LenkaWhen I woke up, I immediately moved out of the room. I forced myself to move quickly even though my head felt a little dizzy. A quick glance at my phone told me I had slept for more than seven hours.Maybe something happened while I was out. Maybe things have gotten better.As I passed through the open door accompanied by soft laughter, I saw them together—sitting and looking into each other’s eyes. I didn’t want to interrupt their moment, but I couldn’t help being drawn to them.Just a little while ago, they both had made me so worried. But judging from their behavior now, they looked better and were enjoying their time. They showed smiles that made me smile too.It was a sense of relief from the darkness that had been chasing me. I stepped forward, allowing them to finally notice my presence. Both of them looked at me and smiled wide.I moved closer and let myself be pulled into Felix’s tight embrace. It made me realize how deeply I loved this child. Quietly, I glanced at Mich
JonasThose bastards couldn’t even do their jobs properly. If they had, I never would’ve lost Lenka and Felix. Those fools don’t deserve to live their lives anymore.Now I’ve lost the result of all my hard work—just when I was about to finally have it all. And it’s all because of Michael. He’s the only one capable of pulling this off, and after he intervened, I had to cover my tracks quickly and make preparations to take back what’s rightfully mine.“The Noctis…”I crushed the pastry in my hand into crumbs and dropped it—useless.“You did it, didn’t you?” the woman’s voice was sharp and irritating.I looked up at her. A cheap woman, just like the other trash who dares speak in front of me. I stared at her coldly.“If you hadn’t saved her, all of this would’ve gone smoothly,” she said, her eyes flicking slightly to the side.I threw the glass, hitting her right in the forehead. Her scream—long and startled—was met only with my cold gaze.“Who do you think you are, daring to lay a hand
LenkaI'm relieved because we managed to get through a truly overwhelming storm. Felix is able to do his usual activities again and looks cheerful.Felix caught the ball that Michael had just thrown, but he didn’t give it back. He intended to run off with the ball, and Michael, who was chasing him, deliberately slowed his steps, which were usually long.When he finally caught up with Felix, my sweet child tried to keep Michael from reaching the ball he was holding tightly. The laughter that erupted from both of them made me so happy. That’s why I stayed sitting quietly, watching them, even though it had been twenty minutes.The sound of footsteps stopping next to me made me glance over. The man was Diego, and I let him stay here and observe the same scene."You seem happier than before," he remarked.It hadn't been that long, so the memory was still fresh in my mind. It felt like a punishment for me, and Jonas's rude actions made me so angry, and I think that, for this time, killing s
I enjoyed the time spent with them, listening to Felix’s loud and cheerful laughter. Watching everything and hearing all the compliments Felix gave about the dish I made.Michael kept glancing at me, and he also praised the food I cooked. And quite quickly, we had indeed started to mend our relationship.I realized that he, too, was a victim who had made mistakes. I wasn't as harsh as I used to be, and now, here he was, sitting across from me.His eyes were filled with worry, as if afraid he might make another mistake. So, I set down my glass, intending to start a light conversation to ease the mood. But that simple action caught his attention, making him alert.The man cleared his throat, not just to clear it—but to calm himself down.Okay, it’s not that tense.“Michael, so we’re leaving this place tomorrow?”I brought up the previous conversation. With Felix’s condition improving, we would leave this place to better protect ourselves. Michael had said that if an attack happened here
LenkaWe managed to arrive here without any problems, thanks to the tight security and a secretive journey.I felt so relieved by the attention he gave, and I swear there was absolutely no difference in the house I had left more than seven years ago.Everything looked just like the last time I saw it, though I noticed more new faces among the servants. The current situation felt strange to me.Everyone I met treated me with remarkable politeness, and yet, I still felt uncomfortable.Eventually, Michael laid Felix down on the bed and saw me sitting on the sofa near it.“You can relax now, Lenka. Just try to make yourself comfortable.” He looked at me, approaching slowly as he tried to touch my hand.I was sure he still had concerns that his touch might make me uncomfortable. But I didn’t resist or show any sign of rejection toward what he was trying to do.Michael then left. I saw Diego waiting for him, and it seemed like he had a lot of work to do. Meanwhile, I stayed in the room to w
LenkaI still remembered this place well—walking around this large house. The guards who saw us didn’t stop what I was doing.Several times, Felix was drawn to them, squinting his eyes out of curiosity.“Mom, will they get mad?”I shook my head. That was one of Felix’s questions.Then he spoke again. “Mom, who exactly is Uncle Michael?”That was a particularly difficult question to answer. I didn’t want to suddenly tell him that Michael was his father, or that Michael was a mafia boss. Neither of those seemed like the right answer for now.So, I gave him a different explanation. “Michael is a boss. He’s very successful—you can even find him on the internet.”I thought about it. The way he’s presented himself to people all this time could be used to explain things to Felix.“I want to see him later, Mom.”“Of course.”We continued our walk, taking in this enormous house. Felix stopped in front of a large painting—flowers and a woman. It reminded me of what I’d done before. When I first
Lenka"Does Mom have a relationship with Uncle Michael?"Felix's question made me look at him immediately. It felt like a sudden shock that left me frozen for a few seconds before I managed to smile faintly.Right now, it was just the two of us in the room, reading books. A calm time with an atmosphere that felt safer than before. I wanted to give Felix a relaxing time.But I didn’t expect him to ask such a surprising question."Michael?"Felix smiled. "Mom, this is Uncle Michael's house. But do you know what I found yesterday when I was playing with him in his study?"His mature way of speaking made me realize that Felix had really grown up well. He was now able to talk about what was on his mind. And it made me grip the book tighter, waiting for what he was about to say."I saw a wedding photo of you and Uncle Michael there."My heart was suddenly struck by his words. I didn’t know anything about that, and he had just mentioned it.Michael still kept our wedding photo. Even when I s
LenkaHe was shocked, but I maintained my stance.He seemed not to understand what I was saying, and that made me frustrated with this man."I know you must have intentionally shown Felix our wedding photo."Michael fell silent. He now understood what I meant, and then he tried to speak to me with soft eyes."I placed that photo after you left the house. A few years ago."It was so long ago, and to me, it didn’t seem possible. Because wasn’t it too soon for him to show such a different reaction?"When he was playing in my office, I didn’t have time to hide it, and yes, you’re right in thinking that." He continued to stare at me, his eyes looking honest, but I didn’t want to believe him just like that. "I did it on purpose. I thought maybe this was a good chance for him to know what happened between us.""You always act recklessly, Michael." I stood up, looking at him firmly.Although Felix could accept it, I felt like this man didn’t respect me, and even his actions of making decision
LenkaIt’s been a long time since I’ve been here. In fact, I’ve only been here once before. I experienced so much fear, a deep trauma. And when I arrived at my father’s grave, I remembered that brutal murder.Jonas was the one who did it, if only I had realized it back then. He wore a mask and quickly stabbed my father, stepping on him, and everything I remember could make my head spin and make me want to vomit. Now, it’s a bit better; I haven’t felt that way in a while. In reality, it may be because Jonas is dead—my vengeance was fulfilled.But maybe this isn’t just about vengeance. The fate that tangled between us was truly unpleasant and intriguing, causing terrifying things to happen.I took a deep breath. I felt relieved because now I could be in front of my father’s grave, holding the gravestone, as if I was speaking directly to him.“Dad, forgive me for only coming here now.” I paused for a moment. I felt that Dad would definitely understand my actions. “Dad, this is my son, yo
Lenka"Are you going to keep watching those ducks, Felix?"We sat under a tree, with a large lake in front of us and a line of ducks swimming. The sight was calming without us even realizing it.We had been watching them for a long time, and I didn’t think of it as an issue at all. It’s just that maybe Felix wanted to do something else. He had brought a book to read peacefully, and there were many guards around us.Michael seemed to be talking to Diego, while on the left, preparations were being made for something we could enjoy later."They’re doing the things they like. It must be fun for them, floating on the water." Felix spoke without shifting his focus. His hands remained on the book."Do you want to go on a boat?" I asked him.We could do that, and Michael would definitely go with us. Going on a boat together sounded fun; we hadn’t done it together before.Felix looked at me and gently shook his head. "No, Mom. I’m hungry."His attitude was so innocent and endearing. Just then,
LenkaIt was a heavy burden, knowing that he had gone through so much pain. The truth was, Felix was still just a child — he should never have had to experience anything like this.The calmness he showed wasn't something to be happy about. He didn’t want to do anything.The specialists said he was dealing with trauma.On that bloody day, he had learned too much — far too much for someone so young to bear. He found out that his father was a mafia boss, and that the man he trusted was a killer. He had witnessed death itself.Terrifying things had taken root inside his mind, growing into a constant terror."What should we do?" Michael’s soft voice was full of concern as he wrapped his arm around me.Both of us turned to the doctor standing before us."Young Master Felix needs support from the people around him," the doctor said. "This healing process could take a long time, and your support is crucial."I already knew that... But every time I saw Felix's empty, lifeless expression, it to
LenkaI had forgotten about her; I was too focused on the visible enemy, thinking the most dangerous one I was facing right now was Jonas.But the figure that had just whispered near my ear was this woman. It had been such a long time since I last saw her, and it froze me for a few seconds. She was another nightmare.She was Ava.She smiled at me, and that’s when she immediately grabbed my hand, pulling me into her reach. With the knife at my throat, I could feel the coldness of it, and it was terrifying.“Ava! You slut, what are you doing!?”Jonas shouted.“Let her go, Ava!” Michael commanded.This time, both of them were not focused on their fight but on me. It was so annoying to see Jonas pretend to care about me when he was the one who wanted me dead earlier.“Because this woman destroyed my life, I think it’s better if she dies too, don’t you think?” She glanced at Michael and Jonas alternately.“I should have killed you a long time ago.” Jonas spoke. He stepped forward, but with
LenkaI always prayed and believed in Michael, trusting that he would keep his promise to me. Looking at myself in the mirror, even though my face was covered in makeup, it didn’t make me happy at all.My heart was pounding painfully. Felix entered the room and hugged me."Mom, is he a bad man?"Hearing his question, I actually didn’t want him to know about this at all. That’s why it took me a while to respond.Felix, looking at me gently, held onto my wedding dress. "Mom, you’re going to marry him.""Yes," I gently stroked his head, kissing his forehead. "Felix, stay calm and listen to them."Felix, who was silent, seemed to understand my meaning. I was sure of it because he was an insightful child. Then, before we left the room, he nodded. I became more at ease.My hope in Michael continued to grow; I wanted him to one day save me and Felix.Or, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill that man with my own hands once I made sure everything was in place. I didn’t want to lose anyone else besides
MichaelHis obsession made him incredibly captivating—I’d call it clever, or maybe just plain insane.Tini was a long journey, dealing with permits due to it being a different country. With so many people involved, he tried to make me question what actions I should take. Bringing in a large force would only make it easier for us to be attacked from another front.Have I ever mentioned the man who has the same face as Diego?I haven’t, not even Lenka knows about it—because he acted as the “cattle warden.” Living on a farm, it seemed like an incredibly peaceful life. But beneath the large barn filled with milk-producing cows, there was a hidden laboratory—for drugs and weapons.He was a warden, yes, but a cruel one.With the passage of time and the actions I took, that warden eventually left his cozy little spot and moved into the center of The Noctis' power. He became someone highly trusted today.Dalton—he was staring at me from the phone screen.“I’ll guard it well, boss.”He looked
MichaelAnother explosion and the attack were just a diversion.I’ve confirmed that it was a very well-organized distraction, and what makes me so furious with myself is that I only now realized this house has a basement or an escape route.Bastard.I told myself how stupid I was, how everything turned into a mess because this was completely unexpected. When I found out there was another way out, I punched the wall over and over again.“Damn it, how could I not know this?”This house has stood for hundreds of years. I once heard from my father that my great-great-grandfather bought it when all his businesses were flourishing. But I’ve never heard anything about an underground escape route.I followed the path and ended up in a different part of the property. My men wouldn’t even be able to spot this from where they were.“Jonas… where did he get the blueprint for this house?” My voice trembled as I spoke, clenching my fists.I’m absolutely certain that not even my family knows about t
Lenka"What nonsense are you saying?"Immediately, my body froze upon hearing his words. I looked into his eyes, which were still filled with excitement. Something bad was starting to surface, and I wanted to know it now."Lenka, I already know we are destined to be together." He lowered his gaze, but I could tell he was still smiling widely. "You and I cannot be separated, and in two days, we will be married."Chills ran down my spine, my whole body shivered hearing his words."No... I don't want to marry you, Jonas. I don't want to because you're a bastard!"He remained calm, shook his head slightly, then hugged me and quickly released me."Lenka, it's useless for you to reject this because we will be married soon." He smiled."Get out!"I pointed at the door, my chest aching so much. With sharp eyes and a face red with anger, he responded with calmness."Alright, I'll leave now. I want you to prepare yourself because you will be shocked by our marriage."The more angry I became, th
Lenka"You're completely insane, Jonas. You made yourself look like a hero, but it turns out you're the villain!"My eyes stayed locked on him—I couldn’t look away from what he’d done."You threatened me by using Felix…"My hands trembled. Two of his men moved closer and grabbed my arms. Instinctively, I shoved them off."Jonas! You truly—"My scream stopped short as I watched him put Felix to sleep using a handkerchief, covering the boy's nose with it."What are you doing!?"This time I lunged forward, grabbing his hand to take Felix from him. But Jonas held onto me tightly, restraining me with a strength I couldn’t fight. His men held me down."Lenka, this is what's best for him. Or would you rather he knows everything?"He touched my cheek with his index finger, wearing a small smile that felt like a thousand needles. Before I could curse him again, they started dragging me away."We have to leave now, my dear Lenka."We exited the room. I hoped someone would come to save us, that