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مشاهدة مسلسل ثمن فقدانها مترجم كامل جميع الحلقات مجاناً
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Short filmTranscript
00:00On the day of my husband Lucas's 30th birthday, I prepared a huge surprise for him.
00:05But what he gave me in return was a loyalty test that cost my child's life.
00:10This is not the first time that Natalie, the woman who's become a forbidden love to Lucas,
00:15has used such despicable means to test my loyalty.
00:19Only this time, I sacrificed the child in my womb who had yet to take a single glance at the
00:25world.
00:25The moment I lost my child, the clock struck zero.
00:28And sure enough, I received a call from Lucas.
00:32Have you lost your mind? They are just a few small-time thugs.
00:35You clearly can beat them, so why didn't you resist?
00:37Natalie went a bit overboard with this test, but she's just being temperamental.
00:41You didn't have to refuse to fight back just because you're mad at her.
00:44It's a good thing she's kind-hearted and held back a bit, stopping these people in time.
00:49Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
00:52I listened to Natalie's sweet, teasing voice on the phone, begging him to go out for drinks.
00:57And my heart shattered into pieces.
01:00He had no idea I could no longer fight anyone.
01:04Half a year ago, Natalie poisoned him with a deadly, incurable toxin.
01:09I risked my life to save him, dragging him back from the brink of death.
01:13But my body was completely ruined, all my strength gone forever.
01:17Now, I don't even have the strength to protect my own child.
01:21If this is my fate, I don't accept it.
01:29I was awakened by a strong sense of suffocation.
01:32Suddenly opening my eyes, I saw Natalie with a ferocious expression,
01:37gripping my neck tightly, while Lucas stood by the bedside,
01:41watching coldly, without any intention of stopping her.
01:49Lucas, look at her!
01:51I told you she was just faking being dizzy, and you didn't believe me!
01:55She even scratched me!
01:56Natalie flung herself into Lucas' arms, wailing and pretending to be a victim.
02:02Lucas lowered his head to carefully examine the faint red scratch mark on Natalie's hand.
02:07His face immediately darkened, and his eyes gathered storm clouds,
02:11completely ignoring me, who was curled up on the side.
02:15Elena, have you had enough?
02:17Even if you're throwing a fit, there should be a limit.
02:20You're just faking sick to get my attention, aren't you?
02:22I can ignore the text you sent.
02:24I can let the fake sickness go.
02:26But you not only fainted, you just scratched Natalie.
02:29Every word from Lucas was like a poisoned knife, piercing deeply into my heart.
02:36Not long ago, there was a fresh and beating little life inside.
02:40And now, the father of that child was forcing me to apologize to the murderer who had killed his child.
02:47No need.
02:48Let's get a divorce.
02:51Enough, stop joking around.
02:53My patience is limited.
02:55Apologize to Natalie immediately.
02:56Looking at the man I have loved for a full decade, I am utterly disappointed.
03:01I want revenge.
03:04Again with those words, apologize to Natalie.
03:09Ever since Natalie returned to the country, I'm sorry, had become my daily bread.
03:16I remember when Natalie arranged for gang members to kidnap Lucas.
03:20To save him, I took seven bullets.
03:23After we escaped, Lucas held my bloodied body.
03:27His eyes red with panic.
03:29But once my condition stabilized, he said helplessly,
03:33I've told Natalie countless times that you truly love me.
03:37But she wouldn't believe it.
03:39She insisted on Beltmore test your eye.
03:42But she was just looking out for me.
03:44She's been spoiled since childhood and never knows when to stop.
03:48Don't hold it against her.
03:50Also, Natalie faints at the sight of blood.
03:53Your blood scared her.
03:54Remember to apologize to her when you're discharged.
03:57Then there was the time Natalie staged a car accident that broke my leg
04:03and left me with eight drunk men.
04:06I fought desperately with my broken leg, even breaking my nails in the struggle.
04:12Looking at those disgusting faces, I helplessly cried out Lucas's name for the first time.
04:20Just as a bottle shattered against my head, Lucas finally appeared and kicked the drunk man away.
04:34But not only was I left with a permanent leg disability that ached like ants snoring at my bones every
04:41rainy day,
04:42I also developed severe PTSD, spending months in a mental haze.
04:48Lucas held me tenderly, repeatedly comforting me.
04:54Natalie insisted on making a bet with me about testing you, to measure your loyalty to me.
05:01She said only if you maintained your virtue and would rather die than submit could you prove you love me.
05:08You know, I've always lost a sense of security.
05:11I had people standing nearby, thinking nothing serious could happen, so I let her have her way.
05:15But Natalie was exhausted too.
05:17When she came to see you two days ago, you pushed her down and she sprayed her bank.
05:21Once you stay, we'll go apologize to her.
05:24After each test, they would bring in professional teams to provide me with psychological counseling and suggestion in the name
05:32of love.
05:33And day after day of psychological counseling and suggestion made me repeatedly say,
05:40I'm sorry for those ridiculous reasons.
05:43People become desensitized to psychological counseling and suggestion when it happens too often.
05:51So this time, I wanted to try a different approach.
05:55I struggled to sit up straight and said,
06:02As Natalie approached me, I grabbed the water glass from the table, hurled it at her.
06:07Natalie didn't panic, but revealed a triumphant smile.
06:11She deliberately fell against me, while a folding knife slipped silently from her sleeve.
06:16Before I could react, the cold blade had already pierced my abdomen.
06:25Excruciating pain instantly swept through my entire body.
06:29Natalie, the glass shattered on the floor as she pretended to be pushed down by me.
06:33It hurts so much.
06:34Doctor, get a doctor quickly.
06:37The composure on Lucas' face completely shattered, revealing panic I'd never seen before.
06:44Don't be afraid, Natalie. The doctor will be here soon.
06:48His heart and eyes were completely filled with Natalie.
06:52He looked up and glared at me with eyes full of anger, his voice full of reproach.
06:57Elena, have I been too good to you, spotlighting you to the point of lawlessness?
07:03The abdominal wound suffered a second trauma, and the intense pain made me curl up instantly.
07:09Blood poured through my fingers as my vision turned blood red.
07:13Lucas watched me, convulsing in pain on the ground.
07:16His brow furrowed tightly.
07:19Yes!
07:20He turned and rushed to Natalie, without hesitation.
07:24Watching his retreating figure, my world plunged into darkness.
07:29When I opened my eyes again, my phone showed unread messages.
07:34I opened it to see a single sentence.
07:38Today's incident won't end like this.
07:43After seeing the photo clearly, I froze in place, feeling my mind go completely blank.
07:52The photo showed Charlie, the dog Lucas and I had raised together for five years.
07:57At this moment, he had been cruelly harmed, and lay dying in a pool of blood.
08:03Scattered around him, with a little ball and chew toys I had just bought for him recently.
08:08My vision went black, and I could barely stand.
08:11I rushed out of the hospital despite attempts to stop me.
08:14Your injuries haven't healed yet!
08:15My hands still trembling uncontrollably.
08:18Just as I was about to call Lucas to demand answers, I heard whispered conversations around me.
08:23She looks so clean and harmless, but I never expected her to be such a person.
08:26A woman who's been violated by thugs.
08:28How does she still have the nerve to show her face?
08:31She probably deserved it.
08:32Must be promiscuous herself.
08:34I looked up in confusion to see the large screen on the plaza across from the hospital,
08:38brazenly displaying a video of me being torn apart and violated by thugs in that alley.
08:45Those unspeakable scenes were magnified infinitely, exposed in broad daylight.
08:51Instantly, I felt the world spinning, my ears buzzing.
08:56Sharp thinking suddenly sounded as an out-of-control sports car charged straight at me, though I barely dodged it.
09:03Are you blind?
09:04If you want to die, don't block my way.
09:06Dammit, obviously not a decent woman.
09:08I stumbled and fell.
09:09Half my body instantly scraped raw.
09:12I pretended not to hear the whispers around me, struggled to get up,
09:15and another motorcycle barreled straight towards me, knocking me to the ground again.
09:20I fell back to the original spot, my abdominal wound instantly bursting open.
09:25Miss Natalie wanted me to ask you, how did it feel to be put on public display?
09:30Oh, and your dog.
09:32Nice fur texture.
09:33Just not very durable.
09:35Only then did I finally see his face clearly.
09:37It was the lead thug from that day in the alley.
09:39My whole body shook violently.
09:43Elena, what on earth have you done?
09:46The companies were suddenly investigated.
09:48All partners withdrew funding simultaneously.
09:51And the capital chain is completely broken.
09:53The family business is finished.
09:55Bankrupt.
09:55Was it you?
09:56Did you make Lucas unhappy?
09:57You need to go beg him.
09:58Go apologize quickly.
10:05When I stumbled back to the mansion, indecent sounds were coming from the master bedroom.
10:11The door was ajar, and Natalie and Lucas' figures were entwined on the messy bed.
10:16At this moment, I couldn't care about anything else.
10:20I quicked open the door and rushed straight at Natalie, grabbing her away from Lucas.
10:25Where's Charlie?
10:26Oh my, your wife isn't even jealous seeing us like this.
10:29She probably doesn't love you anymore, and only cares about that dog.
10:32Looks like she failed this test too.
10:34Lucas frowned and pushed me away.
10:36Elena, what are you going crazy about now?
10:42When you wrong, you must be punished.
10:45I've been too lenient with you all these years, but I didn't expect them to be so rough.
10:49I'll call a good doctor to look at you later.
10:53I'm asking you, where is Charlie?
10:56Dead.
10:57A beast that bit Natalie deserved to be put down.
11:00This statement completely shattered my last bit of sanity.
11:03Tell me why!
11:04Why are you doing this?
11:06Just then, Natalie suddenly rushed over.
11:09During the struggle, how about this?
11:11She pretended to fall down the stairs, letting out a piercing scream.
11:18Lucas' expression changed dramatically, and that very he had his men bind me and bring
11:23me before Natalie, I was forcibly pressed to the ground, kneeling before Natalie.
11:27He kept comforting the woman.
11:29Don't be angry anymore.
11:31I brought her here so you can get your revenge.
11:33Lucas!
11:34You can't treat me like this!
11:36Natalie has a kind heart, and she won't do anything excessive.
11:39When you do wrong, you must be punished.
11:41This is for your own good.
11:42After he left, that woman just shoved a lump of meat at me.
11:46Try some.
11:47This is your precious Charlie.
11:48In that instant, I seemed to hear Charlie's dying whimpers.
11:53After countless burning slaps across my face, I was finally forced to swallow that piece
11:57of bloody meat.
11:58My stomach was churning violently.
12:01I collapsed on the floor and threw up non-stop.
12:04What did you do to her?
12:06Nothing much.
12:06I just wanted to help you test her one more time before I leave.
12:09But the test results show that in her heart, you're far less important than that dog.
12:14Looks like she failed the test again, so I win again.
12:17Remember to prepare my reward.
12:20Hearing this, the trace of concern that had just gathered on Lucas' face was instantly
12:24replaced by fury.
12:26My wife is sick and she doesn't love me as much as before.
12:29Use maximum intensity treatment this time.
12:32Don't worry, she's strong.
12:33Nothing will happen to her.
12:36No, please, no, Lucas.
12:38Let me go.
12:38Don't hand me over to them.
12:40Please, Lucas.
12:41Get well soon.
12:42I'll come get you tomorrow.
12:44Natalie will be sent abroad again in a couple day.
12:47After she leaves, we'll try for a baby proper.
12:50Electric shocks, whipping, drugs, and endless sleep deprivation.
12:54During another round of torture, the toxicity I had absorbed six months ago while detoxifying
13:00Lucas finally erupted.
13:02The bone-deep, heart-piercing agony made it impossible for me to endure any longer.
13:07When Lucas came to pick me up, I had just dragged my numb body to the rooftop.
13:13I looked at Lucas in the distance with dead eyes, then, without hesitation, threw myself
13:19down in front of him.
13:20Elena!
13:23Lucas was supported by others, barely managing not to collapse.
13:29Elena, don't joke with me.
13:31Get up quick.
13:32Elena, don't scare me.
13:34He reached out to push me, but withdrew his hand before touching me, not even daring to
13:39touch me.
13:40Lucas couldn't understand.
13:41It was just psychological treatment.
13:43How could I choose to end my life?
13:45Hundreds of times before had gone fine.
13:48Why this time?
13:49Quickly!
13:50Get me the best medical team, now, immediately!
13:55He stayed right by the door, not moving an inch.
13:58When Natalie called, he stared at her name, flashing on the screen.
14:02For the first time, he didn't pick up at once.
14:04He hesitated for a second, before hitting answer.
14:08Lucas, why haven't you come back yet?
14:11My ankle hurts so much.
14:12Your wife pushed me down the stairs yesterday, and I sprained it.
14:15But you haven't even asked about me.
14:17Elena jumped off a building.
14:19Elena jumped off a building.
14:21Why are you worried about her?
14:22Maybe she just didn't want to accept treatment anymore.
14:25She doesn't want to love you anymore, so she's acting pitiful for compassion.
14:28For the first time, Lucas felt that Natalie's voice was so grating, he hung up the phone
14:33without saying a word.
14:35He even refused the food that Natalie sent over.
14:38At dawn, my condition finally stabilized, but I was still unconscious.
14:42The doctor came out with test reports.
14:45Each statement making Lucas' face paler.
14:48We found unknown toxins in the patient's body.
14:52Results show she's been suffering for six months.
14:54She has severe lacerations on her body.
14:57We found multiple people's DNA.
14:59The wounds were caused by repeated violence.
15:02Additionally, the patient has a serious predominantly penetrating wound that is infected and festering.
15:07The injury occurred within the last three days.
15:09She also recently suffered a violent miscarriage with severe uterine damage.
15:13According to genetic testing of uterine remains, the child was yours, approximately three months along.
15:24What did you say?
15:28The second Lucas heard the full extent of my injuries from the doctors,
15:32all the hidden poison, the brutal violence, the irreversible damage to my body, he snapped.
15:38He stood there in the cold hospital hallway,
15:40his face twisted with rage and disbelief,
15:43and roared at his waiting subordinates at the top of his lungs.
15:48Investigate! Find out what the hell happened!
15:50He was completely blind with fury,
15:52on the edge of losing his mind,
15:55replaying the same two questions over and over in his head.
15:59How could this happen?
16:00How could he have let this happen to me, his wife?
16:03His first thought immediately jumped to the so-called professional psychological team
16:10that had treated me more than 300 times at Natalie's request.
16:14He convinced himself it had to be them,
16:16that they were the ones who'd hurt me,
16:19refusing to even consider the one person who'd been pulling all the strings all along.
16:23He couldn't fathom that Natalie,
16:25the woman he'd defended endlessly,
16:28was capable of such evil.
16:29Without wasting a single minute,
16:32he ordered his men to pull up the full surveillance footage
16:35from the day those fake caregivers dragged my broken body away.
16:38He sat alone in a quiet hospital room,
16:41watching that footage frame by agonizing frame.
16:46He saw me convulsing violently under electric shocks,
16:49my body too weak to fight back.
16:52He saw the raw, fresh, whip marks,
16:55covering my skin,
16:56proof of the torture I'd endured.
16:58He stared at my empty,
17:01lifeless eyes,
17:03after they injected me with mind-numbing drugs.
17:06And he heard my broken,
17:08hoarse voice,
17:09screaming his name over and over,
17:12helpless and broken,
17:13begging for him to save me.
17:15Elena,
17:16he whispered my name softly,
17:18his voice cracking,
17:20feeling like his heart was being sliced into tiny pieces,
17:23so painful he could barely breathe.
17:25For months,
17:27Natalie had sworn to him up and down,
17:29that this so-called treatment,
17:31was meant to make me love him more,
17:33to fix our broken marriage.
17:35She'd insisted the team was highly professional,
17:37that they would never lay a hand on me,
17:39and Lucas,
17:40had believed,
17:42every,
17:42single,
17:43word.
17:44He still refused to believe she was behind my suffering,
17:47even as the footage played out in front of him.
17:50His loyalty to her,
17:51was rooted in guilt.
17:53They were childhood friends,
17:55once engaged,
17:56and they'd made a promise before she moved abroad,
17:59that he'd marry her,
18:00if he was single when she returned.
18:04When she came back to find me his wife,
18:07that guilt consumed him,
18:08and he trusted her without a single question.
18:11Determined to get answers,
18:13Lucas had every single member of that fake team locked up,
18:17and decided to interrogate them himself.
18:19He slammed his fist on the interrogation table,
18:22his voice cold and threatening,
18:24as he shouted,
18:25Speak!
18:26Who ordered you to treat Elena this way?
18:29Where is the real team?
18:31Under his brutal,
18:33unrelenting questioning,
18:35the team broke immediately,
18:36too scared to keep lying.
18:38They spilled the whole terrible truth,
18:41their voices shaking with fear.
18:43It was Miss Natalie!
18:45She ordered us,
18:46to torture her to death under the vige of treatment,
18:52said to make her wish she were dead.
18:54That confession,
18:55hit Lucas,
18:56like a freight train,
18:58slamming into him,
18:59with full force.
19:01Lapsed to the floor,
19:02right then and there.
19:03The world spinning around him so fast,
19:05he thought he'd pass out.
19:07The second doubt crept into his mind about Natalie.
19:10All the repressed panic and guilt,
19:12came flooding in at once.
19:14He thought of every unanswered question.
19:16What about my lost baby?
19:18What about the stab wound in my abdomen?
19:22What about all the times I'd begged him to see the truth,
19:26to believe me about Natalie's cruelty,
19:28only for him to call me a liar,
19:30and accuse me of being jealous?
19:32He forced himself to pull himself together,
19:35pushing through the crippling despair,
19:37and sent his men out to investigate every single detail.
19:40He split them into two groups,
19:43half to stand guard outside my ICU room 24-7,
19:47to make sure no one else hurt me,
19:49and the other half,
19:50to dig up every piece of evidence,
19:52every surveillance clip,
19:54every trace of what Natalie had done.
19:56It wasn't long,
19:57before they made a gut-wrenching discovery.
20:00My coat,
20:01the one I'd worn on his birthday,
20:03the night I was attacked,
20:04tucked in the pocket,
20:05was a positive pregnancy test.
20:08The date on that tiny stick was his 30th birthday,
20:11the exact day I'd planned to tell him I was pregnant,
20:13the surprise I'd spent weeks preparing for him.
20:16In that moment,
20:17everything clicked into place for Lucas.
20:20The excitement in my voice that night,
20:22the secret I'd been holding onto,
20:24Our child?
20:26The child?
20:27Our child?
20:28He whispered,
20:30clutching that small piece of paper tightly,
20:32as hot tears fell one by one onto it,
20:36soaking the ink.
20:39Moments later,
20:40his men rushed back with every surveillance video they could find,
20:44footage that laid bare every single crime.
20:47He watched the night I was dragged into that rainy alley,
20:50watched our three-month-old baby slip away from me in the mud and blood,
20:54watched the life drain from my eyes
20:56as I lay there helpless.
20:57He watched Natalie stab me in the hospital,
21:00heard her cruel,
21:01malicious words as she framed me for attacking her.
21:04He replayed the night six months prior,
21:06when Natalie poisoned him as a twisted loyalty test,
21:09and watched me risk my own life to save him,
21:12destroying my own health in the process.
21:14And finally,
21:16he saw himself over three hundred loyalty tests.
21:20Three hundred times I loved him unconditionally,
21:23three hundred times,
21:24I gave everything for him,
21:26and he threw it all away.
21:27He fell for a sick,
21:29twisted lie,
21:30fueled by his own pathetic need for security,
21:33and his guilt over Natalie,
21:35a woman who never loved him at all.
21:37I told him the truth countless times,
21:40and every single time,
21:42he dismissed me as jealous,
21:44as a liar,
21:45as someone,
21:46targeting,
21:47innocent,
21:48Natalie.
21:49Every word out of her mouth,
21:51was a carefully crafted trap,
21:53and he'd walked right into it,
21:55leading me straight to hell.
21:57He ground out her name through gritted teeth,
21:59his voice filled with a hatred he'd never known before.
22:02Natalie.
22:03Lucas didn't waste a single second tracking Natalie down.
22:08And when he found her,
22:10she was sitting casually on her sofa,
22:12painting her nails,
22:13acting as if nothing had happened.
22:15As if she hadn't ruined my life,
22:18and killed our unborn baby.
22:20She was calm,
22:21even smug,
22:23completely convinced Lucas would still take her side,
22:26like he always had.
22:27When he confronted her,
22:30hysterical with pain and rage,
22:31she didn't deny a single thing.
22:34She just smiled sweetly,
22:36set down her nail polish,
22:38and said,
22:41I did this for your own good.
22:43I wanted her to love you more.
22:45She stood up,
22:46and wrapped her arms around his waist,
22:48speaking,
22:49in that soft,
22:50childish tone,
22:52they'd used as kids.
22:54Don't you know what kind of person I am?
22:56When have I ever harmed you?
23:00Lucas's voice trembled with unbearable pain,
23:03as he replied,
23:05The doctor said,
23:08Elena might never wake up.
23:10Natalie didn't even flinch.
23:11She just traced slow circles on his back,
23:14casual,
23:15and cold.
23:16Isn't it better if she doesn't wake up?
23:18After all,
23:19she jumped herself,
23:20no one forced her.
23:22Besides,
23:23you still have me,
23:24don't you?
23:27She leaned up to kiss him,
23:29but Lucas shoved her away with all his strength,
23:32sending her falling hard to the floor.
23:34His eyes were ice cold,
23:36no guilt,
23:38no hesitation left,
23:39as he stared her down.
23:41Elena will definitely wake up,
23:45and I never had romantic feelings for you.
23:50The only person I've loved is Elena.
23:53Natalie just laughed,
23:55still confident that he'd never hurt her.
23:58After years of him indulning her every whim,
24:00she was dead wrong.
24:02That night,
24:03Lucas ordered his men,
24:05to drag her kicking and screaming,
24:07into a dark,
24:08isolated basement.
24:09She screamed his name over and over.
24:12Lucas,
24:13you can't treat me like this!
24:16I did all of this because I love you!
24:19But Lucas,
24:21just stood outside the door,
24:22watching her coldly,
24:24his voice sharp and threatening.
24:26You'd better pray Elena wakes up soon.
24:28If anything happens to her,
24:30I'll make you wish you were dead.
24:32But Natalie's family was wealthy and powerful,
24:34and they tracked her down and rescued her.
24:39A high-speed chase erupted through the dark city streets,
24:43and in the chaos,
24:44Lucas jerked the steering wheel hard,
24:46crashing his car head-on into the vehicle,
24:48carrying Natalie and her rescuers.
24:51The crash,
24:51was devastating.
24:53Natalie lost both legs permanently,
24:56suffered severe brain damage,
24:58that left her mentally impaired,
24:59and her own family,
25:01discarded her,
25:03like a broken,
25:04useless,
25:05object.
25:07Abandoning her,
25:08without a second thought.
25:09Lucas was badly injured in the crash too,
25:12covered in cuts and bruises,
25:14but he refused any medical treatment,
25:16ignoring his own pain to avenge me.
25:19He tracked down the group of thugs,
25:21who'd attacked me in the alley,
25:22who were packing to flee the country,
25:24to escape punishment.
25:26They fell to their knees,
25:28begging,
25:28and crying,
25:29Please spare us!
25:31It was all Natalie's orders!
25:33Lucas stared at them,
25:34with a completely blank expression,
25:37no mercy in his eyes,
25:39and gave a single cold order.
25:43Break their limbs,
25:44and throw them in the river.
25:46Their screams echoed along the riverbank,
25:48before they sank into the water,
25:51one by one.
25:52After dealing with everyone who'd hurt me,
25:55Lucas bailed out my mother's failing company,
25:57pouring in millions to save it,
25:59from total ruin,
26:00fixing the damage Natalie had caused to my family.
26:03Exhausted and broken,
26:05he returned to the hospital,
26:07and sat by my ICU bed,
26:09holding my cold, limp hand in his.
26:12His voice was choked with tears and regret,
26:14as he spoke to my unconscious body,
26:18Elena,
26:18I've avenged you.
26:20When will you wake up?
26:23We can have another baby.
26:25I'll never put you through those stupid tests again.
26:27I know I was wrong.
26:29I'm so sorry.
26:30But his apologies were too little,
26:33far too late.
26:34Lucas kept a constant vigil outside my ICU room,
26:38day and night,
26:39refusing to eat,
26:41or sleep.
26:42His once sharp,
26:43bright eyes,
26:44were bloodshot,
26:45and hollow,
26:47fixed only on my pale,
26:49still face through the glass window,
26:51clinging to the tiny hope,
26:52that I'd wake up.
26:53A full month passed,
26:55and every treatment failed to rouse me,
26:57until the lead doctor pulled Lucas aside,
27:00his face solemn,
27:01and said the words he'd been dreading,
27:03more than anything.
27:06We'll do everything we can, but...
27:13She may become permanently vigilative.
27:15No!
27:18Those words shattered the last of Lucas' hope.
27:21He clutched his chest,
27:23a sharp pain shooting through him,
27:25before he spat up a mouthful of blood,
27:27and collapsed unconscious to the floor.
27:29When he passed out,
27:31he was flooded with dreams of our past.
27:33Our wedding day,
27:35me in my white dress smiling at him with all the love in my eyes,
27:38all the times I risked my life for him,
27:41never knowing it was all a twisted test.
27:44The day we adopted Charlie from the animal shelter,
27:48after years of painful, failed IVF treatments,
27:51left me unable to conceive easily.
27:54We'd promised to be a family of three forever,
27:57and those warm memories flashed by,
27:59until they froze on the ultrasound image of our lost three-month-old baby.
28:03In the dream,
28:04the tiny embryo reached for him,
28:06only to dissolve into a pool of blood.
28:08Lucas woke up screaming,
28:11numb with grief and regret,
28:13drowning in guilt so heavy he could barely move.
28:16He didn't even have the courage to step into the ICU and look at me.
28:21He collapsed to his knees in the hallway.
28:24I'm sorry, Elena.
28:27As long as you're willing to wake up,
28:29I'll do anything,
28:31even die.
28:36Mr. Lucas!
28:38Just then,
28:39the ICU door burst open,
28:41and a nurse ran out,
28:43breathless and frantic.
28:46Lucas,
28:47your wife,
28:49she,
28:49when I finally blinked my eyes open,
28:52the harsh fluorescent lights of the ICU,
28:55didn't sting like I'd expected them to.
28:57For the first time,
28:58in six months,
29:00I didn't feel the heavy,
29:02burning ache of the poison in my bones,
29:04didn't feel the sharp pull of the stab wound in my abdomen,
29:08didn't feel the hollow,
29:10throbbing grief of losing my baby,
29:12weighing down my chest,
29:14the hereditary gift,
29:16that ran in my family's bloodline,
29:17the same one,
29:19that had let me save Lucas's life,
29:21all those months ago,
29:22had finally flushed,
29:24every last trace of the toxin,
29:26from my body.
29:27The world class medical team,
29:29Lucas had thrown at me,
29:30had stitched my physical wounds closed,
29:33but the second I felt strong enough,
29:35to swing my legs over the side of that hospital bed,
29:37I knew there was only one thing left to do,
29:40leave.
29:43The second I was steady enough,
29:45to stand on my own two feet,
29:46I didn't hesitate,
29:48for a single heartbeat.
29:50I slipped out of the scratchy hospital gown,
29:52and into the plain,
29:54clean clothes,
29:55my family had snuck in for me while I slept,
29:58leaving every trace of the life I'd had with Lucas behind,
30:01in that cold,
30:02sterile room.
30:03I didn't leave a scribbled note for him on the nightstand,
30:07didn't pause,
30:08to look at the wilting flowers,
30:10he'd piled up by the door,
30:11didn't wait around for him,
30:13to burst through the doors,
30:14with his tearful,
30:16meaningless apologies.
30:18I'd heard enough of his I'm sorry's,
30:20over the last six months,
30:22enough of his empty promises,
30:24to do better,
30:25I wasn't going to give him another chance,
30:27to break me all over again.
30:29I walked out of that hospital room,
30:31and I never looked back.
30:33When Lucas stumbled into that hospital room,
30:35an hour later,
30:37his eyes still bloodshot,
30:38from weeks of sleepless nights,
30:41his hands shaking,
30:42with the fragile,
30:44desperate hope,
30:45that the nurse's news,
30:46meant we could finally fix,
30:47what he'd broken,
30:48he practically threw the door open.
30:52He was ready to fall to his knees,
30:54and beg for my forgiveness,
30:56only to freeze dead in the doorway.
30:59The bed was neatly made,
31:00the monitors were turned off,
31:02the room was silent,
31:03and empty.
31:05The only thing left,
31:06was a single,
31:07unsigned sheet of paper,
31:09folded crisply,
31:10on the white pillow,
31:12where I'd laid unconscious,
31:13for a month.
31:14He crossed the room,
31:16in two shaky steps,
31:18grabbed the paper,
31:19and unfolded it,
31:20only to find one short,
31:22sharp,
31:23unwavering sentence,
31:25staring back at him.
31:27Between us,
31:28there is no more connection,
31:30no room for argument,
31:32no room for begging,
31:34no room for his regret.
31:36It was over,
31:38and he knew it the second he read those words.
31:40For years after that,
31:42Lucas hunted for me,
31:43like a man possessed.
31:45He poured every last dollar,
31:46of his billion dollar fortune,
31:48into the search,
31:49hired the best private investigators,
31:51in the world,
31:52put up billboards,
31:53in every major city,
31:54across the globe,
31:56scoured every small town,
31:58every remote village,
32:00every corner of the earth,
32:01looking for me,
32:03but it was all,
32:04completely,
32:05useless.
32:08My family and I had vanished,
32:10without a single trace,
32:12wiping every digital footprint,
32:14every paper record,
32:16every link,
32:16to the life,
32:17I'd once lived with him.
32:19He never knew the truth,
32:20about my family's legacy,
32:22the secret,
32:23we'd guarded,
32:24for generations.
32:25Along with our hereditary gift,
32:27to neutralize any poison,
32:29we'd also mastered,
32:30an ancient art,
32:32of concealment.
32:34One that let us,
32:35disappear completely,
32:36if we chose to.
32:37If I didn't want to be found,
32:39he could spend,
32:40every last day,
32:41of his life searching,
32:42and he'd never catch,
32:43even a glimpse of me.
32:45Even years later,
32:46the giant digital screens,
32:48in the heart of the city,
32:49he'd once ruled,
32:50still played his tearful,
32:52broken confessions,
32:54on a two-four,
32:55hour loop.
32:56I'd see clips of it,
32:57online sometimes,
32:59strangers,
32:59sharing the video,
33:00of the broken billionaire,
33:02begging for his wife,
33:03to come home,
33:04his voice cracking,
33:05as he sobbed,
33:06into the camera.
33:08Everyone who hurt you,
33:09has paid the price,
33:10except me.
33:12Please come back,
33:13and punish me yourself.
33:27I saw one of those clips once,
33:29by chance,
33:30on a tiny cafe tv screen,
33:33in a quiet little town,
33:34halfway across the world,
33:36a place where no one knew my name,
33:38no one knew my story,
33:40and as I stared,
33:41at his gaunt,
33:42broken face,
33:44on that screen,
33:44I felt absolutely nothing,
33:47no flicker of anger,
33:49no twinge of sadness,
33:50no leftover spark,
33:52of the love,
33:53I'd once felt for him.
33:54It was like watching,
33:55a total stranger on the screen,
33:57in that moment,
33:58I knew I was truly,
34:00completely free of him,
34:01free of the pain,
34:03free of the tests,
34:04free of the life,
34:05he'd forced me into,
34:07without the anchor,
34:08of the only person,
34:09he'd ever truly loved,
34:10Lucas fell apart,
34:12completely,
34:13his once mighty business empire,
34:15crumbled around him,
34:16his stocks plummeted,
34:18his long time partners,
34:19bailed one by one,
34:20and the company,
34:21he'd spent his whole life building,
34:23collapsed into total bankruptcy,
34:26and then,
34:27the law,
34:28finally,
34:29caught up to him,
34:30the cold,
34:31hard evidence,
34:32of what he'd done,
34:33to those thugs,
34:34ordering his men,
34:35to break their limbs,
34:36and drown them in the river,
34:38was dug up,
34:39irrefutable,
34:40and damning,
34:42he was arrested,
34:43put on public trial,
34:45and ultimately sentenced to death,
34:47for murder,
34:48on the day of his execution,
34:50he sat strapped to the chair,
34:52his eyes fixed unblinkingly,
34:54on the metal door to the room,
34:55right up,
34:56until the very end,
34:58he clung to that last,
34:59tiny,
35:00desperate,
35:01foolish hope,
35:02that I'd walk through that door,
35:04that I'd give him,
35:05one last look,
35:06one last chance,
35:08to say he was sorry,
35:09but I never did,
35:10I wasn't there,
35:11I never would be,
35:13as the cold barrel of the gun,
35:15was pressed to the back of his head,
35:17the woman he'd destroyed,
35:19never came,
35:20when it became clear,
35:21I wasn't going to show up,
35:23all the color drained from his face,
35:25leaving it ashen,
35:26and empty,
35:28he forced a bitter,
35:29broken smile,
35:31the last sound he made,
35:32a quiet,
35:33trembling whisper,
35:35meant only for me,
35:36even though I wasn't there,
35:38to hear it,
35:42you won't even,
35:43look at me one,
35:45last time,
35:47the gunshot rang out,
35:48a split second later,
35:50loud and final,
35:51echoing through the small,
35:52in that instant,
35:55all the love,
35:56all the hate,
35:58all the years of pain,
35:59and regret,
36:00and tragedy,
36:01vanished,
36:02into thin air,
36:03our twisted,
36:04tragic story,
36:06ended there,
36:07once and for,
36:08I didn't hear,
36:09I didn't hear that gunshot,
36:10I didn't read about,
36:12his death in the papers,
36:14didn't watch the news coverage,
36:15of his execution,
36:17I was halfway across the world,
36:19standing,
36:19on a quiet beach,
36:21watching the sun rise,
36:22over the ocean,
36:24painting the sky,
36:25soft pink,
36:26and brilliant gold,
36:28I turned toward,
36:29that warm,
36:30rising sun,
36:31and took a steady,
36:32step forward,
36:33leaving every last trace,
36:35of that old life,
36:37behind me,
36:39no more brutal loyalty tests,
36:41no more endless pain,
36:42no more giving pieces of myself away,
36:45to a man who didn't deserve them,
36:47from that day on,
36:48I,
36:49Elena,
36:50belong only to myself,
36:52my life is mine to live,
36:54my heart is mine to guard,
36:56my future,
36:58is mine to build,
36:59and I wouldn't have it,
37:00any other way,