From Stand-In to Queen

The days of confinement were a slow execution.

That afternoon, I was leaning against the frost-covered window when I unexpectedly saw Luna on the lawn below. The cradle stood near the grass.

No one was around.

By sheer chance, the main door had not been locked properly. My heart surged as I slipped out.

Before I could reach her, I saw the cradle sliding toward the pool.

No!

"Get out of the way!"

Lucas moved faster than I did. He lunged forward and caught the cradle in time.

He turned on me at once, fury blazing. "Were you trying to drown her while no one was watching? Zoe, just to get back at me, you would even hurt your own flesh and blood?"

[Not me! I was trying to save her!] I flailed, signing frantically, only to hear him laugh coldly.

"The blood of the Langs really is filthy to the core."

What did that mean?

Was he talking about my family? Did he know them?

Why had he never mentioned this before?

"Since you like water so much, then go cool off in it."

With Luna cradled securely in one arm, Lucas shoved me hard into the pool with the other.

He knew I could not swim. The icy water soaked into my C-section wound, pain flooding my body until I went numb.

Through the rippling water, I saw him standing by the pool, watching my struggle with indifference.

Just before my consciousness faded, I thought I heard someone shouting in panic.

It had to be an illusion.

The Don who once loved me was already gone. The Lucas Vaughn standing there only wished for my death.

When I woke again, I heard his voice outside the door.

"Do not let her die in the manor. If the police or the media catch wind of it, it will be a headache. I do not have time to deal with that mess."

So saving me was only to avoid trouble.

A few nights later, rain lashed the darkness.

The door to the confinement room was kicked open. The heavy smell of whiskey mixed with blood rushed in.

Lucas staggered inside, his collar torn open. The sharp, commanding eyes he once had were now bloodshot. He looked like he had just finished a gunfight. The violence had not yet faded, yet beneath it was a fragility on the edge of collapse.

I recoiled in fear, but he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into his arms.

"Do not hide from me."

He buried his head in the hollow of my neck, his breath scorching my skin.

"Zoe... let me hold you for a while."

My rigid body slowly softened. Against all reason, I wrapped my arms around his waist.

Half-asleep, he murmured my name, the long-lost warmth unmistakable.

I hated myself for still longing for him, for foolishly hoping our shattered relationship might still turn around.

Morning came, and the dream ended.

When Lucas realized who was in his arms, he shoved me off the bed without hesitation.

"Are you that desperate for a man?" He straightened his suit, his cold authority restored. "Do not misunderstand. I drank too much last night. I thought you were Serena."

He stepped over me, slammed the door, and crushed my heart completely.

That night, breaking news aired.

"The Vaughn Group and the Vale Group announce a historic alliance. Don Lucas Vaughn will marry award-winning actress Serena Vale by the end of the year."

On screen, Lucas held the beauty by the waist and declared to the cameras, "She will be my only wife, and the most noble Donna of the Vaughn family."

A mouthful of blood burst from my lips without warning.

So this was my ending.