One year, one love by Aurora Miller

Chapter 15

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.”

fluttered, and slowly, she opened. her eyes, blinking. Her blurry vision

asked, his tone more serious now,

I’m fine.” Doris whispered weakly, but her eyes shut again before the words even fully left her

dream, Doris was no longer the Doris of now. She was

of their eye. She even had an older brother, one who doted on her and shielded her

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Wed, 26

Chapter 15

remained was cold, gray thality. Her their fate hollow, as if the warmth of the dream had been ripped

a

poured through the window, its rays bright and unyielding. Dorn squinted, raising

nearby, calm but unmistakably relieved. He placed

her head to him, her voice raspy as she asked,

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

throat parched and

the golden liquid into a bowl. Placing a spoon in the bowl, he handed it to Doris, his movements smooth and

ab

of the ceramic, and sipped tentatively. The savory richness of the broth

her voice tinged with genuine surprise.

is,” Lewis smirked, almost smugly. I had a chef… 1 had a chef I

hadn’t nearly let the truth slip–this was the work of his private gourmet

Doris said with a faint smile. “Once I’m better, I’ll find

instructed, his sharp gaze softening briefly as he nudged the bowl closer to her.

phone to call her boss and request leave for the day. But as

composed and unhurried, as though he had all the time in the world. “Aren’t you going to work?”

yet,” Lewis replied, glancing at the clock. It was already 8:20 am, and his nonchalance was almost unnerving

weight of his gaze, scrutinizing and

bush. “Where did those injuries

the night before, he’d gleaned that

was.

over her cheeks.

want to talk about it?” Lewis’s sharp intuition picked up on her expression, his tone making it clear he already understood her reluctance.

finally said, her voice quiet but resolute. “But this is

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

a

Wed, 26 Feb EXEREB

Chapter 15

was all she had

turned cold,

Chapter 15

bit into her palms, her teeth grinding as she

admit you were wrong? Are you going to pay the debt or not?” Jimmy bellowed, his voice

“I did nothing wrong, and I won’t

like a firestorm “Fine. Let’s just say I raised an ungrateful wretch. Today, I’ll beat the conscience back into you, or

to hack down even under his blows, he swung the cane with renewed force, each strike

between them, shielding Doris with her body. Jimmy, stop. You’ll kill

prison. And if we can’t pay the money back, I’ll also go to jail.

in a final, desperate attempt to stop him. “Doris, run. Get out of

welled in Doris’s eyes, glinting

Now!” Peyton yelled, her tone both commanding and

a moment before scrambling to her feet and

threw the cane onto the floor

the cane, placing it carefully back into place. “You went too far, Jimmy. What if you really hurt her

it in large gulps. “You stood up

how much we’ve sacrificed. She has to repay that money. If she doesn’t,

Peyton murmured, though unease churned in her stomach like a stormy

Hill, her back stinging with the fire of fresh welts, the pain seeping into her very

in, I might’ve been seriously injured. Did he

thorny vines, squeezing until she could barely breathe. By the time she reached Lewis’s apartment building, she felt as if she were

a bench near the entrance, the streetlamp above casting a dim golden glow

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

voice broke through

face shadowed but unmistakably

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Chapter 15

out of Ivan’s cat at the gate of the complex, walking through

her hand, her movements

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

emotion she couldn’t place. “Answer my question first,” he replied, his

something in my eye,” she

lingered on her pasty face and pale lips. Something felt off, though he couldn’t quite put his

finger on it.

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

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

room book. Time ticked by, and when the clock struck ten, he glanced at the door.

with a

He figured she should’ve been up by now. Unable to shake the

half in disbelief.

“You’ve got some nerve. Falling asleep out here like

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