I held my breath as Richard walked towards Victor. I didn’t have any more strength in to hold two egotistical n away from each other. Richard strode past Victor to his car and turned back to with a smile before getting into the car.
Martin threw a salute from behind the wheel and I waved back at him.
I stepped down the few flight of stairs towards Victor watching Richard’s car disappear from the compound.
"You still love him dont you?"
I sighed. "He was my husband, Victor. The father of my child. What do you think?"
"I think your marriage was an unhealthy one." His voice was firm but gentle.
I looked away. "I don’t know how to stop loving him."
Victor stepped closer, tilting my chin up so I had to et his gaze. His voice was quiet but intense. "Then let soone else love you the way you deserve."
My breath caught, and I stared blankly at him. There was sothing in his eyes, sothing that I may have ignored ever since he reappeared in my life. I saw a man who had loved in silence, waiting for to see him or choose him.
"Co on, let see how pretty your apartnt is."
He changed the subject effortlessly. No pressure. No expectations.
*****
I let out a deep breath as Victor followed into the apartnt. My heart was still hamring from Richard’s touch, from the way he had whispered those words—prepare to be chased, hunted down, wooed, and seduced.
My body missed him badly, and I think he knows it. He may not rember what we had, but sowhere deep in his heart, he knew we shared sothing special.
God, I hated him for knowing exactly how to unravel .
Once inside, Victor moved around, taking in the decor, the expensive furnishings, and the carefully arranged nursery.
"This feels holy. Are you ready for the baby?" He asked, sitting on the couch opposite .
"Like you wouldn’t believe. I am just about done with carrying this much weight. I haven’t seen my legs in ages." I muttered, rubbing my temples.
He chuckled at the sa ti my phone vibrated. I frowned at the number. It was unknown. Who could be calling with a hidden number?
"Who is it?" Victor asked, seeing the puzzle on my face.
"I don’t know," I answered and picked the call. My face drained of blood the mont I heard the voice on the other end of the line.
I listened to him speak without getting the opportunity for a response, and a shiver ran through my body. I hung up the call and turned to Victor.
"I need to go."
He didn’t argue. "Is there a problem? Want to co with?"
I shook my head. "No. This is sothing I have to do alone."
Victor studied for a long mont before nodding.
*****
Gwen’s apartnt was quite different from mine. It was bigger and much more lavish. I didn’t expect anything less, but what I didn’t expect was the screaming coming from Chayara, who was fussing in the arms of the nanny.
I walked in to find her lounging on the couch, scrolling through her phone. What mother can ignore her child’s cries?
"Are you going to comfort your baby, or do you only do that when you are live on Instagram?"
Gwen looked up, her eyes narrowing. "What do you want?"
"I got a call from Sam."
That got her attention. She stiffened but quickly masked it with a scoff. "Why the hell is that my problem?"
I tilted my head, studying her. "That’s what I was hoping you’d tell ."
She rolled her eyes and went back to her phone. "You’re obsessed with . It’s pathetic."
"Sam inford he has sothing to tell about you. Listen, Gwen. If there’s sothing you’re hiding, sothing Sam thinks I need to know, this is your last chance to co clean."
She stood up, smoothing down her dress. "You really think I’m scared of you?"
"I think you are scared of what Sam knows."
She laughed, but it was forced. "You’re just jealous that Richard chose ."
I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "Why does Sam, of all people, have information that could ruin you?"
Sothing flickered in her eyes. Panic.
She turned away, waving her hand dismissively. "I have better things to do than entertain your nonsense."
"If it is sothing that can hurt Richard, Gwen, you better spill now!"
She didn’t respond.
"Fine." I said, giving up. "Enjoy your evening, Gwen."
*****
Sam sat across from , looking lean and haggard. I had heard prison changes a man; I just didn’t think physically also.
I didn’t waste ti. "Talk."
He leaned back, a slow smirk spreading across his face. "How have you been, Benny?"
"You didn’t ask here because you are concerned about ."
"No, I didn’t. But despite all that went down between us, I do still love you."
I sighed. "Sam."
He chuckled. "Fine. Chayara isn’t Richard’s."
My breath caught. "What?"
"She’s mine."
The words slamd into like bullets. I stared at him in shock. "You’re lying. You just want to hurt Richard."
"You are still trying to protect him. Even though he doesn’t rember you."
I raised an eyebrow, wondering how he knew about Richard’s mory loss.
"We get cable here. It’s been in the news." He clarified. "Well, I and Gwen had a plan. I didn’t know what the future held or if I would get a share in the Nuro empire. So I told her to claim Richard was responsible for her pregnancy so that at least in the future, my child will be entitled to sothing. Turns out she isn’t interested in associating with a convict. I haven’t seen my child or heard from Gwen since I landed in here."
My stomach twisted violently. No. No, this wasn’t possible. Richard loved that child.
I looked up at Sam. "Why are you telling this?"
He leaned closer. "I underestimated you, Nita. I didn’t think you had it in you to fight back. But I do know you are a good person. All I want is to get to know my child, my daughter."
"You think I am going to help you, Sam? You think I am going to break Richard’s heart that way. Do you have any idea what he has been through, what we have been through? You want to snuff out the little joy he has in his life?" I wanted to shout. My heart shattering at this information, I had no idea what to do with. My stomach hurt and pulled, and I tried to steady my breathing.
"You know why I hated Richard? This is exactly why. Everyone always chose him, put him first, and you are doing it too."
"If you weren’t such a psychopath, maybe soone would love you."
"Would they really? I was rejected from the mont I was born. I was kept a secret. I was never acknowledged."
"You think I am going to pity you, Sam? You must be delusional."
"Is this about what I did to you back in school?"
"Don’t you dare bring that up. Don’t you dare, you crazy piece of shit!!!" My voice was louder now, but the pain in my stomach was getting worse.
I had to get out of there imdiately. I got up quickly, steeling myself to make it to my car. I called Richard as soon as I was out of the prison gate, but it kept going to voicemail.
"Pick up, you fucking idiot... Ah!"
Tears stung my eyes. Oh my God, Richard. This would destroy him. I got into my car and tried to call another number.
He picked up almost imdiately. "Martin!!! Thank God!!! Where’s Richard?! I need him now! Ah!!!" Another pain coursed through . "A neurologist? Since when? Martin, the baby is coming. Tell Richard to et at the hospital."
I hung up and started the car.
The pain ripped through my body as I gripped the steering wheel and tried to focus.
"My darling, please wait just a few minutes." I whispered to myself, pressing my foot down on the gas.
I didn’t have ti to process what Sam had told . I didn’t have ti to let my heart break for Richard or for the child who had no idea she was being raised under a lie. All I had ti for was getting to the hospital before my body gave out on .
My phone began to vibrate, hanging on the dashboard. It was Richard video calling . I slid the screen to answer. His face appeared on the screen; it seed like he was running.
"Hey, Nita. Where are you?" He asked, panic on his face.
"On my way to the hospital. I should be there in ten minutes."
"I told you to keep a guard with you, Nita." He was almost crying as he slid into the back seat of the car.
"I am fine. The pain is not so bad yet. Baby still has a long way to go before it gets here." That was a lie.
"We are on our way. Do you need to get anything for you?"
"I have a bag packed, but the keys to the apartnt are with ."
"Don’t worry. Martin is good at kicking down doors." He chuckled, making relax. How could I hurt this man with the information I have?
"Martin, don’t you dare break down my door! I’ll haunt you in your dreams every night if you do."
I heard both n laugh. "Hey Nita. You can do this."
I swallowed hard and focused on the road ahead. Then, in an instant, everything shattered.
I heard a loud crashing sound and my body was pushed forward. Richard’s voice screaming my na in a gut-wrenching scream was the last thing I heard.
Reviews
All reviews (0)