Chapter 82” The Man from the Past“For as long as necessary. It’s not the right time yet. After the event, I’ll tell him everything.”“And Evandro hasn’t bothered you again, right?” Zara asked, concerned.“Even after I ruined yet another business opportunity for him, he still hasn’t come after me,” she said with a victorious air.“You need to stop. This could be dangerous. The last visit nearly killed you, and the one before that gave you the worst experience of your life. When will you stop?” Zara asked, worry evident in her voice.“Don’t worry. If anything happens, I’ll press the button and be safe again,” she reassured, shaking the delicate stone bracelet on her wrist.“I hope we’re not too far for the worst to happen,” Zara commented.“But I still don’t understand. Why do you keep trying to undermine him?”“It’s not that I’m trying to undermine him. He’s trying to take everything I have, cutting ahead of me.”“He must be furious now that you’ve won another victory. Be careful.”“T
Chapter 83: The Locked DoorZen had no idea what Mr. R was planning besides the event. As soon as he arrived at the mansion, the servants were waiting for him at the gate and accompanied him, along with Valmont.“What’s happening now?” he asked, confused.“He doesn’t want you arriving all messed up at the event, so he wants to make sure you don’t go into that woman’s room, at least not today,” Valmont warned. Zen followed in silence, unsure where he was being led, until they stopped by a room he already knew well.“Am I going to visit someone, by chance?”“Actually, no,” Valmont answered, turning the doorknob. “This is your room, next to your father’s room.”Zen smiled skeptically, with a mocking air.“Don’t think I’m impressed, considering I already have all of this and more outside these walls.”“Still, you’ve limited yourself to a simple and poor life. You barely use the card you got. You should take advantage of all of this, since you’ve worked hard to get what you have today. Don
Chapter 84: A Glimpse of the PastBoth Zara and Samuel froze upon hearing Bowen’s words. Their eyes widened in surprise as they tried to decipher the meaning behind the statement. Turning to face him, they found a sarcastic smile on his lips and a velvet box in his hands. As he opened it, they revealed the ring—a unique model everyone knew well.“Do you remember?” Bowen asked, stepping forward with confidence. Lavínia, feeling her stomach churn, narrowed her eyes, trying to push the image of the jewel away.“What is he talking about? Didn’t you two break up?” Zara asked, her voice trembling.“Of course not!” Bowen declared vehemently, waving them off with a sharp gesture. Samuel, however, stepped in between them, blocking his path. “Ah, still playing bodyguard, you little assistant!” Bowen muttered under his breath, his voice low but filled with contempt.“Let’s not fight here,” Zara warned, her voice firm. “If something goes wrong, there’s no avoiding the press.”“Good, you know that
Chapter 85: The Prodigy and His Fate“Ah... how wonderful, we never knew she was married. I understand now, but I must say that thanks to this little argument, we’ve reaped great benefits. Thank you, Mrs. Bayer,” one of the men said, the irony dripping from each syllable. Lavínia shot him a deadly glance, but he just smiled, clearly pleased to have humiliated her.“Anyway... I hope our disagreements today can be overcome, since we’re back to what we were before,” Bowen remarked, but the tension in the air was palpable. The guests, uncomfortable with the situation, disguised their unease by drinking more wine.Meanwhile, in a more private corner, Zen Obedon and Mr. Romanov were the center of attention. The crowd gathered around them, eager for a glimpse of the famous prodigal son. Zen, however, seemed distant, his eyes fixed on the bottom of his glass, gently swirling it.“Finally, we can meet your son, Mr. Romanov. After years of knowing you had a son, and that he’s a prodigy, we’ve b
Chapter 86: The Game of Truth“Wait... Jenner’s fiancé is Zen Obedon?” Zara asked, her voice low so they wouldn’t be overheard by the crowd. Her heart raced with surprise and excitement.“Actually, it’s Cedrick Romanov. We never could have imagined, but it was obvious a simple guy couldn’t afford a couture suit from another country,” Samuel sighed, thoughtful. He seemed perplexed by the revelation.“Lavínia is going to be shocked when she finds out who the guy was that she spent the night with. She just hit the jackpot of her life,” Zara laughed, but her voice was dripping with irony. She pulled Samuel away from the crowd, needing a moment to process the information.“Why don’t you two talk? Let’s choose a table and sit down,” Mr. Romanov suggested, his commanding voice echoing through the room. Jenner, with a radiant smile, held onto Cedrick’s arm firmly, demonstrating possession. Cedrick, in turn, felt a shiver run down his spine. He had completely forgotten everything around him wh
Cap. 87: My Girlfriend Is Married"Are you really trying to destroy your own son?" Valmont asked, his voice laden with frustration and disbelief. The idea of sacrificing his son’s sanity to protect an empire seemed absurd to him."He must marry Jenner. He was destined to do that a long time ago. Besides, Bayer, despite everything and her growth, became a problem when she took control of Dimon’s companies. Her lawyers are meddling with everything, trying to find a connection between me and him." Mr. Romanov spoke with the same coldness as always, as if discussing the weather."But I’ve already taken care of it. Nothing will happen. The only concern now is what you're trying to do," Valmont commented, feeling a tightness in his chest. With every word from Romanov, it became clearer the abyss separating them."You will do exactly what I say. Just don’t tell him that she’s Mrs. Bayer. He doesn’t need to know that the woman he’s sharing a house with, and is right now on the dance floor, is
Chapter 88: A Tense Confrontation"What’s going on? Are you confusing things?" Bowen asked, his voice trembling. Cedrick’s accusation had caught him off guard, and the anger in his eyes was evident."What are you doing?" Lavínia interrupted, her voice cold and cutting. Her eyes, once filled with love, now radiated disdain."I want to know, what are you doing here, and on top of that, next to this bastard? What’s this story about you being married to him? Is this for real? Weren’t you divorced from him?" Cedrick asked, his voice heavy with pain and resentment. His words echoed through the room, drawing the attention of everyone around."So what if I was married? What difference does it make? I just found out you’re engaged, right? Cedrick Romanov." She spat the words, each syllable full of contempt. The mask of happiness she had worn had fallen, revealing the woman who had been wounded and betrayed by the one she loved."That’s easy to explain, but how can you lie? Are you really marri
Chapter 89: Amidst the ChaosHalf an hour earlier...“Lavínia seems really upset, doesn’t she?” Jenner asked, uncomfortable with Zen’s constant stares in her direction.“She does? I’m way more upset,” he commented, taking the wine glass and downing it in a single gulp.“You... I don’t understand the tense atmosphere between you two. Why did you take issue with them?”“For no reason,” he replied, still watching her, then shifting his attention to Bowen as he noticed Lavínia stumble discreetly.Bowen gave a malicious smile and slid one hand along her cheek and through her thick hair with a certain careless air, which made Zen more alert.Zara and Samuel stayed at a distance, both on edge, knowing Bowen’s aggressive behavior toward Lavínia and understanding that his kindness was an act.Zen pretended to be distracted as Bowen started glaring at him, then grabbed his glass and poured the white liquid out, while Mr. Romanov signaled his men in position.The waiter, with a twisted smile, de
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