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“Izzy… Izzy, wake up…”Izzy struggled to open her eyes at the faint, almost whispering voice she recognized. Her vision blurred as she tried to make out who was speaking, wincing as a sharp pain shot through the back of her head.What happened?Confused, she asked herself. Then panic flooded her chest as memories of the ice cream shop earlier came crashing back. She tried moving her arms and legs but froze in terror when she realized she was tied up.“Izzy… are you awake?” the woman in front of her whispered again. Izzy swore under her breath when she recognized the voice.“Margaux?”“It’s Jane… I can’t wake her up. I’ve been calling her for a while, but I don’t think she can hear me. Oh God… I don’t even know where we are.”Fear was clear in Margaux’s voice, and her wide eyes betrayed how scared she was despite the darkness around them. Izzy could tell she was trembling.“I think we’ve been kidnapped… Jane… Please wake up, Jane…”Margaux’s voice cracked, almost on the verge of tears.

122

“Shania? You’re the one behind all this?”Margaux’s voice was thick with shock as she stared straight at Shania. Izzy felt a surge of irritation the moment she saw that irritatingly sweet smirk on Shania’s lips—one that clearly showed she was still enjoying this.“Don’t act surprised now, Margaux. Like you don’t know me. You know exactly what I’m capable of. Honestly, none of you should even be here—if it weren’t for my people being so damn stupid. They barged into the ice cream shop and waited for this girl downstairs. Why the hell did you even come along?”She snapped, then locked eyes on Izzy and jabbed a finger sharply at her. The men standing behind Shania shifted forward just a bit, and from their looks alone, it was obvious they weren’t here for a friendly chat. Their expressions said they were ready to do whatever Shania ordered.“You really weren’t scared off by my threats? You even moved in with Seth instead of just leaving him alone.”“Shania, I—I didn’t mean to—”“No! It’s

123

Izzy couldn’t help but smile sweetly after carefully packing the homemade chicken Caldereta into a Tupperware. She hurriedly placed it inside a paper bag, then excitedly set it down on the kitchen counter.She took a moment to straighten herself up before calling out to Robert, the driver Seth had assigned.“Let’s go, Robert.”A big smile spread across her face as she grabbed two paper bags — one with the food, the other a smaller bag containing a surprise gift for her fiancé.Robert quickly sprang into action, preparing the car.Since Seth owned the company, she was being chauffeured right away. Her grin only grew wider as soon as she stepped inside. The guards who watched over the place, along with her coworkers, greeted her warmly.“Is Seth around?”Izzy asked with a bright smile as she approached Mark, Seth’s secretary. He smiled back upon seeing her and nodded.“He’s inside, ma’am.”“Ma’am? Just call me Izzy. You’d think I’m brand new here, but I’m still Miss Miya’s secretary,” s

124

Izzy held her breath, staring up at the tall, heavy gates of the prison.She had lost track of how many minutes Robert’s black car had been parked right in front of it. Even more, she couldn’t count how many times she had questioned if what she was about to do was really the right choice.Adding to the pressure was the weight of Seth’s steady gaze. He was sitting right beside her, his eyes fixed on her face.“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” he asked, concern clear in his voice.Izzy hesitated, then gave a reluctant nod and a small, uncertain smile.“To be honest? Not really... But what else am I supposed to do, Seth? I know deep down this is the right thing. It’s been a year. We’ve given her enough time to think about the damage she’s caused—how much she’s hurt us, hurt me…”Her words spilled out in a long breath before she forced another smile. Seth returned it with a cautious one of his own, gently squeezing her hand.“But... can I ask you something?”“What is it?”Seth’s

125

Izzy was drying her hair in front of the big mirror in their bedroom when Seth approached her.She immediately smiled when he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist from behind.It was just past six in the evening, and they had just come back from visiting Shania.“You smell good,” he said with a grin, planting soft kisses on her neck. Izzy smiled, biting her lip as she hesitated, then looked at him uncertainly.She’d been wanting to ask Seth about the conversation he had with Shania earlier, but she didn’t get the chance while they were in the car because she fell asleep on the way home.“What’s wrong?” Seth asked, noticing her gaze.She shook her head quickly, smiled, then found the courage to speak. “I-I have something to ask you.”She barely whispered it, and Seth’s lips parted slightly before he smiled knowingly. It was as if he already understood without her needing to say anything.“We talked... the most serious conversation we’ve had in years, since she came back,” he began

EPILOGUE

At the shore, Izzy was standing, gazing out at the calm, blue sea.She could hear the happy laughter of the important people around her, mixing perfectly with the gentle splash of the small waves lapping at her feet.After a while, her attention was suddenly caught by a voice—like music to her ears—small and sharp.The voice of her little angel... She couldn’t help but smile as she saw tiny footsteps running toward her, carrying a large plastic bag.“Mommy! Mommy!”Joy was clear in her child’s voice as she ran over, her dad following close behind with a smile.“Careful, Sofia…”Izzy gently scolded her, then scooped her up as she finally reached her.“Mommy, look! I got ice cream for everyone!”The little girl proudly showed her small teeth and excitedly held up the bag of ice cream.“Did Daddy buy that? Do I get one too?”Izzy asked, pretending to pout when Sofia quickly shook her head.“Daddy said you can’t have one ‘cause you’re sick. But that’s okay, Mommy—we got you this!”Her liv

Alle Kapitel von Lustfully Yours, Uncle (ENGLISH): Kapitel 121 – Kapitel 126

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EPILOGUE