Chapter 31 Chapter 31
Hailey’s POV
I walked down the hallway, trying to put as much distance between myself and that awful confrontation as possible, when I heard sounds coming from one of the rooms.
Soft murmurs. A quiet laugh. The unmistakable sounds of people making out.
I turned the corner and froze.
Benita and Marco were pressed against the wall, his hands tangled in her hair, her arms wrapped around his neck, completely lost in each other.
“Oh my God,” I said, louder than I intended.
They jumped apart like they’d been electrocuted. Benita’s face turned bright red as she frantically tried to smooth down her messed-up hair, and Marco looked like he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole.
“Hailey!” Benita exclaimed, her hands still patting down her hair. “I didn’t hear you coming.”
“Clearly,” I said, unable to suppress a small smile despite everything.
Marco cleared his throat awkwardly. “I should, uh, I should go check on something. Security stuff.” He nodded at both of us and practically fled down the hallway.
The moment he was gone, Benita rushed over to me, her embarrassment forgotten as concern took over. “Is everything okay? You look upset. Did something happen with Damien?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but the words got stuck in my throat. How did I even begin to explain?
“Can we sit down?” I asked quietly.
“Of course,” she said immediately, guiding me to a nearby sitting room and closing the door behind us.
We sat on the couch, and Benita turned to face me fully, her expression serious. “Talk to me. What’s going on?”
I took a deep breath, my hands trembling in my lap. “I’m pregnant.”
Benita’s eyes went wide. “What?”
“I’m pregnant,” I repeated, the words feeling surreal even as I said them. “Three weeks along.”
For a moment, Benita just stared at me, processing. Then she grabbed my hand. “Oh my God, Hailey. When did you find out?”
“At the infirmary,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “When you took me there after I got sick. The nurse told me then. I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you ever since.”
“So that’s what was really wrong,” Benita said, understanding dawning in her eyes. “Not just a fever.”
I nodded, tears pricking at my eyes. “I’m sorry I lied to you. I just, I didn’t know how to say it. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it myself.”
“Hey, no,” Benita said firmly, squeezing my hand. “Don’t apologize. I can’t even imagine how you’ve been feeling, carrying this secret around.”
“Damien knows now,” I continued. “I just told him. And he wants me to stay here. Permanently.”
“Here? In this house?” Benita asked.
“Yes. He says it’s not safe for me anywhere else. And you, you’ll be staying in another house right next door. He says it’s secure, has guards and everything.”
Benita leaned back against the couch, processing all of this. “Okay. Okay, I can work with that. At least we’ll be close to each other.”
“You’re okay with this?” I asked, surprised by how calm she seemed.
She shrugged. “What choice do we have? You’re pregnant with the most powerful man in the city’s baby, and his rivals are trying to kill us. Living in a secure house next door to you doesn’t sound so bad, all things considered.”
“How are you so chill about this?” I demanded, my voice rising slightly. “I’m terrified, Benita. I can barely breathe, I’m so scared.”
“Of Damien?” she asked gently.
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Not anymore. I mean, yes, he scares me. What he does, what he’s capable of, all of that terrifies me. But right now, I’m not scared of him. I’m scared of the Morellis.”
I wrapped my good arm around myself, feeling small and vulnerable. “We’re targets now. They know who we are, where we live, and they’ve already tried to kill us once. What if Damien’s protection isn’t enough? What if they find a way to get to us anyway?”
“Hailey,” Benita said, turning to face me fully. “Look at me.”
I met her eyes reluctantly.
“As long as you’re carrying his child, Damien will do everything in his power to keep you safe,” she said firmly. “He’s not going to let anything happen to you. Or to the baby.”
“But what about you?” I asked. “You’re in danger because of me.”
“And Marco will protect me,” she said simply. “That’s what he does. That’s literally his job.”
“This is insane,” I whispered. “How did my life turn into this?”
Before Benita could respond, we heard footsteps, quick and angry, coming down the hallway.
The door burst open, and Sophia stormed in, her face red and blotchy from crying but her eyes blazing with fury.
“You,” she snarled, pointing at me. “This isn’t over.”
I stood up instinctively, even though my legs felt shaky. “Sophia….”
“Don’t,” she cut me off. “Don’t you dare try to talk to me. You think you’ve won? You think just because my father is protecting you that means you’re safe?”
She stepped closer, and I could see the hatred burning in her eyes, raw and visceral.
“I’m going to make your life miserable,” she said, her voice low and venomous. “Every single day you’re here, I’m going to remind you that you don’t belong. That you’re nothing but some random girl who got knocked up and is using my father for protection.”
“That’s not….” I started, but she wasn’t finished.
“Watch your back, Hailey,” she hissed. “I will make your life miserable.”
With that final threat, she turned on her heel and stormed out, her footsteps echoing through the hallway.
Moments later, I heard a car engine roar to life, tires screeching as she peeled out of the driveway.
Benita and I stood there in stunned silence, staring at the empty doorway.
“Well,” Benita finally said. “That was terrifying.”
“She hates me,” I whispered, sinking back onto the couch. “She really, truly hates me.”