Chapter 5

Laura Sterling

“Fire… oh God, there’s fire!”

Laura’s eyes snapped open, wide with raw terror, as the horrible smell of burning plastic and smoke flooded her lungs.

She bolted upright on the thin cot, her heart hammering violently against her ribs. There was thick black smoke curling under the cell door, stinging her eyes and choking her breath.

“Help!” she screamed, her voice hoarse and desperate as she dragged herself toward the bars with trembling arms. “Please, someone help me! There’s a fire!”

The alarms blared through the prison, a chaotic symphony of panic.

She heard footsteps thundering past...guards shouting orders, keys rattling frantically.

“Over here!” she cried again, coughing as the smoke burned her throat. “My cell....please, I can’t walk! Unlock my door!”

But the guards rushed by without stopping. One by one, they unlocked the other cells, freeing the inmates who scrambled out in a frantic wave. No one even glanced at her and no keys turned in her lock.

Laura soon realized the gravity of the situation... She was going to die in the cell and no one obviously cared enough to save her.

“Wait! Don’t leave me here!” Laura screamed, tears streaming down her face as the flames roared louder in the distance. “I’m trapped.....please!”

The smoke thickened, searing her eyes and making every breath a struggle.

Then came the explosions that made her heart skip a beat... She heard deafening booms that shook the walls and sent debris raining down. The heat grew unbearable, licking closer with every second.

She gripped on the bars so tight as if they would snap.

“They’re leaving me to die,“ she thought in pure panic, her useless legs refusing to help as she clawed at the bars. “Derick… did he do this? Is this how he finally ends me?“

“Somebody help me!” she screamed again, her voice breaking into terrified sobs. “I don’t want to die like this!”

*****

Aaron Cole

“Hold on, Laura… just hold on.”

Aaron gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white, his powerful frame tense with rising dread.

He saw heavy black smoke billowing into the night sky ahead, painting a glow over Ashton City.

The sound of sirens filled his ears, making his insides clench.

The prison was burning. His chest twisted painfully.

“If anything happens to her because I was too late… I’ll never forgive myself.“

For years he had carried a secret crush on Laura.....quiet, intense feelings that went far beyond a brother-in-law’s concern.

She had never known he existed in that way. While she ran Sterling Group as CEO, Aaron had watched from afar, admiring her sharp mind and quiet strength.

Then she married Derick, and the pain had been too much.

Aaron knew Derick so well, he knew that he never deserved Laura. He would boast that he will take humble Laura and make her hand over all she has....as he believed a woman was supposed to how before a man.

Aaron couldn't interfere, he could only protect Laura from a distance before losing touch of her completely.

Aaron chose to leave the country, building his empire abroad and deliberately stopping any check-ins. The feelings were too dangerous, too real to ignore. He couldn’t bear seeing her with his brother.

He never dated any woman during his years away. He could not handle the pain of not holding Laura in his arms, even though he knew she never loved him back.

Now, as he sped toward the inferno, regret burned hotter than the flames ahead.

When he finally reached the prison gates, chaos greeted him.....flames leaping high, sirens wailing, firefighters and police scrambling everywhere. An officer immediately blocked his path.

“Sir, you can’t go in! It’s too dangerous....the whole block is collapsing!” The officer said, his eyes wide in terror that Aaron easily saw as pretence.

Aaron pushed the man aside with effortless strength, his voice thunderous. “Where is Laura Sterling’s cell? Tell me now!”

The cop argued back, hands raised. “We’re evacuating everyone...we don’t have time for....”

Before the argument could escalate further, a powerful explosion ripped through the night. The blast lit up the sky in a deafening roar, sending a wave of heat and debris flying outward.

Aaron froze, staring in shock and horror as massive flames engulfed the entire wing where Laura was held.

Tears stung his eyes. “No… God, no. Not like this.“

Everything inside him screamed to turn back, but a wild, desperate idea took hold. He couldn’t leave her in there.

Aaron clenched his fists, ignoring the officers shouting warnings behind him.

“I’m going in,” he muttered under his breath, his voice filled with grim determination. “Even if it kills me.”