Billionaire's Second Chance At Love

Chapter 126

Diana couldn't help but freak out at Ladder's words. She knew he meant them, each one of them, and it clenched something inside her.

"Lewis, please. You don't have to be so difficult," she said desperately, scooting over to the edge of her seat.

She couldn't let him do what he threatened—she knew he wouldn't think twice before following through on his words. She knew better than to think there was any humor in his words—there wasn't. The man was ruthless—if not for his stubbornness, the device wouldn't have existed in the first place, especially when the government shut down the project decades ago. But Lewis Ladder never took a "no" for an answer, and when he set his mind to something, he went beyond his ways to satisfy his goddamn ego.

This was the reason—the damn reason she tried to keep her family out of the mess she had unwittingly gotten herself into. The same reason she had to leave her family behind and keep them clueless over the past years.

Lewis merely sneered. "You should have thought about that before you stole from me, Diana. Now, it's simply too late. Now is the time when I teach you a lesson for taking what's mine. And what better lesson than hurting your family? That way, you'll remember this moment forever and never repeat the same mistake."

Diana pursed her lips, tears burning her eyes. Lewis Ladder was a monster. She knew that—she had known that for a while—but she hadn't expected a day to come when her own family would be on the line. This was not how things were supposed to happen.

For years, the Walsh family kept her safe. First, it was George—Simon's father—and then, after Walsh Senior passed away, it was Simon who took over her protection and kept her safe all this time. But suddenly, the tables had turned. She should have listened to Simon. She should never have stayed longer than she had to. Now, not only did Lewis Ladder have her family under his thumb, he also had her and the device, which he was determined to get, no matter to what extent he had to go. The man was never afraid of crossing boundaries he shouldn't.

Diana shook her head, unable to utter a single word. She felt like a deer caught in the headlights. She knew Lewis was capable of doing what he threatened, but she couldn't let him harm her family. She had to protect them somehow.

She breathed in a deep breath, not sure what else to say anymore. But she had to try, right? That's the least she could do to save her family.

"Why are you doing this?" She couldn't help but ask, her voice trembling with the thought of how everything was going to hell. Her chest ached with how much she blamed herself for it. She should have been more cautious. She should have never returned in the first place. "You don't have to be so cruel, and you know that. You're just doing this to punish me. And I understand. I understand your anger, your frustration, and your need to make me pay for the time I wasted. But this...this threat against my family...this can't be the answer to anything. Take out your anger on me instead, kill me if that gives you peace of mind. But leave my family out of this. I beg of you. Please, Lewis, don't...don't do this."

Tears rolled down her face, but nothing inside her regretted even a single second of it. Her daughter and her family didn't deserve to pay for her actions. Right or wrong, with good intent or not, she had brought this danger upon them and she hated herself for it. She hated herself so damn much.

Through the haze of tears in her eyes, she saw as Lewis leaned closer to the screen and for a second she watched as his face softened. "You're right. I don't have to be cruel. I have a choice. You're absolutely right," he shook his head, looking away for a second as if staring at something in deep thought. But then his jaw clenched, and he snapped his gaze back at the screen, at her, and laughed. "You're an idiot to think I'll do this to you and your precious little family because I have to. My dear Diana, I will do this to your family not because I have to, but because I want. And I'll do my best to enjoy you being miserable for the rest of your already miserable life."