Heaven or Hell: Loving My Twisted Billionaire novel Chapter 88

Heaven or Hell: Loving My Twisted Billionaire

Chapter 88

William’s POV

I slammed my fist against my desk, sending papers flying. Three days. Three goddamn days with no word from Sophia. The

room felt like a prison cell despite its expansive size and the floor–to–ceiling windows overlooking the Sterling estate. My

eyes burned from lack of sleep, and my head pounded with each heartbeat.

“Still nothing?” I asked, though I already knew the answer from Jackson’s grim expression.

“No, sir. The security team has checked every property in her name, contacted all her friends.” My butler stood with perfect posture despite the crisis, his composure only making my own dishevelment more apparent. “The family is gathered in the

great hall, awaiting news.”

I hurled my smartphone against the wall, watching it shatter with a sick satisfaction. “This is Finn’s doing. I know it is.”

“Sir, there’s no evidence-”

“Evidence?” I barked a laugh. “My son spent fifteen years in the underground. You think he’d leave evidence? He’s punishing me for threatening his mother’s inheritance.”

Jackson shifted uncomfortably. “He was at the hospital all night with Ms. Lancaster.”

“An alibi. Convenient.” I turned to stare out the window, watching family members pace nervously across the gardens below. “He’s just like her,” I murmured, the words slipping out before I could stop them. “Rebellion in his bones. Who’s refusing to let go of whom, I wonder?”

For a moment, my mind drifted to Lillian – her smile, her defiance, the way she’d look at me like I was simultaneously her greatest love and deepest disappointment. Finn had that same look sometimes. It made me want to break things.

“Call the family lawyer,” I said, straightening my tie. “We need to discuss inheritance contingencies.”

“Sir,” Jackson began hesitantly, “your father’s condition-”

“I know about my father’s condition,” I snapped. “But some decisions need to be made. Finn has gone too far this time.”

Jackson bowed his head slightly and backed out of the office, closing the door with a soft click. Alone at last, I loosened my tie and paced the length of my office. My thoughts raced in dizzying circles–Sophia’s disappearance, Finn’s defiance, the Sterling Group’s vulnerabilities if this became public. The pending Tokyo merger would collapse at the first whiff of scandal. I ran my fingers through my hair, disheveling it further. Every path led back to the same question: How had I lost control of my son so completely?

The door suddenly burst open without even a courtesy knock. Jackson—always the picture of restraint–practically

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Chapter 88

stumbled into my office, his eyes wide, composure entirely abandoned.

“Sir! They’re back!”

My heart stuttered. “What? Who’s back?”

“Ms. Sophia and her assistant, sir. They’ve just arrived at the main entrance.”

“Alive?” The word came out strangled.

Jackson nodded. ‘Yes, sir. Alive and… physically intact.”

I pushed past him without another word, moving faster than I had in years. The corridors of Sterling Manor seemed endless as I strode toward the main hall, my mind racing. If Sophia was back, alive, what did that mean? Had Finn released her as some kind of twisted message? Or had I been wrong about him?

The scene in the great hall stopped me in my tracks. My Sophia – always immaculate, always composed – looked broken. Her clothes were wrinkled and dirty, her hair a tangled mess. Beside her, Christine trembled uncontrollably, eyes darting around the room like a cornered animal.

“Sophia,” I breathed, rushing to her side.

She didn’t seem to recognize me at first. Her eyes, usually sharp and calculating, had a vacant, distant quality. One of the maids approached with Sophia’s asthma inhaler, and to my shock, Sophia recoiled in terror.

“No! No!” she screamed, backing away. “I don’t need that anymore, please!”

She looked around wildly, her voice shifting to something childlike and confused. “My boyfriend is William Sterling. He’ll make you pay for this. He’ll make all of you pay…”

“Sophia, you’re safe now,” I said, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. “You’re home.”

The moment she heard my voice, something changed. Recognition flooded her face, and she threw herself against my chest, clinging to me with surprising strength. “William,” she sobbed.

I held her tightly, relieved and confused and angry all at once. Over her shoulder, I watched as she gradually transformed. The trembling stopped. Her posture straightened. The actress I knew reemerged, though a haunted look remained in her

eyes.

“What happened?” Victoria asked, stepping forward.

Christine spoke first, voice quavering. “They kept us in a dark basement. I could hear dogs barking outside.”

“The man wore a tailored suit,” Sophia added, her voice steadier than I expected. “And dark sunglasses, even inside the

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Chapter 88

room. He never spoke, just… watched us.”

A murmur rippled through the gathered family members.

“It has to be the Hellbound,” Richard said with certainty. “Finn’s little underground friends.”

Harold nodded. “He’s gone too far this time. The boy needs to be reined in. This kind of lawlessness-

The words died as Amy Rodriguez burst into the room, face pale with panic.

“Mr. Finn Sterling is hurt!” she cried, looking directly at me.

Every head turned toward the entrance. There, they appeared–Hannah supporting my son as they walked slowly into the great hall. For a moment, I didn’t recognize Finn.

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He was a mess of blood and torn fabric. His expensive shirt hung in shreds, exposing cuts and bruises across his chest and arms. A deep gash ran along his right forearm, still seeping blood. His face was swollen, a dark bruise beneath his left eye. Hannah held him firmly at the waist, her face a mask of concern as she guided his unsteady steps.

on Finn’s blood, on his injuries, on the protective way Hannah cradled The room fell silent. Every eye fixed on the pair his body against hers. The supposed kidnapper looked far worse than his victims.

I felt Sophia stiffen beside me. When I glanced down, her expression had changed completely fear replaced by something that looked almost like… shock.

“What the hell happened to you?” I demanded, but Finn’s eyes never left Hannah’s face.

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