Chapter 16
Standing in front of her were the two thugs-faces beaten and swollen.
Lyra’s hair stood on end as she screamed, “Let go! What do you want? HELP-”
The men yanked her backward. Lyra lost her footing and tumbled down the concrete steps.
Agony shot through her body as she curled up, clutching her stomach. Blood pooled beneath her, spreading outward.
The thugs went pale, muttering, “We didn’t have a choice. This was the only way Mr. Mitchell would let us live.”
Ryan!
Tears streamed down Lyra’s face as she felt her baby slipping away.
How could he do this?
He was the father!
At the end, everything went black as she lost consciousness.
When she woke up, she was in a hospital bed.
The smell of disinfectant was overwhelming. A nurse was hooking up her IV.
Lyra instinctively touched her stomach. “My baby-is the baby okay?”
“I’m sorry. You lost the child.”
The nurse tried to comfort her. “You’re still young. Once your body heals, you can have more children.”
But it wouldn’t be the same.
Ryan would never give her another chance.
The door suddenly burst open. Lyra turned her head in a daze.
“There’s our precious daughter! We finally found you!” Her father flashed his yellowed teeth as he and her mother entered.
And then they said to the nurse: “Miss, you can go. We’ll take care of her from here.”
Lyra’s mind went blank. She shrank back as they approached.
Her parents had always favored sons over daughters. They’d had six girls before finally getting the boy they wors-hipped.
She was the sixth daughter. Her five older sisters had all been traded for hefty bride prices. She’d always known she wouldn’t be any different.
But she was sweet and clever, convincing her parents to let her go to college by promising it would raise her value and bring a higher bride price.
The moment she left home for university, she cut all ties.
Ryan was the first person who could change her fate. He’d shown her a life she’d never dreamed of.
That’s when the greed took root. She wanted more-the kind of life others envied.
But then the Mitchell family went bankrupt.
She wasn’t willing to suffer with Ryan, so she latched onto another rich boy. After bouncing between several men who wouldn’t commit, she had no choice but to crawl back to Ryan.
“City hospitals aren’t cheap, are they? This money should go toward your brother’s wedding instead!” her mother complained.
“Pull that needle out right now. She barely got any anyway. We’ll get the nurse to refund us.” Her father yanked out the IV.
701
Blood splattered as Lyra snapped back to reality.
“How did you find me?! I don’t have any money to give you!”
“That’s fine, you don’t need money,” her father grinned. “The Johnsons paid me a hundred grand. You’re gonna give them a grandson and then I’ll come get you. Your brother’s wedding depends on you.”
Lyra was stunned.
The Johnson boy was known throughout the county for being severely mentally disabled.
“I won’t-”
4
Her father dragged her off the hospital bed while her mother covered her mouth and pulled her toward the door.
“Come on, sweetie. Your brother’s still not married at
his age.
You can’t abandon family, can you?”
Lyra was too weak to fight back as they stuffed her into a
Every part of her body ached as she curled up,
Her parents just went on with words.
“Ten grand a year for five
years-1 that’s
ble
to move.
fifty thousand total. Not only can we get our boy married, we’ll have enough left over to spoil our grand-kids.”
“Exactly! We should thank that kind stranger for the tip. Never would’ve thought of such a good way to make money.”
Lyra felt like she’d fallen into an ice pit. Her own flesh and blood looked more terrifying than demons.
She looked at her mother-once
A kind stranger…
Ryan?
1
a
victim, now an executioner.
Without his tip-off, her parents never could have found her.
He was absolutely ruthless.
