Love Lost in Crimson Chapter 1

After seven years of marriage, Alaric Williams never suspected that everyone in my family—except me—was utterly unhinged.

My father, Arthur Blackwood, was a ruthless crime lord; my brother, Rhys, collected victims' remains. Since my mother Eleanor’s death, they raised me, Elara, like a hothouse flower, with twisted affection. They always swore, with chilling calm, that anyone who hurt me would be torn apart.

On the day I went into labor, Alaric’s assistant Chloe Vance screamed about a vaginal tear and sent the doctors away. Clutching his hand, I pleaded hoarsely: “Alaric, get them back. If my family finds out you’re doing this, you’re dead.”

He shook me off coldly. “Still lying? I’m a billionaire now—even the mayor respects me. Why would I fear them?”

Voice detached, he added, “Remember when Chloe’s blood sugar dropped and you made me attend that dinner? Now you’re in labor. Tough it out till she recovers—you won’t die.”

The door slammed. Agony tore through me. With trembling fingers, I pressed the emergency button hidden in my necklace—not for ordinary guards, but for the Raven Syndicate, the world’s most feared mercenaries.

…

* * *

Alaric didn’t return that night. Dragging my bleeding body, I painstakingly crawled to the door. Looking up, I saw Mr. Poirot, Alaric's executive assistant, leaning against the wall, his eyes as cold as a winter storm.

"Please… call a doctor… my baby… my baby is dying…"

I reached out, my trembling fingers trying to grip the hem of his trousers. Mr. Poirot kicked my hand away, his disgust palpable.

"Every doctor in this hospital has been called by Mr. Williams to attend to Ms. Vance. Mrs. Williams, you'll just have to wait patiently."

The blood beneath me spread, a growing crimson stain, and my abdomen spasmed with the searing pain of a blunt knife. "I’m about to give birth! What injury could possibly be more important than a woman in labor?!"

He chuckled, a cynical, humorless sound. "Mrs. Williams, you haven't heard? Last night, Mr. Williams put Ms. Vance through quite a night. Her… intimate tearing was rather severe. Mr. Williams was heartbroken and immediately ordered all doctors to stay by her side."

"You… you said what?" My mind went blank, a chilling plunge into an icy abyss. Even the agonizing pain in my belly couldn't override the suffocating tightness in my chest. I clung to his trousers, desperately pleading. "Please, call Alaric. Tell him to come see me and the baby, even if it's just for a moment…"

"Don’t waste your breath, Mrs. Williams." Mr. Poirot’s voice was arctic. "With Ms. Vance in his arms, why would Mr. Williams care about you? You and your baby, if you don’t die, you'll just have to endure it. If you do, well, it serves you right."

His words were daggers, piercing my heart. He was right. Alaric wouldn't care. His thoughts, his world, were entirely consumed by Chloe Vance. How could he possibly save me? I opened my mouth, trying to speak, but the blood loss overwhelmed me. My vision blurred, and I collapsed into unconsciousness.