After several failed attempts to reach Bryan, Mr. Markson decided he'd had enough.
He drove straight to his son's house.
But nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to see.
The moment Bryan opened the door, Mr. Markson's eyes fell on it—
A gun.
Illegally held.
For a second, everything around him seemed to freeze. His mind struggled to process the sight, disbelief crashing into reality.
"Bryan… what is the meaning of this?" he demanded, his voice sharp with anger.
Bryan didn't even flinch.
He simply turned away, acting as though his father wasn't standing there at all.
That hurt more than the gun.
"I've been calling you!" Mr. Markson continued, his tone rising. "You ignored every single call. This—this is unacceptable! I'm deeply disappointed in you. You need to take responsibility for whatever mess you've gotten yourself into!"
Mr. Markson made his way back to the hospital where Laura and Claudia were. Despite what he had just experienced, he chose not to disclose it to his wife Claudia, or to Laura, who was already going through a lot.
Daniel knew that Laura was at the hospital, but he didn't bother to go check on her. He was cold and indifferent toward her.
Laura, however, decided to take matters into her own hands. She knew that Gina was dangerous and that her husband Daniel didn't care about her safety. So, she decided to lay low and not put herself in any more danger.
Mr. Markson thought about it and couldn't keep it to himself. He finally revealed to Claudia what Bryan had gotten himself into, leaving her in shock.
"What do you mean Bryan is involved with something illegal?" she asked, surprised. Mr. Markson was already irritated over the situation and Bryan's actions only made it worse.
"That boy is trying to bring shame to this family. How could he get himself into such a mess?" he retorted. "Why on earth would he have a gun in his possession?"
Despite her concern for his health, Claudia attempted to calm him down.
Meanwhile, Bryan had been resentful since returning from his trip, and his parents were at a loss as to what could be causing his behavior.
Bryan was feeling completely at ease, enjoying his free time when his phone suddenly rang. He recognized the caller ID as Laura's, so he answered the call.
"Hey, Laura. What's up?" he asked in a relaxed tone.
Laura's voice sounded concerned when she spoke. "I'm worried about you. I haven't seen you around lately. Are you okay?"
Despite knowing that his father had not informed Laura about his recent change in attitude, Bryan feigned nonchalance. "Of course, I'm fine. I'll come by soon. Don't miss me too much," he teased.
Laura felt disheartened, wishing for more from their conversation. Harold had not been around either, and she began to wonder why.
Bryan has been feeling down lately due to his unfulfilled political aspirations. Although he tries to keep a brave face, the pain runs deep. He is determined to settle the score with Daniel Edward and won't rest until he does.
Meanwhile, Laura's life has been a nightmare ever since she got involved with Daniel. Gina's animosity towards her only exacerbates the situation.
One evening, Bryan finally shows up to pay Laura a long-overdue visit. "What took you so long to come and see me?" Laura asks, looking visibly upset.
Bryan takes a deep breath and replies, "I'm sorry for the delay, but I've been occupied with several things. Here are some gifts I brought for you." He hands over the package to Laura.
"Thank you so much, Bryan," Laura says, smiling and hugging him.
As Laura was enjoying her time with her brother Bryan, Gina barged into the room, interrupting them.
"What's all this noise about, and who's this?" Gina asked with an aggressive tone. Bryan, taken aback by her sudden intrusion, turned to Laura and asked, "Who is she, Laura? And what's going on?"
Infuriated by Gina's rude behavior, Laura stood up to confront her. "Gina, you are way out of line! Who gave you the right to ask me such a question? Don't you dare try it again!" Bryan held Laura back as she was about to continue her rant. "Can someone please explain what's going on here?" he asked, confused.
But before anyone could respond, Gina spoke up with confidence, "I'm Daniel's fiancée and soon-to-be wife. I'm also carrying his child."
Laura scoffed and mocked her, "Soon-to-be wife? At least you're not his wife yet. Now, please leave us alone and let me spend some quality time with my brother. Nobody cares about who you are, Gina."
Gina was embarrassed in front of Bryan and left the room without saying another word. Bryan was shocked by what he had just witnessed. "Is this some kind of drama? Daniel Edward is shameless, but he'll get what's coming to him," he said.
"Definitely," Laura replied firmly. Daniel Edward has been away for a few days and plans to return soon. Meanwhile, Gina has been plotting against Laura, determined to remove her from the house by any means necessary.
She wants to be the sole focus of Daniel Edward's attention.
After a few days, he returned.
Despite holding a grudge against Daniel for leaving her without reason, Gina welcomes him upon his return and asks about his trip.
However, when Daniel Edward asks about Laura's whereabouts, Gina becomes visibly displeased and reluctantly tells him that Laura was in her room.
Daniel, as careless as usual, proceeds to his room without checking on Laura's well-being, showing little concern for her. Laura, in turn, lay on her bed, her eyes fixated on the ceiling as she thought about Harold and wishes he could pay her a visit.
Her life revolves around Daniel Edward's mansion, and she feels trapped. When Daniel finally comes to her room, he appears upset that she had not greeted him earlier despite knowing that he had returned. However, Laura stands her ground and maintains her composure as she welcomes him in.
"You are back, welcome," she said. Daniel looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Are you pretending not to know that I've been back for a while now?" he asked, his eyes focused on her.
Laura ignored the question. "Hope you had a nice trip," she replied as she sat up.
Daniel scoffed. He had a feeling that Laura was trying to play mind games with him, so he ignored her and left her room without another word, banging the door behind him.
Ever since Gina stepped into the house, everything had become worse.
Laura was pushed out of her own bedroom and into the cold silence of the guest room like a stranger.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
Every door felt locked. Every step she took was watched. Every breath she drew felt controlled.
She wasn't a wife anymore.
She was a prisoner.
And the most terrifying part?
Daniel was only just getting started.
So the question wasn't whether her pain would end…
It was how much more she could survive before it broke her completely.