Chapter 163 Deadly Waters

Chapter 163 Deadly Waters
Nicholas POV

I'm in the study, poring over the legal mess of Candy and Sharon's trial documents, when the door bursts open.

Darcy stumbles in, her shirt half-untucked, hair a wild tangle, cheeks flushed with something between panic and fury. "Nicholas, you've gotta help me. Joshua—he's out of line. He tried to—God, he's such an ass!"

I set the pen down. "Slow down. What happened?"

Before she can answer, Joshua barrels in behind her, his broad frame filling the doorway, a sheepish grin tugging at his mouth. "Boss, I swear, it's not what it looks like. She's overreacting."

Darcy spins on him, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. "Overreacting? You dragged me off like some caveman! I told you I wasn't ready, and you just—" She cuts off, arms crossing tight over her chest, glaring at him like she could set him on fire with a look. "Uncle Nick, Cherry set this up. She told Joshua I wanna take things further with him, but I never did!"

I lean back in my chair, the faintest smirk tugging at my lips. Cherry. Of course. My clever girl.

"So, Cherry's orchestrated this little game to ditch you," I mutter to Darcy. "She doesn't want eyes on her every move."

Joshua, standing to the side, furrows his brow, confusion flickering across his face. "Why are you watching Cherry's every move, boss? She's not a kid."

I let out a low chuckle, dark and edged with something I don't name. "You'll understand soon enough. Let's go find her. Both of you, with me."

We make our way to the training field, Darcy noting this is where she last saw Cherry. The field stretches wide, but Cherry's nowhere in sight. Only Kyle and Sonya linger near the equipment racks. They look up as we approach, Kyle's sharp eyes narrowing. "Boss. Looking for someone?"

"Cherry," I say, my tone clipped, scanning the empty expanse. "Where is she?"

Sonya shrugs, wiping sweat from her brow. "She was here a bit ago. Talked with us, then wandered off. What's the issue?"

Joshua snorts, crossing his arms. "Apparently, the boss here needs Darcy to play shadow. Nonstop surveillance on the little missus."

I shoot him a sidelong glance, silencing the jab, then step closer to the group, lowering my voice so it carries just to them. "Keep this quiet. Cherry's pregnant. She doesn't want the child, and I'm… working on changing her mind. I'm buying time, but I need her safe. All of you—eyes open. Protect her, no exceptions."

Sonya gasps, eyes wide. "Pregnant? Cherry? Didn't expect that."

Kyle's expression shifts, a flicker of understanding cutting through his stoicism. "That explains it. She asked us earlier if we weren't afraid to raise a kid in this kind of world.'"

My chest tightens, a vice of dread and hope. "What did you tell her?"

Kyle meets my gaze, firm as eve. "Told her that love protects. Just like you protect her."

Sonya nods, her voice softer. "She didn't say much after that. Just went quiet, like she was chewing on it. I think it got to her. Maybe made her doubt whatever she's planning."

I exhale, a slow release of tension I hadn't realized I was holding. Doubt. That's something I can work with. A crack in her wall. But before I can press further, Joshua cuts in, his tone sharp with skepticism. "I don't get it, Nick. Why wouldn't Cherry want the kid? It's a big deal."

Darcy, still flushed from earlier, steps closer, her voice dropping to a pout as she nudges his arm. "Come on, they just got together. A baby right away? She needs time to adjust to all this." Then, with a pointed glare at Joshua, she adds, "I need time to adjust to you, too, you know."

Joshua rolls his eyes. "Adjust? It's been ages. How much more time do you need, princess?"

A ripple of laughter breaks through the group, light and fleeting, cutting the weight of the moment. But it's shattered by the hurried patter of footsteps. A maid rushes toward us, her face pale, apron twisted in nervous fingers. "Mr. Salvatore, sir—it's the missus. She's fallen into the swimming pool!"

My blood runs cold. I don't wait for the others to react; my legs are already moving, pounding across the estate grounds toward the pool area. The others trail behind.

The pool comes into view, a glassy expanse of blue under the gray sky, and there she is—Cherry, sitting on the edge, drenched to the bone, hair plastered to her face, a towel draped over her trembling shoulders. Another maid hovers nearby, murmuring soft reassurances.

I drop to a knee beside her, my hands reaching for hers, finding them icy under my grip. "What happened, sweetheart?"

Cherry's eyes lift to mine, wide and haunted, but her voice is steadier than I expect. "I was… lost in thought. Walking by the pool. Someone pushed me—hard. I didn't see who; they moved so fast. By the time I got my head above water, they were gone. I screamed, and the maids came."

I scan the area where Cherry fell into the pool, noting it's the deep end. She could've drowned. If those maids hadn't been quick, if... I cut the thought off, forcing my focus back to her. "Baby, you hurt anywhere else? Anything feel off?"

She shakes her head, a small, weary motion. "No. I'm fine."

I press on. "And the baby?"

Cherry's eyes widen, darting around in surprise at Kyle and the others nearby. I reassure her, "It's okay. I told them, so more people can look out for you at all times."

She nods slightly, her voice soft but clear. "The baby's fine."

That's all I need to hear. I turn to the others. "Clear out. Check the perimeter. I want to know who got close enough to do this."

They scatter, Kyle barking orders as they go. I scoop Cherry up, her wet clothes soaking into my shirt. "Come on, I'm taking you back to change into something dry."

As we move through the quiet halls, her voice breaks the silence, low and analytical. "I don't know what they wanted, Nicholas. Me… or the baby. I can't tell."

I grimace, my grip tightening just a fraction. "No one outside this circle knows you're pregnant. I only told Darcy before today, and just now with Kyle, Sonya, and Joshua. It shouldn't have leaked."

My thoughts churn, narrowing to a cold, hard list. Anthony. Eric. Their families. Anthony's had it out for Cherry since the start, sent men after her once before. And Eric's been stirring up trouble, cozying up to Arthur's crew just to spite me.

"It's got to be one of them," I mutter, more to myself. "Anthony or Eric's lot. Darcy and Vincent are clean—they wouldn't touch you."

Cherry draws a shaky breath, her fingers curling into my shirt. "Nicholas, promise me something. Whatever I do next, don't stop me."

A jolt of unease cuts through me. What is she gonna do? She can't mean terminating the pregnancy, can she?