The rest of Lena’s days in the hospital were filled with endless thoughts, thoughts that refused to settle no matter how hard she tried to suppress them. Her mind constantly replayed Damon’s words, over and over again, like a broken record she couldn’t turn off.
She still couldn’t wrap her head around it.
Her father...being a cheat and a liar.
And Raymond’s father... a murderer.
The weight of those truths sat heavily on her chest, making it difficult to breathe at tis. Everything she thought she knew about her past, her family, and even Raymond felt twisted and uncertain now.
At so point during those quiet, restless nights, Lena found herself drawing a strange comparison between the two n. In a way, they were the sa, both flawed, both guilty of things that had hurt others deeply.
The only difference was Raymond.
Raymond had lived through the consequences of it all.
He had carried that burden from a young age, growing up in a world shaped by pain, betrayal, and survival. And now, thinking back, Lena began to understand him, at least a little more than she wanted to admit.
She understood why he had insisted on the contract.
She understood why he kept his walls so high.
And most of all, she understood that everything he did was, in his own way, an attempt to protect himself from being hurt again.
That realization didn’t erase the pain he caused her, but it made it harder to completely hate him.
The day Lena was discharged from the hospital ca quicker than she expected. It felt surreal, almost like she was stepping out of a fragile bubble and back into a complicated reality she wasn’t ready to face.
All the ladies ca to see her off, Sylvia, Mama, Bertha, and the others. Their presence filled the room with warmth and comfort.
Raymond was there too.
But he kept his distance.
He stood far away, almost like a stranger, careful
not to intrude or disturb her space. His eyes followed her every movent, but he didn’t dare co closer.
"Lena, I’ve checked your vitals. Everything is fine, you can go ho now," Damon said gently, handing her file over to a nurse standing beside him.
Without waiting for a response, he turned and stepped outside, where Raymond was already waiting.
"How is she?" Raymond asked imdiately, his voice low but tense. This is the first ti he is coming to the hospital in days since Lena banished him from coming
"She’s fine," Damon replied. "All she needs to do is take her dication properly and co back in two weeks for a checkup."
"I’ll make sure she takes her dication well," Raymond said, his tone firm, almost like he was making a solemn promise.
Damon nearly burst out laughing at how serious he sounded, but he held it back. Instead, he simply nodded and looked away.
He had never seen his friend this broken before.
And for once, he decided not to tease him.
Inside the room, the mood shifted as the conversation turned more personal.
"Have you decided where you’ll stay, Lena?" Mama asked just as Damon stepped out.
"I’ll continue staying with Sylvia like before, until I get my own place," Lena replied nonchalantly.
But the mont she said it, she noticed Sylvia shift uncomfortably in her chair.
Sothing was wrong.
Sylvia avoided her gaze, her body tense, her fingers fidgeting nervously.
"Is anything the matter, Sylvia?" Lena asked, her brows knitting together.
"Well..." Sylvia hesitated, taking a deep breath. "I would love for you to co back and stay with , but..."
She paused again, as if struggling to say the words.
"It was under my watch that you got kidnapped... that you lost your baby... and that you almost died."
Lena’s expression changed instantly, her eyes narrowing slightly as Sylvia continued.
"I don’t think I can allow you to stay in my house again, not because I don’t want you there, but because it’s not safe for you," Sylvia said, her voice trembling.
"I won’t be able to forgive myself if anything happens to you again. And let’s not even talk about Raymond... he would kill if sothing else happens to you."
She let out a shaky breath.
"So... I’m sorry, Lena. You can’t stay at my place."
"I understand," Lena said quietly, though the sadness in her voice was unmistakable.
She turned her gaze to Mama and Bertha, hoping for another option.
"I stay with Raymond," Bertha said imdiately, already informing Lena in a way that clearly ant one thing, if you don’t want anything to do with Raymond, then you can’t stay with .
The ssage was loud and clear.
Lena’s eyes slowly shifted to Mama.
"Sorry, dear, I can’t help you," Mama said, shaking her head. "I love you, and I’ll always visit wherever you decide to stay, but you cannot stay with , absolutely not."
She sighed, clearly frustrated.
"First, I’m always busy. I’m hardly ever ho, so who would take care of you? And second... Raymond would kill if I harbor you. Maybe not kill," she added quickly, "but he would definitely disown ."
Lena looked at them, her shoulders slumping in defeat.
"Did he ask all of you to refuse ? Because he knows I cannot stay alone and I need soone" she asked, anger creeping into her voice. "I know he did, so I’ll have no choice but to stay with him."
"He didn’t ask us per se..." Sylvia muttered.
"He threatened us," she added under her breath.
Lena’s eyes widened in shock.
"Sylvia!" Mama snapped. "You cannot say that!"
"Why not?" Sylvia shot back. "He did threaten us. But his point was valid."
She turned back to Lena, her expression softening.
"There is no place as safe as his ho. He can protect you there, you’ll be safe."
"No one wants what happened before to repeat itself," she continued. "Even though I don’t like this idea, I agree with it."
"It’s just temporary, babe. Soon, you’ll get your own place."
"You don’t have to share a room with him. You don’t even have to talk to him, it’s your choice. But for now, you need to stay there... at least until Raymond finds the people who tried to harm you."
She paused, searching Lena’s face.
"What do you say?"
Lena sighed deeply.
She hated to admit it, but they were right.
"I’ll stay with him," she said finally. "But he has to respect my privacy, and follow the rules I set."
"Perfect," Sylvia said imdiately, her face lighting up. "He’s ready to do anything you want."
"That settles it. When you’re ready, we’ll all leave together. He’s outside waiting for you."
Lena glanced at them, noticing how the other won quickly avoided her gaze, as if they had been caught plotting.
"So you all decided this before even telling ?" she said, her voice tinged with disappointnt.
"Like you already knew I would agree?"
"It’s not like that," Sylvia said quickly. "We just knew we had to do everything we could to keep you safe."
She gestured toward their bags.
"We even brought so of our things, just to show you, we were ready to stay with you at Raymond’s house if that’s what it took."
Lena blinked, her emotions rising all over again.
"We’re willing to do anything to keep you safe," Sylvia added softly. "You know , I would never push you toward Raymond unless it was absolutely necessary."
"The situation calls for it. For now... we just have to hold on."
Lena felt her chest tighten.
"Thank you," she said suddenly.
"For what?" they all asked in unison, exchanging surprised glances.
"For being there for ," Lena said, tears slipping down her cheeks. "For taking care of ... and doing everything you can to keep safe."
She took a shaky breath.
"Since my mother died... this is the first ti I’ve had real friendship... a real family."
Her voice broke slightly.
"And in a way... being with Raymond brought all of you into my life."
She hesitated, then added quietly,
"So... I’m grateful to him too."
"Oh, it’s okay, babe. We’ve got you," Sylvia said, pulling her into a hug and gently patting her back.
One by one, the others joined in, wrapping Lena in warmth and reassurance.
"It’s okay," Mama said softly. "We’ll always be here for you. That’s a promise."
Lena nodded against Sylvia’s shoulder.
After what felt like an eternity, they finally pulled apart.
Lena wiped her tears and forced a small smile.
"I think you should tell Raymond that we’re ready to leave now," she said.
Sylvia imdiately brightened nodded happily and rushed out of the room before she changes her mind
"She’s ready to leave with you," Sylvia told Raymond as she approached him. "But she said she has rules, and you have to follow them, or she’s leaving."
Raymond’s expression hardened slightly.
"I don’t think that’s any of your concern, Sylvia," he said coolly. "You’ve done what I asked. I’ll take it from here."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Damon sighed and followed behind him.
"Bring her out front," Raymond called over his shoulder as he made his way out of the hospital.
And just like that, everything began to fall into place, whether Lena was ready for it or not.
User Comments
0 comments from readers