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 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."
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 th
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."No
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 w
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
Chapter 7: Connected Paths"Lavinia fixed her gaze on the man in surprise and crouched down, trying to hide quickly after recognizing him as the same man from the previous night." "What are you doing, miss?" the ambulance driver asked. "Is he coming? He can't see me!" she hissed through her teeth. "Actually, he's asking the cars to move aside," the driver said, keeping his eyes on the young man.Lavinia stood up and saw Zen a few meters away, knocking on the side of each car, telling them to clear the way. The traffic was chaotic, with cars honking incessantly. The ambulance's siren pierced the air, a shrill sound echoing through the streets. The driver finally managed to move as Lavinia watched Zen until the ambulance passed him. He hadn’t noticed she was inside.When they reached the hospital, Lavinia's father received care in time and was finally out of danger. At that moment, she sat in the waiting area, lost in thought, recalling the young man who had helped clear the way for
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