Virgin At 25-Chapter 112: SEVEN DAYS MAX…

Night had already swallowed the sky by the time Aec finally dragged himself back home.

He didn’t drive to the office.

He couldn’t.

His chest was too tight, his mind too unstable. And right now, the one place he needed wasn’t his desk, it was his house. Somewhere he could breathe.

But the moment he turned into his street, his heart dropped.

A black car sat parked right outside his gate.

Not just any black car.

Victor Langley’s.

Aec’s jaw clenched.

Of course...

Of course his father would show up tonight... everything inside Aec already felt shattered.

Aec inhaled deeply, shoved down the ache in his ribcage, and walked inside.

The moment he stepped in, the atmosphere changed.

Cold.

Sharp.

Tense.

Victor sat on the sofa, legs crossed, fingers drumming lazily against the armrest. Diana stood beside him, holding a porcelain teacup but the cold aura around her was impossible to miss.

She didn’t smile.

She didn’t greet.

She just watched Aec enter with eyes that had turned unreadable.

Victor didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to.

"Aec," he said, calm but laced with anger. "Come sit."

Aec stood still for a heartbeat.

He recognized that tone. The quiet, dangerous one.

The one Victor used before he ruined someone.

Slowly, Aec walked forward and sat opposite his father.

Victor’s gaze followed him, unblinking.

"I told you to behave," Victor began. "Stay with your wife. Go to work. Avoid unnecessary attention."

Aec didn’t blink.

Victor leaned forward, eyes narrowing.

"Do you want your mother too?" Victor Langley’s didn’t finish the sentence.

The threat struck Aec like a knife.

Diana’s fingers froze around the teacup. Her eyes widened in alarm as she looked at Aec sharply as if begging him not to react.

But Aec did.

Slowly... painfully... in the most unexpected way

He dropped to his knees.

The cup in Diana’s hand trembled.

Concern washed over her face so suddenly it broke her cold façade, she took a step forward before stopping herself.

Victor watched Aec kneel with chilling satisfaction.

Aec didn’t care.

His pride didn’t matter.

His knees hitting the marble didn’t matter.

Only one thing mattered. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Father," he said, voice raw but steady. "I will do everything right. I’ll act the way you want. I’ll keep the peace."

His hands clenched into fists against the floor.

"But release my mother first."

The room stilled.

Victor’s face didn’t change, but his silence became a weapon.

Diana covered her mouth, eyes burning with fear for Aec.

Aec remained on his knees, breathing hard, shaking slightly not from weakness, but from the weight of everything he’d already lost today.

"Please," he whispered. "Let her go."

Victor looked down at Aec, unimpressed, as though the sight of his own son on his knees was nothing but a dull inconvenience.

Then he finally spoke.

"Seven days."

Aec’s head snapped up sharply.

Victor’s voice dropped lower, colder.

"In seven days, you fix everything. Your marriage. Your image. Your loyalty. If you fail..."

He didn’t finish.

He didn’t need to.

Silence hit the room like a blow.

Diana gasped softly, the sound tiny but sharp enough to crack through the tension.

Aec swore he couldn’t breathe. His chest tightened until it felt like his ribs would cave in.

Victor straightened his suit, preparing to leave but then he turned his head slightly... and his gaze cut to Diana.

"And you," he said.

Diana blinked.

Victor pointed a finger at her, casual but commanding.

"You will report his activities to me. How he behaves. How he treats you. Everything."

Diana’s lips parted in surprise , she had never been given instructions like this before.

Never included.

Never acknowledged.

And definitely never asked to watch Aec.

But she composed herself quickly, offering a small, respectful smile.

"I will," she said softly. "But... please take it easy on him."

Her voice was polite. Controlled.

But there was something underneath it.

Something Victor had never heard from her before.

Victor paused, studying her face.

Then, uninterested, he shrugged off the moment and walked toward the door.

He didn’t even look back at Aec who was still kneeling, fists clenched on the floor.

The door closed and total silence filled the room.

Thick. Heavy. Suffocating.

Aec exhaled shakily, his head dropping forward for a moment.

Seven days.

Seven days to fix a life that wasn’t even his.

Seven days under his father’s thumb.

Seven days to pretend Sharon wasn’t being hunted.

Seven days to pretend he wasn’t falling apart.

An inner vow sliced through his chest like steel.

I will get you back for this, father.

I swear it. I will break you the way you try to break me.

Diana slowly moved to sit on the sofa across him, her eyes never leaving him. She didn’t speak.

She didn’t comfort.

She didn’t move toward him.

She simply watched.

Aec pushed himself up from the floor without looking at her.

His legs trembled slightly, but he forced himself steady.

He didn’t wait for her to react.

He didn’t acknowledge the concern she still secretly held in her eyes.

He walked away looking cold, silent, distant... disappearing upstairs while Diana remained sitting there alone, hands clasped tightly in her lap, staring at the space he had just vacated.

Aec walked down the hallway slowly, each step heavier than the last. His father’s words still clung to him like poison. Seven days. Seven days to fix a life that had already been burnt to ash.

He reached the stairs when he finally pulled out his phone and called Zion.

Zion picked on the first ring.

"Aec," he said quietly.

"How is Sharon doing ?" Aec asked, voice flat, controlled. "No one hurt?"

"We’re fine," Zion answered immediately. "Don’t worry. We’re safe. Just... focus on what you need to do on your side."

Aec nodded even though Zion couldn’t see.

"Good."

The call ended.

Aec stood there for a moment, phone still in his hand, chest tightening painfully. Then he pushed himself forward toward his room.

- - -

ZION’S PRIVATE APARTMENT

Sharon sits curled up on a single sofa, her knees pulled to her chest, head resting weakly against the cushion. She looks clean, dressed, normal at a glance but her eyes looked empty, her body slouched like someone whose soul has been wrung dry.

Then a soft knock was heard at the door.

Zion straightens and turned his direction towards the door

"Stay here," he tells Sharon softly.

She doesn’t respond. She just breathes.

Zion opened the door and it was Maxie...

Maxie stood there, breathless, eyes wide, holding her bag tightly.

"You asked me to come over, Z," Maxie said. "Is there any news about Shar..."

She doesn’t even finish when Sharon hears the voice and walks slow, unsteady and almost trembling towards the door, her eyes filled with tears.

She walked toward the doorway like her bones weigh too much.

Her eyes lifted to Maxie’s face.

Her lips part and she mouths barely audible and broken

"B..."

Maxie froze...

Her throat closed instantly.

Her eyes widen

Then the tears come fast, uncontrollable.

"Shar?" Maxie whispered, trembling as she stepped forward. "Shar? Oh my God..."

Sharon finally reached her.

Maxie dropped her bag and threw her arms around Sharon, hugging her like she was scared she’ll disappear again.

Sharon flinches at first overwhelmed, confused, exhausted then she melts into the hug, sagging, like her body recognized the comfort before her brain does.

Maxie sobbed into her shoulder.

"You’re alive," she cries. "You’re here... you’re really here..."

Zion stood by the door, jaw tight, watching them...

Sharon’s fingers curl into Maxie’s shirt as she whispered weakly...

"I... I’m trying."

Sharon and Maxie finally eased into the living room, their bodies still trembling from the relief of being together. Sharon sank into the sofa, letting her limbs collapse in exhaustion. Maxie sat beside her, giving her a small, reassuring smile.

"Hey," Maxie said softly, brushing a stray strand of hair from Sharon’s face. "How have you been? Really... how are you holding up?"

Sharon hesitated, swallowing hard. Her lips quivered as she tried to find words. "I... I’ve been... managing," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "It’s been... hard."

Maxie nodded, her eyes warm and understanding. "I can imagine. But you’re here now. That’s what matters."

A brief silence settled between them, filled only by the soft hum of the apartment. Sharon finally leaned back, letting out a shaky breath.

Then Maxie’s face grew serious. She hesitated, then said, "There’s something you need to know... about Marcus."

Sharon’s head snapped up. "What happened?" she asked, panic flickering in her eyes.

Maxie took a deep breath. "He... he was stabbed. But don’t panic. He’s stable now. The doctors said he’s going to be okay."

Sharon’s knees buckled slightly, and without thinking, she threw herself at Maxie again, wrapping her arms around her tightly. Her tears fell freely this time, hot and fast.

"I can’t believe it... I can’t..." Sharon whispered against Maxie’s shoulder, shaking. "I’m sorry all these things are happening because of me?"

Maxie hugged her back just as tightly. "Nooo... Don’t say that. You’re safe, and he’s going to be okay. I promise."

Sharon pressed her face into Maxie’s neck, letting the sobs finally escape. Relief, fear, and exhaustion all tumbled from her at once. Maxie held her without a word, letting her cry, letting her release all the tension that had built up for days, weeks...

Finally, Sharon pulled back slightly, wiping at her eyes. Her voice was quieter now, tremulous but steadier. "Thank you... for being here. For staying..."

Maxie smiled, brushing Sharon’s hair back again. "Always. Always for you."

Sharon finally pulled back, her tears still glinting under the dim lights. Maxie’s hand lingered in hers, trying to offer comfort. Zion’s phone buzzed sharply on the table, slicing through the fragile quiet. He picked it up, frowning at the message flashing on the screen.

"So you still went against us."

His jaw tightened. Every muscle in his body stiffened.

Sharon’s eyes flicked up at him, confusion and fear warring in her gaze. Maxie’s grip on her hand tightened.