2025-01-19 03:04:14Lauren felt a shadow fall over her, and she shivered. She couldn’t die now. Not when her daughter was still in the hospital.
“Please, don’t kill me!” Her voice trembled with desperation. “I beg of you, don’t kill me! I have a daughter at the hospital. I’ll give you whatever you want—just let me go.” “Lauren, look at me.” The hoarse voice was unfamiliar, yet there was something about it that felt vaguely familiar. Why did it sound so much like... “Look at me,” the voice repeated, its tone more insistent. Lauren slowly raised her head, her heart pounding in her chest. She could hardly believe her eyes. “Ethan!” She gasped, her voice breaking with shock. The man standing before her had tanned skin, short black hair that was slightly tousled, adding to his rugged charm. His piercing blue eyes seemed to stare straight into her soul, and his strong jawline only accentuated his handsomeness. It was Ethan, without a doubt. “Is that really you, Ethan?” she whispered, her voice thick with disbelief. “Or am I dreaming again?” She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to wake up, but the pain from the ropes around her wrists was all too real. Ethan stepped closer, his expression serious, and a soldier entered the room, saluting him. “Captain,” the soldier greeted, his voice respectful. Ethan quickly stepped between Lauren and the soldier, shielding her with his body. “They’re all well taken care of,” he said curtly. “Be dismissed,” Ethan ordered, and the soldier saluted before exiting. Ethan quickly removed his coat and draped it over Lauren’s shoulders. He swiftly untied the ropes binding her hands and feet, his fingers working with practiced ease. Lauren, her hands finally free, touched Ethan’s arm, still in shock. “It’s really you!” she exclaimed, her voice a mixture of relief and disbelief as she pointed at him, as if to confirm that he was real. “Yes, it’s me. I’m sorry,” he said, his voice low and filled with regret. Lauren snapped back to reality, her anger flaring. “Save your apologies!” she snapped. “Maya’s in the hospital, and she needs to be operated on as soon as possible.” She quickly zipped up her trousers, grabbed her shirt from the floor, and bolted out of the room, not stopping to think about the consequences. She couldn’t afford to delay any longer. Her shirt, she realized, might lead the Stanley family to her. They were always on her trail, and now, especially with Asper dead, they would be looking for her. But at that moment, her focus was on Maya—only Maya mattered. Ethan followed her, calling after her. “Lauren, wait—Maya—” “Shut your mouth!” she yelled, her frustration spilling over. “I don’t want to hear her name from your mouth.” Ignoring him, she rushed out of the club and into the street, not caring that something felt off as the club was eerily quite. Her only concern was Maya. She hailed a taxi, her heart pounding as the driver pulled over. She barely registered the SUV that had followed her, the sound of tires screeching as it skidded to a stop behind her. “Follow that taxi. You mustn’t lose her,” Ethan ordered, his voice sharp. He was in the SUV with his subordinates, still reeling from what he’d seen earlier. His anger had surged when he saw Asper above Lauren. A mixture of guilt and fury had gripped him, and the vision of Lauren in that position had haunted him ever since. He couldn’t help but wonder if he had stayed, if he hadn’t left, would things have turned out differently? He couldn’t even begin to imagine the horrors Lauren had suffered at Asper’s hands. “Rally,” Ethan said, turning to one of his men. “Investigate whether anything has been happening between Asper and Lauren.” “Yes, sir.” He needed to know. He couldn’t stand the thought of what Lauren might have endured, but no matter what, he wasn’t leaving her again. He needed to understand what had happened, but right now, Maya’s safety was paramount. The SUV followed Lauren’s taxi, quickly arriving at the hospital. Lauren got out of the car and rushed into the building, her eyes scanning the chaotic scene. The corridor was a mess—walls cracked, benches overturned, as if something violent had occurred. But the room where Maya had been was neat, except for the shifted bed. And Maya was gone. “Maya? Where is she?” Lauren shouted, her panic mounting. “Lauren, calm down,” Ethan said, his hand on her arm. “I—” Before he could finish, Lauren dashed out of the room and ran toward the doctor’s office. She banged on the door, and the assistant opened it in shock. “Where is my daughter?” Lauren demanded, pushing past the assistant and into the office. She felt the weight of Ethan’s presence behind her, but she didn’t care. The doctor, clearly flustered, stood up. “W-wait, I—what’s going on? Didn’t the other doctor say she was taken by her father?” “Taken?” Lauren’s voice shook with fear. “By Asper’s men?” “I don’t know. I just... the doctors said her father took her,” the doctor stammered, confused. “Is Asper her father?” “What? What did you just say?” Lauren felt her world tilt. “She doesn’t have a father! Did you just release my daughter to a kidnapper?” Ethan, who had been standing silently behind her, rubbed his brow in frustration. He had expected Lauren to realize it was him who had taken Maya. But her words—about Maya having no father—pierced him. He had been standing there, the man who had once been Maya’s father, and yet Lauren didn’t even acknowledge him.
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Lauren grabbed the doctor’s collar harshly.“Why would you do that? Why the hell would you release my daughter to Asper’s men? Don’t you have security to call on?”“Calm down, Miss Lauren. We thought the man was her father,” the doctor replied, his voice shaking.“Her father, my foot!”Lauren turned swiftly toward Ethan, grabbing his hands. “You have soldiers with you, right? You have to save Maya—she’s probably somewhere in one of Asper’s houses. She has a pin stuck in her eyebrow and eyelashes together; she needs surgery as soon as possible!” Her voice trembled with panic.Ethan took a deep breath and placed his hands gently on her shoulders. “Listen to me, Lauren. I’m Maya’s father, aren’t I? So… Maya is with me.” He pointed to his chest, his voice calm but firm.“What? You… you…” Lauren faltered, speechless. The reality hit her hard. Ethan was the father the doctor had mentioned. But how did he know Maya was in the hospital?“Where is she?” Lauren demanded, her voice tight.“At my
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