Chapter 136: Chapter 136
Lane twisted against her bindings, straining to free her aching wrists and ankles. Despite her frantic efforts, the knots held fast. Uncle Lucas had secured her mercilessly to ensure she could not escape. Her skin burned where the rough rope dug into her flesh, and though she could not look at her arms, she knew they were raw and bleeding.
Still, she refused to stop fighting until sheer exhaustion forced her to drop her head.
More than anything, she needed to get out of this nightmare. Not just for her own sake, but because the terrifying thought of Ethan walking into Uncle Lucas’s trap to surrender his entire empire for her freedom haunted her every second.
It was an impossible sacrifice, yet she knew Ethan well enough to know he would burn the world down to keep her safe.
When Lucas had stated his demands, Ethan hadn’t hesitated for a single heartbeat.
He was willing to give up everything he had ever built just to guarantee her safety. That absolute, terrifying devotion broke something open in her chest.
She had always known Ethan loved her, but seeing the depth of his willingness to lose it all proved his heart belonged to her unconditionally.
Because of that love, she had to survive this. She had to make it out alive for herself, for Calvin, and for the tiny life growing inside her. If she gave up, they would both perish in this wretched place.
So far, she was grateful Lucas hadn’t physically harmed her. She made a conscious effort to stay completely silent whenever he entered, terrified that a single wrong word might shatter his fragile, volatile sanity.
With escape impossible, prayer was her only weapon. She begged silently for Ethan to find her, praying fiercely that nobody would get hurt, even Lucas. Despite the monster her uncle had become, she couldn’t wish death upon him. She would rather see him rot in a prison cell than watch blood spill.
The sharp screech of the door swinging open snapped her back to reality.
Uncle Lucas stepped into the dim light, and the breath caught in her throat. Her blood ran cold as she locked eyes with the weapon clutched tightly in his hand.
A gun.
Lane swallowed hard, her pulse hammering against her ribs as he approached.
"It’s time, Lane," Lucas rasped, his voice devoid of warmth.
"What do you mean?" she choked out.
"Ethan is finally here."
A flicker of hope ignited in her chest, instantly suffocated by a wave of pure terror. Lucas had a gun. What if he murdered Ethan after taking the documents? What would happen to Calvin? Who would raise their baby?
Hot tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them back furiously. Weakness was a luxury she couldn’t afford. She had to steel herself.
"What did you do to him, huh?" Lucas snarled, his eyes bulging with manic hatred as he stared down at her.
"What kind of spell did you cast to make him completely out of his mind? Imagine that. For your miserable life, he’s willing to hand over his entire empire, every single cent he owns, just to keep you breathing."
She was desperate to scream back at him, to explain that what she and Ethan shared was real, built on a foundation of genuine love rather than the toxic worship of money that had rotted Lucas’s brain. But she forced her lips shut, terrified that provoking him would cause his finger to twitch on the trigger.
A sharp electronic ping cut through the tension. Lucas pulled his phone from his pocket, glancing down at the screen.
A twisted, triumphant smirk spread across his gaunt face.
"He’s here."
Her heart slammed against her ribs. Lucas hadn’t said a name, but she didn’t need to ask.
Ethan.
Lucas stepped back, positioning himself directly behind her chair, pressing his body into the shadows.
Seconds later, heavy footsteps echoed outside, followed by a tentative knock.
The door creaked open, and Ethan walked in.
Lane’s vision blurred instantly. Ethan’s gaze locked onto her the moment he crossed the threshold, the harsh lines of his face softening into an expression of pure, agonizing relief.
His eyes were bloodshot, rimmed with red, and filled with a desperate longing to pull her into his arms. He had rushed straight here, still dressed in his white dress shirt with his suit jacket discarded somewhere in the chaos.
.....
As their eyes met, her composure finally shattered. The dam broke, and tears cascaded down her cheeks like a broken waterfall.
Ethan saw her lips part, saw the silent cry tearing through her.
He took a sharp step forward, but froze mid-stride. His eyes suddenly widened in horror, darting past her to the threat lurking behind her chair.
Instinctively, Lane twisted her neck, gasping as she realized what he saw. Lucas had raised the weapon, pressing the cold barrel directly against the back of her skull.
"Don’t you dare take another step, Ethan!" Lucas roared, pressing the gun harder into her hair.
Lane sobs grew louder, the terror suffocating her. Ethan’s face drained of all color, the panic in his eyes deepening into sheer agony.
"D-drop the gun, Lucas," Ethan pleaded, his voice cracking violently.
"Not until I have what I came for."
Ethan raised his trembling hand, clutching a thick folder. "I have the legal documents right here. I’m signing over every asset I own. Just put the weapon down and let her go."
"I need to verify it first, Ethan. I’m not a fool," Lucas snapped back, his eyes darting suspiciously around the room.
"Step closer and hand the folder to me. And keep your hands where I can see them, or I swear to God I’ll pull the trigger right now."
Ethan’s knuckles turned white as he tightened his grip on the papers. "I promise," he whispered, taking a slow, agonizing step forward.
Before he could take another, a familiar voice rang out from the doorway, freezing everyone in place.
"Lucas."
In all his twenty-eight years, Ethan had never known a terror this consuming. This wasn’t the kind of fear that faded when you closed your eyes. It burned in his chest, hot and paralyzing, as he stared down the barrel of the gun pressed against Lane’s head. One stray twitch, one sudden noise, and he knew he would lose everything.
His heart thundered against his ribs. He would have gladly traded places with her, trading his life to sit tied in that chair if it meant she was safe.
He could see the absolute terror radiating from Lane’s tear-streaked face. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to close the distance, to yank her away from the barrel and hold her until the world stopped spinning. But he forced his feet to stay planted, terrified of provoking the madman holding her hostage.
He met her gaze, pouring every ounce of reassurance he possessed into the silent message: Trust me. I’m going to get you out of here.
To his immense relief, Lane read the unspoken promise and gave a microscopic nod, swallowing her panic.
Just as Lucas ordered him to step closer, the sharp interruption echoed through the room.
"Lucas."
Ethan whipped his head around, his eyes widening as he saw Olivia and her mother stepping cautiously into the derelict room.
Lucas’s grip on the firearm tightened instinctively, the barrel pressing deeper into Lane’s scalp as a snarl tore from his throat.
"What in God’s name are you two doing here?!" Lucas bellowed, his eyes flashing with betrayal as he glared at his daughter and wife. "Did you lead the cops straight to me?"
"Dad, please. Stop this insanity," Olivia pleaded, holding her hands out in a placating gesture.
"Shut your ungrateful mouth!" Lucas shrieked, his face twisting into an ugly mask of rage. "You ruined everything! You let what should have been our family’s fortune slip right through your fingers!"
Ethan clenched his fists so hard his nails bit into his palms, watching the gun tremble against Lane’s temple.
"D-Dad, you can’t force someone to love you," Olivia cried, her voice cracking as fresh tears spilled over her lashes.
"We can’t control the heart. Ethan never loved me; he loves Lane. Please, let’s just accept it and move on. Enough of the lies, enough of the greed!" She broke down, sobbing openly. "It’s not too late. We can walk away from this. We can fix our family."
Lucas hesitated, his chest heaving as he stared at his daughter.
"Lucas, please listen to her," Aunt Rebecca begged, taking a slow step forward. "I know you’ve lost so much, but you can earn it back honestly. I believe in you. Just lower the weapon. We can start over. You, me, Olivia, and our grandson Tyler."
this nightmare. Not just for her own sake, but because the terrifying thought of Ethan walking into Uncle Lucas’s trap It was an impossible sacrifice, yet she knew Ethan well enough to know he would burn the world down to keep her safe.
When Lucas had stated his demands, Ethan hadn’t hesitated for a single heartbeat. He was willing to give up everything he had ever built just to guarantee her safety.
That absolute, terrifying devotion broke something open in her chest. She had always known Ethan loved her, but seeing the depth of his willingness to lose it all proved his heart belonged to her unconditionally.
Because of that love, she had to survive this. She had to make it out alive for herself, for Calvin, and for the tiny life growing inside her. If she gave up, they would both perish in this wretched place.
So far, she was grateful Lucas hadn’t physically harmed her. She made a conscious effort to stay completely silent whenever he entered, terrified that a single wrong word might shatter his fragile, volatile sanity.
With escape impossible, prayer was her only weapon. She begged silently for Ethan to find her, praying fiercely that nobody would get hurt, even Lucas. Despite the monster her uncle had become, she couldn’t wish death upon him. She would rather see him rot in a prison cell than watch blood spill.
The sharp screech of the door swinging open snapped her back to reality.
Uncle Lucas stepped into the dim light, and the breath caught in her throat. Her blood ran cold as she locked eyes with the weapon clutched tightly in his hand.
A gun.
Lane swallowed hard, her pulse hammering against her ribs as he approached.
"It’s time, Lane," Lucas rasped, his voice devoid of warmth.
"What do you mean?" she choked out.
"Ethan is finally here."
A flicker of hope ignited in her chest, instantly suffocated by a wave of pure terror. Lucas had a gun. What if he murdered Ethan after taking the documents? What would happen to Calvin? Who would raise their baby?
Hot tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them back furiously. Weakness was a luxury she couldn’t afford. She had to steel herself.
"What did you do to him, huh?" Lucas snarled, his eyes bulging with manic hatred as he stared down at her.
"What kind of spell did you cast to make him completely out of his mind? Imagine that. For your miserable life, he’s willing to hand over his entire empire, every single cent he owns, just to keep you breathing."
She was desperate to scream back at him, to explain that what she and Ethan shared was real, built on a foundation of genuine love rather than the toxic worship of money that had rotted Lucas’s brain. But she forced her lips shut, terrified that provoking him would cause his finger to twitch on the trigger.
A sharp electronic ping cut through the tension. Lucas pulled his phone from his pocket, glancing down at the screen. A twisted, triumphant smirk spread across his gaunt face.
"He’s here."
Her heart slammed against her ribs. Lucas hadn’t said a name, but she didn’t need to ask.
Ethan.
Lucas stepped back, positioning himself directly behind her chair, pressing his body into the shadows.
Seconds later, heavy footsteps echoed outside, followed by a tentative knock.
The door creaked open, and Ethan walked in.
Lane’s vision blurred instantly. Ethan’s gaze locked onto her the moment he crossed the threshold, the harsh lines of his face softening into an expression of pure, agonizing relief.
His eyes were bloodshot, rimmed with red, and filled with a desperate longing to pull her into his arms. He had rushed straight here, still dressed in his white dress shirt with his suit jacket discarded somewhere in the chaos.
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