Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
A lion out of control needed to be put down.
He had to go…
Wyatt heard the sudden footsteps behind him. His brow furrowed. He turned…
Mr. Jackson was rushing straight at him, a gun in his hand!
Back in the car, Victor drove steadily while Paul sat cuffed to a ring on the backseat.
Victor glanced up at the mirror and saw Paul’s face, mostly wrapped in thick bandages with only his eyes visible.
Though oddly, there didn’t seem to be much blood on them.
Victor asked, confused, “What happened to your face?”
Paul growled through gritted teeth, “Pull over, you bastard! Where the hell are you taking me?!”
“The Powell family won’t let you off for this!”
Victor smiled gently. “Why is it the Powell family that won’t let me off, and not you?”
Paul went silent.
Victor smirked in disdain as Paul finally shut up.
A car horn blared outside the Crawford estate. It was already 2:20 in the morning. This should’ve been the deepest part of the night, when people were fast asleep, but not a single soul in the Crawford house looked remotely drowsy.
Footsteps approached. Victor walked in, dragging a bound Paul behind him.
“Father, I brought him.”
After speaking, Victor stepped behind Carl.
Paul stood in the middle of the hall, looking around at the scattered faces seated on various sofas. Owen was shielding a battered Elsie. Lily sat beside her. Yunice sat calmly by herself, composed and collected. Oscar sat across the room, his expression neutral. Carl and Victor showed no trace of emotion.
Owen cast a heavy glance at Yunice, wondering what Carl had said to her when they stepped out earlier.
After a beat, Yunice suddenly asked Victor, “Where’s Wyatt?”
Wyatt had been the one to capture Paul. He should’ve arrived with them. Why wasn’t he here?
Victor replied, “Mr. Jackson put up a fight. Wyatt stayed back to cover our retreat. Don’t worry-he’ll be here soon.”
Now that Wyatt’s position was secure, the old man didn’t have any real leverage against him.
Yunice didn’t respond. She quietly rubbed her phone and, still uneasy, shot Wyatt a text:
“Are you here?”
After sending it, she set her phone down and looked over at Paul. Like everyone else, she noticed the thick bandages covering his face.
“What happened to your face?” she asked.
Paul flushed red and ignored her. His temper flared. “What the hell is this? You people looking to take it out on me?”
Carl remained composed in his seat. “You should know why you’re here.”
Paul instinctively glanced at Yunice, guilt flickering across his face.
But relying on his Powell family status, he didn’t take Carl seriously at all.
Carl rubbed his temples with a tired, impatient look. Then he turned to Victor. “I’m exhausted. Wrap him in a sack and toss him in the river.”
Paul’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Victor stepped toward him with a faint smile. “Surprised? You’ve stepped on everyone to get to the top. What makes you think you’re untouchable?”
Only the ruthless survive in Silverburgh.
Paul didn’t have to apologize or explain. His life alone could be the apology Yunice deserved. That was the backing Carl had promised her.
As the sack was pulled over Paul’s head, the panic finally hit him. He thrashed wildly. The edge of the burlap scraped across his face, and in the struggle, it tore off his bandages completely.
Yunice slowly frowned as she took in the scars across his face.
Elsie, who had been collapsed on the couch, suddenly bolted upright. “Paul-your face…”
Two words were carved into Paul’s cheeks-one on each side.
Realizing the marks had been exposed, Paul forgot to struggle. He clutched his face in horror, desperate to hide from everyone’s eyes.
But Yunice, deliberately loud, read the marks aloud: “‘Whore’? Who did this? What a perfect match-really captured your essence.”
Oscar tilted his chin slightly, silently savoring the recognition.
Paul was both terrified and humiliated-shaken by the exposure and afraid Victor might actually toss him into the river.
But Victor didn’t give him a chance to regret. He waved his hand. “Wrap him up. Dump him.”
The Saunders family members were all scared stiff. No one expected someone as upright as Carl to authorize a public execution.
“Victor!” Owen finally stepped in-he had no choice.
If Paul died, the Saunders family would be dragged down with him.
Just then, Yunice suddenly stood up.
Paul froze mid-struggle.
Was she… going to plead for him?
But the thought lasted only a second. Yunice gave him a brief glance, then turned and walked away. Not a single word on his behalf.
Owen’s face fell too, silently cursing Yunice’s cold-bloodedness.
But Yunice had already left the hall. She didn’t care whether Paul lived or died. What she cared about was this: It had already been two minutes. Why hadn’t Wyatt replied?
Sure, Wyatt was young and headstrong. Even in the Powell family, no one could control him easily, but she still wasn’t at ease.
She stepped outside and made a call. She had to hear his voice herself to feel at peace.
Ring… Ring…
Once. Twice. Three times…
Wyatt usually picked up within three seconds if his phone was nearby.
Yunice suddenly sensed something was wrong. She quickly hurried down the steps.
From inside the Crawford residence, Owen’s voice came through in a panic. “Yunice! Yunice, help Paul! They’re really going to drown him! Yunice! Please, come!”
Without looking back, Yunice ran out of the yard. Wyatt’s car was already gone.