Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

"Mr. Landon!" Angelina shrieked in pain from above him.
Landon looked up in dread, and his pupils dilated in shock. Angelina, hands tied, stood dangerously near the edge of the 32-foot-tall diving platform at the swimming pool, with Frank pointing a gun at her head.
The height of the springboard was alarming, as the pool was dry.
"Angie!" Landon's blood-stained white shirt was drenched in sweat. He took two steps forward but was forced back when Frank pointed the gun at him.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Landon..." Tears brimming, Angelina choked on her emotions.
Landon cast a deep look at her. "No. You've never wronged me or owed anyone anything. Angie, it was my fault that you got into this situation. I should be apologizing to you instead."
His words sent a sharp pain through her chest. She had experienced highs and lows over her years of working for Landon. Nothing fazed her, except for his apology.
"Where's Lauren?" Landon's desperate tone echoed throughout the pool area.
Upon hearing that, Preston lazily picked up a remote control and pressed a button. A deafening sound rumbled to the left side, which was currently in complete darkness.
Landon vigilantly looked in that direction. He saw a trolley slowly coming into sight, carrying a massive glass tank.
With a clanking sound, the trolley's wheels tucked away, and the carefully designed tank landed in the designated location.
Through the glass, one could see an unconscious Lauren chained vertically in the tank. Her white dress was filthy and bloodied, making her appear like a ragged doll on display after being carelessly toyed with.
"Madam!" Angelina's tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Lauren!" Landon growled in resentment, nearly losing his mind. He dashed to the tank and pummeled his fists against the thick glass. No matter how he kicked and elbowed the surface, the solid glass showed no signs of cracking. Lauren remained unconscious inside the tank.
"Stop screaming. The glass has great soundproofing qualities. She can't hear a thing in there." Preston, fiddling with the remote control in his hand, added, "She's fainted for a bit. I think it'll take her a while to come around after all the beating and torment she suffered. Tsk tsk. They really didn't go easy on her.
"Landon Harper, you should have thanked me. Without me, you wouldn't have learned the truth about what your sister had done behind your back. You wouldn't have known that your pretty wife had been bullied mercilessly by Zoe since middle school.
"You also wouldn't have known that Freddy decided to marry Lauren under Zoe's instructions. That brat had been eyeing Lauren from a young age, hoping to defile her. They all contributed to her worsening condition.
"The sister you doted on for years was revealed to be the mastermind behind the suffering of your lover. Hahaha! Landon, I bet you're deep in regret now. Do you find your action laughable? You probably want to kill yourself over it."
Landon nearly died from the excruciating mental pain. At that moment, everything finally fell into place. He finally understood why Lauren recoiled in Zoe's presence and the truth behind her long absence from school. He also wrapped his mind around her odd mumbling when she had nightmares.
He had prided himself on being the man who loved Lauren the most, but he had never seemed to grasp her inner world, which was falling apart. He had never truly saved her from her nightmare.
A regretful teardrop escaped from the corner of his eye. Still, he tried his best to keep his emotions in check in order to negotiate with Preston, the devil.
"Preston Harper, all you want is to get back at me. Let go of Lauren and Angie, and you can do anything you want to me."
Preston chuckled wildly when he heard the suggestion. "Landon Harper, you're not worth as much as you like to believe. As a businessman, I do not engage in loss-making deals.
"Choose one between the two. You can only exchange one life with yours. Whoever gets to live, it all depends on your choice."