Chapter 16 Chapter 16

Chapter 16 Chapter 16
Bella sat at her dresser with her legs crossed, one heel dangling lazily in the air as she studied her reflection in the mirror. The late-afternoon light slipped through the curtains and painted her skin in soft gold, but there was nothing soft about the smile on her lips. It was slow. Knowing. Satisfied.

She reached up and adjusted a strand of her hair, tilting her head slightly, as if admiring not just her appearance but the woman she saw staring back at her. Everything was falling into place. Finally.

Her phone buzzed on the dresser.

She didn’t rush to pick it up. Instead, she let it vibrate for a few seconds, savoring the moment, her smile widening just a little. Then she lifted it and answered calmly.

“Yes?”

The voice on the other end was male, cold, and businesslike. “The job’s done.”

Bella’s eyes glittered. “That was quick.”

“There was no trouble,” he said. “I just had to call and the mother retrieved him.”

“Good,” Bella replied softly, leaning back in her chair. “Very good.”

There was a brief pause. “You got what you wanted. We’re finished.”

She smiled at her reflection again. “I’m very pleased with the outcome for now.”

She ended the call without another word and set the phone down, her fingers lingering on it for a moment. A quiet laugh slipped from her lips as she stood and walked closer to the mirror.

“A child,” she murmured to herself. “Always the weak point.”

Her eyes hardened. She knew mothers. Knew how fear worked its way into their bones. No woman ever forgot the feeling of almost losing her child. And no woman easily trusted a man again after something like that—even if it had only been for a few terrifying minutes.

She smoothed her dress and turned away from the mirror, her mind already moving ahead. This wasn’t the end. It was just the beginning. And she felt triumphant as she reached for her purse, utterly convinced her plan was unfolding exactly the way she had designed it to.

Meanwhile, Adrian sat alone on the park bench, staring at the empty playground like it was a crime scene that refused to give him answers.

The swings swayed slightly in the breeze. The slide gleamed under the fading sun. The jungle gym stood silent and abandoned. Just hours ago, the place had been alive with laughter—Milo’s laughter. Now it felt hollow, like the joy had been drained right out of it.

He rubbed his hands over his face and pulled out his phone again.

No missed calls. No messages from Lena.

He dialed Lena’s number for what felt like the hundredth time.

It rang. And rang. And rang and went straight to voicemail.

“Lena, please,” he said, his voice rough, barely holding together. “Please call me back. I just need to know he’s okay. I need to talk to you. I’m so sorry. I should never have looked away. Please… just call me.”

He ended the call and let his arm drop to his side, staring at the ground.

The guilt sat in his chest like a weight he couldn’t lift. He had promised himself he would protect Milo. Promised he would be present. And he’d failed. All it had taken was one moment of distraction. One stupid phone call.

He looked around the empty park again, his throat tightening. If he stayed here any longer, he felt like he might break apart completely.

There was only one place he could go.

Lena’s.

By the time he pulled up outside her house, the sky was already darkening. The lights were on inside, and the sight gave him a small, fragile spark of hope.

At least they were home. At least Milo was there.

He got out of the car and walked to the door, his chest tight, his hands trembling slightly as he rang the bell.

It felt like forever before the door opened.

Lena stood there, her face pale, her eyes sharp with anger and something dangerously close to fear that hadn’t fully faded.

“What do you want, Adrian?” she asked coldly.

His heart clenched. “I just— I need to know if Milo’s okay. Is he… is he really fine?”

Her jaw tightened. “He’s asleep. He’s exhausted. And he’s safe. Something you couldn’t manage today.”

The words hit harder than she probably intended—but maybe she did intend it. Adrian swallowed.

“I know,” he said quietly. “I know I messed up. I’m so sorry, Lena. I should never have let him out of my sight. Never. Please, I just want to see him. Just for a second. I need to know with my own eyes that he’s okay.”

She shook her head. “You broke my trust, Adrian. You lost our son. After everything—after everything we’ve been through—you proved I was right to be afraid.”

“I wasn’t careless on purpose,” he said, his voice cracking. “I love him. I would never—”

“Love isn’t enough,” she cut in. “Not when it comes to his safety.”

He took a step closer. “Please. I’m begging you.”

Her eyes glistened, but her expression stayed hard. “You’re not welcome near him right now.”

Then she closed the door.

It didn’t slam. It didn’t need to. The quiet finality of it hurt even more.

Adrian stood there for a long moment, staring at the door like it might open again if he just waited long enough. When it didn’t, he turned and walked back to his car, his chest aching, his mind loud with regret.

The drive home was silent.

When he stepped into his house, he knew immediately that something was wrong.

The air smelled different.

Familiar. Sweet. Too familiar.

Bella’s perfume.

His stomach tightened. “Bella?” he called out, already exhausted, already dreading the answer.

She appeared from the living room, dressed like she belonged there, moving with easy confidence. “You’re home late,” she said lightly.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, rubbing his temples. “How did you even get in?”

She smiled. “Does that matter now?”

“I’m not in the mood for this,” he said. “Today has been—”

She didn’t let him finish. She walked closer, invading his space, her voice soft. “You look like you could use someone.”

“Bella, stop.”

But she didn’t. She reached up, touched his face, and kissed him.

He should have pushed her away. He knew that. But his body felt heavy, his mind tangled in guilt and stress and exhaustion. For a second—just a second—he let himself lean into the distraction.

And that was all it took.

The world narrowed. The day blurred. The ache in his chest was drowned out by something warm and numb and dangerously easy to fall into.

They ended up in his bed.

Morning came with a pounding headache and a sharp, ugly sense of regret.

Adrian opened his eyes and saw Bella beside him, unclad, sleeping like nothing in the world could touch her.

Reality crashed down on him.

“What did I do…” he whispered.

He got out of bed quietly and went to the kitchen, running a hand through his hair. He poured himself coffee, though he doubted it would help, and pulled out his phone again.

He called Lena and it was straight again to Voicemail.

“Lena,” he said softly, “please. Just talk to me. I’ll explain everything. Just… give me a chance.”

He ended the call and stared into his cup like it might give him answers.

Bella joined him a few minutes later, smiling, completely at ease. “Last night was… nice,” she said. “I missed this. We should start spending more time together again.”

He didn’t look at her. “I have somewhere to be.”

Her smile didn’t fade as he grabbed his keys and walked away.

Bella watched him go, her eyes shining with quiet satisfaction.

She leaned against the counter and whispered to herself, “I have you exactly where I want you—”