Game of Love and Deception: The Billionaire's Ex Wife
Chapter 104: She-devil

Chapter 104: She-devil

Worry and concern twisted in Lorenzo’s chest as he struggled to get his mother out of the car, which looked like it had been in a serious accident.

Every groan or flinch she made when his hand brushed against a wound felt like a knife turning inside him.

He carefully helped her onto the couch, then sprang into action—grabbing a clean towel and cold water to clean the wounds, hoping to ease her pain and reduce the swelling around her lips.

His mind spun in a chaos he hadn’t known before, haunted by thoughts of what might have happened. A dull ache lodged itself in his chest when his eyes met her sad, weary gaze. He was grateful Genevieve wasn’t around to see her like this.

"What happened, Mom?" he asked, trying to steady his trembling voice.

"I’ll be fine, darling. It’s just a little accident," she replied with a wince as the towel touched her face.

"There’s nothing little about this," he said, frowning. "Were you speeding, or did someone crash into you? I need to take you to the hospital. You’re in serious pain."

He dropped the towel and stood up.

"We don’t have that kind of money to waste. The bruises will heal in a day or two," she said, brushing her fingers lightly against her face and flinching again.

"I don’t care about the money. Your health matters more. I’ll use my savings—it should be enough."

But she stopped him, insistent that she would be fine, that they couldn’t afford hospital bills. No matter how much he tried to persuade her, she refused. So stubborn.

Her adamance made him uneasy. It felt like she was hiding something.

"Mom, how exactly did this happen? What caused the accident?"

"Please check my room for my pain reliever," she said, deflecting once more. "I need it to sleep." Her eyes shut as she rested her head on the armrest.

"Mom!" Lorenzo called, refusing to let it go. When she didn’t respond, he sat beside her and gently stroked her hair, careful to avoid her injuries. "Mom, please talk to me. You’re scaring me."

She opened her eyes and slowly sat up, taking his hands in hers. The hesitation in her eyes only heightened his fear.

"Son, I think we might need to leave here," she said quietly. "I don’t know for sure, but I think we wronged someone—and I don’t want you or your sister getting hurt."

Lorenzo’s heart sank. "It wasn’t an accident, was it?" he asked, standing up, his fists clenched.

She hesitated before nodding.

"A group of men appeared out of nowhere. I slowed down to avoid hitting them, but before I could understand what was happening, they dragged me out of the car. They said someone wanted us gone. They didn’t say who or why, just that this was a warning."

Her glistening eyes made Lorenzo’s chest tighten, like it was being squeezed by something invisible. He ran a hand through his hair, his thoughts a storm of emotion. Sitting back down, he gently pulled her into a hug, his heart pounding.

As she relaxed into his embrace, he considered whether or not to tell her about Charlotte. But fear held him back. He didn’t want to worry her even more than she already was.

"Please get some rest now, Mom. Nothing will happen to us. I’ll get you the pain killer, and we’ll talk about everything after you’ve rested."

He had no doubt Charlotte was behind the attack. Her earlier threat echoed in his mind: "And as for your mother... let’s just say she’ll be receiving a visit from me soon enough."

Now he realized—she hadn’t meant a visit in the literal sense.

That witch.

A wave of dread washed over Lorenzo, twisting his stomach painfully. Helplessness settled over him like a heavy fog, and he had no idea how to protect them or who to turn to. The thought of that psychopath having such control over their lives was paralyzing. Charlotte could make them disappear and disguise it as an accident. The feeling was suffocating.

"I wish your dad was here. I don’t know what to do," his mother whispered.

Lorenzo’s jaw tightened.

He was overwhelmed by heavy, unrelenting guilt.

This was all his fault. He was supposed to protect them, not bring danger to their doorstep. He felt like a complete disappointment.

He had never met his adoptive father—mom had taken him out of the system after the man passed away. Still, she always spoke of him as though he’d been a real part of his life.

His thoughts drifted to the beginning—how he became part of their family. He had been twelve. Genevieve, only five. He remembered the day they visited the orphanage: Genevieve had clung to him, playing with him endlessly, refusing to let go even when it was time to leave. A month later, the adoption was finalized. From then on, it had been the three of them against the world. They didn’t have much, but none of that mattered. To Lorenzo, he had the most amazing family in the world.

As soon as his mother drifted into sleep, he stormed out of the house and made his way to Charlotte’s.

He found the she-devil sitting casually on the porch of her compound, sipping wine with unnerving ease. Rage consumed him. He marched toward her with clenched fists.

Charlotte’s calm indifference, even as he approached, only fueled his fury. He wanted to grab her by the neck and squeeze the life out of her.

"How dare you touch my mom!" he shouted, kicking a nearby chair, sending it screeching against the floor.

Charlotte calmly lowered her glass onto the table and turned to him with a slow, deliberate grace. Her eyes glittered with a cold, condescending light that made him feel small—powerless.

Lorenzo swallowed hard, refusing to let her see how deeply she unsettled him.

"I know you sent those men. How could you be so heartless? You better stay away from my family, or—"

She interrupted with a laugh. A chilling, joyless sound that cut off his words.

"Or what, sweetheart?" she asked, dragging the words slowly, her head tilted mockingly.

He glared at her, jaw rigid with suppressed rage.

"Cat got your tongue now, huh?" she sneered, her laughter dying as her expression morphed into something darker, more dangerous.

Then she stood, every movement laced with ominous poise—like the world itself bent to her will.

Lorenzo wanted to run. Wanted to turn around and never look back. But he couldn’t move.

Charlotte’s voice dripped with mockery as she spoke, each word laced with venom. "My niece, your mom, and sister... they’re all so precious, aren’t they?" She emphasized each name with deliberate cruelty, her eyes glinting with twisted delight. "It’d be such a shame if someone... unfamiliar picked that little pumpkin up from school today. Children get so confused when faces change," she added with exaggerated sadness.

Lorenzo’s jaw tightened. "Don’t you dare take your madness near her," he said through gritted teeth.

"Shh." Charlotte raised a finger to her lips. "I hate to be interrupted. But since I’m feeling exceptionally generous today, I’ll tick the little cupcake off the equation."

She leaned in, her lips dangerously close to his ear as she spoke in a sinister whisper. "How do you think your mother would feel, hearing that her son has been going around hurting innocent girls?"

"Stop this nonsense!" Lorenzo snapped, shoving her backward. She stumbled slightly, her eyes flashing wide in momentary shock.

"How dare you lay your hands on me," she hissed, her calm composure cracking for the first time.

"If you keep spewing those lies, I’m going to do more than just push you, you old hag!" Lorenzo shot back, rage flaring in his voice.

Charlotte straightened, brushing herself off with exaggerated grace. "Oh, fine then. We’ll see who’s lying," she said coldly, returning to her seat and picking up her phone.

Lorenzo watched her with growing unease. "What are you doing?"

Charlotte’s fingers moved swiftly as she dialed. "Just helping you recall what you’ve conveniently forgotten, little one."