bChapter /bb248 /b

    OLIVIA’S POV

    The air in the grand hall was stifling, the silence so heavy that I could hear the frantic beat of my own heart pounding in my chest. The marble floor beneath me was cold, but that coldness was nothingpared to the fear that slithered through every corner of my body.

    I sat down on the bare floor, just like the rest of them. Around me, people huddled together in a tight circle, their breaths shaky, their eyes darting nervously toward the armed men pacing the room like wolves circling their prey. The shadows of their rifles stretched long across the walls, reminders of the danger we were in.

    No one dared to speak, no one dared to move. I kept my eyes on Isadora, who sat across from me, her face pale and unreadable. For years, I had carried a hatred for her, one that had burned through me like wildfire, fueled by betrayal and pain. But now, in this room of captives, under the watchful eyes of men with guns, my hatred was mixed with something

    else – fear. Fear for myself, fear for Charlie, fear for what was toe.

    Then, from somewhere within the circle, a woman’s voice broke through the silence, trembling yet brave enough to ask

    the question we were all thinking.

    “What do you people want from us?”

    The suddenness of her voice drew every pair of eyes toward her. I felt my stomach twist. Brave or foolish, I couldn’t tell.

    One of the men stopped pacing. He was thergest of them all, towering, broad–shouldered, his beard unkempt, his eyes sharp and cruel. He looked to be their leader. The way he carried himself, the way the other gunmen looked at him, waiting for his orders it was clear he was the one in control.

    He walked forward slowly, his heavy boots echoing in the hall until he stood in front of the trembling guest who had dared to speak. He tilted his head slightly, almost amused by her question.

    “We would get exactly what we want when all of you are gathered here,” he said, his voice deep andmanding.

    The words settled in my mind like a riddle, Gathered here? Weren’t we all already here? My eyes scanned the circle, my breath hitching as I realized the truth. No… we weren’tplete. We were missing people. Two people.

    Panic surged through me, my hands gripping the hem of my dress as my thoughts raced. Please, please let Charlie be safe. Please let him still be hidden in that room.

    The leader’s lips twisted into a cruel smile. “And lucky for you,” he said with mockery dripping from his voice, “we’ve got

    them here.”

    He lifted his hand and gestured toward the two massive doors at the back of the room. My heart stopped. The sound of the doors creaking open echoed like thunder. I turned, my eyes glued to the widening gap.

    And then I saw him.

    A figure I thought I would nevery eyes on again.

    Adrian.

    51%

    +23)

    For five long years, I had imagined his face, cursed his name, and dreamed of the day I would be free of the shadow he cast over my life. Thest time I had seen him was the day I had gathered every ounce of courage I had to tell him the truth that I was pregnant with his child. But that truth had shattered in my throat when I found out that Isadora was also carrying his baby. That betrayal had crushed me. I had thought it was the worst thing he could ever do to me. But then, when he discovered my secret, he sent people after me and my family. To kill us.

    That was the day my love for him turned into the darkest hatred.

    And even now, after all this time, as he was shoved into the room by a gunman, his hands raised high, the fire of that hatred red inside me again, sharp and consuming. My fists clenched, my jaw tightened. I could almost taste the bitterness on my tongue.

    But then… the fire in me extinguished in an instant.

    Because I saw the small figure beside him.

    Charlie.

    My son.

    My heart cracked into a thousand pieces as I realized what this meant. They had found him. They had dragged him out of the one ce I thought he would be safe. I had been so sure that hiding him in that room was enough, that maybe, I could protect him there,

    The fear in his little eyes as he walked into the hall nearly broke me. His steps were small, hesitant, as though the ground itself was too dangerous to step on. His tiny shoulders trembled. I wanted to scream, to rush to him, to pull him into my

    arms and never let go.

    Instead, I sat frozen, my throat tight, my heart pounding so hard I thought it would explode.

    The question wed at my mind. How? How did they find him and Adrian at the same time? Was it just a cruel coincidence? Or had Adrian… spoken to Charlie?

    No. No, it couldn’t be.

    But the thought rooted itself in my head, heavy and unshakable. If Adrian had spoken to him… if he had even the faintest suspicion… Did that mean he bknew/b? Did Adrian know who Charlie really was?

    Panic coursed through bme/b, hot and suffocating. It wasn’t part of my n for Adrian to find out that Charlie was his son, he basically tried to kill him a few years ago, I just hope he hasn’t.

    Charlie was pushed forward until he reached the circle of captives. His wide eyes searched for me, and the moment theynded on bme/b, relief flickered across his frightened face. That small flicker gave me strength.

    The instant he was close enough, I reached for him, dragging him against me, clutching him tightly to my chest as though my arms alone could shield him from every danger in this world. I pressed my lips to the top of his head, my tears soaking into his soft hair.

    “Are you alright?” whispered, my voice breaking as I kissed him again, not caring if anyone was staring at me.

    There were a lot of people in this room that I didn’t want to find out that he was my son, yes, but when you think you

    09:42 Sat, 30 Aug .

    might not see your only child again then all that goes in the trash.