21

Elena

Before Adrian could take another step toward the door, the front entrance was kicked open with a deafening crash.

Kane strolled into the foyer, flanked by a dozen burly men armed with iron bars and handguns. The shock on Adrian’s face was pure poetry.

“Well, well,” Kane’s low voice echoed off the high ceilings. “Isn’t that Adrian Blackwood? I thought dead men were supposed to stay buried.”

Adrian froze, his face draining of color as he instinctively shoved Vivian behind his back. “M-Mr. Kane...”

From the shadows near the stairs, a surge of dark triumph rushed through me. Roxy hadn’t failed me after all—she had sent Kane directly to the house to intercept Adrian before he could flee!

My phone vibrated silently in my palm. A text from Roxy appeared:

【Sorry to keep you waiting! My dad had a sudden emergency, but Kane and his men should be arriving right now. Is he there?】

I quickly typed back:

【Yes. He just walked in. Thank you for everything—I’ll take it from here.】

“Why are you he—?”

Before he could finish his sentence, Kane stepped forward and landed a brutal right hook directly onto Adrian’s jaw. Adrian hit the marble floor hard. Kane didn’t stop—he rained heavy, merciless punches onto Adrian’s face and stomach.

“Stop! Are you trying to kill my son?!” Eleanor screamed, rushing forward and grabbing Kane’s arm, completely forgetting that she was dealing with a ruthless criminal.

“Get your hands off me, old woman,” Kane growled, shoving her onto the sofa. “Out of my way!”

Kane delivered one final kick to Adrian’s ribs before stepping back. Satisfied, he sat down on an armchair, crossed his legs, and looked down at the bleeding, groaning man on the floor.

“Guess I hit a little too hard,” Kane sneered. “I was just testing to see if ghosts can bleed.”

“How dare you?!” John barked, stepping forward. “You beat my son half to death and joke about it?!”

Kane raised an eyebrow, tapping his gun against his knee. “You got a problem with that, old man?”

John instantly shut his mouth, taking a step back in fear.

Kane turned his cold glare back to Adrian. “You’re alive.”

Adrian groaned, clutching his bloody nose. “Yes...”

“Then pay your debt.”

“I don’t owe you anything!” Adrian choked out, spitting blood onto the floor.

Kane leaned forward and spat directly in Adrian’s face. “You owe me a million dollars. Pay up while I’m still being nice.”

“It was my wife!” Adrian pleaded frantically, his voice high and pathetic. “Elena made me take that loan for her! She’s the one who spent the money!”

“I don’t give a damn about your wife,” Kane said coldly. “I want my money. Pay up, or I’ll harvest your kidneys and sell them to cover the debt.”

Terrified, Adrian scrambled backward on his hands and knees.

“Where is that bitch?!” Adrian screamed at his mother.

“She’s upstairs in her room,” Eleanor replied nervously.

“Go drag her down here right now!” Adrian yelled.

“But... she’ll see you alive,” Eleanor hesitated. “She’ll realize everything!”

“I don’t care!” Adrian spat, his eyes wild with desperation. “I’ll give her to Kane to clear the debt! She’s heavily drugged anyway—she won’t even know what’s happening!”

Hearing that, I slipped away quietly, rushed back into my bedroom, and threw myself onto the bed, pretending to be passed out.

A few minutes later, my bedroom door burst open. Eleanor and Vivian barged in.

“Grab that water bowl!” Eleanor ordered.

“Yes, Mother,” Vivian said.

Before I could react, Eleanor splashed a bowl of freezing water directly over my face. I gasped, sitting up and rubbing my wet eyes, acting completely disoriented and helpless.

“Drag her down!” I heard Adrian’s frantic voice shouting from the foyer below.

“Mother?” I whimpered, looking around at my soaked clothes. “What’s going on? Why are you splashing water on me?”

“Quit whining and get up!” Eleanor barked, seizing my arm tightly. “Kane is downstairs!”

“The loan shark?” I whispered, trembling on cue. “But... he said he’d give us time!”

“He’s here now, so move your ass!” Eleanor snapped.

“Let me change my clothes first,” I begged softly.

“We’re not leaving this room,” Vivian sneered, stepping closer.

I looked at her, pretending to be stunned. “Vivian... you’re here?”

Vivian glared at me with pure, bitter hatred. “Change right now, or do you want Kane to come up here and drag you down himself?”

I gave a fearful nod, walked over to my closet, and deliberately selected a fitted pink dress—the exact dress Adrian used to hate because it made me look confident. I slipped it on and turned around.

Vivian’s face contorted in anger. “Who are you trying to seduce in a dress like that?!”

“No one,” I answered innocently. “Why would you say that?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Eleanor scoffed, pulling Vivian toward the door. “She’ll be leaving with Kane today anyway. Let her dress up all she wants.”

I followed them out of the room, a slow, lethal smirk spreading across my face. “We’ll see who leaves with him today.”

“What did you just say?!” Vivian shrieked, turning around, but I ignored them both and walked straight down the grand staircase.

As I reached the foyer, I gasped dramatically, pointing a trembling finger at the bloody figure on the floor.

“A-Adrian?” I cried out, my voice shaking with theatrical shock. “You’re... you’re alive?!”

Adrian ignored my reaction completely. He dragged himself up, pointing at me as he faced Kane.

“Look at her!” Adrian said eagerly to Kane. “She’s all yours! Take her and consider my debt paid!”

“You’re telling me to take your wife as payment?” Kane asked, raising an eyebrow.

“She’s not my wife anymore!” Adrian yelled, reaching out to grab Vivian’s hand. “This is my real wife, and she’s carrying my child! Take Elena! She’s wild in bed—you can even enjoy her right here in front of us if you want!”

Adrian smirked, convinced he had just bought his freedom using my body.

Kane stood up from his chair, walked over to Adrian, and patted his shoulder with a dark chuckle. “You really are a piece of trash, aren’t you?”

“Just take her!” Adrian urged desperately.

Kane turned his gaze toward me, a strange smile playing across his face before he returned to his seat.

And right then, I stopped trembling. I straightened my posture, wiped the fake tear from my cheek, and let out a soft, mocking laugh.

“Oh, Adrian,” I said, my voice smooth, calm, and completely devoid of fear.

I walked right past my shocked mother-in-law, past my trembling father-in-law, and casually sat down in the leather armchair right beside Kane, crossing my legs.

The entire room went dead silent. Eleanor gasped, and Adrian’s mouth fell open in utter disbelief.

I leaned back in the chair, resting my chin on my hand as I looked down at the broken family before me.

“Look at what we have here,” I said, smiling coldly. “A room full of monsters.”

My gaze settled on Adrian.

“And none of you are walking away from me this time.”