Chapter 4

Lisa's POV 

The air between us tightened, but Vincent continued anyway.

“From that moment, I stopped being a father trying to understand. I became someone planning revenge,” he said quietly. “But then Christopher’s mother died, leaving him briefly alone. So I waited. I delayed my revenge, deciding to let him fully live through her loss before I struck. I wanted her to rest in peace properly before I began to destroy him.”

He shifted slightly in his seat, his gaze locking onto mine.

“And just when I thought I’d gotten the chance, you suddenly came into the picture,” he said, his voice shifting slightly. “You married him. So I stopped everything. I attended the wedding like nothing was wrong. I smiled, I played my role as the groom’s father… but from that day, I started watching you. Studying you. Trying to understand who you were—and why you had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and entered Christopher’s life.”

Vincent’s eyes narrowed slightly as he leaned forward just a little.

“And that was when I discovered who you truly were,” he said. “You weren’t just some ordinary woman. You were hiding something—your real identity. A carefully buried life you didn’t want anyone to uncover. And the more I looked into your background, the more interested I became, because nothing about your life added up the way it should. And with time, I also realized Christopher had been cheating on you long before you ever found out.”

A brief, uncomfortable silence followed.

“I knew everything, Lisa… even the moment you were almost killed. I sent my men to protect you, but they arrived too late at the bridge. Still, they managed to pull you out of the water just in time. Instead of bringing you back to the city, I decided to fly you out of the country and bring you here—to one of my private estates in Brazil—where you could be safe and recover.”

My breath caught slightly at his words, but he didn’t stop. Vincent continued.

“I thought you’d need help taking back everything you’ve lost…” His expression darkened slightly, then he leaned back, his voice softening just a fraction as he added calmly, almost too relaxed, “And that’s how you ended up here, honey.”

By the time he finished speaking, my mind was overwhelmed. I couldn’t even process half of what I had just heard. Slowly, I forced myself to sit up despite the pain still burning through my body, and stared at him.

I was so shocked and confused that I didn’t even know what to say at first. It felt like my brain was still booting, trying to recover lost files. Then I sighed and finally said, “I want to leave,” the words slipping out before I could even think of a more proper response.

Surprisingly, Vincent didn’t react strongly. He only watched me as if he had expected that answer. But instead of arguing, he leaned back and studied me for a moment before speaking again.

“You can leave if you want,” he said calmly, “but you already know Christopher will not stop looking for you. And I am the only one who can protect you the way you need.”

“I don’t need your protection,” I replied sharply, my voice firmer now. “I will handle my revenge my own way. Stay out of it.”

That made him pause. For the first time, there was a faint shift in his expression, as if he was analyzing me more deeply.

“You want revenge,” he said quietly, “but you won’t survive long enough to take it alone.”

“I don’t care,” I snapped.

But he didn’t argue. Instead, he leaned forward slightly, his tone lowering.

“Tell me something, Lisa,” he said. “Why are you so stubborn?”

I frowned. “Well, I also have a question for you,” I said sharply. “Why me?”

He didn’t waste time thinking. He spoke immediately, his voice calm but intense. “Because right now,” he began, “you are burning with rage, pain, and revenge. That combination is rare. It’s exactly what I need. That anger, that determination, that broken but unstoppable will to destroy Christopher… I need it. And you are the only one who carries it at this level.”

Silence settled between us.

I looked at him for a long moment, trying to understand him, trying to decide if I should trust anything he was saying. Then I shook my head slowly.

“No,” I said firmly. “I am not interested.”

For a moment, he said nothing. Then he stood up slowly, walked toward the door, and stopped just before opening it.

“I’ll give you time to think about it, Lisa,” he said without turning back. “This is a very good deal. If you refuse, I will arrange your flight back to California.”

He paused slightly before adding, “But think carefully. Because once you leave this place, I will not be able to guarantee your safety.”

I stayed silent, watching him as he reached for the door.

And then I suddenly spoke up, as if trying to seize the thin line of an opportunity slipping through my fingers.

“I want to be declared dead.” I said sharply.

He froze. Slowly, he turned back.

“What?”

I lifted my chin slightly, my voice steadier now. “If I work with you, then the world needs to believe I’m dead. I want to operate from the shadows.”

There was no hesitation in him. “Done. What else?” he said, his tone swift and controlled.

I exhaled softly, thinking carefully now. “I need to contact one person—Papa James. He needs to know I’m alive. And I need my company back. I am still the rightful controller of everything I built, so I’ll still have to take it back and continue from where I stopped… I want to rebuild it, grow it again, and return to the woman I used to be—the one who took what my parents left me and turned it into something ten times bigger.”

Vincent nodded once, serious. “Done.”

Then he walked back and sat closer to me again, his voice softer now, almost calculated but strangely calm.

“You will enjoy every bit of this journey, Lisa,” he said quietly. “I will make sure of it.”

Then, without warning, I leaned in slightly and said, “State your condition.”

He looked at me, a faint, almost excited and victorious smile spreading across his lips. Without blinking, he answered swiftly,

“Marry me. That’s all.”