Ray’s heart pounded as Lilly’s unresponsive body slumped further against him. “Lilly!” he called again, his voice trembling with fear. When she didn’t answer, panic surged through him.Without a second thought, he reached for his phone, fumbling as he unlocked it to call Damon. But just as his finger hovered over the call button, Lia’s weak voice cut through his frantic movements.“Ray… stop,” she murmured, her voice barely audible. Her hand trembled as it grasped his wrist, halting him.“You’re not fine,” he argued, his eyes wide with desperation. “I’m calling Damon, and I’m getting the nurse. You’re clearly not okay, and I can’t just sit here while—”“Please,” she interrupted, her voice cracking as she tried to steady her breathing. “I’ll be fine. I just need rest.”Ray hesitated, torn between her pleas and the sheer terror of losing her. “You said that last time, and now this. Lilly, whatever’s happening to you—it’s not normal. I can’t lose you, do you understand?”“You won’t,” she
The warm water cascaded over Lia’s shoulders as she turned to Ray, her lips curving into a small, playful smile. “You know,” she began, her tone teasing, “it’s such a waste to let all this water run just for me. Why don’t you join me? We can save some water… and I can spite Lilly while I’m at it.”Ray raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching with amusement. “Spite Lilly? You do know that you, right?” Why will she want to spite herself, she so weird.Lia shrugged, her wet hair clinging to her back. “Doesn’t mean I can’t annoy myself. Besides, I might need some help. Who better than my darling cutie of a husband to make sure I don’t slip?”He sighed but couldn’t hide the fondness in his eyes as he began unbuttoning his shirt. “You’re impossible, you know that?”“And you love it,” Lia quipped, her voice light despite the lingering tension in the room.Once undressed, Ray stepped into the shower, his presence grounding her instantly. His hands moved with careful precision, helping her rinse
Lia leaned forward, her voice dropping to a cool, calculated whisper as she fixed Dr. Harris with an unwavering gaze. “We’re not done yet, Doctor.”Dr. Harris tensed, his breath catching in his throat. “What… what do you mean?”She tilted her head slightly, her expression deceptively calm. “The story you’re going to tell Ray isn’t good enough yet. He’s not a fool, and you know that. ‘Pregnancy hormones’ won’t cut it. You’ll say it’s mental exhaustion, the aftereffects of trauma from my kidnapping. That’s the narrative he’ll believe—clean and simple.”‘You’re surprisingly smart, dummy head,’ Lilly’s voice echoed in her mind.‘I’m always smart, body thief,’ Lia bragged, inwardly smirking.‘Yeah, right. You’re only smart because my twin created you,’ Lilly teased.Dr. Harris glanced at her oddly but said nothing, his hands trembling as he nodded quickly. “Yes, of course. Mental exhaustion. Trauma. That makes sense.”“Good,” Lia said, her smile widening into something both sweet and sinis
Ray gripped the steering wheel tightly as Jerry’s words echoed through the car speakers. His jaw clenched, his patience running thin. “Do you need helping talking, get on it man I don’t have all day” Ray said coldly?” he snapped, his voice cold.Jerry exhaled sharply on the other end. “Big bro, it’s Grandfather. He’s trying to sabotage Lilly’s company.”Ray frowned, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the road ahead. “What? Why? That doesn’t make any sense. And he knows in the eye of the public I’m in charge of how the company is run right?”“He sees her as a distraction for,” Jerry explained, his tone heavy. “And let’s be honest—she’s drawn a lot of problems to us recently she comes with loads of complications like. But I think it’s more than that. I believe he knows why those kidnappers’ heads blew up. This is his way of creating a distraction while keeping us in the dark.”Ray’s fingers tapped the steering wheel rhythmically, his mind racing. “That doesn’t add up. No one informed h
Chapter 129: Change “The new K branch in China revealed the design of a laptop set to be released next week,” Drake explained, his voice taut with frustration. “Unfortunately, the design looks practically identical to Anderson’s models. It’s like they didn’t even try to make any significant changes.” Ray took a deep breath, his jaw tightening in disappointment. Why would Grandfather do this? Openly declaring war against Lilly’s company and framing Ray in the process—it was a move as cunning as it was cruel. After a long pause, Ray exhaled sharply and ended the call without another word. As soon as Lia arrived at the company, her determined stride carried her into the building with unwavering purpose. Her voice was sharp as she instructed Chloe, “Get the board members ready for an emergency meeting immediately. I want solutions on the table as soon as possible.” Lilly’s voice echoed in her mind, cutting through the tension. ‘The board members are definitely fuming right now.’ ‘Do
“Stupid, you say?” Lia’s voice was a venomous whisper, yet it filled the room with a dangerous energy. Her gaze, cold and unwavering, locked on James. “You seem to have forgotten your place, Father. Or do you need help being reminded?”The sheer force of her words and the bloodlust emanating from her were enough to make James stiffen in his seat. A flicker of fear crossed his face before he masked it with a scowl.The tension in the room was suffocating, but one of the board members, Mr. Hunt, a long-time supporter of James, finally mustered the courage to speak. “President,” he began hesitantly, “it’s important to acknowledge the larger issue here. This situation wouldn’t have escalated if the designs had been handled more discreetly. Some accountability lies with—”Lia’s icy glare snapped to him, cutting him off mid-sentence. “Are you implying that I caused this?” she asked coldly, her voice steady but razor-sharp.“No—no, that’s not what I meant,” Mr. Hunt stammered, but another bo
Ray stopped mid-stride as the word “Get out” rang in the room, his expression flickering briefly with surprise.Lia’s eyes widened slightly, realizing how her words might have been interpreted. In her mind, Lilly’s voice interjected swiftly.“Don’t sabotage this, Lia. Don’t give them more ammunition. Remember, in front of the world, you two are the perfect couple. Change your words—we’re in this together.”Taking a deep breath, Lia forced her emotions under control. Straightening her posture, she corrected herself, her voice sharp yet deliberate. “I meant, get in. Since you’ve decided to grace us with your presence, you might as well contribute to the discussion.”Ray’s surprise faded, replaced by a faint, knowing smile. “Of course,” he said smoothly, walking toward her and taking the seat beside her. His confident presence amplified the already thick tension in the room.Lia turned back to the board, her gaze icy and commanding. “Let’s address the matter at hand. We will not sit idly
“You know I would never do such a thing. I won’t betray you like that,” Ray said, his voice quiet but firm, laced with an edge of coldness. “You don’t trust me, Lily?”Lia laughed bitterly, her voice hollow and sharp. “Ha… ha… haaaa! Trust? You dare to talk about trust?” Her eyes blazed with fury, her words dripping with disdain. “Why would I trust you? Your bloody company released my creation as theirs, and you dare to speak of trust. Trust you?” She scoffed, shaking her head, the sarcasm in her tone palpable.“Yes, I put you in charge publicly. Yes, the world believes you run this company. But you know what? That’s just a façade. You’re in charge on the surface. You don’t get to steal from me, Ray. Not like this.”“I know you’re frustrated, Lia, but please… turn it down,” Lilly’s voice chimed in her mind, softer this time.But Lia couldn’t hear her—or rather, she chose not to. The rage swirling inside her was too loud, too consuming. And deep down, even Lilly knew stopping her now c
Fairy tales didn’t exist. Ray had always known that. And yet, he had let himself believe. Believe that after everything, he could finally have his happy ending. That Lily would come back, that they would put all the chaos behind them and just… be. But four months had passed. Four months, and she was nowhere to be found. And in those four months, she had caused more destruction than she probably even realized. The Anderson family was gone. The Manchester family had been silenced. The power structures that once dictated everything had crumbled beneath the weight of her actions. And yet, the world had gone eerily quiet. The media barely spoke about it. There were no reports, no scandalous headlines, no outrage. It was as if the universe had conspired to erase all traces of her, making her untouchable. He couldn’t reach her. He couldn’t speak to her. He couldn’t even see her. It was hell. And the worst part? It was starting to feel like the version of hell he had
The silence stretched between them.Lilly and Jerry—two people who had seen death, caused death, lived among death—now sat here, unable to make sense of the one loss that actually hurt.Lilly swallowed the lump in her throat.“I thought I could tell you that time would heal this. That one day, you’d wake up, and the pain would be gone.”Jerry gave her a hollow stare, waiting for her to continue.“But that would be a lie.”Her voice broke slightly, but she pushed through.“The truth is… you won’t wake up one day and magically feel okay. You’ll carry this pain with you. Every damn day.”Jerry’s jaw clenched. He knew that already, he knows deep down he will never get over losing his love right before it could even blossom.Lilly reached out and placed a hand over his.“But you’ll learn to live with it,” she whispered. “Because that’s what Chloe would have wanted. She didn’t fight this hard, endure this much, just for either of us to fall apart when she’s gone.”Jerry let out a ragged bre
Ray stared at her, his heart pounding in his chest.“One… m-m-month?” His voice cracked. “That’s too much, wifey.”His grip on her hands tightened, as if afraid that if he let go, she would disappear before his eyes.Lilly’s lips trembled, but she held her ground.“At least this way, you won’t be married to a woman who is mentally unstable, Ray,” she said softly. “And worse—a woman who shares her new body with her dead twin’s split personality.”Ray’s body stiffened.“Split what?” His brows furrowed, convinced he had misheard.Lilly sighed, wiping the stray tear that escaped her eye. “I’m sure you’ve already guessed it, Ray. You’ve seen it. You’ve felt it. Lia and I… we aren’t just one person. And I need to do this—for myself, for you, and for our baby.”Her voice wavered.“I need to be able to give you the same love you’ve given me. To birth our baby in a safe place. Please, Ray… please.” She squeezed his hands, her tears falling freely now.Ray felt something twist in his chest.Lil
The room felt unbearably heavy.Jerry sat still, his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands.And then, without warning—A sob tore through him.“Haaaaaa~~~” he yelled out. For the first time in life he felt like someone was trying to zap life out of him.The kind that clawed out from the depths of his soul, ripping past the walls he had spent years building.Tears streamed down his face. He didn’t even bother to wipe them.This wasn’t grief.This was devastation.This was an unbelievable moment, it was only aFew days ago that he realized the extend of his live for Chloe and now she dead.Dead just like that.This was the feeling of watching the one person who made life feel like more than just blood and war—slip through his fingers.He had lost Chloe.And now, what was left of him?Nothing.Nothing but this unbearable silence, this emptiness that no amount of vengeance could ever fill.He clenched his fists.He had always thought himself untouchable, someone who laughed in the fa
The room was too quiet.The kind of silence that made the air feel heavier, pressing against their chests like an unbearable weight.Lilly sat frozen, her eyes staring into nothing.She wasn’t crying. She wasn’t speaking.She just sat there, lost in the void.Ray was right behind her, not touching, not speaking just there.Because what could he say? What could he do?There were no words for grief like this. No bandage for wounds that cut this deep.On the other side of the room, Jerry knelt beside Chloe’s bed, his hands gripping hers with a desperation that made his knuckles turn white.His lips moved, whispering something under his breath.A prayer.Jerry Manchester the man who had never feared death, who had laughed in the face of danger—was now begging.To a God he didn’t even believe in.“Please—”His voice cracked, his fingers tightening around Chloe’s.“Please, don’t take her.”Tears burned at the corners of his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.He didn’t cry. Not Jerry Man
The scent of iron was thick in the air.Lilly’s eyes, cold and unyielding, swept across the men standing by. Their hesitation irritated her.“What the hell are you all waiting for?” Her voice cracked through the tense silence, sharp as a whip.The men snapped to attention.“Get him out of there. Now.”She didn’t need to say it twice.Two men rushed forward, reaching into the trunk and dragging David Deluca’s battered body out. His weight was dead, limp, his blood smearing against their gloves.“Take him to Damon.”Her tone left no room for argument.The men moved swiftly, disappearing into the building with their barely breathing cargo.Lilly stood still, her breathing measured, her fingers clenched so tightly her nails bit into her palms.She should feel satisfaction.But for some reason—She didn’t.Inside, the air was suffocating.The rhythmic beeping of the life support machine filled the room—until suddenly, the sound changed.The sharp, rapid BEEP—BEEP—BEEP sliced through the ai
Lilly inhaled sharply.Ray cursed under his breath.Jerry looked up, his expression wild, desperate. “We need to stop the bleeding!”But his hands were unsteady, his mind a mess.Lilly took over.“Move,” she ordered, her voice firm.Jerry hesitated, unwilling to let go, but Ray grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back.“Let her work.”Lilly worked fast, grabbing supplies from the medical kit. She cut away the fabric around the wound, assessing the damage. The bullet hadn’t passed through it was lodged inside.“Shit.”With gloved hands, she cleaned around the wound, applying pressure to slow the bleeding. Her movements were steady, precise years of training kicking in.Jerry could barely breathe.“Is she going to be okay?” His voice cracked.Lilly didn’t answer immediately. She grabbed a hemostatic gauze and pressed it firmly against the wound.“This will slow it down until Damon gets here,” she murmured.Ray kept his focus on Jerry, who looked like a man on the verge of breaking.“She’l
The shockwave rattled the car, and Chloe instinctively ducked.“What the fuck—?!” Jerry shouted, glancing at the rearview mirror.One of the enemy vehicles was now a burning wreck.And behind it—The Alpha Team had arrived.Meanwhile, in the Shooter’s Car…Matt watched in horror as one of their vehicles went up in flames.He gritted his teeth, his fingers digging into the seat.“Stop shooting!” he roared.His men hesitated, confused.But one look at Matt’s expression—twisted with fury and frustration—was enough to make them obey.Clark, sitting beside him, turned with a scowl.“Boss, I thought you said they wouldn’t have backup until we reached the city.”Matt’s jaw clenched. His hands balled into fists.“Well, are you fucking blind?” he snapped. “Or just too dumb to realize we’re already in the city?”Clark stiffened.“They own this place,” Matt muttered, his voice low and furious. “This is their fucking territory.”Clark exhaled sharply, running a hand down his face.“Then why the h
Jerry’s hands gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning white. His mind was spinning, Chloe’s words echoing in his head.“You never miss a chance to make me feel like an object.”“But guess what, Jerry? I’m not an object.”His jaw clenched.“When have I ever treated you like an object?” he asked, his voice unusually quiet—almost confused.Chloe scoffed, rolling her eyes.Jerry, however, wasn’t done.His mind raced, trying to piece together where the hell he had gone wrong. Is that why she won’t give me a chance? Does she really think I see her that way?For the first time in his life, Jerry Mancini found himself questioning his own actions.And in doing so—He completely forgot they were being followed.A loud bang erupted behind them, and the car jolted violently to the side.Chloe snapped her head around, eyes widening as she saw the dark SUV gaining on them, its headlights like glowing eyes in the night.“Jerry, focus!” she shouted.Jerry’s head whipped back toward t