LEON’S POV
The moment my fist collided with Justin’s face, all the pent-up rage I had been holding onto for years exploded. He staggered back, blood dripping from his nose, but his smug grin didn’t falter. That look—like he was still in control—only fueled my anger further.
“You don’t get to touch her, Justin!” I roared, swinging again. This time he managed to block it, retaliating with a punch to my side, but the pain barely registered.
I heard Margarette gasp from the corner of the room. She was tied to a chair, her eyes wide with fear. Her hair was disheveled, her cheeks streaked with tears, but she was alive. That’s all that mattered right now.
LEON’S POVAs I stood by the door, watching Margarette sink into the couch beside Aunt Lou, a knot tightened in my chest. She was here, safe, but her silence worried me more than anything.There was something deeper going on. I could see it in her eyes—the way they darted away from mine, like she was trying to hide something.But after everything that had happened, pushing her for answers didn’t feel right. Not yet.“Leon,” Aunt Lou called softly, motioning for me to join Marga. “She needs you.”I hesitated for a moment, then crossed the room, taking a seat beside Margarette. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, knuckles white, and I gently covered them with
MARGARETTE’S POVLeon’s arms were warm around me, but it didn’t stop the cold dread settling deeper in my bones. His words were a like a sweet promise, a lifeline I want to hang on forever to keep me secured, despite how much I know how it couldn't untangle the fear that was still like choking me. I pressed my face against his chest, wishing that time stood still and that I could melt into him. I could only wish that his strength could somehow dissolve the horror that was lurking in the corners of my mind and slowly torturing me every minute. But it was still there—Justin’s shadow looming large over us.“Leon,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “What if Justin finds out?” The words hung heavy between us and I felt Leon stiffen against me. He didn’t answer right away, like he, too, have thought about what I just told him. We both know that Justin was able to escape from the explosion and that would mean that he was not going to stop and what he did could just be the only beginning t
FOLLOWING WEEKS LATER, a thick layer of anticipation hanging in the air as the final hearing of Justin's lawsuit loomed ahead the courtroom that was buzzed with tension.This was it—the culmination of months of preparation, anxiety, and sleepless nights. I sat in my chair, the wooden bench beneath me hard and uncomfortable, but nothing could match the steely resolve I felt inside. Today, I was determined to watch Justin fall.Jack, my lawyer, stood beside me, meticulously going over his notes. Across the room, Justin and his lawyer whispered in hurried conversation, their faces unreadable but laced with the kind of arrogance I'd come to despise. The judge, a stern-faced woman in her sixties, called for a brief recess to review the final pieces of evidence presented by both sides.I exhaled slowly, my hands clasped tightly in my lap. I wasn’t going to let Justin win this. Not after everything he’d put me through.“Miss Margarette,” Jack leaned down and whispered in my ear, “we’ve got t
As I stepped outside the courthouse, the cool air hit my face like a soothing balm. I felt lighter, as if the weight of the world had finally been lifted from my shoulders. It was over. Justin had lost, and I had won.And now, the only person I wanted to share this moment with was waiting just outside.Leon stood by the entrance, his tall figure unmistakable in the distance. His hands were shoved into his pockets, his sharp eyes scanning the area, but the moment he spotted me, his expression softened, a smile breaking through the tension that had been there all morning.I hurried over, my heart still racing with the thrill of victory. As soon as I reached him, I couldn’t contain myself.“We won, my love” I said breathlessly, my eyes locking with his. “Leon, we won.”His face lit up in a way I hadn’t seen in what felt like forever. The joy that flashed across his features was infectious, and before I knew it, he had pulled me into a tight embrace. “My love, that’s incredible!” he excla
[LEON'S POV]As soon as I saw Margarette being shoved into Justin’s car, my heart stopped. Time seemed to freeze, stretching each second into an agonizing eternity. My pulse thundered in my ears, drowning out everything else. Without wasting a moment, I sprinted to my car, barely registering Jack right behind me.I flung open the car door and threw myself inside. Jack did the same, but I wasn’t thinking about him. My hands shook with a cocktail of fury and fear as I started the engine. Every fiber of my being was screaming one thing—get Margarette back.The tires screeched as I slammed my foot on the gas pedal, the car lurching forward violently. My vision tunneled, focusing entirely on the black car speeding ahead. I pushed the engine harder, feeling it groan under the strain.“Leon, slow down!” Jack’s voice pierced through the chaos, but I ignored him. The accelerator was already pressed to the floor. I couldn’t slow down. I wouldn’t.Margarette’s life—and our baby’s life—depended o
Margarette’s POVThe deafening sound of the gunshot echoed in the empty expanse by the bay. My scream tore through the daybreak as I stumbled back, hands flying to my mouth. My heart hammered against my ribs, and tears burned my eyes. It felt like the world around me had stopped from moving, and in that horrible silence facing me at the moment, my mind immediately leaped to the worst possible outcome that I dread not want to happen."Leon," I whimpered, my voice trembling as I stared at him and Justin, standing frozen in while facing each other. They’re speechless and eyes widened in shock as well. They were still, like statues—neither one dared to move nor speak even a single word.For that short single moment, even I couldn’t tell who had been hit by the gun fire.“Leon!” My voice cracked with panic. I took a shaky step forward, fear slicing through me. Then I saw it—the red gush of blood spreading across Justin’s shirt. His hand shot to his side, fingers pressing against the wound
Leon stood in front of me, his body rigid as he scanned the water, searching for any sign of Justin. The splashes had stopped, but the tension in the air remained thick, suffocating.I clung to him, my fingers digging into his arm as fear gripped me. My eyes stayed locked on the restless sea, waiting—dreading—what might emerge. The waves lapped at the rocky shore, cold and indifferent to the chaos they had witnessed.Jack knelt by the edge. “I don’t see anything,” he muttered, his voice a low growl.“That’s impossible,” Leon snapped, his jaw tight with frustration. “He fell right here. He couldn’t have just disappeared.”I wanted to believe that. I wanted to believe Justin was gone—finally, irreversibly gone—but something about the stillness of the sea gnawed at me. No body, no blood, no sign of him floating in the water. It didn’t make sense. “What if...” I hesitated, my voice trembling. “What if he swam away? What if he—”“No,” Leon said, cutting me off sharply. His eyes never left
The wind howled softly outside as I stood by the open door, panic gnawing at my insides. My mind was spiraling, replaying the events from earlier—Justin, the gun, the fall into the bay—and now, the door wide open and Leon nowhere to be seen."Leon?" I called out again, my voice cracking with fear.Just as I was about to lose all sense of reason, a hand gripped my arm, pulling me around sharply. I gasped, ready to fight off whoever it was, but then my eyes met Leon’s. Relief flooded me as I let out a shaky breath, my body sagging with the weight of it."Margarette,," he said quickly, his brows furrowed with concern. "What’s wrong?"I swallowed hard, feeling the adrenaline slowly drain from my system. "The door... it was open. I thought—" I stopped, not wanting to voice my deepest fear. I thought *Justin* had somehow come back.Leon’s eyes softened as he cupped my face gently, his thumbs brushing away the cold sweat on my temples. "I just went out to see Jack leave. He needed to head ho