Chapter 3
1006 Words
The doctor said I'd gotten lucky. If the injury had been just a fraction of an inch to the side, it would have nicked a nerve and left me paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of my life.
I nodded numbly, my face blank. I didn't have a single scrap of hope left for Lucas. Not anymore.
I'd poured every resource I had into lifting him up, turning him into the big-shot CEO everyone knows and fears.
And all of that meant nothing compared to a single lazy sentence from his first love.
Ding!
My phone pinged with a notification. It was from Yvonne Quinn.
Yvonne Quinn: You might be younger and prettier than me, but let's be real, I'm the one he's always loved in his heart. So what if you're a lady from Manhattan's elite inner circle? You still lost to me, didn't you? Oh, and by the way, thanks for the house. George and I are living like royalties here.
A photo popped up right after the text.
She was wearing slinky black pajamas, and around her neck dangled the wedding anniversary gift that was originally mine.
And there was Lucas, curled up against her like a little kid, sound asleep with his arms wrapped tight around her.
A familiar, dull ache pricked at my chest, old habits die hard.
I dragged in a deep, steadying breath and dialed a number.
"Repossess The Park Lane Estate. Bring that woman to me."
*****
Thump!
Yvonne came crashing down hard right in front of me. She twisted and struggled to get up, then spat a wad of saliva right at me.
"What else are you good for besides bullying people with your power?"
I curled my fingers around her chin and tilted her head up, a cold chuckle slipping past my lips.
"I heard you're pregnant again, right? How about you taste everything I went through? Fair's fair." I wrenched her head around to force her to look at the idling truck parked right outside the villa gates. "I nearly lost my life last time. I wonder if you'll be lucky enough to walk away from this."
"Tara Hale, you're insane! Lucas will never let you get away with this!" Her voice shook, all that smug, effortless confidence she always paraded around with, gone in a second.
A sharp, cold laugh escaped me. "I'm the only daughter of the Hale family, the top clan in Manhattan's elite inner circle. In this life, I'm the one who doesn't let people get away. Not the other way around."
Even if Yvonne had grown up in a backwater hick town, she'd still heard of the Hale family's name.
The second she realized I wasn't bluffing, she completely lost it.
I ordered my men to drag her out, and we started walking step by step toward that waiting truck.
But before we could take another step, Lucas burst through the front door.
He shoved my men aside like they were nothing, then pulled the trembling Yvonne straight into his arms, sheltering her tight against his chest.
His face was ice-cold as he stood face to face with me, eyes blazing. "Tara, when did you turn into such a vicious monster?"
I laughed again. "Isn't this what I learned from you?"
A flicker of guilt flashed across his face for half a second, but his voice was so cold it made my bones ache, "Since you have already kicked Yvonne out, move out of your room and give it to her. It's about time you learned how to be a proper rich man's wife."
His bodyguards swarmed me in an instant, pinning my arms tight so I couldn't move an inch.
That's when it hit me. Lucas had already replaced all my people with his own, long ago.
Bit by bit, he'd eaten away every last bit of power my parents had left me, swallowing it whole until nothing was left.
Of course. He'd clawed his way up from the very bottom of society after all. A man like that is always careful, always planning three steps ahead.
A cold chill seeped straight into my bones, settling heavy in my chest.
Suddenly, Yvonne let out a shrill scream. Bright red blood came gushing out between her legs, soaking through her clothes.
Panic exploded across Lucas' face. He reared back and slapped me so hard my head snapped to the side.
"You really dare hurt my baby?!"
I froze, completely stunned.
I lifted my eyes, and locked straight onto the gloating glint in Yvonne's gaze.
It clicked for me instantly, she was ruthless enough to do this to herself.
The whole crowd scrambled to rush her to the hospital. Before I could even protest, they strapped me down to a hospital bed.
"She made Yvonne lose her baby, so we’ll take her blood as compensation for what she did!"
A cold needle plunged into my arm.
When I opened my eyes, all I saw was Lucas' face, colder and harder than ever.
I squeezed the bedsheet until my knuckles turned white, a thick, bitter ache of crippling injustice swelling in my chest until it was hard to breathe.
One hundred milliliters. Two hundred. All the way up to four hundred.
The doctor was dripping with sweat, his voice tight with panic as he pleaded, "Mr. Gray, we can’t take more! Ms. Hale was just discharged a few days ago after a serious injury. If we take more, it’ll kill her!"
Lucas only furrowed his brow, unconcerned. "What injury could she possibly have? Yvonne’s life is on the line. Take double that amount."
They didn’t even finish draining the full eight hundred milliliters before my vision went black and I passed out.
Even as my awareness faded, I could still feel warm blood pouring steadily out of my body.
A single hot tear rolled down the corner of my eye and slipped off my cheek.
Lucas Gray, every debt you owe me… you will pay it back.
Sooner or later.
- Writer
