Chapter 83

Nathan's POV

"You have to tell me Antonio's plan, all of it." My voice was low and firm, staring intently into Joseph's eyes.

Joseph lowered his head, fingers trembling, as if what he was about to admit would burn his throat. "He wants them to suffer together. Tyler and Lily, he's looking for..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but I didn't need him to. There was a strange sense of satisfaction in me—my theory was right. As long as Lily and Tyler were separated, her life wouldn't be in danger. This meant my plan might work, though the cost could be higher than I imagined.

"I don't know what Victoria did to those guards, but I know they switched shifts..." I moved closer to Joseph, making sure he heard every word clearly, "So I need you to go back and deal with them and the ones who were supposed to guard after them."

"Do you want me to kill them?" Joseph stared at me in shock, "My father's men?"

A hint of fear flashed in his eyes. It wasn't just about killing—it was about crossing a point of no return. He would be completely betraying his father.

"If they're not dead yet, yes." I replied calmly, "As long as there's no one watching, Tyler will be safe, and your father will be satisfied."

Joseph took a deep breath, seemingly weighing his choices, and then his expression turned serious. "Nathan, you have eight hours—I can take care of the two after the guards... my father checks on Tyler every eight hours."

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of relief at this valuable information, immediately starting to readjust the plan in my mind.

"Alright, after dealing with the guards, you need to call your father and tell him you found Christopher."

Joseph nodded, but as I continued speaking, his face changed.

"Tell him I took Christopher from you, but Christopher managed to escape, and he knows the location of the house."

"You want me to lead him straight to Lily, are you out of your mind?" Joseph shouted in anger, his voice echoing in the room.

I had anticipated his reaction. "Right now, you need to gain your father's trust, and Christopher needs your father's trust—so yes, I will do that."

I nodded, feeling a pang of guilt at betraying Lily once again. But I knew her, knew she would sacrifice herself to protect everyone—she was that kind of person.

A strange sense of pride surged within me. Lily was fearless, smart, brave, willing to sacrifice herself for those she loved... that's why I admired her. It was temporary, to satisfy him.

"We need to give him something in return, make him forget about Tyler for now. He'll wait... he'll bring Tyler because that's the kind of person he is. He likes to play games." I explained, trying to make Joseph understand my intentions.

Joseph shook his head, a kind of fear in his eyes that I rarely saw. "I know what you're going to ask me—but I can't do it. I won't kill my own father, you can, but I won't."

"That's not your job, Joseph, that's my job—I won't put you in that position, it would be disgraceful—I'm just asking for your help." I responded understandingly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

My voice became more resolute, "Whether you like it or not, you have to choose. Who do you want to save? Christopher and Lily, or... because you know what will happen when he finds out Tyler is missing."

Joseph looked at Christopher, who gazed at him with hopeful eyes. He took a deep breath and said, "It will be Christopher, Lily, and the baby."

I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling some of the tension in my shoulders ease. "Good, I know I can count on you—I came here because I never doubted you."

All of this was a gamble, my own family might kill me for this, but it was worth it. I knew it all started with Lily deciding to take action and save Christopher and Tyler, but I was willing to take all the blame. Lily was right, I had done everything to protect Derek—so why shouldn't she be allowed to do the same?

"I'll make sure he doesn't touch Lily, but I can only hold out for eight hours." Joseph reminded me, urgency in his voice.

"He told me he wants to wait until they're together—but he's losing patience, when I left, Tyler was... barely alive!"

A chill ran down my spine. "Yes, I know— that's why you'll help Lily escape after the eight hours are up."

Joseph looked puzzled, furrowing his brow, "I don't understand, why can't you just hand Tyler over to him?"

"Because if something happens to Tyler, Lily won't forgive me!" I almost shouted, feeling the anger burn like flames in my blood.

"So you're willing to hurt her?" Joseph questioned, a look of reproach in his eyes.

I fell silent. It wasn't until this moment, when the idea of losing her became a reality, that I truly understood how much I cared for her. Once, I wanted to send her away, thinking it was for her own good. But now, I realized I could never go through with that plan. I needed her, more than I was prepared to admit.

"Yes, you need to make sure he doesn't touch her... you'll protect her until I get there, because you love her." My voice was low and hoarse.

"I need to make Antonio comfortable until he's at his most vulnerable. That's the only way to bring him down."

"Are you willing to risk Lily's life for this?" Joseph questioned, his eyes showing distrust.

I swallowed hard. "Yes, your father's mental state is unstable—when he realizes you've betrayed him, he won't think clearly... he'll be at his most vulnerable, and if I don't give him Lily or Tyler—it will only make him angrier, I don't know what the consequences will be."

Christopher suddenly spoke up, his voice filled with fear, "I don't want to go back to Antonio, he'll hurt me." He closed his eyes, body trembling slightly.

Joseph immediately walked towards him, crouching down to meet his eyes. "Christopher, you have to trust me—I know I've been bad to you, but you're everything to me, I won't let anyone hurt you."

I approached Christopher, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "Christopher, go with your brother."

Christopher hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement, "Okay." He took a deep breath and ran into Joseph's embrace.

Joseph held him tightly, whispering, "Everything will be okay."

"What are you going to do?" Joseph asked me, still with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"I'll delay what we discussed until Antonio's most vulnerable moment." I replied, already calculating each step in my mind.

"Do you think he deserves an honorable death?" Joseph questioned, with a strange sense of respect in his tone.

I couldn't help but scoff, "An honorable death? Listen to yourself. Your father lost his honor years ago."

Joseph opened his mouth, as if to say something about my family, but I quickly cut him off.

"My family is Lily and the baby." It was something I had thought about for a long time, I knew my own family would never agree with how I planned to end everything, they might see me as a coward—but I only needed Lily and the baby.

Finally, Joseph nodded in agreement, "Alright, I think we should both get started."

As I watched Joseph and Christopher leave, a strange sense of calm washed over me. Regardless of the outcome, I was willing to pay any price for Lily and our child. Even if it meant betraying the family, even if it meant I might not live to see the day the baby was born.