Chapter 355: Cornered

Braelyn’s POV

My screams tore through my throat until they came out raw and broken with unrecognisable sounds that were more air than sound. My chest burned, my lungs aching as if they were collapsing in on themselves, but I didn’t stop. Fear had swallowed everything else, including pride and reason, leaving only the desperate need to get away from him.

Raphael kept walking as if none of it mattered. His grip on me remained firm, like I was something he owned rather than someone trying to escape him. Each step he took brought us closer to the car, and the sight of the black Bentley waiting ahead made my stomach twist violently.

“Raphael, please…” My voice cracked under the weight of panic. “Please don’t do this…” I pleaded through snort.

He didn’t respond. His jaw was clenched so tightly that the muscles ticked, and for a brief moment, I caught something in his eyes that made my fear deepen. It wasn’t just anger or obsession. There was hurt buried underneath, something broken and dangerous that made him even more unpredictable.

The sharp screech of tyres cut through the air without warning. A car sped into the parking lot and swerved aggressively, stopping right in front of Raphael and blocking his path. The sudden interruption forced him to halt, and my heart slammed violently against my ribs as hope sparked inside me.

The car door flew open and Lucien stepped out.

Everything else faded into the background the moment I saw him. The cold air, the pain in my heart, the suffocating fear, all of it dimmed as my focus locked entirely on him. Relief hit me so hard it almost made my knees weak.

“Lucien!” I screamed, my voice breaking completely. “Save me!”

His gaze snapped to me instantly, and his expression shifted instantly. His eyes turned cold in a way that felt controlled rather than explosive, like a storm that had already decided where it would strike.

He took his first step forward. His jaw was clenched barely holding back himself. “Let go of her, Raphael,” he said calmly, his voice low and steady. “This is kidnapping,” he stated an obvious fact.

Raphael didn’t move. I felt the tension ripple through his body as his grip tightened, his fingers digging into me as though he was bracing himself for something inevitable.

“Why should I listen to you?” Raphael replied, his tone dark and edged with bitterness. “This is between a married couple. You have no place here.”

Lucien stepped forward slowly, his gaze never leaving Raphael. Another car door opened behind him, and Benjamin stepped out. I recognised him immediately, Lucien’s friend from that trip, but my attention stayed fixed on Lucien. Benjamin’s eyes darted around as if slowly understanding the situation.

“Should I call the police?,” he suggested but Lucien didn’t answer his attention was solely on Raphael.

“It has everything to do with me, Raphael,” Lucien said. “She is carrying my child. Something you couldn’t do in 5 years of marriage. ” he taunted

Raphael gasped at his words. The admission was brutal. Raphael’s body went rigid beneath me, and for a fraction of a second, his grip faltered. I felt that hesitation, that crack in his control, but it vanished almost as quickly as it appeared.

“That means nothing,” Raphael snapped. “Braelyn is my wife.” his possessiveness flared up.

“Please stop this madness, Raphael,” I chirped not wanting to drag this out, my voice trembling despite my effort to steady it. “You’re only making things worse. Just stop.”

Lucien let out a quiet scoff, his lips curving slightly in disdain. “For how long?” he asked. “If you have any pride left, you would sign the divorce and let her go.”

Raphael didn’t respond immediately. His steps had stopped completely now, and I could feel the storm inside him. For a moment, hope flickered in my chest as I wondered if he might finally listen.

“She doesn’t love you anymore,” Lucien continued, his voice cutting through the silence. “All you are doing is forcing something that is already broken. It would only make her hate you more.”

Raphael’s hold on me shifted slightly, tightening in a way that felt possessive rather than desperate. His head lifted, and his gaze locked onto Lucien with something darker than anger burning in his eyes.

“You think you’ve won?” Raphael said slowly. “Do you think I don’t see what you’re doing? You have always wanted everything that was mine.”

He paused, his grip tightening again as if he was reminding both of us who still had control in this moment.

“You can take the company,” he continued, his voice low with a warning tone. “But you cannot take my wife.”

Lucien didn’t hesitate. “So what if I take everything?” he dismissed Raphael with a cold tone. “If you cannot protect it, then you do not deserve to keep it.”

The words hit with quiet force, and I felt the tension spike instantly.”I will ask you one last time,” Lucien said, his voice dropping further. “Let go of her.”

The silence that followed was heavy and suffocating. Then Benjamin stepped forward.

In one smooth motion, he pulled out a gun and aimed it directly at Raphael. The metallic glint caught the sunlight, making my breath hitch in my throat as the reality of the situation settled in.

“Do not push this any further,” Lucien said, his voice calm but firm. “You know what he is capable of.”

The air shifted. Raphael didn’t move, but I could feel the hesitation in him now. It wasn’t obvious, but it was there, buried beneath the anger and obsession. His grip on me tightened once more, as though he was trying to hold onto the last bit of control he had left.

“Raphael…” I whispered, my voice softer now, pleading rather than fighting. “Please… just let me go.”

Raphael might be crazy and a fighter, but he didn’t have to what it took to shed blood. That was a line he hadn’t crossed. His voice was choked then he asked. “Is this really it?” He whispered more to himself than to me

He stared at the gun but he wasn’t scared of death. I gulped then spoke slowly. “Please don’t let me see your blood.”

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