Plot Twist, The 'Dead' Ex is Thriving

Chapter 21

Emily Carter and her mother were brought before me by Vincent Montgomery's men.

I barely recognized the elderly woman as Sophia Carter. Dressed in dark, plain clothes with no makeup, her face was lined with wrinkles, her temples streaked with gray, making her look decades older. Emily, too, was haggard, her once-delicate beauty long gone.

Less than two years had passed, yet they'd been reduced to this—clearly, they'd suffered.

I won't lie—seeing them like this gave me satisfaction.

But beneath that satisfaction, a pang of sorrow crept in.

Vincent and Daniel Harrison had once doted on Emily. Daniel had treated Sophia with such respect. Because of their favoritism, I'd endured endless humiliation and pain.

Yet after I left, they'd quickly turned their wrath on Emily and her mother.

Their love, their hatred—so fickle, so cheap.

I admit, I loathed Emily and Sophia. I despised them with every fiber of my being.

But now, I despised Vincent and Daniel even more.

If Emily and her mother were pure malice, then Vincent and Daniel were nothing but foolish, arrogant enablers.

I couldn't bear to look at Emily and Sophia any longer.

Nor did I want to see those two men again.

Averting my gaze, I said coldly, "You've shown me what you wanted. May I leave now?"

Daniel stood frozen, his expression shattered. Vincent ordered Emily and her mother taken away.

Then he turned to me, his smile bleak. "Lauren, even if you hate me, resent me—I won't let you leave again."

I was forced to stay, still lodged in the hotel.

In the days that followed, both men went out of their way to appease me.

I gave them nothing in return.

Not a single word. Not even a glance.

Eventually, I refused to eat.

Finally, Daniel relented. After speaking with Vincent, they let me go.

On the seventeenth day in Harbor City, I boarded a flight home.

I knew Vincent and Daniel were on that same plane.

Hours later, we landed.

Back in my apartment, I slept deeply, exhaustion finally catching up with me.

When I woke, I noticed the young couple next door had moved out—replaced by new neighbors.

No surprises there. It had to be Vincent and Daniel.

Sure enough, I ran into them often in the following weeks.

One evening, returning from dinner with friends, I spotted Vincent standing under a streetlamp, his silhouette lonely and desolate.

When he saw me, he straightened, forcing a smile. "Lauren, you're back."

I ignored him and kept walking.

He pulled a velvet box from his pocket and opened it. "I made this myself. It would look beautiful on you."

Inside was an exquisite bracelet, studded with gemstones. His hands bore fresh cuts and scars.

I barely glanced at it.

"I don't want it."

"Lauren!" His voice cracked behind me, raw with desperation. "What will it take for you to forgive me?"

I stopped, turning to face him. "Disappear from my life forever. Then I'll forgive you."

"Lauren, you're cruel…"

I laughed softly and walked away without looking back.