Being Threatened

Being Threatened

The voice was honeyed, but the smile didn’t reach the woman’s eyes. It's Mrs Lawrence.

“Mrs. Lawrence,” Alina greeted politely, rising to her feet, masking her nerves with a pale smile. She prayed the woman hadn’t noticed Aaron’s hand resting at the small of her back just seconds before.

“I’m so sorry for what happened to Mr. Lucas,” Mrs. Lawrence continued, her tone laced with feigned sympathy. “You two were such a lovely couple. It must be heartbreaking to see him like this.”

Eric’s eyes went wide. He glanced at Aaron, stunned, as if piecing something together for the first time.

Alina forced a faint smile, steadying her voice. “It is… disheartening, yes. Luckily, my in-laws are supporting me through it. And my brother-in-law has been a great help at the hospital.” She deliberately emphasized the last words to lift the unwanted suspicion about seeing them together. Her glance flickering toward Aaron.

Aaron’s jaw tightened. Her mentioning him as brother in law, felt like his blood had been dipped in a black tar. The mask slipped for half a second before he recovered, offering Mrs. Lawrence a curt nod before focusing on his coffee.

Mrs. Lawrence lingered far too long for Alina’s liking. Finally, Aaron and Eric excused themselves, stepping outside to get some air.

The moment they were out, Eric spun to face him, half-aghast, half-amused.

“I beg your pardon, but what the hell was that in there?” His voice was low but sharp, eyes flashing with disbelief.

Aaron’s stare hardened. He exhaled once and, without flinching, laid it all out for him.

A few minutes later…

Eric sat back in silence, slowly puffing the cigar between his lips. The smoke curled around him, hazy and heavy, while his mind turned over everything Aaron had just told him. Finally, he passed the cigar back, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Man…” Eric exhaled, his tone laced with both irritation and sympathy. “Of all the women in the world, the first time you actually fall in love, it has to be this complicated? What kind of twisted puzzle have you gotten yourself into?”

Aaron accepted the cigar but only smirked faintly, the corner of his mouth tugging upward.

“Well, let’s just say I met her at the wrong time… and in the right situation,” he murmured, his voice low, thoughtful. “If our paths had crossed even a little later, I don’t want to imagine what state she would be in right now.”

His jaw tightened as the memory of their first meeting resurfaced. the fear in her eyes, the tremor in her voice when Lucas had pushed her to the edge. Even now, the thought of his brother threatening her sent fire through his veins.

Eric took a deep drag, eyes narrowing. “It’s true. Your brother was a dog. A real son of a bitch. He preyed on her when she was most vulnerable. The poor girl’s been through hell because of him.”

Aaron only nodded, the weight of it pressing down harder.

“But,” Eric continued, his tone shifting into something sharper, more calculating, “you’re right. There’s more here. She’s hiding something. Something valuable enough that Lucas kept her chained to him. You need to find out what it is, Aaron. And you need to do it soon, before it destroys both of you.”

For the first time in hours, Aaron’s eyes lit up with a spark. He turned to Eric, his gaze burning with expectation.

“Eric… will you help me get through this?”

The request was raw, stripped of pride. Eric blinked, caught off guard by the rare vulnerability in his friend’s voice. Then, after a beat, he grinned faintly.

“Of course. You know I’ve got your back. Always.” He leaned forward, tapping ash onto the pavement. “Let me take this case in my own way. Trust me. You'll have the answers you’re looking for.”

Relief washed over Aaron, subtle but undeniable. For the first time in what felt like forever, he felt the faintest ease settle in his chest. With Eric by his side, the truth was no longer an unreachable shadow. Soon, it would be standing right in front of him.

And when it did, Aaron intended to claim both. The truth and her with everything he had.

•••

Later That Evening

Alina lay restless on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling as thoughts swarmed in her head. The morning encounter with Aaron’s friend still clung to her nerves like a shadow. She couldn’t forget the panic that had seized her when they were spotted together in public.

Even now, her chest tightened at the memory. She wanted to be with Aaron. Without shame, without stares, without lies, but their reality was far from that. Every moment they shared was stolen, dangerous.

If only our situation wasn’t so twisted.

She sighed heavily and shifted on the bed beside Lucas’s, her body weighed down by the suffocating silence of the VIP ward. After breakfast, Aaron had left for a meeting, and she’d been trapped here ever since. The walls closed in, loneliness gnawed at her, and all she wanted was for this hospital stay to finally end.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She grabbed it absentmindedly, but the moment she saw the name flashing on the screen, the blood drained from her face.

“Hello, doctor,” she whispered, praying under her breath. “Is everything… good?”

The reply shattered her. Her body jolted upright, panic flooding her veins.

•••

Minutes later, Alina was at the hospital where Cassandra had been admitted. Her steps faltered as she rushed through the gates, her palms slick with sweat, her entire body trembling with dread. But the first sight that greeted her wasn’t her sister.

It was him.

“You scoundrels! Let me go! She’s my daughter! I have every right to see her!”

Her father.

He was at it again. causing a scene, shouting at the hospital guards who were desperately trying to restrain him. His voice carried through the air, attracting stares, feeding on drama like he always did.

Alina’s rage spiked. “Dad!” she snapped, her voice sharp as a whip.

The commotion froze. He turned to her, his expression shifting from fury to an almost sheepish grin.

“My dear,” he said, softening his tone instantly, as if the chaos he’d caused meant nothing. “Why are you here? I just came to visit Cassandra. I missed her.”

Her glare didn’t waver. Without a word to him, she turned to the guards, offering them a tight, apologetic smile. “I’ll handle this. I’m sorry for the trouble.”

Then she grabbed her father’s arm and pulled him away from prying eyes.

The second they were alone, her composure snapped. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she hissed, her voice trembling with fury. “Didn’t I tell you to stay away from Cassandra? Why are you so stubborn about this?”

Her father blinked at her anger, momentarily stunned, before regaining his usual sly calm.

“Alina, what’s wrong with me meeting her?” he asked smoothly, feigning innocence. “She’s my daughter too. I have every right to look after her when she’s unwell. Why are you treating me like a stranger?”

His words only fueled the fire in her. Her fists clenched so tight her knuckles turned white.

“You know exactly why I won’t let you near her,” she spat, her eyes blazing. “Didn’t you learn from the last time you took responsibility for her? Or have you already forgotten what you did?”

The color drained from his face. He broke eye contact, his mouth clamping shut.

Alina leaned closer, her voice dropping, darker than he had ever heard from her. “Don’t mistake my silence for forgiveness. The only reason I haven’t acted yet is because my hands are tied. But the moment I’m free… don’t think I won’t come for you.”

This wasn’t the fragile Alina he was used to bending and breaking. This was a woman forged in fire, willing to fight even monsters to keep her sister safe.

She turned to leave, but his voice froze her in place.

“And don’t forget,” he said quietly, venom curling around each word. “I know the secret you’ve been so desperate to hide. Make me your enemy, Alina… and that secret will be your downfall.”