Chapter 132 ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-TWO

Chapter 132 ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-TWO
AIDEN
Sleep and peace vanished from my eyes that night.
Each time I try to force myself, I see that box over and over again. I see my baby’s shoe covered in blood.
I was terrified not for myself but for my unborn child and for Chloe.
The whole thing was so terrifying that Chloe was scared of sleeping alone; I had to follow her to her room, sit on the couch close to her bed just to reassure her that nothing would happen to her.
I don’t know how long we are going to live like this.
I can’t bring my child into this mess. I can’t have her look over her shoulder for the rest of her life.
Chloe stirred in the bed and opened her eyes.
‘Why are you not sleeping?’ she asked, rubbing her eyes.
I scoffed, ‘How am I going to protect you if both of us fall asleep?’
‘Uhmmm….I don’t know, but do you plan on staying awake all night?’
I shrugged. ‘If I have to. Go back to sleep Chloe, I’m not leaving you alone, I promise.’
She sat up. ‘I was having nightmares; I’m afraid to go back to sleep. How can I even have a good rest when my life and that of my baby are being threatened?’
‘I’m not going to let anything happen to you guys, ’ I assured her.
She laughed. ‘You can’t make that promise; you don’t even know what to do. I see it in your eyes, in your movements; this thing is draining you pretty hard. You just don’t want to admit it to yourself or to anybody.’
A pause.
She was so right; I really am clueless as to the next step to take.
I have tightened security, installed new sophisticated cameras, but even that didn’t feel enough.
‘You said you recognize that symbol but don’t remember where you have seen it?’
She nodded. ‘Yeah…I don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong though, maybe it’s just my mind playing tricks on me.’
‘It’s okay, Chloe. Try to get some rest now. We will talk more when the day breaks’
She obeyed, wrapped herself in the thick blanket, and turned the other way.
A few hours later, everywhere has become very bright.
It was morning, I grunted as I straightened my back.
Every part of my body was aching so much; my head, my hips, my muscles, everything felt heavy.
I was supposed to go to my room and probably get a few hours of rest instead; I had a different plan in my mind….
Confronting Lucien.
Since he is such a coward and is using these rough tactics, I’m going to show him that I’m not scared of him.
From today onwards, it’s game on.
I’m not going down without a fight.
I grabbed my jacket and made to reach for the door.
‘You are leaving?’ Chloe’s voice came from behind me.
I stopped in my tracks. ‘Yes, I’m leaving’
‘Where to?’
‘I’m going to see Lucien,’ I told her, my back still turned on her.
I could hear the panic in her voice. ‘You want to confront him?’
‘Mmmhh’
‘How is that a good idea? What if he attacks you or does something terrible to you?’ she asked.
I laughed. ‘He wouldn’t dare.  Trust me Chloe, I can handle Lucien’
With those final words, I walked away from the room before Chloe could stop me.
Getting to Lucien’s house didn’t take so long; the roads were super free, and I was driving alone.
I sped through every pothole, ran through every red light, until I arrived at his gate.
I shut the door of my car, and his men surrounded me, each brandishing their weapons like their lives depended on it.
‘Get me your boss,’ I roared in anger.
They looked at each other. ‘He didn’t say you guys have a meeting today’
I clenched my fist. ‘Do I look like I’m in the mood to play? Do not fuck with me; get me Lucien now’
They whispered amongst themselves. I saw one of them calling someone in the house to inform them that I was outside.
Within like thirty seconds, they allowed me into the courtyard.
I stormed in like an enraged bull ready to unleash fire and brimstone on the bastard.
If he is going to make my life miserable, then I’m going to make his life a nightmare.
The only thing I didn’t quite think through in my plan before coming here was her…..
Shirley.
Somehow, with all the anger and pain I felt, I have forgotten that she actually lives here.
I have also forgotten that I have been avoiding her calls and texts.
Our eyes met as soon as I walked in; she was surprised, and I was uneasy.
As she approached me, my stomach tightened.
‘Aiden?’
I kept my expression blank. ‘Hello, Shirley’
She blinked. ‘Hello? That’s all you are going to say to me after avoiding all my calls and texts?’
Silence.
‘I thought something had happened to you. What is going on with you, Aiden? I don’t understand you anymore’
I opened my mouth to speak but closed it almost immediately.
What am I even going to tell her?
Sorry Shirley, I now have a pregnant woman who is carrying my child at home, so I can’t be talking to you anymore, even though my heart flips whenever it sees you.
Nah, I’m not going to do that to her.
She deserves better than that.
I decided to change the topic instead.
‘I need to see your stepfather. Is he in?’
Her face fell. ‘You are here to see my stepfather?’
I nodded.
‘Not me?’
I coughed nervously. ‘We have urgent business to attend to’
She crossed her arms. ‘Since when do you do business with my stepfather? I thought you both hate each other’
‘Hate is a strong word, Shirley. Please, it’s urgent, and I don’t have time for chit-chat. Where is he?’
She frowned deeply. ‘He is around somewhere; I can get him for you’
‘That won’t be necessary,’ I heard Lucien’s thick voice say.
We both turned to him.
He smirked at me. ‘Hello, Aiden’