Chapter 39 Chapter 39
Hailey’s POV
One more week until what? Until the Morellis made their move? Until they tried to kill Damien? Until they came after me and Benita again?
The cryptic nature of it made it even more terrifying because we didn’t know what we were counting down to.
Damien’s expression was carved from stone as he stared at the paper, his jaw so tight I could see the muscle jumping near his temple.
“Double security on everyone,” he said to Kai, his voice low and dangerous. “I want guards on Hailey and Benita at all times. No one goes anywhere alone. And I want increased patrols around all our properties.”
“Already being arranged, boss,” Kai said.
“Marco,” Damien continued, turning to where Marco still stood with Benita. “You don’t let her out of your sight. Understood?”
“Yes, boss,” Marco said immediately, his arm tightening protectively around Benita.
“This is ridiculous,” Isabella’s voice cut through the tension. “All this chaos, all this danger, because you couldn’t keep your hands to yourself.”
“Mother,” Damien said, his voice carrying a warning.
But Isabella wasn’t finished. She turned to me, her eyes cold and calculating. “Hailey, come with me. We need to talk. Privately.”
“I don’t think….” I started.
“It wasn’t a request,” Isabella said firmly.
Damien looked like he wanted to object, but Isabella was already moving toward the hallway, clearly expecting me to follow.
With shaking legs, I stood and walked after her, feeling everyone’s eyes on my back.
She led me upstairs to one of the guest rooms, a beautifully decorated space that felt suffocating despite its size. The moment we were inside, she closed the door and turned the lock with a decisive click.
The sound made my heart race with fresh anxiety.
“Sit,” Isabella commanded, gesturing to an armchair.
I remained standing. “What do you want to talk about?”
She studied me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then she spoke, her voice cold and matter-of-fact.
“Stay away from my son.”
The words shouldn’t have surprised me, but they still hit like a slap. I opened my mouth to respond, but she held up a hand.
“Let me finish,” she said. “You’re a college girl with no family, no connections, no understanding of this world. You will be a liability to Damien, a weakness his enemies will exploit. You’ve already seen what happens, it will only get worse.”
“I know that,” I said quietly. “But I can’t just….”
“The baby,” Isabella interrupted. “That’s what’s keeping you here, isn’t it? The leverage you have over my son.”
“It’s not leverage,” I protested. “I didn’t plan this. I never wanted…”
“Then get rid of it,” Isabella said bluntly.
The room seemed to tilt sideways.
“What?” I whispered.
“Abort the baby,” she said, as casually as if she were suggesting I change my shoes. “I’ll pay for everything, the best doctors, the best care. And afterward, I’ll set you up with enough money that you’ll never have to work again. You can finish school, start a new life somewhere far away from here, far away from my son and this world that’s trying to kill you.”
I stared at her, unable to process what I was hearing. “You want me to abort my baby?”
“It’s not a baby yet,” Isabella said dismissively. “It’s barely three weeks along. A cluster of cells. Nothing more.”
“That’s not true,” I said, my voice shaking. “It’s my baby. Damien’s baby.”
“It’s a mistake,” Isabella corrected coldly. “One that can still be fixed. I’m offering you a way out, Hailey. A generous way out. Take the money, leave, and everyone can move on with their lives.”
“No,” I said, the word coming out stronger than I felt. “Absolutely not.”
Isabella’s expression hardened. “You’re being foolish. You have no idea what you’re signing up for, what kind of life you’re condemning that child to. Growing up in this world, always in danger, always looking over their shoulder….”
“I said no,” I interrupted, my hands instinctively moving to protect my stomach. “I’m keeping my baby. End of discussion.”
For a moment, rage flashed across Isabella’s face, raw and undisguised. Then she composed herself, her expression settling back into cold contempt.
“Then you’ve made your choice,” she said quietly. “And I want you to understand something very clearly, as long as you’re around, as long as you insist on staying in my son’s life, I will make things very, very difficult for you. You think the Morellis are your only problem? You have no idea what I’m capable of when someone threatens my family.”
“I’m not threatening your family,” I said desperately. “I’m trying to survive in a situation I never asked for!”
“You got pregnant,” Isabella said flatly. “Whether you planned it or not, you created this situation. And now you’re using that child to bind yourself to my son, to secure your place in a world you don’t belong in.”
“That’s not what I’m doing….”
“Isn’t it?” Isabella challenged. “Then prove it. Leave. Walk away. Let my son handle the Morellis without having to worry about protecting you and your friend. Let him focus on what matters instead of being distracted by a girl who will only get him killed.”
The words cut deep because part of me wondered if she was right. If maybe I was making things worse for Damien, putting him in more danger just by being here.
But I couldn’t leave. I had nowhere else to go. And despite everything, I didn’t want to leave.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I said quietly. “Whether you like it or not, I’m carrying Damien’s child. And he wants me here.”
Isabella stared at me for a long moment, and I could see her reevaluating, recalculating her approach.
“Very well,” she said finally, her voice like ice. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you. You’ve chosen a very difficult path, Hailey. And I promise you, I will make it even more difficult.”
She moved to the door, unlocking it and stepping aside.
“You can go now,” she said dismissively.
I walked past her on shaking legs, feeling her cold gaze boring into my back.
The moment I was in the hallway, I heard the door close behind me with a soft, final click.
I made it to my own room before the tears came, hot and overwhelming. I sank onto the bed, my body shaking with silent sobs.
Abort the baby. Stay away from Damien. You don’t belong here.
The words echoed in my head, mixing with the fear and stress and exhaustion until I thought I might shatter from the weight of it all.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand, and I reached for it automatically, thinking it might be Benita checking on me.
But it was an unknown number.
I almost didn’t answer, but something made me pick up.
“Hello?” I said, my voice hoarse from crying.
“Just wanted to make sure your line still works,” Sophia’s voice came through, sweet and venomous.
“Sophia, what….”
But she’d already hung up.
I stared at the phone, confusion cutting through my distress. Why would she call just to say that? What was the point?
Then my phone buzzed again with a text message.
From the same unknown number.
I opened it with trembling fingers.
“I hope you can live through this.”