One year, one love by Aurora Miller

Chapter 15

Doris clenched her fists so tightly that her nails bit into her palms, her teeth grinding as she endured the punishment meted out by Jimmy.

“Do you admit you were wrong? Are you going to pay the debt or not?” Jimmy bellowed, his voice shaking the walls.

Gritting her teeth, Doris said, “I did nothing wrong, and I won’t pay Rupert’s debt.”

Jimmy’s fury burned hotter, his temper flaring like a firestorm “Fine. Let’s just say I raised an ungrateful wretch. Today, I’ll beat the conscience back into you, or I’ll beat you to death.”

Seeing that Doris refused to hack down even under his blows, he swung the cane with renewed force, each strike harder than the last

Peyton, unable to bear the sight, threw herself between them, shielding Doris with her body. Jimmy, stop. You’ll kill her if you keep this up, she pleaded desperately.

“If she dies, I’ll go to prison. And if we can’t pay the money back, I’ll also go to jail. What’s the difference? Either way, I’m doomed. Now back off. Jimmy snarled, his voice laced with venom.

He shoved Peyton aside with a rough push, his rage unrelenting. Peyton clung to his leg in a final, desperate attempt to stop him. “Doris, run. Get out of here. Stop going against your father, she urged, her voice cracking with fear.

Tears welled in Doris’s eyes, glinting like broken glass. “Mom…

“Go. Now!” Peyton yelled, her tone both commanding and protective.

Doris hesitated for only a moment before scrambling to her feet and bolting out of the house.

Once she was gone, Jimmy, exhausted and drenched in sweat, threw the cane onto the floor and collapsed onto the sofa.

Peyton picked up the cane, placing it carefully back into place. “You went too far, Jimmy. What if you really hurt her badly?”

“We have to go all in and take the risk, Jimmy shot back, grabbing a glass of water and downing it in large gulps. “You stood up for her just now. Let’s see if that soft heart of hers comes around.

“Keep reminding her how much we’ve sacrificed. She has to repay that money. If she doesn’t, it’ll ruin us—and Rupert. So stop being so softhearted.”

“I… I understand,” Peyton murmured, though unease churned in her stomach like a stormy sea.

Doris hailed a cab to Greenlake Hill, her back stinging with the fire of fresh welts, the pain seeping into her very bones.

‘He really went all out today. If it weren’t for Mom stepping in, I might’ve been seriously injured. Did he really want to kill me? she wondered.

The thought coiled around her heart like thorny vines, squeezing until she could barely breathe. By the time she reached Lewis’s apartment building, she felt as if she were suffocating.

She collapsed onto a bench near the entrance, the streetlamp above casting a dim golden glow over her tear–streaked face.

The tears she had held back for so long finally spilled over, coursing down her cheeks in silent streams. She bit down on her hand, stifling her sobs, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

“What happened? A smooth, melodic voice broke through the stillness, startling her.

She looked up to see Lewis standing nearby, his face shadowed but unmistakably concerned, Ivan had given him a ride

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Chapter 15

home. Lewis had just gotten out of Ivan’s cat at the gate of the complex, walking through the neighborhood when he spotted her crying here

Doris lowered her head and quickly wiped her face with the back of her hand, her movements hurried and clumsy. “Why are you here?” she asked, her voice thick with emotion

Under the faint glow of the streetlight, her tear–streaked face, framed by loose strands of hair, was heartbreakingly delicate like a flower in a storm, fragile yet hauntingly beautiful.

Lewis’s gare lingered on her for a moment, his eyes filled with an emotion she couldn’t place. “Answer my question first,” he replied, his tone steady yet probing

Doris sniffles, forcing herself to sound steady. “I, I got something in my eye,” she lied, her voice hoarse and unconvincing.

“Is that so?” Lewis’s sharp gaze lingered on her pasty face and pale lips. Something felt off, though he couldn’t quite put his

finger on it.

“Why would I lie to you?” Doris mustered what little strength she had, straightening her back to feign composure. “Just go on upstairs. I’ll sit here for a while longer

Lewis hesitated for a beat before shrugging. “Suit yourself,” he said, pushing open the apartment building’s door and disappearing inside.

Upstairs. Lewis went about his routine–showering, changing into comfortable clothes, and settling in the living room book. Time ticked by, and when the clock struck ten, he glanced at the door. Doris still hadn’t come up.

with a

A faint crease formed between his brows. He figured she should’ve been up by now. Unable to shake the unease gnawing at him, he placed the book down, slipped on his shoes, and headed back downstairs.

What he found made him sigh, half in annoyance and half in disbelief. Doris was sprawled out on the bench, fast asleep.

“Unbelievable,” he muttered, shaking his head. “You’ve got some nerve. Falling asleep out here like it’s a five–star hotel

He approached her and leaned down, his voice low but firm. “Doris, if you want to sleep, do it at home.”

Her face, however, betrayed no peace. Her brows were knit tightly together, and beads of cold sweat dotted her forehead.

“No… don’t hit me. It hurts… she whimpered, her voice faint yet trembling with raw fear.

Lewis’s expression darkened. ‘She’s having a nightmare? And she’s dreaming of being hit?‘ he thought.

“Doris, wake up,” he said softly, placing a steady hand on her shoulder. When she didn’t respond, he shook her gently but firmly, his voice laced with urgency. “You’re dreaming. No one’s hitting you. Wake up.”

pained gasp escaped her lips as if his touch had caused her physical agony. Her eyelids fluttered, and slowly, she opened. her eyes, blinking. Her blurry vision focused on Lewis’s handsome face hovering close

wrong?” Lewis asked, his tone

but her eyes shut again before the words even fully left her

dream, Doris was no longer the Doris of now. She was the beloved daughter of a

treating her like the apple of their eye. She even had an older brother, one

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Chapter 15

she woke, all that remained was cold, gray thality. Her their fate hollow, as if the warmth of the dream had been ripped away, leaving only a

a

rays bright and unyielding. Dorn

awake.” Lewis’s voice came from nearby, calm but unmistakably relieved. He placed

her head to him, her voice raspy as she asked, “Why am I

remember anything “You were burning up with a fever. Do you have any idea how scary you looked? Like you were knocking on death’s door.”

her throat parched and raw.

gentle as he opened the thermos and poured the golden liquid into a

ab

the bowl, her fingers brushing the warmth of the ceramic, and sipped tentatively. The savory richness of the broth spread across her tongue, comforting yet complex.

remarked, her voice tinged with

smugly. I had a chef… 1 had a chef I know teach

was the work of his private gourmet

faint smile. “Once I’m better, I’ll find

waste a drop,” he instructed, his sharp gaze softening briefly as he nudged the

request leave for the day. But as she set the phone down, she noticed something

in the world. “Aren’t you going to

replied, glancing at the clock. It was already 8:20 am, and his nonchalance

the weight of his gaze,

the bush. “Where

the night before, he’d gleaned that someone had hit her. But he didn’t know

was.

head, her lashes casting long shadows over her cheeks. Sadness darkened her eyes, and her lips

about it?” Lewis’s sharp intuition picked up on her expression, his tone making it

said, her voice quiet but resolute. “But this is personal. It’s my business.”

layers of her pain to expose the raw, ugly truth to him. That misery part

a

Wed, 26 Feb

Chapter 15

was all

turned cold, his

Chapter 15

bit into her palms, her teeth grinding

to pay the debt or not?” Jimmy bellowed, his voice shaking

her teeth, Doris said, “I did nothing wrong, and I

temper flaring like a firestorm “Fine. Let’s just say I raised an ungrateful wretch. Today, I’ll

that Doris refused to hack down even under his blows, he swung the cane with renewed force,

to bear the sight, threw herself between them, shielding Doris with her body. Jimmy, stop. You’ll kill her if you keep

money back, I’ll also go to jail. What’s the difference? Either way, I’m doomed. Now back off. Jimmy snarled,

his leg in a final, desperate attempt to stop him. “Doris, run. Get out of here. Stop going against your father,

eyes, glinting like broken glass.

yelled, her tone

before scrambling to her feet and bolting out of the

and drenched in sweat, threw the cane onto the floor and collapsed

carefully back into place. “You went too

it in large gulps. “You stood up for her just now.

reminding her how much we’ve sacrificed. She has to repay that money. If she

unease churned in her stomach like a stormy sea.

cab to Greenlake Hill, her back stinging with the fire of

really went all out today. If it weren’t for Mom stepping in, I might’ve been

around her heart like thorny vines, squeezing until she could barely breathe. By the time she reached Lewis’s apartment building, she felt

near the entrance, the streetlamp above

so long finally spilled over, coursing down her cheeks in silent streams. She bit down on her hand, stifling

A smooth, melodic voice broke through the stillness, startling

to see Lewis standing nearby, his face shadowed but unmistakably

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Chapter 15

gotten out of Ivan’s cat at the gate of the complex, walking through the neighborhood when he spotted her

the back of her hand, her movements hurried and clumsy. “Why are you

of the streetlight, her tear–streaked face, framed by loose strands of hair, was heartbreakingly delicate like a flower in

on her for a moment, his eyes filled with an emotion she couldn’t place.

sound steady. “I, I got something in my eye,” she lied, her voice hoarse and unconvincing.

face and pale lips.

finger on it.

had, straightening her back to feign composure. “Just go on upstairs. I’ll sit here for a

before shrugging. “Suit yourself,” he said, pushing open

routine–showering, changing into comfortable clothes, and settling in the living room book. Time ticked by, and

with a

He figured she should’ve been up by now. Unable to shake the unease gnawing at him, he placed the book down,

sigh, half in annoyance and half in

muttered, shaking his head. “You’ve got some nerve. Falling asleep out here like