Chapter 255

Chapter 255

Lily's POV

Michael burst into the room, breathing hard, and my attention snapped to him. I noticed the knife tucked in his back pocket immediately. Nathan and Alex had been so focused on Jake they hadn't even heard him coming.

"Nathan, stop!" Michael shouted.

Jake's eyes filled with relief. "Michael?"

Nathan rolled his eyes impatiently. Alex stood off to the side, watching everything unfold with detached interest. I had a feeling Nathan and Alex had struck some kind of deal about who got to handle which relative.

Michael positioned himself in front of Jake protectively. "I'm not going to let you do this."

Nathan's grip on the gun tightened. "Move."

"No."

Alex stepped forward. "Michael—"

"Move!" Nathan raised his voice at Michael, gesturing toward the door.

"No," Michael said again, his voice steady.

Nathan's jaw clenched. "Fine, then you can die with your cousin."

My heart dropped. This wasn't an empty threat. I could tell from the cold determination in Nathan's eyes that he wasn't bluffing. He'd made up his mind.

I rushed forward, positioning myself in front of Michael. Tears welled in my eyes, fueled by pregnancy hormones and the absolute insanity of the situation.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" I screamed at Nathan.

Nathan lowered the gun, but his glare remained fierce as he stared at me. "Lily, move."

"No! Can't you see he's terrified? Let him go... for me."

My words seemed to have little effect. Nathan just looked angrier.

"I put the gun down because you're pregnant—but trust me, I can still shoot," he said coldly.

I believed him. Nathan was trained for this. He could probably shoot around me if he wanted to.

I glanced at Michael and whispered, "The knife in your back pocket? Put it against my throat."

Michael's eyes widened. "W-what?"

"Just do it. Derek's on his way!"

Michael hesitated for a split second before pulling out the knife and pressing it against my throat. I felt the cold steel against my skin, but I trusted him not to hurt me.

"Shoot then," Michael challenged Nathan. "Go ahead and shoot."

Nathan immediately lowered his gun and motioned for Alex to do the same. Alex revealed his own weapon and set it down reluctantly.

"See, now you can let her go," Nathan said, his voice anxious.

"Don't—wait a little longer," I whispered to Michael.

I needed to buy time for Derek. I could tell that if Michael released me now, Nathan would still kill Jake. I just needed a few more minutes.

"I don't think I want to let go yet," Michael said loudly enough for Nathan to hear.

"Take your cousin and leave," Nathan offered.

Michael let out a humorless laugh. "So you can shoot him later? I would never hurt Lily—not her. We're just buying some time."

"For what?" Nathan asked, uncertainty creeping into his voice.

Michael struggled to find the right words. Admitting he wouldn't hurt me was basically inviting Nathan to kill Jake, but continuing the charade might escalate the situation.

"For me!" Derek's voice rang out as he entered the room.

I exhaled in relief. Thank God.

Derek sauntered in with his hands in his pockets like he didn't have a care in the world. "Happy to join this little reunion. Whoa, uncle looks... dead. Remind me not to piss off Alex."

Nathan's jaw tightened in irritation. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, you see—" Derek began.

"I texted him," I interrupted, defending Derek. "Let him finish—okay!"

Nathan looked at the knife against my throat, then at the weakened Jake, before kicking his gun toward Derek, making it clear that Michael wasn't getting it.

I had a feeling that Nathan might have already figured out that Michael wouldn't hurt me, but he wasn't willing to risk it.

"As long as you take that knife away from her throat, I'll listen to what my brother has to say," Nathan said.

Michael removed the knife from my neck.

"Well, where do I begin—Lily?" Derek looked at me.

"Why are you looking at me?" I asked.

"You're the one who texted me. I was with Evelyn when—"

"Tell him what I texted you!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, right."

Derek turned to Nathan and raised his voice. "Little brother, if you want to kill Jake, you should kill me too. And Victoria. And Joseph."

Nathan's expression didn't change. "That's different. You're my brother. Killing Victoria would start a war, and I was partly to blame for seducing her. Joseph... he's a good man—"

"Jake is too—" Derek tried.

"No," Nathan said, not blinking. "Despite not always getting along, I thought he was smart, loyal... but this?" He gestured toward Jake, who was trembling with fear, sweat covering his face.

Derek turned to Alex. "Alex? From what I understand about your unresolved bullying trauma, Jake was one of the few people who stood up for you, so maybe you could say something?"

"I don't think he's a bad person, Nathan," Alex said immediately. "My brother is stupid... but what he really needs is help."

Nathan looked hurt and betrayed. "I'll help him! Send him to hell."

Derek shook his head. "You're sick. I tried to have Lily and the baby killed. That was all me—so tell me! Why do I get to live and Jake doesn't!"

"Because you're my brother!" Nathan shouted.

"Jake is your cousin," Derek said calmly. "And I promise you, the moment you put a bullet in his head, I'll confess all of my wrongdoings to everyone—the ones you've been trying to erase—and make this family a laughingstock and force you to kill me too."

Nathan laughed uncertainly. "Don't be crazy. You wouldn't." He swallowed hard.

"But I would."

I ran to Nathan and grabbed his hands, shaking them.

"Please!" I begged, tears streaming down my face. "I'll never bother you again. I'll try to be a good wife, I'll even take cooking and cleaning classes. Do you want fifteen kids? I'll give them to you—"

"Lily, stop," Nathan said, his eyes softening.

He placed his hand on top of my head, running his fingers through my hair. He looked defeated.

"Do you really think you can help him?" Nathan asked Derek.

Derek smiled. "I went to this great place where they cleansed my mind, body, and soul. It was a wonderful experience, and—"

I could feel Derek about to launch into one of his long speeches.

"Look, do you think you can help him—yes or no?" Nathan grimaced.

"Yes!" Derek exclaimed.

"Then he's your responsibility, I'm handing him over to you."

Everyone in the room, including Jake, let out a sigh of relief.

Nathan removed his hand from my head and knelt down to Jake's level.

"Hey, asshole!" Nathan called.

"Y-yes?" Jake responded.

"If it were up to me, you wouldn't be here right now, so count yourself lucky today, and you can thank Lily for that. Because after everything you've done to her, she's still kind enough to give you another chance."

I thought to myself that this was probably the fourth or fifth chance, but it didn't matter as long as Jake was safe.

Nathan stood up and straightened his clothes. "Derek, since you and my fiancée are so close—you can take her to Mom's to get the baby."

He turned to me. "I don't want to talk to or see her for the rest of the day." He gave me a hard look. "Drive carefully, by the way, don't do anything crazy. She's pregnant."

I stood there, mouth open in shock. It wasn't until I heard the engine start that I realized Nathan had actually left me behind.

Asshole.