Chapter 22

Chapter 22
Lena’s POV

Working at the Paxton family business gave me a sense of purpose that I hadn’t felt in so long. For the first time, I wasn’t just surviving; I was contributing, using my education, and making decisions. Mrs. Paxton had been kind to me, guiding me through the intricacies of the business, and for a moment, I allowed myself to believe that maybe things were starting to look up.

But deep down, I knew it wouldn’t last.

I had been expecting it for days—some kind of backlash from Richard. It wasn’t like him to sit back and let me have even a shred of independence. He always found a way to yank the rug out from under me, no matter how small the victory.

The first sign that things were changing came that morning, when I arrived at the office only to be stopped by the building’s head of security.

“Mrs. Paxton,” he said, his expression neutral but his tone formal, “I’ve been asked to escort you off the premises.”

I blinked, confused. “What? Why?”

He glanced around, lowering his voice. “It came from Mr. Paxton. Richard. He’s instructed that you’re no longer allowed to work here.”

I felt my stomach drop. Of course.

I should have known Richard wouldn’t let me continue working in his mother’s business, not without finding a way to interfere. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the wave of frustration and fear that washed over me. “Is this... is this permanent?”

The security guard nodded, looking uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I’m just following orders.”

Orders. Richard’s orders. Of course, this was him trying to pull me back under his control. I clenched my fists at my sides, the familiar feeling of helplessness creeping back in. “Can you... can you tell Mrs. Paxton?”

“I’ve already notified her,” he said, his voice softer now. “But the instructions were clear. She... she can’t override them.”

I wanted to scream, to throw something, to cry—but I did none of those things. Instead, I nodded, turning on my heel and walking out of the building. My mind raced, my heart pounding in my chest. How had he done it? How had he managed to cut me off even with his mother in charge?

As I stepped outside, the cold air hit me, and I stopped, staring up at the towering building. For a brief moment, I had believed I could build something here, that I could reclaim some part of myself. But Richard had taken that from me, like he always did.

By the time I got back to the estate, I felt drained, like every ounce of energy had been sucked out of me. I walked through the hallways, my footsteps echoing in the silence, until I reached my room. As soon as I closed the door behind me, I collapsed onto the bed, burying my face in my hands.

What was I supposed to do now?

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts. I didn’t need to ask who it was. The door creaked open, and Luna stepped inside, her usual smug smile plastered on her face.

“Well, well,” she said, closing the door behind her. “It looks like your little experiment with independence didn’t last long, did it?”

I sat up, glaring at her. “What do you want, Luna?”

She shrugged, walking over to the window, her fingers trailing along the edge of the curtains. “I just wanted to check in. You know, see how you were holding up after Richard shut you down.”

I felt my chest tighten. “Did you have something to do with this?”

She turned to face me, her smile widening. “Not directly. But Richard and I... we’re closer than you think. We talk. We make plans.”

I clenched my fists. “You’re just as trapped as I am, Luna. Don’t pretend like you have power here.”

Her expression darkened, her voice dropping to a low hiss. “I’m not trapped, Lena. You are. And soon, you won’t have anywhere to run.”

I stood, my heart pounding, but I refused to let her see my fear. “Why are you doing this? What do you even want?”

Luna crossed her arms, leaning against the window with an air of superiority. “What I’ve always wanted. To take back what’s mine. You took Richard from me, you took the life I was supposed to have. Now, I’m taking it back.”

“Richard?” I said, disbelief flooding my voice. “You still want him, even after everything?”

Her smile faltered for just a moment, but then it returned, sharper than before. “It’s not about him, Lena. It’s about winning. It’s about you losing.”

The room felt smaller with her in it, her presence suffocating. I had spent so long trying to survive Richard’s control, and now Luna wanted to push me further into that nightmare. I couldn’t let her. Not now. Not after everything I’d fought through.

“I’m not giving in,” I said firmly, meeting her gaze. “You’re not going to win.”

Luna’s eyes flashed with anger. “We’ll see about that.”

She turned to leave, but before she reached the door, she glanced over her shoulder, her voice dripping with menace. “Just so you know, Lena... this isn’t over. Richard’s not the only one who can make things difficult for you.”

The door slammed shut behind her, and I stood there, my chest heaving. Luna was right about one thing—this wasn’t over. But I wasn’t going to let her or Richard control me anymore.

Not if I had anything to say about it.



I sat down on the bed again, my hands shaking as I tried to gather my thoughts. They were working together—Luna and Richard. That much was clear. And now that he had managed to cut me off from the Paxton business, I was left with fewer options than ever.

But I wasn’t beaten yet. I still had Mrs. Paxton, and I still had Tyler. There had to be a way out of this, a way to break free from both of them—Richard’s control and Luna’s schemes.

I just had to figure out how.

The clock on the wall ticked softly in the silence, and I felt the weight of time pressing down on me. If I didn’t act soon, I knew they would close in.

And next time, I might not have a way out.

The room seemed darker now, as if Luna’s presence had left a shadow over everything. I stared at the door she had slammed behind her, feeling a knot form in my chest.

I wasn’t going to let her win. Not now. Not ever.



The room felt unbearably heavy after Luna left, her words hanging in the air like a dark cloud. I sat on the edge of the bed, my mind racing. “Richard’s not the only one who can make things difficult for you.”

I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breathing, but the knot in my stomach only tightened. Luna was manipulative and cruel, but she was also unpredictable, and that made her dangerous. And if she and Richard were working together, then I was facing something much worse than just his control.

I looked around the room, feeling trapped once again. No matter how much progress I thought I’d made, Richard always found a way to remind me of his power. And now Luna was adding to that pressure, threatening to take everything from me, as if I hadn’t already lost enough.

The weight of it all felt crushing, and for a moment, I wanted to give in, to just let them win. It would be easier to stop fighting, to stop resisting the inevitable. But I knew I couldn’t. If I gave up now, I would lose everything—the chance to escape, the chance to build a life for myself and the baby.

I placed my hand on my stomach, a wave of emotion washing over me. This child, despite everything, was my hope. I couldn’t let them destroy that.

I stood up, pacing the room, my thoughts spinning. What do I do now? Richard had cut me off from the business, Luna was plotting against me, and I had no clear path forward. But I wasn’t alone. I had Mrs. Paxton’s support, even if Richard had undermined her. And I had Tyler.

I bit my lip, hesitating for a moment before picking up my phone. I needed to talk to him, to tell him what had happened. Tyler had been my rock through all of this, and I couldn’t face Luna and Richard without his help.

The phone rang once, twice, before Tyler’s voice came through, soft but concerned. “Lena?”

“Tyler...” My voice wavered, the emotions I’d been holding back threatening to spill over. “I—I need your help.”

There was a brief pause, and then his voice softened even more. “What happened?”

I sank down onto the bed, clutching the phone to my ear. “Luna. She’s here, Tyler. And she’s working with Richard. He... he cut me off from the business. I don’t know what to do.”

Tyler’s sigh on the other end told me everything I needed to know—he had been expecting this. “We knew it was coming, Lena. But you’re not alone. We’ll figure this out, together.”

“Richard and Luna... they’re working together now,” I said, my voice trembling. “I’m scared.”

“I know,” he said quietly. “But we’re not letting them win. You hear me? You’re stronger than this. You’re stronger than them.”

His words gave me a flicker of hope, but it was fragile, like a candle in the wind. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”

“You’ll get through it,” Tyler said, his voice steady and sure. “You have me. And Mrs. Paxton. We’re not going to let them destroy you.”

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. “Thank you,” I whispered.

“Stay strong, Lena,” he said. “We’ll find a way out of this. I promise.”

I hung up the phone, feeling a little lighter but still burdened by the weight of everything pressing down on me. I wasn’t sure what the next step was, but I knew one thing: I wasn’t giving up. Not now. Not with Tyler and Mrs. Paxton by my side.

I wiped away the tears that had started to fall, my resolve hardening. Richard and Luna might be working together, but they hadn’t won yet. I still had some fight left in me, and I wasn’t going to let them take away the one thing I had left—hope.