Chapter 5

Katrina's POV

What do we do now?" Alicia's distressed voice brought my attention back to the present.

Nothing, Hudson and Katrina are both pawns. I can play them however I want, and I know exactly which strings to pull to get them on their knees," Dominic boasted, his arrogance evident.

I followed Hudson and found him back at the party, searching for someone. Dominic eventually approached and offered to dance with me.

I examined myself like I was looking into a mirror, the happiness I felt that day radiating from my every pore. It was impossible to overlook.

As I danced with Dominic, I couldn't help but notice Hudson's gaze fixed upon us. The pain in his eyes was unmistakable, and in that moment, a surge of unfamiliar emotions for him overcame me.

Hudson maneuvered through the crowd, clutching a drink in hand, determined to reach us. I observed closely as he accidentally bumped into me, causing the wine to spill all over my dress.

I recalled the frustration I felt at that moment, realizing that the beautiful dress I had intended to keep as a memento of my wedding day was ruined.

Unfortunately, I was unable to retrieve it from my mother, who had hidden it away in a secluded part of the closet.

With an apologetic tone, Hudson addressed both Dominic and me, as if Dominic were a stranger. As I went to clean up the mess, I noticed him surreptitiously following me.

"Katrina, we need to talk," he said, invading my privacy and personal space as he always did.

"Get out! Who do you think you are, barging into a women's restroom?" I snapped, my anger evident as I scolded him.

"I understand, but I need to..." "I need to tell you something important," he pleaded urgently, but I was unwilling to listen. I dismissed him and he crossed paths with Dominic at the door.

There was a significant exchange of looks between them before Dominic casually strolled into the restroom without a care in the world.

It was at that moment I decided against going inside, knowing what had transpired between us there.

Suddenly, everything shifted. The surroundings blurred and twisted, transporting me back to a different time. It felt like a year ago, just a few days before I had transferred the business into Dominic's name.

I had received an anonymous text, prompting me to step out onto the roadside. In an instant, a car came hurtling toward me at an alarming speed, but another vehicle collided with it, saving my life.

The speeding car swiftly fled the scene, leaving behind my savior. At the time, there was a crowd gathered, and I didn't bother to check who it was. But now, I decided to take a closer look and realized it was Hudson.

Driven by curiosity, I trailed the other car and observed it coming to a stop near Dominic's grand mansion. To my surprise, it was Dominic and Alicia.

It was then that I realized they had planned to murder me, but Hudson had intervened and saved my life. Once again, everything shifted. The surroundings blurred and twisted, transporting me to another point in time.

I cautiously approached the car and noticed Hudson inside, bleeding from a wound. "Agh!" he grunted, wincing in pain before starting the car and speeding away. In an instant, I found myself in a different time zone, now at home.

I was in the shower, singing at the top of my lungs when suddenly Hudson barged in.

I watched in disbelief as he picked up my phone and extracted a chip. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a tracking chip.

"Ahh!" A piercing scream echoed through the bathroom, and I spun around to see myself screaming at Hudson. To my horror, I realized I was completely naked, and his eyes were fixed upon me, taking in every inch of my exposed body.

"Ahh!"

"Ahh!"

"What on earth are you doing here?" I exclaimed, my voice filled with shock and anger.

"Watch your language, kitty," Houston chided, trying to maintain a calm demeanor.

"Don't lecture me about language or ethics! Why are you in my bathroom, and why do you have my phone? Were you taking pictures of me?"

The situation was beyond awkward, and I couldn't help but feel a mix of confusion and frustration. Houston's feeble excuse only added insult to injury.

"Yeah, I was trying to take pictures of you. I figured that would scare away any potential suitors or maybe turn them gay," he taunted, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"Get out. Right now!" I ordered, my voice firm and resolute. Hudson wordlessly implied, exiting the bathroom without further protest.

"What a pervert," I muttered to myself, releasing a heavy sigh as I tried to process what had just happened.

I witnessed another scene unfold before my eyes—a memory of Domnic and me, cuddling affectionately in our cozy living room. Friday nights held a special place in my heart because of those cherished moments.

This particular memory resurfaced, accompanied by the recollection of the day I signed over the company to him. I watched as he walked away, clutching the papers I had entrusted to him.

At the time, a wave of confusion washed over me, but I allowed myself to believe that he simply wanted to keep them safe.

Driven by a mix of curiosity and unease, I quietly followed Domnic up the stairs, making my way to our shared bedroom.

To my dismay, I discovered him engaged in a phone call with someone unexpected—my own sister, Alicia.

The sight struck me like a knife through the heart, leaving me feeling betrayed and utterly broken. I listened in disbelief as they callously discussed planning my demise, their sinister intentions unfolding before me.

It became painfully clear that stumbling upon them in that room was no coincidence; it was all carefully orchestrated, with Domnic taking the lead.

The world around me seemed to blur as if fading into darkness, and I was abruptly thrust back into reality—the burning hospital.

To my left lay the lifeless, charred body of the one person who had genuinely loved and cared for me.

Then suddenly I felt a huge pain envelope me and a primal heart wrecking roar echoed through the dark walls of the hospital.