Chapter 251

Chapter 251
Lily's POV

I woke up to a splitting headache, the pain so intense it felt like someone was driving a nail through my skull. Trying to open my eyes sent fresh waves of agony radiating outward. A cool, damp cloth pressed gently against my forehead, offering slight relief.

"Hey, take it easy," Nathan's voice came from somewhere close by.

I forced my eyes open despite the pain. The room swam into focus, and I found Nathan sitting beside me on our bed. His face was drawn with exhaustion, dark shadows beneath his eyes as he dabbed the wet cloth against my skin.

"What... happened?" My voice sounded strange—raspy and weak.

"Just like they say in the movies." Nathan attempted a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You passed out."

Memories flooded back—Zane with a fork protruding from his eye, gunshots in darkness, the metallic smell of blood. I tried to sit up, ignoring the spinning room and the nausea that followed.

"Eleanor—where's Eleanor? Is she okay?" Panic gripped me as I clutched Nathan's arm.

"She's fine," he soothed, gently easing me back against the pillows. "She's with my grandparents. Andrew checked you out—you and the baby are okay too."

My hands instinctively went to my stomach, relief washing over me that our unborn child had survived the ordeal. But the absence of Eleanor's warm weight in my arms left an ache deeper than my physical pain.

"I need to see her," I insisted, trying again to rise. "Nathan, please, I need to see my baby."

His expression softened, but he shook his head. "Lily, it's three in the morning. She's asleep. You need to rest."

"I—I abandoned her," I whispered, tears welling in my eyes. "I left her. She must think I—"

"She doesn't," Nathan cut in firmly. "She's a baby, Lily. She knows you love her."

I sank back against the pillows, too weak to argue further. My thoughts turned to the chaos we'd escaped.

"Your uncle... what happened after I—?"

Nathan's jaw tightened. "He's with Alex. Alex is... taking care of him."

The deliberate vagueness in his tone told me everything I needed to know. I swallowed hard.

"And Jake? Those guards? Before you guys came, Z-Zane had so many guards—"

"Everything's handled. Don't worry."

I studied his face, noting the carefully neutral expression that didn't match the cold fury still simmering in his eyes.

"You always say that," I murmured.

"But this time it's true, so you should believe me!" His voice carried a desperate edge.

"I believe you," I lied, reaching for his hand.

"Your dad knows you're safe," Nathan continued, squeezing my fingers. "Tyler too. No one else knows where you are right now."

I nodded, the movement sending fresh pain through my skull. Nathan dipped the cloth in cool water again and pressed it gently against my forehead.

"Try to sleep," he urged. "I'll be right here watching over you."

Despite my determination to stay awake, to demand more answers, exhaustion pulled me under once more.

---

When I woke again, pale morning light filtered through the curtains. My head still ached, but the sharp, knife-edge pain had dulled to a more manageable throb. Nathan was slumped in a chair beside the bed, fast asleep, the damp cloth still clutched in his hand.

His face looked younger in sleep, the hard lines of stress and anger smoothed away. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, testament to how long he'd watched over me. I couldn't bring myself to wake him.

Instead, I carefully slipped from the bed, steadying myself against the nightstand when dizziness threatened to overtake me. Eleanor. I needed to see Eleanor.

I made my way to the bathroom, grimacing at my reflection. My face was pale, hair matted with what looked like dried blood at the temple. No wonder my head hurt so badly. I cleaned up as best I could, changing into fresh clothes and trying to make myself look less like someone who'd just escaped a hostage situation.

At Zane's, I'd only been there for one day, but looking at myself now, it seemed like I'd aged years.

When I crept downstairs, I was startled by the sight that greeted me. The driveway outside was lined with men in dark suits—security personnel, at least twenty or thirty of them. Nathan had clearly increased security after what happened.

I remembered the guard I'd tricked to leave in the first place, and wondered if Nathan had only warned him or if the consequences had been more severe. Given what happened to Zane, I suspected the latter, but hoped for the former.

A commotion at the front door drew my attention. My father burst in, followed by Tyler. When my dad saw me, he rushed forward, enveloping me in a tight hug.

"Dad!" I gasped, wincing as his embrace aggravated my headache.

"You!" He pulled back, gripping my shoulders. "Don't ever do something that dangerous again, running off on your own!"

"I won't," I promised, tears springing to my eyes at the sight of him.

"Where's Nathan?" my father demanded, looking around the foyer.

"Sleeping," I answered, nodding toward the stairs. "He was up all night taking care of me."

"Sleeping?" My father's face flushed with anger. "After causing all this trouble—he's sleeping? He should be watching Alex and his uncle. Kneeling, begging forgiveness from the families for going behind everyone's back again!"

"Dad," I tried to interrupt, "this wasn't his fault. It was all mine—"

Tyler stepped forward, resting a hand on our father's shoulder. "Sean—Nathan hasn't slept for hours," he said quietly. "Give him a break, okay?"

My father rounded on Tyler, his expression incredulous. "Even though I gave you the noble Donovan name, you'd rather be a Sullivan before being one of us."

"Lily will be a Sullivan in a few months," Tyler pointed out mildly.

"No, she won't," my father insisted. "She's keeping her name."

I bit my lip, knowing I fully intended to take Nathan's name, but this wasn't the time for that argument.

"Dad," I broke in, "I need to see Eleanor. She's at Logan's house. Nathan's grandparents are watching her. Please, can you take me there? Now."

My father's expression softened as he looked at me. "Of course, sweetheart. Let's go."

I turned to Tyler. "Will you stay with Nathan? Let him know where I've gone when he wakes up?"

Tyler nodded, giving me a quick hug. "Take care of yourself, sis."

---

The entire drive to Logan's house, I was a bundle of nerves, eager to hold my daughter again. Before the car had fully stopped in the driveway, I was already opening my door, nearly stumbling in my haste to reach the front entrance.

Lisa opened the door, Eleanor in her arms. My heart clenched at the sight of my baby girl, so perfect and unharmed.

"Mommy's sorry," I whispered, taking her from Lisa's arms and holding her close, tears streaming down my face. "I'm never letting you go again," I promised, pressing kisses to her soft hair. "Never."

Behind me, I heard my father and Logan exchange tense greetings, their voices like growls.

"Does she have a car seat?" Logan demanded, eyeing me critically.

"Don't worry about car seats, old man," my father snapped. "You should be worrying about your lazy grandson."

"Dad!" I called out, turning to face them. "Stop it."

Logan's scarred face twisted with anger. "Sean. I knew you when you didn't even know how to hold a weapon—if I were you, I'd show some respect." His voice dropped dangerously. "I can dismantle your family as quickly as I built it."

"Childish," Lisa's voice cut through the tension. "All of you are acting like a bunch of children!"

She fixed her husband with a stern look. "We have more important things to worry about, Logan. Your son is losing his mind, and the other one is dying."

Logan nodded, his expression softening as he looked at Eleanor. "I was only concerned for my great-granddaughter."

I took a deep breath. "Dad, I want you to thank Logan and Lisa for taking care of Eleanor." When he hesitated, I added, "Please."

My father grimaced but complied. "Thank you for looking after my granddaughter."

"She's our granddaughter too," Lisa replied softly.

"And I'd like you to apologize for what you said about Nathan," I continued. "You don't have to like him, but you need to respect him. He's not going anywhere—so you need to accept that."

My father studied me for a long moment. "It's not that I don't like him, Lily. I just think he failed as the head of his family and as your fiancé."

"Before I knew I had a father, he protected me," I responded quietly but firmly. "You liked him before he was with me. You even called him son!"

Logan interrupted, his tone surprisingly gentle as he reached out to touch my head lightly. "Enough, Lily." He turned to my father. "Listen, I'm sorry—we've all been through a lot, so forgive me for being overly sensitive."

My father nodded, his posture relaxing slightly. "Of course, I'm sorry too. You're looking out for your family; I'm looking out for mine."

Lisa touched my father's arm. "Take them somewhere safe, Sean. We'll take it from there."

I wondered if that was code for handling Zane, but I didn't ask. Some things were better left unknown.

"Come on, Lily," my father said, guiding me toward the door. "Let's take you home."

As we left, I held Eleanor close, finally feeling like I could breathe again. Whatever happened next, at least we were together—and that was what mattered most.