LILLY Four Months Later “One more signature at the bottom, Ms. Hayes.” The smiling lawyer pointed at the empty dotted line on the last page. “Of course.” I drew a deep breath and signed my name where he wanted me to. Then I rose to my feet, and so did the man sitting in front of me—Doctor John Pearson. “Congratulations,” he said, not without a hint of sadness in his voice, before extending his hand toward me. “The clinic is officially yours.” “Thank you, Doctor Pearson. I promise I will take good care of this facility,” I told him. A soft smile appeared on his lips. “I do not doubt that you will.” I still couldn't believe it happened. John Pearson Clinic—soon Lillian Hayes Clinic—finally belonged to me. Of course, it was going to take a while before I would implement my plan and make the necessary changes, but I was already madly excited… and so was Raven. “I've never been friends with my boss before.” She chuckled, catching me as soon as I walked out of the meeting room where
It was our fifth anniversary and my birthday. I had been looking forward to that evening and our dinner at a high-end restaurant. I had hardly seen my husband in the last few months. He had become distant and absent ever since he had finally graduated from Harvard. I knew that he would soon take over his father's company. He had been working hard for that moment, and truthfully, I had been working nearly twice as hard to help him achieve his goal. But I'd never complained. I would have done anything for him. I loved him with all my heart. And until this moment, I thought that he loved me just as much.“Well? Say something, Lilly.” Annoyance and impatience sharpened my husband's tone. “You've been staring at those documents for five minutes now.”Perhaps I was, but it wasn't easy to recover from the heart-shattering shock since instead of a high-class meal I had been given several pages of brutal revelation. “You… want to… divorce me?” I choked out, slowly raising my head to face him.
I walked into our apartment on Lexington Street and froze. This place was supposed to be my home. I was supposed to raise children and grow old here, but now it turned into something unfamiliar and suffocating.I willed my feet forward, passing the large dining room and entering the master bedroom. My breaths became shallow, and I could no longer restrain the tears gathering in my eyes. Hot drops streamed down my cheeks as I mindlessly threw my clothes into the old suitcase. Perhaps it was fortunate that I had so little. The sooner I could leave this apartment, the better.My vision became blurry, and the ugly crying sounds ripped through my throat again and again, but I kept moving, hectically grabbing my documents from the study room and tossing them into my bag. I stopped by the desk and started emptying the bottom drawers where I kept my papers. Then I moved to the upper ones, throwing the pile of letters—Shit. It wasn't my drawer but Kenneth's… I wiped my tears off my eyes and r
I remembered that day. I had found out that I was pregnant just a week earlier. Kenneth seemed to be anticipating that baby as much as I did. That day, he said that he had some urgent matters to discuss with his father. He left early, but he prepared an herbal tea for me. He said that it would help the baby. God… Had he put the pill in that teapot?I felt sick. I clamped my hand over my mouth and tried breathing through my nose. My head was spinning, and my heart painfully hammered against my chest. I didn't notice when Raven sat beside me and started rubbing my back.“Breathe, Lilly,” she whispered. “You need to calm down and breathe.”Calm down? How could I possibly calm down? I could admit my defeat. I could heal my broken heart in time. I could forget that I had ever loved that bastard. But this? I wanted this baby! I would have raised it even if I'd had to do it alone!“Lilly, this is only the prescription. You cannot be sure that he actually bought the drugs or that he gave them
I moved slightly and felt the softness of the mattress under me. My head rested on a comfortable pillow, and I was covered by a warm blanket. I took a deep breath, inhaling a masculine, slightly citrusy scent. Somehow it made me peaceful, but the quickly returning awareness shattered my moment of bliss.I opened my eyes and realized that I was in an unfamiliar bedroom. I jerked up to a sitting position and noticed an auburn-haired woman sitting by my bed. She was wearing a navy blue suit and a black button-up shirt. “No need to be afraid,” she said, offering me a soft smile as her green eyes drifted up and down my body, studying me. “I'm Jackie. I'm a doctor. Darren called me over after he brought you here.”My brows knitted. “Darren?”A nervous chuckle escaped her. “Right… Um… Awkward.” She scratched her head. “Darren is the guy who saved you from being hit by a truck. When you fell unconscious, he—idiotically—decided to take you to his apartment instead of behaving like a normal hum
My heart skipped several beats as I stared at him. What was he saying? Stay with him, as who? His guest? His companion? His lover?“You seem surprised,” he noticed.Well, of course I was. We knew nearly nothing about each other—I certainly knew nothing about him—and making such a proposal sounded ridiculous. Of course, his offer was tempting. I would soon be penniless, and staying in his penthouse could help me save some money as I looked for a job, but how could I trust a man I had just met?When I stayed silent for a few more seconds, he motioned his chin at Selene, and she brought our dinner. “Bon appetite,” she sang, placing a deliciously smelling plate in front of me.I smiled and muttered a thank you to her before shifting my gaze back to Darren. He watched me with an intensity that left me breathless. I didn't think I could swallow anything at all… maybe except for the water, because my mouth turned awfully dry. I gulped down my glass and sucked in a sharp breath.“Can you blam
Two Years LaterI took a deep breath and formed my lips into a bright smile. Back straightened, I slowly climbed the stairs in my four-inch Jimmy Choo stilettos. The silk layers of my blue gown danced around my feet with every step I took. Two years ago, I would have hidden myself from the bright flashes accompanying me as I walked to the main entrance. Now I faced them with confidence.The choice I had made back then changed everything. That night, I said goodbye to Lilly Sanders and embraced my new identity. I had learned that my father hadn't abandoned me, but he admitted that he had made a grave mistake by letting me stay with the woman who had grown to hate him—my mother. He didn't know that Mother had left me when I was fourteen, and I wasn't aware that he had been sending money for me every month until I had reached eighteen years old. Guess my mommy dearest fooled both of us...Becoming my father's daughter had been more than a little challenging. Certainly, William Hayes woul
My heart began to pound as I locked my eyes on Darren's sapphire irises. The tingling feeling spread throughout my body as if reminding me of the longing I felt. I almost forgot that I was still in Kenneth's grasp. My ex-husband twisted to look over his shoulder, slightly loosening his grip. “I'm talking with my wife. Fuck off,” he hissed. A dark smirk tugged at Darren's lips. “Ex-wife, as I recall.” He stepped closer and grabbed Kenneth's forearm. “Let. Her. Go.” Kenneth winced, releasing my hands and swinging his fist. Darren moved faster than my eyes could register. Not only did he dodge Kenneth's hit with ease, but, a second later, he had Kenneth with his face all but pressed against the wall and his arm painfully twisted on his back. I gasped as my ex-husband groaned and cursed. “Hands off!” he let out a muffled growl. Darren huffed out a chuckle and stepped back, releasing him. “I suggest you disappear. Otherwise, I will rethink my initial idea of breaking your arm.” Kennet
LILLY Four Months Later “One more signature at the bottom, Ms. Hayes.” The smiling lawyer pointed at the empty dotted line on the last page. “Of course.” I drew a deep breath and signed my name where he wanted me to. Then I rose to my feet, and so did the man sitting in front of me—Doctor John Pearson. “Congratulations,” he said, not without a hint of sadness in his voice, before extending his hand toward me. “The clinic is officially yours.” “Thank you, Doctor Pearson. I promise I will take good care of this facility,” I told him. A soft smile appeared on his lips. “I do not doubt that you will.” I still couldn't believe it happened. John Pearson Clinic—soon Lillian Hayes Clinic—finally belonged to me. Of course, it was going to take a while before I would implement my plan and make the necessary changes, but I was already madly excited… and so was Raven. “I've never been friends with my boss before.” She chuckled, catching me as soon as I walked out of the meeting room where
DARRENI didn't want to believe what that son of a bitch had told me. I had to trust that Lilly was alive. Nonetheless, after Almarri's confession, I told Chris to leave the room. I gave Almarri a moment to recollect himself until I beat the shit out of him, breaking at least five of six of his bones in the process. He was still breathing until I left the room. Chris had friends in the CIA, and we promised to try delivering Almarri to them in exchange for covering whatever was going to happen at his casino. It took most of my willpower to stop myself before I delivered the final blow. It had nothing to do with being merciful; Chris assured me that the CIA had no intention of granting him anything but torment.Once I wiped Almarri's blood off my knuckles, I stormed through the long corridors. I swore that I would find Lilly, and only seeing her lifeless body would have stopped me from burning everything in my way to get to her.Chris caught me at the end of one of the corridors. “We ch
LILLYI couldn't move. My body's exhaustion turned opening my eyes into an almost unbearable struggle. It took me a while before I lifted my eyelids and instantly winced at the light filling the room. I blinked several times before I established what I was looking at… Ceiling. A bright, well-lit ceiling.I needed an additional minute or two to acknowledge that this wasn't a dream. I was lying on a bed with an IV drip connected to my arm. The bed had multiple pillows and fluffy sheets, as if someone cruelly decided to give me a moment of questionable luxury before turning me into a slave.Another white cotton dress replaced the old, stained one. My body had been cleaned from all the sweat and dirt. I didn't have the strength to wonder who bathed me and dressed me. I felt violated enough without acknowledging how many hands touched my body.I could have died. Perhaps it would have been a blessing if that had happened. Now I was lying numbly on a bed, waiting for more torment to come. Sl
DARREN I paced around the hotel room in Doha, waiting for Naila to arrive and deliver what she promised. The adrenaline kept pumping in my veins, increasing the restlessness that kept me awake the entire night. Unlike me, Lucien was napping on the sofa whenever he found a moment of silence. I couldn't even close my eyes without seeing Lilly locked up somewhere, tormented, scared… “God…” I dragged my hands down my face before glancing at the time. It was seven in the morning, which meant that we had fourteen hours before the auction started. I kept telling myself that they needed her alive and unharmed to sell her, but what if I was wrong? Those what-ifs were driving me insane, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that, even at that moment, she was greatly suffering. The soft knocking on the door snapped my head toward it. Lucien's opened his eyes and instantly leaped to his feet. He nodded my way and cautiously opened the door. Naila silently sneaked inside, and he closed it behind
I lost count of how many times I had been stabbed with a needle, and I wasn't sure my veins could withstand another injection. I quickly realized how pathetic my relief was after Callan told me I wouldn't be beaten, cut, or burned. The torture he had designed for me went far beyond the physical pain…Every inch of my body burned from within. My blood turned into a living flame, scorching my veins. My skin covered with an itching rash I couldn't scratch. It lasted for hours. I didn't want to give Callan satisfaction, so I remained silent, biting my lips until they bled. But the third or fourth dose of the drug broke the final restraint… A scream tore through my throat, and I kept screaming until my vocal cords gave up. I quietly begged Callan to stop. I thought he would if I told him I was ready to give him what he wanted. I thought that if I pretended I wanted to cooperate, he would give my tormented body a break… He didn't. He just walked closer and served me another drug dose.I los
LILLY“Wake up, sleepyhead.” The voice I heard filled me with nausea, and the soft laughter that followed sent chills down my spine.Slowly, I opened my eyes, blinking until the sight adjusted to the dim light. Every inch of my body felt sore, and I quickly realized why. I was sitting on a chair with my legs tied with a rope to its wooden ones and my hands restrained at the back. Another rope was tied around my waist, keeping me in a still position most likely through the long hours I had been unconscious.I was cold. The freezing concrete hurt my bare feet with the slightest touch and the simple cotton dress resembling a cheap nightgown formed no barrier against the low temperature and humidity of the room I was in. I didn't even want to think who dressed me and if I was naked underneath…Drawing a shaky breath, I looked to the sides. This place must have been some kind of a basement. The room seemed to be nearly empty, or at least I couldn't see any furniture from my limited perspec
DARRENMy lungs filled with a greedy push of air. My eyes opened wide and roamed around, hectically trying to process my situation. The car, I was inside the car… My car was upside down, and I…Everything hurt, including my weak attempts to breathe, but I knew I had to ignore the pain. I had to live. I had to get out of there.My consciousness gathered the pieces of memory together. Someone had rammed me, pushing me off the road while I had been driving to the residence. The fuckers had chosen a part of a perfectly secluded road to do it. Perhaps it was fortunate that they hadn't been as thorough as to check whether I had been dead or not.My limbs weren't broken, although at least one of my ribs was. I clenched my teeth and crawled out through the broken side window. My car lay in a ditch on the side of the road, with not a single building around.How long had I been out cold? The returning memories painted an ominous picture that slowly filled me with dread. Lilly had been waiting f
LILLYIt had been three days since Uncle Norton's funeral and the fight with my father. My heart still ached whenever I thought about it, but I finally felt that my chest had loosened, allowing me to breathe.Darren's presence had become my remedy. His touch and warmth soothed me, healed me, and filled the hollowness that appeared after Uncle Norton's death. I didn't even want to think about what I would have become without having him close.Since the danger had become more palpable than ever, each member of my team was assigned their own security team. Of course, Darren organized two new bodyguards for me as well. I hadn't protested, even if I hated buying groceries accompanied by two men in black suits.My mood significantly improved after Kenneth's and Doctor Rogers's trials finally ended. Kenneth had been sentenced to fifteen years in prison for assault and attempting murder, and another five years for terminating the pregnancy against my will. For all his deeds, Rogers received t
DARRENI found Lilly sitting in the precinct's corridor, staring down at her hands that limply rested on her lap. Dried blood covered the sides of her palms and fingertips. My chest tightened as I saw her in her numb state. I rushed forward, pushing through the policemen standing in the way, until I pulled her up from her seat and wrapped her in my arms. Only then did she start crying, and her tears kept falling long after I brought her back to the penthouse.Rage filled every inch of me. I wanted to kill everyone responsible for Lilly's state. If only I could get to New York sooner. If only I could somehow prevent this, protect her better, spare her from the pain and anguish...I left Lucien in Qatar to deal with our end of the bargain with Naila. He wasn't happy about it, but I gathered enough people and resources for him to plan a flawless rescue mission. Getting Naila's brother out of Almarri's residence wasn't going to be easy, but I knew that Lucien would figure out how to do it