Suddenly, everything around us remained still like time had just froze while the three of us were looking at each other.Everything just felt intense now that my aunt Lou retaliates back. I actually would never have thought she was actually capable of doing that. I know Aunt Lou was a very patient person, although she could be very stern sometimes, which was why I do understand if she would eventually react that way.If I were in her shoes, I would definitely do the same thing. Aunt Lou was just defending me, her family from the rudeness of my own mother-in-law.“How dare you lay a hand on me? Didn’t you know I am a lawyer? I could sue you for that!” Mother once again used her lawsuit card to threaten another person.“I am more than prepared to counter you in court for harassing my niece. To think you are a lawyer and yet, you didn’t even know how to show any concern to your own daughter-in-law? Before you accuse my niece for not doing her job, why don’t you ask your son first what c
The moment Aunt Lou left me all by myself, was the time that I suddenly felt shivers down my spine. I knew that by facing my mother now, she would eventually get mad at me.And yet, when I entered her office things seemed like it was not what I expected it to be. My mother-in-law happened to be calm earlier which was a total surprise for me.I made sure to knock three times before I made the approach. “Mother, I’m here now,” She gave me a quick glance before she continued to sign the papers on her table. “Sit down, Margarette.”I was seriously nervous at the moment. Thinking I’d be alone with my mother-in-law terrifies me to the core. She could interrogate me or blame me for what happened earlier and I'm certain that I'd have no answer to provide her with.But as I sat down the adjacent chair across her table. I was surprised that she actually didn’t even yell or be mad at me. I was surprised, as a matter of fact. “Mother, about the—” I was about to start having a conversation with
“ I’m sorry, mother, but I don’t really feel comfortable talking about this issue any longer.” I promptly told mother the truth.My whole body was feeling the tension all over. It’s like any moment now, i think I would eventually faint from the feeling of fright and discomfort. Since I could already feel like I would faint any moment, I instantly made my way out only to be hampered by mother, “And where do you think you’re going? We’re not even finished talking, Margarette.”Despite hearing mother’s voice, I suddenly felt like everything was going wrong around me. My chest abruptly felt too tight that I couldn’t nearly breath, even my hearing becomes too shallow.It leaves me the feeling as though mother’s voice was coming from a deep well. “Mother, I don’t think I can still handle more of—” it was then that I could no longer hand it anymore that I eventually got consumed by the darkness that had engulfed my consciousness.Before I knew it, I eventually woke up next inside my room wh
“What now, Margarette? Are you just going to stare at the utensils like that? Those stuff won’t move on its own, dimwit!” Mother sternly told me as I seemed to be pacing out for a while thinking what to prepare.Her statement, however, perked my eyes. I wanted to call her out for calling me a dimwit but with the limited time I have to prepare for meal before Justin arrive made me instantly move instead.“Sorry, mother.” I uttered, pulling my feet to finally move around and do something. As mother was still looking at me, I simply couldn’t just stand still and do nothing.Truth be told, even as I move around, all that I was doing was just to keep moving the utensils in my hand. Sooner or later, my mother-in-law would eventually notice that I was only playing around the utensils and if that happened, I don’t even know how I would begin to explain it.“Margarette, are you seriously just going to keep doing the same thing over and over? Tell me, do you actually know what you’re doing?” an
CHAPTER 43 When I opened my eyes, there was Justin once more.I couldn't believe my eyes as I found myself caught a glimpse of him, my heart racing in my chest. It was in that moment, when everything seemed uncertain, that I finally realized the truth: Justin's presence had actually saved me. “Are you not feeling well?” Justin asked.As he yanked me towards the dimly lit corner, his hand clamping tightly over my mouth, my heart raced with a mix of fear and curiosity. Through the haze of panic, I caught sight of mother’s glare and ignore it.“Please, justin, take me upstairs. I’m too exhausted.” I begged for the last time I could still muster enough energy.Eventually Justin carried me upstairs back to our room.If it weren't for Justin's quick action, I would have been still stuck with Mother’s errands. My whole body trembled with an overwhelming sense of tiredness. The sound of Justin’s breathing reverberated through the air, a symphony I wanted to continue hearing. I cou
I had a hard time accepting the fact that Justin was actually capable of treating her in such a manner. A short while ago, it appeared as I saw him with Regina and that they shared a romantic dinner with one another. And of course, I can't help but recall that I've seen that woman clinging on Justin no matter where he goes.At first, I didn't pay any attention to her at all. My first thought was that perhaps she is just some random woman who is connected with Justin in regard to their business but not in any other way. Having said that, my opinion of her has completely shifted in light of what I have seen after entering this room. Perhaps she could be Justin’s woman. Until I saw it was Regina.I won’t even be able to move in that state if I were in that woman’s shoes. However, it seems like the case between me and that woman is entirely different knowing how Justin is treating me right now.He was giving off that gentle look once again. I was not still convinced with it. This was not
It didn't dawn on me until just now that I'm actually getting more aroused than I was before. It was Justin who started the fire, and it's burning me like hell right now. As much as I hate to admit it, it appears that only he can put out the fire, and it won't stop giving me discomfort until he enters me.Justin places his face squarely on top of mine and gives me a light nibble on the back of my neck. In comparison to how rough I've seen him be in the past, this is surprisingly kind and gentle. His brusque approach to getting me has already registered so deeply within me that it is already impossible for me to just put it out of my mind. The fact that my body is already yearning for that roughness to return despite the fact that he has been making an effort to treat me gently is an even more surprising development at this point. Suddenly, I find myself wondering what could possibly be preventing him from being the typical version of himself, especially considering the fact
“Isn’t it agonizing not to be able to cum, Margarette?” Justin abruptly stops just as I'm about to reach the climax of my orgasm. As the vibrations on my clit continue to torment me, it has left me with an insatiable desire for more.Justin yanked my face closer to his torso at that point. My nose even brushed up against the very tip of his hot rod, and the heady, manly aroma that it exudes is making me even more hungry for it. I just couldn't give any indication as to how I will even attempt to get past this sensation.“I–I have no idea what you mean, Justin.” I honestly answered.Although that seems to be the case, I never even see any disapproving reactions from Justin. As a matter of fact, it seems as though he is even more pleased that I find everything he is saying to be a completely new detail I haven’t encountered before.Since I had never been sexually active before, I can honestly say that something like this had never occurred to me before. I have never even had a sexual e
Gunfire tore through the air, glass raining down around us as we hit the ground. The sharp sound of bullets striking wood and metal sent my heart into a frantic rhythm. Leon grabbed me, shielding my body as we crawled behind the heavy oak desk.“Dorian?” Leon’s voice was sharp, controlled despite the chaos.“I’m fine,” Dorian called from behind a toppled chair. He moved fast, drawing his gun and firing two precise shots toward the broken windows. A pained grunt told us he had hit his mark.Vincent, the smug bastard, was still in his chair, completely unbothered by the attack.“This is cute,” he mused, swirling the whiskey in his glass. “But you should know by now—I never play fair.”Leon turned his gun on him. “Call them off.”Vincent only smiled.I gritted my teeth. “Damn it, Vincent, this isn’t a game! Who the hell is shooting at us?”The door burst open, and three armed men stormed in.Dorian moved first. He lunged at the closest attacker, his blade flashing in the dim light. The m
Darkness swallowed me whole.For a moment, I thought I was dead. The gunshot still rang in my ears, deafening, all-consuming. But then, pain—sharp and searing—bloomed along my side, pulling me back from the abyss. My breath came in ragged gasps as my knees buckled, and I felt myself falling.Strong arms caught me before I hit the ground.“Margarette!” Leon’s voice was raw with panic. His hands pressed against my wound, trying to staunch the bleeding. The warmth of my own blood seeped through my clothes, sticky against my skin. Dorian fired, his shot echoing through the cavernous estate.Elise let out a sharp cry, staggering back. But even as she bled, her cruel smile remained. “Not bad,” she whispered, clutching her shoulder where Dorian’s bullet had struck her. “But not enough.”Leon lifted me, his grip firm but desperate. “We need to move. Now.”“No,” I gritted out, fighting through the pain. “We finish this.”Dorian cursed. “Are you insane? You’re bleeding out!”I forced myself to
Gunfire tore through the air, glass raining down around us as we hit the ground. The sharp sound of bullets striking wood and metal sent my heart into a frantic rhythm. Leon grabbed me, shielding my body as we crawled behind the heavy oak desk.“Dorian?” Leon’s voice was sharp, controlled despite the chaos.“I’m fine,” Dorian called from behind a toppled chair. He moved fast, drawing his gun and firing two precise shots toward the broken windows. A pained grunt told us he had hit his mark.Vincent, the smug bastard, was still in his chair, completely unbothered by the attack.“This is cute,” he mused, swirling the whiskey in his glass. “But you should know by now—I never play fair.”Leon turned his gun on him. “Call them off.”Vincent only smiled.I gritted my teeth. “Damn it, Vincent, this isn’t a game! Who the hell is shooting at us?”The door burst open, and three armed men stormed in.Dorian moved first. He lunged at the closest attacker, his blade flashing in the dim light. The m
The safe house felt suffocating, the air thick with unspoken tension. Every second we wasted gave Vincent more time to prepare. More time to strike.I wasn’t going to let that happen.Leon stood by the table, his hands braced against the surface, muscles tight with frustration. Dorian, despite the pain from his injury, sat nearby, flipping a knife between his fingers—a habit he had when deep in thought.“We need a lead,” Leon finally said, his voice low and controlled. “We can’t storm in blind.”I paced near the window, arms crossed. “We do have a lead. This locket.” I held it up, the metal catching the dim light. “Vincent had it for a reason. He wanted me to see it. Why?”Dorian exhaled sharply. “Because he’s playing with you.”I shook my head. “No. There’s more to it. He wouldn’t go through the trouble of planting something from my past just to taunt me. He wants me to remember something.”Leon’s gaze darkened. “Then let’s start at the beginning. The night of the accident.”My throa
The salty night air carried the hum of distant ship engines and the occasional murmur of dock workers. But this wasn’t just a routine shipment—this was a calculated exchange of power, a moment that could unravel everything Elise’s father had hidden for years.I crouched behind a stack of shipping containers with Leon beside me. Dorian’s team was spread out, positioned along the pier, watching, waiting. A dark van was parked near the edge of the dock, its back doors open. Men in suits moved between the van and the cargo, transferring crates that likely held more than just money.Leon’s voice was low in my ear. “Four men on the ground, two near the van. More could be inside.”I nodded, my gaze locked on the crates. “That’s not just cash, Leon. That’s leverage. He wouldn’t move it unless he was running scared.”Dorian’s voice crackled through our earpieces. “We take them now, we risk losing the files. We wait too long, we risk backup showing up.”I made the decision before anyone else co
Dorian smirked. “Relax, lover boy. I’m not saying she’s defenseless—I’m saying we need to be smart about this.”Leon’s glare didn’t waver, but he didn’t argue either. He knew Dorian was right.I exhaled, my fingers tightening around the locket that had started all of this. “So what do we do?”Dorian sighed. “You have two choices: disappear and hope they forget about you… or go after them first.”Leon tensed beside me. “You’re suggesting we take the fight to them?”Dorian shrugged. “Elise’s father had powerful connections. Some of them might scatter now that he’s locked up, but the smart ones? They’ll wait. Watch. See what you do next.”I swallowed hard. “Then we don’t give them time to plan.”Leon turned to me, his expression dark. “You’re sure about this?”I met his gaze. “I didn’t come this far just to hide.”Dorian grinned. “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”Alexa shifted uncomfortably. “I wish I had your courage.”I reached for her hand. “You have more than you think.”She gave
The night before our departure, I barely slept. The weight of the locket pressed against my collarbone, a silent reminder that my past was no longer buried—it was clawing its way back to the surface.Leon must have sensed my restlessness because he found me in the kitchen before dawn, staring into my untouched cup of coffee.“You’re thinking too much.”I let out a breathless laugh, shaking my head. “You always say that.”“Because it’s always true.” He leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “Second thoughts?”“No,” I said. “Just… doubts. What if I don’t find the answers I’m looking for? What if I’m just chasing ghosts?”Leon studied me for a long moment before stepping closer, his fingers grazing the locket at my neck. “Then we chase them together.”My chest tightened at the quiet intensity in his voice.Before I could respond, Dorian’s voice cut through the stillness. “Time to go.”The drive to the estate was long and silent. Alexa had insisted on coming, despite her injuries. She
The moment Elise’s father whistled, chaos erupted. Gunfire cracked through the air, sending dock workers scattering. Shadows moved between the containers—his men, heavily armed and ready.Leon pulled me behind a stack of crates as bullets ricocheted off the metal. “Dorian, how many?”Dorian’s voice came sharp through the earpiece. “At least eight. They were waiting for you.”I clenched my teeth. Of course, he knew we’d come.Leon checked his ammo. “We need to take them out before he reaches the cargo ship.”I exhaled, steadying my grip on my gun. “Then let’s end this.”Leon moved first, stepping out just long enough to fire three quick shots. A grunt of pain echoed through the night. One down.Dorian’s rifle cracked, taking out another.I kept close to the containers, listening—waiting. A figure rushed toward me. I ducked just as he swung a knife, feeling the blade slice the air above my head.Without hesitation, I drove my elbow into his ribs, twisting his wrist until the knife clatt
The weight of the file in my hands was suffocating. The words blurred together, but the truth was undeniable—my father hadn’t just been a scientist. He had been a test subject. And Elise’s father had orchestrated it all.Leon took the file from me carefully, his jaw tight as he read through the documents. “This wasn’t just research. They were experimenting on people.”Dorian exhaled sharply. “And your father was one of them.”I clenched my fists. “But why? What were they trying to do?”Leon flipped to the last page, scanning the details. His eyes darkened. “Something about genetic resilience. Accelerated healing. They were looking for ways to manipulate biological responses to trauma.”My stomach churned. “You mean… like making people stronger?”“Stronger, faster, immune to certain injuries.” Leon met my gaze, his voice heavy. “Margarette, they weren’t just studying human endurance. They were creating something.”A chill ran down my spine. “Creating what?”Dorian shifted uncomfortably