A Billionaire's Love

Chapter 18

Trixie stormed into the grand foyer of Dylan’s mansion, her footsteps pounding against the marble floor like thunderclaps. Her face was pale with fury, her lips pressed into a thin line as she glared at the man standing in front of her.

"Where is that woman?" she demanded, her voice trembling with restrained rage. Her heart raced, blood roaring in her ears. The image of her daughter, Kaye, lying motionless in the hospital bed kept flashing in her mind. The tubes, the machines—everything screamed that her precious child was hurt because of Aki.

Epyong, one of Dylan’s long-time helpers, shuffled awkwardly. He was not used to seeing visitors like Trixie, much less dealing with her fury. She was not just any mother; she was a mother whose child had been wronged. And that, he knew, made her dangerous.

"Ma’am Trixie," he stammered, wringing his hands, "I’m not sure if—"

"I didn’t ask for excuses!" Trixie interrupted, her voice rising an octave. She took a step closer, the intensity in her eyes causing Epyong to flinch. "Where is she? Where is Aki? She cannot hide from me!"

Her hands were balled into fists at her sides, her entire body tense, as if barely holding herself back from tearing the mansion apart. The echo of her shouts reverberated through the high ceilings, only amplifying her anger.

"Ma’am, she—she's upstairs," Epyong finally admitted, his voice barely a whisper. He cast his eyes down, avoiding her piercing gaze, as if the weight of her rage might crush him. "She’s in the room at the far end of the hall."

Trixie’s breath quickened. "The key?" she demanded, holding out her hand.

For a moment, Epyong hesitated. He knew what Trixie was capable of when she was pushed too far, but he also knew that Aki deserved whatever was coming. Slowly, with a shaking hand, he pulled a brass key from his pocket and handed it to her.

Trixie snatched the key from him and marched toward the grand staircase without another word. Epyong could only watch, his heart heavy with dread. "Whoa…" he exhaled under his breath, wiping the cold sweat from his brow. "I don’t know what’s gonna happen to you, Ms. Aki, but I know it won’t be anything good." His words were barely a whisper, but they felt like a death sentence hanging in the air.

Upstairs, Trixie’s hand trembled as she fit the key into the lock. She could hear the faint sound of footsteps pacing inside the room. Aki was hiding—hiding from the consequences of her reckless actions, from the mother who had every right to rage.

The door swung open with a creak, revealing a dimly lit room. Aki stood by the window, her back turned, but she stiffened at the sound.

Trixie’s gaze narrowed. "Aki!" Her voice cut through the silence like a knife.

Aki turned slowly, her face pale as she met Trixie’s glare. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. Fear flickered in her eyes, mingled with shame. She knew she had no excuse for what she had done, no explanation that could undo the harm.

"You," Trixie’s voice was cold and low now, her anger more dangerous in its quiet intensity, "You put my daughter in that hospital bed. Do you even realize what you've done!?"

Aki's lips trembled. "I didn't mean—"

That was it. The final straw. Trixie’s vision blurred with anger as she raised her hand, the movement quick and sharp. In an instant, her palm connected with her cheek, the sound of the slap echoing through the room like a crack of thunder.

"You didn't mean?" Trixie’s voice cracked. "Tell that to my daughter when she wakes up—if she ever wakes up."

The weight of the confrontation hung thick in the room, neither woman moving, the air charged with the unspoken promise of consequences.

Epyong stood in the dim hallway, his figure slightly hunched as he glanced toward the grand oak door at the end of the corridor. The air was cool, almost too cool, sending a faint shiver up his spine. Despite his attempts to hide it, the tightness in his chest was evident. His thoughts wandered back to Aki—the fragile, guilt-ridden girl who had caused the accident. He couldn’t quite explain it, but for some reason, he pitied her. Maybe it was the way she carried her regret, like a heavy shadow she couldn’t shake. Or maybe it was because he knew what was coming.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall, followed by a familiar voice. "What are you doing here, oldhug!?" Tirang's tone was drenched in sarcasm, cutting through the quiet tension.

Epyong closed his eyes for a brief second, taking in a slow breath before turning to face Tirang. The helper’s smug grin didn’t help his mood. "Ghad… are you here just to mock me again, Tirang?" Epyong shot back, weariness creeping into his voice.

Tirang shrugged casually, leaning against the wall with a nonchalant smirk. "What's wrong? I'm just trying to ask you some questions, old man." He examined his fingernails as if he couldn’t care less about the situation, but Epyong knew Tirang well enough to catch the faint flicker of curiosity behind his eyes.

With a long, drawn-out sigh, Epyong let his shoulders slump. He stared at the cold marble floor beneath his feet, the weight of the situation bearing down on him. "It was Ma'am Trixie," he muttered finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "She took the key and said she was going to confront Aki."

Tirang’s playful smirk disappeared in an instant, his eyes widening as the words sunk in. "What?" Tirang's voice faltered, disbelief twisting his expression. The name 'Trixie' alone was enough to drain any hint of humor from the room. "Are you serious?" he asked, his tone tinged with growing alarm. "You know how terrifying that woman can be! What the hell is she planning?"

Tirang's reaction wasn’t surprising. Trixie was a force to be reckoned with—a woman who commanded fear as easily as breathing. She was Kaye’s mother, after all, and Kaye was everything to her. Ambitious, relentless, willing to go to extremes, Trixie’s wrath was something no one wanted to be on the receiving end of. Especially not Aki.

And now, with Kaye lying in a hospital bed after the accident, Epyong knew Trixie was looking for someone to blame. Aki had caused the accident, no doubt, and in Trixie’s eyes, that made her a target.

Epyong met Tirang's gaze, seeing the worry flash across his face. The cold air around them seemed to grow heavier. "Really? I mean… what should we do then?" Tirang stammered, his voice carrying a mix of urgency and fear. "Ma'am Trixie might overdo something. Aki—she’s not strong enough to handle that woman!"

Epyong exhaled slowly, glancing toward the door again as if Trixie’s shadow lingered just behind it. "I don’t know," he admitted, his voice low. "Who would be a mother who smiles knowing her daughter is hurt, right? If she's angry, maybe we should let her be. Maybe it’s what she needs."

"But Aki… you pity her, don’t you?" Tirang asked suddenly, his voice softer now, more serious. The sarcastic edge was gone, replaced by something more genuine.

Epyong hesitated. The truth was, he did pity Aki. He pitied her more than he cared to admit. She was young, barely out of her teenage years, and the guilt was crushing her. The accident wasn’t intentional, but intent didn’t matter when someone was hurt—especially when that someone was Kaye, the pride and joy of Trixie’s life.

"I do," Epyong replied quietly. "I am. But what else could we do? Even Sir Dylan would probably stand by and let Trixie vent her anger. Sometimes, you just have to let things play out, Tirang. We just have to wait and see it through."

"But what if she…" Tirang trailed off, the unspoken question hanging in the air. What if Trixie went too far? What if Aki couldn’t take it?

Epyong shook his head, though doubt gnawed at him. "Trixie’s angry, but she’s not irrational," he said, though the words felt hollow even as he spoke them. "She knows where the line is. Maybe."

Tirang gave him a skeptical look, the tension between them thickening. They both knew that wasn’t entirely true. Trixie was a woman driven by her ambitions, her pride, and her fierce love for Kaye. That kind of woman didn’t always stop at lines.

The silence stretched, the cold in the room settling deep into their bones. Finally, Tirang straightened up, pushing off the wall. "I hope you’re right, old man," he said quietly, the mocking tone gone. "For Aki’s sake."

Epyong didn’t reply. He just stared at the door, his mind whirling with worry.