(Lily’s POV)."Mommy, I am sorry," Ayla’s soft voice broke through the silence as I was just silent after thinking what Isaac had done to her. She held a small, worn doll close to her chest, its fabric dull but its meaning, apparently, immense. Her eyes, though weak, looked at me with an earnestness that took me aback. “Can you explain to me, Sweetie? Be honest with me? We promise not to hide anything right?” I asked and she looked doubt but nodded. She then sighed and I waited for minutes to know what would she explain to me."This doll is from Uncle Isaac. He's kind and wants to be friends with me, and he asked me to keep it a secret from anyone… but, Mommy, you looked so curious, so I told you. So, I am sorry again, Mommy.)My heart tightened. For a moment, the curiosity that had gnawed at me vanished, replaced by an odd, aching relief. She’d opened up to me about something I hadn’t even asked yet. My daughter… my sweet Ayla, with her innocent heart. But as relief settled, it m
(Lily’s POV).“Well, I will leave you here with Uncle Mateo, OK? Mommy will have another business, Sweetie.”“Yes, Mommy. Take care of yourself.”I tried to hold back my tears as I walked down the hallway, struggling to keep my emotions in check. My heart twisted painfully at the thought of Isaac, and I felt anger mixing with the ache in my chest. I had let myself believe he’d changed, that he might finally step up for Ayla—our Ayla if only he knew the fact. But I’d been wrong, hadn’t I?Here I was, still hoping for a miracle that would never come. How foolish I’d been to let myself believe in him again, to believe that he could ever be more than a phantom in Ayla’s life. I’d waited for him, believing that he would finally be here when it mattered most. Yet he’d left me waiting, disappointed, and worst of all, left Ayla clinging to hope that he’d never fulfill.I sank onto a bench near the hospital entrance, feeling the coldness of the metal seep through me. My hands were trembling
(Lily’s POV).I gripped the steering wheel tightly, staring out at the quiet, empty street through the windshield. My heart was pounding, and I could feel the anger radiating through me like waves. My confrontation with Susan was still fresh in my mind, her smug, victorious expression as she flaunted that ring on her finger. She had done it on purpose, wanting to hurt me, to remind me of my place—or lack of one, according to her. And what made it worse, what burned even deeper, was the cold, hard truth behind her words. Isaac was serious about her. Serious enough to put a ring on her finger, to make a commitment he’d never offered me. And while he was busy promising forever to someone else, he was playing games with Ayla, breaking promises to her in the cruelest ways possible. A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I thought about how he couldn’t even keep a simple promise to show up for his own daughter’s treatments. How had I been so foolish? How had I ever believed he’d change?The w
(Susan’s POV).I sat on the exam table, the sterile scent of the hospital filling the air around me. The doctor had just finished re-bandaging the wound on my arm, the unfortunate result of a small accident on set. The shooting schedule had been hectic, and one misstep had led to me tumbling on the rough ground, leaving a deep gash on my arm. Now, as the doctor cleaned up, he looked at me with a gentle smile, concern still evident on his face.“Ms. Susan, I know your schedule is busy, but it’s important to take care of this injury,” he advised, handing me some additional dressings. “Please don’t forget to come back in a few days for a follow-up. The wound needs time to heal properly, and any strain could risk reopening it.”I nodded, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “Thank you, Doctor. I appreciate it, and I’ll make sure to take care of it.”He gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Good. And remember, no excessive movement with that arm. Rest and let it heal, alright?”
(Susan’s POV).I watched from the shadowed corner, my gaze fixed on Isaac and Lily, my ears straining to catch every word they said. My heart pounded with an unfamiliar, bitter rage that only seemed to grow with each sentence. It was like I couldn’t look away, no matter how much I wanted to leave, to shake off the strange, sick feeling twisting in my stomach.Isaac's voice was low, gentle even. He spoke to her with an intensity that made my skin prickle. Why is he talking to her like that? I thought bitterly. Lily’s face was a picture of vulnerability, her eyes wide and full of emotions I couldn’t decipher. She doesn’t deserve that kindness from him. She’s only ever brought him pain.Then I heard him say it. Isaac wanted to help her. The words were like a slap to my face. I felt the heat rush to my cheeks as his intention sank in, and the pain transformed into something sharper, angrier. How could he even think of helping her? After everything she’s done?“What is he thinking?” I
(Susan’s POV).The sterile smell of the hospital corridors clung to my senses as I held the small envelope in my hands. My knuckles were white against the edge, trembling with the weight of the secrets it held. I had been pacing my living room for hours before I decided to open it. I wasn’t sure I was ready, but curiosity gnawed at me like a relentless beast. "Why can't I just forget about it?" I muttered to myself, clutching the envelope tightly. My heart pounded as memories of Ayla and Isaac flashed in my mind—his kindness toward her, his concern. It didn’t sit right with me. Her daughter’s age didn’t match up to when Isaac and Lily were last together, but there was something in her features, a flicker of familiarity in her eyes, that kept tugging at me.Finally, with a shaky breath, I tore open the envelope. My eyes scanned the paper, and then the world fell silent.99.9% probability of paternity.My hand flew to my mouth, stifling a gasp. "No... no, this can’t be real," I whi
(Susan’s POV).The hospital loomed ahead, its sterile walls glowing faintly under the evening lights. I parked my car and sat there for a moment, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white. My heart pounded relentlessly, the sound of it almost drowning out the whirlwind of thoughts in my head. “I have to do this,” I whispered to myself, the words tasting like venom on my tongue. “She can’t be in Isaac’s life. She’s… she’s just a mistake. A mistake that will ruin everything.”My breath hitched as the image of Ayla flashed in my mind—her innocent face, her soft voice. I tried to block it out, to remind myself of the stakes. If Ayla stayed, Isaac would find out the truth. He’d go to Lily, and I’d lose him forever. I stepped out of the car, my heels clicking against the pavement as I walked toward the hospital. My heart raced with every step, my resolve wavering but still strong enough to keep me moving forward. Inside, the smell of antiseptic hit me, sharp
(Author's POV).Isaac woke up from his stupor with a heart device attached to his chest. He looked at the ceiling and took a deep breath.His hand instinctively went to his chest, where the remnants of the sharp, fleeting pain still lingered. He then removed those devices from his chest, making Susan shocked.“Isaac, what the hell are you doing?” Susan asked.But Isaac didn't answer her question. He was too focused on something he remembered.His mind raced as clarity returned, and with it, the memory of his promise to Lily.-I have to meet Lily. Ayla doesn’t have time to wait.- Isaac's mind.His pulse quickened, not from his earlier episode but from the urgency clawing at him. Ayla needed him. He couldn't waste another second lying here, useless. Isaac swung his legs off the hospital bed, his movements slow but determined.“Where are you going, Isaac?”She stood by his bedside, her brow furrowed with a mix of concern and something else—something sharper, like suspicion, but she knew
(Lily's POV)The girls immediately paled, and the smirks on their lips were replaced with terror. Camilla, who had initiated the bullying earlier, swallowed hard, her bravado fading under Issac’s glare.‘We didn’t mean—’ one the girls started to say, but Issac interrupted.“I don’t want your excuses,” he snarled, his eyes flashing dangerously. “If I ever find you pestering her or anyone else, then you will be answering me. Got it?”They nodded quickly, their faces as white as a sheet, obviously frightened.“Go now,” Issac commanded, his tone as icy as the winter wind. “Before I make you regret it. ”He moved towards me and reached out his hand to touch mine; I did not move away from him, and there was a spark in his eyes that made me feel attracted to him. When our fingers met there was a jolt, an electric current ran through me and I felt as if I had been struck by lightning.Issac helped me stand and he held my hand for a little too long. I looked into his eyes and for a moment I sa
Issac's POV "Let her go right now!" I roared across the room and it echoed. I couldn't stop the anger I felt inside while looking at him trying to touch her. She clearly didn't want him to touch her, but he kept trying to force himself on her. It was good enough that I got all the messages that Lily left for me earlier. I was too busy because I had some important things to take care of, and I didn't want Lily to find out, so I had to switch off my phone and also asked my assistant to do the same. I didn't think that anything would happen because I had my men watching over her, and they would have told me of any movements on an emergency phone. But they still didn't tell me anything, so I thought everything was okay. However, when I switched on my phone, I got all the messages from her, and the last one I got was that she was going to look for our daughter at Matteo's place. I quickly got the idea that Ayla was taken by that bastard, and I wasn't wrong. I moved closer to him and
Chapter 104Matteo's POV I knew this was going to happen the moment she arrived, and I had already prepared myself for it. It's not the first time she's slapped me. After the time I kissed her at the hospital in front of that constant, I knew she had every right to do this. But it hurts me enough and makes me angry to think that she doesn't even want to look at me at all, and all she can ever think of is that bastard. This was the only way for me to get her attention since she has been avoiding me after I told her about what he did to her parents. "How could you do something like this? I trusted you so much as a friend, and you dare try to cause problems for me? I was so scared the whole day, and I was so worried, yet you couldn't tell me that my daughter was with you?" she fired at me angrily. But I didn't say anything else and just tried to hug her. Even though she was trying to break out of the hug, I still forced myself to hug her, and then I let go. She slapped me again, a
Lily's POV What's Susan doing right here in my office waiting for me like she's my patient? I was told I had a patient waiting for me in the office and I was expecting it to be someone else. I couldn't hide the shock on my face especially after seeing her looking pitiful on a wheelchair. But I should focus and not let her deceive me with this. I should know the kind of person she is better than anyone. I know she has plans that I'm not going to allow happen anyways. But I need to find out whatever she's thinking. "Why aren't you saying anything? Do you hate me that might?" She asked like she was offended. I scoffed, "I know you're not here for a good reason Susan. What the hell are you doing here, pretending to be a patient and wasting my precious time? I have real patients to attend to.""What makes you think I'm not a real patient?""Isn't it obvious what you came here for? You think I have time to waste on you rather than attending to people who need my help?"She looked offend
Susan's POV How did he manage to find out something that I've been trying to hide from him all along? I tried so much so that he wouldn't know at all. Even though it was hard for me because he was always watching me. I regretted trying to give his information out at the end of the day after seeing what he did to me. I didn't mean to contact his enemy at first. We are the ones who came after me while telling me the hard and offer for me and it would help me get his trust. I thought they wanted to do something to help me until I started giving them information and I started suspecting that it was wrong. That's how I managed to know that they were trying to find ways to bring him down and I was giving them information for it. When I try to confront them, they only threatened me and told me that they would tell him everything if I didn't cooperate with them. If they will be able to bring him down, then I wouldn't have to be scared of him. At first I thought it would be a good idea sin
Isaac's POV I knew I was going to have to answer this sooner or later. I thought she would have forgotten about it, but she seems to still be very much interested in knowing what happened. It's hard to explain everything that happened, as what went on between us is a secret, but I'm going to tell her anyway. "Are you going to tell me or not? The way you keep quiet means that there's something you are hiding," she questioned me. I shook my head quickly. "I'm not hiding anything. I'm just wondering why you are so interested in this since I already told you that we settled it." She looked at me suspiciously and then nodded. "I know I'm not supposed to be asking you this, but I still want to know because he was acting so weird today. Not that he hasn't always been rude to me, but he seems too happy for someone who got an apology. Did you have a deal with him?" Her questions suddenly made me think about everything—how I managed to settle this matter between us. FLASHBACKAfter f
Isaac's POV Fuck this! How does she even know that? I'm very sure I instructed everyone that she mustn't find out what was going on. Who could have told her this? No wonder she has been so quiet and acting strange with me. I just couldn't take it anymore. She was so good with me this morning, and now she was acting strange. It turns out that it was because of this nonsense. I'm going to deal with whoever told her this, but first, I need to find out how much she knows. "What do you mean, why did I lock Susan up? Why would I lock her up? I'm very sure you must have gotten the wrong idea," I told her, trying to deny things. But she shook her head like she couldn't believe what I was saying. "You shouldn't lie to me. I already know everything. I know you've locked her up ever since the incident with our daughter at the hospital, and you didn't let her go. She's already lost her legs—don't you think it's too cruel to lock her up without giving her freedom?" I could see that she was
Lily's POV Am I really listening to Susan's voice, or is someone else pretending to be her? Could it be that this is a prank? There's no way she would be calling me for help. No matter what happens to her, I know she hates me to that level—unless I'm involved in what is going on with her. But what exactly is going on? I can't seem to comprehend. "Are you sure you're really Susan? What is going on? I don't understand anything that you're saying. Can you just elaborate? Where are you, and what does this have to do with me?" I questioned her, hoping for more answers. I only heard her sobbing, and it strongly made me feel guilty. I still didn't know what this was about, but she seemed like she was in danger. "Since you were able to call me, can you just tell me where you are?" I asked her again. "I'm locked up by Isaac because of what happened to your daughter. I kept telling him I had nothing to do with it, but he won't believe me. You also don't believe me, right? You asked him
Lily's POV I had to take care of him all through the night. I can't believe he decided to hide this from me. What if I had not come in time? And what if something else had happened to him? What would I have done? I will not be able to explain that or say this to anyone. He's very annoying, and I don't even know what to do with him. But thankfully, I'm a doctor, and I can take care of him. He finally got better when it was getting closer to the morning, and I decided to get some sleep. I'm very tired from working at the hospital. I had to call the housekeeper to take care of Ayla yesterday because I couldn't come home to her. I'm sure she will understand if she knows I came to take care of her father. I lay down beside him, and soon enough, I fell asleep. I don't even know for how long I slept, but when I woke up, I still found myself on the bed. I decided to stretch myself; however, my body felt strange. That’s when I decided to look around and also at myself. I almost jumped w