LIVING WITH THE BILLIONAIRE'S HEIRS - CHAPTER 8

Emma slowly opened her eyes, feeling the need to use the bathroom. She glanced to her side, where Leo was already asleep, his chest rising and falling with steady breaths. A soft smile tugged at her lips as she watched him. *He looks so cute,* she thought.

Carefully, she slipped out of the bed, trying not to wake him. She tiptoed into the bathroom, her mind still replaying the events of the day. After finishing, she washed her hands and reached for the door to return to bed, but paused when she heard a familiar, dreaded voice.

“Emma!” Chris’s voice echoed through the room.

Emma’s heart stopped. ‘What the hell is he doing in Leo’s room?’ Panic surged through her, and she quickly covered her mouth with her hand to stifle any sound. If Chris discovered her here, it would be disastrous not just for her, but for Leo. She knew how ruthless Chris could be, and she couldn’t bear the thought of Leo suffering because of her.

Leo stirred, his sleep disrupted by Chris’s shouting. His eyes snapped open, and when he recognized the intruder, his expression darkened. “Get out,” Leo demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

Chris met Leo’s glare with one of his own, his temper flaring. “I have every f-__-king right to be here. It’s not like you belong here,” he sneered.

Leo’s hands clenched into fists, his anger simmering just below the surface. “Get out of my room, Chris,” he repeated, more forcefully this time.

Chris, momentarily forgetting he was searching for Emma, let out a cold, mocking laugh. “Do I need to remind you who you are, you bastard?” he spat, his words dripping with venom.

Emma, hidden in the bathroom, listened in shock, her heart pounding and her confusion growing.

Chris didn’t stop. “You’re nothing, nothing at all. You are just a mistake that shouldn’t have been born,” he taunted, his words like daggers.

Leo stood silently, his jaw tight, enduring the verbal assault. He had heard it all before, but it didn’t make the words sting any less.

Emma’s breath hitched, trying to process the revelation. ‘A mistake?’ she whispered to herself, barely audible.

Chris stepped closer to Leo, his presence menacing. “Wherever I walk in belongs to me, including this room. And for talking to me disrespectfully, I’ll send you more videos of her broken hands and legs,” he thr_@tened, his voice a deadly whisper.

Leo’s eyes widened in fear, the color draining from his face. He knew all too well that Chris wasn’t bluffing. The images of those videos haunted him, and the thought of more violence was enough to shatter his pride.

Without hesitation, Leo swallowed his pride and hatred, dropping to his knees in front of Chris. “Please forgive me,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Chris’s lips curled into a smirk of satisfaction as he raised his leg and kicked Leo’s head, hard enough to draw blood. The impact sent Leo crashing to the floor, and Emma, still watching through the small gap in the bathroom door, gasped in horror.

“Know your place, bastard,” Chris hissed, leaning over Leo. “Talk to me like that again, and it’ll be her dead body you’ll see next.” With that, Chris turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

The room fell into an eerie silence, broken only by Leo’s shallow breaths. His hands were trembling, his whole body shaking as the reality of the situation settled in. He was scared, scared for himself, but more for her. Chris’s thr_@t echoed in his mind, and he couldn’t bear the thought of her getting hurt because of him.

As soon as Chris left, Emma rushed out of the bathroom, her heart racing. She quickly locked the door behind her and knelt beside Leo, who was still shaking and bleeding. “Leo,” she whispered urgently, but he didn’t respond. His eyes were unfocused, lost in his own fear.

“Leo, look at me,” Emma pleaded, her voice trembling as she gently cupped his face. But he remained unresponsive, trapped in his panic.

Desperation clawed at her chest. “Leo, breathe,” she instructed, raising her voice to snap him out of his thoughts. But he continued to shake, his mind elsewhere, the panic attack tightening its grip on him.

“Leo!” Emma yelled, and this time, he jolted, his eyes finally meeting hers. “Breathe, okay?” she repeated, her voice soft but firm.

Slowly, Leo began to follow her instructions, his breaths coming in ragged gasps at first but gradually evening out as he focused on Emma. His body began to relax, the tension ebbing away as exhaustion took over. Finally, he collapsed into her arms, his head resting on her shoulder.

Emma held him close, using all her strength to lift him onto the bed. She stayed by his side, searching his room for a first aid kit. It took her nearly an hour to find it, hidden away in a drawer, but she didn’t stop until she had cleaned and dressed his wounds.

When she was finished, Emma sat back and watched Leo as he slept, her mind racing with questions. ‘Who is “her”?’ she wondered, recalling Chris’s thr_@t. ‘And what’s really going on in the Miller family?’

She bit her lip, determination settling in her heart. ‘Now I have to find out,’ she resolved. When something piqued Emma’s curiosity, she wouldn’t rest until she uncovered the truth.

••••••••••

Emma didn’t sleep at all that night. The events with Leo and Chris weighed heavily on her, and as dawn approached, she knew she couldn’t stay in the mansion any longer. By 4 a.m., she quietly gathered her things and slipped out of the house, careful not to make a sound. She knew Chris would likely be waiting for her in the sitting room, eager to confront her if she stayed.

Once outside, Emma hailed a cab and directed the driver to Laila’s dorm. The early morning sky was just beginning to lighten, and by the time she arrived at Laila’s place, it was 6 a.m. She knocked on the door, her heart pounding in her chest.

It felt like an eternity before the door finally creaked open, revealing a groggy Laila, her hair tousled from sleep. “What the hell are you doing here at six in the morning?” Laila groaned, rubbing her eyes.

Emma stood there in her pajamas, her face pale and exhausted. “Laila, I can’t stay there anymore,” she said, her voice trembling.

Laila’s sleepy expression vanished, replaced by concern. “What happened?” she asked, now fully awake.

Before Emma could respond, Laila stepped closer, her eyes widening as she noticed the bruise on Emma’s cheek. “Why the f-__-k is your cheek bruised?” Laila yelled, anger flaring in her voice.

Emma winced, feeling the sting of the bruise as she sighed tiredly. Thankfully, Laila’s roommate wasn’t around to witness the outburst.

“Wait,” Laila continued, her voice rising with fury. “Don’t tell me Chris hit you!” she shouted, her eyes blazing with anger.

Emma nodded, her eyes downcast. “That bastard,” Laila hissed, jumping to her feet. “I’m going to show him the consequences of harming my best friend.”

“Laila, you can’t,” Emma said quickly, grabbing her arm to stop her.

“What the f-__-k, Emma? He literally hit you,” Laila shot back, her voice filled with disbelief.

“I know, Laila, but there’s nothing we can do,” Emma replied, her voice heavy with resignation. “Your dad and Mr. Miller are huge business partners. And according to what Nathan told me, Chris is their favorite. Doing something could harm your father’s business,” she added, her tone laced with sadness.

“But Emma, he hit you,” Laila repeated, her voice breaking as she saw the pain in Emma’s eyes. Emma looked down, trying hard not to cry, but the tears welled up despite her efforts.

Seeing Emma’s distress, Laila softened. She pulled Emma into a tight hug, her anger momentarily subsiding. “Tell me what happened,” Laila urged gently.

Emma took a deep breath, then began to recount everything that had happened the night before. As she spoke, Laila listened intently, her anger flaring up again at every mention of Chris’s cruelty. She cursed him under her breath, but Emma carefully avoided mentioning anything about her and Leo.

By the time Emma finished, Laila was seething with rage, but she knew Emma was right. Confronting Chris directly could have serious repercussions, not just for Emma but for her father’s business as well.

“I can’t believe that bastard tried to sleep with you,” Laila said angrily.

“Gosh I feel like straggling him to death Emma, I f-__-king h@?? him right now “.

“I h@?? him too”.

“Everyone thinks he’s an angel only if they knew,” Laila said, her anger increasing.

Emma wiped away the few tears that had escaped and looked at Laila, grateful for her friend’s support.

As Laila and Emma settled in with their pizza, the comforting sounds of “Sweet Home” Season 2 playing in the background, the tension from earlier began to fade. Laila’s presence always had a way of making Emma feel safe, even when the world outside felt like it was closing in.

“Laila,” Emma called softly, breaking the comfortable silence.

“Hmm?” Laila responded, her eyes still on the screen.

“Don’t you find the Miller brothers a bit… weird?” Emma asked, her gaze drifting to the ceiling as she pondered.

Laila turned to her, confused. “How so?”

Emma sat up, turning to face Laila directly. “Chris h@??s Leo so much. From the past few days I’ve spent with them, it’s clear he despises his very existence.”

Laila studied her for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, I remember when my father took me to their house. Chris used to pick on Leo when they were young.”

Emma wasn’t surprised by this revelation. “You thought it was just them playing?” she asked

Laila shook her head slightly. “It always felt more intense than that, but I didn’t think much of it back then.”

Emma hesitated, then voiced something that had been bothering her. “Why does Leo look so different from the rest? I mean, Nathan, Alex, and Chris all look alike with their black hair and brown eyes, but Leo… he has that white-blonde hair and those two different-colored eyes, one green, the other blue. Don’t you find it strange?”

Laila leaned back, considering Emma’s words. “Nope, not really. Their father has green eyes, and their mother has brown. And Leo does resemble his father, though only a little. From what I’ve heard, Leo took after his great-grandfather’s features more. There’s nothing to worry about.

Though they don’t know where the blue eyes came from, they said it had something to do with Leo’s pregnancy when Mrs Miller was pregnant “.

Emma nodded slowly, absorbing Laila’s explanation. “I guess that makes sense,” she murmured, though a lingering curiosity remained. After all, Laila had known the Millers far longer than she had. If Laila wasn’t worried, maybe she shouldn’t be either.

But deep down, Emma couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the Miller family than met the eye.

••••••••••

AT THE MANSION

Emma stood in front of the mansion, taking a deep breath to steel herself. She knew what she had to do—end things with Chris, once and for all. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she couldn’t continue living like this.

As she walked inside, just as she had expected, Chris was in the living room, lounging as if he owned the place. The moment he saw her, he sprang to his feet and pulled her into a tight hug.

“Babe,” he said, his voice dripping with false sweetness. Emma fought the urge to gag.

“Babe, where did you go? I missed you,” he added, his tone manipulative. Emma gently pushed him away, her resolve firming.

“Chris, I can’t do this anymore,” she said, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her insides.

“What do you mean?” Chris asked, feigning ignorance as if he didn’t know exactly what she was talking about.

“I can’t keep being your girlfriend, Chris. And I don’t care if you try to expel me from school,” Emma declared, her voice growing stronger with each word.

For a moment, there was silence. Then Chris let out a maniacal laugh, the sound echoing off the walls.

“So, you think you’re leaving me?” he said, his eyes glinting with a dangerous mix of amusement and anger.

“Chris, I don’t love you,” Emma said, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Do I look like I care? You’re mine!” he yelled, his voice booming. Emma took a step back, trying to distance herself from the madness radiating off him.

“I’m not yours, Chris. In fact, I’m going to get my things and leave.” She turned to go, but Chris grabbed her arm, yanking her back and slamming her against the wall.

“I’ll make sure no university takes you in,” he snarled, his eyes bloodshot, veins bulging as he glared at her.

“You can’t do this,” Emma cried, staring at him in horror.

“Don’t underestimate me. My father is one of the top five richest men in the world. I can make sure every country rejects you from entering any university,” Chris said, his voice laced with a dangerous certainty.

Emma swallowed hard, her fear intensifying. She could see now that he meant every word. “You’re not leaving me, Emma. It’s too late because you’ve already stolen my heart,” Chris continued, and Emma’s eyes widened in shock.

“No, you—” she began, but Chris cut her off.

“Yes, Emma, I’m in love with you, and I’m not letting you go,” he said, dropping the bombshell that left Emma frozen in place.

“If you try to leave me, since your parents are dead and can’t suffer, your friend Laila will suffer for your actions. I’ll make sure her family ends up as nothing but poor, wretched souls, poorer than even the street beggars,” Chris thr_@tened, his voice chillingly calm.

Emma’s eyes widened in terror. It was too late. There was no turning back now. Tears began to well up, blurring her vision as she realized the depth of the trap she had fallen into.

“You can’t do this,” Emma sobbed, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“Shh, love,” Chris cooed, his voice soft and sinister. “I’ll do anything to make you mine.”

“I don’t love you,” she whispered, but her defiance only seemed to fuel his rage. Chris’s hand wrapped tightly around her neck, choking her. Emma struggled, clawing at his hand, but his grip was unyielding, his eyes gleaming with a terrifying mix of possessiveness and fury.

Just as suddenly, he released her, and Emma collapsed to the floor, gasping for air, tears streaming down her face. Chris crouched down to her level, his expression shifting to one of mock concern.

“Repeat that, love,” he said, a sinful smile playing on his lips.

Emma shivered, her entire body trembling with fear. “I—I love you,” she stuttered, her voice shaking.

“I love you too, babe,” Chris replied, his tone sickeningly sweet. He leaned in, crushing his lips against hers in a forceful kiss, as tears continued to fall from Emma’s eyes.

“You’re already mine, Emma. You’re mine, and I’m yours. Do you get that?” he asked, his voice dangerously low.

“Yes, Chris,” Emma whispered, her voice hollow, the fear coursing through her veins like ice.

Chris’s face lit up with a childlike smile, and that innocent expression only made Emma fear him more. “Good, love. We’re together forever,” he whispered, his voice filled with twisted satisfaction.

Emma knew, at that moment, that there was no escaping him. She was already in the hands of the devil, and he wasn’t letting her go.

TBC…