Chapter 73 73

Chapter 73 73
Chapter Seventy Three

Tessa POV

Ana nodded, but I could see that my words hadn’t comforted her. They hadn’t comforted me either, if I was being honest. But what else could we have done? 

We couldn’t let Helen get to her, not after everything that had happened. We had to protect her, no matter the cost.

The room fell silent again, the only sound the faint beeping of the machines monitoring our mother’s vital signs. I hated that sound, hated the way it seemed to fill the space with a constant reminder of how fragile she was. 

I wanted to turn them off, to make it all go away, but I knew that we couldn’t. We needed them to keep her alive, to keep her stable.

Damien stood up suddenly, drawing our attention. He walked over to the window, pulling back the curtain just enough to peer outside. 

His movements were tense, his shoulders rigid with unease. I could tell that he was on high alert, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He shook his head, but his eyes didn’t leave the window. “Just making sure we’re still alone,” he replied, his tone flat.

The thought of Helen finding us here sent a shiver down my spine. We had gone to great lengths to ensure that this facility was secure, that no one could trace us here. 

But the fear still lingered, a constant presence in the back of my mind.

“Do you think she’ll come after us?” Jane asked, her voice trembling.

Damien finally turned away from the window, his expression serious. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “But we have to be prepared for anything. She’s dangerous, and we can’t underestimate her.”

Jane looked like she was about to cry again, and I felt a surge of anger towards Helen. How did it come to this? How had we ended up in this nightmare, hiding from a woman who was willing to do anything to get what she wanted?

“We’ll keep her safe,” Damien said firmly, as if sensing my thoughts. “I promise you that.”

I wanted to believe him, but the fear was too strong. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

The hours dragged on, each minute feeling like an eternity. We took turns sitting by our mom’s bedside, holding her hand, talking to her in the hopes that she could hear us. 

The doctors had assured us that she was stable, but that did little to ease our anxiety. We were all waiting for the other shoe to drop, for something to go wrong.

Damien stayed with us the entire time, never once leaving our side. His presence was a comfort, even though I knew how much he had risked by getting involved. 

He was putting his own life in danger by defying Helen, but he didn’t seem to care. He was focused solely on keeping us safe, on getting us through this.

As the night wore on, exhaustion began to take its toll. Jane had fallen asleep in the chair beside our mom’s bed, her head resting on the edge of the mattress. 

Ana was dozing in the corner, her arms wrapped around herself as if to ward off the chill in the air. I was the only one still awake, too wired to sleep, my mind racing with a million different thoughts.

Damien noticed my restlessness and came over to sit beside me. “You should try to get some sleep,” he said softly. “You’ve been up for hours.”

I shook my head. “I can’t. I’m too worried.”

He reached out and took my hand, his touch warm and reassuring. “We’ll get through this, Tess,” he said, his voice steady. “I know it seems impossible right now, but we will.”

I looked at him, searching his eyes for any sign of doubt. But all I saw was determination, a resolve that I wished I could share.

“Do you really think we can beat her?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He didn’t hesitate. “Yes, I do. We’re stronger than she is, and we have something she doesn’t—each other.”

His words should have brought me comfort, but instead, they made my heart ache. We were strong, yes, but was it enough? Was love enough to protect us from someone as ruthless as Helen?

“I’m scared,” I admitted, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

Damien’s grip on my hand tightened. “I know you are. I am too. But we can’t let fear control us, we have to be strong, for your mom, for each other and our baby.”

I nodded, trying to absorb his strength. He was right, of course. We couldn’t let fear win. We had to fight, no matter what.

The silence stretched on between us, but it was a comfortable one. Damien didn’t let go of my hand, and I didn’t pull away. 

For the first time since this nightmare began, I felt a glimmer of hope, a tiny spark that maybe, just maybe, we could get through this.

Eventually, fatigue began to weigh on me, my eyelids growing heavy. Damien noticed and gently urged me to lie down on the small couch in the corner of the room. “Rest, baby. I’ll keep watch.”

I hesitated for a moment before finally giving in. I was exhausted, and I knew that I needed to sleep if I was going to be any use to anyone. 

I lay down on the couch, pulling the thin blanket over myself, and closed my eyes.

Damien’s presence was a comfort, his quiet strength a balm to my frayed nerves. 

As I drifted off to sleep, I clung to the hope that we could find a way out of this, that we could keep my mom safe, that we could finally be free of Helen’s shadow.

When I woke, the first rays of dawn were filtering through the small window in the room. The world outside was still and quiet, a stark contrast to the turmoil raging inside me. 

Jane was still asleep beside our mom, and Ana had moved to sit by the window, staring out at the pale light of morning.

Damien was sitting where I had left him, his gaze distant as he watched over us. When he noticed that I was awake, he offered me a small, tired smile.

“Good morning,” he said quietly.

I pushed myself up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “Morning,” I replied, my voice rough with sleep.

Ana turned at the sound of my voice, her expression weary. “Hey,” she greeted, her voice barely above a whisper.

I crossed the room and sat down beside her. “Did you sleep at all?”

She shook her head. “No. I couldn’t.”

I didn’t push her to explain. I understood all too well the thoughts that kept her awake. We were all living under the same cloud of fear and uncertainty.

Damien stood and stretched, his movements slow and deliberate. “I’m going to step outside for a minute, make some calls. I’ll be right back.”

I nodded, grateful that he was still here, still fighting for us.

When he left the room, I turned to Ana. “Are you fine?” I asked.

It was funny how fast today went. Two days ago was Damien's wedding ceremony but he is with me running up and down because of me.