Chapter 60 61

Chapter 60 61
Chapter Sixty one

Tessa POV

The moment he was gone, the dam inside me broke. I crumpled to the floor, tears spilling down my face as I choked on sobs I had held back for far too long. 

Everything inside me screamed for him, but I had to let him go. For his safety and for our baby. 

For everything Helen had threatened to take away.

Damien had no idea how much danger he was in, and that was what terrified me the most. 

If he knew…if he got involved…Helen would never let him go or even worse kill him. She would destroy everything, and I would be powerless to stop her.

I couldn’t lose him. Not like that.

My phone buzzed again, and I wiped my tears just long enough to see the screen.

It wasn’t Damien, It was Helen.

““I trust you’ve thought things over. I’ll give you 24 hours to make your decision. Leave California. You know what’s at stake.”

My breath hitched as I stared at the message, my hands shaking. Twenty-four hours. That’s all I had left to figure out my next move, to decide whether I would run or stay.

But either way, I knew one thing for sure.

Helen has drawn a line and no matter how terrified I was, I wasn’t going down without a fight, no matter what it takes I was ready to give it.

The phone slipped from my hand, landing on the floor with a soft thud, but I barely noticed. My mind was racing, my heart pounding in my chest. 

Twenty-four hours. Helen had me backed into a corner, threatening everything I held dear—the baby, my family, and now Damien.

I stared blankly at the phone, trying to force my brain to come up with a plan, but it was no use. The fear was too loud, drowning out any rational thought. Helen had all the power, and she knew it. 

The footage she showed me—snipers trained on my home, on my mother’s house—was a reminder that she wasn’t bluffing.

A choked sob escaped my throat as I dragged my knees to my chest, holding myself together as best as I could. 

What was I supposed to do? Run? Disappeared like Helen demanded, leaving behind everything I knew, everyone I loved?

The baby.I pressed a trembling hand to my stomach, feeling the faint flutter that reminded me there was a life growing inside me.

A tiny heartbeat that I had to protect at all costs.Helen knew. She knew about the baby, and she was using it against me. She had to have known for a while, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, to force me into submission.

A bitter laugh bubbled up in my throat, though it tasted like acid. She had waited until I was already crumbling under the weight of her engagement to Damien, her calculated cruelty pushing me to the edge. 

And now, this.Damien.The thought of him brought a fresh wave of tears. He was clueless, completely unaware of the nightmare that was unfolding around him. If he knew... if he knew what Helen was capable of...I shuddered. He couldn’t know. 

Not now. If Helen even thought I had told him, she wouldn’t hesitate to follow through on her threats. I had to keep him away, keep him safe….even if it meant breaking both our hearts.

The phone buzzed again, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts. Another message from Helen.

“Tick tock, Tess. Time is running out.The knot in my stomach tightened as I stared at the screen. I needed to move. “

I needed to think, but my body felt frozen, my mind paralyzed by fear and indecision. Run. 

The word echoed in my head, but where would I go? What would happen to my family, to Damien if I just disappeared? Helen wouldn’t stop until she got what she wanted.

But then, another thought surfaced…a more dangerous one.What if I don’t run?The idea was reckless, but the more I considered it, the more it began to take shape. 

What if I stayed? What if I fought? Helen had power, yes, but she wasn’t invincible. 

She wasn’t untouchable.I swiped my phone off the floor and stood up, pacing the room as adrenaline coursed through me. 

My mind began to clear, and for the first time, I considered the possibility of fighting back. 

I couldn’t let Helen win…not without a fight. Not when she was threatening my baby, my family.But how?I needed to think. I needed help. But who could I trust? Not Damien…he couldn’t know. 

Not Jane or Ana…they would worry, panic even, and that would only make things worse.

There had to be someone. Someone who could help me without tipping Helen off.

My mind raced, sifting through faces and names. 

And then it hit me. Only Derek can help out.

My pulse quickened at the thought. It had been a long time since we’d spoken…since I walked away from that part of my life. 

Derek had been more than a boyfriend. He had been someone I could rely on when everything else fell apart. 

We’d worked together, spending long nights in the office and even longer conversations after hours. He understood me in a way most people didn’t.

Maybe that was why we fell apart. Or maybe I had pushed him away because I was afraid of letting anyone in. 

Either way, Derek was the only one who might understand. He was smart, resourceful, and had connections that might give me a fighting chance.

Before I could second-guess myself, I found his number and dialed. The phone rang once, twice, and then his familiar voice crackled through the line.

“Tess?”There was a note of surprise in his voice. We hadn’t spoken in almost a year, not since I left the company and started fresh. 

I hadn’t thought I’d ever call him again.“Hey, Derek,” I said, my voice sounding smaller than I wanted it to. “I, um... I need help.”