Now he stood there, telling he loved .
I scoffed internally as silent tears slipped down my face. Where was that love when I needed it? When I wanted him in my life, he threw away. And now he stood there, shalessly telling he loved .
Do you lie to soone you claim to love? I asked myself. I did not turn even when he oleatedeed and waited for . I heard Damon whispering to him for them to leave.
As I heard the sound of the door closing, I knew he was gone.
I slowly sank to the floor, squatting as I cried silently, my body trembling with the weight of everything I had been holding in. Minutes passed, maybe more, before I finally managed to stand.
I dragged myself to the bed and collapsed onto it, lifeless and broken, staring blankly into space.
The weight of everything that had happened over the past three days ca crashing down on all at once.
The overwhelming revelation about my father... and Ashley.
I frowned slightly as the thought surfaced.
Did my mother know what was going on?
Was that the reason she did what she did?
My chest tightened.
I realized I didn’t even know much about my mother’s final days. That realization hit harder than I expected. A strange sense of guilt crept in.
I swallowed.
I decided I would call my mother’s lawyer and speak to him. Maybe he would have so answers, maybe he could tell why she made those decisions... especially regarding the will.
Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed how quiet the room had beco.
Then suddenly, the door opened.
I lost it.
"What else do you want from ? I already told you I don’t want to see you again!" I shouted as I turned abruptly..
Only to freeze.
Sylvia. Bertha. Mama.
They stood there, staring at with shocked expressions.
I blinked, my anger dissolving instantly into embarrassnt. I sighed heavily and rubbed my hands over my face in frustration.
"It seems we ca at a bad ti?" Mama asked gently, her gaze soft but observant.
"I’m sorry... you can all co in. I didn’t know it was you guys," I said, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
They exchanged glances before stepping inside.
"It’s okay, we understand," Mama said as she walked in and took a seat. "Feelings can run high, especially when you have soone like Raymond breathing down your neck. He’s quite a handful."
The others followed her in, and only then did I notice the things they brought, food, gifts, get-well cards, flowers. The sight stirred sothing warm in my chest.
Sylvia walked up to and pulled into a tight hug.
"You really scared us there," she said softly, patting my back. "Thank God you’re okay."
"Thank you, Sylvia... for everything," I replied sincerely.
She squeezed my hand reassuringly before smiling and returning to her seat.
"I know you might be hungry, so I brought food," Bertha said gently as she moved toward the table.
She dished out the al carefully and placed it in front of , urging to eat.
But I wasn’t hungry.
I shook my head. "I’m not really...."
"I think you should eat, Lena, if you want to be discharged soon," Sylvia cut in.
"The doctor said it would help your healing process," Bertha added. "Just take a little if you can’t eat much."
I looked at her, noticing the sincerity in her eyes. Not wanting her efforts to go to waste, I sighed and took the plate.
"Okay... just a little."
I began to eat slowly, forcing each bite down. The room was quiet, all of them watching as I ate.
After a few spoonfuls, I couldn’t continue. I set the plate aside.
No one said anything.
We just sat there, staring at each other in silence.
It stretched on... long enough to feel uncomfortable.
Finally, Mama spoke.
"We know it hasn’t been easy," she began gently.
"But we want you to know that we are here for you."
I listened quietly.
"We heard everything that happened between you and Raymond, from Damon. And whatever decision you make, we will support you."
She paused, then sighed.
"I may be like a mother to Raymond, but I also
know when that boy needs a reality check. He’s done a lot... and it’s okay if you don’t want to see him again."
My brows lifted slightly in surprise.
"Forget whatever I told you before about taking care of Raymond for ," she added.
I blinked.
She chuckled softly at my expression.
"Yes, I know I said that. But he’s a grown man. It’s ti he learns his lesson."
She leaned forward slightly.
"But I need to ask you one question before I finish."
I nodded slowly.
"Do you still love him?"
My breath hitched.
That question...
It felt like a knife twisting in my chest.
My eyes stung instantly, tears threatening to fall again.
How do I answer sothing that breaks just thinking about it?
I stayed silent.
Helplessness must have been written all over my face.
"Lena, it’s okay if you don’t want to answer," Sylvia said softly.
"We just don’t want you to make the wrong decision," she continued. "And... we actually have a plan."
I frowned slightly.
"A plan?"
"Yes," she said, her eyes lighting up faintly. "We want to help you punish Raymond."
My brows furrowed.
"But only if you’re interested."
Punish him...
A small part of liked the idea.
After everything he had put through...
He deserved it.
Sylvia sighed, her expression turning distant.
"I wish I could do the sa to Liam," she muttered. "After everything he put through all those years..."
I blinked in surprise.
My eyes widened as realization hit .
"You... and Liam?"
She laughed lightly. "Yeah. We were a thing... back in the day."
"They really were," Mama added.
"But like many relationships, Vegas drained the life out of it," she continued.
Sylvia nodded.
"I’ll tell you everything when you get better," she said. "But before you make any decisions, I think you should hear Raymond’s story."
I frowned.
"It’s not pleasant," she added. "I wouldn’t even want to talk about it. And I know he wouldn’t either. But Damon or Liam can tell you."
She looked at seriously.
"Maybe... when you hear everything, you’ll understand why he is the way he is."
I scoffed.
"I don’t care what happened to him," I snapped. "That doesn’t give him the right to treat people however he wants."
"You’re right," Bertha said calmly.
"I’ve lived with him for years, after his mother’s death. And I can tell you... you are the light in his life."
I blinked.
"The first for everything," she continued. "With you, he was different."
My heart clenched slightly.
"You should have seen him when he found out you were missing," she added. "He almost went mad. He threatened to burn down the city if anything happened to you."
My eyes widened.
"What?"
They all laughed.
"You should have seen him crying," Mama added, clearly amused.
"He threatened to kill . no, he almost did, when he thought I lied about your pregnancy," Sylvia said.
I blinked rapidly, trying to process everything.
"No, the scariest part was when he mobilized over three hundred n to search for you," Bertha added.
"What?!" I nearly choked.
They nodded, laughing as they began recounting different things he did while I was missing.
At first, I tried not to react.
But eventually... I couldn’t help it.
I laughed.
They even showed a video clip of n leaving the city in heavily ard vehicles, all searching for .
It was insane.
Terrifying.
And strangely... satisfying.
I read the reports online about the network jams and network being down for hours that day, I read a lot of conspiracy theories. So people thought it was the governnt. Others believed it was an invasion.
And the most shocking part?
Raymond did all that... without being investigated.
Who exactly is Raymond Black?
And why would he go that far... just for ?
By the ti the video ended, I had gone quiet again.
But this silence was different.
I was thinking, weighing everything.
A part of felt... relieved.
At least he suffered too when I was kidnapped
At least he didn’t have peace while I was gone.
I sighed inwardly. I know I’m weak, and
I still love him.
But I’m not ready to admit that out loud.
Not fully.
I will always hate him... at least for now.
For my child.
For his lies.
I sat there in a dilemma, my thoughts tangled.
They watched quietly, waiting.
Finally, I sighed.
"Well... I still love him."
They all scread in excitent.
"But that doesn’t change anything," I added quickly. "I will always hate him. He is part of the reason my child is dead."
They fell silent.
"What? He is," I shrugged weakly. "Part of the reason."
I exhaled slowly.
"And before I make any decision... I need ti."
They nodded.
"This is too soon," I continued. "I need to think. And I’ll talk to Liam or Damon about everything you ntioned."
I paused.
"Then... I’ll decide."
Mama let out a relieved sigh.
Bertha smiled as she began packing up the food.
I watched them, noticing their excitent, like
they had just accomplished sothing important.
"I thought you hated Raymond," I said, looking at Sylvia. "Why are you rooting for him now?"
The room went quiet.
She smiled awkwardly.
"I’m not rooting for him," she said softly. "I’m rooting for you."
I frowned slightly.
"I don’t want you to beco ," she added. "And I will always support your decision."
She paused.
"And I don’t hate Raymond. I just... dislike his guts," she said with a small shrug. "I never wanted you to get hurt by getting involved with him."
She sighed.
"But I was wrong. You both brought out the best in each other."
I swallowed.
"I’ve seen the changes in both of you," she continued. "It’s undeniable."
She gave a small, sad smile.
"And if you two can work things out... then maybe I still have hope."
We talked for a while longer before they finally left, heading to their respective hos.
And just like that... I was alone again.
Alone with my thoughts.
With Raymond.
I closed my eyes.
And before I knew it, I was replaying the video in my head.Him coming to save .
The chaos, the power, the madness.
A small smile tugged at my lips.
One thing I had to admit...
It was hot.
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