Chapter 7

I was no longer Helen.

I was Helen Linwood.

A mother with an official identity, a huge fortune, and the ability to protect her kids.

The first thing I did was call David. Gone was the fear and humility in my voice from yesterday. "Mr. Chapman, I need a place to stay.

"Somewhere absolutely safe and private.

"Money is not an issue."

David was silent for a moment, then replied in his usual calm, professional tone. "Understood, Ms. Linwood.

"I'll send you the address and instructions for the keys in half an hour."

His efficiency was impressive.

Less than twenty minutes later, my phone buzzed with a message.

It was one of Harbor City's most exclusive private apartments, Marina Grande Residences.

The security system was legendary.

Following the instructions, I picked up the room card and keys from an assigned locker.

I didn't see a soul the whole time.

This kind of private service made me feel safer than I ever had in my life.

When I swiped the card and pushed open the heavy apartment door, I froze in place.

All around me, the 360-degree floor-to-ceiling windows revealed the dazzling panorama of Marina Bay.

The Golden Sands Hotel and Lion Fountain Park were right there, picture-perfect, spread out across the skyline.

The interior was minimalist yet luxurious.

There was a plush carpet, a cozy sofa, and an immaculate open kitchen.

There was even a nursery, beautifully decorated and welcoming.

Inside, two lovely cribs were surrounded by plush toys.

Sunlight poured through the windows, bathing the room in warmth and light.

This place and that dark, damp, moldy storage room were worlds apart.

If that was hell, then this was heaven.

I gently settled Andrew and Rachel into their cribs.

The two little ones looked right at home. They didn't fuss or cry, blinked their big, curious eyes, taking in everything around them.

I closed the door behind me.

Then I stepped into the spacious, sunlit bathroom.

I turned on the shower.

Warm water cascaded over me from above.

I stripped off those cheap clothes I'd bought, letting the water wash over me.

It washed away the ugly, crisscrossing scars.

It also washed away all the shame and filth that had been etched into my soul for seven years.

I crouched on the floor, hugging my knees, and broke down sobbing.

My sobs shook my whole body, as if my heart was being ripped apart.

It felt like I was finally letting out every tear I'd bottled up over the past seven years, all at once.

Afterward, I felt lighter than I ever had.

I dried off, slipped into a bathrobe, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows.

I looked out at the glittering city lights and my reflection in the glass.

That Helen, the one with numb eyes and scars all over, was gone.

She died in that blazing hell back in Red River Province.

She died on The Sea Serpent.

I was Helen Linwood now.

I was Andrew and Rachel's mom.

For my kids, I had to be stronger.

I raised a glass of water, toasting the endless night outside the window.

And to the man who gave me a new life, but was gone forever.

William.

Thank you.

Rest in peace.

For a whole month, life was peaceful.

It was the first month in seven years I truly felt human again.

I started learning.

I was learning how to be a normal mom.

I was learning how to use all those smart home gadgets.

I was learning how to order food and shop online with my phone.

I was learning how to stroll through the private garden downstairs, with my kids in my arms, like one of those elegant ladies.

Andrew and Rachel were thriving in this luxurious environment.

Their little faces were getting rounder and fairer, and their eyes were growing brighter every day.

They started smiling.

Every time they saw me, they'd grin with their toothless little mouths, looking like little angels.

Their smiles were the brightest sunshine in my life.

They were enough to chase away all the shadows of my past.

I thought life would keep going on like this, peaceful and quiet.

I even started planning to send them to the best international school once they were a bit older.

I wanted them to get the best education and grow up to be truly outstanding.

Someone who would be nothing like William.

But then, that night came.

The kids were asleep.

I switched on the TV, like I did every night.

There was an international news special on.

The headline flashed across the screen: [The Fall of the Slaughterhouse Syndicate: A Special Report on the Global Crackdown on a Criminal Network.]

My heart clenched.

On the screen, I saw the gate of The Compound, the one I could never forget.

Now, it was nothing but a charred ruin.

The reporter was on the scene, speaking in a somber tone. "Local police report that the operation was a huge success, breaking up a criminal syndicate that had been running here for years. Hundreds of people have been taken into custody.

"Most of the main bosses were either killed during the shootout or captured..."

Then, the screen started showing photos of the ringleaders.

One by one, those familiar faces, some twisted, some cold and vicious, appeared on the screen.

I recognized every single one of them.

They were the monsters who ruled at the very top of The Compound.

Finally, the screen froze on one last photo.

It was William.