Chapter 10 Trust Them

• Leah’s POV
• Before I could walk away, I heard the sound of footsteps behind me. They were quick and deliberate, growing louder with every second.
• "Leah, wait!" Before I could reach the bottom of the staircase, someone grabbed my hand.
• The sudden touch startled me, and I quickly turned around. My heart sank as I saw Lucian holding onto me, his grip firm. Behind him stood his three brothers, their gazes fixed on me. They were all following me.
• The sight of them, all four of them, filled me with frustration and dread. Without hesitation, I yanked my hand away from Lucian’s grasp and shoved him back.
• "What do you want?!" I snapped, my voice sharp and biting. My chest heaved with a mix of anger and exhaustion. "Can you just give me some peace? Everything is so overwhelming right now!"
• My voice rang out through the grand hall, loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. I didn’t care. Let the maids hear me! Let the guards hear me! Let their father hear me! I was beyond caring about anything but the weight of my emotions.
• "You took my freedom away from me..." My voice cracked as I continued, but I forced myself to speak. "Don’t you get it? I’m not with my family. I’m not... I’m not with the people I love. And now, I’m pregnant. Yet, here I am, being forced to choose between the four of you—choosing who I’m supposed to marry as if my life is some kind of game to you. Do you think my life is a joke? Do you think it’s that easy to make a decision after everything you’ve taken from me?"
• "Leah..." Lucian said my name softly, but his voice trailed off. He had no response, no justification for their actions.
• But I wasn’t finished. "All of you are sick bastards—not just one or two, but all four of you!" My hands trembled as I pointed at each of them, my fury radiating through every word. My eyes burned with tears, but I refused to let them fall.
• "You’re all a joke," I spat, my voice filled with venom. My gaze locked onto Lucian one last time before I turned away. "So please, just leave me alone."
• I didn’t wait for their response. I walked away, my footsteps echoing through the hall.
• This time, to my relief, they didn’t follow me.
• After putting some distance between myself and the brothers, I realized something—I had no idea where I was. The Vortega Mansion was massive, with countless hallways that seemed to stretch endlessly. I was lost.
• All I could see were identical corridors, lined with heavy wooden doors, and the occasional guard patrolling the area. The guards barely glanced at me. Perhaps they thought I was harmless. Or maybe they knew there was no point in watching me too closely since every exit was barricaded. It wasn’t like I could escape, even if I tried.
• I let out a deep sigh, the weight of my situation pressing down on me. I knew there was no way out of this. I was alone, completely isolated. And really, what could I even do?
• As I wandered aimlessly, my hand instinctively moved to my stomach. My thoughts drifted to the child I was carrying. This... this was the consequence of one terrible night, a night that had changed my life forever.
• Now, I didn’t know what to do. My emotions were a tangled mess of fear, anger, and sadness. Sure, I knew they were taking care of me, making sure I was safe. But deep down, I knew the truth—they weren’t doing this for me. They were doing it for their own benefit.
• Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face. The hot, silent tears burned my cheeks as I continued walking, unsure of where I was going.
• As I turned a corner, a voice broke the silence behind me.
• "Leah, it’s nice to see you here."
• I froze, my entire body tensing at the sound. That voice. It was calm yet carried an undeniable authority. Slowly, I turned around, my heart racing.
• My eyes widened as I saw him.
• It was their father.
• The man I had seen once before, briefly, in that dimly lit room.
• He was seated in a wheelchair, his frail body slumped slightly forward. A nurse stood behind him, pushing the wheelchair, while a doctor—the same one who had checked on me before—walked beside him.
• Instinctively, I took a step back.
• This was the first time I got a proper look at their father’s face, and there was no denying it—he bore a striking resemblance to his sons.
• His eyes mirrored Lucian’s intense gaze. His eyebrows were like Damon’s, sharp and defined. The shape of his face was identical to Xander’s, with strong, angular lines. And his hair, nose, and lips? They were unmistakably Rafael’s. It was like each of them had inherited a piece of him.
• I took another cautious step back, my voice trembling. "What do you want from me? Please... don’t hurt me."
• The words spilled out before I could stop them, and I hated how vulnerable I sounded.
• But instead of getting offended, he chuckled softly. His laugh was weak and brittle, like his body. His face, deeply lined with age, told the story of a hard life. Tubes were attached to his nose, connected to an oxygen tank by his side. It was clear this man was clinging to life by a thread.
• When his gaze met mine, his expression softened, and he smiled faintly.
• "We’re not going to hurt you, Leah," he said gently. "In fact, we brought you here because we want to protect you."
• "Protect me? Why? From what?" I asked, my voice laced with confusion. How could they claim to protect me when they were the ones who had taken me from my life?
• "For now, you don’t know the truth about our family," he began, his tone steady but serious. "But believe me when I say I’m doing this for your own good. And for my sons’ good as well."
• I didn’t respond. His words only added to my confusion, but I kept listening.
• "I wanted them to understand what it’s like to have a woman in their lives," he continued. "They need to learn that life isn’t just about power and status. Their position in this world is no small matter, Leah. And you—" he paused, his voice softening, "you should feel grateful that we chose you to share in this life. We’re offering you something better."
• The nurse pushed his wheelchair closer to me, and I flinched when he reached for my hand. His touch was cold, his grip light but firm. It sent a shiver through me, not because it was threatening, but because it felt so deliberate.
• "You need to trust us, Leah," he said, his voice calm yet commanding. "I know it’s hard for you to deal with my sons, but trust me, we’re doing this for you. Believe in what they’re showing you."
• Then, as suddenly as he had taken my hand, he let go. The nurse began to wheel him away, leaving me standing there, frozen in place.
• I watched him disappear down the hallway, his words echoing in my mind.
• I was left behind, confused and unsure of what he truly meant.