Battle between brothers

CHAPTER 1

I stood there in shock as my husband presented me divorce papers demanding that I sign them. My eyes filled with tears as I pleaded with him to reconsider, But Zayn's expression was cold, his eyes hard with determination.

"Get out. Lyra, You're no longer welcome here."

I softly placed my hand on my swollen belly, gesturing to our child that's growing inside me. "Zayn, please," I pleaded, my voice filled with emotion. "We've been together for four years. I'm carrying your child. How can you just throw me out like this?"

Zayn smirked, his lip curling in disgust. "The child you're carrying is a mistake, a mistake that's not even mine. A mistake that I'm constantly reminded of each time I look at you. And as for our marriage... it's been a sham from the very beginning. I've found someone else, someone who actually matters to me, so just sign the papers."

My eyes widened in shock, my face pale with hurt as the realization hit me. "Olivia?" ....... "It's Olivia right? You're leaving me and abandoning your family just for her?" I whispered, my voice trembling.

"First of all, I have no family and we both know I'm not the father of the parasite you're carrying, so stop with the act," he accused, his voice dripping with malice. "You've been unfaithful to me, Lyra. I've seen the evidence. I know all about your little affair with Adrian. And now you're trying to pass off his child as mine? You're disgusting.", he spat "Oh...Yes, I almost forgot about Olivia. She's the one I long for, the one I desire to be with, not you. I no longer want anything to do with you or the bastard... Child you're carrying."

"NO!" I protested, my voice shaking with emotion. "That's not true. I've been nothing but faithful to you since the very beginning, despite the fact that our marriage is nothing but a contract, a mere piece of paper in your eyes. I've only ever been loyal to you, I swear it."

"Can you stop trying to force things? Just like you said our marriage is nothing but a mere contact forged for our mutual benefit, call me crazy but I think you've benefited enough from this, meaning our contract has expired. So stop complicating things, sign the divorce papers and leave!"

"NO!. I won't sign it, I won't let you abandon me like this"......... "This is my home, too. And I won't let you just throw me out like trash."

Zayn's expression turned cold, his eyes glinting with anger. "Fine," he spat, his voice venomous. "If you won't leave, then I will. I'll leave, you and your precious child can rot in this mansion for all I care, but I'll make you sign those papers one way or another."

As he turned to leave, I rushed forward, gripping his arm tightly. "Zayn, please don't go," I pleaded, as my desperation overwhelmed me. "Let's talk about this. We'll find a way to work through this, just don't leave."

But Zayn was unforgiving. He violently pushed shoved me off him, his eyes blazing with anger. "Don't touch me with those disgusting hands of yours"... "You're nothing to me, Lyra. Nothing but a cheating, lying, manipulative wretch"

I stumbled backward, falling to the cold hard floor, my body wracked with sobs as Zayn stormed out of the mansion.

Days had passed and Zayn still hadn't returned to the mansion. I tried going out to find him myself but he ordered the guards not to let me out, forcing me into solitary confinement. All I could do was to wallow in my own self pity as I patiently waited, hoping Zayn would return home.

As the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, my isolation became almost unbearable. Zayn had left the mansion, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the oppressive silence. I had lost count of the days, and my only companions were the cold, empty halls and the distant, detached staff.

But then, one day, I heard the sound of footsteps, echoing through the foyer. My heart skipped a beat as I realized that Zayn had finally returned. I felt a mix of emotions, anger, hurt, and a deep-seated longing for the man I once thought I knew.

As Zayn walked into the room, my eyes widened in shock. He was not alone. On his arm, smiling brightly, was Olivia. My mind froze as I stared at the woman who had been the source of the constant pain, suffering and humiliation I was forced to endure.

"How dare you!" I screamed, my anger consuming me. "How dare you bring her into my home! After abandoning me here for 3 months, you still have the audacity to show up with your mistress!"

Zayn's expression was calm, almost bored, as he gazed at me. "Mistress? That's rich coming from you" ......"It seems you've forgotten so I'll remind you. I've loved her unconditionally since we were kids, before I even knew of your existence. If anything, you're the mistress because you're the one who's trying to get between us and ruin our love."

My anger boiled over, causing me to lose control, my eyes blazed with fierce intensity as I lunged at Olivia, my hands clawed, ready to strike. But Zayn was too quick, intervening just in time to prevent me from harming his mistress.

With a cruel smile, Zayn pushed me hard to the floor, ignoring my pregnant state. I cried out in pain as I landed on my side, my hands instinctively cradling my belly.

As I struggled to get up, Zayn threw a file at me, the papers scattering across the floor. "Sign them," he growled, his eyes glinting with malice. "Sign the divorce papers, Lyra. It's over between us."

As I looked at the satisfied expression on Olivia's face, my eyes filled with angry tears. But before I could even get a word in, Zayn interrupted me, gesturing at the remaining files scattered on the floor.

"Look inside the file again, Lyra," he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "There's something else in there. Something special."

My hands trembled as she opened the file again, my heart racing with fear. And then, I saw them. The pictures. The gruesome, horrific pictures of my parent's dead bodies.

My mother's body had been mutilated, her face unrecognizable, I could only identify her by the birthmark on her right arm that had been stained with her own blood. And my father's body was hanging from a rope, his eyes frozen in a permanent stare. My mind shattered, as I stumbled over my own words.

"No," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "No, no, no. How......how did she...did they?" I was at the edge of losing my sanity, trying to figure out what had happened to my parents, until the realization hit me "you...you killed them, didn't you?"

CHAPTER 2

I stared at the horrific pictures in silence before a sudden surge of anger and hurt ran through me as I stood up, my eyes blazing with accusation. "You did this, didn't you?!. You killed them just because I refused to sign the divorce papers."

Zayn sighed, his expression bored. "Oh, Lyra, not this again. Why do you always try to find a way to blame me for everything?" he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "Well, as much as I'd love to, I didn't kill your parents" ......"Your father made some very bad business investments and got involved with a lot of shady people. And while you were busy chasing after me, His company was crumbling"

My eyes widened in horror as Zayn's words painted a vivid picture of my parents' final moments. "Your father was already tugging at the final thread of his sanity when the news of your infidelity broke out, and that only served as fuel to the already out of control fire" ........."He was so enraged that he decided to brutally murdered your mother for giving him such an incompetent daughter instead of a son. And then...I'm guessing he hung himself shortly afterwards."

My face went pale upon hearing Zayn's words, I knew that my father hated me but I refused to believe that he'd do such a thing. "You're lying," I whispered, my voice and my whole body trembling. "You're just trying to deceive me."

Zayn rolled his eyes, his expression uninterested. "Lying?," he said, his voice flat. "I'm just telling you the truth. But you're too blinded by your own emotions to see it."

My anger boiled over, my voice rising into screams. "You're a monster!" I spat, My eyes blazing with hatred. "You're a heartless, cruel, barbaric monster!"

Zayn shrugged, his expression unchanging. "Maybe I am," he said, his voice bored. "But that doesn't change the fact that I'm telling the truth. And besides if I'm all that, then what should we call your father?" He chuckled.

"You're...you're enjoying this, aren't you?" I whispered, my voice barely audible "You're enjoying watching me suffer."

Zayn's expression didn't change, but his voice took on a slightly amused tone. "Only a little," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "But mostly, I'm just bored. Bored of your accusations, bored of your tears, bored of your pathetic attempts to cling to me, I'm bored of it all. But most importantly I'm bored of you so just sign the divorce papers already and stop wasting our precious time."

I was enraged and frustrated coupled with the grief I was nurturing in my heart. I couldn't take it anymore, couldn't take the pain and hardship I had been subjected to but most especially I couldn't take the mockery in Zayn's eyes.

I pulled out a gun that I had concealed underneath my dress. I trembled as my finger tightened around the trigger but before I had the chance to take the shot, the police burst into the mansion, surrounding me and wrenching the gun from my grasp. "Lyra Walton, you're under arrest," one of the officers growled, cuffing my wrists behind my back.

My eyes widened in shock as the officers read out the charges against me. "You're being held accountable for your father's crimes and fraudulent activities," one of them explained. "Since he's deceased, you're the next in line to face the consequences as his heir."

As the officers dragged me out of the mansion, I struggled and kicked, but my efforts were futile. "You can't do this!" I screamed, my voice echoing through the halls. "I didn't do anything wrong! I'm innocent!"

Zayn's voice cut through the chaos, "Wait!"

The officers paused, and my eyes locked onto Zayn's, a glimmer of hope sparking within me. Maybe, just maybe, he was going to save me.

But Zayn's next words crushed my hopes. "I need her to sign these divorce papers before she leaves," he said, a smug smile spreading across his face.

My eyes blazed with anger but I was helpless as the officers forced me to sign the papers, my hand shaking with rage and despair. As I scribbled my signature, the paparazzi and journalists swarmed around me, snapping pictures and shouting insults.

"Look at her! She's a disgrace!" one of them shouted.

"Shame on you, Lyra!" another one cried.

The neighbors soon joined in, hurling rotten food and insults at me as I was dragged away. "You're a dirty little slut!" one of them screamed.

"You're going to rot in prison!" another one shouted.

I stumbled, my eyes blinded by tears and shame, as the officers violently shoved me into the police car. I collapsed onto the seat, my body wracked with sobs.

The vehicle sped away, leaving the chaos behind. As the police car sped away I began to feel sudden contractions that slowly intensified along the way. The strain of the emotional and physical turmoil I had endured for the past few days, coupled with the events of the day, finally took their toll. I felt a searing pain in my lower abdomen, as blood slowly began to trickle down my legs.

The police officers rushed me to the nearest city hospital, where I gave birth to a premature baby boy. At just six months old he was forcefully brought into the world, but unfortunately he died shortly after he was born as his lungs weren't fully developed. I remained in the hospital for two more weeks, unable to grieve the loss of my child as I was under strict surveillance, being held prisoner, my every move monitored, as I was scheduled to be taken to prison as soon as I had recovered

But I had other plans.

The moment I felt strong enough to move, I slipped out of my hospital bed and made a break for it. I only had one goal in mind: to escape this horrible place and avenge my son's death.

Just as I began losing hope of being able to escape successfully, as the police officers were already on my tail. I noticed a strange man in a black coat with his face completely covered. The strange man led me out of the hospital, without saying a word to me he pointed in the direction of the forest and urged me to go East, but before I could respond he disappeared.

I hesitated for a moment as I questioned his motive as to why he'd help me, but my thoughts were brought to a halt as the police officers were already closing in on me.

With a newfound determination, I ran straight into the woods. I didn't dare look back, fearing what I might see. The police officers were hot on my tail, chasing me down, and shooting at me. Fortunately I dodged and weaved, avoiding the bullets by mere inches.

As I ran through the woods, my legs aching and my breath ragged, I stumbled upon a hidden town. The buildings seemed newly constructed, in a rather elaborate manner, the streets eerily quiet. But before I could even process my surroundings, I was grabbed by a group of rough-looking men.

They dragged me through the streets, forcing me to meet their leader. As I was pulled along, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of my eye. It was the man in the black coat again, he stood in silence as he watched them drag me away from a distance.

I was finally brought before the chief of the town, a towering figure with a cruel glint in his eye. He looked me up and down, a sneer spreading across his face.

"Ah, Lyra Walton, is that correct? Or shall I call you Lyra Armani?" he spat, his voice dripping with malice. "Daughter of the man who betrayed us. Your father's downfall was almost... poetic."

CHAPTER 3

"Ah, Lyra Walton," he spat, his voice dripping with malice. "Daughter of the man who betrayed us. Your father's downfall was almost... poetic."

Understanding the gravity of the situation I immediately got on my knees, as I tried to plead my case. "Please, you don't understand. My father's actions weren't my fault. I'm innocent."

The chief sneered at me. "Innocent? You're the daughter of the man who almost ruined my business by feeding the police information on my empire. You're far from innocent."

My eyes flashed with anger but I immediately contained it. "My father may have made mistakes, but that doesn't mean I'm guilty by association. You can't punish me for something I didn't do. I wasn't the one that offended you, nor did I take anything away from you or your people."

The chief laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "Punish you? Oh, Lyra. You're going to be rewarded, not punished. You're going to be my wife."

My face twisted in disgust. "You can't be serious. I'd never marry you. You're a disgusting pig, why would I ever make that mistake?." By the time I had realized what I said the chief was already infuriated.

The reality of it all was an obvious contrast to my words, as the chief was indeed very attractive. I tried to apologize and explain the reason as to why I said such but the damage had already been done.

The chief's expression turned ugly, his face reddening with rage. "How dare you," he spat, his hand flashing out to slap me across the face.

My cheek stung, my eyes watering from the force of the blow. But I refused to back down. "I won't marry you," I repeated, my voice calm and steady, contrasting the visible display of anger on my face.

The chief's expression changed, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Ah, Lyra. You're even more beautiful when you're angry. I've got to admit, you'll make a perfect wife. But if you refuse my offer...well, there's always the brothel. You can be used by my clansmen, as a mere object of satisfaction to be passed around."

My eyes widened in horror. "You can't do that," I whispered, my voice trembling.

The chief shrugged. "I can do whatever I want. And if you refuse to be my wife, that's exactly what will happen. So, what's it going to be, Lyra? Will you marry me and become my possession, or would you like to become a whore at the brothel and serve my clansmen?"

As I stood there before the chief, my mind raced with the impossible decision before me.

I remained silent for a moment, scanning my surroundings for an escape route. My eyes locked onto a possible exit, and without hesitation, I charged towards it, running as fast as My legs could take me.

"You think you can escape?" The Chief shouted, laughing. "You think you're faster than my men?"

The men gave chase, their footsteps pounding the ground behind me. I dodged and weaved, avoiding their outstretched arms. For a moment, I thought I could make it, that I might actually be able to escape the clutches of the chief and his men.

But just as I thought I could make it out of there, a lasso snapped around my neck, pulling me to the ground. As I was dragged back to the chief's feet, my body scraping against the rough ground.

"Stupid girl," he spat, his face twisted in anger. "Did you actually think you stood a chance? You thought you could escape?"

I struggled and kicked, trying to break free. "Let me go!" I shouted, my voice hoarse from strain. "I don't want to stay here!"

The Chief sneered. "Oh, if you'd like to leave then just go, be my guest. I'd like to see how far that frail body of yours will be able to take you......And besides, it's fun watching you struggle"

My eyes widened in horror as the chief's next words escaped his mouth."You'll no longer be given a choice," he sneered. "I'll decide for you. And I've already decided that you'll be taken to the brothel house, to serve and satisfy my men."

My eyes filled with tears as I realized my fate. I was to be used as a mere prostitute, forced to serve the clansmen against my will.

"No, please," I pleaded, my voice shaking. "Don't do this. Please, have mercy. I've done nothing to deserve this, it's not my fault my father offended you, I had nothing to do with it."

The Chief just laughed. "Mercy?" he repeated. "You want mercy? You should have thought of that before you tried to escape, And yes, I admit to the fact that you have nothing to do with any of this, but your poor old man is dead now, so it's your responsibility to pay his debts and accept his punishments. Maybe in your next life tell your father not to double cross the wrong people."

He turned to one of his men. "Take her to the brothel house," he ordered. "And make sure she's ready to serve me tonight. I'll be the first one to break her in."