He had a dark past he wanted to forget, and she also carried a troubled past she was trying to overcome and move forward from. Lavinia Bayer loves power and harbors secrets no one could ever imagine. Her walls are so high that no one can uncover what’s truly wrong behind her tough exterior. That is, until Zen enters her life—a mysterious man full of dark secrets, willing to do anything to get what he wants. He hides his true origins, pretending to be a simple man, while secretly on a mission to eliminate a woman. What he doesn’t realize is that the woman he’s meant to destroy is the same one he would give his life to save. Their fates are more intertwined than he could ever imagine.
View MoreCHAPTER 1: STRENGTH WHERE THERE IS NONE
Cedrick was fourteen years old, and in all those years of life, he knew only a complicated existence, despite belonging to a powerful family. Now, once again, he was locked in his room, tired of his father’s punishments. He spent his life trying to protect his mother, even though she had rejected and despised him since childhood. She never showed compassion, not even when he was punished for defending her from his father’s attacks.After three days locked up without food, Cedrick was finally released, though he was so weak that he could barely walk. Everyone might have imagined he would go straight to the kitchen, but he diverted his path, heading toward a room at the end of the hallway. Upon reaching it, he hesitated before turning the doorknob, as if afraid of what he might find. Taking a deep breath, he knocked gently on the door and waited for a response. Soon, he heard something being thrown against the wood and let out a sigh of relief.
"Master Romanov, you need to eat. Your father said that as soon as you left the room, I was to take you straight to the kitchen. You cannot see the mistress." The maid held Cedrick’s arm, who was pale and weak, with his head leaning against the door.
He was then taken to the kitchen and, against his own will, forced to eat. He spent the rest of the morning until nightfall in his room, lying on the bed and being cared for by the servants. Cedrick had already lost count of how many times he had been confined there—at least three or four times a month, always for three days of isolation.
Despite his father’s strict orders not to interfere in the fights between him and his mother, Cedrick insisted on defending her every time she was humiliated or attacked. His intervention led to new punishments, to the point where he could barely stand.
When night fell, the servants came to fetch him, all with the same expression of insecurity and fear when facing the thin, debilitated boy.
"Master Romanov ordered you to get ready. There’s a special dinner; he wants to introduce you to someone," one of the servants announced, avoiding eye contact.
Cedrick noticed the look of distrust on their faces and immediately knew something was wrong. The servants helped him get dressed. The clothes they chose indicated that the event that night would be memorable.
Cedrick was escorted to the dining room. The other servants were lined up along the large table, facing Mr. Romanov and his wife.
"Sit down. I have an announcement to make," Mr. Romanov ordered, while Cedrick, confused, remained silent. Despite being his father, he felt both fear and contempt for the man.
"Don’t be upset with me. Everything I teach is for your own good. You need to understand that you mustn’t defend someone who mistreats you," he commented coldly.
"I can defend my mother as many times as necessary. I will defend her," Cedrick murmured quietly.
"Anyway... this will be the new Mrs. Romanov. She is also expecting a new Romanov heir, so you won’t be an only child," he declared, tapping his spoon lightly against the glass so the servants would serve the table.
"What do you mean ‘new Mrs.’? Where is my mother? You’re married to her, and now you say this woman is the new lady?" Cedrick asked, his breathing irregular, afraid of what his father might have done to his mother.
"Are you afraid I got rid of her? Don’t worry; I won’t give you the pleasure of seeing me free."
"And where is she?" Cedrick insisted as his father smiled, watching a maid enter the room with a tray.
Cedrick froze upon seeing that the woman was his mother, dressed like a servant. She approached, avoiding their gaze, expressionless; even her eyes seemed empty.
"Mother..." Cedrick murmured as she placed the tray on the table. Her trembling hands caused her to drop everything on the floor, including the wine bottle.
"It seems you were only useful to me for giving me a son, isn’t that right?" Mr. Romanov muttered impatiently, while she stood there paralyzed, squeezing her eyes shut in fear. "Do you know how much that wine bottle costs? How will you pay for it?" he asked, now irritated.
"You owe me much more. The value of a life is priceless, you bastard!" she shouted, receiving a slap that knocked her to the ground. Cedrick stood up, pushing his father, creating yet another reason for his irritation.
"Will you never learn? Do you want to die?!" his father roared, slapping Cedrick, who no longer had the strength to fight back.
"Darling, please... this isn’t the time to fight," the new Mrs. Romanov tried to intervene, frightened by the man’s aggressiveness.
"I’m not your son. I’m tired of this life. If you want a new woman, leave my mother alone, free her, and let us go," Cedrick pleaded, but his father just laughed.
"You’re not going anywhere. Especially being my successor. Prepare yourself to take my place, and for that, you will need to stop defending that woman!" he asserted firmly.
"Not even in death. I will never despise my mother. You are the only thing I despise," Cedrick declared resolutely.
"If you’re of no use to me, soon you’ll face a fate worse than hers."
"Are you going to send your thugs to kill me? I don’t want to succeed your mafia business or inherit your companies. I want you to fall into disgrace..." His voice was interrupted by a slap, and his father hesitated, nearly punching him before controlling himself.
Mr. Romanov contained his anger, observing the frailty of his son, who insisted tirelessly on defending his mother, and left the room with his new wife.
Cedrick remained sitting on the floor, while his mother began picking up the shards of glass.
"I’ll help you," Cedrick said, picking up the pieces of glass.
"Why don’t you mind your own life?" she asked, her voice tired.
"I just want to protect you."
"Protect? I live in this hell because of you. I never wanted to have you. Why don’t you leave me alone? I never loved you. I live hiding the truth: you came from abuse, from a forced and humiliating union. He killed my family to keep me, tricked my sister until she committed suicide. He brought ruin to my family solely for his desire for power," she said with disdain, while Cedrick, shocked, listened, unable to hold back his tears.
"What are you saying?" he asked, his voice faltering, tears streaming down his face.
"You're a damn bastard born from abuse. Since the day you were born, I only wished you would die. Looking at you reminds me of everything I went through," she responded with disgust. "You will never be a son to me. So stop getting in the middle. Do you think I'd be sad if you died? Actually, just thinking about it makes me happy."
"Enough!" he screamed, clutching his head as the world seemed to crumble around him.
Desperate and shattered, Cedrick walked through the hall where his father waited, a pleased expression on his face.
"I don't want anything from you! I hate this family! I will never come back to this place!" Cedrick asserted, and when the guards tried to hold him back, his father signaled for them to let him go.
As he left the mansion, Cedrick had no idea of the danger of being alone. With his father being an influential and hated mafia boss, Cedrick had become an easy target. He walked aimlessly, lost in thought, until he realized he was being followed. In a deserted alley, he felt a searing pain in his back, and a terrifying amount of blood began to flow as an enraged voice growled:
"You bastard! Die!" the man snarled.
Immediately after, Cedrick heard a woman’s high-pitched scream, and the assailant abruptly pulled back, collapsing beside him. The last image he saw before everything went dark was the face of a young woman holding him and trying to keep him awake.
After being rescued and hovering between life and death, Cedrick woke up five days later, still in excruciating pain. The only vivid memory he had was of the woman’s face—the one who had saved him.
She never appeared again, and over the following ten years, he came to consider her an "angel" who had rescued him that night. Trying to move forward, he relegated the attack to the past, never understanding the reason for the violence or the fate of his assailant.
Meanwhile, the woman who had saved him was also grappling with the scars of that fateful day. In the years that followed, her life had become a rollercoaster of fortune and misfortune, but recently, the waves of bad luck seemed increasingly intense.
That night, in her apartment, she suddenly awoke on the floor, a sharp, excruciating pain tearing through her abdomen. The pain was so overwhelming that it left her nearly immobile. With effort, she extended a trembling hand toward the phone beside her, her only hope of calling for help.
"I need help…" she mumbled weakly, and the call was abruptly cut off.
Five torturous minutes passed—an eternity for her as she grew weaker and more desperate. Suddenly, the deafening sound of the door being broken down yanked her from her stupor. Within seconds, she saw figures entering her apartment and soon recognized them as firefighters. Relief washed over her, despite the worrying situation. She hadn’t noticed the pool of blood that had formed beneath her.
The blinding white of the hospital room contrasted with Lavínia's blurred vision. The constant beeping of the monitor reminded her of the desperate situation she had found herself in. Slowly, her consciousness returned, bringing back memories of the accident and the anguish of those moments. Her eyes met those of her friend, who watched her with concern.
"Are you okay?" her friend asked, her voice heavy with emotion. Lavínia tried to smile, but the pain prevented her.
"Why didn’t you tell me?" her friend asked reproachfully, turning away in agitation.
"What happened?" Lavínia questioned, confused, trying to understand the gravity of the situation.
"What happened? How can you ask that? Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant? I only found out when you were three months along! And worse yet—when you lost the baby?" her friend said bluntly, her voice cracking. Lavínia felt the ground give way beneath her. The world around her began to spin.
"You’re saying that…" she couldn’t finish the sentence. The pressure in her chest grew, and her eyes closed. Tears continued streaming down her face as she fainted again.
When she opened her eyes, darkness enveloped her like a heavy shroud. The pain throbbed in her temples, an insistent hammering. The memory of the previous night—fragmented and terrifying—gradually returned, bringing with it the bitterness of loss and the anguish of uncertainty. The news of losing her child hit her like a punch to the stomach. The physical pain was intense, but the emotional pain consumed her completely. She felt shattered, like a puzzle missing vital pieces.
[...]
"I have to go. My parents have been calling since yesterday; I need to know what’s happening," Lavínia said, her voice trembling with emotion. She knew she should rest—that her friend was right—but an inner force pushed her to leave.
"No way! They need to know what’s happening with you right now! Besides, you haven’t really told me what happened. I don’t believe you got hurt this badly just from a fall," her friend insisted, her eyes brimming with worry.
Lavínia stared at her, determination in her eyes. She knew her friend was right, but the need to confront her parents was stronger.
Taking a deep breath, she stood up from the bed, the pain in her ankle throbbing with every movement. She put on her overcoat, covering the marks on her arms, and left the room, ignoring her friend.
With each step, the pain intensified, but she ignored it. The cold night air wrapped around her like an icy embrace. She lowered her head, trying to hide her pale face and swollen eyes. Behind her dark sunglasses, no one could see the fragility consuming her. At that moment, she felt an overwhelming need to see her parents—like a desperate, lost child.
As soon as she entered the garden and approached them, the light in her eyes dimmed when she saw their faces. Her mother looked sullen, and her father wore a look of discouragement. She sighed heavily, stopping in front of them, trying to remain strong.
"What’s happening?" she asked, feeling her chest tighten, without the energy for yet another argument.
Chapter 167: The Final Chapter"This is so strange..." she murmured to herself, as if everything were upside down, or as if it were a dream. She simply stepped back and sat in the chair with her daughter in her arms.Lavínia felt her heart racing as she held the little girl. It still felt like a distant dream, an illusion her mind had created to ease the pain of the past few years. But there she was: soft skin, golden curls, and eyes that resembled Cedrick’s, yet held the same intensity Lavínia saw in the mirror."Mommy..." the little girl murmured, stretching out her tiny hands to touch Lavínia’s face. Instantly, tears streamed down Lavínia’s cheeks, uncontrollable."You called me..." Lavínia whispered, but her voice broke midway through the sentence, overwhelmed by emotion.Cedrick stepped closer, resting his hand on her shoulder, his eyes filled with something between tenderness and guilt."She already knows you, Lavínia. I made sure of it. Every night, when she asked about you, I
Chapter 166: The Unexpected ReunionShe began watching the recordings. The cameras had been installed on the same day she was admitted to the hospital, and as soon as the footage started playing, her eyes filled with tears. Cedrick himself had installed the cameras."I knew it… You were there. You never truly abandoned me!" she murmured, unable to hold back her tears.She fast-forwarded the video, watching as he cared for her every day, tending to her skin, her nails, her health. But the more she advanced through the recordings, the more something unusual caught her attention. Everything started to become clear. She sped up the video even more, noticing her growing belly until she realized, she had been pregnant. But she never got to see the child. The last footage of Cedrick showed him on his knees, crying at the foot of the bed, as if something terrible had happened. She fast-forwarded a bit more, but there was nothing else. After that moment, he stood up, kissed her face, and left
Chapter 165: Until the Last SecondSamuel stopped in front of the door but hid, observing the two women through the small gap. He was surprised by Zara’s condition and how pale she was, but at that moment, he only wanted to listen to their conversation."I've been waiting for you all this time," Zara said with difficulty, while Lavínia kept her distance, watching her."I'm sorry for what I did to you...""No one knows what I really discussed with that man the day the accident happened," Lavínia interrupted, and Zara fell silent. "Why didn’t you open up to me? Why didn’t you tell me he was forcing you to do it? He told me he wanted to kill me once and for all, but you said you would do it. You could have told me, and... you know that, in the name of our friendship, I would have done everything to save you. But you chose the worst option. If you were hurt by me, you shouldn't have gotten close to me and deceived me. I truly believed in you as my best friend, the only one who was ever so
Chapter 164: Awakening and Unanswered QuestionsAnother month had passed. As always, Ronald went every morning to perform Lavínia's routine examinations. It had been a week since Samuel had finally returned, and he was now staying at the hospital, catching up on everything that had happened."I still don't understand. Why did he leave like that, just out of nowhere?" Samuel asked, confused."I don't know either... He was just exhausted. He spent months taking care of her, and as soon as she stabilized, he left. Supposedly, he needed to rest.""Maybe… But I really didn’t think he would be that kind of person. He promised he would stay with her until the end," Samuel said, disappointed. Ronald only pressed his lips together and sighed."Can you keep this a secret? Can you not tell her about the time he was here with her?""But… How am I supposed to do that? She will definitely feel hurt knowing he didn't care.""Just do it. Tell her he disappeared and left. How do you think she’ll feel
Chapter 163: The Silent FarewellThree months had passed with great difficulty. Lavínia's pregnancy was becoming increasingly complicated. These had been the hardest months for Cedrick and also for Ronald, Lavínia’s doctor and friend. Both were exhausted and had dark circles under their eyes, the result of the many relapses she had suffered and the repeated threats of miscarriage."Prepare yourself for what might happen," Ronald warned apprehensively."I won’t prepare because I’m not going to lose either of them. You’ll make sure of that, right?""How many times can she hold on to the baby? And for how long? She won’t make it! You have to choose. If this pregnancy continues, you could lose both of them!" Ronald stated firmly."I’m not ready… There’s so little time left until she reaches seven months… They’re both holding on! Please… Don’t give up on them. Lavínia will wake up… She won’t carry another burden like this.""As a doctor, I’m only looking out for her well-being. If she does
Chapter 162 - A Promise KeptZara remained silent for a few seconds before pointing to a notepad and pen. Cedrick handed them to her, and she wrote down an address. As soon as he took the paper, he rushed out of the room. Leaving the hospital behind, he called Valmont, who was closer to the indicated location.When he arrived, the place was already surrounded by police cars and an ambulance waiting nearby."I came as fast as I could," Valmont informed him just as the gates were broken down, no one had come to open them."Supposedly, everyone must have left and abandoned her," Cedrick commented, running inside, feeling the weight of the situation and fearing it was too late.Mery was found in an improvised hospital room. She had been there for three days without medical assistance. The house had been abandoned all that time, and her skin was pale, her lips cracked from dehydration."She’s still alive!" one of the paramedics announced as they placed her on a stretcher to rush her to the
Chapter 161: A Second Chance“She could stay in this state for years, but there’s another problem, and I didn’t want to tell anyone except you.”“What’s happening?”“Come more often and stay by her side. Maybe it will help her, and who knows… with a lot of luck, your daughter might survive too.” He explained, trying to contain the tension.“What do you mean? Are you saying she’s pregnant?”“Three months along. We performed some detailed ultrasounds, and… it’s a girl. But she might not have a chance to survive. And even if she does, early pregnancy is very delicate, and she… she might be born with some complications due to what happened.”“Wait… You’re telling me she’s carrying our child? Me, her, and… a baby?”“That’s right. Still, both of them are at risk of not waking up. I haven’t told anyone else about the pregnancy to avoid further distress. But you are the father of the child she carries, and you deserve to know, because now, they only have you.” He warned, then left, leaving Ze
Chapter 160: The Unexpected Betrayal"Of course, I know. I found a will in Dimon's email. He was handling a rather peculiar contract, but I only found an unsigned copy. Romanov was well-prepared.""What did it say?""At this very moment, all of Romanov's assets, including Alpha Corp, have already been transferred to another ownership. But no one knows to whom.""What are we going to do?""Keep working until everything starts to collapse," she said indifferently.She said goodbye to Samuel and headed to the parking lot. Getting into her car without a care, she started driving. Suddenly, she noticed a shadow rising from the back seat. The man was wearing a hat, but he quickly removed it."You scared me!" she murmured, slamming on the brakes. "HR manager, Axel? What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to open the door, only to realize it was locked."I thought you'd want to see me again," he commented, taking off a wig and peeling away a second skin that concealed his true face.At th
Chapter 159: The Courtroom’s Final Verdict“What is she talking about?” people whispered in confusion as Lavínia organized the papers on the table.“Ladies and gentlemen, the court has a solemn duty to ensure that justice prevails, regardless of circumstances or the power of those involved. The case before us today is a clear example of how the truth can be distorted by hidden interests and manipulations.”Lavínia’s voice was firm, echoing throughout the courtroom.“Initially, all the evidence pointed to Cedrick Romanov’s conviction for serial murder. For days, we analyzed testimonies, documents, and evidence presented by the prosecution. Given this information, this court was inclined to sentence the defendant to 30 years in a maximum-security prison.”She paused, looking directly at the audience before continuing:“Yes, I said ‘was’.”Viktor Romanov lost the gleam in his eyes at that moment. He knew this wouldn’t end here. Lavínia’s gaze on him was like a sharp blade, declaring that
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