Chapter 9
Adrian Winslow had truly opened his eyes!
Taking advantage of Lucas being
distracted, I broke free from his grip and looked over at Adrian.
His eyes were wide open, glowing brighter than the stars themselves, fixed intensely on Lucas and the other relatives.
They exchanged confused glances, unsure of how to react to the sudden change.
At that moment, the sharp wail of police sirens pierced the air, and Amanda appeared at the top of the stairs, holding a kitchen knife. “The police are here! Stop what you re doing!”
Amanda had secretly called the police earlier, and now they were here.
“It’s a good thing they‘ ve arrived,” Lucas sneered, “They’ll find out that my
daughter was tricked into coming here!” He
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stormed downstairs, leading our relatives to meet the officers.
I ran to Adrian‘ s side to check on him. Not only were his eyes wide open, but his entire body was trembling violently, his hands shaking as if he couldn’t control them.
He looked even angrier than I felt.
“Adrian, wake up!” I wiped away my tears, staring at him with a mixture of worry and hope.
But he continued to tremble, unresponsive.
I grabbed his hand, leaned over, and hugged him as tightly as I could, hoping it would bring him back to me.
“Honey, wake up!” I pleaded, my voice breaking.
In the past two months, I’d called him that a few times, mostly in jest, just to tease him. But this time, my words carried a raw sincerity I had never felt before.
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It was as if the Adrian I once barely knew. had somehow become my true partner- my husband.
A faint, almost imperceptible sound came from his lips, and I saw the muscles in his temple pulse as if something inside him was stirring.
On impulse, I kissed him gently on the lips. He shuddered in response, his breathing growing heavy and forceful, though he was still far from conscious.
Perhaps he was trapped in some kind of dark space, able to feel me but unable to break free from the shadows.
I pulled away, feeling a sense of desperation rise within me. I shouted,
“I’m leaving! I’m not coming back!”
I rushed toward the exit, my heart pounding in my chest. In the distance, I could hear my father talking to the police, claiming his side of the story, demanding that they take action.
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“Lucas, you‘ re insatiably greedy!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “You don’t care if I’m someone else’s mistress. All you want is more money!”
“Come on then, I’ll give you money! I’ve earned six hundred thousand dollars, and I’ll give it all to you!” I yelled again.
My father burst in, pointing at me with fury in his eyes. “Miss Greer, do you think it was easy for me to raise you? Is this how I raised you, to talk like that?”
“Go ahead! Hit me then!” I shouted, my voice filled with raw madness. “I’ll fight back if I have to!”
I had completely lost control, consumed by a single thought: I had to wake Adrian up.
After enduring all these years of suffering, it seemed as if Adrian–the mute, unconscious man–had become my anchor, the one thing that could hold me steady in this storm.
In a fit of rage, Lucas lunged at me and
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slapped me hard across the face before the police could stop him.
The force of his strike knocked me backward, blood filling my mouth as my head spun. I leaned against the door, refusing to let myself collapse.
My father followed suit, kicking me in the ribs–just like when I was a child. Each time I disobeyed, he would resort to violence, beating me with his fists and feet.
“I’ll beat you to death, you ungrateful bitch! Lucas shouted, his fury blinding him as he hit me again and again until I could no longer stay on my feet. My body crumpled to the floor, unable to support itself under the brutal assault.
The police and relatives rushed over, desperately trying to pull him off, but Lucas wasn’t done. He pinned me down, continuing the beating with relentless force.
Suddenly, a loud cry of shock escaped his
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lips, and he stepped back, eyes wide with
fear.
He was staring at the bed.
Through my blurry vision, I followed his gaze and saw Adrian sitting upright, his piercing eyes locked on my father.
The police officer who had been restraining my father froze, taken aback by the sight of Adrian waking up.
Amanda rushed over, her voice filled with excitement. “Mr. Winslow is awake! He’s awake!”
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