Cap. 50: Don’t You Remember?“What do you want?” Lavínia asked, feeling her hands tremble.“I’m the only one taking care of her. If it weren’t for you, her illness wouldn’t have progressed so quickly. Do you know how many millions I spend on treatments and research just to ensure the disease doesn’t advance?” she asked in a restrained voice.“All you’re doing is fighting the inevitable. Just let it go, daughter… It’s not that I don’t care about her, but all that money is being wasted.”“And that’s why you decided to stop the treatment and let her wither away without my consent?” she asked angrily.“You’re spending it all unnecessarily. I’ll find out where she is and put an end to this absurd, meaningless treatment! Can’t you see your situation? You’ll lose that case against the prosecutor, your company will collapse in the media, and you’ll be accused of defamation. No one will trust you again!” he declared.“If you don’t believe I can win, then you shouldn’t say you want to stand by
Chapter 51:Zen remained silent, walking inside accompanied by his mother, who was still surprised.“How do you remember her if you lost your memory on the day you were attacked?” his mother insisted.“It’s not like I remember who my parents are. I only remember her because, before I passed out, she was the last person I saw. Even so, she doesn’t remember that I was the boy she saved that day.”“What are we supposed to say? What exactly do you have now?” his father asked, concerned.“Nothing yet, for now. I understand why she doesn’t remember me. It was just an unfortunate encounter, and ten years have passed. But I never imagined I’d meet her like this and that we’d end up working together,” he commented, smiling with satisfaction.“How did your paths cross?” Lilian asked, showing concern.“It’s very ironic. It’s as if we
Cap. 52: You Won’t Have Anything.“What the hell is going on? Who is this Mrs. Bayer? Everything points to her being Mrs. Bayer. She has all this money, pays millions for treatments, and no one ever sees her in the office. My head is already hurting, but I have ways of finding this out without stressing over it,” he grumbled, standing up and heading to his room.“Do you think he’s in love with that woman?” Zacarias asked his wife, sitting next to her.“They can’t get close, especially knowing what that man said the day he was arrested. Zen can’t know that we followed everything to the end and how complicated it was for her to win the case.”“We don’t need to talk about that. Besides, he’s still in jail, and he won’t be getting out anytime soon.”“Still… it’s possible that the promise he made in the past will come back to the
Cap. 53: Changing the Environment"Where do you think you're going?" Zara asked, sitting beside her."Nowhere special, I just want a place where they won’t find me." She sighed, thoughtful."Are you thinking about going to Dubai, Paris, Hong Kong... there are so many possibilities. Even if you don't succeed in this case, you'll still be a billionaire, so...""Are you too? You act like you don’t know me. I never lose a case! Mrs. Bayer is known for being invincible, remember? And I’m not going to lose that title to a corrupt prosecutor." She stated, annoyed. "Leave me alone!" she repeated firmly."I didn’t say you’d lose, but we have to think of all possibilities. Considering the information I have, it’s almost crazy for you to go to court with just assumptions.""Of course, you're right. You can leave now, I’ll deal with this mess later.""Are you really going to move?"
Cap. 54: "We Live Together Now.""What are you thinking, Mr. Obedon?" Valmont asked, his piercing gaze fixed on Zen, who avoided eye contact, nervously running a hand through his hair."Is she sleeping? Did you drug her and bring her here? She's going to kill me! Do you know how angry that woman can get?""I've never seen her slap you," Valmont said indifferently, crossing his arms."She's a lawyer, Valmont! She could sue me, who knows?" Zen huffed, exasperated.Valmont laughed, a short, bitter laugh."And you can defend yourself, Mr. R already told you not to waste your law degree. How many things have you done in your twenty-four years? You're turning twenty-five next month and still have this empty head, you idiot kid!" Valmont asserted, giving Zen a light tap on the back of his neck. "And I still can't believe I have to serve a kid like you," he grumbled, shaking his head.Zen rolled his eyes."Bend down, servant!" he mocked, a sarcastic
Cap. 55: I Don’t Need Love."Exactly what I expected is happening," she said with satisfaction, her eyes shining as she showed Zen the news on her phone. "The apartment is on fire, and the firefighters still haven’t been able to control the flames. The whole building has been evacuated, and one person is missing."Zen frowned, the news catching him off guard. "Don’t tell me that’s the apartment you were staying in?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly."Exactly. I knew he was investigating me. I noticed on the cameras that someone strange was always lurking around my apartment, making sure I was inside. So, I faked it with pillows to make it look like I was sleeping in my bed, and as soon as the guy who was watching me moved away, I slipped out in disguise and climbed down the stairwell. I was exhausted when I got here. The black smoke rising in the distance was proof that I was right, and he was trying to kill me."
Cap. 56: Bayer's Victory"What did you think?" he asked, standing upright."It's funny. Why are you wearing those accessories?" she asked, but he walked toward her, placing the sunglasses on her face."Because we're about to mess with something dangerous, simple as that. The man we're going up against isn't easy, and he already burned down your apartment. How are we supposed to stay alive if he tries something again?""True, I don't want to die on the shore after swimming so far," she admitted, adjusting the glasses.As soon as they arrived at the courthouse, the two stopped in front of the grand staircase. Lavínia's chest seemed ready to burst with excitement, while Zen scanned the surroundings with restrained anxiety. They stood before the Court of Justice, an imposing building exuding seriousness in every detail. Zen studied the space around them, feeling the tension in the air."Since they think you're dead, no on
Chapter 57: Afraid of Him?“So, they send a rookie lawyer and expect us to accept such a provocation? Where is Mrs. Bayer?” one of the lawyers asked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. Chaos reigned in the corridor: a whirlwind of people, scattered papers, and an air of hostility.“She didn’t need to come… with the criminal record this man has…” Lavínia commented, her voice dripping with irony as she regarded the lawyers with disdain. The mention of the charges against the man hit them like a slap. “Besides, he’s going to die in prison with the sentence he received.”“Well… we had prepared for Bayer’s defeat, considering she’s just a bitter woman who likes to stir up trouble within her own circle,” one of the lawyers retorted, a triumphant smirk on his face. Satisfaction gleamed in his eyes.“That’s fine. You’ll
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