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Hamilton's POV

I was in my office when the call came in. It was a frantic voice on the other end, trembling with fear and urgency. “Mrs. Hamilton, it’s about your daughter... Mara.” My heart dropped before I even heard the rest of the sentence. “She was pushed... we don’t know who did it, but she was found lying in the kitchen of the Mountain’s Group of Companies... and she’s been... hurt.”

My mind couldn’t make sense of the words, but the panic in the voice was clear. They told me Mara was still breathing, just barely. Without wasting a second, I ordered the ambulance to be sent immediately. My hands were shaking as I hung up, feeling like the world was collapsing around me. What happened? Who would do this to my little girl?

The journey to the company felt like an eternity. Every second, every heartbeat, was filled with dread. I couldn’t imagine her in that condition. It felt like the air itself had thickened, and the suffocating fear clung to me. When we arrived, I saw her, lying unconscious on the cold floor of the company kitchen. Her once bright eyes were closed, and her face was pale, ghostly even. Her skin was cold to the touch. But, thank God, she was still breathing—barely.

I rushed her into the ambulance, instructing the paramedics to work faster, faster, but I felt a gnawing panic deep in my chest. The fear didn’t subside; it grew as we sped towards the hospital. I just kept thinking: This can’t be happening. My daughter can't be dying.

When we finally arrived at the hospital, the team of doctors and nurses was already waiting for us. They didn’t waste a single moment. My heart pounded as they began working on her, attaching wires, giving her injections, trying to stabilize her. I stood in the waiting room, pacing back and forth, my breath coming in ragged gasps. I couldn’t sit still. My mind was racing—who would do this to her? Why?

I hardly noticed the time pass until the doctors emerged from the emergency room. They were serious, their faces unreadable. I couldn't even register their words as they began to speak. “Mrs. Hamilton, your daughter... she suffered a severe blow to the head. The impact was strong enough to affect her brain. For now, she’s in a vegetative state.”

I couldn’t breathe. My legs felt weak beneath me, but I forced myself to stand. Mara... My voice cracked as I rushed into the emergency room, ignoring the doctor’s protests behind me. I needed to see her. I had to be with her.

“Mara!” I cried, my voice breaking. “Mara, it’s Mommy. Look at me, darling. Please, please don’t leave me.” I touched her cold hand, my own fingers trembling. She didn’t respond. She didn’t even stir.

I turned to the doctor, my voice frantic, pleading. “How is she? Will she wake up? Will she ever be the same again? Please... tell me what’s wrong with her. She’s my only daughter. My special, precious girl! Please tell me she’s going to be okay.”

The doctor’s expression remained unreadable, but I could see the sorrow in his eyes. He sighed, his voice soft. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Hamilton. The blow to her head was severe. We’ll monitor her, but for now, she’s in a coma. There’s no telling when—or if—she will wake up. I understand this is difficult, but we’re doing everything we can.”

I couldn’t hear anything else. I felt like my whole world was crumbling. The doctor tried to leave, but I was frozen, my gaze fixed on Mara’s motionless form. “Please,” I whispered, “please don’t leave me.” But the doctor was already walking away, and my sobs echoed in the sterile, cold room.

As I continued to stand beside my daughter, the horrible thought struck me like a bolt of lightning: The kitchen. The Mountain’s Group of Companies. Lila. I remembered that Mara had been found there, in Lila’s company kitchen. The rage built inside me, bubbling over. Lila. I clenched my fists, my entire body trembling with fury.

She did this to my daughter.

I couldn’t stay in the hospital any longer. I stormed out of the room, my heart pounding with anger and sorrow. Without saying a word to anyone, I left, headed straight for the Mountain’s Group of Companies.

When I arrived, I saw them. Lila and Nolan. They were about to get into their car, looking far too calm for the situation. The sight of them, especially Lila, made my blood boil. How could she be so composed when my daughter was lying in a coma because of her?

I couldn’t hold back any longer. I shouted at them, my voice thick with grief and anger. “Lila! You... you stupid woman! You’re the cause of this! You did this to my daughter! She’s lying in the hospital in a vegetative state because of you! I swear, you will pay for this.”

I rushed toward her, reaching out to grab her by the hair, but Nolan was quicker. He stepped in between us and grabbed my arm, pushing me away with surprising force. “I warned you, Mrs. Hamilton,” Nolan said coldly, his voice laced with warning. “If you touch Lila, there will be consequences. I don’t care how upset you are, but you’re not going to lay a finger on her.”

I was shaking, my vision blurred with rage. “How can you stand there and defend her?” I hissed, my voice filled with venom. “She’s the reason my daughter is fighting for her life! She pushed Mara into this state, and now you want to protect her?”

But Lila’s voice rang out, icy and composed. “You’re wrong. Your daughter came at me with a knife. I was only defending myself. If I hadn’t, she would’ve killed me.”

I froze, her words cutting through my fury. A knife? My mind spun. Mara tried to kill her?

Before I could say another word, one of the security guards approached, his face grave. “Mrs. Hamilton, I think you should hear this,” he said, his voice low. He pulled out a tablet and played the security footage from the kitchen.

I watched, horrified, as Mara charged at Lila, knife in hand, her eyes wild with fury. Lila’s face was filled with shock as she dodged the blade, defending herself with swift movements. It was self-defense.

My knees buckled as the reality sank in. I couldn’t believe it. Mara tried to kill her?

The security guard spoke again, his voice firm. “It’s clear from the footage that Ms. Lila was only protecting herself. She did what she had to do. It’s self-defense.”

I stood there, stunned. Self-defense? How could I have misunderstood everything? My mind raced with conflicting thoughts, but one thing was certain: I couldn’t let Lila get away with this, no matter what.

“You don’t get to walk away from this, Lila,” I said, my voice trembling with fury. “You may have defended yourself, but I’ll make sure you pay for everything you’ve done to my daughter. I swear, you’ll regret this.”

Lila stood there, unwavering. “If you think I’m afraid of you, think again. Your daughter made her choice, and I made mine. She deserves what’s coming to her,” she said coldly. Her words struck me like a slap.

But before I could respond, they turned and got into their car, leaving me standing there, seething with anger and confusion. I couldn’t believe what I had just witnessed. My daughter, in a vegetative state because of Lila...

But I wasn’t finished. I will make her pay.

\---

Lila's POV

The day had started like any other—hectic, stressful, and filled with the usual drama. But nothing could’ve prepared me for what happened. I had just stepped into the company kitchen when Mara came charging at me, a knife in her hand.

I didn’t want to fight. I never did. But I couldn’t let her hurt me. I had no choice but to defend myself. Was I wrong? Was I supposed to just let her kill me? I didn’t know. All I knew was that I had done what I had to do.

Now, her mother was outside my office, shouting at me, blaming me for everything. She didn’t understand. She wasn’t there. She didn’t know what had really happened. The only thing I could think was how lucky I was to have the CCTV footage to back me up.

As Nolan and I walked to the car, I felt a strange sense of dread. This wasn’t over. It was only just beginning.

When Nolan spoke, his words hit me harder than I expected. “Lila, you need to be more careful. You have more enemies than you think. Hamilton’s company went bankrupt, and now you have an entire family gunning for you.”

I nodded, but inside, I felt a chill.

Then my phone rang. It was Mr. Williams. Not him again.

I answered reluctantly. “I told you not to call me. What do you want?”

His voice was calm, too calm. “Lila... Do you want to know who killed your father?” he asked, his words sending a jolt through me.

I froze. Hamilton?

“Why now?” I asked, my heart pounding in my chest.

“Yes, it was Hamilton. He killed your father. And if you want the proof, you need to pay up—100 million. And I’ll give you everything you need,” he said, the words hanging in the air like a threat.

I couldn’t believe it. Hamilton? Was this some sick joke?

But then, he said something that struck me deep: “I know you want revenge for your father.”

I clenched my fists, my mind racing. Revenge.

“I’ll do it. I’ll give you the money. But I want one thing. You have to transfer all the shares of Mountain’s Group into my name,” I said, my voice sharp.

“Done,” he replied quickly.

I turned to Nolan, my face pale. “I’m going to meet him. He has evidence about my father. I need to do this.”

Nolan's eyes darkened with concern. “You need to be careful. Don’t trust him. He’s just using you.”

But I knew what I had to do. Revenge.

“I’ll be fine, Nolan. Trust me,” I said.

I hung up the phone, my heart pounding in my chest. This was it. The game was on.