Chapter 217 Don't Let Me See You Again

Chapter 217 Don't Let Me See You Again

"Stop right there."

Harold's gaze was cold as ice, cutting straight through her.

Lavinia's heart seized. She froze in place, instinctively trying to placate him. "Harold, what's wrong?"

Harold threw the document at her feet. "See for yourself."

Lavinia bent down to pick it up and flipped through a few pages. Her face turned ashen. "Harold, let me explain..."

"Your scar—you burned it into yourself. You're not the person who saved me back then. You've been lying to me for over ten years." Harold stared at her, his eyes completely devoid of warmth.

"Harold, I... I just loved you too much. I was afraid you wouldn't care about me..." Tears streamed down Lavinia's face, her voice trembling.

"Love me?" Harold laughed bitterly. "You impersonated my savior and made me neglect my wife for you—that's love? You played the saint in front of Eleanor while sending her anonymous threatening texts behind her back—that's love? You made me save you first in a life-or-death situation and nearly let Eleanor drown—that's love?"

He looked at her, his eyes filled with barely contained hatred and rage. "Do you know that every time I indulged you all these years, I was hurting the person who actually saved me?"

Harold's throat tightened. He closed his eyes. "For a fraud like you, I wronged her."

He raised his hand and pointed at the door. "Get out. Don't let me see you again."

"Harold, please don't send me away..."

"Security."

Two bodyguards pushed through the door, grabbed Lavinia by the arms, and dragged her out.

The office fell silent.

Harold thought back to many years ago. A little girl had pulled him away from human traffickers. The two of them ran desperately, and finally tumbled down a hillside together.

The little girl's ankle was sliced open by a rock, bleeding badly.

He'd asked her name, but she just pushed him and told him to run.

Later, he never found her.

Then later, he married Eleanor, but never really looked at how the scar on her ankle came to be.

His savior had been by his side all along.

And he'd hurt her in the cruelest way possible.

"Eleanor..." He whispered her name.

For a fraud, he'd wronged the person who truly loved him and the person who had truly saved him.

He deserved this.

After being thrown out of Hernandez Corporation, Lavinia walked out like she'd lost her soul.

Her phone rang over and over—all calls from creditors demanding payment.

She didn't dare answer. She turned off her phone and walked aimlessly down the street.

After walking for who knows how long, she looked up and found herself standing below Apex Tower.

A light was on in a window on the twelfth floor—that was Terralena Studio.

That was Eleanor's studio.

Lavinia stood below, staring at that window, emotions churning inside her that she couldn't quite name.

Before, she'd thought Eleanor would have a miserable life after leaving Harold, that she'd regret it, that one day she'd come crawling back to him.

It wasn't like that at all.

Eleanor's life kept getting better. She had her own career, she had Terrence's love, and when she stood in public, she commanded attention—everyone wanted to look at her.

And Lavinia?

She had nothing left.

Just then, several figures emerged from the shadows and blocked her path.

"Lavinia, time to pay back what you owe us, don't you think?"

Lavinia's face went white. "I—I don't have money right now..."

"No money?" The man in front sneered. "When you paid Eloise to hurt someone, you weren't shy about spending then. Now you're playing poor?"

"I really don't have money. Please give me a few more days..."

"A few more days? We've already given you an extra month!" The man grabbed her by the hair. "Either pay up, or come with us. Someone's willing to clear your debt for you."

"No! Don't!" Lavinia struggled desperately.

But she was no match for several grown men. She was quickly dragged into a van.

Before the vehicle started, the creditor shoved a phone into her hands. "Call your family. Have them bring the money. Call whoever you can reach."

Lavinia's hands were shaking. She called her father first.

When he answered, she burst into tears. "Dad, save me..."

Philip's voice was as cold as stone. "The Saunders family has no such daughter. After doing such shameful things, you still have the nerve to call back?" He hung up.

Lavinia froze for a few seconds, then dialed her mother's number.

When the call connected, her mother was crying on the other end. "Lavinia, where are you? I'll find a way—"

Before she could finish, Philip's voice came through. "Give me that phone! Why are you still bothering with her?"

There was a commotion, then the call was disconnected.

Lavinia gripped the phone, her knuckles white.

She was silent for a few seconds, then finally dialed Harold's number.

The phone rang several times before someone picked up.

"Harold..." Lavinia's voice was hoarse, scraped raw. "Save me..."

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds before Harold's voice came through, cold and measured. "When you wanted Eleanor to drown, did you think about having a day like this?"

Lavinia opened her mouth but couldn't say a word.

"When you impersonated my savior and lied to me for over ten years, did you think about having a day like this?"

The call was disconnected.

She tried calling again, but only got a busy signal. She'd been blocked.

The vehicle started and drove into the night.

As they passed the entrance of Apex Tower, Lavinia looked through the window and saw a familiar figure walking out of the building.

It was Eleanor.

Terrence was beside her.

Terrence leaned down and said something in Eleanor's ear. Eleanor laughed, and the two of them walked hand in hand toward a black sedan parked by the curb.

The scene was blindingly bright.

Lavinia kept staring at that figure for a long time, until the vehicle turned a corner and she could no longer see.

She wanted to call out, but her mouth was covered tightly and she couldn't make a sound.

Tears slid down her face.

"Eleanor, you won," she whispered.

The creditor in the front seat heard this and snorted. "You still think this is some grudge between you and her?"

"You brought yourself to this point. Nobody forced you to impersonate a savior. Nobody forced you to hurt others. It was all your own choice."

Lavinia said nothing more.

Because what he said was true.

The van kept driving into the distance, soon disappearing into the night.

No one knew where she ended up, and no one mentioned her again.

The Saunders family's young lady, once pursued by everyone, just vanished from Rosewood City like that.

A few days later, Eleanor received a call from Ralph.

"Eleanor, I want to see you."

Eleanor thought about it and agreed.

They met at a quiet café. Terrence went with her.

Ralph looked a bit thinner than the last time they'd met, but his overall condition was much better. His eyes were no longer as haunted as before.

"How have you been lately?" Eleanor asked.

"Much better." Ralph's gaze softened, his smile carrying a hint of bitterness. "The doctor says I'm recovering well. With a bit more treatment, I should be able to live like a normal person."

"That's good."

Ralph was quiet for a moment, then looked up at her. "I asked you here because I want to tell you some things—about my brother."

Eleanor's grip on her coffee cup tightened slightly.

"My brother and I are twins. We were captured by Raven when we were very young."