Page 10 of Dark Consequences

When she leans back against the elevator wall, her face grows paler and clammier.

Alright. That’s quite enough of this.

“Lily, please. You’re hurt. Let me carry Mei for you.”

Again, she considers it, but then she shakes her head once more. “No. I have her.”

I cross my arms over my chest and look down at her. “You’re a little stubborn, you know that?”

“I’ve been told,” she mumbles, her voice barely audible as she pushes Mei up, relieving the pressure off her chest.

The elevator dings and opens to the foyer of my penthouse. Lily follows me out slowly. I peek behind my shoulder as I head further inside and find her staring around the space with wide eyes.

“There are two wings. The primary room is to the right, and the guest rooms are to the left.” I gesture with my head in each direction.

I show her to a room I decided would be perfect for the pair on the drive over. A room that overlooks a beautiful outdoor terrace, softly lit by the warm glow of twinkling lights. To our left is the en suite bathroom, and the door beside it leads to a large closet.

“If you give me your sizes, I can have clothing and other necessities delivered to you by tomorrow,” I casually mention as I head back to the door.

“You said you want to take down Xiao,” Lily mentions after she places Mei down on the bed and turns toward me. “Does the truth about me not being his wife change things?”

I frown, my brow furrowing. “No. It doesn’t change a single thing for me. Does it change things for you?”

“No,” she answers right away.

“Alright then. Glad we got that out of the way.”

The corner of her lips tugs up again, almost into another smile. She searches the room before spotting a notepad and pen on the desk in the corner. She writes their sizes down and includes a list of necessities. When she tears the note off and hands it to me, our fingers brush, causing a jolt of electricity to spark between us. She jumps back with a gasp.

I smile apologetically at her. “Sorry about that. I’ll be more careful.”

Lily simply nods and steps farther back, dropping her gaze to the floor.

“Good night, Lily.” I turn to walk out but then stop to add, “Oh, and one more thing. The door locks.”

Shutting the door behind me, I stand still, wait, and listen. Five seconds later, I hear the lock click softly, and it makes me smile.

6

Lily

I’ve always been the type of girl who carefully observes her surroundings, assessing every detail before making a decision. Those traits kept me alive through every minute of hell I endured over the past six years.

So then tell me why it only took one look into Raphael’s light hazel eyes for those virtues to go flying right out the window.

I know leaving with Raphael was the right thing to do, but I fear I may not have thought everything through as I usually would. It’s clear from his home and vehicles that he has money and power. He claims he wants to make Xiao pay for everything he’s done, but I know the dark world Xiao deals business in…does that mean Raphael does too? For all I know, I’m merely swapping one devil for another, someone with similar intentions to Xiao. And if that’s the case, then am I really any more free?

I lie down next to Mei, pulling her close to my chest before I curl around her small body. My body is tired, but my mind refuses to rest.

There was a time when falling asleep came easily and effortlessly to me. The significance of rest was deeply ingrained in us as doctors during residency. A vacant patient room, an old gurney abandoned in storage, or, embarrassingly, there was even that one time I dozed off on the toilet. Sleep was sleep. It didn’t matter where so long as I got a few much-needed hours of rest.

That all changed the first night I was abused by Dr. Rodriguez. Too afraid to sleep, I would remain awake all night, catching every creak and rustle, finally surrendering to sleep when sheer exhaustion overcame me.

When Mei was born, it only got worse. The fear of something terrible happening to her was overwhelming, leaving me feeling like a zombie, only sleeping when I was certain I was alone. As time went on, the fears lessened, but the persistent feeling of unease never truly disappeared. I lived in a constant state of worry, bracing myself for the next outburst or attack, until I grew numb and concentrated on my only source of happiness. Mei.

When I first discovered I was pregnant with Mei, I seriously considered throwing myself down a flight of stairs. And then one night I dreamed about a dark-haired, blue-eyed little girl running through the water at the beach at sunset. I could hear her laugh, see her smile, and feel the warmth of her sun-kissed skin.

Mei’s birth wasn’t easy by any means and was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done. In a bathtub with no drugs, I delivered my daughter all by myself. As soon as I held her tiny body, covered in blood and mucus, and heard her take her first cry, a wave of emotions washed over me: elation, love, hope, and guilt. How I could ever think of ending her life before she had the chance to live left me instantly feeling like the worst mother. I made a vow at that moment to always be there for her, to protect her, and to teach her.

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