Chapter 491 - 87 Hunted by Blood
Lila’s POV
I had barely secured the reinforced door behind Daniel’s father when the sophisticated security system chimed again. My stomach dropped—what more could the Martinez patriarch possibly demand from me?
Drawing a shaky breath, I disengaged the locks. The moment the door swung open, I felt every drop of blood flee my face. Standing in the hallway with a smile that could freeze hell itself was my mother Claire, with my brother Justin’s imposing frame casting a shadow behind her.
"Mom?!" My knees threatened to buckle beneath the weight of her unexpected presence.
"Did you think I would simply vanish into the night, Lila? Did you believe a matriarch of the Sullivan family would forget her most valuable asset?" Her laughter held no warmth, only the calculating coldness of a seasoned crime boss. "A mother never abandons her investment, especially one as rebellious as you."
"Mom, of course I’ve thought about you constantly!" I attempted to embrace her, but she stepped away with practiced precision, leaving my heart aching from the deliberate rejection.
"Aren’t you going to invite your family into this fortress you call home, ungrateful daughter?" Her voice carried the authority of someone accustomed to absolute obedience. I stepped aside wordlessly, and she strode past me with the confidence of a woman who had orchestrated countless hostile takeovers. Justin followed, pausing only to roughly mess my carefully styled hair and twist my ear—a painful dominance display he’d perfected since outgrowing me in our teenage years.
"Living like a princess, aren’t you, little sister?" Justin’s mocking tone surveyed the luxury apartment. "So this is where you’re playing house with that Martinez cop?"
My mother settled into the exact leather chair where Daniel’s father had delivered his own threats moments earlier—a coincidence that felt more like an omen. "Tracking you down required considerable resources, Lila. You disappeared like a frightened mouse scurrying through the shadows. But the Sullivan family has both patience and connections, something you should have learned during your upbringing."
"Mom..." I began, wondering how she’d bypassed the building’s elite security when I knew my father would never betray my location.
"Silence, Lila! When the head of this family speaks, you listen," she snapped with the tone she’d once used to command fear from rival crime syndicates. "You will absorb every word and execute my orders precisely, just like before your father foolishly granted you independence." Her harsh authority made me tremble as familiar terror began creeping through my veins.
"Take a seat, princess." Justin seized a handful of my hair without warning and shoved me into the armchair beside my mother. "Listen to Mom. She knows what’s best for the family business."
"Let’s dispense with pleasantries, Lila," my mother continued with icy calculation. "I know your police inspector isn’t home—he’s handling whatever corruption case keeps him busy. No one can defend you now. So without any theatrical displays—you know I have no tolerance for dramatics—you’re going to gather your belongings and accompany us immediately."
"I’m not going anywhere with you!" I protested with what little courage remained in my voice.
"Oh, but you will. You’re going because I am the matriarch of this family and your compliance is not optional. You’re going to marry Connor’s heir. The arrangements are finalized—we’re simply collecting the bride. I’ve come to rescue you from this foolish fantasy of independence." Her eyes gleamed with the satisfaction of a predator who had cornered her prey.
"We’ve argued about this endlessly! Why are you determined to force this marriage? Why do you want me trapped in misery?" I couldn’t restrain my tears any longer.
"We’ve discussed this matter repeatedly, and repeatedly I warned you to return voluntarily without creating complications. I told you I would retrieve what belongs to me. You know I always opposed this ridiculous notion of you studying law and living independently. But what did you do? You manipulated your soft-hearted father into indulging your whims, as always. You conspired with him and fled at the first opportunity." Her eyes blazed with the fury of a woman whose authority had been challenged. "Did you believe I would simply accept this betrayal? That you and your father could outsmart me? You clearly underestimate me, Lila! You’ve forgotten that everything happens according to my design, when and how I decree it! You’ve forgotten who truly controls the Sullivan legacy!"
I’d never comprehended her treatment of me. Justin was irresponsible, refused formal education, and wasted his days causing trouble throughout the city, yet she showered him with affection and protection. Whenever I questioned the disparity, she’d simply declare that Justin was the male heir who could indulge himself, while I was merely a daughter who required guidance. As her child, my obligation was to obey her commands because she supposedly understood what was best for the family—though her "best" inevitably left me devastated.
"Mom, please, let’s end this warfare. Allow me to live my own life. I won’t marry Connor’s son. I have my legal studies, my position with Thorne..." I attempted reasoning with her, though desperation told me nothing would alter her determination.
"SHUT UP, LILA!" she screamed with the voice that had once terrified rival crime families. "I don’t care about your pathetic ambitions. I’m taking you away, and you’re completing this marriage. That’s final! That’s what the family requires, and that’s what will happen."
"I WON’T GO!" I attempted to stand, desperate to escape and find sanctuary.
My mother’s hand cracked across my face with practiced violence, sending me tumbling back into the chair. She leaned over me, her manicured finger inches from my face. "I said you’re leaving, and you’re leaving! Now move—let’s collect your things. Or if you prefer, I can transport you wearing exactly what you have on." She gripped my chin tightly, her sharp nails drawing blood as they dug into my skin.
"Why are you doing this? Why won’t you allow me happiness?" Tears streamed down my cheeks, mixing with the metallic taste of fear.
"Happy, Lila?" She cackled, transforming before my terrified eyes into something monstrous. "You will never know happiness!"
Her words cut through me like a blade—never had she spoken so plainly about her intentions. I tried to escape, but Justin grabbed my hair and hurled me to the floor. Everything ached; terror paralyzed me completely. I knew the moment I left this apartment, my life would end, transformed into the wife of someone everyone knew was as violent and worthless as my brother.
"She’s not escaping this time, Mom," he grinned, clearly savoring my suffering. "How do we transport her without drawing attention?"
"Restrain her, silence her. She has a vehicle—we’ll exit through the private garage," she responded casually, as if discussing the movement of contraband. "Handle that while I gather her valuables."
Justin seized my hair again, yanking me upright with brutal force. Then, from the corner of my vision, I saw the door exploding open and Justin being ripped away from me.
"What the hell do you think you’re doing in my home?" Daniel tore Justin off me and delivered a devastating punch that sent him crashing to the marble floor.
"You animal! Release my son!" My mother rushed forward, helping Justin struggle to his feet.
"Both of you—out of my residence immediately!" Daniel positioned me safely behind his protective frame.
"You don’t speak to me with such disrespect! I’m her mother!" she challenged with the authority she’d wielded over criminal enterprises for decades.
"And I’m her partner! Now get out—both of you!" When neither moved, Daniel added with deadly calm, "Fine, I’ll remove you myself. Lila, secure the door behind us."
He grabbed Justin by his expensive collar and my mother by her designer sleeve, dragging them toward the exit with the efficiency of someone accustomed to handling dangerous criminals.
I engaged every lock the moment they disappeared and pressed my back against the reinforced door. My legs finally surrendered, and I slid to the floor, tears flowing freely as pain coursed through my body and soul. I would never understand why the woman who claimed to be my mother treated me as nothing more than a commodity to be traded.