Chapter 138
His hesitation was evident. I could see the internal battle raging inside him. His eyes flicked to Carlos and his men, then back to me.
He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Carlos stepped forward, his cold eyes
trained on Merhold.
“Merhold,” Carlos said in his commanding voice, “I’ve brought elite troops with me. You won’t be able to resist for long. This isn’t a negotiation anymore.”
Merhold’s gaze softened for a moment, and I could see the sadness in his eyes. He didn’t
want this fight. He didn’t want to lose.
But he didn’t stop me.
I could hear the sound of warriors standing at the ready, waiting for any sign of action. The atmosphere was a powder keg, ready to explode.
I was standing between both sides now, the bridge, the reason they were even here.
“Merhold,” I said gently, stepping closer to him. “Don’t resist. Let me go. Let me leave in
peace.”
He looked down at me, his face a mixture of sorrow and reluctance. The anger he had once
shown was now gone, replaced with something else.
It was something far more painful. Slowly, almost as if it hurt him to do it, he gave a small
nod.
“You don’t deserve to be trapped here,” Merhold said, “I wanted to protect you….I did not want anyone to bully you, but I see now that I’ve only made things worse.”
He looked down at his feet. “I brought you here because I thought it would make you happy. But… it wasn’t my place.”
ve For Secret Research: Second Chance at Happiness
stepped forward, wrapping my arms around him in a quick, tight hug. I could feel his heartbeat against mine, slow and steady, but heavy with unspoken regret.
“I’ll be okay,” I whispered. “I’ll always be okay. And if you ever need to talk… you can come to my house. I’ll welcome you.
Merhold stiffened for a second, then, as if letting go of a burden, he slowly returned the hug, his hands gentle on my back. “Thank you,” he murmured. “I’ll remember that.”
When I pulled away, I saw the faintest smile on his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes. There was a sadness there, deep and unshakable.
As I turned to leave, I hesitated, glancing back at him one last time. But before I could say anything more or ask about Sienna, Merhold’s men approached him.
They started speaking in hushed tones. One of them seemed anxious, like he had something important to report.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, noticing the change in the air. Merhold’s expression darkened as he listened to the report.
His brow furrowed, and his eyes narrowed with growing concern. “What do you mean, she escaped?”
I froze, my heart skipping a beat. Sienna. Had she really escaped?
“She took advantage of the chaos,” Merhold’s man explained. “She managed to get onto a big, strange–shaped boat. We couldn’t catch up with her in time.”
Carlos moved quickly toward Merhold. His face was serious, “Show me a picture of her Now,” he demanded.
The man pulled out a tablet and handed it to Carlos, who studied the image with a focused intensity.
There was no trace of humor or warmth in his expression now, only the cold determination I had come to associate with him when things were serious.
“Gaving Up My First Love For Secret Research: Second Chance at Happiness
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Doris,” Carlos said, his voice low, “we need to talk to Merhold. There’s no time to waste.”
Merhold looked up at Carlos, his eyes filled with regret. “She’s gone,” he said. “I can’t stop
her now.”
Carlos nodded grimly. “We’ll handle it. You stay here.” He turned to me. “Doris, I’ll make Sure she doesn’t get away with this.”
I nodded, realizing how serious the situation was. As much as I wanted to leave this island and put everything behind me, there was still more to face. More people to protect, more
secrets to uncover.
With a final glance at Merhold, I turned and walked toward the helicopter, ready to leave. I
was the first one to get on it.
As the plane took off, I felt relieved to finally have my freedom after being trapped for so long. I was finally heading back to Cyrus.
But before I could truly relax, I pulled my phone from my bag and made my first video call to him. He was the first one who came to my mind, and I needed to see his face.
As the up and the call connected, Cyrus’s smiling face appeared. His joy lit up the
SCcreen.
moment. ‘Mom! Mom!‘ he exclaimed, his voice full of excitement. ‘You’re coming home
soon, right?
I felt a lump in my throat. My emotions were threatening to overflow. “Yes, baby,” I said softly. “I’ll be home soon. I missed you so much. I love you!”
