Shadows Of A Forgotten Spring
Billionaire Shadow 34

Chapter 34

Marina's face scrunched up in a hot wash of tears down her cheeks. One way or another, this nightmare was over. Yet, she couldn't let herself be dragged away as some kind of criminal, judged by the world that had always turned its back on her. No! She wouldn't let that happen. Glancing toward the open window, Marina made her decision. With one last, venomous glare at Emma, she ran to the window, throwing a leg over the sand leaped out into the night. Emma hit the floor, hands shaking uncontrollably. She carefully lifted Mrs. Walker's head into her hands, her fingers working their way through the grey hair. Tears flowed down her Eice as, with a cracking heart, she realized that it was over.

"The ambulance is on its way," one of the security guards said, his voice soft as if he wanted to soothe her. But Emma knew that it was too late. Her mother was gone, and there was no way to bring her back. The grief wrapped around her like a vise, suffocating and unrelenting. The pain from her own injury throbbed dully, almost numbed by the crushing weight in her

heart.

She pulled the lifeless body of Mrs. Walker closer to herself, cradling her like a child; her voice hoarse as she sobbed, "Mom. please don't leave us. Not like this."

Her strength ebbed with every falling tear as she just lay there, holding on to the woman who had sacrificed everything for her. Everything around fier faded, leaving only the agony and the emptiness of her loss.

In an instant, the ambulance was there, flashing lights as the paramedics took Mrs. Walker onto a stretcher. Emma, clutching her children tightly, followed, wet-cheeked from tears she couldn't seem to stop. She clung to her twins as though she would never let them go, her heart a stormy turmoil of grief and fear and desperate hope.

In the meantime, the police had arrived and walked to where Marina's dead body lay crumpled up on the ground. She had jumped from the second story window, her aim being to escape, or perhaps to end it all. But fate had another plan for her. The officer went down on his knee, checking for a pulse; he turned suddenly and called out, "She's still breathing!

Battered and bruised, Marina was soon whisked away in another ambulance, her life hanging in the balance. She wa unconscious and barely breathing but her fate was now in the hands of others.

At the hospital, Emma sat by Mrs. Walker's side, her twins resting on a small bed that tye hospital had provided. Her hands were clasped together, knuckles white as she prayed with every ounce of her being. A faint pulse had been found in Mrs. Walker, an almost- miraculous glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, she could survive.

"God, please," Emma whispered, her voice shaking as she felt the tears streaming down her face. "Please don't take her from us. I need her, my children need her." She grabbed her injured arm in pain and cried out. She couldn't take it in any more. She needed to be treated. Her bullet wa pulled out and bandaged in less than an hour but even with the power pain killer she was administered, Emma couldn't sleep

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After hours of painstaking surgery, the doctors finally came out, and Emma's heart leaped with joy as they declared Mrs. Walker safe. She fell on her knees, overcome by the good news, bands clasped tight, muttering prayers of thanks. She had thought she'd lost her mother, but fate had given them another chance. She promised herself then that she would cherish every moment, never taking for granted this second chance they had been accorded.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the hospital, Marina slowly came back to consciousness. At first, her vision was hazy: confusion created a fog as she looked around the unfamiliar surroundings. The sharp scent of disinfectant filled her nostrils, and then realization slapped her like a ton of bricks. She was in hospital. She tried to move, but her wrists and ankles were chained to the bed. A wave of panic washed over her and she pulled futilely at the restraints, her frustration giving way to

anger.

She cursed loudly, her voice hoarse, the sound echoing down the sterile hall. A moment later, the door opened, and a police officer stepped inside. His eyes held cold disdain as he took in the sight of her; bound, defeated, and powerless, The weight. of his judgment hung heavy in the air.

Marina Banks, he said, his voice clipped, you are under arrest for murder, attempted murder, child endangerment, and

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Chapter 34

assault. You will be booked into a holding cell once you are medically cleared."

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Hot tears streamed down Marina's face as the realization seeped in, like molten lead, and congealed inside her brain. The boldness swimming in her eyes suddenly flickered with a trace of fear at the realization that the life she had fought so ruthlessly to control was now beyond her grasp, and she could no longer manipulate or intimidate. Her empire of lies had been swept away to leave behind only shattered fragments of ambition and bitterness.

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Alexander sat in his study, staring at the headline of the newspaper that told about the tragic events that had unraveled in Mrs. Walker's life. All this sounded so unreal and was like some sort of twisted fairy tale. First, Mrs. Walker found her long-lost daughter after over twenty years, only to find out that her niece- whom she had trusted and brought up was behind those deaths that had tore her world apart.

He reread the article again, digesting every detail. The layers of betrayal were simply astounding. He could only imagine how the new CEO and Mrs. Walker must be recling, trying to put together the after-effects of such a betrayal.

Before this news broke, Alexander had been considering sending another letter to the new, mysterious CEO of W2 HOLDINGS, Whoever this mysterious figure was, they surely hall been making inroads at the company, with a strong sense. of its business that fascinated Alexander. Now, however, with such chaos swirling around the family behind the company, he knew it was best to wait until the dust settles.

Five years after her divorce, Emma had built W2 Holdings into powerhouse, certainly a force that nobody in that industry could ever ignore. The growth was very meteoric, surpassing all expectations and silencing all skeptics. She worked diligently, her heart into making the company even bigger and strong, impelled by fierce determination to make her mother proud.

Mrs. Walker had survived the gunshot wounds from that horrible night, but she was deteriorating in health day by day. Each day was a fight, and Emma stayed by her side whenever she could, grateful for the steadfastness of her mother to hold on to life.

Marina, the animal that had caused her and so many other people so much pain, was finally serving life imprisonment without parole, which was far too mild considering the destruction she had caused.

One morning, while Emma was working her way through a mountain of paperwork in her office, there came a knock at her door. Her secretary entered, holding a file in her hand and with rather nervous expression.

"Ma'am," she ventured, "Blackthorn Holdings mailed again. They want to meet with you."

Emma's hands stilled; her pen grasp tightened as a cold shiver ran down her spine with the mention of Blackthorn. She was expression less. She tried to keep the riptides of anger and resentment that welled up with the name hidden as best as she could. Her secretary, gladly ignorant of Emma's inner battle, walled for instructions.

"Pay them no mind, Emma said sharply although her tone was calm. She went back on her work. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest.

Alexander had been a stubborn asshole, relentlessly asking to meet, hoping to discuss possible business ventures between both their companies but Emma rebuffed each overture with ease.

Her hatred had grown stronger with time, tempered by the knowledge of what he had done and how he had left her and the twins without a second thought for another woman. For her, Blackthorn Holdings was a monument to betrayal and loss. something she would never allow herself to be associated with AGAIN.

And the fact that her mother had expressly rejected any dealings with Blackthorn before she stepped down from her position only scaled the deal in Emma's mind. She might have stopped fearing Alexander the second the bad claimed her position as the CEO of W2 HOLDINGS, but forgiveness was quite another thing altogether. He had braken her in ways that no amount of success could fully heal and she would never forge him

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Chapter 34

Her secretary hesitated: "But, ma'am-

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Emma's hand slammed down onto her desk, her eyes flash with anger that she had been trying to hide and she replied with an icy edge in her voice. "Are you questioning my authority?"

"N-No, ma'am, her secretary stuttered immediately, moving backward. face pale.

She exhaled and, with that her anger disappeared. Emma turned back to her work, trying to regain mastery over her emotions. The phone cut through the silence then. She looked down and noticed that it was her twins school. Her heart started beating faster as a feeling of dread coagulated in her chest Orenbaga Academy doesn't call during this hour without

a scary reason.

She snatched up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello, Ma'am. This is the nurse Katherine from Orenbaga Academy. Emily fainted, and we're taking her to the hospital as we speak."

"Which hospital!?"

Emma's blood ran cold.

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