From ruin to reign

Levi, the false savior

I crawled out with a tear-streaked face and looked at him, I couldn't hide any longer.

His eyes locked on me, relief flashing across his face.

Damian urgently reached for my shoulders, “Golden! Thank God, you're alive.”

I couldn't bear it, I recoiled back as if I had been burned, almost going back under the table.

Fire gutted out of one of the large windows, shattering glass pieces everywhere.

I screamed, my voice cracking, “Stay away from me you devil!”

Damian freezes, stunned. He stood there baffled and said in a softer tone, “What? Golden, it's me. I came over before and I'm here to get you out. So please come with me, the house won't stand…”

I cut him off, my voice breaking, it felt like I had been betrayed but I never really knew him so why would he choose to attack my family, what was in the documents he gave to my father?

“I heard you, I heard everything you said…only one Carter girl walks out alive.”

I sobbed out loud, “You, you killed Rose, you murdered my sister and my family!”

Damian’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Golden I think you got it all wrong, I would never do that, I just got the information that…”

I cut him off again, “Liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, I saw you. Don't lie to cover this. My sister is still staring at me” I stagger back, and then stare at my sister but her eyes are closed.

Ahhhh, a jagged scream came from my throat, I shook my head violently “It can't be, she was looking at me. She said everything will be okay.” I knelt, holding my head in my hands.

Damian's voice became hoarse and desperate. “No, Golden, you've gotten it all wrong! I came to protect you. I would never do anything to hurt your family or Rose. Please can we just get out of here?”

I whispered, my voice finally broken. “You… You are a monster. You are a monster!”

Damian’s chest caved in at my words, but before he could say any more Levi walked in with some guards.

His face covered in black ashes, his eyes red having a bit of weariness in them.

His black shirt was smeared faintly but it was carefully hidden under his jacket.

His face had a mask of concern.

Levi called out, perfectly timed, “Golden!”

I run towards Levi’s open hands, my eyes wide and desperate.

I was in a hurry to get away from Damian, he might kill me too.

At that moment, Damian saw it. He saw the way I ran into Levi’s hands, clinging onto him like he was my anchor keeping me afloat.

Damian’s heart panged.

I rested my head on Levi's chest sobbing afresh. “Levi, he… he killed her. He killed Rose and mom and dad.”

My voice already cracked “He stabbed Rose, Levi. His men r***d and stabbed her, she was looking at me.”

Levi's eyes flickered briefly to Damian having a cold and triumphant look before softening again as he stroked my hair.

“It's alright.” Levi's voice was low and soothing. It gave me great comfort to know he was still alive, I held onto that hope.

Levi spoke again, his voice oozing with false tenderness. “I've got you, you're safe now.”

Damian took a step forward, fury in his eyes.

He stared directly at me without giving Levi any attention. “Golden, listen to me! I…”

But Levi cut him off, tightening his hug “Golden, let's get out of here.” I nodded.

Levi then turned to the guards, “Get her out of here. Don’t let him near her.”

The guards replied in unison “Yes sir.”

I was still trembling when the Levi's guards led me outside the door, too scared to look back.

The Mansion was already breaking down, bit by bit.

Damain kept screaming my name as the remaining of Levi's guards blocked the door.

His screams made me tremble. I whispered,

“Don’t let him get me. Please… don’t let him get me.”

Levi’s lips curl into the faintest shadow of a smile, unseen by me, but Damian saw it.

The smile that carried a silent and chilling declaration, “she’s mine now.”

At 1 am, in another of the Carters’ Estate by the seaside.

I sat at the edge of my bed trembling.

My face was very pale and still streaked with tears.

I twisted my hands on my lap as the trauma kept replaying in my mind.

Levi knocked twice before entering my room, carrying a glass of water.

His movements were soft, quiet, and measured. The exact portrait of calmness.

Levi said gently, “Here. Drink this. It’ll help calm you.”

I took the glass, my hands still shaking. Our fingers brushed slightly, and I clung to that touch too desperate for stability.

“I.. I didn't see her beg him, Levi.” I choked up, “I never heard Rose beg him to stop, I can't get her screams out of my head.”

Levi sets the glass aside and kneels before me, taking my trembling hands into his.

“Golden look at me, Rose was a strong lady,” his voice so soft it made me believe there was still hope.

“You don’t have to keep replaying it. You don’t have to carry that pain alone. I’m here Golden, you can share that burden with me. I'll always be here for you.”

I nodded, leaning into his shoulder blades. His embrace gave me comfort, but his eyes glinted with a quiet triumph over my shoulders.

After some he released me, I lay down curling myself up, staring blankly at the wall.

Levi sat in the only chair in the room.

“There are some things you don’t know about Damian…Things Rose and I tried to shield you from, things we have seen and heard,”

Levi said, his voice low and hesitant as if he was burdened to let go of that information.

I stirred, turning my tear streaked face toward him. “what do you mean?” I said weakly.

Levi sighs, "I didn't want you to find out like this…”

He ran a hand through his messy hair, feigning reluctance. “I, Rose and your parents had tried to keep you in the dark about Damian, isn't it surprising he comes over almost all the time?”

Now that he said it, it was really suspicious he came over and he isn't one of my father's shareholders or associated with the company in any way, so what have they been talking about.

Levi started again, “Damian is a very dangerous man, Rose saw it long before I did. You know how smart she is.”

My brows furrowed,“Dangerous…how.”

Levi paused, his anger rising “ Are you still asking me that, didn't you see how he killed your sister and burned your family and the house, Are you getting dumb?”

I was confused and battling with exhaustion

Levi paused again this time for a while, the kind of pause that made me desperate for an answer.

“Damian once told me… he loved the way Father ran his company and if it ever came down to the two of you, he’d only let one Carter sister live. I saw it as a joke but now I understand.”

I stiffened.