A Hurt So Sweet Volume Four - Isabella Starling Page 0,58

you."

"Shut the fuck up." I'm calm, but she's one insult away from me killing her with my bare hands. "Reign was never yours."

"His name," Lily Anna hisses. "Is Dexter Junior!"

With a wild scream, she thrashes against Emilian so suddenly, it startles him. The old fool lets go of her and she takes off running. But it's not going to work. Not this fucking time.

I'm fast behind her, knocking her to the ground. I grab her by the hair and she's forced to stop resisting as I drag her to the edge of the cliffs and make her look down.

"See that? You were supposed to die there," I tell her. "You should have died there. And now you will. Jump, Lily Anna. Reign's mine. Dexter's mine. I fucking win. It's over."

She screams as I get up, and Emilian reaches us, helping her get up.

I watch him with disgust as the helicopter comes up again. My heart skips a beat. I can't leave Lily Anna now - I'm afraid Emilian will do something stupid like let her go.

We all watch the helicopter land. I see Dexter, and he's holding something in his hands. A blanket, perhaps the same one that was in the canu... I feel so scared, so afraid of hoping it's him. I know this is it. I know there will be no other chance.

"Pandora!" Dex yells out from the helicopter. "Pandora!"

I run towards them, covering my ears as the helicopter touches ground. The wind hits my skin with its gusts and I duck down, waiting for the propeller to turn off. Dex is running to me now, still clutching the blanket.

Except it's not a blanket.

It's a small boy of six years old, a boy who was born to reign over Eden Falls.

I collapse to my knees just as they reach me. The boy is crying softly, and Dex lowers the blanket to show me his face. My heart stops again. I look at Dexter, and he smiles, slowly but surely.

It's our son.

"Take him to the house," I tell Dexter. "Have them take Lily Anna."

He nods, kissing me on the lips before putting the boy down. Lily Anna sees our reunion, and can't keep her dirty mouth shut.

"Now you know, Dexter," she says viciously. "You only have to take one look at him to know. He's not your-"

"Shut up." Dexter's voice drips with venom. He puts the boy's hand in mine. I shield the child against my body, muttering soft nothing as Dex approaches his former fianc茅e and lets her know what he really thinks of her. "You're a killer. You killed my parents. You killed Lai. And I hope you kill yourself, too."

She whimpers at the cruel sound of his words, but he turns around, gently taking Reign's hand and smiling to reassure me. The boy doesn't look over his shoulder. He gives me an uncertain smile as Dexter wipes a tear away from his cheek and leads him away from the chaos.

I'm so emotional I'm afraid I won't be able to have my final revenge, but I've been waiting too long for this to give up now.

"Father!" I call out. "Come here."

He glances between Lily Anna and me just as a red dot appears on Lily Anna's face.

"Don't go," she begs him. "Don't go, Daddy..."

But Father isn't that dumb. He pulls back, knowing they have a gun on her and could shoot her any second. Fucking coward.

He comes to stand behind me and I face Lily Anna triumphantly as she stumbles back, realizing there are now several red dots following her every move.

"Pandora!" she cries out. "Tell them to stop... No! Don't hurt me!"

"Fuck you," I spit out. "Remember what I told you. It's over. It's my game. Checkmate, bitch."

Her bottom lip wobbles and she stomps her foot. A brat to the very end. She glances between the men in uniform running up now, and the cliff. She goes closer to the edge.

"Lily Anna, no!" Emilian cries out.

She takes a look at her father. Then at the cliffs. She knows this is her choice now - either she lives with Emilian, her living nightmare, or she dies by her own hand.

She stares into my eyes. Then she lets herself fall.

I smile in tune to Father's screams of despair.

I don't wait to see what happens next. I turn on my heel and walk back to where my husband and son are waiting. My hand hovers over my belly, and I smile to myself.

22

Pandora

My heart has never felt so full.