We need to catch George alive
The moment Ronan spoke, Austin’s grip on the phone tightened. His heart raced, and a sinking feeling settled in his chest. He didn’t want to believe what he was hearing, but deep down, he knew it was true.
“George and your mother are sitting in a coffee shop,” Ronan said.
Austin’s breath hitched. A part of him had seen this coming, but hearing it out loud was like a punch to the gut. No amount of mental preparation could soften the blow. His mother, his own mother, was meeting George, the man behind so much pain and chaos.
“Can you record and share the video with me?” Austin asked, forcing his voice to stay calm. He couldn’t let his emotions take over, not yet.
“I’ll try to get close enough to capture their voices,” Ronan replied. Then, his tone turned serious. “Austin, we need to catch George alive. If we don’t, more people will suffer because of him.”
“The one I’ll be confronting isn’t George,” Austin said coldly before ending the call.
His mind was spinning. Only Ma can answer my questions now, he thought bitterly. But the answers he was dreading might destroy him. What if his mother had planned Paulina’s assault? What if she had planted the idea of Dora’s infidelity in his mind? What if the child Dora lost had actually been his? The weight of those possibilities crushed him. How could he face Dora after all this?
Austin took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He had always been a man who valued control and order. But when it came to Dora, his emotions had always been a mess. He had doubted her, hurt her, and now he might have to live with the consequences of his mistakes.
He glanced at his phone, knowing he had to act fast. Tonight, he would confront his mother. He couldn’t let innocent lives be hurt anymore. But first, he needed to make sure Dora was safe. He knew she would go to Sienna’s place to plan her escape, and for once, he was glad. It gave him the space to face his mother without worrying about Dora.
Citing personal reasons, Austin left the office and headed straight for Lifeline Hospital. When he arrived, he wasn’t surprised to find his mother missing. Ronan had already told him that Ruby had left the café after ten minutes, but not before handing over a heavy package, likely money.
Austin’s gaze fell on Paulina, lying in her hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. His heart ached for her. She had suffered so much, and it wasn’t even her fault. She was just collateral damage in someone else’s twisted game.
“Paulina,” he called softly, but she didn’t respond. He walked closer and tried again. “Paulina, it’s me.”
She blinked, startled out of her thoughts. “Austin? When did you get here?”
“Just now,” he said, his voice gentle. “Where’s Ma? I thought she’d be with you.”
As if on cue, the door to the ward opened, and Ruby walked in, her face lit up with a smile. But the moment she saw Austin, her smile vanished. She froze, clearly caught off guard.
“Austin, I wasn’t expecting you,” she said, her voice tinged with nervousness.
“Where were you?” Austin asked bluntly, his tone cold and emotionless.
Ruby glanced at Paulina, then quickly looked away. “I… I went home. Noah is coming back, so I had to prepare…”
“When did you leave?” Austin interrupted, his voice sharp. “And why did you leave Paulina alone?”
Ruby hesitated, her hands fidgeting with her bag. “Austin, what’s going on? Why are you interrogating me like this?”
Austin took a step closer, his eyes locked on hers. “Why don’t you just answer the question, Ma? Are you hiding something?”
A bead of sweat formed on Ruby’s temple. “No, of course not. I left two hours ago. I went straight home.”
“Did you?” Austin pressed, his voice low and dangerous. “Or did you stop somewhere along the way?”
Ruby’s eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape. “I… I went to the jeweler. I had some pieces that needed polishing.”
Austin’s lips curled into a humorless smile. “Funny. Because I saw you meeting a man at the café near the hospital. Would you like to see the proof?”
Ruby’s face paled. “Austin, I can explain…”
“But my question is,” Austin cut her off, his voice rising, “why did you lie to me just now?”
Ruby stumbled back, her composure crumbling. “I… I didn’t lie. I just… I didn’t want to worry you.”
Austin’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I came here to share some good news, Ma. But instead, I find you stuttering over simple questions.”
“Good news?” Ruby asked, her voice shaky.
“Yes,” Austin said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “You’ve always wanted me to marry Paulina, right? Well, I’ve decided to do it.”
Ruby’s face went white. “R-really?”
“Of course,” Austin said, his voice cold. “After all the effort you put into making it happen, how could I not fall for it? Again?”
Paulina finally found her voice. “Austin, this isn’t funny. What are you talking about?”
Austin turned to her, his expression was cold. “What’s wrong with that? Isn’t this what you both wanted? For me to marry you, Paulina? Isn’t that why all of this happened?”
Both women stared at him, stunned.
“Isn’t it, Ma?” Austin pressed, his eyes boring into Ruby’s.
Ruby stammered, “What… what do you mean?”
“George,” Austin said, his voice like ice. “Does that name ring a bell?”
Ruby’s hands trembled. “Who’s George?”
“You tell me,” Austin shot back. “Why do you keep calling him? And how did he find out where Paulina was?”
Ruby’s silence was all the answer Austin needed. The truth was staring him in the face, and it was worse than he had imagined.
***********************
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about, Austin,” Ruby said firmly, but her nervousness was clear. Her hands trembled, and her voice wavered slightly.
Austin noticed Paulina shifting uncomfortably in her bed, clearly disturbed by the tense conversation between mother and son. “Are you still going to deny it, Ma?” Austin asked, his voice cold. “Fine, let me ask you directly. Why did you plan Paulina’s assault? What did she ever do to deserve this?”
Paulina gasped, her eyes wide with shock. Ruby looked at her, helpless, tears welling up in her eyes. “Austin, I didn’t…” she started, but Austin cut her off. He pulled out his phone and played the video Ronan had sent him.
The room filled with Ruby’s voice from the recording:
“The plan went well. As per our deal, here’s your money.”
“What about the girl? I don’t want anything leading back to me.”
“She won’t tell anyone, and my son won’t come after you. I’ve made sure your identity is safe. But you need to hide for a while before I contact you again.”
“Instead of playing with people’s lives, why don’t you just ask your son to marry that girl?”
“That’s none of your business. And if your conscience is bothering you, don’t forget you forged a fake DNA report. If I can trick Dora into an abortion and plan Paulina’s assault without raising suspicion, imagine what else I can do to you. I could even make my son chase after you.”
“You used your son as a pawn. But you can’t do the same to me. If I go down, I’ll take you with me. Don’t threaten me again!”
The room fell into a heavy silence after the video ended. Austin looked at his mother, his voice breaking as he asked, “Why, Ma? Why?”
Ruby stammered, “It’s… it’s not what you think.”
“Why did you play with my life?” Austin demanded, his voice rising. “You knew Dora was everything to me. Why did you turn me against her? Why did you ruin Paulina’s life? Was it all just so I’d marry her out of guilt and pity?”
“No, Austin,” Ruby said, tears streaming down her face. “I did it for your own good.” She tried to step closer, but Austin moved away, as if her presence alone was suffocating him.
“Was that child mine, Ma?” Austin asked, his eyes glistening with tears. Deep down, he already knew the answer, but a part of him still hoped he was wrong.
Ruby froze. She hadn’t expected him to ask about the child Dora had lost two years ago. Seeing the pain in his eyes, she nodded slowly.
Austin’s voice shook as he asked, “Dora and Daniel… were they never together?” Ruby shook her head, and both Austin and Paulina gasped in disbelief.
“That video of Dora’s confession… that was fake too, wasn’t it?” Austin said, more as a statement than a question.
Ruby lowered her head and nodded again.
Austin felt his world crumble around him. He had destroyed his own child, made Dora suffer for no reason, ruined his friendship with Daniel, and caused Paulina unimaginable pain, all because of his mother’s lies.
His thoughts were interrupted by a loud thud. He turned to see Paulina collapse on the floor, crying hysterically. Tears of anger, guilt, and shame filled Austin’s eyes as he looked at his mother, who was now sobbing uncontrollably.
“Why, Ma?” Austin asked, his voice breaking. “Why did you ruin our lives? Why did you destroy not just one life, but four?”
Ruby wiped her tears and said, “I never wanted you to marry Dora. Your father didn’t listen to me. I always wanted you to be with Paulina. She’s beautiful, comes from a wealthy family, and was the perfect match for you. You’re my son, Austin, and I’ve always chosen the best for you. Dora was just an ordinary girl with no strong background. I saw how obsessed you were with her, always taking her side over mine. You deserved better than someone like her, someone who couldn’t even protect her own child.”
Austin’s heart sank. His mother wasn’t even sorry for what she had done to Dora. Instead, she was still blaming her. “You’re dead to me,” Austin said, his voice cold and final. “A mother is supposed to love and protect her child, not destroy their life. You’ve ruined everything for me.”
Ruby’s face crumpled. “Paulina, please,” she begged, turning to her. “Tell him I’m sorry. Don’t let him abandon me like this.”
But Austin was done. “From today, my mother is dead to me,” he said, his voice steady. “And I swear this on the grave of my unborn child.”
Without another word, he turned and walked out of the room. Ruby’s desperate cries followed him, but he didn’t look back. To him, her voice was like poison. He quickened his pace, jogging to his car parked outside the hospital, leaving the chaos behind.
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