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.”

had caused her physical agony. Her eyelids fluttered, and slowly, she opened. her eyes, blinking. Her blurry

wrong?” Lewis asked, his

before the words even fully

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

eye. She even had an older brother, one who doted on

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26

Chapter 15

fleeting illusions. When she woke, all that remained was cold, gray thality. Her their fate hollow, as if the

a

and unyielding. Dorn squinted, raising

came from nearby, calm but unmistakably relieved. He placed a thermon on the bedude cable standing

as she

anything “You were burning up with a fever. Do you have any idea how scary you looked? Like you were

her throat parched and raw.

brought you chicken broth. Have some,” Lewis said, his tone firm yet oddly gentle as he opened the thermos and poured the golden liquid into a bowl. Placing a spoon in the bowl, he handed

ab

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

her

Lewis smirked, almost smugly. I had a chef… 1 had a chef I know teach me how to make it. I cooked

if he hadn’t nearly let the truth slip–this was the work of his private gourmet chef, someone whose culinary skills rivaled that of a five–star

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

his sharp gaze softening briefly as he nudged the

and request leave for the day. But as she set

the world. “Aren’t you going

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

his gaze, scrutinizing

beat around the bush. “Where did

that someone had hit

was.

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

Lewis’s sharp intuition picked up on her expression,

for me, Doris finally said, her voice

the raw, ugly truth to him.

a

Wed, 26 Feb

Chapter 15

to see. It was all she had left of

cold, his eyes

Chapter 15

fists so tightly that her nails bit into her palms,

pay the debt or not?”

did nothing wrong, and I won’t pay Rupert’s

raised an ungrateful wretch. Today, I’ll beat the conscience back into you, or

he swung the cane with

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

the money back, I’ll also go to jail. What’s

rough push, his rage unrelenting. Peyton clung to his leg in a final, desperate attempt to stop him. “Doris, run. Get

eyes, glinting like broken glass.

Peyton yelled, her tone

before scrambling to her feet

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

it carefully back into place. “You went

water and downing it in large gulps. “You stood up for her just

to repay that money. If she doesn’t, it’ll ruin us—and Rupert. So stop being

unease churned in her stomach like

stinging with the

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

she could barely breathe. By the time she reached Lewis’s apartment building, she

onto a bench near the entrance, the streetlamp above casting

had held back for so long finally spilled over, coursing down her cheeks in silent

voice broke through

standing nearby, his face shadowed but unmistakably concerned, Ivan had given him a

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Chapter 15

Ivan’s cat at the gate of the complex, walking through the neighborhood when he

back of her hand, her movements hurried and clumsy. “Why are you here?”

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

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

something in my

and pale lips. Something felt off, though he couldn’t

finger on it.

what little strength she had, straightening her back to

yourself,” he said,

Time ticked by, and when the clock struck ten, he glanced at the door. Doris still hadn’t

with a

by now. Unable to shake the unease

in annoyance and half in disbelief. Doris was sprawled out on the bench,

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

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