127: "The Unseen Truth"While everyone at the recovery center was stunned and unsure of what to do, the cameras had recorded everything that had happened. The room was engulfed in a heavy silence as the footage was played again, as if trying to make sense of the inexplicable.Lavínia kept her gaze fixed on the screen, her face pale, her heart racing. She immediately recognized the woman who had entered her mother’s room. Her stomach churned at the thought of the worst, but she continued watching, and what she saw left her speechless: her aunt Eleonor, with a cold, determined expression, trying to suffocate Elena. The footage continued to show Zen, stumbling drunk, entering the room, grabbing a syringe, and injecting something into the woman, who then collapsed unconscious.“I-I…” Lílian tried to stammer, uncomfortable. “He didn’t kill her…” she added, her voice heavy with tension. “He only injected Elena with the medicine. Your aunt is sleeping in one of the rooms.”“Thank goodness…”
128 - The Family Secret“Lavínia is showing signs of her mother’s hereditary disease,” the doctor began, his expression serious. “We didn’t expect the symptoms to appear before she turned thirty. If I had predicted this... maybe we could’ve started treatment earlier to try to inhibit the effects.”“What do you mean?” Zen asked, the tension clear in his voice.“That, little by little, Lavínia may start forgetting who she is, what she knows, what she is capable of. Her neurons might begin to degrade and...”“But what about her mother?” Zen interrupted, confused. “Her mother lasted years, right?”“No... It’s not exactly like that.” The doctor sighed. “Lavínia’s mother went through an extremely difficult time in the beginning. The disease, in its early stages, presents itself very aggressively, until the body adapts to the changes. But when that happens, the person is never the same. They start a slow, but irreversible, walk toward death, from the moment the symptoms appear.”“How’s that
CHAPTER 1: STRENGTH WHERE THERE IS NONECedrick 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."M
CHAPTER 2: THE WEIGHT OF BEING She thought something serious might be happening with her parents, but it turned out to be nothing too concerning. They were simply unhappy after she had kept quiet about her decision to move to a new city and purchase a new building where her entire company would be relocated. While others might think the change was to help her business grow even more and make her more powerful, Lavínia was worried about far more serious issues that kept her awake at night.The visit to her parents didn’t last long. Bayer stood firm through the complaints she received from them. It was a constant—whether from her parents or others—everything felt like an infinite weight on her shoulders, overburdening her."Did I hear you’re moving the company to a new building closer to the city center? When were you going to tell us?" her mother asked, annoyed."I was already planning to do that.""When? Once you had already moved? Your father works at that company, you know he can’t
ChAP. 3: NO ENERGY FOR ANYTHINGThere were so many people around, dancing and enjoying the party, that Lavínia barely looked at her friend. The space where she stood seemed wrapped in a cold, unwelcoming aura, pushing away even stray glances to avoid attracting her bad mood. "Ignore her! Even if we’re her employees, today is the day we get to have fun without the grump scolding us," her friend shouted, trying to break the discomfort among the staff.Within seconds, the music was loud, and everyone was drinking and having fun—except for Lavínia. Still, even with everyone distracted, her attempts to escape were constantly thwarted as her friend kept blocking her. "You're not going anywhere—not before you see all the handsome men I hired from the modeling agency that produces the monthly champion lawyers' magazines." "How can a company that makes serious magazines work with this kind of service?" Lavínia protested irritably. "It’s a famous entertainment and modeling agency. Many of t
Cap. 4: Unknowns and AcidicHe turned by accident and frowned when he saw Lavínia coming towards him with a determined look and a half-smile, showing her skill."Ah... You're here? You found the room quickly. Why didn't you wait inside?" she asked, smiling awkwardly, staring at him with alarmed eyes, begging for help, while her friend watched curiously. Lavínia grabbed the young man's arm at the same time he tried to cover the phone's speaker."Are you crazy?" he said quietly, embarrassed."Just help me with this!" she whispered, getting closer to his face."It's none of my business, I'm busy right now!" he gritted his teeth, trying to push her away."Come on! I'm excited, I'm glad you accepted my invitation!" she said the last word with irritation, pulling him into the room. Zara didn't understand anything but shrugged and went back to talking to the other guy."What do you think you're doing?" he asked next, having no choice but to hang up the call, turning the doorknob to leave."N
Chapter 5: After the SlipWhen Zen opened his eyes, the sun was already setting. He jumped out of bed, looking at Lavínia, who was still fast asleep, showing no sign of stirring. He ran a hand through his hair, incredulous about what had happened. He became even more bewildered when he checked the time, letting out a heavy sigh of concern."I'm screwed..." he whispered, staring at the phone screen.He gathered his clothes and quickly dressed. Before leaving, he spotted an envelope on the floor near the door. Lavínia's friend had slid his payment under the door. He smiled ironically as he looked around."I wish I could see your face... arrogant woman," he muttered, grabbing a pen and writing a brief note. He left it on the kitchen table, next to a glass of water and a pitcher, knowing it would attract her after the intense night and the likely hangover she would wake up with.Zen left the room almost as if he were running away, repeatedly trying to call someone. Each time the call was
Chapter 6: Get Out of the Way!"What is she doing here? Mom can't go out like this!" Lavínia asserted, rushing to change. She quickly got ready and followed Zara as if they were heading to a funeral."She's in the hall where the party happened. Sorry, Lavínia..."The two hesitated as they opened the door, but as soon as they did, they found Lavínia's mother standing there with a neutral expression."Who was that man?" her mother asked, even before they could say "good morning.""He's someone unimportant!" Zara tried to answer."That's not it! He's not unimportant, he... we..." Lavínia stammered, unable to respond properly."We've been getting to know each other for a few months!" she said awkwardly, while Zara stared at her, petrified."You're already in a new relationship?" her mother asked, surprised. "I thought you were still with that scoundrel.""But that ended a long time ago..." Lavínia averted her gaze, mumbling. "Anyway, I'm sorry you witnessed this situation. How about we ha
128 - The Family Secret“Lavínia is showing signs of her mother’s hereditary disease,” the doctor began, his expression serious. “We didn’t expect the symptoms to appear before she turned thirty. If I had predicted this... maybe we could’ve started treatment earlier to try to inhibit the effects.”“What do you mean?” Zen asked, the tension clear in his voice.“That, little by little, Lavínia may start forgetting who she is, what she knows, what she is capable of. Her neurons might begin to degrade and...”“But what about her mother?” Zen interrupted, confused. “Her mother lasted years, right?”“No... It’s not exactly like that.” The doctor sighed. “Lavínia’s mother went through an extremely difficult time in the beginning. The disease, in its early stages, presents itself very aggressively, until the body adapts to the changes. But when that happens, the person is never the same. They start a slow, but irreversible, walk toward death, from the moment the symptoms appear.”“How’s that
127: "The Unseen Truth"While everyone at the recovery center was stunned and unsure of what to do, the cameras had recorded everything that had happened. The room was engulfed in a heavy silence as the footage was played again, as if trying to make sense of the inexplicable.Lavínia kept her gaze fixed on the screen, her face pale, her heart racing. She immediately recognized the woman who had entered her mother’s room. Her stomach churned at the thought of the worst, but she continued watching, and what she saw left her speechless: her aunt Eleonor, with a cold, determined expression, trying to suffocate Elena. The footage continued to show Zen, stumbling drunk, entering the room, grabbing a syringe, and injecting something into the woman, who then collapsed unconscious.“I-I…” Lílian tried to stammer, uncomfortable. “He didn’t kill her…” she added, her voice heavy with tension. “He only injected Elena with the medicine. Your aunt is sleeping in one of the rooms.”“Thank goodness…”
Chapter 126: "Fugitive in Search of Refuge"After paying for the taxi, he entered with her, who sat on the sofa.“What the hell… what am I going to do?” he asked, messing up his hair in impatience and staring at Elena sitting on the couch, her expression indifferent.“Are you okay?” she asked, swallowing dryly, her voice dragging.“You keep talking…” He sighed uneasily. “Why did you come here?”“I’m scared, I don’t want to stay there, and I don’t want to die,” she confessed, frightened.“Your daughter is going to cause a big mess because of you. Why don’t you go back? How did you get here without knowing where I live?”“I followed you and waited until that man left. I need you to hide me, please.”“Why?”“You saw… that woman, who I don’t want to call a sister, is trying to kill me. With my death, my husband can take the fortune that’s in my name.”“Damn, ma’am, your family really loves money.”“My daughter has millions saved in my bank account for my treatment. I’ve had her working ha
Chapter 125 - Secrets, Shadows, and Unexpected EncountersShe observed for a short moment before stepping back and calling someone."Darling, you won’t believe this, but I found her," she said while heading toward the elevator booth, barely noticing that she had passed by someone familiar."What is that woman doing here?" Zen murmured, suspicious. Still, he wasn’t interested in finding out as he waited for his call to be answered."Valmont, send me the address where Mrs. Bayer’s judge appointment will take place. I remember it’s today, right? The newspapers won’t stop talking about it.""Are you thinking of going?""Yes.""But it’s a restricted event. Normally, only prosecutors and employees from her firm would attend… Oh, that’s right, you’re one of them. Still, you didn’t receive an invitation. You need one to get in.""Valmont, a closed door has never been a reason for me not to enter—you know that. Besides, I need to figure out the real reason behind Lavínia’s marriage. Have you f
Chapter 124 – A Narrow Escape“What do you mean?” Cedrick asked, confused. “I've never seen anything like this before. There was no woman more focused and attentive to her work than Lavínia. If she’s acting this way now, it must be because of what she's been doing lately.”“True... Besides, today is her appointment. She’s finally going to become the judge she always dreamed of being!” Zara commented—until she felt a tap on her shoulder from Samuel.“She’s becoming a judge?” he asked, frowning.“No! Actually, I got mixed up...” she mumbled, bringing her hands to her head. “I think I’m just as exhausted as Lavínia.”“It doesn’t seem like you got mixed up.” Cedrick retorted, suspicious.“You’re still here?!” Cedrick’s mother sighed, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the two.“What’s going on?”“Where is she? I went to her room, and she wasn’t there!” his mother asked, fear in her voice.“Who? Mrs. Bayer?”“Yes, her…” His mother pressed her lips together, placing a hand on her ch
Chapter 123 – Shadows of the PastSamuel and Zara rushed into the room upon hearing her panicked scream. When they found her, Lavínia was curled up in the corner of the bed, while her phone, its screen cracked, lay in the opposite corner where she had thrown it.“What happened?” Samuel asked, trying to calm her down, but she didn’t say a single word.“What could she have seen that scared her this much now?” Zara questioned anxiously. “I keep saying… We need to disappear for a while, maybe go to another country and take a vacation. The problem with Lavínia is that she always insists on facing everything, but it seems like things are getting out of hand.”“I don’t know...” Samuel murmured in confusion, gently laying Lavínia down on the bed. She kept her lips pressed together, still in a state of panic. “What is that man’s motivation? What does he really want?” he asked, as confused as he was concerned, while Zara swallowed hard.“We should ask the doctor to give her a sedative.”“No! I’
Chapter 122 – A Game of Shadows“Well... I saw her a few times after that party,” he commented, swallowing hard, while Zen seemed to have asked on purpose."I'm afraid of a few things..." he confessed, ignoring Valmont's reaction."Of what?""Of losing the things I love. I know I shouldn’t love or get attached to anything—that’s how that man tried to raise me... but I can’t help it. I’m used to clinging to what I never had when I was younger. The day I woke up in that hospital after almost dying, I woke up with a new family. So, it wasn’t a bad day for me. I was only 14, and I didn’t have the cold mind I have today. But that time definitely saved me... or I would have discarded anything that had to do with humanity.”"I know... Romanov wanted to create nothing but a killing machine. You are one, but with feelings. You’ve learned to respect the people you love. But not everything goes the way we want. Things are getting out of control, and with this note, I’m almost certain you might b
Chapter 121 – The Trap"Hey, what are you—" Lavínia tried to step out, but it was too late.The elevator doors shut with a metallic thud, and within seconds, a thick white fog began to fill the cabin. Lavínia pressed herself against the wall, frozen for an instant. Her heart pounded as the chemical scent invaded her lungs, suffocating her.Desperate, she rushed to the panel, pressing the buttons repeatedly, trying to force the doors open or stop the elevator. Her hands trembled as her lungs began to fail. The fog spread rapidly, making every breath more difficult."Someone... help me..." she managed to whisper before a violent coughing fit overtook her, tears streaming from her stinging eyes.Meanwhile, Zen was still sprinting up the stairs like a madman, hearing only the muffled sound of his own footsteps and the deafening pulse of blood in his ears. He knew he had to get there before it was too late.Inside the elevator, Lavínia collapsed to her knees, her fingers still fumbling wit
Chapter 120 - The Silent Threat"She received that?" he asked, standing up."Where is she, and where is that note?""She’s better, she's working, and the note is back in the pile of gifts," she informed him.Cedrick immediately rushed toward the office.All the employees turned to him, confused by his abrupt entrance. He hadn't even realized how fast he had moved."Hey, assistant, what are you doing? I thought your shift was over," one of the women asked."Yeah... but I heard there's a lot of work here. By any chance... is that pile of stuff meant to be taken to storage?" he asked, pointing at the stack of mail addressed to Bayer."Yes, please, if you can... burn everything related to hate messages and gifts," one of them said, still tense. They were all scared.Cedrick grabbed a large box, dumped everything inside, and discreetly hid the envelope under his blazer. He carried the box to the storage room, where, after setting it down, he pulled out the letter and read it.It was exactl