Lettin Go

Paul's mother sat frozen on the velvet couch, her fingers gripping the edge of her silk dress as the television played the breaking news. The words echoed in her ears.

"Paul Kingston announces his engagement to Jane."

Her lips parted in disbelief. This had to be a misunderstanding—just like before, when he had been caught between that girl and Nick. But now? How had the girl agreed to this?

She turned to her husband, her voice sharp with concern. "Did you hear that? Paul is saying he's marrying her!"

Her husband's face darkened with fury. He snatched the remote from the table and slammed it down with a force that rattled the glass surface.

"This girl has some nerve!" he bellowed, his chest rising and falling with each ragged breath. "How dare she try to marry into my home? A woman with no background, no status! A filthy—"

The front door creaked open before he could finish.

Paul stepped inside, his sharp gaze cutting through the tension like a blade. He barely spared them a glance as he shrugged off his suit jacket, rolling the sleeves of his crisp white shirt. The cold indifference in his eyes sent a shiver down his mother's spine.

His father wasted no time. He stomped toward him, his voice laced with fury. "What the hell is going on, Paul?"

Paul raised a brow, unbothered. "What are you talking about?"

His mother shot up from her seat. "Don't act clueless!" she snapped. "The whole country just watched you announce your engagement to that… that girl! How could you make such a decision without discussing it with us?"

His father sneered, stepping closer. "Who is she to you? A nobody! A divorced woman with no status, no family name. Just a—"

Paul's head snapped up, his gaze locking onto his father with a deadly glint. His lips curled into a smirk, but there was no humor behind it.

"It's true," he said, voice cool and deliberate. "I'm going to marry her."

A tense silence filled the room, thick and suffocating. Then—

The sharp crack of his father's palm against his cheek echoed through the mansion.

Paul didn't flinch. His head had snapped to the side from the force of the blow, but slowly, deliberately, he turned back, his jaw tightening. A flicker of something dark danced in his eyes—something dangerous.

His father's face twisted with rage. "Have you lost your damn mind? Do you even know anything about this woman? What sick game are you playing?"

Paul exhaled sharply through his nose, his patience snapping like a thread.

"I don't need your permission," he bit out, his voice eerily calm.

His father's fury boiled over. "You ungrateful brat! I will never allow this—"

Before he could raise his hand again, Paul caught his wrist mid-air, his grip like iron. Then, with one brutal shove, he sent his father staggering backward. The older man crashed onto the floor, a choked gasp escaping his lips as he clutched his arm.

Paul loomed over him, his entire body tense with restrained violence. His mother stood frozen, her breath caught in her throat.

A slow, menacing smile spread across Paul's face.

"You're in no position to meddle in my life," he said, his voice quiet but laced with venom. "I love her. And I will marry her." He crouched slightly, leveling his father with a chilling stare. "If you even think about stopping me… I can't promise what will happen."

His father's lips parted, but no words came out. For the first time in his life, he saw it—the monster lurking beneath his son's charming façade. That familiar arrogance had always been there, but this… this was something else. Something unhinged.

A sinister madness burned behind Paul's cold gaze, a warning more terrifying than any threat he could have spoken.

His father swallowed hard, the fight draining from his eyes.

Paul smirked. That's right. Stay quiet. Stay out of my way.

Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked away, his footsteps echoing in the heavy silence.

His mother finally released the breath she'd been holding, her heart hammering against her ribs. She looked down at her husband, who was still sitting on the floor, staring at the space where Paul had stood.

For the first time, they both saw another side of Paul which is cold and ruthless. 

...

"Jane… why did you do that?"

Maria's voice was sharp with disbelief as she stood in the middle of the living room, arms crossed, her brows furrowed in frustration.

Jane blinked, as if Maria's words had just pulled her back to reality. Without answering, she sank onto the sofa, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle over her.

Maria sighed, walking over to the table and pouring a glass of water. She pressed it into Jane's trembling hands. "Drink."

Jane obeyed, gulping it down as though it might wash away the storm inside her.

"I don't know," she finally whispered, setting the empty glass down.

Maria sat beside her, watching her closely. "Jane, I understand you're confused, but this… this is wrong."

Jane said nothing. Her fingers tightened around the hem of her dress.

Maria's voice dropped to a pleading tone. "Paul is not a good guy. He kidnapped you. He kept you against your will. And because of him—Nick left you. This is all his fault." She shook her head. "How could you give in to him?"

Jane swallowed the lump in her throat. "Maria… I didn't mean to."

Maria's lips parted, waiting for her to explain.

Jane took a deep breath, her voice unsteady. "The reporters… they kept provoking me. And then I saw Nick's face." She let out a bitter laugh. "He looked so arrogant, so sure that I would break and beg him to choose me."

Maria frowned. "Jane…"

Jane clenched her fists. "I know Paul is at fault for everything. But for the past month, he's been trying to atone for his mistakes." She lifted her gaze, her eyes filled with pain. "But what did Nick do?"

Silence.

Jane's voice turned cold. "Nothing." She exhaled sharply. "He didn't care when I was gone. He didn't look for me. When I finally came back, he didn't even ask me how I was. He moved on—like he was just waiting for me to disappear."

Maria reached for her hand, but Jane pulled away.

"Do you know what kept me alive when I was trapped? The thought that Nick would be going insane, turning the world upside down to find me." A bitter smile tugged at her lips. "But he didn't."

Maria sighed, squeezing Jane's shoulder. "I get it, Jane. I do. And you're right… But what now?"

Jane looked down.

Maria hesitated before asking the question that hung in the air. "Are you really going to marry Paul?"

Jane froze.

She didn't answer. Because she didn't know. She had forgiven Paul for what he did to her, but marrying him? That was something she could never imagine.

She stood abruptly. "I'll speak to him later," she muttered, heading to her room.

Maria watched her disappear, a deep worry settling in her chest.