Chapter 77

Lily's POV

I stared at the screen of my phone, reading the voice message from Victoria, feeling like my breath was about to stop.

"My brother is safe!" I blurted out, looking at Christopher in disbelief, tears instantly welling up. "Did you hear that, Christopher? My brother is safe!"

I reached out my arms and hugged this ten-year-old boy tightly, his small body feeling so fragile in my embrace. The suffocating feeling that had weighed on my chest for days finally dissipated, and I felt a sense of indescribable relief.

"Victoria really rescued him," I said softly, still finding it hard to believe. "I know I made a lot of promises to her, but to be honest, I always doubted if she could do it."

I released Christopher, wiped away my tears, and looked at him with joy written all over my face. The little boy was smiling too, but there was a mix of emotions in his smile that I couldn't quite understand.

"I need to contact Victoria to find out where she took Tyler," I said, reaching for my phone, but suddenly a wave of dizziness hit me, causing me to sway and almost stumble.

"Lily, you have to sit down!" Christopher immediately grabbed my arm, his voice filled with concern. "For the baby..."

I paused, my hand unconsciously resting on my slightly bulging belly. The four-month-old baby bump was already showing, but in the midst of worrying about Tyler, I had almost forgotten about the baby growing inside me.

"Oh God, I... forgot," I murmured to myself, feeling a wave of guilt wash over me. I had been so caught up in everything—family secrets, Tyler's danger, Nathan's control—that I had forgotten the most important thing: the baby in my womb, my responsibility.

Christopher ran to the mini-fridge, took out a bottle of water, and handed it to me. Watching his small figure bustling around for me, I felt a warm surge in my heart, mixed with a tinge of guilt. It should have been me taking care of him, not the other way around.

"Thank you, Christopher," I said, taking small sips of water, feeling the dizziness gradually fade away.

Dr. Andrew's warning echoed in my ears—reduce stress, avoid excessive fatigue, maintain a regular routine. And what had I done? Run, hide, take risks, with almost no rest. As someone willing to fight for the life of the baby in my womb, I had almost not considered the consequences of neglecting myself.

"Christopher?" I suddenly asked, my voice trembling. "You telling me about Tyler, will it get you into trouble?"

Christopher lowered his head, fidgeting with his shirt hem anxiously. "Landon might get into trouble... he's the one guarding Tyler," he said, "Joseph might get angry... Antonio will definitely be very angry."

He paused, his voice becoming even smaller. "I might get into trouble too."

Guilt consumed me like a tidal wave. I had dragged Christopher to help me find Tyler, when he had come seeking my help. I had involved him in this dangerous struggle, and he was just a child.

"I'm sorry for involving you in all of this, Christopher," I said sincerely, "We will protect you, I promise."

Christopher looked up at me, seemingly assessing the truth of my words. Then, his eyes fell on my belly, filled with curiosity.

"Can I... touch it?" he asked cautiously, pointing a finger towards my stomach.

I smiled and nodded, guiding his hand to rest on my belly.

"Do you feel anything?" I asked.

Christopher furrowed his brows in concentration, as if putting all his focus into feeling. "Not yet, nothing," he said with a hint of disappointment.

"The baby is still too small, it might take a few more weeks before you feel its kicks," I explained.

Watching Christopher completely engrossed in the experience of touching my belly, his eyes shining with innocent curiosity, I couldn't help but smile warmly. In this world of violence and betrayal, the curiosity and innocence of this little boy seemed especially precious.

"You could have asked Nathan for help in rescuing Tyler," Christopher suddenly said, with a hint of confusion in his tone. "He would do anything for you."

I sighed, contemplating how to explain the complex situation to a child. "It's complicated, Christopher. I'm not sure how Nathan would react... he might help, or he might send you back to where you came from."

"Joseph said, 'Nathan is willing to sell his soul for you, willing to walk through fire for you'," Christopher repeated word for word, clearly quoting his brother.

I couldn't help but smile wryly. "I don't doubt that Nathan cares for me, he has shown me his level of care over the past few days." I said gently, "But this is about more complicated things... the hatred between families, the past grudges. It's not just about me and Nathan."

Christopher nodded thoughtfully, his understanding far beyond his years once again surprising me.

"What happened between you and Joseph?" I asked, noticing how Christopher's expression always became complicated whenever his brother was mentioned.

Christopher bit his lip, his gaze drifting to the side. "He shouted at Tyler, and when I told him to stop, he pushed me hard..." he said softly, his voice tinged with hurt. "He's never been like that with me. I'm scared he'll turn out like Dad."

I tried to defend Joseph, after all, he had helped me multiple times. "He might just be under too much pressure," I reassured, but deep down, I knew that Joseph had crossed a line when he laid hands on his own brother.

"Has Antonio... hurt your mom?" I asked cautiously.

Christopher nodded, a hint of fear in his eyes. "He used to hit her... sometimes, she would hide, not letting me see her face."

While it wasn't surprising or shocking to me that Antonio had possibly harmed Christopher's mother, hearing it directly from the mouth of this young boy still broke my heart.

"Joseph is different," I said firmly, listing examples of Joseph's help to me: "Remember the first time I met him, accidentally spilling champagne on his suit? He defended me, not getting angry. When I was scared to buy a pregnancy test, he comforted me. In my totally unqualified state, he gave me a job. He paid for my lunch, accompanied me when my relationship with Nathan was unstable."

I took a deep breath. "I believe Joseph will come back to his senses and do the right thing. The only question is if there's enough time."

Christopher pondered my words, then nodded slowly. "We just need a break," he said, his tone surprisingly mature beyond his years.

"You're a smart kid, Christopher," I smiled, "so wise at such a young age."

"Video games," he proudly announced, as if that explained everything.

I couldn't help but laugh, making a mental note to never stop my child from playing video games.

Exhaustion finally overcame us, and Christopher soon fell asleep by my side, the tense lines on his little face relaxing in slumber. I closed my eyes as well, letting a brief moment of peace envelop me.

Two hours later, I woke up from my nap, immediately reaching for my phone. The screen showed three missed calls from Victoria, and my heart leaped to my throat.

I feared that Nathan or Antonio might have discovered the rescue of Tyler, and might even have tracked our location. With trembling fingers, I scrolled through the screen and dialed Victoria's number.

As the phone connected, I held my breath.

"Lily?"

That voice—my brother's voice—made my world stop spinning. It wasn't Victoria, but Tyler himself. Hearing his weak but unmistakably alive voice, tears once again welled up in my eyes.

"Tyler?" I gasped, my voice broken, filled with disbelief and relief. "Is it really you?"