38 The Truth

Gemma's POV.

The next day, I drive my dad home first and then take him and my mom to Los Angeles.

"The rehabilitation center has a great environment, and there's a large fish pond with koi in it," my mom tells me.

I laugh as I drive. "Keep an eye on Dad. If he gets tempted to fish, we might have to pay for it."

"I wouldn't fish for koi," my dad huffs, sounding a bit displeased.

"Really?" I glance at him through the rearview mirror.

"Koi aren't as fresh as sea fish, and they're full of bones. Why would I bother?"

"Alright, alright, I believe you," I say with a smile.

We arrive at the rehabilitation center, and I help them move their suitcases into the room.

"If anything comes up, call me, and I'll fly back immediately," I say.

"Alright, go back to work now," my parents wave me off.

Just as I leave the rehab center, my phone rings.

I answer, "Hello?"

"Gemma, is your dad feeling better?" Dmitri asks on the other end.

"Yes," I pause, "I just dropped them off at the rehab center. I was actually about to call you. I wanted to see if you're free tonight. I'd like to take you out for dinner as a thank you."

"Of course," Dmitri replies. "Where should we eat?"

"You pick the place," I say.

We meet downtown. I left the car at the rehab center for my parents to use, so Dmitri drives.

Sitting in the passenger seat, I turn to him and ask, "How's your leg doing?"

"Almost healed," Dmitri smiles. "What are your plans now? Going back to work in New York?"

"I've already bought my ticket. After dinner tonight, I'm leaving tomorrow," I say, adjusting my hair.

"New York is great, and your connection is all there," Dmitri glances at the traffic light.

"Yeah," I nod.

The light turns red, and the car comes to a stop.

My phone rings again. I glance down and see Luke's number on the screen.

"It's me," I answer.

Before I can say anything, Luke speaks first.

"I know," I reply, trying to focus on the trees lining the street outside the window.

"Gemma, do you trust me?" Luke's tone becomes serious.

"What?" I'm confused.

"Because what I'm about to tell you is the truth, something you might not want to believe."

"Go ahead."

The red light starts its countdown.

"First, the person who hit your dad was acting under Dmitri's orders. That's why the police haven't found any leads. Second, Dmitri's been faking it, using his leg injury to gain your sympathy."

My breath catches.

"You can call me a liar, say I'm messing with you, but before you do, I had a private investigator trace Dmitri's movements a few days before the accident. On Independence Day, according to his schedule, he was supposed to be out of the country, but..."

"Who's on the phone?" Dmitri suddenly asks.

"A friend," I say calmly, though my heart is racing.

Luke pauses briefly, then his voice lowers, almost a whisper, "Is Dmitri next to you?"

"Yes," I respond softly, switching the phone to my other ear so Dmitri can't overhear.

"Gemma, listen to me. Find an excuse to leave him immediately. Don't confront him alone, understand?"

"I'm just about to have dinner. see you another time," I say, trying to keep my tone relaxed.

After I hang up, the light turns green, and the car speeds off like lightning.

Out of the corner of my eye, I glance at Dmitri's face. He looks calm.

"Is there a mall or a coffee shop nearby?" I ask after a pause. "I need to use the restroom."

But Dmitri doesn't seem to hear me.

"I really can't hold it," I say, though my palms are sweating despite the cool air in the car.

"Did Luke just teach you that trick?" Dmitri asks, his eyes fixed ahead, his mouth curving into a cold smile.

He knows everything.

I raise my voice, "Was it you who ordered the person to hit my dad?"

"You believe Luke?" Dmitri asks.

"I don't believe him. That's why I want to hear your explanation," I say, clenching my fists.

"But you already believe him, don't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't be following his instructions, trying to leave me as fast as you can," Dmitri says matter-of-factly.

I fall silent.

"So, after all this time, it turns out my efforts were for nothing," Dmitri says quietly, with a bitter smile.

"Stop the car!" I take a deep breath and reach for the door handle.

"Stop the car! Stop!"

How could he hurt me and then gamble with my father's life?

How could he do this to me?!

"Gemma," Dmitri calls my name softly.

I turn my head and see a small spray can releasing a cloud of white mist. A sharp, pungent smell fills the air, and then everything goes black.

When I wake up, I find myself lying on a couch in the living room of an unfamiliar villa. It's already dark outside, but the lights inside the villa are on. I see Dmitri standing by the armrest of the couch, holding my phone.

"Luke called you over twenty times. It seems like he's really worried about you," Dmitri says, looking up at me.

"What do you want?" I realize my hands are bound by cold metal handcuffs.

"Gemma, I've done so much for you. If you just came back to me, I wouldn't have to force you. But you didn't agree," Dmitri says as he walks to the floor-to-ceiling window, opening the glass door. My phone sails through the air, tracing a silver arc before disappearing into the depths below the cliff.

"This is a vacation villa I bought. It's quiet here. No one will disturb us," Dmitri returns to sit beside the couch, his hand slowly sliding along my leg.

I shrink back instinctively.

"Did you really send someone to hit my dad?" I ask, my voice trembling.

"Yes," Dmitri's hand continues to move over my body.

"You saved him, got injured... all of it was an act?"

"Yes." His hand keeps advancing. "But you can't blame me, Gemma. You never gave me a chance to get close to you."

"And when you fell off the hospital bed and tore your stitches, was that also on purpose?"

"Yes," his hand reaches my thigh. "That man was despicable, showing up at the hospital to interfere with us."

"And my dad's boss visiting him in the hospital...?"

"I know your dad's company president. The compensation money? That was from me. The only condition was that your parents could do whatever they wanted with it, as long as they stayed away from you for a while," Dmitri says, his voice soft but cold.

I swallow hard.

"Is it worth it? Even if you use my dad to get closer to me, I would've found out the truth eventually."

"But look," Dmitri smiles, bending down to whisper in my ear, "I've already succeeded."

"What are you doing?" I start to scream, using my handcuffed hands to shield myself.

He's already reaching for the zipper on my jeans.

"I made mistakes before, Gemma, but you never gave me a chance to make things right. So, I thought, if we had a child, you'd stay with me for the child's sake, wouldn't you?"

His tone is soft, but it hits me like a hammer, right in my temple.

"You can't do this!" I begin to struggle desperately.

But Dmitri presses me down firmly. "Gemma, we're going to be here for a long time. We will have a child."

I feel like half of my body is submerged in ice while the other half burns in fire.

Dmitri starts to unzip my jeans.

He's moving slowly, but as he said, we have time. He will get what he wants, whether it's by sacrificing himself or others.

As long as he's ruthless enough.

As long as ruthless enough...

Suddenly, I stop struggling, adjusting my breathing. I gather all my strength in every cell of my body, and at the last moment, I lunge forward, smashing my forehead into Dmitri's chin.

He instinctively pulls back, and I quickly break free, lunging toward the coffee table. I grab the teacup on it and smash it to the floor.

The cup shatters into sharp fragments. Before Dmitri can react, I pick up a shard and, without hesitation, slash it across my wrist.

Blood drips onto the floor, forming a small pool.

I smile.

But this isn't about preserving my purity. I just can't bear the thought of being controlled by Dmitri, of having a child who would also be controlled by him.

This is the only option I have left.

Dmitri rushes over and grabs the broken shard from me, but my hand is already severely injured.

"So, I'm worse than death to you, am I?" Dmitri's eyes blaze with anger.

Despite the pain and the sweat on my forehead, I continue to smile. "Maybe you should reflect on how disgusting you are."

Dmitri picks me up and carries me into the bedroom. Then, he calls his private doctor.

After examining me, the doctor finds that luckily, I didn't damage any nerves or tendons. He administers a local anesthetic, cleans the wound, stitches it up, and leaves some medication before preparing to leave.

But to me, this man is not just a doctor. He's an angel, a white-robed savior with wings and a halo.

I grab the doctor's arm with my uninjured hand, my nails digging into his skin. "Doctor, please, call the police! This man is a psychopath, a lunatic. He's kidnapped me and is holding me here!"

But in the next second, Dmitri's soft laughter echoes from the doorway.

"Do you really think he's going to help you?"

As Dmitri speaks, the doctor smiles and gently pries each of my fingers off his arm.

Snap.

The halo shatters to pieces.