Chapter 14
The call that of tists pounding into flesh echoed through the living room.
Maya’s screams grew weaker, tractured into sobs. She convulsed like a fish gasping for air, and her face was streaked with snot and tears.
“1–I’m sorry, Christopher…… I’m just an orphan, a nobody. I only wanted a family so badly–that’s why I lied…”
Suddenly, she clutched the hem of Christopher’s pants, pressing her bruised forehead against the cold floor. “Please…. Spare me. I won’t lie again, I swear… Just please, forgive me.
Christopher’s bloodshot eyes bore down on her. His response to her was another brutal swing of his fist When he finally stopped, Maya lay motionless on the ground, barely breathing.
“Dad” Gabriel’s voice cut through the suffocating air like an icicle. “That night… The car accident… Who really gave me their blood?”
Christopher’s body jerked violently. Then, he slapped himself again and again in a frenzy. “It was Gianna!”
He clawed at his own hair. “1-1 was out of my mind! I wanted you to accept Maya, so I helped her trick you. The hospital still has Gianna’s blood donation records. She was the one who saved you?”
The moment Christopher spoke the truth, Gabriel’s pupils shrank. His nails ripped deep into the leather sofa, leaving behind five jagged white streaks.
Then, a wretched scream tore from his throat without warning, only to be cut off midway. His body went rigid before collapsing backward. He was unconscious before he even hit the floor.
Christopher lunged forward, catching his son just in time as his heart twisted with unbearable guilt. He knew this was all his fault–his blind favoritism toward Maya had brought everything to ruin.
Looking up at Ezra, who stood in cold silence, Christopher’s lips trembled. “Ezra, have you found any trace of Gianna?”
His voice cracked. “I’ll go with you. I don’t care if I have to beg on my knees; I’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back. I need to make things right.”
Ezra, however, didn’t respond. His eyes were hollow, drained of all light. His fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, piercing the skin as blood dripped between his fingers.
Even so, he felt nothing. What was this pain compared to Gianna’s?
She had been torn apart by the very people she once trusted most. The pain she endured… must have felt like a thousand cuts carving into her soul.
“Christopher.” Ezra’s voice was so soft it nearly vanished into the wind. “She’s never coming back.”
Before anyone could react, a violent pounding on the door shattered the silence. A group of burly men stormed in. They were inked in tattoos, and their faces were lined with
menace.
It didn’t take long to understand why they were here. That was when everyone discovered Maya was a gambler.
She had taken out hundreds of thousands in high–interest loans from an underground moneylender to fund her addiction, and the debt had now ballooned into the millions with
interest.
“Listen, gentlemen, I have nothing to do with that wretched woman. If you need money, take it from her! I’ll hand her over to you myself!”
Christopher’s face was drained of all color as he fell to his knees.
The bald man leading the group sneered and tossed a contract onto the floor.
“Funny. This woman told me you legally adopted her. That makes her your responsibility. No running from this, old man.
“She owes us 187 million dollars. If we don’t see the money by the 15th of next month, we’ll start chopping off hands.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he swung a machete down onto the coffee table. The impact shattered the glass, sending shards flying,
His men followed suit, drenching the walls in red paint. Bright streaks of crimson splattered across the room, dripping like fresh blood.
Christopher collapsed onto the ruined floor, his gaze landing on the oil–streaked cross–stitch embroidery that now bled red.
It read, “Family Harmony”
Naomi had stitched it herself.
20 years ago, she had cradled their newborn daughter in her arms, smiling as she said she would pass this embroidery down through the generations. Now, that promise lay
defiled, soaked in ruin
Ezra wasted no time he immediately called for an ambulance. In the chaos, Christopher’s muffled cries mixed with Maya’s feeble, broken walls. Their voices echoed through the red–stained living room.
The real downfall of the Ramsey family had only just begun.
