Chapter 254

Lily's POV

I watched Nathan toss Eleanor high into the air, her delighted giggles filling our apartment. My heart clenched with each throw, even though I knew he would never drop her.

"Nathan, be careful!" I called out as he flipped her upside down, holding her by her tiny ankles.

"She loves it," he replied, grinning as Eleanor's laughter grew louder. "Don't you, princess?"

I stepped forward, extending my arms. "That's enough. Give her to me before you make her sick."

Nathan reluctantly handed our daughter over, placing a kiss on her forehead before heading toward the kitchen. "I need to leave soon," he said over his shoulder. "I have to deal with my uncle and Jake. You'll stay here."

I nodded, cradling Eleanor against my chest. While I was grateful for the time with our daughter, curiosity gnawed at me. What exactly did "deal with" mean? I had my suspicions, and they weren't pleasant.

"I want to come with you," I said suddenly, surprising even myself.

Nathan turned, his eyebrows raised. "What did you say?"

"Your uncle and Jake? I want to come with you."

His face hardened immediately. "Absolutely not. You're pregnant, Eleanor needs you, and I'm not risking our unborn child getting hurt."

I didn't argue. He was right, of course, but that didn't stop the questions swirling in my mind.

"What's going to happen to Jake?" I asked as Nathan poured himself a glass of water.

"I'll get you some more water—"

"Nathan!"

His eyes met mine, and what I saw there made my stomach drop. It was the cold, calculating look he got when someone had crossed a line. Jake had definitely crossed that line.

"You know what's going to happen to him," I said quietly. "I feel bad. Can't you forgive him?"

Nathan scoffed. "After how he spoke to you, after all the damage he's done to this family? Listen, why don't you... call your friends? Do something fun."

I almost laughed. "Like who? Jade and Olivia?" I shook my head. "I haven't spoken to them in months. They were just coworkers anyway."

"What about Ava?"

"She lives too far away."

Nathan thought for a moment. "Those three girls you used to hang out with before we got back together?"

I shrugged, remembering how they'd gradually stopped responding to my texts after Nathan and I reconciled. Your mother was right, I thought, recalling how Elizabeth had advised me to maintain those friendships.

Nathan's face fell. "I guess that's my fault."

"What about Victoria?" he suggested.

I shot him an incredulous look. "The woman who slept with you and tried to hurt our daughter? Pass."

"My sisters? Emma?"

"I barely know them."

Nathan's eyebrows shot up. "Wow, you really don't have any friends."

"Don't say it like that," I protested. "I have you!"

"You're not!" he exclaimed. "So don't ever say that again."

A silence fell between us, and I watched as Nathan seemed to wrestle with something internally.

"You know what, you're right," he finally said. "We have each other—and I do want you to come with me."

"Wait, really?"

"Yes, of course."

I could tell he didn't truly want me there, but I wanted to go. I needed to see this through.

"My mother can watch Eleanor," he offered, already reaching for his phone.

After dropping Eleanor off at the Sullivans', we sat in silence as the car sped through the city. I turned to Nathan, trying to project confidence.

"I'm not scared, you know," I said. "About seeing your uncle again, or watching whatever fate awaits them."

"Sorry, I don't recall asking," Nathan replied dryly.

I bit my lip, knowing he didn't want me to get hurt again. But I was beyond caring. I wanted to talk to him, to ask why Jake deserved punishment for the same mistakes Derek had made, yet Derek walked free. Victoria had betrayed us too, but Nathan seemed to have forgiven her. I couldn't understand the inconsistency.

Instead of voicing these thoughts, I discreetly texted Derek:

Why does Jake have to die for the same mistakes you made? You walk around free while he pays the ultimate price. If you have any conscience left, come save him. You're the only one who can stop this. Actually, don't bother. You probably don't care anyway.

I knew I was manipulating Derek's guilt, but it was the only way I could think of to prevent things from getting worse.

"Miss 'I Don't Have Friends,' we're here," Nathan announced as the car stopped outside an abandoned warehouse. My heart sank at the sight. It was cold, empty, and filthy—the kind of place where bad things happened.

"This is why I didn't want you to come," Nathan muttered, noticing my expression. "It's not good for the baby."

"I've been through worse," I retorted. "And I'm going to see everything."

Nathan sighed but led me inside. What I saw made me freeze in my tracks.

The inner room was even worse than the exterior. Jake was locked behind glass, looking weak and terrified. Zane was tied to a chair, his body covered in bruises and cuts, barely conscious.

Alex stood nearby, a knife dripping with something red in his hand, looking almost cheerful.

"He's not dead... yet," Alex said casually. "You could say he's semi-conscious, but I wanted him that way. I want him to feel the same pain my uncle Henry felt. I want him to remember what it feels like to be burned alive."

Alex noticed me and his eyes widened slightly. "Oh, hey—Lily! Do your dad and brothers know you're here?"

"Do you want me to die today?" Nathan growled at him.

My father would never approve of this, I thought, feeling sick.

"You should go," Nathan told me, but I shook my head.

"I'm staying."

I approached the glass cell where Jake was being held. His labored breathing was audible even through the barrier. When he saw me, his eyes filled with desperate hope.

"Nathan, please—I'm begging you," Jake pleaded. "I helped you before, didn't I?"

Nathan and Alex remained silent. Alex mentioned that Jake had spoken up for Henry and tried to stop his father, which was why Alex hadn't killed him immediately.

Jake reached for my ankle through the bars at the bottom of the glass. "Lily, tell him!"

Nathan kicked Jake's chest violently, grabbed his hair, and slammed him against the floor. "Don't touch her."

I stared at Nathan, shocked not by his anger—I was used to that—but by his complete lack of compassion. His eyes were cold and empty; he truly didn't care.

My phone vibrated with a message from Derek: I'm almost there. Don't let him do anything crazy!

My eyes widened. I needed to buy time.

Jake was still on his knees, begging. "Please give me another chance... please!"

Nathan pulled out his gun, slowly pointing it at Jake's head. "I can't. I've given you enough chances."

Inside, I was screaming for Derek to hurry.