Buried Love Series Ashes of Regret (Sophia and Ryan)
Regret 5

BOOK1 Chapter5

After Michael and the maids left, Linda directed her men to take me to the backyard. "Dig a hole. Bury her."

As the men prepared to obey, one of them spoke. This woman... she's pregnant."

Linda's head snapped up. "What? Impossible!"

The man nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I'm sure of it. She's about three months along. It's a boy."

A flash of hatred crossed Linda's face, quickly replaced by a cruel smile. "Pregnant or not, she's still dead. Might as well do a thorough job. Cut the **d out and bury it with her." Memories flooded back, memories I had almost forgotten in the haze of pain and terror.

In the basement, the ten men Ryan had hired were supposed to just rough me up, not kill me. But Linda, when Ryan wasn't around, had slipped them a hefty bribe and ordered them to make sure I didn't survive. They had stomped on my stomach, relishing my screams. They had tightened a belt around my neck until I stopped breathing.

I glared at Linda, standing there in her pristine white dress, looking like an angel. But underneath that innocent facade lurked a monster. If I could become a vengeful spirit, I would make her pay for every agonizing moment. "Sophia! Get the hell out here!"

Two hours had passed since Ryan's ultimatum. I still hadn't appeared in the living room to beg forgiveness. He was furious. He stormed down to the basement, but I was gone. He searched the house, but I was nowhere to be found. Boy Chpes

Finally, he reached the backyard, spotting Linda's figure in the distance. What was she doing out here at this hour? Suspicion gnawed at him. He approached cautiously. "Linda, what are you doing?"

Linda turned, holding a bag of fruit. She had been picking apples from the tree. "Ryan! I just found these. They're so delicious! I picked some for you. Try one!" Ryan's suspicion evaporated. He took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "It's cold out here. Let's go inside."

Linda nodded obediently. As they turned to leave, she glanced back with a smug smile. Hidden in the shadows, her hired men were still busy digging, burying me deep within the earth. If Ryan had just turned around, if he had just looked, he would have seen everything. But he didn't.

"That manipulative b**h! Where the hell could she have gone? Get Michael!"

Linda's eyes darted around nervously. She quickly intercepted the maid before she could call for Michael. "Ryan, honey, don't worry. She's probably just sulking after being locked up for so long. Remember, her brother, Ethan, is a big shot. She's probably used to getting her way."

Her words only fueled Ryan's anger towards me. She couldn't risk having Michael involved. He would know the truth.

Linda continued to soothe him. "She's still a woman, Ryan. Let's go talk to her, be the bigger people. Maybe we can reason with her."

Ryan scoffed. "You're too kind, Linda. That vicious woman doesn't deserve our compassion. If she doesn't want to apologize, then let her rot!"

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