The Billionaire Who Stole My Heart

Leila was in a state of utter panic, scrambling on her hands and knees, clinging desperately to Yuri's legs as tears and snot streamed down her face. "Yuri, please, don't do this. I swear I've learned my lesson. Don't send me to jail. I'll do anything, I'll leave Craneville. Please, just don't treat me like this." The thought of prison chilled her to the bone. What would become of her if she were locked up?

Yuri shook her off and strode away without a backward glance.

Realizing her pleas were futile, Leila's desperation turned to bitter laughter. "Yuri, you betrayed me first. You're the one to blame. You and your precious daughter, and Juliana too-they all deserve to rot!" After leaving Leila's villa, Yuri severed all ties with Leila's family.

In less than three days, Leila's family empire crumbled into bankruptcy. For years, they had leached off the prosperity of the Lynette family, and without Yuri's support, they were nothing but a house of cards caught in a gust of wind.

Members of Leila's family came begging, one after another, but Yuri wouldn't even grant them an audience. His focus was solely on the sterile white room of the hospital.

Brittany had been unconscious for a full week, with no sign of waking.

The police found her beaten with iron rods, and one blow to the back of her head was particularly severe. Despite undergoing several surgeries to alleviate the brain bleeding, the doctors couldn't predict when -or if she would wake up.

and even the household staff

base of a cliff, by a lake that had been thoroughly searched to no avail. "We've done all we can, Mr. Lynette," the lead detective said,

"Mr. Lynette, my condolences."

eyes in

police felt relieved and made a swift exit, signaling

heartbeat. Learning that the police had given up the search nearly drove him to vandalize the police station. Rain poured down on Craneville, pounding against the windows. In the hushed hospital room, the woman on the bed was hooked up to a labyrinth of tubes, while the heart monitor

struggling to break free but

lift. The sound of the rain intensified, accompanied by

countless locks and chains until, after the

she opened her eyes to a bright white ceiling

her stirring and

battery of tests, Yuri sat by Brittany's bedside, holding her hand.