In the Spotlight

The rain lashed against the window. In the darkness, Vanessa clung to her fading consciousness, counting the sound of water droplets echoing from outside. She strained to hear over the storm, her heart pounding as anxiety coiled tighter within her.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, a sliver of light slicing through the darkness of the room, and a familiar, beautiful face came into view.

The girl in high heels-Beatriz Langley-let out a mocking laugh and flipped on the room's light. "Tsk... tsk... Still waiting for Luca to save you? Haha... Stop dreaming, Vanessa..."

She casually picked up a knife from the corner and sneered, "The golden girl, the treasure of the Ness Corporation-did you ever imagine this day would come?"

Vanessa watched as Beatriz brandished the long knife and rasped, "Beatriz, if you let me go, I'll give you anything you want-my shares, the chairman's position. I won't fight you anymore."

Beatriz sighed dramatically. "Back then, no matter what I did, you refused to let me into Ness Corporation. And now? Not only Ness Corporation, but everything the Langley family owns will be mine too."

Vanessa felt as if she'd been struck by lightning, her body plunging into icy despair. "Beatriz, my mom raised you as her own. How can you be so cruel? She knew nothing of this."

"So what?" Beatriz looked at her, amused, as though she'd just heard a joke. "Oh, right. Let's not forget-you betrayed Luca, didn't you?"

Vanessa's face was full of despair, her voice breaking as she weakly denied, "I didn't."

"I know you didn't," Beatriz whispered in an exaggeratedly innocent tone, twirling the knife in her hand. "But Luca doesn't believe you."

She raised the long knife with both hands, her voice light but chilling. "I've answered all your stupid questions so you can die knowing the truth. Now, go in peace!"

With that, Beatriz lifted the knife and prepared to plunge it into Vanessa's abdomen.

'Bang! Bang!'

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. Beatriz's hand froze mid-air, her face twisting in irritation.

"Beatriz, they've arrived," a man's low voice came from outside the door.

"What terrible timing." Beatriz tossed the knife to the ground and looked at the trembling Vanessa with a smirk. "Congratulations, you get to live another hour."

The sound of the door closing made the weight on Vanessa's chest finally lift. She let out a long breath, and her heart leaped when she realized-the door wasn't locked!

Bracing her belly, she forced herself to stand and quickly made her way to the door. She opened it and stepped outside, soon finding the small gate to the back garden. But just as she thought she was safe, Beatriz's voice suddenly echoed behind her.

"Stop!"

A chill ran down Vanessa's spine. She didn't hesitate any longer and ran toward the gate, clutching her stomach. The footsteps behind her grew closer and closer. Just when she thought she'd be caught, a familiar figure appeared at the corner of the street.

Luca!

Without a second thought, she rushed toward him, gripping his suit tightly as she tried to hold back her tears. "Luca, you finally came..."

But the man's face lacked the warmth and affection it once held. Instead, his expression was cold and impatient. Still, he lifted Vanessa and placed her into the car.

The familiar scent of him brought her a fleeting sense of comfort as she leaned against him, whispering, "Luca... thank God you're here... our child almost..."

"Shut up!"

Vanessa stared at him in shock, her gaze catching a fleeting moment of hesitation in his eyes.

The car stopped in front of a private hospital.

"I'll do what Beatriz couldn't do."