Chapter 2

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three empty shots tore through the air, grazing past the lips Rodger and Lilah had just pulled apart, slamming into the white wall behind them.

Elora blew away the smoke curling from the barrel and walked toward the pair step by step.

"Elora, have you lost your mind?!" Rodger frowned, instinctively shielding Lilah behind him.

"You're still protecting her?" Elora's voice rose sharply. She reached behind Rodger, yanked Lilah out, and slapped her twice, left and right.

Before Rodger could react, Elora roared, "Do you have any idea that because she ran away at the critical moment, our daughter is dead?!"

Rodger looked as if he had been struck by lightning. The anger drained from his face, leaving it deathly pale.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault, Elora... "

He slapped himself hard, then wrapped his arms around Elora.

"Hit me, Elora! I'm a piece of trash! I shouldn't have missed your calls. I was busy, my phone wasn't with me, it's all my fault!"

Elora drove her knee violently into his stomach, shoving him away.

She sneered coldly, "Busy? Busy comforting your terrified little girlfriend?"

Her icy gaze locked onto Lilah.

Once, Rodger had personally arranged a female bodyguard for her-someone he claimed he had trained himself-to protect both her and their daughter.

When Elora found out Lilah had been bought from an auction house, she had even felt jealous.

Rodger had laughed, indulgent and helpless.

"Why are you acting like a little animal guarding its food? I only see her as a subordinate. Besides, my wife is so beautiful. If I put a male bodyguard next to you, I'd get jealous too. Lilah's professionally trained. With her there, you and Franny will be perfectly safe."

Elora had believed him.

Believed him enough to let her daughter die because of it.

Elora snapped back and pointed straight at Lilah.

"You only see her as a subordinate? So what? Does the Griffiths gang kiss their subordinates now?!"

Rodger's face turned pale.

With a heavy thud, he dropped to his knees in front of Elora.

"Elora! I swear I'll never do it again! It's my fault. I wronged you, I caused Franny's death! I repent... punish me however you want!"

Looking at the man crying in front of her, regret spilling from every pore, Elora felt nothing but numb, hollow pain.

"Two things," she said flatly. "Do them, and I'll let this go."

She flipped the divorce papers to the final page and slammed them onto the table.

"First, sign this! Second... "

She raised her hand and pointed at Lilah.

"I want her dead! She pays for Franny's life."

"No!" Rodger refused without hesitation.

The moment the word left his mouth, he realized something was off. He hurriedly grabbed the papers, scrawled his signature across them, then scrambled to justify himself.

"What I mean is Lilah wasn't feeling well that day. She left early without informing you, and that was her fault. But she was unwell, so leaving her post is understandable. You don't need to push her to death."

Elora laughed.

He had sworn again and again that Lilah was highly professional.

For a bodyguard, loyalty was everything. Clearly, Lilah had failed. And failure meant death.

"Fine," Elora suddenly raised her gun, the black muzzle pressing squarely between Lilah's eyebrows.

"Then I'll send her on her way myself."

As Lilah screamed, Elora pulled the trigger without hesitation.

The scream didn't stop. Only the sound of a gun clattering to the floor rang out.

Elora stared in disbelief at her wrist, now hanging limply.

Blood poured out.

Rodger lowered his gun, expressionless.

"Elora, you need to calm down. If you weren't so extreme, trying to kill Lilah, I wouldn't have shot you."

Elora's heart felt like it was being carved apart.

The pain from the gunshot in her hand was nothing compared to the agony in her chest.

She remembered how, before their marriage, anyone who so much as made her frown would get a bullet from Rodger as a lesson.

And now, the gun he pointed was at her.

Her heart bled.

Just as Elora was about to speak, the office door was suddenly slammed open.

A small boy charged into the room and threw himself into Lilah's arms

He poked his head out, curiously sizing up Elora, and asked Rodger, "Daddy, who is she? Did she bully my mommy?!"

The boy swung his fists wildly at Elora.

"Bad woman! Get out!"

Elora froze, staring at the little boy who looked strikingly like Rodger.

Her heart was crushed, kneaded, torn apart.

Left riddled with holes.

How many things had Rodger been hiding from her all these years?