Chapter 18
Alynna woke up to the cold bite of concrete under her cheek and the metallic taste of blood on her tongue. She tried to move, but her wrists were tied behind her back, the rope biting into raw tender skin. Her head throbbed, memories swimming behind her eyelids – the taxi, the men, the promise of punishment.
–
A single dim bulb swung above her in the cavernous warehouse. The air stank of rust and mold. She heard footsteps echoing in the shadows slow, deliberate. The same man who’d dragger her out of the taxi crouched in front of her now, gloved hands tapping a small, wicked blade against his palm.
“Please,” Alynna whispered, her voice cracking, “please, I’ll leave Just let me go-”
–
I’ll go anywhere you want
He didn’t speak. The knife flicked forward, cutting the hem of her dress like it was paper. He di it again, letting the tip graze her skin just enough to make her flinch and cry out. Another mar behind her yanked her hair back, forcing her to look up at the ceiling, the bulb’s glare blinding.
They didn’t shout. They didn’t threaten. They just worked methodical and silent. A slap to he face that made her ears ring. The burn of something sharp on her arm, carving thin lines that stung and bled and made her shake.
–
She begged until her throat was raw. She promised she’d run, she’d vanish, she’d never com back. But the men didn’t care. They were only following orders – to make her feel even a fractior of what Chloe had felt when she’d been trapped in the smoke and the flames.
When the door slammed open, Alynna’s head lolled forward, tears mixing with sweat and blood. Clinton stepped inside first, his face pale, jaw clenched, eyes locked on the sister-in-law he’c once thought he loved.
Leo followed, cane tapping against the cracked floor. His eyes held no warmth – just a quiet simmering disgust.
‘Father, please. Clinton, I didn’t mean it…” Alynna choked out, the words tumbling over each other. “I was angry, I lost everything – she ruined my life! Please, don’t let them do this-”
Leo leaned down, voice soft and cold. “You did this to yourself. You wanted to burn her? Then feel the heat yourself.”
She sobbed. “I’m your daughter-”
‘You were,” Leo said, straightening. “But the day you turned me against my own blood, you made your choice. You’ll leave this country tonight. You’ll go far, and you’ll never come back. If you do, they won’t find you next time – not alive.”
Alynna’s eyes darted to Clinton, desperate. “Please, Clinton – tell him-please-”
Clinton’s stare was empty. Regret sat in the lines around his eyes. “I can’t help you, Alynna. You hurt her. You hurt all of us. Go. Never come back.”
She screamed when the men lifted her, dragging her to a black van waiting outside. Her sobs echoed in the warehouse long after the engine roared to life, carrying her into a shadow she’d
never crawl out of.
When the doors closed, Leo stayed behind, staring at the dark oil stain on the floor. Clinton
4:28 pm
hovered by the wall, running a trembling hand through his hair.
“Father,” Clinton said, voice cracking. “Help me. Please. I want Chloe back. I’ll fix everything i you just help me-”
Leo turned, eyes sharp. “No.”
Clinton flinched. “But-”
“No,” Leo repeated. “I won’t do it again. I’ve done enough damage to that girl. If she wants you she’ll come to you. But she won’t.” He paused, shaking his head. “And you deserve to feel ever
second of it.”
Clinton’s shoulders sagged, the fight leaving him like air from a punctured tire.
Back at the hospital, the halls smelled of antiseptic and flowers Chloe couldn’t yet see. Nathar hadn’t left her side for two days, dozing in the stiff chair by her bed, his hand always wrappec
around hers.
When Chloe finally stirred, her lashes fluttering against her cheeks, Nathan jolted awake.
“Hey,” he said softly, brushing hair from her forehead. “Hey, sweetheart, you’re okay.”
She blinked up at him, eyes hazy but clear enough to land on his face. “Nathan… the café… what happened?”
His jaw tightened, but he forced a gentle smile. “There was a… mistake. Smoke from the kitchen
stupid wiring. You’re safe now. That’s all you need to know.”
–
Chloe tried to push herself up, but her arms trembled. He cupped her cheeks, leaning in until his forehead touched hers.
‘No more worrying,” he whispered. “I’ll take care of the rest. You just heal.”
She let out a shaky breath, her body going limp against him, her eyes closing again. “Okay.”
Later that night, Nathan stepped into the corridor for air. He found Clinton slumped on a bench outside the ICU doors, eyes bloodshot, suit rumpled, the mask of the perfect heir long gone.
Clinton stood when he saw him, voice low and desperate. “Is she awake? Does she know?”
Nathan’s gaze was ice. “She knows what she needs to. The rest is over.”
Clinton’s lip trembled. “I need to see her. Please – just once.”
Nathan stepped close, his words calm but lethal. “If you really love her did – you’d let her go. She doesn’t need you. Not now. Not ever.”
–
if any piece of you ever
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