it up and connected it to the car, so I can focus on driving.

    My friend who was based abroad and a professor at Zain¡¯s previous school suddenly called. I had asked him to help with transferring Zain¡¯s academic records to enable his smooth enrollment.

    "Hello Kendrick" he greeted with a serious tone.

    "Sam, this might not be the best time to talk now, I will call youter" I said as I didn¡¯t have the time to waste on any other issue.

    "Kendrick, wait,there is something odd I found out and I think you need to know to better protect yourself" he said with an anxious voice when he realized that I was going to end the call.

    "What do you mean?" I asked him with a frown as I ran another red light.

    "I did a Check on your brother, Zain Singhania, and found some disturbing things" he said and his voice became a little low, like he was scared of being heard.

    I immediately frowned and my grip on the steering wheel tightened as I took several deep breaths.

    I pressed the record button on my phone as I needed to keep whatever he was about to say as evidence.

    "He was admitted into the university but he dropped out in his second year.

    He continued acting like he was going to school and it seemed like his lecturers were scared of him.

    His father paid a lot of money to reinstate him and that was when things went wrong. He brutally killed one of his course mates and was arrested.." he paused to take a deep breath.

    Everything he was saying felt foreign, it was like the Zain I met is a totally different person from the one he was talking about.

    Was mother aware of all of this?

    Did the father and son keep her in the dark?

    "He waster released after his reports showed that he had schizophrenia. He was to stay and get treatment at a mental health care facility but a monthter, his father got him out." he continued and I frowned as none of the things I knew and the ones he was saying made sense.

    It was like we were talking about two entirely different people.

    "Apart from his stay in the hospital this year, I couldn¡¯t find any previous issues with his health. It seems like a huge ploy to get some money from your mother

    The father and son duo is really frightening" Sam concluded and I didn¡¯t know what to say at this point. All I could feel was anger.. intense, blood boiling anger.

    "Be safe my friend"he said before hanging up.

    I increased the speed of the car and focused on the road like being focused would make me reach there in no time.

    An hourter, I finally arrived at the ck residence. I jumped out of the car as soon as it came to a stop and rushed into the mansion with my phone in my hand.

    "Kendrick, why didn¡¯t you tell me you wereing? I would have made something for you to eat" my mother said with a smile when she saw me.

    Her expression looked genuine and I had a feeling that she wasn¡¯t aware of what happened.

    "Where is Zain?" I asked her and her face immediately changed when she observed my expression.

    "Is something wrong? Did he do something?" she asked anxiously and I frowned.

    "Do you really not know or you are just ying dumb"I asked angrily and she took a step back in shock.

    "What has he done? Tell me Kendrick, I will definitely get him to apologize" she begged anxiously.

    "What¡¯s all the noise for?" Her husband¡¯s voice came from the stairs.

    He walked down slowly with a mocking smile on his lips.

    "Adrian, I think Zain did something to offend Kendrick, quickly call him over to apologize" my mother said to him.

    "He did nothing wrong, he is only fighting for what is rightfully his" he replied to her with a frown.

    "What nonsense are you both talking about!" my mother suddenly yelled while looking at our faces.

    "Your precious son has kidnapped Christy and I just found out that he is schizophrenic. He has killed someone before but your husband got him out and he was never sick, it was all a huge fucking ploy!" I gave her a brief breakdown and she shook her head in denial.

    "My son can never do such a thing, honey exin to Kendrick, I am sure this is all a huge misunderstanding" she said while urging her husband to speak.

    "He is your son and has every right to fight for the ck family inheritance but Zain has always been weak and nerdy." He replied to her with a disgusted expression.

    "What did you do? You were aware of my identity all these years? When did you find out?" she asked him with a horrified expression.

    He slowly took off his sses and looked nothing like the gentleman that he has always portrayed himself to be.

    "Did you really believe that I would marry just anyone? I knew you were the Heiress of the influential ck family and I waited patiently for us to have a son, so we can fight for the right to inheritance.

    I was ecstatic when you gave birth to Zain but as he grew up, I noticed he wasn¡¯t the perfect son that I had hoped for. He was just a bookworm and even got bullied severally." he said with a disgusted tone.

    It was like he was talking about someone he hated.

    A thought suddenly popped up in my head but I quickly shook my head to dismiss it as there was no way anyone could be so deranged.

    "He is our son, how can you hate him?!" my mother yelled at him angrily.

    "I hated that part of him, that¡¯s why I got rid of it!" he yelled back like what he was saying made no sense.

    "You got rid of it? What did you do" my mother¡¯s voice trembled as she stared at him with an extremely horrified expression.

    " I got him treated and turned into the son I wanted. Now he is making me proud and it¡¯s only a matter of time before everything bes ours" he said with a triumphant smile.

    I observed his face for a while and suddenly remembered something.

    "You were the one that informed Evan¡¯s parents about the funeral right?" I asked him directly and heughed.

    "You are quite smart,"he replied with a smirk.

    Luckily I hadn¡¯t confronted Harold yet, he wouldn¡¯t have been happy that I was doubting him.

    "Let me guess, you took him to the mental care facility and made sure he actually developed an illness by using drugs and shock therapy, that¡¯s why he looks so sick and pale"I had this idea in my head but I thought it was too evil for someone to do to his own child.

    "If only he was half as smart as you, then I wouldn¡¯t have gone through so much stress," he said.

    He didn¡¯t deny or ept doing it.

    "So the current Zain is a deranged and psychotic alter of himself. The dangerous and vicious version" I concluded.

    My mother was trembling on the ground, her eyes were unfocused and she looked like she was going to faint.

    "What did you do to me? Howe I can¡¯t remember any of these ever happening?" she murmured while ring at him.

    "What¡¯s with that reaction? Our son is perfect now, watch how he takes everything for himself"heughed excitedly.

    "So you have been altering my memories? I always felt like there was something that I was missing." she said with a smile that sent chills down my spine.

    "Kendrick, I am sorry for everything you have been going through ever since you were born. Forgive me for bringing you into this world.

    I wish you happiness in all you do and I hope you and Christy get married peacefully. Forgive your mother" She said and slowly hugged me before walking up the stairs.

    She looked unusually calm and I felt a strong urge to stop her or take her with me.

    "Adrian, let¡¯s talk things out" she said to her husband and continued climbing the stairs.

    "You will get the document soon, you better sign it if you want your little woman to live" He said to me before going to meet her.

    I felt extremely calm instead of the reaction I had thought earlier. He was right in front of me but there was no urge to hit or yell at him.

    I turned to leave without saying anything else, I needed to head over to the Lancaster residence.

    But as soon as I stepped out of the mansion, I saw Mason and Kelvin waiting outside.

    "What are you doing...."

    BANG!

    BANG!

    I was startled by the sudden gun shots that came from inside the mansion. I rushed upstairs and headed straight to my mother¡¯s room.

    The scene I saw made my knees weak and I would have fallen down if Kelvin hadn¡¯t supported me.

    The floor of the room was covered in blood and Adrian, had a bullet hole in his head while she was bleeding from her chest with a gun in her hand.

    "Mother!" I held her in my arms, she was bleeding profusely.

    "Call an ambnce," Mason instructed Kelvin as he checked Adrian for pulse.

    "Be... Happy" my mother said with blood flowing out of her mouth.

    She had shot herself in the heart after killing Adrian. I regretted not stopping her earlier.

    She slowly closed her eyes and just like that, she was gone forever.

 Chapter 137 - ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN: Curtis Obsession

    <h4>Chapter 137: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN: Curtis Obsession</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I just kept staring at Curtis in horror, wondering how he had escaped.

    Did he know about our ns or was he just lucky?

    He didn¡¯t take his eyes off me as well and I had to look away as I was starting to feel ufortable with his heated gaze.

    "You seem to have lost some weight, didn¡¯t Kendrick take good care of you?" he asked but I just stayed mute.

    "My apologies for taking you away like this but you wouldn¡¯t have followed me willingly either. But it¡¯s only a matter of time before you fall in love with me" he said.

    I just stared out of the car, trying to see anyndmarks, in case I found a way to escape. But all I could see was bushes and trees. The road was very bumpy as well.

    "Hey, let go of me!" I yelled when Zain suddenly grabbed my shoulder.

    "Easy.. Don¡¯t hurt her" Curtis said to him with a frown.

    "Just rx, he is just going to blindfold you for security reasons" he said to me with a gentle voice.

    I felt so disgusted and didn¡¯t want to look at his face any more, maybe it wasn¡¯t such a bad thing to be blindfolded.

    The car continued to move for a long time and I felt extremely exhausted but couldn¡¯t let my guard down as I didn¡¯t know what they were going to do to me.

    "Let me help you down, my love" Curtis whispered in my ears when the car finally came to a stop.

    I felt his hot breath on my ear and it sent a chill down my spine. He helped me down from the car.

    He still didn¡¯t remove the blindfold as he led me away from the car.

    "Wee Boss"

    I heard another man¡¯s voice, followed by the sound of a door opening. Then he led me up a staircase before opening another door.

    "Here is our room, I had everything prepared for your arrival" He said and slowly took off the blindfold.

    I shut my eyes because of the sudden rush of light, then slowly opened them.

    The first thing I saw was a huge portrait of me on the wall. It seemed to have been taken at the recognition ceremony when I was newly reunited with my family.

    Then I looked around and noticed several others from different asions, some were taken while I was still at the ck mansion and others were on campus.

    "Do you like the surprise?" he suddenly whispered in my ear and I quickly distanced myself from him.

    "You are sick!" I yelled at him angrily but he just smiled.

    "No dear, I am in love" he replied while stepping closer to me.

    "Just rx, make yourself at home" he said and gently patted my head before leaving the room.

    I finally breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the king-size bed. I tried to remember everything that happened during Curtis and Sameen¡¯s arrest.

    There was nothing odd?

    His reactions were not stiff or forced, then how did he pull all of these off?

    And Kendrick¡¯s grandfather has been urging him to get Curtis released, could he be unaware as well?

    Things were getting more and moreplicated by the minute and I didn¡¯t know what to believe anymore.

    I decided to rest a little now that I have got the chance. But as soon as I tried to get into the bed, the door opened again and I turned around with a frown.

    "Hello sister"

    "Oh my, an esteemed guest"

    "The irony of life"

    Piper, Callie and Celeste walked in and spoke at the same time with excited expressions.

    Celeste¡¯s baby bump was bigger now and she seemed to have gained some weight as well. Piper looked no different from the photos Kendrick showed me while Callie was as attention grabbing as usual with the huge watermelons on her chest.

    "So this is where you all came to hide" I said with a smile.

    They seemed surprised that I spoke to them and Iughed, not understanding what they were expecting in the first ce.

    "Were you expecting me to be crying and begging to be freed?" I asked them with a littleugh.

    "Whatever, you are already in our hands now, we will teach you a very valuable lesson" Callie bragged with a triumphant expression.

    "We still have a lot of things to talk about sister, so you better be ready for me" Piper added and Celeste also nodded in agreement.

    "If you all weren¡¯t scared, you wouldn¡¯t have run into the bush like the wild animals that you are" I smirked at them and their faces immediately darkened.

    They looked like they wanted to kill me immediately but they couldn¡¯t and I had an idea why.

    "How is Mark? Are you two still together or has he gotten tired of your watermelons and got himself some peaches instead" I asked Callie and she immediately lost it and rushed towards me.

    "You bitch, watch how I tear your mouth apart"she yelled and tried to scratch my face but I blocked her fingers with my hand.

    Her nails dug into my arm and I hissed in pain before forcefully pushing her off me. She didn¡¯t expect the push and fell down really hard.

    "Ahhhh... You bitch, I will kill you" She screamed and immediately scrambled up.

    "That¡¯s enough, she is just messing with you" Celeste said to her, surprisingly she actually listened which is very unlike her.

    "Soon, you won¡¯t even remember your own name or where you are from" Celeste said to me with an evil grin.

    "I think you should focus more on yourself and that child in your womb, how unfortunate it is for him to have you as a mother. Simply pathetic.

    Especially now that Raymond is dead, I actually doubt he was the father" I replied to her calmly and she immediately lost her cool.

    Her eyes were shooting daggers at me and her fists trembled on her sides.

    "At least I can carry a baby and bring him to life unlike you whose womb wasn¡¯t able to hold a few months old fetus" she mocked through gritted teeth and my smile immediately vanished.

    My baby¡¯s death has always been something I hate remembering. He didn¡¯t deserve to be caught up in all the mess of the world.

    "He was too precious for this vicious world" I replied to her with a smile.

    There was no way I would let them see that their words can hurt me. Dexter had told me during training to always keep my emotions and expressions under control when facing an enemy.

    Then I turned to Piper with a smile, she seemed more calm and collected than the other two.

    "Hello little sister, you are all grown up" I said and she red at me.

    "Come on now, is that how you treat your big sister after almost a year of not seeing each other?" I asked her.

    "Keep smiling, by the time Iy my hands on you, you wouldn¡¯t even remember how to smile. I will make you feel pains that are beyond description" she swore while giving me a creepy smile.

    "Are you that traumatized? What did the men at that ce do to you? Did they take you forcefully, over and over again? Or did you willingly open your legs to them? Did you wish for death every single time?

    Karma is a bitch, you went through exactly what your father wanted me to suffer. You had no issue with it back then as you weren¡¯t the one suffering, all you did was sit and enjoy the money that came from my suffering" I mocked her while still maintaining my smile.

    She seemed to have snapped as she continued ring at me and before I could say anything else, she suddenly pulled out a knife from her hoodie and rushed towards me.

    I swiftly dodged the knife and kicked her backwards, she crashed really hard into the nearby cab and groaned in pain.

    "What¡¯s going on!" Curtis rushed into the room with Mark and Zain behind him.

    He grabbed me and quickly checked my body for any injuries. When he noticed the scratches on my arms, his face immediately scrunched up in anger.

    He red at the three of them and they trembled. Callie quickly hid behind Mark, making it obvious that she was the one responsible.

    "Come here!" he barked at her like a deranged person, his eyes were also slightly red.

    She quickly grabbed Mark¡¯s shirt while trembling. Mark seemed to also be scared of him and it made me wonder what he must have done to instill such fear in them.

    Curtis angrily grabbed her and dragged her into the bathroom, the others, including Mark immediately left the room without saying anything or trying to help her.

    Their behavior was extremely confusing and it gave me a strong sense of unease but the curiosity to know what was happening in the bathroom was stronger.

    I tiptoed to the door and ced my ear on it but couldn¡¯t hear anything. I tried to adjust my position but the door suddenly opened and I almost fell in.

    "A.. Slurp... Slurp"

    Wet slurping sounds were all I could hear and when I looked up, my blood ran cold.

    Callie was on her knees with Curtis standing over her, his pants were down and was busy thrusting his dick repeatedly in her mouth.

    What actually shocked me wasn¡¯t what they were doing but the fact that Callie had a skin mask on, an exact replica of my face.

 Chapter 138 - ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY EIGHT: Zainéˆ¥æªš Madness

    <h4>Chapter 138: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY EIGHT: Zain¡¯s Madness</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    For a moment, I genuinely forgot how to breathe.

    My brain couldn¡¯t even process the scene properly at first, it felt like my eyes were glitching, rejecting what I was seeing because it didn¡¯t make any sense. Callie was on her knees, wearing my face, that disgusting skin mask... and Curtis stood over her like he was doing something holy instead of somethingpletely deranged.

    They both froze the moment the door swung open.

    Callie yanked the mask off so fast that part of her hair got stuck under it. She stumbled backward, scrambling away from him like a kicked dog, her breathing loud and panicked. She didn¡¯t even look at me as shame had swallowed her whole.

    She ced the mask gently on top of the cab like she was handling fragile ss, then practically bolted out of the bathroom without meeting my eyes.

    Only Curtis remained and he didn¡¯t look ashamed for being caught in such a disgusting act.

    Instead he looked proud and stared at me with a smile like a man who believed he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong.

    "You¡¯re... you¡¯re an animal," I finally managed to spit out. My voice felt strange, shaky, as if my throat was still deciding if I wanted to scream or throw up.

    Curtis didn¡¯t even flinch, instead, he continued smiling at me. That slow, creepy smile made my skin crawl.

    "My dear," he said softly, "you misunderstood, I have never been with another woman. I kept myself just for you."

    Iughed and it sounded cracked and hysterical, representing how I was feeling at the moment.

    "You think that makes any difference? You are sick, Curtis. You are beyond sick. You¡¯re.... "

    He suddenly took a tiny step toward me, and I instantly stepped back.

    His eyes softened as if I was some upset toddler instead of the woman he kidnapped.

    "All of this," he said, sweeping his hand gently around the room, "is for you.. You don¡¯t have to be scared. You don¡¯t have to fight me, I will take care of you better than anyone else ever could."

    I shoved his hand away the moment he got close enough.

    "Don¡¯t touch me."

    For the first time since I met him, I saw confusion flicker across his eyes. Not anger. Just confusion like he genuinely couldn¡¯t understand why I wasn¡¯t ttered.

    He blinked, then nodded to himself and let out a soft sigh.

    "You must be tired," he murmured. "Adjusting to a new home will take time. I¡¯ll make dinner, something simple that you will definitely like."

    He turned with a kind of gentleness that made me even more ufortable, then walked out without waiting for a reply.

    The instant the door shut, I exhaled like I had been underwater for hours.

    I rubbed my arms, the scratches throbbing, my entire body felt grimy and wrong. Everything about this ce, the portraits, the forced gentleness and the twisted obsession in his eyes was designed to trap me emotionally as much as physically. He didn¡¯t need chains.

    I paced the room several times before copsing back onto the bed.

    My brain felt overloaded. Nothing made sense anymore. Curtis had been arrested. He had been interrogated. There was no sign, no hint, no crack in his expression back then. So how? How did he n all of this? How long had he been pretending?

    It was too much.

    Eventually, my exhaustion overpowered my fear. My eyelids grew heavy, my body sinking into the mattress despite the anxiety squeezing my chest.

    I didn¡¯t realize I had drifted off until a hand grabbed my ankle.

    Before I could scream, my body was yanked off the bed with brutal force. My back mmed onto the cold floor, knocking the air out of me.

    I gasped, trying to suck in some air, but another force lifted me again and this time, my body flew sideways.

    My shoulder collided with the wall so violently that bright stars burst behind my eyelids and an intense pain shot down my spine.

    "What.. " I choked out, but my words died when fingers closed tightly around my throat.

    I finally saw who was attacking me, it was Zain and he looked like he really wanted to kill me.

    His eyes were red, veins bulging across his forehead like he hadpletely transformed into something feral. His whole body trembled with rage as he pinned me against the wall with one hand, squeezing harder and harder.

    "You¡ª" he rasped, spit flying out of his mouth andnding on my face . "I¡¯ll kill you... I swear I¡¯ll kill you!"

    My hands wed at his wrist, trying to pry him off, but he was too strong. I couldn¡¯t breathe and my vision began to blur at the edges, pulsing ck dots dancing in front of me.

    "What... did I... do?" I forced out, barely audible.

    "This is for Kendrick!" he roared. "This is revenge! He ruined everything! He deserves to suffer! And I¡¯ll make him suffer through you!"

    My lungs burned and my legs kicked weakly. The room tilted, warping into something surreal and distant. All I could hear was the pounding of my heartbeat slowing... slowing...

    I was right at the edge of consciousness.

    And then, Zain jerked violently.

    His hand suddenly loosened around my throat, and I fell to the floor, coughing aggressively as air wed its way back into my lungs.I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision.

    Zain was staggering and his knees buckled.Behind him stood Curtis with a syringe in his hand.He had stabbed Zain in the back with it.

    Zain tried to lunge at me again, but his arms gave out before he could even move half a step. His entire body copsed face down in front of me.

    "What.. what did you inject him with?" I whispered, my voice still hoarse.

    Curtis didn¡¯t look at me. He crouched beside Zain, checking his pulse with the casual calmness of someone checking the weather.

    "Enough to stop him," he murmured. "Not enough to kill him. I don¡¯t share what belongs to me."

    I flinched at thest sentence.

    Zain groaned, barely able to lift his head. Whatever was in that syringe drained himpletely, but it didn¡¯t silence him.

    "You bastard..." he spat weakly. "Let me go... I need to kill her... Kendrick deserves to lose everything..."

    Curtis¡¯ expression hardened instantly.

    "You need to shut up," he said quietly.

    But Zain kept talking, his voice strained but sharp.

    "Kendrick killed my parents!"

    My heart stopped as I observed his expression to see if he was lying but he seemed to be saying the truth as the pain, anger and hatred in his eyes couldn¡¯t be faked.

    "What... what are you talking about?" I whispered, leaning back against the wall.

    Zain lifted his head slightly, just enough so he could re at me through his bloodshot eyes.

    "Kendrick... your precious hero.. " he choked out, coughing. "He killed them... both of them. My father and.. "

    He swallowed hard.

    "..Our mother, Lauretta."

    I felt the air leave my lungs again.

    Lauretta... Lauretta is dead?

    My heartbeat thudded painfully against my ribs. How was Kendrick doing now?

    "How?" I asked in shock. "When? Why would Kendrick... "

    "He did it!" Zain yelled, tears sliding down his face. "He killed them! He destroyed everything! He ruined my life!"

    Curtis grabbed him by the hair, yanking his head back.

    "Shut your mouth," he hissed. "You don¡¯t get to question Christy¡¯s reality. She is mine."

    I stared at Zain in disbelief, my mind spinning.

    Lauretta.

    Dead.

    Kendrick killed her?

    That couldn¡¯t be true.

    Kendrick wouldn¡¯t... he couldn¡¯t... H..

    But how did Zain know?

    Why would he lie while he was this weak? Why would he lie at all?

    Zain let out a brokenugh.

    "You don¡¯t believe me? Of course you don¡¯t. You¡¯re just like him, Blind,stupid and always trusting the wrong person."

    "Zain, you¡¯re lying," I whispered, mostly to myself. "You have to be lying."

    "I saw her body, in the video I received ," he said, his tone dropping into something eerily calm.

    The world tilted.

    My breath hitched.

    Kendrick never told me anything about Lauretta. Not once. Not even a hint.

    "Why would he kill her?" I whispered.

    Zainughed again, hisugh was just a hollow, broken sound.

    "Ask him," he said. "When you get out of here... If you get out."

    Curtis finally mmed Zain¡¯s face back into the floor, pinning him down with a single hand.

    "That¡¯s enough," he snapped.

    But my mind kept reying Zain¡¯s words over and over, like a torturous echo that wouldn¡¯t stop.

    Lauretta is dead.

    Kendrick killed her.

    I shut my eyes tightly, willing my heartbeat to slow down, but it only grew louder, faster, more frantic. My throat still burned from Zain¡¯s grip, and my body was shaking uncontrobly.

    Curtis turned toward me, his expression softening instantly when he saw the tears gathering in my eyes.

    "My dear," he said softly, "don¡¯t listen to him. He¡¯s unstable. He¡¯s confused."

    I didn¡¯t answer.

    I couldn¡¯t.

    Because for the first time since this nightmare began...

    I felt something new.

    Not fear.

    Not anger.

    Not exhaustion.

    Just worried about Kendrick and how he is handling the loss.

    I know something must have happened, he would never harm his mother.

    Curtis knelt in front of me, gently brushing a strand of my hair behind my ear.

    "You must be in shock," he said softly. "Come. I¡¯ll help you lie down."

    I pped his hand away and he smiled again.

    "As you wish," he replied. "Try to rest, Dinner will be ready soon."

    Then he dragged Zain out of the room like he was carrying a bag of trash, the door shut behind them.

    I slowly crawled back onto the bed, every movement painful. My throat throbbed, my shoulder felt like it was made of broken ss. But none of thatpared to the chaos in my mind.

    Lauretta is dead and Kendrick... A killer?

    No... No... He would never!

    That couldn¡¯t be true, he will never do such a thing.

 Chapter 139 - ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE: Exposing A Fake

    <h4>Chapter 139: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE: Exposing A Fake</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    It¡¯s been two days and there still was no news about Christy and no leads either.

    I was starting to feel frustrated and I could feel my calm demeanor slowly cracking.

    "Kendrick, I sent the video to Zain, it¡¯s been two days and still no sign of him, are you still hopeful that he will show up?" Kelvin asked me and I didn¡¯t respond.

    I had asked him to send Zain the video of my mother and his father¡¯s funeral. The CCTV camera outside the window showed exactly what had happened in the room on that day.

    When I watched the video, my heart felt so painful, Lauretta¡¯s broken expression and the way tears flowed down her face as she pulled out the gun from her bedside table¡¯s drawer.

    Then, Adrian came in and they got into a heated argument before she shot him. When she turned the gun to her own chest, her hands started trembling but she closed her eyes and pulled the trigger.

    I couldn¡¯t get the image of her falling heavily to the ground off my head and it felt like a nightmare that wouldn¡¯t go away.

    Since there was no need for an investigation to be carried out, the police gave me a go ahead to bury them.

    I buried Lauretta in a high ss cemetery, where her grave will be well taken care of by the cleaners while I left Adrian¡¯s body to the police to dispose of as they pleased. Iter found out he was buried in a public cemetery where unidentified bodies are usually buried.

    He wasn¡¯t worthy enough for me to waste my time and energy on, that¡¯s the job of his son but unfortunately he raised a coward.

    "He will definitely me me for their deaths, my only fear is that he might hurt Christy to vent his anger" I said to Kelvin and he immediately tensed up.

    "If he dares to hurt her, I will kill him!" he said and punched the hood of the car in anger.

    I was expecting him to call and make some demands but he never did and it seems like his ns are deeper than we initially thought.

    Ring Ring!

    I brought out my phone and saw Gary¡¯s name shing on the screen.

    "What¡¯s up?"I asked as soon as I picked up.

    "Raina and I just saw something shocking, you won¡¯t believe it" He said with an urgent tone.

    My ears perked up and I was certain it¡¯s definitely something useful as Gary would never call me to tell me about trivial things especially at this moment.

    "We fucking saw Curtis at the mall, he was buying women¡¯s toiletries" he said and I paused as my brain took some time to process the information.

    "Kendrick what¡¯s wrong?" Kelvin asked when he saw my reaction.

    "Are you sure he is the one you saw?" I asked him with a confused tone.

    "One hundred percent bro, you know I wouldn¡¯t have called you if I wasn¡¯t certain, even Raina confirmed it" he reassured and slowly things started making sense.

    "Gary just saw Curtis" I informed Kelvin and he looked at me like I had gone crazy.

    "Curtis is in prison.. How is that possible?" Kelvin asked, then his face suddenly changed like he finally figured something out.

    "Remember Mira¡¯s case, when she hit Christy with her car and was arrested, only for us to find out that the person that was arrested was a look alike? What if the person in the prison is his look-alike and he was never arrested.

    But how did he predict our moves and ns?" he asked and we fell into another round of thinking.

    "What¡¯s up with the both of you?" Mason¡¯s voice pulled us out of our thoughts.

    Kelvin quickly exined everything to him and he frowned in surprise.

    "What did Gary say Curtis was doing in the mall?" Mason asked me.

    "He was buying women¡¯s toiletries" I replied quickly.

    "He is buying women¡¯s toiletries, Christy has been kidnapped by Zain and he hasn¡¯t made any demands. Didn¡¯t you tell me before that Curtis has feelings for Christy?" he asked me and everything immediately fell into ce.

    "Fuck...damn!" Kelvin yelled when he also realized.

    "Zain is working with Curtis, so it¡¯s not surprising that he helped him kidnap Christy and it is also not surprising that he knew about our ns to have him arrested.

    My mother must have told Zain and Adrian about our ns thinking they were on our side, then they informed Curtis and teamed up with him to fight me for the ck family head position" I analyzed calmly.

    "I bet the old man doesn¡¯t know that Curtis is not the one in there" Mason added and I nodded in agreement.

    "I want to pay ¡¯Curtis¡¯ a visit, you can also inform the police about our findings" I said and we immediately headed to the police station.

    Everything was already arranged when we got to the police station, and I was immediately led to the familiar visiting room.

    ¡¯Curtis¡¯ was already seated and waiting for me, I calmly sat down with a smile.

    "What do you want?" he asked me angrily and because I was calm, I could hear the slight difference in his voicepared to the real Curtis.

    "I was starting to miss you outside, that¡¯s why I came to take a look. Hope the police are treating you well?" I asked him with a smile.

    "None of your business, just enjoy the view,ugh and go" he replied with a calm expression.

    I was able to notice the slight trembling of his hand as he spoke, which showed that he was nervous. He probably didn¡¯t expect me to suddenly visit and definitely wasn¡¯t prepared either.

    "Do you remember what I told you two years ago on your birthday?" I asked him and he looked away trying to look upset like he had remembered something terrible.

    "I told you that I will take everything that is rightfully mine and you will end up with nothing but you challenged me instead.

    You were so certain that everything would be yours, I didn¡¯t know you were my Grandfather¡¯s bastard then, so I didn¡¯t know that was what you were relying on.

    But look at us now, you are behind bars and I am now in control of everything" I said in a very provocative tone that I am certain no one would be able to remain silent after hearing it.

    He red at me, seeming like he was thinking about a believable response.

    "You don¡¯t need to remind me, I said everything would be mine, so don¡¯t celebrate yet" he replied while ring at me and Iughed.

    "Howe I don¡¯t remember talking to you on your birthday two years ago? I was not even in the country at the time, so was the discussion over the phone?" I asked him with a smirk and he immediately panicked.

    "I don¡¯t know who you are, but your little game is up. Don¡¯t worry I will know your real identity by the time your police friends are done ying with you" I said to him and the fear in his eyes was too evident.

    "I don¡¯t know what you are talking about!" he yelled angrily after realizing that he had messed up.

    An officer came in to take him away, he struggled to free himself from the officer¡¯s grip.

    "Have fun.. I hope you enjoy the executive treatment" I said to him with a smile before walking out of the visiting room.

    "I have informed the chief, he will handle everything else" Mason informed me as soon as I stepped out.

    I suddenly had another idea and turned to the chief, who was standing behind Mason.

    "I would like to see Sameen ck, is it possible?" I asked him.

    "Of course.. you go inform them to bring Sameen ck to the visiting room" He immediately instructed one of the officers.

    I turned and walked back into the visiting room to wait for her.

    A few minutester, she was brought in. She looked nothing like the high maintenancedy of the ck family. Her face which had received the most expensive pampering in Country N was now haggard and she looked ten years older. There were lots of scratch marks in her face and her eyes were slightly swollen.

    "Wow...you have never been more beautiful. Your prison friends must really love and adore you" I said with a mocking smile.

    She red at me with so much hatred and looked like, if there was no iron separating us, she would have ripped me apart.

    "You really missed me right?" I chuckled.

    "Keep smiling, it¡¯s only a matter of time before you lose everything" she said, her voice was very hoarse.

    On hearing what she said, I immediately knew she was aware of Curtis¡¯ ns as well.

    I had a strong urge to wipe that smug expression off her face and push her into the abyss of despair.

    "I just had a little chat with Curtis before you came in and he seems to really be enjoying it here" I said and she grinned at me.

    "Oh.. Did I forget to mention that the fake Curtis is really dumb?" I asked her and the color immediately drained out of her face.

    She looked pale and there was no trace of the grin she had a few seconds ago.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I will extend your greetings to Curtis when we meet. Enjoy your new home" I said to her before getting up to leave.

    "You better not harm my son...You...You.." she suddenly started struggling to breathe like she was having a heart attack.

    The officer immediately rushed in and the prison medics arrived a few minutester and she was quickly given first aid before being carried out on a stretcher.

    Her eyes never left me the entire time, she kept ring at me with so much hatred but I felt nothing for her.

 Chapter 140 - ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY: The Villa Of Traitors

    <h4>Chapter 140: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY: The Vi Of Traitors</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The moment I stepped out of the police station, the afternoon sun hit my face, but it did nothing to warm the ice sitting heavy in my chest. Mason walked beside me, silent and tense, while Kelvin kept cracking his knuckles like he was preparing to murder someone with his bare hands. Honestly, at this rate, I wouldn¡¯t stop him.

    Then I spotted Gary leaning against his car, arms folded, looking like he¡¯d been waiting for years. The moment he saw us, he pushed off the vehicle and marched toward us with an urgency that made my pulse quicken.

    "What¡¯s with that face?" Kelvin asked him immediately. "Tell me you found something useful."

    Gary didn¡¯t speak. He just brought out his phone, unlocked it, and held it up. "I had someone follow him."

    "Follow who?" Mason asked.

    "Curtis," Gary replied. "The real one."

    My heart stopped for half a second. "Show me."

    He tapped the screen, and the video began. The shaky footage showed Curtis stepping out of a dark-colored car, hood up, sunsses on, moving like someone who believed the whole world belonged to him. Then the camera followed him as he walked up to the tall iron gates of a vi I didn¡¯t recognize.

    The gates opened automatically like they had been expecting him.

    Inside, four people stood waiting.

    Zain... Mark... Callie.. Piper and Celeste.

    The very sight of them made my blood heat up like boiling oil.

    The video ended there.

    For a moment, none of us breathed.

    Then Kelvin exploded. "FUCK! They¡¯re all together?! All of them?!"

    Gary nodded once. "And the person sent the address too."

    Mason immediately held up a hand. "How trustworthy is this person? And how are you sure this address isn¡¯t a trap?"

    Gary shot him a look. "Because he¡¯s not just ¡¯someone.¡¯ He¡¯s a former special force officer. Retired early due to injuries. He doesn¡¯t do nonsense. He doesn¡¯t joke with intel. And he sure as hell doesn¡¯t y with false leads."

    Mason¡¯s eyebrow twitched, showing that he was impressed. "Former special forces, huh?"

    "He was my instructor when I was younger," Gary added quietly. "If he says this is real, then it¡¯s real."

    That sealed it for me.

    I didn¡¯t waste time. "I¡¯m going back inside. I need to tell the chief everything."

    Mason nodded. "Good. While you do that, I¡¯m calling in the people I trust. We¡¯ll need backup on this."

    Kelvin cracked his knuckles again and muttered, "Someone is dying tonight," like it was a promise carved into stone.

    I walked back toward the entrance of the police station, my steps long and rough, the anger burning under my skin like acid. I had held myself together for two days, two days of silence, two days of no leads, two days of praying Christy wasn¡¯t being hurt somewhere and now that everything was falling into ce, it felt like the world was shifting into motion again.

    The chief was still standing in the hallway talking to two officers. The moment he saw me, he dismissed them and approached.

    "Is there a problem?" he asked.

    "Yes," I answered, and my voice came out harder than I intended. "New intel came in, we know where the real Curtis is and not just him, Zain, Mark, Callie, and Celeste. They are all in one vi."

    The chief¡¯s expression turned sharp. "Are you sure?"

    "Yes."

    "Good." He motioned for me to follow as he began giving orders. "We¡¯ll handle the legal and tactical arrangements. If this vi is housing wanted criminals, then we¡¯ll treat it as a coordinated arrest operation."

    I shook my head. "No, Chief. This is a rescue operation. Christy is inside."

    The chief paused for two seconds, then nodded once. "Then we move twice as fast."

    Beside him, officers started running around, grabbing weapons, radios, vests. The atmosphere changed instantly, shifted from routine police work to the kind of tension that tells you things are about to get bloody.

    When I stepped back outside, Mason was already on the phone barking orders. Kelvin was pacing like a trapped lion, and Gary was scrolling through the footage again, analyzing every angle like he wanted to burn it into his skull.

    "How did it go?" Kelvin asked the moment I returned.

    "The chief is assembling his units now," I replied. "He¡¯s taking it seriously. He wants this done fast."

    "Good." Kelvin cursed under his breath. "That idiot Zain... I swear if Christy has even a Scratch... "

    "We¡¯ll get her back," I cut in, even though I was saying it more for myself than him.

    Mason hung up his call and slipped his phone into his pocket. "Alright. I¡¯ve got military officers on standby. They¡¯ll meet us at the location. They¡¯re not regr soldiers¡ªthese ones are trained for fast infiltration and rescue."

    Gary let out a low whistle. "Looks like tonight¡¯s gonna be wild."

    No oneughed.

    We were far past that stage.

    Hourster, we arrived near the vi. The roads were dead silent, the kind of quiet that makes your heart beat louder in your own ears. The vi was huge, built like the type of ce rich criminals hid when they wanted to pretend they were royalty.

    Police cars were parked discreetly around the perimeter. ck vans filled with armed officers moved into position. Mason¡¯s military contacts were already scanning the area,municating in low voices through headsets, movements precise and calcted.

    The chief walked up to us. "We¡¯re surrounding the entire property. No one goes in, no onees out."

    I nodded. "Good."

    Because if Curtis tried running...

    If Zain tried using Christy as leverage...

    If any of them thought they could walk away from this...

    They were wrong.

    "This is their end," I said quietly.

    Kelvin exhaled shakily beside me. "Let¡¯s get my sister back."

    My fists clenched so hard my knuckles cracked.

    We were ready.

    Tonight, we attack.

    The vi stood in the distance like some arrogant monument, all tall walls and towering pirs, sitting there as if it wasn¡¯t housing the biggest collection of snakes alive. My pulse was already drumming, but seeing the ce with my own eyes made the anger spike so hard I had to take a breath just to stay rational.

    Mason was standing beside one of his men, discussing strategy in low, clipped tones. Kelvin wasn¡¯t talking at all anymore. His jaw was clenched, eyes fixed on the vi like he wanted to burn a hole straight through the concrete. Gary paced in small circles, muttering curse words under his breath.

    Everyone was at their breaking point.

    Everyone wanted blood.

    The chief came back toward us, his expression sharp. "Units are in position. We¡¯re waiting for your order to move."

    My chest tightened. Christy¡¯s face shed in my mind, the way she always tried to hide her fear even when she was shaking inside. I didn¡¯t know what those bastards were doing to her. I didn¡¯t know if she was hurt, or scared, or tied up somewhere praying for us to find her.

    I just knew I couldn¡¯t waste another damn second.

    "Move in," I said quietly.

    Mason nodded once. Then he tapped his earpiece. "All units, prepare to breach. No casualties on our side. And watch for hostages."

    The air shifted instantly.

    Boots hit the ground in quiet synchronization. Guns clicked. Vests tightened. The tension was almost physical, like a dark cloud pressing down on all of us.

    Kelvin stepped closer to me. "After this... when we get her out... I don¡¯t care who I have to kill. Those people in that house? I¡¯m not letting one of them walk away."

    "Neither am I," I replied.

    Gary scoffed. "I already have a list of who dies first."

    Mason smirked slightly. "Focus. We¡¯re not spilling blood unless we have to. Our main job is rescue."

    Kelvin looked at him. "And after she¡¯s rescued?"

    "After that," Mason said, "I¡¯m not stopping anyone."

    That was all we needed.

    The chief raised his hand, signaling the units. They began spreading out some heading to the back of the vi, some climbing walls silently, others positioning themselves at the gates.

    Every crunch of gravel under a boot made my heart pound harder and every whisper through the radios made my grip tighten.

    I felt like the world was holding its breath.

    Then Mason¡¯s voice cut through the earpiece.

    "In position, waiting for the final signal." The chief looked at me.

    It was my call.

    I closed my eyes for a second, not to calm down, because there was no calming down. My chest was a furnace and my mind was a single thought screaming over and over again:

    Christy... Christy... Christy.

    I opened my eyes. "Do it."

    The chief dropped his hand.

    And the world exploded.

    A loud crash echoed through the entire estate as officers rammed the front gate. Men shoutedmands, boots thundered across the pavement, and the vi¡¯s lights flickered like they were scared of what wasing.

    "GO! GO! GO!"

    Police poured in from every angle.

    Kelvin sprinted forward before anyone could stop him. I grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back. "Don¡¯t be stupid! We¡¯re doing this clean and smart."

    He growled but nodded.

    Mason led us through the broken gate with his military officers nking us. They moved like shadows, silent, fast and deadly. Gun barrels pointed toward windows and corners and every step was calcted.

    My heartbeat was loud, painful, almost drowning out the noise of the operation.

    One of the soldiers muttered into his radio, "East corridor cleared. No visual on target."

    Another voice replied, "West side secure. No contact."

    A third whispered, "The ground floor looks empty."

    Empty?

    A bad feeling crawled up my spine.

    Mason frowned and motioned for us to move deeper.

    The vi¡¯s interior lights turned on suddenly, illuminating a grand hallway with marble floors and a chandelier that almost blinded me.

    But there was no sound.

    No footsteps.

    No panicked screams.

    No scrambling.

    Nothing.

    Just pure silence.

    "This is too quiet," I muttered.

    Kelvin exhaled angrily. "If they moved her.. "

    "No," I cut in. "If they moved her, the cars would still be warm, the gates would show fresh activity. They¡¯re here."

    Gary scanned the walls with his eyes narrowed. "They¡¯re hiding. These cowards love ying games."

    A soldier came rushing toward us. "Sir! We found something."

    We followed him quickly, turning through another hallway, then entering what looked like a living room.

    Then I saw a phone lying on the table. My stomach twisted and I had a bad feeling.

    Kelvin cursed loudly. "They left a phone for us?!"

    Before I could answer, a screen on the opposite wall suddenly lit up.

    And just like that, all of us froze.

    The video ying was live.

    A dark room.

    A single hanging bulb.

    And Christy... tied to a chair.

    Her head was down, her hair messy, her breathing uneven but visible. She looked exhausted, terrified, and way too still for my liking.

    "CHRISTY!" Kelvin yelled, instinctively taking a step forward like he could reach her through the screen.

    I grabbed him again, harder this time. "Don¡¯t..... Stay sharp."

    Because I saw the shadow move behind her. A tall figure stepped into the light, and my heart turned into pure fire.

    Of course it was him... Curtis.

    He lifted Christy¡¯s chin forcefully, revealing the bruise on her jaw. My vision turned red for a full second before my brain snapped back.

    He stared into the camera like he could see me... Then he smiled.

    My fists shook as the only thought I had at the moment was to kill him.

    "Oh, that bastard is dead," Gary growled.

    Mason cursed under his breath. "This confirms it, this vi is rigged for surveince.... They knew we wereing."

    The screen flickered again and Christy flinched in the chair, Curtis leaned down, whispered something in her ear, and she shook her head weakly.

    Kelvin lost it. "WE MOVE NOW!! "

    "WAIT!" Mason ordered sharply. "Look."

    Curtis stepped back and another figure entered the frame.

    Zain.

    Seeing him made my skin crawl. He held something in his hand. A remote and he waved it at the camera.

    Then his voice echoed through hidden speakers:

    "If you want her alive, you better hurry. We left you a little surprise in the basement."

    Then the screen went ck.

 Chapter 141 - ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY ONE: Underground Fight

    <h4>Chapter 141: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY ONE: Underground Fight</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    The air inside the vi basement was cold enough to sting my lungs. My boots echoed across the concrete as I moved ahead of Mason and Kelvin, each step heavier than thest. I didn¡¯t know what I was expecting to find down here, but it definitely wasn¡¯t going to be something good as Zain had called it a surprise.

    A strong metallic smell hit me first, and when I got close enough, I saw the figure of someone on the floor.

    The retired special forces soldier Gary had hired nowid sprawled on the dirty floor like a discarded object.

    Blood pooled around his head and soaked into his shirt, the deep crimson almost ck under the dim single bulb hanging from the ceiling. His eyes were still open but there was no sign of life in them.

    Kelvin cursed under his breath, Mason¡¯s jaw clenched so tight I could see a vein pulsing from his temple.

    I stepped closer and crouched beside the body. His face was bruised, lips busted and nose broken. They didn¡¯t just kill him, but severely tortured him instead.

    My anger only multiplied at this instant and I looked back at Mason with a frown.

    "Damn it..." Kelvin muttered. "He was just trying to help."

    "He didn¡¯t deserve this," Mason added, voice low.

    "No," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "He didn¡¯t."

    I reached out and gently closed the man¡¯s eyes as it was the least I could do.

    For a moment, none of us spoke, not because we didn¡¯t have anything to say, but because anger had locked itself inside our throats. This wasn¡¯t just murder, this was Curtis mocking us. Telling us he was always one step ahead but I refused to let him stay ahead for long.

    "Let¡¯s get out of here," I finally said. "There is nothing else in this basement."

    We walked up the stairs together, everyone outside was already returning to formation, ready to clear the rest of the vi before pulling back. I could feel the frustration radiating off Kelvin like heat from a fire. His breathing was loud and uneven, too angry for him to control. Then suddenly.... he snapped.

    Kelvin mmed his fist into the wall beside him with a loud crack that echoed through the entire hallway.

    "Damn it! They were fucking here! They were here and we missed them again!" he yelled, punching the wall a second time.

    But this time, something strange happened.

    The wall... shifted.

    A loud rumbling sound followed, like stone sliding over stone. Dust fell from the edges as an entire section of the wall slowly opened inward, revealing a dark, narrow stairway leading down into a hidden area beneath the vi.

    The three of us froze.

    "What the hell?" Mason muttered, walking toward it.

    Kelvin blinked at the newly opened passageway, his fist still pressed to the cracked surface. "I didn¡¯t... I didn¡¯t mean to open anything."

    "You just found their hideout," I said, adrenaline pulsing through my veins. "This is where they have been staying, they were never in the vi."

    The lights inside the vi suddenly flickered, and every officer turned toward us.

    "They are underground," Mason muttered. "Curtis must have built an entire system beneath the vi."

    I didn¡¯t wait another second.

    "Everyone! Move in now!" I ordered.

    Guns were drawn, boots thundered across floors, and officers formed into clean tactical formation behind us. Kelvin grabbed a shlight and pointed it down the dark stairway.

    I inhaled and stepped into the darkness first.

    The air grew colder as we descended. The walls changed from concrete to smooth stone, and faint lights lit up along the corridor on motion sensors as we reached the bottom.

    Then I saw a massive underground living space, fully furnished and luxurious. There were couches, tables, a small kitchte and multiple doors leading into other rooms. It was like an entire house had been built beneath the earth.

    And right there, standing near the center were Curtis, Zain, Piper... and Christy tied to a chair.

    Her hands were bound, her face pale, hair messy and eyes swollen from crying, but she was alive.

    Alive.... That was the most important thing.

    Christy saw me and her breath hitched. She didn¡¯t speak but the relief in her eyes nearly brought me to my knees.

    But Curtis and the others saw me too.

    "Attack!" he yelled and the room erupted into gunfire.

    Shots rang out, bullets ricocheting off metal and stone. The officers behind us ducked, returning fire. Mason dragged Kelvin back as bullets tore past us.

    Piper tried running to the right, firing wildly, while Zain grabbed a rifle and hid behind a pir.

    The sound of the gunshots were deafening.

    I shot at Curtis, but he rolled behind a couch, returning fire with deadly precision.

    "Spread out! Don¡¯t let anyone escape!" Mason shouted.

    Celeste was crouched behind a table with a handgun, her hands shaking violently. She fired a shot blindly, nearly hitting Curtis instead of us.

    Then a bullet tore across the room from one of the officers.

    Celeste screamed loudly and there was a hint of desperation in her voice. I looked over and noticed that a bullet struck her in the stomach.

    She immediately dropped the gun and fell to the ground, clutching her abdomen as blood poured out from between her fingers.

    "No... No... no.. please!" she shrieked, voice breaking. "My baby! Somebody save my baby!"

    Mark and Callie heard her cry but instantly ducked behind another pir and sprinted for the exit door, not even ncing her way.

    Piper also ran, abandoning Celestepletely while pushing Zain forward to create a shield for herself.

    Celeste screamed after them, wing at the floor. "Callie! Mark! Help me! Please! My baby... my baby... "

    But they didn¡¯t even slow down.

    Their screams echoed from above as they were held and restrained by the police officers outside.

    The shooting below continued, and the entire underground space was bing hazy with gunpowder.

    Curtis killed two officers, cold and precise, then screamed in frustration when he realized most of his men were dead or badly injured.

    Zain tried firing at me, but Kelvin shot him in the shoulder and he fell backward, howling in pain.

    "Zain! Get up!" Curtis yelled.

    But Zain was too busy clutching his bleeding shoulder.

    Christy whimpered in fear, and my chest tightened so hard I thought I might explode.

    I locked eyes with her for a few seconds and Curtis noticed.

    "If youe any closer, I will kill her!" he shouted, sprinting towards her.

    Before anyone could stop him, he grabbed Christy and pulled her up, pressing a gun hard against the side of her head.

    "Tell your men to drop their guns!" Curtis yelled, backing toward a hallway behind the underground living room. Zain staggered behind him, clutching his wound, and Piper limped after them.

    "Don¡¯t make me repeat myself, Kendrick!" Curtis screamed. "If anyone moves, she dies!"

    Christy¡¯s terrified eyes locked onto mine, silently begging me not to let him take her again.

    My breathing stopped and my vision blurred with rage.

    Curtis smirked when he saw my expression. "Don¡¯t worry... I just need her long enough to get out of here..after that? Maybe I will keep her.. "

    "Curtis!" I yelled, my fists shaking uncontrobly.

    "Shut up!" he snapped, digging the gun harder into her skull. "Move, and I swear she dies here."

    He seemed to have finally snapped and also realized that there was no way he could have her, so now he has resulted to wanting to kill her since he couldn¡¯t get her.

    Every muscle in my body burned and my instincts screamed at me to tear him apart.

    But Christy was right there and he had a gun to her head.

    Mason stepped forward slightly, and Curtis pointed the gun toward him. "I said don¡¯t move!"

    Zain pushed Curtis slightly. "We need to go now, we are losing... "

    "Shut up!" Curtis barked at him. "Just get to the exit tunnel!"

    This wasn¡¯t desperation, I noticed that he was still thinking and nning.

    Curtis dragged Christy toward the narrow corridor that likely led to another escape route.

    Three of his remaining men were dead while Celeste was bleeding out on the floor, crying and begging God to save her unborn baby.

    Mark and Callie had been captured above and Zain was injured while Piper was shaking violently.

    Curtis was cornered but still smiling like he had already won.

    My voice came out cold, deadly, and steady.

    "Curtis... if you hurt her, I will bury you with my bare hands."

    Heughed like a maniac.

    "Oh, Kendrick... you will watch me walk out with her, and there¡¯s nothing you can do."

    Then he stepped backward with Christy, Zain and Piper following behind him, disappearing into the tunnel as the door began to slide shut. My blood turned to ice.

    "No!" Kelvin shouted, sprinting forward.

    But the heavy steel door mmed shut, sealing Christy away from us.

    Sealing her with them... Sealing her with Curtis.

    My heart punched against my ribs with so much force that made my vision blur.

    Mason touched my shoulder but I pulled away.

    This wasn¡¯t over, we must find a way to get them.

 Chapter 142 - ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-TWO: Piperéˆ¥æªš Death

    <h4>Chapter 142: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-TWO: Piper¡¯s Death</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    The moment Curtis dragged me backward into that narrow tunnel, my heart dropped straight into my stomach.

    One second Kendrick¡¯s eyes were locked on mine, full of fire and promise, and the next we were separated as darkness swallowed everything.

    The steel door mmed shut behind us, echoing through the tight corridor like a death sentence. My scream got trapped in my throat because Curtis¡¯ arm tightened around me, his hand pressing painfully against the side of my face as he forced me further down the hallway.

    "No... stop! Kendrick!" I tried twisting away, my wrists burning against the ropes digging into my skin.

    "Let me go!" I pleaded weakly as my body still ached from Zain¡¯sst outburst when he found out about his parent¡¯s deaths.

    "Shut up," Curtis hissed, dragging me faster, his breath rough against my ear.

    "You think I¡¯m stupid? Did you really think I would let him take you back that easily?" he asked me with a mysterious smirk.

    I stumbled as he yanked me, my bare feet scraping against the cold stone. My entire body trembled, but not just from fear, it was from the raw anger that burned hot in my chest.

    Because I had seen Kendrick, I had seen all of them. They found me and I wasn¡¯t alone anymore.

    For a moment, I had felt safe....Just for a moment, I had believed everything was finally over.

    But Curtis always had one more trick...he always have one more way to ruin everything.

    The hallway lights flickered above us, revealing Zain staggering behind with blood soaking his shoulder. His face twisted with pain and fury when he saw me struggling.

    "You useless bitch," Zain spat, limping after us.

    "If you didn¡¯t fight so damn much, we could move faster. She is fucking slowing us down!" he yelled at me but I just gave him a re.

    Piper was behind him, shaking, her eyes wild like an animal backed into a corner. Her hands were trembling so badly she could barely hold her small handgun.

    Curtis didn¡¯t answer, He was too focused on forcing me forward. My legs hit something hard and I noticed that it was a corner. The tunnel split, and he shoved me left, deeper into the underground maze.

    I twisted again, trying to break away, but he jerked me back so hard my neck snapped to the side.

    "Try that again," Curtis growled.

    "and you¡¯ll regret it." he threatened while ring at me.

    I could still see his jumbled expression but his obsession was still obvious.

    Zain reached us, panting really hard like he was going to lose consciousness "Curtis! We can¡¯t take her! We¡¯re injured, the cops are everywhere, we are boxed in for crying out loud and she is a fucking liability!"

    I could feel Zain¡¯s rage behind me.. . He was trying to hide his hatred for me. He hated that I was still breathing... Hated that everything had gone wrong the second Kendrick stormed in.

    Curtis ignored him and kept dragging me until we reached another metal door. He shoved me forward and punched in a code. His hands shook slightly, not from fear, but adrenaline.

    When the door slid open, the stench of damp concrete hit me. The room was small, almost cell-like, lit by a single flickering bulb. He pushed me inside, but he didn¡¯t let go. His grip was desperate now, like he was afraid someone would snatch me from him.

    "I should kill her right now," Zain snapped, stepping into the room after us.

    "We don¡¯t need her... She is slowing us down. They are right behind us, Curtis!" Zain continued trying to convince him.

    "You kill her, and everything falls apart," Curtis shot back, finally pushing me against the wall.

    "I told you already.. I have a n." he said while staring at my face.

    "A n?" Zainughed, the sound dry and sharp. "Your n is falling apart, Mark and Callie got caught and Celeste is bleeding out and might die soon while Piper nearly got shot in the face... "

    "I SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHOT!" Piper suddenly screamed, her voice cracking as she pointed a shaking finger at Curtis.

    "You left me! You left all of us! You said we were in this together!" she yelled like she had finally snapped.

    Curtis¡¯ eyes narrowed with the same coldness I had seen since the day he kidnapped me.

    "In my n," he said tly, "only the useful ones survive."

    Piper froze... Zain stiffened and my breath stopped for a few seconds.

    He said that, like it was the most normal thing in the world. Like they were all tools he had never intended to keep.

    Piper¡¯s face twisted in betrayal, rage slowly tearing through her. Tears blurred her eyes, but her hands steadied.

    "So what am I to you?" she whispered, voice trembling. "After everything? After I protected you? Lied for you? And helped you?"

    Curtis didn¡¯t blink. "Expendable."

    Piper¡¯s jaw dropped...She stared at him like she had never seen him before. "You..You can¡¯t be serious."

    I could tell from her reaction that she had feelings for him but unfortunately he didn¡¯t even spare her another nce.

    "What makes her so special, why are you acting like you can¡¯t see my love for you!" Piper yelled angrily at Curtis.

    "What makes you think that you deserve to be by my side, are you worthy" he simply asked her without any emotions.

    "Why? What does she have that I don¡¯t?" she asked him angrily while ring at me.

    "She is Christy and you are not...Do you really think if she wasn¡¯t in the picture, you would have a chance?" he asked her with a mockingugh.

    "Why?" she asked him with a pained expression.

    "I can¡¯t be with a woman that has been used by different dirty men" he said bluntly and she took a few steps back like she had been hit.

    Zain swore under his breath, holding his wound tighter. "I told you before, Curtis. We should have killed her when we had the chance. But no...you trusted him over the people who actually helped you."

    Piper¡¯s chest rose and fell quickly, like she was seconds away from snapping. Her eyes slid to me dark, resentful and watery as she was trying to hold back her tears.

    "This is all because of her," Piper spat. "Because he likes her! Because she is the toy he¡¯s obsessed with!"

    Curtis¡¯ jaw tightened, but he didn¡¯t deny it.

    He couldn¡¯t deny what was so obvious.

    Zain took a step closer to me, eyes burning with enough hatred to set me on fire. "Let me end her, one stab is all it will take, she is worth more dead than alive. Curtis, listen to me... we will never escape with her slowing us down."

    My breath halted.

    He reached for the knife strapped to his belt, pulling it out in one steady movement. His steps echoed as he approached, and my back pressed harder into the wall.

    "Don¡¯t," Curtis snapped instantly.

    But Zain didn¡¯t stop. The loss, the pain, the chaos.. they had pushed him past reason.

    "Curtis, STOP HIM!" I shouted, chest heaving.

    "She dies here," Zain growled, raising the de. "We don¡¯t have time for your obsession!"

    Curtis moved fast, grabbing Zain and shoving him back. Zain stumbled, nearly dropping the knife.

    The room exploded with their loud voices.

    "You¡¯re losing it!" Zain yelled. "You want to escape? Then we need less weight dragging us! And she... "

    "Christy stays alive," Curtis barked. "I didn¡¯t go through all this because of a damn fantasy... I have a n!"

    "This n NEVER included us?" Piper screamed. "What are we then? Shields? Sacrifices?!"

    Curtis didn¡¯t turn to her, he just smirked.

    "Pretty much," he said.

    The silence after that sentence felt like a punch to the chest.

    Zain¡¯s eyes widened in shock while Piper¡¯s breath stuttered.

    For a moment, I even forgot how to breathe.

    Piper¡¯s face twisted into something ugly, raw, and heartbreaking all at once.

    "You used us," she whispered. "You used me."

    Curtis didn¡¯t deny it.

    Something snapped inside Piper. She reached behind her quickly, ripping a small sharp knife from her boot. Her scream tore out of her chest as she lunged straight at me.

    "You ruined everything!" she shrieked. "I will kill you myself!"

    I flinched as the de came straight for my throat.

    But before she could reach me a gunshot exploded in the tiny room.

    Piper¡¯s body jerked mid-air, her eyes stretching wide in pure confusion. The knife slipped from her fingers and ttered across the floor.

    For a moment, she stood frozen, staring at Curtis like she didn¡¯t understand what just happened.

    Then she copsed and blood spread beneath her quickly, a dark, warm pool reaching toward my feet.

    My breath trembled.

    Zain stared in shock. "You... you shot her?"

    Curtis lowered the gun, face nk. "She wasn¡¯t useful anymore."

    "You are insane," Zain whispered. "Absolutely insane."

    Curtis turned his cold eyes toward me then, and my heart thudded hard.

    He stepped closer, his shadow falling over me.

    "Now," he said calmly, "let¡¯s finish the rest of the n."

 Chapter 143 - ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-THREE: The Falling Sky

    <h4>Chapter 143: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-THREE: The Falling Sky</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I couldn¡¯t breathe, because my lungs felt like they had been filled with lead as I stared at the floor.

    Piper¡¯s bodyy there, twisted and still, the dark pool of red spreading toward my toes like a hand reaching out to me.

    I didn¡¯t cry or scream. I just stared at her with a strange, hollow numbness.

    She had tried to kill me seconds ago and hated me. She med me for everything that didn¡¯t go well in her life, despite all my years of sacrifices for her. But seeing her discarded like a broken toy made a cold shiver crawl up my spine.

    "You shot her," Zain whispered again, his voice cracking slightly. He just couldn¡¯t get over it. "She was on our side, Curtis. She did everything for you."

    Curtis didn¡¯t even look at the body. He tucked the gun into his waistband with a calm expression that made him look like aplete psychopath. There was no remorse in his eyes or even a flicker of guilt. There was just a cold, terrifying emptiness.

    "She was noisy," Curtis said tly. "And I¡¯m tired of noise."

    He turned those empty eyes toward me, and my heart hammered against my ribs so hard it hurt. I shrank back against the damp wall, but there was nowhere to go.

    "Now, Christy," he said, his voice dropping into that soft, possessive tone that made my skin crawl. "No more interruptions from anyone, okay...It¡¯s just us now."

    He reached out, his fingers brushing my jaw where a bruise was still throbbing. I flinched, pulling away, but he justughed. It wasn¡¯t a normalugh. It was the sound of someone who had finally let go of thest string of reality.

    "Don¡¯t touch me," I rasped, my voice sounding extremely hoarse. "You¡¯re insane.

    You¡¯re staying in this hole forever...Kendrick is right behind that door."

    "Kendrick can¡¯t get in here, honey," Curtis smirked. He grabbed my wrists and yanked me forward so hard I stumbled over Piper¡¯s legs. "There is no going back now, Christy. Do you understand? The world you knew is gone and you belong to me now...You¡¯ll learn to love the silence."

    He dragged me toward the back of the room where another narrow opening sat waiting. Zain stood there, frozen, his face pale as he clutched his bleeding shoulder.

    He lookedpletely broken, his jaw hanging open as he nced between Curtis and the body on the floor.

    "Move, Zain," Curtis barked. "Unless you want to stay here and exin the corpse to the police."

    Zain blinked, the shock finally giving way to a desperate, panicked survival instinct. He didn¡¯t say another word. He just lowered his head and followed us into the darkness, his steps heavy and uneven.

    The tunnel was tighter here and the air felt thin, smelling of salt and rotting wood.

    I could feel my panic rising with every step.

    My mind was screaming Kendrick¡¯s name, praying for them to find a way to us as fast as possible. I prayed for any sign, a shout, or anything to stop this nightmare. But all I heard was the sound of our breathing and the wet p of my bare feet against the stone floor.

    Suddenly, a gust of cold breeze hit my face. It carried the heavy scent of the ocean.

    "Almost there," Curtis whispered.

    We rounded a final corner and stepped out into the shadows evening air. I blinked, as my eyes adjusted to the light. We weren¡¯t at the vi anymore. We were on the edge of a cliff on the far outskirts of town, overlooking the churning waters of the bay.

    The city lights were a million miles away, twinkling like cold diamonds. I immediately felt a wave of despair wash over me. We were out...He had actually gotten me out of the perimeter.

    "What are we doing here?" Zain panted, leaning against a rock. He was gray in the face, the blood loss finally catching up to him. "Curtis, we¡¯re boxed in. The roads are crawling with cops...There¡¯s no way out of the city."

    "Who said we were using the roads?" Curtis asked, looking up at the sky.

    "What do you mean?" I asked, my voice trembling. "Curtis, let me go, please. You can still run...If you take me, they will never stop hunting you. My brothers, Kendrick... they will burn the world down to find me."

    Curtis turned to me, his expression waspletely unreadable. He stepped closer, invading my space until I could feel the heat radiating off his body.

    "Let them burn it," he said. "We won¡¯t be here to see the ashes. I have everything arranged...A new life and a new name. In a few hours, we¡¯ll be across the border, and in two days, we¡¯ll be on a different continent."

    My heart dropped. A new life? A different continent? The realization hit me like a physical blow. If I got on whatever transport he was waiting for, I was dead.

    Even if I lived, the Christy I used to be would be dead. I would be a prisoner in a gilded cage forever, hidden away by a man who killed his own people without a second thought.

    "No," I whispered, tears finally stinging my eyes. "No, please."

    Then I heard a low, rhythmic thumping in the distance. It started as a faint vibration in the air, growing louder and heavier with every second.

    Whump-whump-whump!!.

    I looked up, my eyes wide with terror. A dark shape was cutting through the clouds, moving fast over the water. A ck helicopter was heading straight for the cliffside where we stood.

    "There¡¯s our ride," Zain said, a weak, hysterical smile breaking across his face. "We¡¯re actually doing it...We¡¯re getting out."

    Panic reached its peak in my chest. I started to thrash, trying to kick Curtis and scream, but he was too strong. He spun me around, pinning my back against his chest and locking his arm around my throat.

    "Look at it, Christy," he hissed into my ear. "That¡¯s our future. No more rules or hiding, just the both of us forever."

    Before I could pull away, he forced my face toward his and kissed me. It tasted like copper and I felt sick, my stomach churning as I tried to bite him, but he just pulled back and grinned, his eyes bright with a feverish light.

    "See how beautiful it¡¯s going to be?" he whispered, watching the helicopter drop lower, the wind from its rotors beginning to whip my hair across my face.

    The noise was deafening now. The helicopter was hovering just fifty yards away, moving over the crashing waves to reach the tnding spot on the cliff. Zain was already moving toward it, waving his good arm, his eyes filled with desperate greed to escape.

    This is it, I thought, my eyes closing as a single tear escaped. Goodbye, Kelvin. Goodbye, Kendrick...I¡¯m sorry.

    But then, I saw a sh and it came from the tree line a mile away.

    A streak of fire hissed through the air, moving with impossible speed. My eyes snapped open just in time to see the missile collide directly with the side of the ck chopper.

    BOOM!

    The explosion was blinding. A massive fireball erupted in the sky, lighting up the entire bay in a hellish orange glow. The sound was like the world cracking in half. I felt the shockwave hit us, knocking me and Curtis back several feet.

    I hit the ground hard, the air leaving my lungs in a painful gasp.

    Above us, the helicopter was a skeleton of burning metal, falling apart in mid-air. Pieces of the rotor des flew off like shrapnel, hissing as they plunged into the dark water below. The main body of the craft tilted sharply, engulfed in mes, before mming into the waves with a massive ssh.

    Silence returned, broken only by the crackling of fire and the distant sound of the sea.

    Zain fell to his knees, clutching his head. "No... No! NO!" he screamed, his voice full of pure frustration. "That was it! That was the only way!"

    I stayed on the ground, gasping for air, with my heart racing. Someone had shot it down, which means someone was out there.

    I looked over at Curtis. He was standing at the edge of the cliff, the orange light of the fire dancing in his eyes. He didn¡¯t look angry or scared.

    "Hah...hahaha!!!!" He began tough.

    It started as a low chuckle and grew into a loud, hysterical howl that echoed off the rocks. He looked up at the falling debris, his arms spread wide like he was watching a firework show.

    "You see that, Christy?" he yelled, turning back to me with a look that told me he had finally,pletely lost his mind. "The sky is falling! Everyone wants a piece of us!"

    He walked toward me, the burning wreckage reflected in his , and I realized with a jolt of pure terror that he wasn¡¯t nning on escaping anymore.

 Chapter 144 - ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY FOUR: It Is Finally Over

    <h4>Chapter 144: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY FOUR: It Is Finally Over</h4>

    Kendrick¡¯s POV

    My fist collided with the steel door for the tenth time, the vibration rattling my bones, but the door didn¡¯t even dent.

    "Damn it!" I roared, the sound echoing through the underground hallway.

    I was losing it. The cold, calcted Kendrick ck that the business world feared was gone. In his ce was a man possessed by a single, agonizing fear, that I would never see Christy¡¯s smile again.

    "Kendrick, stop! You¡¯re going to break your hand before we even get to them!" Mason grabbed my shoulder, pulling me back.

    "I don¡¯t care about my hand, Mason! She¡¯s in there with a murderer!" I snapped, my eyes wild.

    Every second that passed felt like a drop of acid hitting my heart. I could see her face in my mind...pale, terrified, looking at me through that screen. I had failed her and let them take her right from under my nose, and the guilt was eating me alive.

    We had been trying to breach this room for nearly an hour. The walls were reinforced, the tech was high-grade, and Curtis had nned this exit perfectly.

    "Sir!" An officer came sprinting down the hall, breathless, clutching a pair of binocrs. "The surveince team just spotted a ck helicopter. It¡¯s low-altitude, heading toward the cliffs across the river. It¡¯s an extraction, sir... It has to be them!"

    The air instantly left my lungs in a sharp hiss.

    "The cliffs," Mason muttered, his face hardening. "There should be a maintenance tunnel that leads from the basement directly to the shoreline. They aren¡¯t in the room anymore...they¡¯re already outside!"

    "Move! Now!" I yelled.

    We scrambled out of the vi, the evening sun feeling like a mockery of the darkness in my chest. We piled into the military vans, tires screeching as we sped toward the riverbank. My heart was thudding against my ribs, a rhythmic chant of please be alive... please be alive.

    As we skidded to a halt near the edge of the river, I saw it.

    The helicopter was hovering, its rotors whipping the water into a frenzy. It was seconds away from touching down. If they got her on that, she was gone and I would never find her. She would just be a ghost, hidden in some corner of the world by a madman.

    Beside me, Kelvin didn¡¯t wait for an order or ask for permission. He dove into the back of the military van and emerged with a rocketuncher, his face a mask of pure, unadulterated rage.

    "Kelvin, wait..." Mason started, but it was toote.

    Whoosh!.

    The missile streaked across the gray sky, a tail of white smoke marking its path. And a few secondster, the world turned orange.

    BOOM!

    The helicopter exploded in mid-air. The shockwave rattled the windows of our van, and for a second, I couldn¡¯t see anything but fire. Debris rained down into the river, hissing as it hit the water.

    "Let¡¯s go!" I screamed, jumping out before the van had even fully stopped.

    We sprinted toward the cliff¡¯s edge, our boots crunching over gravel and then, the world stopped.

    Curtis was standing near the ledge, his face illuminated by the burning wreckage in the sky. He looked like a demon crawling out of hell. He had his arm locked around Christy¡¯s neck, a silver handgun pressed hard against her temple.

    Zain was a few feet away, clutching a bloody shoulder, his eyes darting around like a trapped animal. The moment he saw us, he leveled his own gun at my chest.

    "Stay back!" Curtis screamed, his voice high and hysterical. "I mean it! One more step and I paint these rocks with her brains!"

    I froze and behind me, dozens of officers leveled their rifles, but no one dared to fire. Not with the gun pressed into her skin.

    "Curtis, look at me," I said, my voice dropping low. I forced my hands to stay steady, even though I wanted to rip his throat out. "It¡¯s over, the helicopter is gone and there is nowhere left to run."

    "I don¡¯t need to run!" Curtisughed, and the sound made my skin crawl. He looked at Christy with a twisted, sickening look of love. "If I can¡¯t have her, Kendrick, then no one else can. You think I¡¯ll let you take her back? You think I¡¯ll let her go back to you? Never."

    "You¡¯re a coward, Curtis," Kelvin yelled from my side, his thumb hovering over the trigger of his rifle. "The only ce you¡¯re going is hell, and I¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to send you there."

    "Then we¡¯ll go together!" Curtis shrieked. He looked at the cliff¡¯s edge, then back at me. "Hell won¡¯t be too lonely with her by my side."

    My heart stopped and I was sure that he wasn¡¯t bluffing. He had reached the end of his rope, and he was taking my world down with him.

    "Zain, put the gun down," I said, shifting my gaze to Zain instead. "This doesn¡¯t have to be your end, and you¡¯ve been lied to. You think I killed your father? You think I¡¯m the monster here?"

    "Shut up!" Zain yelled, his hand shaking. "You took everything! You killed him because you found out that I wasn¡¯t really sick!"

    "No, Zain. Look at the facts," I said, taking a slow, cautious step forward. "Our mother killed him. She pulled the trigger in that room, and then she turned the gun on herself...I have the CCTV, Zain. I saw her face, she was extremely heartbroken, and she took him with her...Don¡¯t die for a lie Curtis told you."

    Zain blinked, a flicker of doubt crossing his face, but then he curled his lip. "You¡¯ll need a better lie than that, Kendrick."

    The standoff felt like itsted a century. The wind was howling, the fire was roaring, and my eyes were locked on Christy.

    She looked so small and fragile. But when our eyes met, I saw a spark of the woman I loved. She wasn¡¯t just a victim...She was a fighter.

    I gave her a tiny nod.

    Christy immediately understood and didn¡¯t hesitate. She gathered every bit of strength she had left and stomped her bare foot down hard on Curtis¡¯s foot.

    "AGH!" Curtis yelped, his bnce shifting for a split second as the pain shot through him.

    In that fraction of a second, Christy dropped to the ground, tucking her head and rolling away from him.

    Pop-pop-pop!

    The police wasted time as three bullet wounds appeared on Curtis¡¯s chest.

    His eyes went wide, the gun slipping from his fingers as he staggered back. He didn¡¯t fall off the cliff. Instead, his knees buckled and he fell forward, crashing right on top of Christy.

    "NO!" Christy screamed, a sound that tore through my soul.

    Blood sttered across her face and soaked into her shirt as he slumped against her, his weight pinning her to the cold ground.

    I moved faster than I ever had in my life.

    I kicked the gun away from Zain, who immediately dropped to his knees and threw his hands up, the fight finally leaving him as the officers swarmed him...But I didn¡¯t care about Zain.

    I reached Christy and shoved Curtis¡¯s lifeless body off her. He rolled onto his back, his eyes staring nkly at the smoke-filled sky as he drew his final breath.

    "Christy! Christy, look at me!" I pulled her into myp, my hands trembling as I wiped the blood from her cheeks.

    She was shaking so hard I thought she might convulse. Her eyes were wide, zed with horror, as she looked at the man who had just died on top of her

    .

    "Kendrick..." she sobbed, clutching my coat like a lifeline. "He... he was going to... I was so scared. I thought I¡¯d never see you again."

    "I¡¯ve got you," I whispered, pulling her head into my chest and holding her so tight I could feel her heartbeat. "I¡¯ve got you, baby. You¡¯re safe and I¡¯m never letting you go again...Never."

    I just held her and let her cry, my own eyes burning with tears. I refused to let fall in front of my men.

    The scene was a whirlwind of activity as Medics rushed over, Mason was barking orders to secure the perimeter, and Kelvin was standing over Curtis¡¯s body, spitting on the ground before walking over to squeeze Christy¡¯s hand.

    The police moved in, zipping Curtis into a ck body bag and just like that, he was really dead and gone forever.

    I stood up, lifting Christy into my arms. She was exhausted, her head leaning against my shoulder as the adrenaline finally began to fade.

    I watched as they loaded Zain into a cruiser and hauled the body bag away.

    I looked down at the woman in my arms and felt a peace I hadn¡¯t known in days. I leaned down and whispered into her ear, my voice thick with emotion.

    "It¡¯s over, Christy...It¡¯s finally over."

 Chapter 145 - ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE:The Forever Deal

    <h4>Chapter 145: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE:The Forever Deal</h4>

    Christy¡¯s POV

    I sat by the window of Kendrick¡¯s new penthouse, the morning sun streaming through the ss and warming my skin.

    While in Curtis¡¯ hands, I always hoped that I would see the sun again but as time went on, I began losing hope. But at this moment it felt like a blessing.

    I looked down at my left hand, watching the sunlight dance off the massive diamond perched on my finger. It was heavy, a constant weight that reminded me I wasn¡¯t dreaming.

    It has been three weeks since I was rescued at the river bank. My physical wounds had healed but the mental ones took longer. Sometimes, if I closed my eyes too fast, I still saw Curtis¡¯s nk stare. Sometimes, I still heard Piper¡¯s scream.

    But then, I would feel a warm hand on my shoulder or hear a familiar, deep voice calling my name, and the shadows would retreat.

    A soft knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. I didn¡¯t even have to turn around to know who it was, as my heart did that familiar little skip, the one it only ever did for him.

    "You¡¯re staring at it again," Kendrick said, his voice a low rumble as he stepped into the room.

    I turned and smiled as he walked toward me, looking every bit the powerful CEO in his charcoal suit. But the moment he reached me, that cold professional mask melted. He leaned down, pressing a lingering kiss to my forehead.

    "It¡¯s a very nice ring, Mr. ck," I teased, my voice finally steady and clear. "I have to make sure it hasn¡¯t disappeared."

    "It¡¯s never disappearing," he promised, his eyes darkening with a possessiveness that used to scare me, but now only made me feel cherished. "And neither are you."

    He sat on the edge of the chaise lounge, pulling me into hisp. I leaned my head against his shoulder, breathing in his scent.

    "I have news from the court," he said quietly.

    I stiffened slightly, as this was thest piece of the puzzle. The final cleanup of the mess the ck family had be.

    "Sameen?" I whispered.

    "Life imprisonment," Kendrick said, his jaw tightening. " With no parole...The evidence of the murders, the embezzlement, and her involvement in Raymond¡¯s death... it was too much for even herwyers to fight. She¡¯ll never step foot outside a cell again."

    I let out a breath I felt like I¡¯d been holding for a month. Sameen ck deserves every bit of what she is getting, as she was such a terrible mother and misled her own son until he became a monster.

    "And Zain?"

    Kendrick hesitated for a second. "Fifteen years, because he wasn¡¯t directly involved in the murders, and eventually surrendered, the judge showed a small amount of mercy."

    I nodded and I didn¡¯t feel anything for him. No pity at all, he deserved what he got and ruined his family because of his and his father¡¯s greed.

    But Zain had made his choices. He had stood by while Curtis terrorized me, he even tried to kill me a couple of times, Fifteen years was a long time to think about those choices.

    "It¡¯s really over, isn¡¯t it?" I asked, looking into Kendrick¡¯s eyes.

    "It¡¯s over, Christy. The lies, the revenge... it¡¯s all buried." He lifted my hand, kissing the palm. "Now, there¡¯s only us. And a very big party tomorrow that my mother-inw is currently losing her mind over."

    Iughed, the sound bright and real. "My mother has been nning this wedding since the second we got back. I think she¡¯s personally inspected every single flower in the city."

    "Let her," Kendrick smiled. "She deserves to celebrate...We all do."

    He touched my stomach softly and smiled. I can¡¯t wait to be his wife and the mother of his child.

    The day of the wedding arrived like a scene out of a fairy tale.

    I stood in front of the full-length mirror in the bridal suite, staring at the woman looking back at me. The dress was a masterpiece, white silk that hugged my curves and flowed out into a train that seemed to go on forever.

    My hair was swept up, pinned with delicate pearls, and my veil trailed behind me like a cloud.

    The gown was a perfect fit as my stomach was still not big yet..

    "Oh, my sweet girl..." My mother stood in the doorway, her eyes welling with tears. She rushed over, taking my hands in hers. "You look breathtaking...Simply breathtaking."

    "Thanks to you, Mom," I said, hugging her tightly. "Everything is perfect."

    Kelvin stepped in behind her, looking uncharacteristically sharp in a ck tuxedo. He cleared his throat, trying to look tough, but I could see his eyes shimmering.

    "Don¡¯t start crying, Kel," I warned with a watery smile. "You¡¯ll ruin the photos."

    "I¡¯m not crying, it¡¯s the flowers," he lied, stepping forward to offer me his arm.

    "Ready to give that CEO the shock of his

    life? He¡¯s been pacing at the altar for twenty minutes. I think he¡¯s afraid you¡¯ve changed your mind."

    "Never," I said firmly.

    As the heavy oak doors of the cathedral opened, the music swelled, filling the massive space with a beautiful, soaring melody. I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

    The church was packed. All of Country N¡¯s elite were there, but I didn¡¯t see them. I only saw the man standing at the end of the long, white aisle.

    Kendrick stood on his side of the altar. The only person on his side was surprisingly Raina and Gary. Then I looked at the front pews, I saw my mother, Kelvin, and Mason all leaning forward, their faces full of love.

    They weren¡¯t just my family anymore. They were his. They were the Lancasters, and they had imed him as their own.

    Kendrick¡¯s breath hitched as he saw me. For a man who was always in control, he lookedpletely undone. His eyes were fixed on mine, full of a raw, intense emotion that made my heart swell.

    When my father ced my hand in Kendrick¡¯s, I felt a spark of electricity as his grip was firm and warm.

    The ceremony was a blur of beautiful words and promises. I didn¡¯t hear much of the priest¡¯s sermon as I was too busy reading the promises in Kendrick¡¯s eyes. When it was time for the vows, he didn¡¯t read from a paper...He spoke from his soul.

    "Christy," he started, his voice thick with emotion. "I started this journey with a contract and a cold heart. I thought I knew what I wanted and I thought power was the only thing that mattered. But you showed me that power is nothing if you have no one to share it with. You are my light, my strength, and my home. I will spend the rest of my life making sure you never feel a second of fear again."

    I couldn¡¯t help it. The tears fell freely then. "Kendrick... I was lost until you found me. Not just in that small town but also in that riverbank. You gave me a reason to fight and a future. I love you more than words can say."

    "I pronounce you husband and wife," the priest said. "You may kiss your bride."

    Kendrick didn¡¯t wait, he pulled me in, his lips meeting mine in a kiss that tasted like victory and peace. The guests erupted into apuse, the sound echoing off the high stone ceilings, but to me, it was quiet.. It was just us.

    The reception was a whirlwind of dancing, champagne, andughter. We sat at the head table, watching our loved ones celebrate. Kelvin was already on his third ss of champagne,ughing with Mason, while my mother was busy being the perfect hostess.

    Kendrick leaned in close to me, his arm draped over the back of my chair. He looked at the grand ballroom, then back at me, a small, knowing smirk on his lips.

    "You know," he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. "This is a long way from where we started."

    I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder. "It really is. No more schemes? No more hidden agendas?"

    "None," he promised. "But I was thinking... about the paperwork."

    I pulled back, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "The paperwork? Kendrick ck, if you mention a contract on our wedding night..."

    He chuckled, the sound deep and rich. "I was just thinking that this was supposed to be a 90-day contract. We¡¯re well past the deadline, Christy and the term is up."

    Iughed and looped my arms around his neck, looking into the eyes of the man who had be my entire world.

    "The contract is void, Kendrick," I whispered, my smile growing wide. "Forever is the deal now."

    He didn¡¯t say anything else, he just pulled me into another kiss as the music yed on, a final seal on a story that was no longer about revenge, but about a love that had survived the dark and stepped into the light.

    THE END

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