Chapter 109 #109

Chapter 109 #109
Chapter 109
~Shailyn's POV~

I woke up slowly, the hospital room coming into focus piece by piece.

The beeping monitors. The sterile white walls. The IV still attached to my arm.

And Hannah.

She was curled up in the chair beside my bed, her head tilted at an awkward angle, mouth slightly open, fast asleep.

Something in my chest cracked wide open.

I sat up carefully, wincing at the soreness in my muscles, and reached out to touch her shoulder.

"Hannah."

She jerked awake immediately, eyes wide and unfocused. "What? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I'm okay."

"The babies—"

"They're fine. Everything's fine."

She blinked, focusing on me properly. "Shay. You're awake."

"Yeah."

"How long have you been—"

I didn't let her finish.

I threw my arms around her and held on like she was the only solid thing left in the world.

"Shay?" Her voice was muffled against my shoulder. "What's—"

The sob came before I could stop it.

Then another.

Then I was crying so hard I couldn't breathe, clutching Hannah like letting go would break me completely.

She didn't ask. Didn't push. Just wrapped her arms around me and held on just as tightly.

"I've got you," she whispered. "I've got you, Shay. I'm here."

We stayed like that for what felt like forever. Me crying into her shoulder. Her holding me together.

Eventually, the tears slowed. My breathing steadied.

I pulled back, wiping at my face with the back of my hand.

Hannah's eyes were red too.

"You scared the hell out of me," she said, her voice thick.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. Just don't do it again."

I laughed. It came out wet and broken but it was still a laugh. "I'll try."

"Good." She grabbed tissues from the bedside table and handed them to me. "Here. You look like a disaster."

"Thanks. You're such a good friend."

"I know. I'm amazing."

I blew my nose, and we sat there in silence for a moment.

Then Hannah spoke, her voice careful. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Which part?"

"Any of it. All of it. Whatever you need."

I took a shaky breath. "I remember everything."

Her eyes widened. "Everything?"

"Everything." I pressed my hand to my stomach. 

"Oh, Shay."

"I know who the father is, Hannah. And it's not Dante."

"I know."

I stared at her. "You know?"

"I overheard Dwayne talking to Luke one day. He was admitting everything. The mask party. The DNA test. All of it."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"How could I? You didn't remember. And even if I did tell you, would you have believed me?"

I thought about that. "Probably not."

"Exactly. You had to remember on your own."

"I read a letter. From my mother. It was hidden in Dante's study."

"What did it say?"

"Everything." My voice cracked. "Tyler killed my father, Hannah. Shot him in his own office the day I was born. Stole SentientIQ. Built his entire empire on my father's work."

"Jesus Christ."

"He didn't just marry me knowing. He married me to finish the job. To steal what was left of my father's legacy. H-GPT was my father's work. I built it from his code. And Dante took it and claimed it as his own."

Hannah's hands clenched into fists. "I'm going to kill him."

"Get in line."

"Shay, I'm serious. What he did, what they all did—"

"I know. Believe me, I know." I looked down at my hands. "And now I'm trapped. Carrying his brother's babies. Tied to this family forever."

"You're not trapped."

"Aren't I? What am I supposed to do? Tell everyone the truth? Destroy Dante publicly? Watch Tyler get arrested for murder?"

"Yes. All of that."

"And then what? Raise these babies alone while the entire Belmar empire crumbles around me?"

"You wouldn't be alone. You'd have Dwayne."

"I don't know how I feel about Dwayne."

Hannah leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

"I mean he told me he loves me. Last night. When he thought I was asleep."

"And?"

"And I don't know if I can trust that. I don't know if I can trust anyone anymore."

"Dwayne isn't Dante."

"No. But he's still a Belmar. And every single person in that family has lied to me."

"Not Dwayne. He's been trying to protect you this whole time."

"Has he? Or has he been trying to claim what's his? The babies. The technology. The revenge against his father."

"You don't really believe that."

I didn't. Not really. But the doubt was there anyway, festering like an open wound.

"I don't know what I believe anymore," I said quietly.

Hannah took my hand. "Then let me tell you what I believe. I believe you're the strongest person I know. I believe you've survived hell and you're still standing. And I believe you're going to come out of this on top."

"How?"

"By fighting back. By taking everything they stole from you and making them pay for it."

"I don't know how to do that."

"Yes, you do. You're brilliant, Shay. You're smarter than all of them combined. You just need to stop playing nice."

Something shifted in my chest. Something cold and sharp and furious.

"You're right," I said slowly. "I'm done playing nice."

"Now you're talking."

"I've been destroyed. My family's been destroyed. And they all just stood by and watched."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to take revenge. Slowly. Carefully. I'm going to dismantle everything they've built on my father's grave."

Hannah's smile was fierce. "How do we start?"

"First, we plan the New Year's Eve party."

"The party?"

"Dante wants me to make it perfect. To impress Gramps and secure his position." I met her eyes. "So I'm going to give him exactly what he wants. A perfect party. With a few subtle surprises that will damage his image just enough to plant seeds of doubt."

"I love it. What kind of surprises?"

"I don't know yet. But we'll figure it out. We'll dig up every piece of dirt we can find on him. Every affair. Every lie. Every stolen idea."

"And then?"

"And then we expose him. Piece by piece. Until there's nothing left."

Hannah squeezed my hand. "I'm so happy to have my best friend back."

"Which one? The doormat or the fighter?"

"The fighter. Definitely the fighter."

"Good. Because she's the only one who's left."

We sat there for a moment, our hands clasped, a silent understanding passing between us.

"Shay?"

"Yeah?"

"What about Dwayne? What are you going to tell him?"

"Nothing. Not yet."

"But he loves you. And those babies—"

"I know. But I need time. I need to figure out who I am before I can figure out what I want with him."

"That's fair."

"Besides, he thinks I don't remember. Let's keep it that way for now."

"You're going to pretend?"

"What's a little longer? It won't kill anyone."

"Shay, that's dangerous."

"So is everything else I'm about to do."

Hannah studied my face. "You've changed."

"I've had to."

"I like it."

"Good. Because there's no going back now."

The door opened.

A nurse stepped in, clipboard in hand, professional smile in place.

"Good morning, Mrs. Belmar. How are we feeling today?"

I looked at Hannah. Then back at the nurse.

And I smiled.

The kind of smile that was cold and fake.

The kind of smile that promised absolutely nothing good.

"I'm feeling much better," I said sweetly. "Thank you for asking.”

The smile that says that Shailyn is ready to burn the Belmars.

I'm ready to do all I can for their destruction.