Too Late to Say I Love You

My body was limp as I swayed on the stretcher, and it felt like I was being pulled off to somewhere far away.

I was eight when my father, who was a gambler, beat my mother to death right in front of me after she refused to loan him any money. He ended up with ten years in prison. The first thing he did after getting released was sell me to the casino just so he could gamble for one more round.

There were many girls like me there, wearing revealing clothes and their lips smeared with red-hot lipstick, moving from man to man.

Once the lights were turned off, we were all locked in an underground prison without ventilation. A girl even slit her wrists right in front of me, and her blood splashed onto my face. It was warm, and I could taste the blood, but I did not move and could not even cry.

One day, someone pressed his body against me roughly. I struggled with everything I had and screamed until my throat was injured and I could taste blood in my mouth.

Bang!

I heard a gunshot, and the man fell right next to me as blood slowly spread across his chest.

Stefan was standing at the door, placing his gun back into its holster. His expression was cold when he took off his coat and flung it at me. "Places like these are dirty."

It was only later that I found out he had busted the casino, and that I had been taken as a trophy for his victory. Stefan told me that he fell in love with me at first sight because of my eyes. I believed him and thanked God for blessing me with my eyes.

However, I later realized they were also a curse because I had to watch him turn away from me, time after time, through them.

My eyelashes flickered, and my eyes started to moisten with tears.

"Didn't I tell you to take good care of her? Why did she suddenly pass out?!" I could hear enraged roars as I started to regain consciousness and return to reality. Stefan was almost losing control as he grabbed Corey by the collar and growled at him.

However, Corey remained calm. "Donna Gallo's pregnancy was affected by inhaling large amounts of sensitive additives." He paused before looking right at Stefan. "The source is the perfume Miss Carter gifted her."

The air was tense with silence, and Stefan slowly loosened his grip on Corey. Trixie covered her mouth and said in a trembling voice, "I'm so sorry… I really had no idea…"

Corey sneered. "The additives in the perfume were listed very clearly."

"That's enough." Stefan stopped him, calming down. "She has no idea what my wife is allergic to. All you need to do is take good care of my wife. Anything other than that is none of your business." He turned away from me and said in a lower voice, "Don't tell Elena about this. I don't want them to fight, nor do I want this to escalate."

Trixie held his arm as if it were the most normal thing in the world, but this time, Stefan pushed her hands away in frustration. She was taken aback and looked upset, but she did not dare say a word.

"Is the baby okay?"

"The baby is fine."

Stefan was relieved, and he turned to Trixie. "Go home. I'm staying until she wakes up."

Trixie's eyes turned slightly red. "But you promised to be with me tonight…"

Stefan did not say anything. His silence had given her his answer, and she finally left in the end.

The hospital room was quiet once more, and Stefan looked at Corey, who was putting an IV drip on me. The look in his eyes was grim. "Our conversation just now…"

"I won't tell the Donna."

Stefan nodded approvingly. He believed that he had successfully taken care of things, but he had no idea that I knew far more than he realized. I just chose not to say a word. My time at the casino had taught me long ago that I should never cry but remain silent. The young women who managed to escape the casino were never the most pitiful ones, but the ones who could endure the longest.

Every time they suffered humiliation, they would quietly plan in the dark, waiting for the right moment to make their escape and never look back.

Leaving Stefan would not be as easy as leaving the casino by a long shot, which was why I did not ask about the perfume, Trixie, or about what happened behind that door after I woke up. All I did was grab his hand and ask anxiously, "Is the baby okay?"

Stefan comforted me in a low voice. "Everything's fine now. The doctor says your condition is stable." I sighed with relief as he stayed silent briefly before looking at me. "When did you pass out?"

I knew what he was trying to find out. He wanted to know if I had seen anything inside the event hall. I pressed my hand against my forehead and frowned. "I can't remember. All I remember is being in intense pain, and I blacked out after that."

Stefan stared at me as if trying to decide if I was telling the truth. He looked away after a while and said, "You should rest."

He stayed with me for a long time that day and did not pick up his phone, even though it was ringing constantly. It was not until I closed my eyes that he finally picked up his phone on the balcony. "All right. Stop crying. I'll come over right now." Stefan returned to my room and bent down to kiss me on the lips. He was gentle as always.

My eyes opened the moment he closed the door behind him, and I was wide awake. I picked up my phone and started calling every trader I knew to talk about converting my assets to gold. 90% of the assets in my name had been successfully transferred, and I was left with the final step now.

I had to erase my identity and start life afresh with a new one. This was also the most difficult step in my plan because the system would leave behind traces of anything I did. I could not gamble with this, and the only way I could get this done was to make a deal.

After making my decision, I made another call. The person on the other end of the call was silent for several seconds before speaking. "Have you decided?" He spoke in a low voice, making it difficult to read his emotions.

"What do you want?"

"An equal trade," the man replied with indifference. "You know the rules."

"I'll give you the list of informants Stefan has in your family."

The air was silent once again, but I could hear him holding his breath. "Are you sure?"

"I'll give you the entire list."

He laughed. "Donna Gallo is indeed calmer and more composed than the rumors make her out to be."

"A new identity, a legal background, restructuring of my family history, and complete erasure of my current identity and tracks." I was levelheaded. "I want the whole package."

"You know the price to pay."

"I can afford it."

The man was silent for a long time. "How do you plan on giving me the list?"

"In batches. I'll give you a part of the list first, and after my new identity is confirmed, I'll give you the rest of the list."

The man laughed softly. "You're smarter than I thought."

I turned to look out the window and laughed self-depracatingly. "I'm just trying to survive."

The man burst out with laughter. "Hah! That's interesting. Fine. It's a deal. Have you thought about your new name?"

I was silent for a while before saying softly, "Dawn Lenore." Lenore was my mother's surname, while 'Dawn' represented the dawn of time, when everything was back in its rightful place. I wanted to return to a time without my gambler father, without my cheating husband, and without the me who had been abandoned.

After I hung up, I stared at my sweaty palms and let out a long sigh. "Dawn Lenore… Dawn Lenore…" I could not help repeating my new name, and I started to tear up. I would soon be completely free of this life.

That was when the door was suddenly kicked open, and before I knew what was happening, a black bag was placed over my head.