Chapter 111 – The Poison of BetrayalShe stealthily followed the door to the room, approaching carefully until she heard a child’s cry for help:“Please, leave my older brother alone!”“What are you doing, Jenner?” Lavínia asked as she entered the room, shocked by the scene.“Please! She wants to hurt my brother!” the boy cried, clutching Jenner’s dress, but she pushed him away with a rough gesture.“Stay away from me! I’m not doing anything! I just want my fiancé back!” Jenner shouted, moving toward Zen, who lay sprawled on the floor, struggling to keep his eyes open.On the bed, a woman who had seemed to be asleep began to stir, groggy, trying to understand the commotion around her.“Jenner, what did you do to him?” Lavínia demanded, moving closer to Zen. He was trying to sit up but was so disoriented that he could barely move.“Nothing much! You all need to stop interfering in our lives! For your information, he’s my fiancé! And you…” Jenner’s eyes burned with fury as she pointed a
Chapter 112: The Storm Unleashed"Just close your eyes and pretend you're asleep," Mery whispered to the boy trembling beside her, clinging to her as if she could shield him from the world."Is he going to hit you because of that woman?" his voice came out shaky as he buried his face in her chest."Don't worry, it's nothing that hasn't happened before," Mery forced a smile, but the fear in her eyes was as evident as the sound of heavy footsteps echoing down the corridor, drawing closer.The door burst open, and the room seemed to shrink under the overwhelming presence of Romanov, followed by a small entourage. Jenner stormed in right after, dramatically pointing at the woman lying on the bed."This woman hit me!" she accused, her voice laced with false indignation.Mery remained motionless, eyes shut, breath held, feigning deep sleep."How could she have attacked you?" Romanov asked, crossing his arms and fixing Jenner with a cold stare. "She's under the effects of sedatives.""You th
Chapter 113: The Breaking Point“What are you saying, you crazy woman?!” Barbara screamed, stepping back, her eyes wide in shock.“What is going on here? I want a clear explanation before I decide what to do with you.” Mr. Romanov said, his voice low but laced with menace.Jenner shifted uncomfortably, her hands trembling as she tried to maintain her composure.“It... it was your wife who gave me the idea to give Cedrick the aphrodisiac to...” She bit her lips, stopping, the embarrassment evident.“Why don’t you go ahead and tell him the whole truth?” Barbara taunted, a cold smile playing on her lips.“Mr. Romanov, let’s speak civilly.” Jenner’s father, Mr. Klaus, intervened, his voice cautious. “Remember, my daughter might be in the early stages of pregnancy, and this woman almost made her lose the baby.”“That’s a lie!” Barbara exploded, her voice sharp, leaving Klaus speechless. “She claimed she spent the night with Cedrick, but it’s all a farce! That night, he was with another wom
Chapter 114 - Chains of the PastHe continued walking down the corridor until he reached the staircase where they had taken Cedrick. His steps echoed through the heavy silence of the house. Descending the stairs, he passed through the parking lot, crossed the side gate, and reached the garden. There, beside a flowerbed, he found the boy curled up, hugging himself for comfort."It's cold." Romanov's voice cut through the silence, firm and reproachful. "Your health is already bad enough. What do you want? To make it worse?"The boy slowly lifted his face, his tear-filled eyes glistening under the dim light. He stared at the man with a mix of pain and determination."Will Miss Mery come back?" he asked, wiping his tears with the back of his small hands.Romanov took a deep breath, averting his gaze for a moment."I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter, since she’s a crazy woman.""Mery is not crazy!" the boy retorted, his voice firm and filled with indignation.Romanov raised an eyebrow, sur
115: A Mother's Unexpected ProtectionMery didn’t say a word. Even though she felt that Lavínia was serious, she only smiled apprehensively and returned to watching the scenery."Just let me enjoy a few minutes of my freedom. Mr. Romanov is not someone you can mess with. You should know that." Mery murmured, ignoring the young woman’s presence.However, upon hearing the sound of something being dragged, she turned and saw Lavínia bringing a wheelchair."Why don’t you sit here? It’s okay, I can’t force you to believe me, but I can show you some beautiful places nearby. I heard you lost a lot of blood and can’t walk much. So… if you want to enjoy a little freedom, you should come with me." Lavínia suggested with a calm yet firm smile."Well..." Mery smiled awkwardly, hesitating for a moment. "I can’t refuse a stroll since you’re offering." She said, struggling to walk before finally sitting in the chair.Meanwhile, Valmont remained in Zen’s room. He hadn’t woken up yet, and an alarm sta
116: The Cycle of DeathZen was now in Mrs. Bayer’s mother’s room. The woman remained as she always had: seated in her chair, her gaze distant, vacant, devoid of life and emotion. She looked like a statue, a mere shadow of who she once was.He pulled up a chair and sat in front of her, crossing his legs and arms. He observed her with curiosity, like someone analyzing a riddle with no rush to solve it.“You don’t talk much, do you?” he began, his voice soft but laced with something almost cruel. “In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you react to anything at all. But today…” He sighed deeply, a dark smile curling his lips. “Today, I want to give you something to worry about. And, you know, I also want to tell you why. After all, everyone keeps saying you’re going to die soon. So… die before your daughter’s funeral, all right?”His words cut through the silence of the room like a blade. But as always, she showed no reaction.Zen tilted his head, as if examining every detail of her face,
117 - A Dangerous RevelationMr. Romanov forcefully pushed the man's hands away from his collar, glaring at him with reproach."Are you making a joke out of me? Is this what you were planning all along? Where is Mery?" he demanded, leaving Zen speechless."What do you mean? Didn't you take her out of the hospital?" Zen asked, confused."What the hell are you talking about, you damn brat? Where is Mery?" Romanov repeated, now with even more intensity. Zen ran his hands through his hair, looking completely lost."What the hell are you asking? Wasn't it you who took her out of the hospital? Wasn't it you who kidnapped Lavínia? Because I have no idea where either of them is!""Why would I kidnap Lavínia? And even if I had taken Mery from that hospital, it would still be within my rights. She's my wife. All I have to do is give an order, and I can have her legally discharged!" Romanov stated firmly."Right... but then? Was it Valmont? Who else would have taken her from there?""I don't kno
118 - A Truth Unveiled"What do you mean she just walked in?" he asked, surprised."Bayer is already inside..."Before she could finish, he rushed into the room, scanning it anxiously, but she wasn't there as he had thought. No one was there except those who had already been seen, and he knew that none of those women was Mrs. Bayer."Have you printed the documents that were ordered?" one of the lawyers asked."Supposedly, she doesn’t even need them," he grumbled, shrugging as he walked away. He grabbed the stack of documents and left. The receptionist from earlier had already disappeared.Lavínia remained in her office, burying herself in work. Zara stayed by her side, watching her and always bringing her water."Isn't it time to take a break?" Zara asked, glancing at the clock. It was nearly noon."Actually... I think so." Lavínia admitted, her vision momentarily blurring before returning to normal. "That's strange," she murmured, rubbing her eyes."You need to rest. You should take
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