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“Not with child, yet so audacious, Emmett sneered, his laughter cutting through the air. “You have the nerve to fake a pregnancy and trick me?”
Aliana, eyes shut tight, wept silently; her quiet sobs were the only sound as she was too shattered to utter a word.
Emmett’s wrath intensified, his grin twisting with disdain. His hand, once covering her mouth, now gripped her throat, threatening to choke the life out of her.
“You seem eager to perish. Perhaps I should oblige,” he snarled.
His thoughts were a whirlwind of anger and betrayal. He, a man of such pride and influence, had been fooled by this despicable woman, causing him to lose his true love. How could he not be consumed by rage?
Aliana’s complexion turned an unhealthy bluish–purple as consciousness began to slip away. Just as she was about to fade, the physician returned with the medical files.
Swiftly, Emmett released her, his hands now frantically searching through the documents, desperate for clarity.
As Emmett examined the dates, the pieces began to fall into place.
He turned his gaze sharply towards Aliana, who was still gasping for air, filled with a loathing so intense it seemed to sear through his very being. He yearned to tear her apart!
The day Athena was admitted to the hospital, he had been caught up in a brief, thoughtless liaison with Aliana. Later, Aliana had gleefully recorded a video and sent it to Athena.
It must have been at that precise moment when Athena’s world had crumbled, and in his Ignorance of her condition, he had missed the opportunity to ever meet their child.
They had been so close to having it all.
But who was truly responsible for this destruction?
Had Athena gone to the extreme of terminating the pregnancy?
Blood vessels pulsed visibly on Emmett’s forehead, his mind reeling in fury. With a bellow, he hurled Allana to the floor, unleashing his rage.
Several underlings, cognizant of their position, discreetly escorted the doctor out of the surgery room.
“You wretch! Look at what you’ve caused! You’ve destroyed everything!” Emmett’s anger
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erupted as he brutally struck Aliana, who lay curled on the ground.
By now, Aliana had lost her fear.
She evaded his blows, her voice cutting through the mayhem. “Emmett! It takes two to tango!”
“You never had the courage to admit your feelings for Athena, treating her like a fool, so why are you pinning all the blame on me?”
Even Aliana could see his heart more clearly than he could. Her words seemed to penetrate his rage, and his mind wandered back to his time with Athena.
He had always believed he was demonstrating his affection for her, effortlessly displaying his love. But now, it dawned on him: those small acts of tenderness had been more than mere gestures.
Why did it take losing the person he cherished most to finally understand? Emmett felt as if his heart was being seared, each realization more agonizing than the last.
Emmett paused, crouching down to grab Aliana’s long hair, yanking her head up to meet his
eyes.
“You’re right,” Emmett whispered, a chilling smile spreading across his face, making Aliana shudder. “I’m at fault too, but you… you’ll pay. You’ll pay for my child with your life!”
With savage force, he smashed Aliana’s head against the floor, instantly coating her face in blood.
Aliana shrieked, helpless to defend herself, her hands frantically shielding her face, trying to prevent disfigurement.
Her face, her only asset. If it remained unmarred, even if she couldn’t wed Emmett, she could still make her way in the world.
But Emmett cared nothing for her thoughts. His fury still raged within him, insatiable. No matter what he did, it wouldn’t mend the harm he had inflicted on Athena and the child he would never know.
Emmett ordered his men to force Aliana to her knees, making her bow to the camera one hundred times, each bow a blow to her dignity. She was then compelled to apologize, to debase herself before the lens.
When Athena returned, Emmett would ensure she saw this.
As he watched the recording, something caught his attention: the large diamond ring that Aliana still wore
Aliana was never one for subtlety. She flaunted that ring like a trophy, brazenly displaying it for all to see, reveling in the envy it provoked as Mrs. Davidson.
