"Lukas, my brother's gone. I can't reach him. Please help me find him! He's the only family I have left! What am I supposed to do?" Kayla cried hysterically, clinging tightly to Lukas.
But behind her sobs, she was smiling with twisted joy. Her brother's disappearance would become her perfect excuse to manipulate Lukas. Once his guard was down, she'd kill Sandra—no matter what it took. And after that, she'd finish off Lukas too.
Meanwhile, Lukas was deep in thought. Was it possible Kayla really didn't know? Had Arhan acted on his own? Lukas needed to dig deeper into this.
"Lukas, please help me find my brother! I can't live without him! I'd rather die!" Kayla screamed, pulling at her hair and hitting herself in a frenzy until Lukas grabbed her wrists to stop her.
"Kayla, don't do this!" Lukas embraced her, feeling a pang of guilt. If she knew her brother was truly gone, it would break her completely.
"You know Arhan is all I have! He can't just disappear! There's no reason left for me to live!"
"Please, calm down."
"I'm sorry for coming here like this after we broke up. But I have no one!"
"I understand," Lukas said quietly, releasing her from the hug. "Report him missing to the police first. Tell them when you last saw him. Let them handle it. But if he never comes back… I hope you can accept it with strength."
"Lukas, can I stay here until he's found?"
"I'm sorry for what you're going through. But please respect Sandra."
"So quickly you've fallen for her?"
"The heart is mysterious, Kayla. I never thought I'd love her. But now, I can't imagine being with anyone else."
Kayla clenched her fists in fury. She thought playing weak would fool him. But no—Lukas was already blind with love for that woman.
"We used to love each other, Lukas. How can you not care at all now? What about your promise to always protect me? You said you'd love me like a sister!"
"But I…"
"I'll stay in the back room. I'm falling apart and can't be alone. At least here, I'll have you and Sandra nearby."
Lukas massaged his temples and let out a heavy sigh. If Kayla really had no part in this, he did pity her. She must be devastated by Arhan's sudden disappearance.
"One week. No more," Lukas finally gave in.
"Thank you," Kayla said, hugging him again with a wicked smile. Finally, Lukas had caved. She'd make her move tonight.
*****
"Kayla wasn't involved in her brother's crime. She's been looking for Arhan like a madwoman," Lukas explained hesitantly. "She'll only be staying for a week to calm down."
Sandra didn't reply. She hugged a pillow and munched on her chips in silence.
"You said you wanted to go out, right? Let's go!"
"No need. You've got a meeting. Just go."
"You're angry?"
"If you already know the answer, don't ask. You know very well there's only one thing that could fix my mood."
"San, I'll ask her to leave after this week. Please don't be mad. I have a reason for this."
"I'm sick of you, Lukas. All your sweet words mean nothing! What reason are you talking about? Bullshit!"
"San…"
"Go! Don't come into this room. Don't even show your face to me!"
"What are you thinking? That I like her? That's why I let her stay? I'm not some indecisive guy!"
"I don't care what your reasons are. Sympathy? Pity? I don't care! You never understand women's feelings! Ask any wife in the world—what woman would accept her husband letting his ex stay under the same roof?" Sandra screamed, gasping for breath.
"I'm sorry, love. I know I was wrong. But I—"
"Don't call me love! Don't you understand? I've told you before! You never listen to a single word!"
"Okay, okay, I was wrong," Lukas finally said, giving up. The more he explained, the angrier Sandra got. He truly did have a reason, but she wouldn't hear it now.
"Your phone keeps ringing—your dad's calling. Just go to the office! I'm sick of your face!"
"Give me a kiss before I leave. I won't be at peace otherwise."
Sandra dragged him out of the room and slammed the door shut. Then she locked it from the inside.
She flopped back onto the bed, gently caressing her belly. Yelling was exhausting.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. Mommy made things rough for you today. Stay healthy, okay?" she whispered to her baby.
When she heard the door unlock with the spare key, she sighed in frustration. It had to be Lukas again. Just when she'd found a moment of peace, he had to ruin it.
But when the door opened, it wasn't her husband.
"What do you want, Kayla?" Sandra stood up from the bed, arms crossed.
"So arrogant! No wonder—you're not the real Sandra!" Kayla stormed over and grabbed Sandra's arm tightly.
With swift movements, she sprayed a chemical directly into Sandra's face. In seconds, Sandra felt dizzy—still conscious, but weak and disoriented.
"What are you doing, you witch!" Sandra snapped, swaying on her feet.
"Know why I chose this kind of sedative?" Kayla hissed, dragging her. "Because I want you to see your death coming. I want you aware, but helpless."
As Kayla dragged her across the floor, Sandra secretly dialed Lukas. She tried to talk loudly enough to give him clues.
"You and your brother are both trash," Sandra said loudly, hoping Lukas would pick up on it.
"Glad you realized. That was our goal—to kill you both. You think I dated Lukas out of love? Please! I just wanted to destroy him. What ex becomes friends, family, or lovers again? He's the fool, not me!"
Kayla yanked Sandra by the hair.
"I was supposed to marry him, take back control of my family's wealth, and kick him and his parents out of the company! But then you showed up and ruined everything!"
"I won't let you win," Sandra whispered, still trying to resist.
"And what can you do in this state? Soon, I'll take you back to your real body's grave and return the weak, original Sandra."
Kayla shoved her into the car, locking her in the back seat. Sandra lay there, barely able to move. With the last of her strength, she pulled out her phone and checked that her call with Lukas was still connected.
"Lukas…" she whispered faintly.
"Stay calm. I'm on my way to the grave now. Don't panic. Keep the line open and hide your phone," Lukas replied on the other end.
Sandra did as he said, hiding the phone under her belly and trying to stay calm. She prayed Lukas would arrive in time. She didn't want to die. She wanted to see her child born. She wanted a happy ending with Lukas.