Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
No one walked around with an ultrasound machine on their shoulder. Who could say definitively what someone had or hadn’t done?
People would believe the rumor, but no one could ever prove their innocence.
Even if Yunice brought in a medical report, they’d say her family owned a hospital and forged the results. Even if her hymen was intact, they’d say it was surgically repaired-and maybe her “older brother” was the one who did it.
They’d say she’d been with Paul for years-how could she possibly still be untouched?
They’d say the hickey on Paul’s neck was hers, that she’d been corrupt since she was young and seduced younger boys.
They’d say on that cruise, she and Paul had done unspeakable things.
And when the gossip flew, Paul never denied it. He leaned into it-boasting about her obedience, her initiative, how she’d fawned over him. He painted every youthful mistake of hers in vivid, sleazy detail.
How was Yunice supposed to defend herself? Strip off her dress and let each of them take a turn, prove to them one by one that she hadn’t been violated?
Ha. What a joke this world had become.
She tried to press charges, but the Powell family crushed it, bluntly telling her that if she dared to sue, not a single lawyer would take her case.
She tried to speak up, but the Saunders family condemned her, beat her, punished her, scolded her for disgracing the family name. Did she really want to drag Elsie into public humiliation too?
She carried a tainted name, was nearly assaulted multiple times-and Paul would always swoop in under the guise of “protection.” What a sick joke.
Wasn’t her entire downfall born from his mouth?
Yunice laughed like she’d snapped, leaning heavily against Wyatt’s arm. She stared Paul down, teeth clenched. “I know you remember the seven-day cruise.”
Wyatt’s brows pinched tight, his heart twisting with every word. It physically hurt to listen.
Paul stared coldly back at her, not an ounce of remorse in his expression.
Resting in Wyatt’s arms, Yunice looked almost serenely deranged. “Seven days at sea, that cruise never docked once. It was just you and your little gang. You tricked me aboard so you could force yourself on me-make your lies come true.
When I refused, you changed tactics. You tossed a grass ring into the ocean in front of everyone and said if I dared to dive in after it, you’d keep your word and leave me alone.”
Wyatt’s glare burned with hatred. He looked like he might rip Paul apart.
Even Taylor and Jordan were clenching their fists now, wishing they could pound Paul’s face into the floor again.
Paul let out a cold laugh, kneeling on the ground without a shred of guilt. “And whose fault was that? You were my fianc?e. We were engaged. Plenty of women throw themselves at me, and I still pick and choose. But you? Always playing coy, acting high and mighty, not letting me touch you at all. You think I could just let that go?”
He scoffed. “You’re just making all this up to convince Wyatt you’re still pure. Hah! Seven days at sea, seven days! You think a group of us couldn’t handle one stuck-up girl like you? Whether we drugged you or held you down, you really believe you made it off that ship untouched?”
Yunice scoffed back, calm and cutting. “Three of your buddies on that cruise were already married, right? Strange how none of them have had kids.”
Paul frowned, confused. What was she getting at?
They were all still young-maybe they just weren’t ready to settle down and have kids yet.
What was so strange about that?
Yunice could see how clueless he was and went on. “Forget them-let’s talk about you. You know how many women you’ve slept with. You also know how many tried to trap you with a baby.
I remember one year, a woman came to me, all smug, claiming she was pregnant with your child. Told me to step aside, said carrying a Powell heir made her better than me.
You were so pissed you even thought about faking an accident to make her miscarry. I was the one who told you to get a DNA test. You were thrilled when it turned out the baby wasn’t yours.”
Paul’s expression darkened. He was starting to realize something, but he couldn’t quite piece it together.
Yunice suddenly let out a chilling laugh. “Because I’ve always known-you were never going to have kids. Not directly. Not indirectly. You’ll never have any.”
“None of you who went on that cruise will ever have children.”
She said it plainly, not caring who was around to hear.
Because she knew Wyatt would handle everything. She had nothing to fear.
All these years later, even Merlin couldn’t see what had been done. Paul’s ability to reproduce was gone forever.
People like him didn’t deserve to pass down their filth.
Paul finally understood. His mind went blank, shocked. “What did you do… How could you… all of us…?”
All of them? Infertile?
Yunice raised an eyebrow. “You thought you could overpower a weak woman like me, that I was alone and helpless-so you could restrain me, control me, use me however you pleased…
But I’m a doctor. I know exactly what drugs to slip into your drinks to knock you all out. I know exactly which acupoints to hit with a silver needle to make you sterile. I had a thousand chances to kill you. But I didn’t. I kept you alive so you could live in fear. So you could suffer. Because one day, I want to hear you confess everything you did with your own mouth.
I’m dragging you all to hell with…”
Her voice cracked with hysteria, even ble raw like it had been soaked in blood.
Wyatt clutched her arm tightly, his voice hoarse. “Yunice!”
“Don’t say that…”
Let anyone else go to hell-but not her.
She hadn’t done anything wrong.
Wyatt burned with rage-rage at Paul’s lies, at himself for believing them, and most of all, for not taking Yunice with him when he had the chance, leaving her to face those animals alone.
Yunice gave a short, bitter laugh, then looked at Paul with icy calm. “Your punishment is only just beginning. Just wait.”
Evil never goes unpunished. And she wasn’t the only one who wanted Paul dead.
“Wyatt, let’s go.” Yunice took his still-bleeding hand and led him out of the company.
Watching them leave, Taylor turned her glare on Paul, who was still kneeling in the middle of the hallway.
No one was coming to help him now.
As high heels clicked toward him, Paul looked up with a sneer. “What, you gonna kill me? Do it, and the Kendall family’s finished.”
Thinking of her late father, and his loyal assistant, Taylor clenched her jaw so hard it ached.
“Paul, you’re like a toad squatting on someone’s foot-can’t bite, just disgusting.”
“Yunice was right. Killing someone like you would only dirty our hands. It’s a long road ahead-let’s see how far you get.”
She didn’t bother with him anymore and walked into the elevator alone.
Paul was left there, groaning in pain. His whole body ached as he tried to stand, but it was too much.
He reached for his phone to call someone from the Powell family-only to realize Wyatt had smashed it.
Ten minutes passed. No one came to help.
He couldn’t wait until dark when the company closed. He had to get out.
Gritting his teeth, he dragged himself up and limped into the elevator, pressing the button for the basement.