Chapter 216

Robert’s POV

I opened my eyes, and a searing pain ripped through my skull as if a lightning bolt had struck my brain. I felt the cold, hard concrete beneath me and scrambled to my feet, the world spinning violently. I tried to process my surroundings: a cramped, desolate concrete room that looked like a dungeon, smelling of suffocating dampness.

I lunged toward the iron door in a frenzy, trying to force it open with all my might, but it was bolted shut. I began to hammer against the solid metal with my fists in a fit of pure, unadulterated rage. "Open up, you bastards!" I roared, my voice raw and broken. I fumbled through my pockets, searching frantically, but found nothing. They had taken my phone, my gun. Damn it! Damn it all! How did I fall for such a cheap trick? How did I let him blindside me like this?

I turned my exhausted body to look for Carlos, but the place was empty and hollow; he wasn’t there. Had they separated us? Dark thoughts began to invade my mind, and the image of Julie wouldn’t leave me... how was she now? Would the Don hurt her? Could she survive his cruelty?

I started punching the iron door like a madman, the echoes of the blows booming in the tiny room. "Let me go! I have to save Julie!" I kept slamming my fists against the cold metal until they went numb, until I could no longer feel my fingers, and blood began to seep from my shredded knuckles.

I collapsed to the floor, panting, my chest heaving violently, gasping for air in the grip of total helplessness. Pain invaded every inch of my body, but the only thing burning my soul was Julie.

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Don Morgan’s POV

I stepped out of her room and closed the door quietly, as if afraid of waking a ghost from the past. I signaled the guard standing in the hallway and commanded him sharply, "Go immediately. Buy her clothes that are worthy of her."

I made my way to the kitchen, where the maids were busy at work. I stopped in the center and said in a firm, cold voice, "From this moment on, my name in front of the guest is Mr. James."

The maids looked at me in visible shock, exchanging bewildered glances, but they quickly lowered their heads.

"Understood, sir," they said in unison.

"Prepare dinner," I added coldly before heading to my private suite.

Once inside my room, I tore off my jacket and threw it on a chair, then lit a cigarette, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I didn’t understand why I was acting this way. Why did I care about this girl? Why this sudden urge to protect her? Those twins, Violet and Meredith, had brought me nothing but pain and scars that never healed. So why this sudden weakness for Julie?

Was it because she looked like Violet as if a version of her had been resurrected? I went into the bathroom and turned on the cold water, letting it pour over my head and body, hoping it would extinguish the fire burning in my chest. I hated myself at that moment; because after all these years, after all the betrayals, I still loved Violet... I still loved her like a madman.

And no matter how hard I tried to bury my feelings or ignore them, I always failed. Always.

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Julie’s POV

After a long silence broken only by my heartbeat, I heard a soft knock. I opened the door to find a swarm of maids flowing into the room, carrying large bags and dozens of luxury parcels. I stepped back in shock. "What is all this?"

"These are your clothes, Miss. Mr. James ordered them for you," one of them replied, placing the bags carefully.

"This is a store, not just ’some clothes’!" I muttered, looking around the room filled with packages.

The maids left, and I stood alone amidst a pile of bags that made me feel suffocated. Was this man planning on keeping me here for life? Was he another obsessive freak? It seems I attract every obsessed man in this world. I approached the bags with trembling fingers; they were filled with silk, lace, and high-end brands.

I went to the door and locked it, then went to take a shower. I desperately needed the water to wash away the terror that had settled in my bones.

After the shower, I dried my hair, and despite the luxury surrounding me, a bitter lump formed in my throat. "I miss Robert," I whispered, the words escaping me against my will. I thought of him... was he looking for me now? I had to leave. I couldn’t stay here another second.

I put on a pair of trousers and a shirt from the new bags and stepped out, running into Mr. James in the hallway. "Mr. James, thank you for everything," I said, my voice firm despite my nerves. "But I want to leave now."

He looked at me with those gray eyes. "Did someone bother you?"

"No... but I want to go. Please," I said, clutching the fabric of my shirt.

"So, there’s no chance you’ll stay the night?" he asked calmly.

"No... I have to go. My parents will be worried." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

He sighed. "Fine. Dinner is ready. We’ll eat, and then I’ll take you... please, don’t refuse."

I nodded reluctantly, and we went downstairs. The dining table was massive, covered in dishes like a royal feast for an entire army. "Are there other people joining us for dinner?" I asked in surprise.

"Just you and me," he replied coolly.

My God! Even an elephant wouldn’t finish all this food. I sat down and tried to eat quickly, chewing without tasting anything. I wiped my mouth and said, "I’m finished. Can we go now?"

"You seem to be in a hurry," he said softly.

"Yes, I don’t want my parents to worry more."

He rose from his seat. "Come, I’ll take you." He looked at me and added, "Your clothes... aren’t you taking them?" Those bags... I’d need a truck for them! He didn’t wait for an answer; he signaled the maid to bring them. We went out and got into the car while the guards loaded the bags in the back.

I started laughing internally at the irony; was I a kidnap victim or on a shopping trip to Paris? I really didn’t know.

He started driving, then asked, "What is your home address?"

"Didn’t you say you knew my parents?" I asked, puzzled.

"I knew them a very long time ago," he replied, keeping his eyes on the road. "I don’t know their current address."

I gave him the address, feeling a tightening in my chest. How would I face the father who sold me? The mother who stayed silent?

When we arrived, he stopped the car in front of the house that was once mine, but now it looked strange, desolate, as if I had never lived there.

Mr. James looked at me and said, "Aren’t you going to get out?"

[Rockst3ady thank you My darling for your support you are In My my heart ]