The black car screeched to a halt in front of a grand but slightly worn estate. Lina threw the car door open, clutching her bag tightly as she stumbled out. Her legs felt weak, and her chest heaved as panic consumed her. The driver called out to her, but she ignored him, hurrying up the steps to the front door.
“Dad!” she cried, her voice breaking as she shoved the heavy door open. “Dad, where are you?”
The house was eerily quiet for a moment. Lina’s eyes darted around the dimly lit hallway, her breath coming in short gasps. “Dad!” she shouted again, louder this time.
Footsteps echoed from one of the side rooms, and a tall man in his late 50s appeared. He was wearing a housecoat, his graying hair messy as if he had just woken up. His sharp eyes narrowed as he looked at his daughter.
“Lina?” he said, frowning. “What are you doing ? It’s the middle of the night. What’s going on?”
Lina dropped her bag onto the floor, her hands trembling as tears streamed down her face. “Dad… I-I messed up,” she stammered, her voice shaking.
Her father’s expression hardened, his arms crossing over his chest. “What do you mean you messed up?” he asked, his tone firm.
Lina stepped closer, her shoulders trembling as she wiped at her tears. “I didn’t mean for it to go this far,” she said, her voice cracking. “I just wanted to… I thought it would work, but now everything is ruined!”
Her father’s frown deepened, and he grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him. “Lina,” he said sternly, “what did you do? Stop crying and tell me the truth.”
Lina let out a shaky breath, her hands gripping his arms for support. “I… I tried to drug Damian,” she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.
Her father’s eyes widened in shock. “You what?” he asked, his voice rising.
“I gave him a sedative,” Lina continued quickly, the words tumbling out of her mouth. “I just wanted him to… to lose control. I thought… I thought if he…”
Her father’s grip on her tightened. “If he what, Lina?” he demanded. “What were you trying to do?”
Lina’s face crumpled, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. “I wanted him to sleep with Luna,” she admitted, her voice trembling. “I thought if he did, Aurora would hate him when she woke up. She would never forgive him.”
Her father’s jaw dropped, and he took a step back, releasing her shoulders. “You did what?” he said, his voice filled with disbelief.
“I didn’t mean for it to get this bad!” Lina cried, her hands covering her face. “It was just supposed to be a little sedative. I didn’t think… I didn’t know it would… hurt him.”
Her father’s hands ran through his hair as he began pacing the room, his mind racing. “Lina, do you realize what you’ve done?” he said, his voice shaking with a mix of anger and fear. “You’ve poisoned your husband! He’s Damian Wolfe, for God’s sake! Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you’re in?”
Lina sobbed harder, sinking onto the couch. “I didn’t mean to poison him,” she said weakly. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. I just wanted Aurora to hate him!”
Her father stopped pacing, turning to her with a look of horror on his face. “Why would you do that?” he asked, his voice quieter now. “Why would you go that far?”
Lina looked up at him, her eyes red and swollen. “Because he loves her,” she said bitterly. “Not me. He doesn’t even look at me the way he looks at her. I wanted to ruin that. I wanted to make sure she never forgave him.”
Her father sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. “And now Damian is almost dying because of your jealousy,” he said. “Do you even hear yourself, Lina? You’ve gone too far this time.”
“I know,” Lina whispered, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. “I know I messed up. But I didn’t mean for this to happen! I just… I wanted him to hurt the way I’ve been hurting.”
Her father sat down beside her, his face grim. “Lina,” he said softly, “you need to tell me everything. What exactly did you give him?”
She hesitated, wiping her nose on her sleeve. “It was a drug I got from one doctor,” she admitted. “I thought it was just a sedative, but… but when I checked the label, it said it could be deadly in high doses.”
Her father’s eyes widened. “Deadly?” he repeated, his voice filled with alarm.
“Yes,” Lina said, her voice trembling. “I didn’t know… I didn’t mean for it to happen. But now Damian is in the hospital, and if he dies… I don’t know what to do!”
Her father took a deep breath, his mind racing. “We need to think,” he said firmly. “Panicking won’t help. Did anyone see you give him the drug? Does anyone know it was you?”
Lina shook her head quickly. “No,” she said. “At least… I don’t think so. I made sure no one was around when I gave the maid the drink. But Raphael… he’s suspicious. He came to my room and started accusing me, but I denied everything.”
Her father’s jaw tightened, his mind working quickly. “Then we still have time,” he said. “If no one knows it was you, we can cover this up. But you have to stay calm, Lina. Do you understand?”
Lina nodded shakily, her tears slowing as she clung to his words. “What do we do?” she asked weakly.
Her father placed a hand on her shoulder, his expression serious. “First, we lay low,” he said. “You can’t go back to that house. Not now. Stay here until we figure out our next move. I’ll have my men keep an ear out for any news.”
Lina nodded again, her body trembling as she leaned into her father’s comforting presence. “Thank you,” she whispered.
He sighed, pulling her into a hug. “I don’t agree with what you’ve done,” he said quietly. “But you’re my daughter, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Lina clung to him, her tears soaking into his shirt. For now, she felt safe. But deep down, she knew that the consequences of her actions were far from over.