Chapter 78

Lily's POV

I tightly gripped my phone, hands slightly trembling, tears streaming down my cheeks. That voice—the voice I had been searching for—was now coming through the phone, real and tangible.

"Oh my God, Tyler, is it really you? Where are you?" I choked out, almost unable to believe my ears.

"It's me, Lily," his voice sounded weary but determined, "I was just sleeping, Victoria said you called."

I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand, feeling an indescribable mix of shock and relief. The worries, fears, and helplessness of the past few days receded like a tide, leaving behind only endless gratitude for my brother's safety.

"I know, don't worry. Victoria told me you looked tired," I said, trying to control my trembling voice, "You're safe now, that's what matters most."

As Victoria's name came up, my emotions became complicated. Despite her help in rescuing Tyler, I still harbored doubts about her motives.

"We still don't trust her, we're just using her," I said in a low voice, hoping Tyler would understand my caution.

"Although, she let me shower, cleaned my wounds, and even made food for me..." Tyler responded calmly, with a hint of uncertainty in his tone.

My heart sank. "Wounds? How are they?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end. "I'm still alive, I can still talk, so I'll get through it."

His blunt and brutal reply reminded me of everything he had endured at the hands of Antonio. I bit my lip, feeling a surge of anger and guilt wash over me. If only I had found him sooner...

"How is Christopher?" Tyler suddenly asked, interrupting my thoughts.

I turned to the couch, where Christopher was sleeping peacefully, his small body curled up, looking so fragile.

"He's sleeping," I answered softly, "He was very worried about you, but he'll be okay now."

A sigh came from Tyler on the other end. "Listen, as much as I'm glad to be alive, rescuing me was foolish..." his voice turned serious, "Does Nathan agree with this?"

My heart skipped a beat. Nathan. In the midst of this chaos, I had been avoiding directly facing this question.

"I'll protect Christopher, don't worry," I dodged his question, unwilling to reveal the complexities of my situation with Nathan.

"How's the baby?" Tyler's tone softened, overflowing with concern.

I unconsciously placed my hand on my slightly protruding belly, feeling the presence of life. "Quite literally a waiting game for a few more weeks," I replied with a bitter smile, "Dr. Andrew said I need to reduce stress, but look at what I've done..."

"Did Nathan use the information I provided?" Tyler pressed on urgently.

I sighed, feeling a wave of powerlessness and frustration. "He told me everything will be resolved because of you, that's all he said. He never tells me anything."

"Yes, because I told him not to involve you," Tyler confessed, "You've done enough, I need you to focus on..."

Before he could finish his sentence, my phone vibrated. I pulled down the notification bar and saw several unread messages and missed calls from Joseph. My heart clenched, and my fingers swiped across the screen, opening the messages.

"Whatever has happened between us, I'm sorry." "Just tell me where Christopher is, and I'll let go." "I'll stand up against my father to let you live in peace." "You'll never have to see me again, I just want my brother back." "Tell Nathan to bring him back!" "Don't touch the ones I care about, and I won't touch the ones you care about."

Each message felt like a knife stabbing into my heart. Joseph's words were both pleading and threatening, leaving me at a loss. I had thought he was one of the few allies in this chaos, but now it seemed that even he was being dragged into this family feud.

"Lily? Are you there?" Tyler's voice brought me back to reality.

"Yes, I'm here," I quickly replied, deciding to only tell him partial truths, "Joseph messaged, he said he's sorry and he wants to know where Christopher is."

"Whatever you do, block him, don't reply!" Tyler immediately warned, his voice filled with tension, "Lily, please tell me, does Nathan know about this?"

A wave of guilt washed over me. "Know about what?"

"About me asking you for help with Christopher, you saving me, all of it," Tyler clarified urgently.

I fell silent. This was the question I had been avoiding. Nathan didn't know that Christopher was with me, didn't know that I had worked with Victoria to rescue Tyler, didn't know that I had been hiding everything from him.

"Oh my God, Lily," Tyler's voice was filled with disbelief, "Listen, I don't know what you're up to, but you have to call Nathan!"

"So he can hand over Christopher?" I retorted, my voice rising with excitement.

"Nathan would bend over backward if you asked him, so yes, he would!" Tyler almost shouted, "If you trust him, then you should call him and tell him the truth. If you don't, I will."

Panic set in. "Now?"

"Yes, now, time is ticking, only six hours left, so if I were you, I'd move," Tyler's voice was serious and urgent.

I knew he was right. No matter how scared I was of Nathan's reaction, I couldn't keep hiding. It wasn't just about me anymore, it was about Christopher, Tyler, the baby in my womb, and everyone else who might be dragged into this storm.

"Alright, I will," I finally conceded.

"Risking everyone's lives for one person is not wise, Lily," Tyler scolded before hanging up, his tone filled with both concern and helplessness.

After the call ended, I looked at Christopher still sleeping, traces of weariness on his innocent face. "I hope you're right," I whispered softly, then took a deep breath and dialed Nathan's number.

The phone was answered almost immediately. "Lily, are you okay?" Nathan's voice was filled with concern and nervousness.

"Nathan, I need you to come here right away, there's something I have to tell you," I said directly, deciding not to delay any longer.

"What's wrong? Is it the baby?" he immediately grew anxious.

"No, the baby is fine, I'm fine too," I reassured him, "You just need to come as soon as possible."

I knew that the next request might sound strange to him, but I had to ensure he could listen to my explanation calmly. "Whatever it is, you won't be angry, you'll listen to me," I almost pleaded.

There was a moment of silence on the other end. "Alright, I promise," Nathan finally reluctantly agreed, "Now tell me, what is it?"

"I can't tell you over the phone," I insisted, "You need to come here now."

Another silence followed, and I could imagine Nathan considering all possibilities, his brow furrowed, his green eyes showing concern.

"Okay, I'll come right away," he finally agreed with determination in his voice.

After hanging up, I felt a slight dizziness. I had made a decision, and there was no turning back now. No matter how Nathan reacted, I had to face it. Watching Christopher begin to stir on the couch, slowly waking up, I knew time was running out. All the truths were about to be revealed, and I could only hope that love would triumph over anger, and understanding would prevail over betrayal.