Chapter Two
^ELENA^ Tears fell freely down my cheeks, hot and relentless. I had just lost my child just because of his precious Aurora, and this is what he has to say to me. “Aurora might need your blood soon. Get some rest.” He said those words, and I quickly turned my gaze at him, still grasping my tummy with both hands. Is this some cruel joke? Or an insult? “You bastard! I must have been blind till now, how come I never knew you're this heartless? How could you ask me to sell my blood to her after what has just happened? If I hadn't been giving her blood all these years, I probably wouldn't have lost our child. Do you understand, our child would have been alive!” I sniffed hard, tears streaming down my face. Lucas didn't flinch, neither did he offer any explanation. He didn't say a word, so I continued. “And as for what happened earlier. Lucas, I didn't touch her. She pushed me, and…” Lucas quickly flared up at me. “Don't be ridiculous, Elena! Why are you still trying to manipulate me? I saw you push Aurora, so there is no point in being dramatic. She's still unconscious because of you.” “I can never give her my blood again. This stupidity has got to stop.” I wailed painfully; but the decision was unshakable in my heart. Lucas’s expression darkened. “Wait, what? Is this a money thing? What exactly are you dissatisfied about? I know you've donated more blood this month, and I've already compensated you accordingly.” Lucas searched my face for an answer before scoffing; “Fine, just name your price. How much do you need?” “I don't want your filthy money, Lucas, you can keep it all! Nothing can compensate for my dead baby, do you understand? I'd rather die, but I'll never give her my blood again.” I managed to yell at him, despite the pain I was feeling. Banging his fist on the table, Lucas got up from his seat. I have never seen him so angry. “I married you on the condition that you'll give Aurora blood whenever she needs it!” “Fine. Let's get a divorce.” I mumbled with a trace of tears in my voice. This was the last thing I could give to myself… peace. Upon hearing that, Lucas scoffed in disbelief, his eyes narrowed to slits. “What? What did you say?” “I said, Lucas Brown, let's get a divorce and let's end this nightmare here. I will never give Aurora another drop of my blood. You know what my biggest regret is? My biggest regret is marrying you three years ago, I don't ever want to set my eyes on you again.” After saying these words, I turned my gaze away from him, grabbing and biting down on the blankets hard to stop myself from wailing loudly. Lucas sneered at me. “You will regret this, Elena. Mark my words!” He stormed out of the room, leaving me to sulk alone. …. The moment I stepped foot into the Brown residence, Lucas flung the divorce papers at my face. “I'm giving you one last chance, Elena. Once you sign the papers, remember, there is no going back!” I snatched the lid of the pen, flipping through the papers. “There's nothing to go back to. My biggest mistake was getting married to you in the first place, how can I regret anything more than that?” I snapped at him. “You woman of unknown origin, how dare you think you're worth anything to the heir of the Brown family?!” Before I could finish, the door flew open, and Madam Laura, Lucas's mother, barged into the house. She marched up to me and landed a resounding slap on my cheek. “Mom!” Lucas tried to hold his mother back, but she was already fuming in anger. Madam Laura continued, despite the way Lucas tried to stop her from fueling the whole issue. “How dare you? You ungrateful fool! Do you know how many women who are dying to have ‘Brown’ as their last names? Yet, you open your trashy mouth to talk to my son in that manner? You are lucky to have been married to my son.” I scoffed in disbelief, rubbing my cheek to soothe the ache and promising to myself that this is the last time. “Lucky?” I laughed bitterly, "Are you saying that I was lucky to be treated like a walking blood bank for Aurora for three years? Lucky to have lost my baby? If this is your definition of being lucky, then I'd rather become unlucky for the rest of my life. What haven't I suffered in the past three years as a daughter-in-law of the Brown's? I was ridiculed, cheated on–” “I never cheated on you, Elena! Aurora is like a sister to me, don't splash muddy water on her! If you have any disgusting ideas about her and me, you better not spit them out of your dirty mouth!” Lucas replied, showing his emotions for the first time. “How can you accuse me like this, when you know the whole story? You know, her only family gave me his corneas, and I promised to take care of her. What do you want me to do, leave her to die?” I snorted at him. “Well, God forbid! I just hope you and your beloved sister live happily ever after.” “Look at this selfish girl's shameless attitude! If you think getting married into the Brown family has been so unlucky for you, then let me tell you, you won't get a penny from us!” Madam Laura yelled at me. I stared at her, watching the expressions change on her face from anger to shock. “Fine. I don't need a dime from you guys. I hope you won't regret this.” With that, I quickly signed the papers and tossed the pen aside..without another glance at either of them, I grabbed my luggage and headed for the door while Madam Laura kept laughing mockingly. I was halfway out of the mansion when Lucas followed me out of the house. He had a check in his hand. “Elena, wait!” I halted, and turned to face him with tears in my eyes. “What more do you want? Do you want to take my life before I can leave?” “Elena, I know you are angry right now, but you're really leaving without taking anything from the divorce settlement? I don't want you ending up on the streets. At least, you helped me keep Aurora alive for the past three years and I'm grateful for that. Here, take this check.” He stretched the piece of paper towards me. My eyes blazed with fury, all the tears drying up within seconds. “Are you for real, Lucas? You still think I married you for your money?” “Lucas, what are you doing dear? Don't give her a penny, that's what she wants! Let her go, I also want to see how she's going to survive without the Brown's. She'll definitely come crawling back to you.” Madam Laura shouted as she rushed out of the house, following her son. Ignoring her, I continued. “Keep your money, Lucas, it's nothing more than pennies to me. Don't just show your face to me ever again.” Just then, the roar of engines filled the air as a Maybach and two Lamborghini's drove straight to the gate and stopped. Madam Laura’s mouth fell open in disbelief, her eyes darting between the cars and me, while Lucas looked equally shocked. I dragged my luggage straight towards the car. “Who are these people?” Lucas asked. Of course, I wasn't going to give him an answer. The doors to the Lamborghini's opened and the guards got out, bowing in my direction. At last, my cousin, Vincent, got out of the Maybach. “Elena, let's go.” He said, and I forced a smile at him. Turning back to look at the Brown's residence one last time with tears in my eyes, I sighed and walked into the already opened car door. Madam Laura and Lucas were both gobsmacked by this. Vincent got into the car with me, and made the f finger at them.Laila’s POV As I sat on the soft sand beside Nolan, the cool ocean breeze brushed against my skin, its salty scent filling my lungs with a sense of calm. The sun, now dipping below the horizon, bathed everything in a soft, golden hue. I leaned against him, feeling his warmth seep into my bones. For the first time in a long time, I felt at peace. The chaos, the threats, and the betrayals that had once consumed my life seemed like a distant memory, fading with the setting sun. But despite the serenity, the thoughts still raced in my mind. I was torn between two lives—Lila and Miranda—and it was hard to reconcile them. One life, full of memories I had no control over, and another that had become my reality, shaped by my choices and the people I met along the way. Nolan, though, had always been a constant. He was the thread tying everything together, even when I couldn’t see it. I turned to him, meeting his deep, sincere gaze, and
Laila’s POV I continued to run through the dark, damp basement, my heart hammering in my chest as the man pursued me relentlessly. Each of my footsteps echoed in the vast, empty space, and I couldn’t believe I had come here alone. What was I thinking? What had possessed me to ignore Lance’s warnings? I should’ve listened to him. Now, here I was, running for my life, the walls closing in around me as I realized I had made a grave mistake. I stumbled, my foot catching on something hidden in the shadows, and fell to the ground. Pain shot through my knees, but I didn’t have the luxury to stop and nurse the wound. The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder, and my pulse quickened. “Hamilton,” I gasped, my voice trembling with fear, “Please… you don’t have to kill me.” I wasn’t sure if I was pleading for my life or bargaining for a way out, but I had to try something. “I’ll give you money! I’ll give you anything you want! I’ll give you back the company!
Laila’s POV Mr. Williams slowly looked at Hamilton, a bitter smile curling at the edges of his lips as he braced himself for what was coming. His eyes, once warm and inviting, now glinted with the realization that he had outlived his usefulness. The situation had shifted drastically, and the cold air seemed to settle heavier with each passing second. "You really thought you could just use me, didn’t you?" Mr. Williams’ voice was raspy but laced with a cold edge of sarcasm. He turned his gaze to Hamilton, his old ally, but now she was nothing more than an enemy. "I was your friend once, Hamilton. A loyal one. And this is how you repay me?" Hamilton stood motionless, her expression frozen in a mask of rage and contempt. "You were never a friend, Mr. Williams," she snapped, her voice sharp and filled with venom. "You were always a means to an end. Nothing more." He raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching into a grimace. "A means to an end...?” he repeated, his voice betraying a tr
Laila’s POV I couldn't believe it. Everything that had happened up until this point felt like it was straight out of a nightmare—only, this was my reality. I was standing in the middle of a dark, damp basement, the air thick with tension and the smell of mildew, and yet, it felt like I was suffocating from the weight of betrayal. Mr. Williams’ words echoed in my mind: "You have one task—get out of this basement alive, and you’ll get the proof." The audacity. I had come here trusting him, believing his promises. He seemed genuine, his voice calm and reassuring when he spoke to me on the phone. But now, standing here, staring at him with a twisted smile on his face, I realized how wrong I had been. How could I have been so naive? I had ignored Nolan’s warning. I should have listened to him. Nolan had always been there for me, offering his wisdom and caution when I needed it most. But instead, I had decided to trust Mr. Williams, thinking that he was the key to uncovering the tru
**Hamilton's POV** I was in my office when the call came in. It was a frantic voice on the other end, trembling with fear and urgency. “Mrs. Hamilton, it’s about your daughter... Mara.” My heart dropped before I even heard the rest of the sentence. “She was pushed... we don’t know who did it, but she was found lying in the kitchen of the Mountain’s Group of Companies... and she’s been... hurt.” My mind couldn’t make sense of the words, but the panic in the voice was clear. They told me Mara was still breathing, just barely. Without wasting a second, I ordered the ambulance to be sent immediately. My hands were shaking as I hung up, feeling like the world was collapsing around me. What happened? Who would do this to my little girl? The journey to the company felt like an eternity. Every second, every heartbeat, was filled with dread. I couldn’t imagine her in that condition. It felt like the air itself had thickened, and the suffocating fear clung to me. When we arrived, I saw her,
Hamilton’s POV We had just been celebrating our latest triumph. The business was thriving, and every new plan we executed was a success. We were stealing Lila’s clients, breaking down her network one piece at a time. The feeling of victory was sweet, and I couldn’t help but smile as Mr. Williams and I sat together, discussing how far we’d come. “I’ll take you out for coffee,” I told Mr. Williams. “Let’s celebrate. We’ve earned it.” He smiled, clearly as pleased with our success as I was. Just as we were settling into the idea of a relaxing break, a sudden, sharp realization hit me. The Redwood Furniture Company, one of our major suppliers, hadn’t responded to our latest inquiry about stock mandates. My stomach turned. We had been relying on them for a crucial shipment, and without it, everything could come crashing down. I glanced at Mr. Williams. “Did they respond to your call?” I asked. He picked up his phone again, dialing the number. But his expression shifted almost immed