Chapter 75

Lily's POV

Victoria stared at me, then at Christopher, then back at me. Her perfectly manicured fingers clutched the shopping bag so tightly her knuckles had turned white.

"I know Christopher's growing environment is awful, but kidnapping?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Don't you think you're going too far?"

I sighed, running my hand through my messy hair. The truth was, I hadn't thought about the consequences at all. That was just me—act first, think later.

"Antonio doesn't care about me," Christopher piped up, his small voice surprisingly firm. "He never has."

Victoria knelt down to his level, setting the shopping bag on the floor. "Christopher, sweetheart, your brother must be looking for you. He must be worried sick."

"Taking away the one person Joseph truly loves is extremely dangerous!" Victoria suddenly shouted, covering Christopher's ears with her hands.

I flinched at her outburst but held my ground. Deep down, I knew she was right. Taking Christopher was impulsive and risky. But I couldn't send him back to that monster.

"I don't want to go back to Joseph," Christopher said, pulling away from Victoria. "He doesn't like me anymore."

Victoria looked at me with accusation in her eyes. "What have you been telling him?"

"Nothing that isn't true," I replied, crossing my arms protectively over my growing baby bump. "Look, I respect his decision. If he doesn't want to go back, I'm not forcing him to."

I needed to change the subject. "I need your help with something else."

Victoria raised an eyebrow. "There's more?"

"The Moretti family is holding someone captive in the garage of the flour factory," I said, watching her reaction carefully. "I need you to get him out and hide him."

She laughed, the sound brittle and hollow. "You want me to break into a Moretti stronghold and rescue a prisoner? Have you lost your mind?"

"I know you're fearless," I pressed. "And you're known for your cunning. You can talk your way out of anything."

Victoria's eyes narrowed. "If I'm going to be crazy enough to help you, you need to tell me who we're talking about first."

I hesitated, then reluctantly answered, "Tyler."

"Tyler? Joseph's bodyguard?" Victoria's eyes widened. "Why would the Moretti family lock him up?"

I swallowed hard. I didn't want to tell her everything, but I needed her help. "Because he helped us. He gave Nathan valuable information."

Victoria looked skeptical. "Why would Joseph's bodyguard betray him to help you?"

"Because... we're close?" I offered lamely, wincing at how unconvincing it sounded.

"Why not ask your brothers for help?" she suggested.

"Absolutely not," I said firmly. "We are not going to my brothers or anyone in the Donovan family for help!"

Victoria paced the small room, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor. "What about cameras? You expect me to just walk in and take... Tyler?"

"The basement has no cameras," Christopher interjected helpfully. "You can go through the back door. Landon is on guard duty, and he's an idiot."

Victoria looked at him in surprise, then back at me. "Lily, you're asking me to risk my life."

"Risk your life?" I echoed sarcastically. "Sounds familiar, doesn't it?" I let the words hang in the air, a reminder that it was because of her and Derek that Tyler was in danger in the first place.

I saw regret flash across her face, but I wasn't about to praise her for doing the bare minimum.

"Fine," she finally said. "I'll go get Tyler."

Relief washed over me so intensely that I surprised both of us by throwing my arms around her. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

\## Victoria's POV

"I should have minded my own business from the beginning," I sighed to myself as I slid behind the wheel of my car.

While I regretted my actions, I still wasn't Lily's biggest fan. I couldn't believe I was about to betray Nathan to earn her forgiveness, but I knew it would give me the breathing room I needed.

I decided to call Joseph first. Just to get a sense of the situation.

The phone rang twice before he picked up. His voice came through shaky and breathless. "Victoria, Christopher is missing—they took Christopher."

My stomach twisted with guilt. I gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"I hurt him," Joseph continued, his words tumbling out in a panicked rush. "He ran away with Tyler's phone. I tried to track it, but I found it in a warehouse, all smashed up!"

"Joseph, breathe—you need to calm down," I said, trying to sound steady.

"How?" he cried. "My little brother is gone!"

"How did Christopher get Tyler's phone?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

He was silent for a moment. "Why should I tell you anything?"

"You can tell me—I've been disowned, remember?" I reminded him. "I'm not exactly a threat to anyone right now."

He exhaled heavily. "Tyler and Lily are twins. My father didn't kill that baby—he gave him another identity."

I nearly dropped the phone. Twins? That explained so much.

"This whole time he's been working behind my back, giving Nathan valuable information to take us down," Joseph spat, his voice thick with hatred.

"And Lily is pregnant with Nathan's—"

"Shut up!" I interrupted, not wanting to hear more about Lily's pregnancy. It was still too painful.

"Where's Tyler, Joseph?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"I let him go," he replied too quickly.

Liar, I thought.

"If the Sullivan family has Christopher, I'm going there right now and—"

"And what?" I cut in sharply. "Joseph, you're losing your mind."

"My father told me to stop looking for Christopher," he continued, his voice breaking. "He said I need to focus on getting Lily and the baby. He said that if I don't get my act together, he'll take matters into his own hands."

I felt sick. "Talking about sacrifices? Do you hear yourself?"

Had I once sounded like this? Had I really considered sacrificing Lily and an innocent baby for my own gains?

"I just want my brother back," Joseph sobbed. "I'm going crazy... what do I do?"

His anguish was palpable, and I felt responsible. The stable, kind man I'd known was falling apart because of events I had helped set in motion.

"You know you're the cause of all our problems, right?" His tone suddenly changed, becoming hard and accusing. "If you had just kept your mouth shut, none of this would have happened to us. We would live in peace, and Christopher would still be here!"

I didn't interrupt. He needed this.

"You're no different from Satan," he continued, his voice rising. "You're the devil in disguise."

And he was right. Every word was true.

The line went dead. Joseph had hung up.

I sat in silence, processing everything. Christopher's absence was driving Joseph mad. Had Lily's decision made things worse? I wasn't sure anymore.

But one thing was clear: Tyler needed help, and I seemed to be his only hope.

"Yes, I need to save Tyler while I still can," I muttered to myself as I started the car.

Perhaps Lily contacting me was a chance to fix things. A chance to get my life back.