Chapter 5

Liora Devereux POV

Damien Black.

I pulled my hand away from Victor.

“Mind your business, Black,” Victor said.

Damien walked closer to us.

He smirked and pulled me behind him. “No,” Damien said coldly. He looked at Victor with the deadliest look in his eyes.

“She is with me, and I can do whatever I want with her, Black. You don't want a fight here in public…” Victor threatened.

“And what do you plan to tell the others you are planning to do with her? Stabbing her hand?” Damien said.

I flinched. I wondered if Damien had not come here…

“Wonder what people will say when they see the video.” Damien smirked as he brought out his phone, waving it at Victor's face.

Victor's arrogant face turned scared.

Damien looked back at me, his face expressionless, and asked, “Are you okay?”

He asked me.

“Liora, come here,” Victor ordered.

Damien looked at me.

“She can't,” Damien said on my behalf.

“That is for her to decide, and whatever is happening here is family business. You should leave,” Victor said, looking at me.

“Like you said, but I am sure she doesn't want to come with you,” Damien countered.

“Or do you want to go with him?” Damien asked me softly.

For the first time, the look in his eyes softened. I stepped in front of him to face Victor.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Damien clenching his fist. I frowned.

Why?

Victor smirked triumphantly. “If you come with me, I will let it go, and I can consider you again,” Victor said arrogantly.

He was already with my stepsister. I am not a fool to trust him.

“No, I will not be coming with you, and in fact, I would like Mr. Black to take me back to the mansion,” I said coldly.

The smirk wiped off Victor's face. I bit my lip as Victor's face turned red with anger.

He reached forward to grab me, but Damien was fast enough to grab me, stopping Victor from doing whatever he had intended to do.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Leave, Kane. The lady already decided,” Damien said, giving Victor a deadly look.

“You will regret this, Liora. Don't come crying to me,” Victor said, but before he left…

“And Black, be ready to accept a new member in your team. I will get drafted soon, and I will take the capital position, and I hope you don't mind,” Victor added and left.

Damien turned to me.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes. Thank you so much. I will take my leave now,” I said, deciding to leave before he remembered that night.

“Liora,” he called.

I stopped, looking at him.

“About that night…”

“You don't have to worry about it, Mr. Black. I am sorry that you felt disgusted by me… and whatever happened between us should be forgotten. It was kind of you saving me. I am grateful,” I stopped him.

I didn't want to hear whatever he had to say because I knew I would be hurt.

He nodded.

“Let me take you home,” he offered.

I shook my head. “Thanks. I don't want to be an inconvenience for you…”

“I want to.”

“Thanks.”

I nodded. He led the way outside as I followed him.

The whole drive to my father's house was silent.

When we arrived, I opened my mouth to thank him before he cut me off.

“Liora.”

I turned to look at him.

“About that night… I didn't feel disgusted. Why did you disappear the next morning?” he asked softly.

My eyes widened.

“I am sorry… I didn't want to…” I stammered.

“I know about your family,” he said, looking directly at me, switching his voice back to that same distant coldness.

“Huh?”

“And I would like to make you an offer,” he said softly.

“You don't need to be nice to me. I will be fine, and you don't need to worry about me getting pregnant. I am sure you used protection, and I also take a prevention…” I quickly explained, trying to stop myself from crying.

“Liora, not that,” he said.

I looked up at him, confused.

“Be my girlfriend…” he added.

I moved back, confused.

Why?

“You should not let them treat you that way. I could also help you get revenge against Victor and…”

He said, but I stopped him.

“If you are trying to use me to get revenge against Victor… no… no. I will not be your pawn. I am sorry,” I refused.

I should have known he didn't approach me because he was the kind he wanted me as a pawn.

“I will be totally useless for you to use against Victor. I am sorry. I need to leave,” I said, opening the door.

“Liora, wait!”

I stopped.

He brought out his card.

“If you change your mind…” he said as he handed me the card.

I took the card, thanked him, and climbed out.

I waited until I watched his car disappear before ringing the gate bell. The gate opened as I stepped in. I realized that my father and stepmother might be back.

I looked at the card in my hand, wanting to throw it away, but I didn't. I held it tightly.

So I decided to go and apologize for that night. I knew I wouldn't be eating for days if I didn't, because my card would be taken from me and I would be locked up in the dark room again.

I walked to my father's office, took a deep breath, trying to gain the courage to knock on the door, when my stepmother's voice came through.

“I told you, we should have gotten rid of her like her mother,” she said.

“No, that night is your fault! Katie wouldn't have found out about us, and she wouldn't have died. I would have been able to convince her to give the whole property to me… but you were so impatient!” my father snapped.

So what I heard before I passed out was true, and my father knew about my mother's death.

“Then let's just kill Liora. Nobody will know. That way, the property will automatically belong to you,” my stepmother suggested.

I stood there, shocked and shaking.

“The police will find out… and that detective, we can't let him know about all this. He knew we had something to do with that accident… I can't get caught…” my father said.

So my father would kill me if it had been the easiest way.

And detective?

What detective?

“We will need Liora to sign a property transfer. Then we can get rid of her. Then we will leave happily ever after,” my stepmother said.

“That is true, but we can't kill her too… Mr. Philip wants her, and she is a virgin. After that, we will just have to play our part very well. Mr. Philip will do that ‘getting rid’ for us. You know his dirty desires. I am sure Liora can't survive that,” my father said.

Tears rolled down my cheeks.

They took everything from me. Everything. Now they wanted me dead.

As I leaned back looking for support, my leg hit the door, making the office go silent.

“Who is there?!”

I quickly ran to the nearest room, silently closing the door.

I cried silently. I fell to the ground. I couldn't make out if I had heard everything.

I clenched my fist in anger. I had done everything so that I could be loved by my father… to be accepted by him… only to find out that he wanted me dead.

He killed my mother… his wife because of his mistress.

I clenched my fist.

I will make sure they pay for everything.

I looked down at my hand, the card.

I remembered Damien's words.

How come he knew about me… how much did he know?

He said I should be his girlfriend. He would help me get revenge.

I searched for my phone and texted him on the number he had given me.

ME: I accept to be your girlfriend. What are the conditions, and how is it going to be in my benefits?

He replied almost immediately.

HIM: That was fast… I will pick you up, so we can talk.

ME: Okay, I will wait outside.

I walked out of the room, totally avoiding my stepmother and father, as I turned to enter my room.

“Where are you going, pig?”

I turned to see Camille with two maids behind her.

“To my room,” I answered.

I didn't want to know what she was planning, but with the look in her eyes, I didn't want to find out.

“Drag her to the main hall,” she ordered the two maids.

I tried to resist, but they pulled me by force.

I was dragged to the main hall. There was a big hammer on the table.

I watched as Camille took her seat like she was about to watch a movie.

The two maids pinned me to another table, and another maid was waiting in the main hall.

“Use the hammer to break her hands. They are going to be useless to me anyway,” she ordered casually.

“No, no, no. Please, am I supposed to paint? Please, Camille, I won't bother you and Victor. Please don't break my hands,” I begged.

She hissed. “Your hands are the last precious thing to you, and I need to take it, like I promised you. Then I am taking everything that belongs to you!” she snapped.

“Why?!” I cried.

She laughed.

“Your mother! Your mother and you took everything from me. All those luxuries that were supposed to belong to me, you had them,” she said.

I frowned.

The role is reversed here. I wanted to scream, but they stuffed a cloth in my mouth.

“Just so you know, Victor is now useless to me,” she smiled.

Then she finally ordered with a big smile on her face.

“Break it.”