(Lyra’s POV)
“Why did it have to be me?”
I pressed my hand against my abdomen as I made my way out of the hospital. The weight of the ultrasound report in my bag felt like a stone pressing into my chest, suffocating me with each step I took.
Pregnant.
It didn’t feel like a miracle. It didn’t feel like something that should bring joy. All I could feel was fear—fear of what this child would mean for me, for my already broken life.
I’d never wanted to be in this position. I had no desire to bring a child into a world like this, especially not when I wasn’t even sure I could protect it. If this baby had been given the chance to find parents who could love and nurture it, then maybe it would have a chance at life. But I… I wasn’t sure I was capable of being a mother, not under these circumstances.
The memories of how I got here made my stomach churn. It was Rhys. It always came back to him. The reason I was in this mess was his cold, vengeful desire. All because of something my mother did years ago.
I could still remember the words my stepmother had sneered at me when I was just a child. She had said, “Your mother’s affair with a wealthy man led to her death. She was nothing but a mistress who ruined a marriage, and now you’re nothing but the product of that disgrace.”
That man—Rhys’s father—was the one who caused it all. My mother had died in a crash with him, her life nothing more than a tragic mistake. My father never spoke about it, never even acknowledged her death. He couldn’t even look at me without seeing her betrayal.
I was nothing to him.
I was always alone, walking through life as if I didn’t matter to anyone.
I couldn’t bear the thought of what this child might represent to Rhys. He’d never seen me as more than a tool for his revenge. I was his weapon, not his partner. And now, with this child growing inside me, I had no idea what he would do.
As I stumbled into the house, the weight of the situation grew heavier. The silence in the air was thick with unspoken tension. I walked toward the kitchen, grabbed a drink, and sat down to numb my thoughts. But as the hours passed, the gnawing ache in my gut wouldn’t go away.
I couldn’t run from this.
It was only when I looked at the clock and saw that it was already 8:30 PM that I snapped out of my daze. He’d be home soon. Rhys always returned right on time, and I had no doubt he would expect me to please him as usual.
I sighed, my mind spinning. Maybe if I tried to please him, maybe if I gave him what he wanted, we could have a real conversation. A conversation about the baby, about the life growing inside me.
When I saw him sitting on the couch, dressed in that damn tailored suit, I almost faltered. His presence filled the room, demanding attention, suffocating me with that cold, calculated energy he exuded.
His eyes flickered to me, but he didn’t speak.
I tried to smile as I approached him, carrying a cup of tea. “You’ve been busy, haven’t you?” I asked softly, sitting beside him. “I thought you might want something to drink.”
He didn’t respond immediately. Instead, his gaze shifted to my face, then quickly down to my hands.
“Do you have something to tell me?” His voice was calm, but I could hear the underlying tension. He was waiting for me to say something.
I hesitated. How was I supposed to bring up the baby? The very thing that might destroy me?
“I was thinking… maybe we should have a child. It could make our home feel… fuller.” I forced the words out, but they sounded hollow, even to me.
A smirk curled at the corner of his lips. “Do you think you’re worthy of carrying my child?” His eyes locked onto mine, cold and calculating.
I swallowed hard, trying to gather my thoughts. “What if I were to get pregnant?” The words slipped out before I could stop them, and instantly, I regretted it.
His eyes flashed with something I couldn’t read, but the coldness never left his gaze. “Then you’d get rid of it.”
I felt my stomach drop at the ease with which he spoke. Like it was nothing, like I was nothing.
He leaned back, his fingers steepling as he studied me, his expression blank. “Are you pregnant, Lyra?”
I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. The question was too direct, too sharp, and I couldn’t bring myself to answer it. My voice caught in my throat as I fumbled for a response.
“No, I’m not pregnant.” The lie came easily, though I could feel the guilt gnawing at me. “I was just thinking aloud. It gets lonely sometimes, in this big house.”
He seemed to buy it, but I could tell he wasn’t entirely convinced. He set his glass down and stood up, his eyes narrowing as he walked over to the liquor cabinet.
Without a word, he poured himself a drink and handed me a glass. “Drink it,” he ordered, his voice low and firm.
I recoiled, but his eyes were unyielding. “I don’t drink,” I said weakly.
He didn’t seem to care. “You disappointed me yesterday,” he said with a cold edge to his voice, pushing the glass toward me. “You’ll drink this, or there will be consequences.”
I hesitated but reluctantly picked up the glass. I took two small sips, my throat burning with each gulp.
But it wasn’t enough for him. “Finish it,” he growled. “You don’t get to refuse me.”
I choked slightly, the alcohol hitting my throat like fire. I barely managed to finish the drink before he stood up and moved toward me. He pulled me into his arms, his fingers gripping my chin as he forced me to look at him.
“I’m not playing with you, Lyra. If you disobey me again, there will be a price to pay.” His breath was cold against my skin, his grip tightening, and I knew that this was only the beginning.
As I stood there, his face inches from mine, the fear of what he might do next gnawed at me. But what scared me the most was that I didn’t know if I could stop him.
“Please, Rhys. I can’t take this anymore.” The words slipped out, barely a whisper, but they held
more weight than I could have imagined.
Rhy's POV My world was collapsing, and I was suffocating under the weight of it. Sitting in my office, I stared at the stack of papers on my desk, lawsuits, government inquiries, financial reports showing my empire bleeding out. The warehouse fire had killed two workers, injured three, and now the feds were sniffing around, asking questions about arson, negligence, and my enemies. Ciara’s video, Lyra’s heartbreak, Finn’s absence, it all pressed down on me, a noose tightening around my neck. I was furious, heartbroken, and desperate, but I wasn’t done fighting. Don Salvatore was behind this, pulling strings with Ciara, and I was done running. It's time to face him.I clenched my fists, my hands shaking with rage. “No more,” I growled, my voice low. “You’re not taking my family or my legacy, you bastard.” I grabbed my phone, my heart pounding, and dialed his number. It rang once, and he picked up, his voice smooth and cold, like he had been expecting me.“Rhys,” he said, a smirk in h
Lyra's POV The past few days have been a blur of pain and confusion, like I’m trapped in a storm I can’t escape. That video of Rhys and Ciara haunts me, playing in my mind every time I close my eyes. I see them together, his hands on her, and it rips my heart open all over again. I’m traumatized, barely sleeping, my thoughts a tangled mess of love, betrayal, and fear. Finn’s smile keeps me going, but even that hurts, how do I protect him when I’m falling apart? And those threatening texts, I'm watching, make me jump at every shadow. I feel like I’m losing my mind, like I'm literally going crazy…..I needed someone to anchor me, so I called Calder while Finn napped. She answered, her voice warm but worried. “Lyra, you sound rough. What’s going on?”I sank onto my bed, tears already falling. “Calder, I’m a mess,” I said, my voice breaking. “I can’t stop thinking about Rhys, that video, Ciara. It’s killing me. And Finn… he’s happy here, but I’m scared. Someone’s watching us, I feel it.
Ciara’s POVI lounged on my couch, a glass of wine in my hand, feeling like I was on top of the world. My plan was unfolding perfectly. Sending that video of me and Rhys to Lyra was my idea, and it had hit her hard, just like I wanted. I could imagine her crying, her heartbreaking, knowing Rhys had been with me. And the Don’s move? Burning one of Rhys’s warehouses, killing two workers, injuring three? Genius. Rhys was crumbling, his empire catching fire, and I was pulling the strings. He’d rejected me, called me poison, but now he will see what I was capable of.“Ciara, you’re glowing,” Ria said, sitting across from me, her eyes narrowing. “What made you so happy?”I smirked, sipping my wine. “Everything’s falling into place, Ria. Rhys is losing it, his family, his business. Lyra’s probably a mess after that video, and the Don just torched one of Rhys’s warehouses. He’s got nowhere to run.”Ria’s face paled, her voice tight. “Ciara, this is crazy. People died in that fire. You’re pla
Rhy's POV I slammed my fist on my desk, the sting barely registering over the rage and pain tearing through me like wildfire. Lyra’s words echoed in my head, each one a blade: You’ll never see Finn again in your miserable life. My chest ached, a mix of fury, sadness, and desperation. Finn, my little boy, gone. Lyra, the woman I loved, shutting me out forever. And that video of me with Ciara, God, what had I done? I have let loneliness make me weak, and now my family is slipping away. I won't let that happen. Not only that, but I Will do anything, anything, to get them back, even if it means flying to Miami and begging on my knees. “No way, Lyra,” I muttered, my voice shaking. “You’re not taking my son from me.” I grabbed my phone, my hands trembling with anger, and dialed Jake, my private investigator. He picked up fast, his voice gruff. “Rhys, what’s up?” “Jake, I need you to step it up,” I said, pacing my office. “Lyra’s in Miami with Finn, and she’s threatening to keep h
Lyra's POVI stumbled out of Chris’s house, my heart pounding, my lips still tingling from our kiss. The night air hit me like a slap, but it didn’t clear the chaos in my head. I’d almost let things go too far, again between us, looking like I'm beginning to fall for him. Guilt and anger burned inside me, mixing with the raw pain of that video of Rhys and Ciara. It played in my mind, over and over, each frame a fresh wound. I loved Rhys, but he betrayed me, and now I was betraying myself, falling for Chris’s warmth when I wasn’t ready. I ran to my car, slamming the door, and gripped the wheel, gasping for breath.“No, no, no,” I whispered, my chest heaving. My sobs came hard, choking me. “What am I doing?” I pressed my forehead to the steering wheel, tears streaming down my face. Rhys’s betrayal, Chris’s kiss, Finn’s safety, it was too much. I felt like I was drowning, my heart torn between love, hate, and fear.I started the car, my hands shaking, and drove toward Calder’s house, my
Lyra's POVI sat on the floor of my office, my phone lying beside me, the video of Rhys and Ciara playing on repeat in my head. Each frame was a knife to my heart, Rhys’s hands on her, their bodies tangled, her smug smile, they were furking each other like a beast. I pressed my hands to my face, sobs tearing through me, raw and uncontrollable. I’d loved Rhys through his lies, his mistakes, but this? This was betrayal on a level I couldn’t process. My chest felt like it was caving in, my tears soaking the floor. I wanted to scream, to break something, but all I could do was cry, my body shaking with every sob.“Why, Rhys?” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Why her? Why Ciara, of all people?”The email’s words mocked me: You can’t run from the truth, Lyra. Whoever sent it, Ciara, Antonio, or someone worse, knew exactly how to shatter me. I ran to Miami to protect Finn, to start over, but the past kept clawing me back, each movement a razor to my chest. I hit play again, torturing mysel