Chapter 106. Revelation

**106\. Revelation**

***Sabrina's POV***

With each passing minute, my fear for Nio grew stronger. No matter how much I shook him or pleaded, he didn’t show any signs of life. The panic clawed at my chest like a wild animal.

“Nio, wake up!” I cried again, shaking his limp body as tears blurred my vision.

I turned my gaze toward the man who had shot him, anger burning through my despair. “Who the hell are you?” I demanded, my voice breaking.

The man smirked, stepping closer. “Ah, let me introduce myself properly,” he said, his voice laced with arrogance. “John Oreans. Does that name ring any bells?”

I blinked, the name tickling the edges of my memory. It felt familiar, like a shadow from a half-forgotten nightmare.

Then it hit me. Travis had mentioned him before—the man Helen was involved with. The pieces began to fit, but another layer of familiarity gnawed at me, as though I’d heard his name in a completely different context.

While John was distracted by his theatrics, I moved as subtly as possible, working to free Travis’s hands and legs. I prayed he would wake up.

And then I saw it—a flicker of movement.

His hand twitched. Relief flooded through me like a tidal wave, though I kept my face composed.

John’s voice yanked me back to the present. “And what exactly have I done to you?” I asked, forcing myself to sound braver than I felt.

John laughed—a sharp, grating sound. “Oh, you think you’ve done nothing wrong? How naïve,” he mocked.

I racked my brain, trying to decipher his cryptic words. Before I could, Travis stirred beside me, his eyes cracking open.

“Nio!” I gasped, leaning closer. But my relief was short-lived as I noticed the blood soaking through his shirt, a vivid red against the white fabric.

“Sab... are you okay?” he rasped, his voice weak but full of concern.

“Don’t move! You’re bleeding!” I cried, panicking.

He tried to sit up, grimacing in pain, but I pressed my hands gently on his shoulders to stop him. “Stay still,” I pleaded.

But our brief exchange enraged John. He snapped, “Okay, lovebirds, enough of your little reunion. I’ve got some things to say.” His cruel laughter echoed in the room.

Travis, even in his weakened state, raised his voice. “Let her go! She has nothing to do with this,” he pleaded, desperation thick in his tone.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and a group of masked men stormed into the room. My heart sank.

While my attention was momentarily diverted, a sharp, searing pain shot through my arm. I cried out, clutching the wound instinctively. When I turned, Helen stood there, holding a bloodied knife, a sadistic smile on her face.

“Sab!” Travis tried to pull me behind him despite his injuries.

“I’m fine,” I lied, summoning all the strength I could muster. I rose to my feet, facing Helen with fire in my eyes.

I stepped forward, ready to strike her, but a gut-wrenching scream from Travis stopped me in my tracks.

I turned, horrified to see the masked men viciously beating him.

“Stop! Leave him alone!” I screamed, my voice breaking as I tried to push past Helen.

John laughed darkly from the corner. “Or what? What can you do?”

I opened my mouth to retort, but no words came. The helplessness was suffocating.

John smirked at my silence. “Don’t let them die,” he ordered, his voice cold. Then, as if completely indifferent to the chaos, he turned and walked out of the room.

Before I could process what was happening, Helen struck me hard across the face, sending me staggering backward.

“You bitch!” she hissed, her eyes gleaming with malice.

I pushed myself up, determination surging through me, but Helen was quicker. She caught me off guard, grabbing my injured arm and twisting it. Pain radiated through me as she forced me to the ground, pressing her foot against my bleeding hand.

The agony was unbearable, but I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of hearing me scream.

I cried and screamed until my throat was raw, but Helen remained unmoved, her sadistic grin unwavering.

While her men mercilessly beat Nio, she stood over me, gloating, leaving me no way out.

"You know," Helen began, her voice dripping with malice, "I think it's time to show you what will happen to that brat of yours once you both leave her alone."

She snapped her fingers, signaling her lackeys to stop their assault on Travis. They obeyed without hesitation, like mindless dogs answering their master.

As Nio crumpled to the floor, coughing up blood, I clenched my fists. My instincts screamed at me to run to him, to help him, but I held myself back. We needed to conserve what little strength we had for whatever was coming next.

Helen’s voice cut through my thoughts. "You’re going to love this," she said, a wicked smile playing on her lips.

She gestured toward a corner of the room, and for the first time, I noticed a projector and a large screen. With a few clicks, the screen flickered to life.

I glanced at Nio. He looked pale and weak, blood staining his shirt, but his eyes were still sharp with determination.

Helen stepped aside, making sure we had an unobstructed view of the screen.

"Look at your little girl," she sneered.

The moment the live feed appeared, my heart dropped.

On the screen, I saw Wynter at our home, laughing as Chris and Mark tickled her. Her giggles filled the room, but instead of relief, fear surged through me.

"No," I whispered, my voice trembling.

"Let her be," Nio begged, his voice hoarse and broken. Despite his injuries—being knocked on the head, shot, and beaten—he still fought to protect Wynter. "She’s innocent. Don’t drag her into this."

Helen turned her icy gaze to me, raising a finger to silence me as I tried to speak.

"If you have a score to settle, settle it with us," I spat. "Leave her out of it."

Helen’s lips curled into a smug smirk. "Correction," she said, her tone mocking. "It’s not us. It’s them."

Confusion swirled in my mind, but deep down, I knew what she meant. I didn’t want to admit it, but I had to ask.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes.

Helen let out a cold laugh. "Oh, Sabrina, don’t play dumb. Do you realize how important those two idiots are in both of your lives? Or have you forgotten about the little... incident?"

She tilted her head, as if waiting for the realization to dawn on me.

"The information leak," she continued, her words laced with venom. "You remember that, don’t you? The call his company received? The one that nearly cost you everything?"

I froze, the memory resurfacing like a ghost I’d tried to bury. I’d assumed Helen was behind it, but hearing her confirm it twisted the knife in my chest.

"I was the one who leaked that information," Helen said, her tone almost gleeful. She pointed a manicured finger at Travis. "Because of you. You didn’t even acknowledge all the work I did to help build your precious company. I thought maybe, just maybe, you’d see me if I destroyed it."

She threw her head back and laughed, the sound echoing in the room like a death knell.

"And now," she said, her tone turning deadly serious, "I know how important those two fools are to you. So listen carefully."

Helen leaned in closer, her voice low and menacing. "If either of you moves an inch without my permission, I’ll make sure all three of them—Chris, Mark, and little Wynter—are gone. Forever."

We felt utterly powerless. There was no option but to surrender, to follow their orders for the sake of Mark, Chris, and Wynter.

Helen’s strikes came again, and both Nio and I collapsed to the ground, too weak and battered to fight back.

Nio lay on his stomach, blood pouring from his mouth, his breathing labored.

My heart ached as I watched him, the man I had loved my entire life, sacrifice himself to save our daughter and friends.

Suddenly, the chilling sound of iron being dragged across the floor echoed through the room.

A cold shiver ran down my spine, goosebumps rising on my skin.

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