Say Less I Love You Episode 19

Chapter 226

 NYLA

I pull up to Kyra's modest brownstone, my hands still trembling from the confrontation with Kevin. I've learned about Trixa's elaborate plans to beat me. And I know how Trixa works. But Marcus still eludes me. I need to understand him, to get inside his head. And only Kyra can give me those answers. Autumn leaves scatter across the steps as I make my way to her door.

Kyra welcomes me into her living room, the space filled with academic books and the subtle scent of jasmine tea. I sink into the plush armchair while she perches on her floral sofa, concern etched across her face as I recount everything.

"He's making us compete for Neuromax like it's some twisted game show," I say, running my fingers through my hair. "Trixa and I have to battle it out for his approval. The one who gets the biggest contract wins."

Kyra's hands tighten around her teacup. "Marcus always had... intensity. But this is something else entirely."

"I thought he was different. When I first met him at the hospital, he seemed like a good man who cared about helping people." My voice catches. "How did he become this... this monster who'd poison his own daughter's fiancé?"

"The Marcus I knew..." Kyra pauses, pain flickering across her face. "He was brilliant, passionate about his research. We were going to change the world together."

"What happened?" I lean forward, searching her expression. "You loved him once. How did he turn into someone who treats his own children like pawns?"

Kyra sets down her cup, the china clinking softly against the saucer. Her eyes grow distant with memories. "I've asked myself that question a thousand times."

"Please," I whisper. "I need to understand why he's doing this to us."

Kyra takes my trembling hands in hers, her fingers warm and steady against my cold skin. "There's something you need to know about why we gave you up," she says, her voice catching. "It wasn't our choice."

My heart pounds against my ribs. "What do you mean?"

"It was Hilda Stone." Kyra's grip tightens. "When Marcus and I made the original Neuromax breakthrough, we were so young, so naive. We thought we could change the world."

"What did Hilda do?" The words barely escape my throat.

"She threatened to destroy everything - our careers, our research, our lives. She was worried that when we became parents, we would lose the hunger. She thought a baby would get in the way of our future." Kyra's eyes glisten with unshed tears. "She said if we didn't give you up, she'd make sure we never worked in pharmaceuticals again. She wanted complete control of our research"

"She made you choose between your baby and your life's work?" The room spins as the implications hit me.

"We tried to fight it, but she had too much power, too many connections." Kyra's voice breaks. "The day they took you away... I've never felt pain like that."

I squeeze her hands, anger burning in my chest. All these years, Hilda has been manipulating everyone around her - first my parents, then Jacob, and now me. The woman's cruelty knows no bounds.

"That's why Marcus changed," Kyra whispers. "Losing you broke something in him. He became obsessed with power, determined to never be vulnerable again."

The revelation settles over me like ice. My whole life has been shaped by Hilda Stone's ruthless ambition.

Kyra's hands tremble as she refills her teacup, the liquid splashing slightly over the rim. "After I lost you, Marcus... changed. His ambition consumed him. He married into old money through Trixa's mother, climbed the social ladder."

"And you never tried to contact him?" I ask, watching her carefully.

She shakes her head, setting down the cup with a soft clink. "I threw myself into research, tried to forget. For years, I assumed he'd found his happiness in that world of wealth and privilege."

"But now he's back." The words hang heavy in the jasmine-scented air.

Kyra's eyes darken. "When I heard he'd faked his death, everything shifted. The Marcus I knew would never abandon his daughter, his company, his whole life... unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless he was plotting something bigger." She leans forward, voice dropping. "The timing of his return, the way he's manipulating you and Trixa against each other. I can't help but wonder if this is all about revenge against the Stones."

My stomach twists. "Against Hilda, you mean?"

"She took everything from him - his research, his child, his dignity." Kyra's fingers grip the armrest. "What better revenge than using his own daughters to destroy her family's empire from within?"

The revelation hits me like a physical blow. I've been so focused on winning this twisted competition, I never stopped to consider why Marcus set it up in the first place.

"Oh god," I whisper. "We're just pawns in his vendetta against Hilda."

"And knowing Marcus," Kyra adds grimly, "this is only the beginning."

Kyra leans forward, her tea forgotten. "This competition... it's Marcus attempting to regain control. He has everything he needs - Neuromax, Jacob's life, and you."

"I'm not on his side," I interrupt sharply, straightening in my chair. "He's still a criminal who's poisoned Jacob."

A bitter laugh escapes Kyra's lips. "Whatever Marcus has become, he's not half the monster Hilda Stone is. That woman..." Her hands clench around her teacup. "She destroyed families, lives, careers - all for power."

I study her face, seeing decades of pain etched in the lines around her eyes. The hatred for Hilda runs deep, maybe even deeper than mine.

"But what's his endgame?" I ask, my mind racing. "Why pit Trixa and me against each other like this?"

"I've been asking myself the same question." Kyra sets down her cup with a decisive click. "There's only one explanation that makes sense. First, they release Neuromax and rake in billions as people become dependent on it. Then, when the addiction crisis hits..."

"Trixa can point the finger at Stone Hospital Group," I finish, the pieces falling into place. "She'll claim Marcus's original patent was safe and non-addictive. That the Stones corrupted it out of greed."

"Exactly." Kyra's eyes gleam. "The perfect revenge - destroying Hilda's legacy while positioning Trixa as the righteous whistleblower."

The elaborate scheme takes my breath away. All these years, Marcus has been plotting to bring down the woman who tore his family apart. And now he's using his daughters as weapons in his war.

The rage builds inside me like a gathering storm, my fingers digging into the soft fabric of the armchair. Every word Kyra speaks fans the flames higher. Hilda Stone didn't just manipulate Jacob or try to destroy me - she systematically dismantled my entire family before I was even born.

"That woman," I spit out, my voice trembling with fury. "She's the reason I grew up without you. The reason Marcus became..." I can't even finish the sentence.

Kyra reaches for me, her hands shaking. "I wanted you so much. Every birthday, every Christmas, I wondered where you were, if you were happy..."

The dam breaks. I launch myself forward, wrapping my arms around my birth mother. She smells like jasmine and safety and lost possibilities. Tears stream down my face as I hold her tight, years of longing and anger pouring out.

"We'll make her pay," I whisper fiercely into Kyra's shoulder. "For everything she took from us. For Jacob. For our family."

Kyra's arms tighten around me. "Together," she promises, her voice thick with emotion.

I pull back just enough to meet her eyes, seeing my own determination reflected there. Hilda Stone's reign of destruction ends now.