Juliette opened her eyes and winced as the bright light shone into her sensitive eyes. Once she adjusted to the brightness, she slowly scanned her surroundings. She hissed as a throbbing pain centered in her head. For a moment, she wondered what had happened to her. That throbbing sensation was soon accompanied by aches and pains throughout her body. It was then that Juliette realized various medical devices were attached to her body, making her extremely uncomfortable.
She racked her brain for the last memory and wondered why she found herself in this position, but all she could retrieve were vague shadows that did not help her. Frustrated, Juliette pulled off everything attached to her body, even the IV line inserted in her arm. She ignored the blood dripping from her arm due to her forceful removal of the IV. She was too confused to understand what was happening. The sound of the heart monitor beeping loudly made her ears ring, but she ignored it.
Slowly and occasionally accompanied by quiet whimpers, Juliette got out of bed and stepped toward the door she guessed was the bathroom. Once inside the bathroom and staring at her reflection in the mirror, she was overcome with shock and sadness. Her condition was so pitiful that Juliette could hardly believe the reflection before her was her own. A tear rolled down her cheek, and once again, Juliette dug into her mind, searching for her last memory before waking up lying in what she guessed was a hospital room.
At first, it was still blurry, but slowly, the images of her memories became more apparent. Juliette’s breathing quickened, and her chest felt tight. Her whole body trembled. Her legs felt weak, unable to support her anymore.
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Juliette breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the cars chasing them choose to retreat. She was suspicious about why the cars that had previously been so eager to surround them suddenly changed their minds and pulled back, but no matter what, Juliette felt relieved because they could temporarily escape from them.
With that thought, Juliette shifted her gaze from the car’s rearview mirror to the front. Still, her eyes widened when she saw three cars lined up horizontally, forming a barricade. She saw a man in an expensive suit standing in the middle of the vehicles, wearing a sinister smirk with both hands in his jacket pockets. His arrogant posture made Juliette tremble with fear.
Juliette instinctively screamed as Leo was still focused on the cars behind them that had suddenly chosen to retreat.
“Leo! Watch out!” Her scream startled Leo, who turned his attention late. However, it seemed the man was so shocked by the cars in front of them that he jerked the steering wheel to the right, causing the car to lose control, skid, and crash into the barrier. Juliette felt horror and adrenaline so vividly at that moment. She felt as if her body no longer had gravity. The rolling car and the windows shattering into a thousand pieces felt like a nightmare she never wanted to experience again.
After the car finally came to a stop, upside down, and her consciousness began to fade, Juliette finally felt an excruciating pain. Fortunately, there were airbags installed in the car, preventing her from suffering fatal injuries. With her breath ragged and blood pouring from her wounds, Juliette forced herself to turn and check on her lover.
“Le-Leo…?” Juliette called out in a hoarse voice. Smoke billowed around her, causing her to cough.
“Leo…!” Juliette murmured, still with a hoarse voice.
Her hand reached out toward the man, but before she could touch Leo’s unconscious body, it fell back down beside her. Leo’s condition seemed worse than Juliette’s, intensifying her worry and fear. Her body grew weaker, and dark spots began to fill her vision. Juliette cried softly and murmured for help. In her wretched state, she heard footsteps approaching. The footsteps were intimidating, sending chills down her spine.
With all her strength, she willed her body to stay awake and slowly turned her head toward the door. At that moment, her eyes saw a pair of legs clad in quality fabric pants and black leather shoes standing near her. Not long after, those legs moved, and Juliette let out a quiet sob when the face she feared the most came into her view.
Robbin knelt on one knee, his satisfied grin etched. The dark-eyed man stared at Juliette with intense, mysterious eyes.
“Hello, kitten,” he greeted as he pulled open the damaged car door, took a knife from his jacket pocket, and cut the seatbelt fastened around Juliette. Once the belt was severed, Juliette’s body fell as if from the sky. She was free and landed below, where shards of glass lay scattered, causing a hoarse scream to escape her lips once more.
A small click escaped his lips, and deftly, Robbin pulled Juliette’s body. He smiled and wiped the blood and tears from her face, pushing aside the hair that clung to her skin.
“Shh… shh… you’re back in my arms, kitten. No one will take you away from me…” Then, with great skill, Robbin repositioned Juliette and embraced her tightly.
Robbin walked with long strides, leaving the overturned car and Leo inside it. The reality of this made Juliette sob even more and whisper, “Leo…”
With an irritated expression, Robbin said, “No one will disturb us anymore, kitten.” His steps halted, and his eyes focused on a man standing nearby. “You do the rest. Burn the car.”
“No…” Juliette murmured as she heard Leo’s words.
Robbin leaned down, observing Juliette’s face. “This is your punishment for trying to run away from me, and the penalty is trying to take you from me.” Then Robbin spoke to Aldrich again. “Do it now. Make sure the man dies a miserable death.”
“Understood, sir.”
Juliette squirmed with the last of her strength, and the movement surprised Robbin, causing him to drop her body to the ground. Juliette, disregarding her physical condition, dragged her legs toward the car where Leo was. Robbin’s men were dousing the car with gasoline.
“No! Leo! NO!” Juliette watched with her own eyes as flames consumed the car where Leo was before it exploded.
“LEO!”
“Now he is dead, and I have you completely,” Robbin said in a tone so terrifying and heavy with sadism. After that, darkness enveloped her like a cocoon, distancing Juliette from the painful reality.
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A small sob escaped her lips, followed by a loud wail that made Juliette sound like a mad woman. She screamed and kept calling Leo’s name. Her body was in shock, and her chest felt so tight it was hard to breathe as if an invisible hand was choking her neck.
She heard the door slam open, followed by footsteps approaching. Juliette crawled deeper into the bathroom, intending to hide, but the bathroom door burst open, and someone stood beside her. With unfocused eyes, she caught sight of Robbin’s face. The man instinctively embraced her, lifting her into his protective hold, and then carried Juliette back into the room, where a doctor and several nurses awaited their arrival. Juliette recognized the doctor’s face-Christian.
Of course, Christian. Juliette shouldn’t have been surprised to see a man involved in Robbin’s madness. Juliette immediately squirmed and tried to free herself from Robbin’s grip. Still, as if he had learned from past experiences, Robbin tightened his hold, clutching Juliette so tightly that her chest felt increasingly constricted.
“Leo!” Juliette cried, and the last scene she saw continued to replay in her mind, mocking her for failing to escape from the psychopath and live peacefully with her lover.
“Leo!” This time, Juliette screamed in a pitch so shrill it made everyone wince.
“Now, Chris!” Robbin shouted while pressing Juliette’s head against his chest, exposing her neck. Christian nodded and reached for the syringe on the tray one of the nurses brought. The man walked over to where Robbin stood and, without a second thought, plunged the needle into the back of Juliette’s neck, injecting a clear liquid into her system.
Not long after, Juliette’s entire body went limp, and her eyes fluttered shut once again.
With leisurely steps, Robbin let out a soft sigh and returned to the bed, gently laying Juliette back onto the mattress and stroking her head. His dark eyes gazed intensely at Juliette’s face with an adoring look. His hands continued to move, feeling the softness of each strand of Juliette’s hair, and this was the peace Robbin so desperately desired.
Christian cleared his throat softly, breaking the peace surrounding Robbin. His eyes turned toward Juliette, who was again sound asleep, before asking, “What will you do next, Robbin? What you did by killing Leo in front of her will only make Juliette hate you even more.”
Robbin chuckled softly. “She doesn’t hate me, Chris. Juliette is just blinded by her love for Leo, so she doesn’t realize my feelings for her, that my love is greater than that coward.”
Chris shook his head in disbelief. “You’ve really gone mad, Robbin.”
Robbin grinned and turned his head toward Christian, his dark eyes shining with an intense obsession that made Christian step back.
“Yes, I’m mad, Chris.” Then Robbin turned back toward Juliette, gazing at the beautiful woman’s face. “I’m mad for her.”
Christian didn’t know what to say anymore. His cousin had indeed lost his sanity. No one could control him anymore, not even when the late Anthony was still around. Then, his gaze shifted to Juliette.
He hoped Juliette could survive the madness of the man who shared his blood. He cleared his throat softly and said, “You will regret this someday, Robbin.”
“I know, but I don’t care,” Robbin replied flatly.
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For the second time, Juliette woke up in the same room, but this time, it was not the harsh light that welcomed her; instead, it was sunlight streaming through the window. A soft groan escaped her lips as she slowly sat up from her sleeping position. She leaned her back against the headboard and took a deep breath.
The image of the burning car felt like an endless nightmare for Juliette. How could Robbin be so cruel? She sobbed softly, and her hands clasped together, squeezing tightly to suppress the surge of anger bubbling inside her. The memories of Leo’s face, his smile, and even his angry expression were all she had now. No man would support, comfort, or calm her, and the one to blame here was Juliette.
If only Juliette had chosen to leave on her own without Leo’s help, not going to that damned house, maybe Leo would still be here. In a safe place, far from Robbin’s reach. Juliette hit her legs with her clenched fists. An overwhelming sadness consumed her; her heart felt empty and hollow, surrounded only by thick darkness encasing her spirit.
She heard the sound of the door opening, and without needing to look, Juliette already knew who had entered. The familiar scent of the man’s cologne, the aura that always surrounded him, was like a signal for Juliette. She heard a chair pull beside her right, and the man sat calmly. His legs crossed while his hands rested on the arms of the chair. Juliette glanced from the corner of her eye and could see the terrifying expression adorning the psychopath’s face.
“Are you done?” he asked calmly.
“You killed him,” Juliette hissed, holding back her anger.
Robbin clicked his tongue briefly and replied, “Did you think I would sit idly by while another man tried to take you from me? No, my dear. I was just waiting for the right moment. Now, have you learned from your mistakes?”
Juliette’s whole body trembled. Robbin’s mocking tone felt like a sharp knife tearing through her heart. “What do you want from me?”
“It’s simple.” Robbin shifted his body to a more relaxed position, yet he could intimidate anyone, including Juliette. “Marry me.”
“Are you crazy? I’m your family, Robbin! My mother is your stepmother!”
Hearing that statement, the corners of Robbin’s mouth lifted. He gave Juliette a mysterious look, and for some reason, seeing that gave Juliette a lousy feeling.
“Oh yes, about that. I just spoke with Meryl last night about you.” Robbin shook his head as if he couldn’t believe what crossed his mind.
“What a greedy woman.”
“What did you just say?”
Robbin grinned and pulled out a document from his jacket. He took a piece of paper from the file and softly clicked his tongue. He stared at Juliette briefly before looking back at the paper in his hand. “I can’t believe you have a mother like that. Good in front, rotten behind.”
“Isn’t that more fitting for you, Robbin?” Juliette muttered bitterly to herself. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“Oh yes…” Robbin lifted the paper in his hand, flipping it over to show its contents to Juliette. The first thing she noticed was the title printed on the paper.
‘Contract Agreement.’
Then Juliette quickly snatched the paper from Robbin’s hand and read each sentence. Her heart felt like it had stopped when she saw her mother’s signature and the seal that was uniquely hers. “No… it can’t be…”
“Yes, sadly, all of this is true, kitten.” Robbin grinned and spoke with a tone that was so fake it dripped with sadness.
“Oh, my poor kitten. You’ve been betrayed by your own mother.”
“No! I don’t believe this!” Juliette then tore the paper in her hands into small pieces. “You lied to-No! You forced my mother to agree and sign this letter!”
“I have proof that your mother was willing to sell you to me without a second thought, Juliette.”
…