I woke up from my shock and realized that I was in a whole new room. The room had all these intricate designs and super rare and expensive antiques all over the room. The room itself exuded a majestic aura that made it a little suffocating. After carefully examining the room, I realized that I was in Lincoln's room. I quickly jumped from the bed and stood on the floor. I looked at the bedsheets and the bed, which once held a history of my terrible past I had with him. You know, jumping is very dangerous for your baby. Lincoln said, coming closer to me. Where do you think you are going to? Don't come any closer, you rapist. I retorted. Don't be like that, Camel. He laughed at it and ated it. I haven't stopped watching the clip from that night. You beast! I yelled. I instantly became furious. Ta! I slapped him across the face. He stared at me with his mesmerizing eyes. It took me a while to calm out of it. Follow me. I have something to show you. At once, I lost control of my legs. They started to move behind me like a child following his father. I knew I had something for him. But whether I liked it or not, something was still my love and my husband. I found it difficult to let go of that past. He pressed the remote and pictures of Lincoln cheating behind my back showed on the screen. Tears dropped from my eyes as I watched every clip and declaration of love he made to Evelyn. The pictures told that Lincoln handed me a newspaper. And the first page talked about Samson's marriage to Evelyn and how I cheated behind his back. I quickly wiped my tears and logged my emotions. This was my last heartbreak song. Now is the time for a new dawn, I said to myself.
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[a month later]
[Carmela's POV]
It's been a month since we moved in with Lincoln, and the atmosphere in the villa has been a mix of comfort and tension. Lincoln has been unexpectedly kind to us, treating Alex like a younger brother, but with me... it feels like a different dynamic. There's something about his presence that commands respect, even when he's not trying to. My baby bump is growing, and every day it reminds me of just how much my body is changing, but also how much I feel like I'm not contributing. I hate that feeling, being so dependent when I've always been independent.
The restrictions are starting to weigh on me. I'm not allowed to lift a finger—no picking up fallen objects, no carrying my own plate. The staff do everything, but I can see the toll it takes on them, like they're walking on eggshells around me. I've heard whispers that even the maids' jobs could be at risk if I do anything that could be seen as overstepping.
One day, after spending hours playing video games and staring at the walls, I decided I needed a walk. I needed space to breathe, even if it was just the grand hallways of this villa. "Alex, where are you going?" I called out as he grabbed the keys to the Dodge Challenger.
"Just going to see a friend," he shrugged casually, waving the keys at me. "I'll be back soon. Don't worry."
I knew Alex was heading to the bar ,he's been drinking on the fact that our mom is death and he tries to play the Playboy card on the outside,I knew we could never heal from our moms death and Samsons betrayal.
I couldn't shake the feeling that things were shifting, not just with Lincoln, but with Alex too. We were all adjusting to this new world, but some parts of it felt like they were slipping away from me.
As I wandered toward Lincoln's office, I overheard him on the phone. His tone was sharp, commanding. "I don't give a damn about the headhunter. Find someone else before Monday, and I'll reward them with five million. If they get the whole team , I'll triple it."
His words felt cold, calculated. I don't know what I expected, but it certainly wasn't this ruthless side of him. It made me realize just how far Lincoln was willing to go for power, and how little regard he seemed to have for anything or anyone that stood in his way.