♣ CHAPTER 40 ♣
"Lucas, you can't just keep acting like I don't have a voice!" Rachelle shouted, tossing her purse onto the couch. Her heels clacked as she paced the living room.
Lucas stood by the window, arms folded, jaw clenched. "You embarrassed me in front of everyone, Rachelle. That nonsense you pulled at the Dray's mansion was childish."
"Childish? I was being honest! Kate is a problem. She doesn't belong with William. She's messing everything up."
"You don't even know her! You only hate her because she doesn't kiss your ass like the rest of them."
Rachelle turned sharply. "I hate her because she changed you. You think I don't see it? You defend her more than you ever defended me."
Lucas walked past her, grabbing a glass of water. "Because you keep picking fights where there aren't any. She's not the enemy."
"Then who is, Lucas? Me? Because it feels like you treat me like the problem in your life."
"Maybe you are," he said quietly.
The words hit her like a slap.
She froze. "What did you just say?"
Lucas rubbed his face. "I'm tired, Rachelle. I can't keep doing this. You complain, you attack people, you twist things around. I can't breathe around you anymore."
Her voice cracked. "So that's it? You're throwing us away?"
He looked at her, guilt creeping into his eyes. "I think it's already gone."
She stared at him, then looked around the apartment that used to be filled with warmth. Now, it felt cold.
"Fine," she said, walking to the bedroom.
"Rachelle—"
"Don't," she snapped. "I'm done begging."
Ten minutes later, she walked out with a small suitcase, her eyes dry but her heart shattered.
"Goodbye, Lucas."
The door closed behind her.
---
At the Dray Estate, William stood in his study, staring at an old envelope. His hand trembled slightly as he unfolded the letter inside.
"Still carrying ghosts," a voice came from behind.
He turned. An older man stepped forward, grey-haired, tall, with a scar running down his cheek.
"Richard," William muttered. "I thought you were dead."
"You hoped I was. But hope is a luxury you can't afford anymore."
William's voice hardened. "You have no place here."
Richard chuckled. "I have every place here. You stole everything from me. My company. My contacts. Even my reputation. You ruined me, William."
"You were a threat to everyone, Richard. You manipulated people, played with lives."
"And now? I play differently. But I never forget."
William moved closer. "Leave Kate out of this."
Richard's eyes glinted. "She's the reason I'm back. Touch her, and you bleed. Protect her, and she burns. Either way, you lose."
William's fists clenched. "You touch her, I will kill you."
Richard smirked. "You already tried. But you forgot—I always return."
---
At Greensville amusement park, Tina leaned against the railing, watching the spinning carousel.
"Remember our first date here?" she asked softly.
Liam smiled faintly. "You wore that bright yellow dress. I said you looked like the sun."
She chuckled. "And you said I was too loud."
"You were. Still are."
They both laughed, but it faded quickly.
"Where are we going, Liam?" Tina asked. "Are we just walking in circles? Or are we headed somewhere?"
He looked down at their hands, his fingers brushing hers. "I want us to work, Tina. But... I don't know how."
"Because you're afraid. You always hold back. You love me halfway and then pull back when it gets too real."
"And you always want answers I don't have yet."
She turned to him. "Then maybe we stop pretending. Maybe we stop walking in circles."
He reached out. "I don't want to lose you."
"Then stop being afraid of me. Of this."
He pulled her into a hug. They stayed like that, wrapped in uncertainty.
---
Clark groaned as he shifted in the chair, his wrists tied tight. His face was swollen from a punch, and blood dripped from his nose.
One of William's men stood guard, arms folded.
"Comfortable?" the guard mocked.
Clark grinned through the pain. "You punch like a toddler."
The guard stepped forward, fist raised.
"Easy," said another man entering. "William said not to kill him."
Clark's eyes scanned the room. There were two doors, one vent, and three armed men. There are too many.
He leaned back. "You're wasting time. William won't get anything out of me."
"We already have enough," the second man said. "Your files. Your calls.
Lucas stood in the middle of the room, staring at the door Rachelle had just walked out from. The silence pressed against his chest. For a moment, he felt like he couldn't breathe. He sat down, rubbed his face, and whispered, "Maybe I should've stopped her... maybe..."
His phone rang. Unknown number. He picked it up.
"Lucas speaking."
A deep voice replied, slow and cold. "You should be careful who you trust."
Lucas sat up. "Who is this?"
The line went quiet for a second. Then the voice continued, "The people around you... they're not who you think they are."
"I'm warning you," Lucas growled. "Don't play games with me."
"I never play games. William made a mistake in the past. And it's time he pays for it."
Lucas's hand clenched the phone. "You touch anyone close to him, and I swear—"
"You'll what?" the voice mocked. "You couldn't even hold your own girlfriend. You think you can stop me?"
The line went dead.
Lucas stared at the screen. He felt a chill run down his spine. Whoever that was, they weren't bluffing.
---
In a small, dark room with low ceilings, Clark sat on the floor, breathing hard. His wrists were bruised. His head ached. The guards were still watching, but their focus wavered now and then.
He stared at the shard on the floor again. Just a little closer...
One of the guards stood up. "Need water?"
Clark nodded slowly. "Please."
The guard walked forward, bottle in hand.
Clark waited.
When the guard bent to hand it over, Clark jerked forward. The rope around his wrists rubbed against the shard. He hissed in pain but didn't stop. The shard sliced the rope slightly.
The guard frowned. "What was that?"
"Cramp," Clark muttered, holding his stomach.
The guard shook his head. "You talk too much."
The moment passed, but the rope was weaker now.
Clark leaned back, breathing hard again.
Not today, but soon.
He was going to escape.
---
Back at the amusement park, Tina and Liam strolled past a line of children waiting for candy floss. They walked slowly, both quiet.
"I'm not asking for promises," Tina said. "I just want to know if you see a future with me."
Liam looked down. "Tina, you know I care about you."
"That's not an answer," she replied.
"I'm trying to protect you."
"From what?"
"From me."
She stopped walking. "You think I don't know who you are? After everything we've done together? I know the darkness in you. I have it too."
He looked at her, pain in his eyes. "That's the problem."
"What are you scared of?" she asked softly.
"That I'll ruin you," Liam said. "That one day, I'll look at you and not see you. Just another target. Just another plan."
Tina touched his arm. "Then fight it. Don't give in to that version of yourself."
"I'm tired," he said. "Tired of running. Tired of pretending I'm someone I'm not."
Tina stepped closer. "Then be with me. Just be Liam. Not a soldier. Not a shadow. Just… mine."
He stared at her, then slowly nodded.
But his eyes still held fear.
---
In a lavish living room decorated with art and velvet, Mr. Carlos paced back and forth. Ciara Jones, his wife, sat on the couch sipping tea.
"I've called Raymond ten times," Carlos muttered. "No response."
Ciara looked up. "You said he always answers your calls."
"Exactly," he said. "Which means something's wrong."
She set down her cup. "Maybe he's just busy."
"No," Carlos snapped. "Not Raymond. He doesn't vanish. He's the one who—"
He paused.
Ciara raised an eyebrow. "The one who what?"
Carlos looked away. "Nothing."
She stood up slowly. "You're hiding something from me again."
"Ciara—"
"No!" she shouted. "You always do this. Every time things get serious, you go silent. Talk to me!"
He turned to her, voice shaking. "You don't understand the kind of business I've gotten involved in."
"Then explain it," she said. "Let me in."
He walked to the window, stared outside. "Raymond was handling things for me. Quietly. Things I couldn't put my name on."
Ciara's eyes widened. "Illegal things?"
He turned back. "It was supposed to be simple. Clean. No blood. But lately... the jobs he's taken on, they've been darker. I told him to stop."
"And he didn't?"
Carlos shook his head. "He stopped listening. I think he's working for someone else now."
"Who?"
"I don't know. But I can feel it. Something's coming, Ciara. Something bad."
She walked up to him and held his hand. "Then we prepare."
His eyes met hers. "You'd still stand with me?"
"Always," she said. "Even when you're lost."
---
Meanwhile, the scar-faced man from earlier sat in the back of a black SUV, flipping through an old file. Kate's picture was clipped to the top.
"She's the key," he muttered.
The driver glanced back. "You really think hurting her will get to William?"
"I don't need to hurt her," the man said with a cruel smile. "I just need her to see him for who he really is."
"And if she doesn't?"
The man's eyes darkened. "Then I'll remind her."