In the dark parts of her past, Emelia RedField was a victim, a pawn in the games of those who wanted to use her. She found out that the more she asked for love, the more she wanted a family, the RedFields will never have a place for her. She struggled, until darkness took over. But she was given a second chance, a time before it all began, a time when she wasn't riddled with scars. She finds herself entangled with Kaidon Blackwood, a man with secrets as deep as his eyes, and together they dance on the edge of desire and revenge. She will have her revenge on those who had made her suffer!
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Emelia's Pov “Arghhh!” I screamed, pain shooting through my spine as hot iron burned through the skin on my face. It hurts! It hurts so much! I was thrown to the floor, my chin hitting the hard concrete floor. Scrambling backwards, I clawed at my face, feeling the melting flesh drip down my chin. “Hahahaha!” Nora, my younger sister laughed, her voice echoing in the dark room, her amusement piercing through the thick air like a blade. "You look hideous now, dear sister." She mocked, twirling the branding iron in her hand. The tip still sizzled, glowing a furious red from the heat, "But don't worry, it's not like you had much to lose." Tears blurred my vision, the sharp sting of burnt flesh sending fresh waves of agony through my nerves. I gasped for air, my body trembling violently as I forced myself to crawl backward. "N-Nora… please…" I choked, my voice barely a whisper. She sighed, tilting her head as if bored. "I was hoping you'd put up more of a fight.” She mused, crouching beside me. Her fingers gripped my chin, forcing me to look up at her, "Where’s that fire you always had, Emelia? Where’s that little spark of defiance? You know I never liked you, Emelia so why did you try to cover what wasn't yours? Why did you always try to get in my way? Why did you even have to stay in the mansion! You should have refused to become a RedField! Why were you always so greedy?!” Nora's voice rose the more she spoke and with my one good eye, I stared at her in shock. “I was greedy?” I let out a choked laugh, my broken ribs protesting the movement. Greedy? That’s what she thought of me? I could barely hold myself upright, my hands trembling as I pushed against the floor, but I still managed to look up at her. "You call me greedy." I rasped, my voice hoarse from the pain. "But who was the one who took everything from me? Who lied? Who betrayed me? I only wanted to be recognised by my real parents! How was I greedy?!” Nora’s smile vanished. Her grip on the branding iron tightened. "You should have never been here." She hissed, "You should have never been born! You should have just stayed in that poor orphanage! How dare you try to take what's mine, huh?!" And with that, she slammed the iron against my shoulder. A fresh wave of agony ripped through me. My body convulsed, the scream torn from my throat as my skin burned, the scent of scorched flesh making me nauseous. Nora watched me writhe with cold satisfaction before finally stepping back, dropping the iron with a loud clang. "By the time I am done with you, Emelia. The world won’t even remember you existed." She turned to the guards, "Lock the door. Make sure no one goes in or out.” "You… will regret this…" I rasped. For a moment, something dark flashed in her eyes. But then she grinned. "Regret?" she echoed, her thumb pressing against the raw, burned skin of my cheek. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood, "No, sister. The only one full of regret… is you." She shoved me back, standing to her full height. I collapsed onto the cold ground, my chest rising and falling rapidly. Everything hurts. My body was battered, my face burning, my limbs too weak to even move. Her words echoed in my brain, “The only one full of regrets is you.” Right… That was right… I was the one who was full of regrets. She was right. I should have known my place, I never should have tried to ask for love from my real parents. I never should have tried to fit in with the people I called my family. I should have not been so naive to the extent that I believed they would treat me better than where I used to be. A bitter chuckle escaped my lips. Why was I so stupid? But then, a knock came from outside, it was so soft I almost thought I imagined it. I forced my eyes open, my heart shaking. "Miss Emelia…" A whisper came. I tried to move, to lift my head, but my body was sluggish, unresponsive. The window creaked open. A small figure crawled inside. I blinked, “Lena?” What was she doing here? She was trembling, her face pale, but her eyes were filled with urgency, "Miss Emelia, I came to help you but we have to go before Nora comes back." She whispered desperately. I wanted to speak. To ask why she was here, why she was risking her life for me. But I couldn’t. Lena didn’t wait. She grabbed my arm, looping it around her small shoulders, and pulled. "Come on.” She urged, "Please…" With every ounce of strength left in me, I moved. Together, we stumbled toward the window. However, we had barely made it outside when a voice cut through the night. "Going somewhere?" It was Nora. She stood in the dim moonlight, arms crossed, her lips curling into a slow, wicked smile. "You really never learn, do you, Emelia?" she sighed, shaking her head. Lena froze. Before I could react, Nora's guards grabbed her. "NO!" I screamed, reaching for her. Lena thrashed, kicking wildly, but she was no match for them. One of the guards yanked her arm and then… CRACK. A bloodcurdling scream tore from Lena’s throat. My stomach dropped as I stared at her in horror. Her hand… They had broken her hand. Tears streaked her pale face, her tiny frame shaking from pain. But through her sobs, she looked at me. "Run." She whimpered. I couldn’t leave her. I couldn't. She helped me. She had helped me! "GO!" she screamed. "Miss Emelia, please! RUN!" “No… I can't… I can't leave you…” “Miss Emelia, go, alright? I wanted to repay you for how you helped me back then and I finally had the chance to do that. I don't regret anything and neither should you. It wasn't wrong for you to ask for love. It wasn't. So please go, GO! RUN!” My heart shattered. But I ran. I forced my battered legs forward, sprinting toward the street. The cold night air whipped against my face, every step sending fresh agony through my body. Behind me, I heard Nora’s furious voice. "Don’t let her escape!" Footsteps thundered after me. I pushed harder, lungs burning, vision blurring. The streetlights ahead flickered, the sound of car engines roaring in my ears. I was almost there. I had almost escaped but then, I saw headlights and it shone into my eyes, I raised my hands to cover my sensitive eyes from the light. However, I couldn't react quickly. My body was hit by the car and I flew back, my body hitting the pavement with a painful thud, my spine cracking. It was cold. It was really cold. I could feel life slipping away from me. Through my blurry eyes, I saw Ethan, my fiancé, come out from the car that had hit me. I could hear screams and shouts. Ethan and Nora stepped closer to me, he held her by the waist, comforting her as she cried. There was no emotion on his face. I gasped, wanting to say something, but blood had filled my throat and the world was spinning. I knew I was going to die. But I didn't want to die. I didn't want to die. I want to live. So please… if someone was out there. If they felt pity for me… give me a second chance. I won't ask for love anymore, I won't want a family anymore. So please, give me a second chance to right my wrongs! Please!Emelia’s Pov His grandmother’s eyes twinkled, and a genuine smile, warm and inviting, spread across her face, “A woman after my own heart.” She chuckled, a rich, melodic sound. “Well, come inside, both of you. Jade, go put your things away. I’ve just made some fresh lemonade.”Jade squealed with delight and bounded into the house. The grandmother turned her attention back to us, her smile lingering, “You two must be hungry on your way here. I have a fresh batch of cookies baking.”Just as I was about to accept, envisioning warm cookies and tart lemonade, Kaidon cleared his throat. He looked distinctly uncomfortable, his gaze shifting between his grandmother and me.“Actually, Nana.” He began, his voice a little strained, “We can’t stay. I just came to drop off Jade.”My head whipped around to stare at him. What? But he had said we were coming to his grandmother’s place. My mouth opened to protest, but he gave me a subtle, almost imperceptible shake of his head.His grandmother’s smi
Emelia's Pov “You're still a child.” “You're only a few years older than I am!” “One year, two years, I'm still older.” I shot back, crossing my arms, “Besides, maturity has nothing to do with age.”Kaidon didn’t even flinch, “Exactly. That’s why I’m driving and you’re arguing about marriage with a ten-year-old.”I opened my mouth to retort, but before I could, a familiar mischievous voice piped up from the back seat.“You two argue like a married couple already,” Jade said sweetly, “But I think you should kiss now. That way we can make it official!”I choked on air.Kaidon visibly stiffened, and his fingers tightened on the steering wheel.“Jade.” He said slowly, his voice deceptively calm, “Do you want me to drop you off on the side of the road?”Jade giggled, “Only if my Sister in law comes with me!”I twisted in my seat and gave her a theatrical gasp, “Jade! Are you trying to steal me away from Kaidon?”She nodded with mock seriousness, “Yes. You’re too pretty to be wasted on
Emelia's Pov “Exactly. One of us might be working with Melanie Foster.” I let my eyes linger on the trembling girl for a moment longer, then swept my gaze across the rest of the class, letting the silence hang heavy. “How do we catch them, Emelia?” Mr. Mike asked, his panic evident. I shrugged, a nonchalant gesture despite the turmoil in my gut, “I don’t know about that yet, Mr. Mike. But I’ve already told the Dean about my suspicions regarding Melanie Foster and her accomplice.” My gaze hardened as I lied through my teeth, “And once he’s able to figure out who the person is, they are going to be expelled from this school. And not just that. No other school in this entire country will take on that person. Their future will be completely destroyed. They’ll also be taken to jail for a while for breaking into school property and theft. This isn't just a school matter anymore; it's a criminal offense.” My words hung in the air, a chilling pronouncement that sent shivers down the spin
Emelia's Pov “Do you have someone in mind?” Mr Mike asked, pacing in front of the room. There was pure panic on his face. “Yeah, I do.” I crossed my arms, glancing across the classroom. I stared at each and every classmate who was on their chairs. Most of them stared back at me while others avoided my gaze. Though there was one person in particular who stood out to me. Her eyes were darting around, and her shoulders were shaking slightly. She was pale, and her feet were tapping anxiously on the ground. “Mr Mike, do you remember a question I asked you? About a particular Melanie Foster whom I thought was a student of this class?” The girl immediately jumped when she heard the name. “Melanie Foster?” Mr Mike repeated, then he nodded, “Yes I do. It seems she was connected to the Vice Principal accusing us of cheating back then. You mentioned her name twice and I helped you look for the student.” Mr Mike went quiet for a moment, before realization dawned upon him, “Is that the person
Emelia's Pov Mr. Harrison let out a harsh laugh, a sound devoid of humor, “You’re lying, Emelia! You’re just trying to throw us off! Dean…” He turned, addressing the head of the institute, his voice rising in volume, “And all the other teachers, don’t believe a word she’s saying! She’s just trying to manipulate you. You must punish her for this clear violation!”His words, laced with such venom and unwavering conviction, struck a chord within me. A profound shift occurred. My posture straightened, my shoulders squared, and the previous veneer of calm logic began to crack, replaced by an icy resolve. My gait changed, my entire demeanor becoming cold. I stepped forward, my eyes fixed solely on Mr. Harrison, my voice dropping to a low, dangerous whisper that nonetheless cut through the tension in the room.“Mr. Harrison,” I began, each word precise and laced with an undercurrent of steel, “Why are you so determined to punish me when an investigation hasn’t even started? Is there somethi
Emelia's Pov “What do you have to say for yourself?” The Dean questioned, his voice low. It was obvious to me that he couldn't believe his eyes. I couldn't believe my own eyes either and if I had no idea that something like this would happen, I would be so confused that I wouldn't know how to explain myself and the blame would have been pinned on me. In my past life, just like this, I had been accused of stealing exam papers and with this kind of evidence, it was irrefutable. I didn't know how to explain myself nor did I know who did it to me. It wasn't until later that I found out that the person who planned it all was Melanie Foster who planned it all. In my past life, I guess Melanie thought I was in her way so she wanted to get rid of me so she used this method and at the same time, targeted Mr Mike as well. Which makes me think… Is she also the one who orchestrated it this time? Or was it someone else? “Emelia, what do you have to say for yourself? Are you guilty?” The Dean's
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