Chapter 94
Emily Windsor's POV
I stumbled onto the hard gravel, my knees scraping against the rough surface. The sharp pain made me gasp.
"Scream! Why aren't you screaming anymore?" Lily dragged me toward the distant woods like a madwoman.
I shrieked, clawing at the ground, leaving behind messy trails in the dirt.
Only when we'd gone deep into the forest—at least a hundred yards from that black Maybach—did Lily finally release her grip.
She stood there, first scanning our surroundings with caution. Then she let out a long breath, her tense expression collapsing into exhaustion.
"Alright, cut the act. Doesn't your throat hurt?" She dusted off her hands, her tone returning to its usual composure, even carrying a hint of concern.
I sat slumped on the ground, gulping in fresh air. Wiping blood from the corner of my mouth, I glared at her irritably. "That slap was brutal, Miss Victor. Were you settling a personal score?"
Lily turned her face away guiltily, muttering under her breath, "Had to make it convincing. You think Lawrence's paranoia would buy anything less? Besides, you didn't exactly hold back when you hit me that day."
Knowing I was partly to blame, I pushed myself up from the ground and brushed the dirt off my clothes. My expression turned serious. "The car was bugged?"
"Not just bugged—tracked too. But this area has strong signal interference, and I took a roundabout route. We've got about ten minutes of dead zone." Lily looked at me, her eyes complex. "Emily, you're not losing it on me, are you?"
"I've already died once. What's there to be afraid of now?" I sneered, my gaze drifting toward the distant mountain range. "Lawrence probably thinks I'm completely at your mercy right now, waiting for you to torture me enough before handing me over."
"Same with those old geezers from the Victor family." A flicker of mockery crossed Lily's eyes. "They'd tie you up and deliver you to the Lowes themselves if it meant protecting their assets. Luke was right—the Victor family is rotten to the core. It needs to be gutted from the inside out."
My heart jolted. Luke's pale but resolute face flashed through my mind.
"So this whole 'righteous family betrayal' charade isn't just to fool Lawrence—it's to flush out the traitors inside the Victor family who've already sold out to the Lowes?"
Lily raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying. That was answer enough.
"Lawrence thinks he's controlling everything. But some traps were set the moment Luke stepped onto that yacht." She looked at me, her tone growing serious. "The road ahead is harder. Emily, you might truly disappear for a while."
I took a deep breath, feeling the cool mountain breeze against my skin.
"As long as those bastards end up in hell, I don't care how long I'm gone."
Lily studied me for a long moment. Finally, a genuine smile tugged at her lips. "Luke's taste in women really is impeccable."
"Spare me." I turned away, hiding the ache in my eyes. "What's next?"
"Follow me."
Lily led me through the pathless forest to an old red-brick house hidden in a mountain hollow.
The exterior walls were covered in withered vines. Most windows were boarded up. It looked like a tomb forgotten by time.
"Get inside." Lily's voice was low as she surveyed the area one more time before pushing open the creaking wooden door.
Inside, the light was dim. The air reeked of antiseptic mixed with old mildew—enough to make my nose sting.
My heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst. Every step felt like walking on knife edges.
We passed through a narrow corridor and pushed open the door at the very back. My breath stopped completely.
On the simple single bed, Luke lay motionless.
He looked like porcelain that had been shattered and hastily pieced back together. Almost no part of his exposed skin was uninjured. Layer upon layer of white gauze seeped with dark red, making his face look deathly pale.
"Luke…" I stumbled to the bedside, trembling. I reached out to touch him but pulled back, terrified that even the slightest pressure would break him completely.
Tears fell onto the back of his hand without warning. I pressed my hand over my mouth, choking back broken sobs.
He was alive. But seeing him like this hurt more than if he'd died.
"He jumped into the ocean before the explosion." Lily stood behind me, lighting a cigarette but not smoking it. She just watched the flickering ember, her voice tinged with weary relief. "But the current was brutal. Full of underwater rocks. When my people found him downstream, he was barely breathing."
I trembled as I reached out, gently covering his icy hand with mine.
That faint, almost imperceptible pulse became my only salvation.
"The evidence?" I forced myself to find a shred of rationality through the grief, looking up at Lily.
Lily pulled a silver USB drive from inside her coat pocket and waved it in front of me, a mocking smile on her lips. "I'm a Victor. You think I'd actually destroy something that could save our lives? That day was all theater for you. Lawrence has eyes and ears everywhere. If I didn't act ruthless enough, how would he believe I'd truly turned?"
I stared at the USB drive. The weight on my chest finally lifted.
"Luke woke up once." Lily stubbed out the cigarette, her gaze complicated as she looked at me. "He told me to tell you—don't be afraid. He's calculated everything. The only thing he didn't account for was you threatening to jump off a building for him."
A bitter smile tugged at my lips. In this game, everyone was making calculated moves. Only my love had become the uncontrollable variable.
Lily clearly didn't want to witness this tender scene. She turned to leave. "You two have some time alone. I'll come get you in half an hour."
"Wait." I called her back, my eyes cold and sharp in the dim light. "You can't just take me away. You need to move Luke immediately."
Lily stopped, frowning. "This is my private safe house. Lawrence can't trace it here. There's no need to risk moving him. His body can't handle being jostled around."
"No. You don't understand Lawrence." I stood up, my lawyer's instincts kicking in at full speed. "He's manipulated the Victor family elders like puppets. That means his infiltration runs far deeper than we think. This safe house—if even one person knows about it, it's not safe anymore."
I walked up to Lily, enunciating every word. "Arrange for your most trusted people immediately. Use waterways or mountain routes. Get him out to international waters. As for me…"
I took a deep breath, pointing at my own face, then at the room around us. "You need to make it look like you really tortured me. Lawrence wants a broken, destroyed Emily. Only if I'm wrecked enough will he believe you truly hate me. Only then will he let his guard down completely around you."