Chapter 230 A new Leila

Chapter 230 A new Leila
♤Cain♤

For a full minute, no one moved.

The room was frozen. My men stood there, confused, waiting for another command. Waiting for me to explode. To give orders. To do something.

But I said nothing.

My mind was miles away to the new found knowledge about Tobias, and things he had been doing before he died.

The things he never told me.

And how every single one of them seemed to circle back to his death.

I slowly folded my arms, my gaze locking on Dimitri.

“And why did he meet you?” I asked quietly. “To get information?”

My jaw tightened.

“You have no connection to our orphanage. I checked your background.”

I didn’t want to believe him or any of this, but deep down, I knew.

Tobias wouldn’t have wanted to disturb our adoptive parents. He would never drag them into his mess. He would’ve handled it the same way he handled everything, silently, and alone.

Mostly in secret.

“I—I don’t work there anymore,” Dimitri coughed, spitting blood onto the floor. “But I was working there—”

“Boss—” Viktor started.

I groaned.

“If you say one more word,” I snapped, “I’ll scrape you.”

The room went dead silent.

“Boss,” Xavi said carefully, “uh… she’s alone right now. We need to get her—”

I spun on him.

“And why do you care?” I snapped.

Xavi froze.

He didn’t answer.

I dragged a hand through my hair, breathing out slowly.

It wasn’t that I didn’t care.

God, I cared too much, that was the problem, but I was exhausted.

I was tired of failing and promising things I couldn’t guarantee.

I was tired of watching everything I touched fall apart.

I didn’t even know if I could protect her anymore, certainly not with the way she pushed me away.

She needs time right now to heal and grieve.

Time to hate me, and I didn’t have any of that.

The enemy wouldn’t wait.

So maybe… maybe it was better to let her breathe. To let her do what she wanted.

As long as I could still see her and watch over her.

That was why I planted the chip in her necklace.

The same necklace she’d worn to the party.

Back then, it wasn’t activated, because I’d been careless, distracted and stupid.

I wouldn’t make that mistake again.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and opened the tracking app.

One dot blinked on the screen.

Her.

She wasn’t far, just across the street, probably looking for a taxi.

Trying to run and disappear to God knows where.

My chest tightened.

I lifted my eyes back to Dimitri.

He looked half-dead.

Life was slowly draining out of him.

I clicked my tongue, then turned to Xavi.

“Untie him,” I ordered. “Make sure he’s alive when I get back.”

My voice dropped.

“No more torturing. He’s ready to talk.”

Xavi nodded immediately.

I didn’t wait. I turned and walked out, because no matter how much I pretended…

No matter how hard I tried…

There was no way in hell I was leaving Leila out there alone.



It didn’t even take a minute.

By the time I pulled up, she was exactly where the tracker said she’d be.

Sitting on the roadside, alone. She has curled into herself like she didn’t belong anywhere anymore.

Cars sped past on the curb, their headlights flashing over her face, but she didn’t react. She just stared at the road like she was waiting for something to carry her away.

I stepped out of my Maybach and pulled my cap lower and mask on.

I didn’t want her to recognize me. If she did, she’d run or scream or even break apart right there.

And I wouldn’t know how to fix it.

So I walked toward her quietly.

But the moment I got close, she lifted her head.

Her lips were dry, cracked.

Her eyes hollow.

She looked at me for a second then looked back at the road, without a word.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.

Good.

She didn’t know.

I sat down beside her slowly, careful not to scare her.

It was better this way.

If she didn’t know it was me, she wouldn’t fight me or push me away.

And I could stay, and watch her.

Minutes passed.

The street noise swallowed everything.

Then she spoke.

“Please, do you have a cigarette?”

I turned slowly.

My hand brushed the pack in my hoodie.

I hesitated.

Should I say no?

Should I lie?

Before I could decide, she spoke again.

“I recently lost my baby,” she said softly. “I wanted to smoke so bad… but I couldn’t. I was pregnant.”

Her lips curved into a broken smile.

“Now I’m free. So I want to smoke.”

My chest collapsed, like something had punched straight through me.

I didn’t argue or think, but pulled out the pack and handed it to her.

Then took out my lighter.

The flame flickered to life.

Just then, she froze completely. Her eyes locked onto it, then slowly, she looked up.

Her gaze sharpened.

Before I could react, she reached up and pulled my cap off.

“You—”

She jumped to her feet and starting walking away.

“Leila, stop,” I said immediately, standing up. “Please.”

Damn it.

How did she know?

She moved through the crowd, tears streaking down her face.

“Don’t come near me,” she cried.

I pulled my cap back on quickly, ignoring the stares, and followed her.

“Please,” I said. “Stop.”

She didn’t.

“Leila, listen to me,” I called as we reached a quieter street. “If you really wanted to run away, you wouldn’t have stayed on that bench.”

She slowed, then stopped.

“I gave you enough time to leave,” I added quietly. “You didn’t.”

She turned around slowly.

Her chest rose and fell hard, like she couldn’t breathe properly.

She bit her lip, fighting tears.

“I wasn’t running,” she whispered. “I just… wanted fresh air.”

My mouth opened.

Nothing came out.

I raised my hands slowly.

“Just… stay there. Please. Don’t walk away.”

I stepped closer.

One step at a time.

“I don’t understand your pain,” I said. “I don’t know how to fix it. I don’t know how to make it stop.”

My voice cracked.

“But you’re right.”

“It’s my fault.”

She shook her head and tried to move past me.

I caught her hands gently.

“Please,” I whispered. “Just listen.”

“You said you’ve already been shot. Fine. So be it.”

I swallowed.

“Then that Leila is dead.”

She stared at me.

“You have to be reborn,” I continued. “A new Leila. Okay? Reborn. Stronger. Braver. Alive.”

Her struggles slowed.

She looked up at me.

“A… new Leila?” she asked weakly.

I nodded.

“Yes. A new Leila.”

“A new Le—”

She didn’t finish.

Her body went limp and she collapsed straight into my arms.

I don't panic, I just held her.

Of course she would faint. She's fucking exhausted.