Chapter 066

Aiden As I gazed at my mom and Sandra, my eyes darted back and forth, my mind racing with turbulent thoughts. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of emotions, unable to escape the crushing weight of guilt, anger, and regret. I looked at Sandra again, and this time, I saw her in a different light. I saw a woman who was desperate for love, who felt neglected and abandoned. I saw a woman who had been driven to madness by her own desires. A lamb of guilt hit my chest, and I felt my heart constrict with pain. I couldn't believe what I had done. I had slept with my own sister, my own flesh and blood. The thought made me feel sick to my stomach. I felt angry and stupid, angry at myself for my own actions, angry at Sandra for deceiving me. But as I looked at her, I saw the pain in her eyes, the pain of being rejected, of being unloved. I realized that Sandra had needed love, had craved it, and I had rejected her. I had pushed her away, and she had reacted in the only way she knew how. I felt a wave of regret wash over me, regret for my actions, regret for not seeing the pain in Sandra's eyes sooner. I wanted to go to her, to apologize, to make things right. But a voice in my head kept whispering, "You never knew who she was, so stop blaming yourself." I wanted to believe that voice, to absolve myself of guilt. However, I couldn't shake off the feeling of regret. Sandra had known I was her stepbrother, and yet she had still pursued me. I didn't know if her actions were justified or not. As I looked at my mom, I felt a mix of emotions. I was angry at her for trying to kill Sandra, for being willing to pull the trigger without a second thought. I was disappointed in her for not acknowledging Sandra as her own daughter. She had always mourned the loss of my sister Diane, but now she had a chance to make things right with Sandra, and she was blowing it. For the first time, I looked at my mom with eyes that were far from loving. I saw a woman who was controlled by her emotions, a woman who was willing to hurt others to get what she wanted. I felt a pang of sadness, sadness that our relationship had come to this. I didn't know if things could ever go back to the way they were before. All I wanted was my life back – my trouble-free life as a CEO, where I only cared about myself and my business. But that seemed like a distant memory now. The charade started because of my dad and his desire for an heir. It was all because of emotions, and now, here I was, entangled in a web of deceit and family drama. His cold attitude towards me and threats made me propose a contract to Hailey in the first place, but I couldn't blame him for failing for her, my heart is to blame for that. My thoughts drifted to Hailey, who had gone into the grandmaster's chambers with her supposed dad. I deeply hoped she would come out with Alvaro safe and unharmed. Sandra's cold voice interrupted my thoughts. "Listen, you two. We could sit here and get sober because this family reunion is getting really boring for me, or we could try to figure a way out of this." I stared at her in awe, but her gaze was fixed on my mom, who sat there shedding tears and mumbling 'I'm sorry' under her breath. It was clear that the weight of her actions had finally dawned on her. "What do you mean?" I asked, curiosity taking over me, still bound to the chair. Sandra's eyes locked onto mine. "I've worked with the grandmaster too much, and I know that Hailey going in there with him isn't going to end well. The Hailey who comes out of those doors won't be the Hailey you know. We need to start thinking of a way to work together, just this once, so we can all get out of here in one piece." I raised an eyebrow. "Are you calling for an alliance?" Sandra's voice was laced with irritation. "Yes, Aiden, a truce. Until we get out of here." I studied her for a moment before asking, "Sandra, what happens when we leave here safely?" Her gaze pierced through my soul, and for a moment, I thought I saw a glimmer of tears in her eyes. "How about we get out of here first, Aiden?" she replied, her voice shaky. A voice echoed in my head, "She still loves you." I shook the thought off, reminding myself that Sandra was my sister. But the voice persisted, "It's not like Hailey still wants anything to do with you anyway." I quickly silenced the voice, but not before I blurted out, "She's my sister! Dummy!" Sandra's eyes narrowed. "Did you just call me dummy?" I flinched, realizing I had said it out loud. "No, not at all," I replied hastily. Sandra's expression softened, and she took down the guard with us in a swift motion, knocking him out and strapping him off his gun. Sandra approached us, her eyes flashing with a mix of emotions as she loosened the ropes binding me and my mom to the chair. She handed me a gun, her voice laced with a warning. "Take this. Make sure you shoot the first person who pulls the trigger, even if it's your darling Hailey." I detected a hint of jealousy, disgust, anger, and hatred in her tone, and I felt a pang of guilt. "Hailey isn't like you, Sandra," I defended, trying to reassure her. But Sandra's expression remained skeptical. She paused, her eyes narrowing as she filled her gun with more bullets. "We'll see about that, Aiden," she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. I sensed a deep-seated pain behind her words, a pain that seemed to fuel her anger. I pleaded with her, "At least let me be the one to talk to her first when she comes out." Sandra's response was laced with venom. "Suit yourself, lover boy," she spat, her voice betraying the love I had seen in her eyes just moments before. Minutes later, Hailey emerged from the grandmaster's chambers, a gun in one hand and Alvaro in the other. The thought of Alvaro being safe in his mother's arms made me heave a deep sigh of relief. Her dad walked beside her, a triumphant smile spreading across his face. My mom hid behind me, the only one without a weapon. I called out to Hailey in a low tone, trying to reason with her. "Hailey?" But she seemed distant, her eyes glazed over as if she was under some sort of mind control. It was clear that her dad had fed her lies, manipulating her mind to turn her against us. "Hailey, what has he done to you?" I asked, my voice laced with worry. Hailey's eyes flashed with pain and anger. "I should be asking you that, Aiden. Especially after unlocking new family secrets. What have you done to me, Aiden?" I felt a knot form in my stomach as I realized where this was going. "What do you mean?" I asked, trying to stall. Hailey's voice dripped with venom. "You know exactly what I mean, Aiden. Fucking your sister?" I felt a wave of shame wash over me, and I could sense Sandra's eyes rolling behind me. "I swear I didn't know about that until today," I tried to defend myself, but Hailey's expression remained unforgiving. Just as Hailey was about to respond, a hand pushed me backward, and the sound of a gunshot echoed through the air. The fire was so close that I felt it right behind my ears. I held my ears in agony, wondering if the guard behind us had woken up. Slowly, I opened my eyes to find Sandra lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood, gasping for air. My heart sank as I rushed towards her, tears streaming down my face. She had just saved my life. I turned to face the direction where the gunshot came from, and my eyes locked onto my dad, standing there with fury in his eyes and a gun in his hands. My gaze drifted back to Sandra, and I felt a wave of grief wash over me. Why had she sacrificed herself for me?