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 90: The Desperate Struggle"Alright, you need to wake up. I know you said we have nothing to talk about, but I have plenty to say."She tried to push him away, but he held her firmly."I don't want to!" she screamed, her eyes wide. The anger consumed her from within.Before she could react, he picked her up in his arms and carried her toward the cold water. The shock froze her for a moment."Hey! What are you doing?" she protested, her voice faltering.Zen threw her into the water, the icy sensation instantly waking her up. She struggled, trying to break free, but he held her tightly. Water splashed everywhere, creating a mist that obscured their vision."I've heard that water helps clear the mind," he said, a playful smile on his lips.She shoved him with all her might, getting out of the water. The thin dress was soaked, clinging to her body."My dress! You have no idea how much this costs!" she shouted, her indignation mixed with fury."I don't know, but it must be expensiv
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