Chapter 7 Bodyguards
ANNA'S POV
“So, you believe me now?” the woman said to me, her calm voice carrying a hint of hope.
“Not even close,” I replied sharply. “I’d first like to see my mom, my real mom.”
The look on her face shifted, just slightly. Her brows drew together as her fingers brushed her temple, and she let out a quiet sigh before speaking again. “But you know you’re not in a fit condition to move around. You still need to rest,” she said, her tone filled with a soft concern that I wasn’t used to hearing from anyone lately.
“If I can’t move, I’ll tell you I can’t move, okay?” I said, forcing a little attitude into my voice. I wasn’t going to sit here and be treated like a patient when I didn’t even know who she truly was.
“Sure,” she said finally. “We’ll go see her. There’s no need to stress yourself too much.”
I exhaled a small breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding. For a moment, tension left my body. At first, I thought I’d been kidnapped, waking up in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by strangers who acted like they knew me. But maybe, I was wrong about that too.
My hands instinctively went to my pockets, searching for something that wasn’t there. My fingers brushed only the material of the dress I wore.
My phone, where was it? I wasn’t holding it when I woke up. Then it hit me. I must’ve lost it when I collapsed in the rain.
“Your phone got spoiled by the rain,” as if reading my thoughts, the woman said suddenly, snapping me back to reality.
I looked up at her, trying my best to ignore the frown that tugged at the corner of my brows.
“Right,” I murmured, trying to act unfazed. “Then I guess we’d just have to go to my house,” I added.
“Fine,” she said after a pause. Her tone was agreeable, but the note of disagreement said otherwise.
I hesitated for a moment. Did I really want to go back to that house after the way my mom threw me out? The thought of standing in front of her again made my stomach twist, but I needed to find out if what this woman was saying was true or not.
When Mom and my sister see me again, they’d definitely notice something new. My gaze drifted down to the dress I wore. It looked soft, clean, and expensive, something that shouldn’t have belonged to someone like me.
“My driver is ready,” the woman said after a moment. “So we can go now.”
I nodded, taking a small breath. My legs still felt a little weak, the memory of the storm and the cold night pressing against me like a faint bruise. Still, I forced them to move, and the lady followed right behind me.
As we went down the massive staircase, the same two bodyguards who’d stopped me the first time I tried to leave were stationed there again. They spoke into their earpieces as soon as they saw us coming. The sound of their low, professional voices filled the air before they stepped aside and pushed open the two large front doors.
Outside, a black Range Rover was parked in the cast driveway.
I hadn’t even gotten close to the car when another man dressed in a crisp black suit and tie hurried over and opened the back door for me. Another man quickly moved to open the other side for the woman.
I froze for a second, unsure what to do. I wasn’t used to this kind of treatment. No one had ever opened a door for me before, not like this. For a brief second, I just stood there, caught between awkwardness and confusion, before I nodded and climbed into the car.
Inside, the air smelled faintly of leather and something floral. The seats were soft, the kind that swallowed you the moment you sat down. Everything about the car screamed luxury, from the polished handles to the quiet hum of the engine. It wasn’t like any car I’d ever been in before.
The ride to my neighborhood was short but silent. I couldn’t stop my thoughts from spinning. No matter how much I tried to focus on the woman beside me, my mind kept dragging me back to James and Melissa.
What they’d done still burned deep in my chest.
Melissa had the guts to stand there, right beside James, her hand proudly displaying the ring he gave her. She’d looked me in the eye, with no trace of shame. And James, he denied being the father of our child, without even requesting a test, is that how much he didn’t want me anymore?
I clenched my jaw and closed my eyes, holding back the sting of tears. I couldn’t let myself break down now, not in front of a stranger. I forced my breathing to stay steady, trying to appear calm even though inside I felt like I was falling apart.
When the car finally pulled up in front of my gate, my heart started pounding.
I reached for the door handle, ready to step out, but then noticed the woman wasn’t moving.
“Aren’t you going to come with me?” I asked, pausing halfway out the door.
“I thought you’d need privacy,” she said gently. “Or maybe you’d want to handle this yourself. Would you like me to come with you?”
I hesitated, glancing back toward the house. I could already imagine my mom’s face when she saw me. Still, I straightened my shoulders. “Well, my mom would want to see the woman who’s claiming to be my real mother,” I said, stepping out. “So yes, I’d like you to come with me.”
The flats she’d given me that morning were so comfortable I barely felt the ground beneath my feet. I took in a deep breath, lifting my chin slightly as we walked toward the gate. Our footsteps echoed softly against the porch. I stopped in front of the door and gave it a light knock.
For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then the sound of footsteps approached from the inside, and the door opened.
It was Bella.
The moment she saw me, the bright smile on her face vanished. Her expression hardened instantly, her eyes darting from me to the woman standing beside me.
“Mom!” Bella called out, her voice sharp and startled.
A few seconds later, my mother appeared, her face wearing the same look Bella had cold and full of disgust.
I tried not to let it show on my face. I didn’t want this woman behind me to see how much their reaction still hurt.
I took a small step forward, wanting to invite her inside, but my mother’s hand shot out and pushed me lightly back. The smile I’d been trying to maintain faded completely.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice carrying the same bitterness as before.
“Mom, we need to talk. It’s important,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm.
“Talk about what?” she snapped. “I told you before, shameless girl you’re not welcome under this roof with that abomination you’re carrying.”
Her words stung even though I had heard them before, My throat tightened as embarrassment flooded my cheeks.
Did she really have to say that? Right here? In front of this woman?
For a second, I couldn’t speak. My chest felt heavy, my heart sinking lower with every word she’d thrown at me.
Then I felt a light touch on my shoulder. The woman beside me stepped closer, her voice soft but curious. “You’re pregnant?” she asked.
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.
“And who is this woman?” my mother asked.