Chapter: Chapter forty nineThe day finally arrived.Two weeks had passed since the chaos, two weeks of planning, waiting, and keeping everything tight. Every detail had been checked and double-checked. My private jet was ready on the tarmac, engines humming quietly in the cool morning air, a symbol of escape and safety.Martha bounced beside me, small hand gripping mine tightly. Her excitement made me smile despite the knot in my chest. She had no idea how heavy this move was for me—or for Sofia.“Daddy,” she said, eyes wide, “Mommy is coming too?”I glanced at Sofia, who was standing near the luggage, her face carefully neutral. I could see the tension in her jaw, the way she shifted from foot to foot. This wasn’t just a trip for fun. Every step, every move, was for her safety—and for Martha’s.“Yes,” I said gently, squeezing Martha’s hand. “Mommy is joining us.”Martha’s face lit up. “Yay! I can’t wait!” She giggled, spinning a little before planting herself back by my side.Sofia’s expression softened for a
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-03-12
Chapter: Chapter forty eightSofia guided Camilla deeper into the living room, their voices dropping to low whispers the moment the door shut behind them. I watched them for a second—just long enough to make sure Camilla wasn’t about to lunge back at me again.But I didn’t follow.I didn’t care enough to listen.Their voices were muffled anyway—soft, shaky, full of whatever excuses, panic, or nonsense they wanted to spill out. Camilla’s trembling tone. Sofia’s calming one. Two people trying to clean up the mess they created.I had better things to do.I had bigger problems than whatever they were whispering about behind a closed door.I glanced back toward the hallway. Martha’s door was cracked open, her small face peeking out, eyes wide and worried.I lifted a hand, motioning gently.“It’s okay, Marth,” I said softly. “Stay inside. I’m coming.”She nodded and slipped back into her room.Good.The last thing she needed was more chaos.I turned away from the living room—away from the fading murmurs of Sofia and Ca
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-03-12
Chapter: Chapter forty sevenI walked down the hall, each step heavier than the last.All that anger… all that noise… and underneath it, the only thing that mattered was the small, quiet sob coming from Martha’s room.I stopped at her door.For a second, I just stood there, hand on the frame, letting the guilt settle thick in my chest. Then I pushed the door open slowly.She was on the bed, knees pulled to her chest, face buried in her hands. Her shoulders shook with every quiet cry.“Marth,” I said softly.She flinched at my voice.That hurt more than anything Sofia had said.I stepped inside, careful, slow, like approaching something fragile.“Hey,” I murmured, kneeling beside the bed. “Look at me.”She didn’t.So I tried again, gentler.“Martha… I’m sorry.”Her crying slowed—just a little—but she still didn’t lift her head.I let out a breath, rubbing a hand over my face.“I shouldn’t have shouted at you,” I said, voice low, honest. “You didn’t deserve that. None of this is your fault.”She sniffled.I reached
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-03-12
Chapter: Chapter Forty SixI leaned back slightly, running a hand through my hair, the tension in my shoulders coiling like a spring ready to snap. My voice dropped low, laced with a dark edge.“He came for you,” I said, almost casually, but the words carried the weight of a threat that could shatter worlds. “He threatened me. Said if I didn’t—” I let out a harsh, humorless laugh, the sound jagged, unhinged, bordering on madness.“You know what he wants, don’t you?” I continued, voice uneven, cracking at the edges. “He doesn’t care about warnings. Doesn’t care about limits. He said… he’d drag this city apart, tear me down, and still… still take you from me.”I laughed again, louder this time, the sound echoing hollowly off the walls, brittle and dangerous.“And the irony?” I said, shaking my head, eyes glinting with a mix of fury and disbelief. “He actually thinks he can.”A muscle in her jaw twitched—small, but enough.Then she lifted her chin, meeting my eyes with a steadiness that hit harder than any slap.“
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-03-12
Chapter: Chapter Forty FiveMartha’s cries grew sharper—shaking, broken, coming from the deepest part of her little chest.“I want Mommy…” she sobbed, clutching my shirt with trembling fingers. “Daddy, please… I want Mommy now…”The sound gutted me.Arzhel’s jaw tightened—anger flickering, then something else. Something painfully human. His gaze dropped to her small, shaking body, and for the first time since he stepped through my door, there was no fury in his eyes.Only disappointment.Then he looked back at me.And the fury returned twice as strong.“You hear that?” he asked quietly, voice trembling with restrained rage. “Even your daughter knows this is wrong.”I swallowed hard, but the knot in my throat didn’t move.“She’ll see her soon,” I muttered, more to myself than him. “Once Sofia calms down. Once things are under control.”But the words felt thin.Weak.Like lies even I couldn’t swallow.Martha’s cries only grew louder.Arzhel stepped closer—not aggressively this time, but with the kind of certainty
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-03-08
Chapter: Chapter Forty FourThe next morning,I barely slept.My mind kept replaying everything—the calls, the name on the phone registration, Thomas, the possibility of someone pretending to be him or my mom. Every thought felt like a blade pressing against my skull.So when the pounding started at the door the next morning, it felt like part of a nightmare.BANG. BANG. BANG.I shot up from the couch, heart slamming against my ribs. Martha was asleep upstairs. Sofia was locked in her room. Nobody should be here this early.Another loud knock shook the door.I moved fast.I opened it—And froze.Arzhel.Standing there like a storm in human form. His hair messy, his jaw clenched so tight a muscle twitched at the corner. His eyes—usually calm—were burning with fury.“What the hell do you want?” I asked, voice low.He didn’t flinch.“Where is she?” he snapped. “Where’s Sofia?”My jaw tightened. “Why?”“Don’t play with me, Theo,” he growled, stepping closer. “I know she’s here. Something happened last night—she cal
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-03-08
Chapter: Chapter one hundred and forty sixTheo’s POVEvening came too soon.Sofia was already ready, baby Martha bundled up in her arms. The sight of them by the door, prepared to leave, made something in my chest tighten. I wasn’t the type to dwell on emotions, but this—this was different.I couldn’t believe this was happening. I couldn’t believe I wouldn’t get to watch my daughter grow.I might miss her first babbling, the first time she sits up, the moment she learns to crawl, her first steps—every milestone, every little thing that parents are supposed to witness. I might miss all of it.And the worst part? I had no one to blame but myself.Sofia adjusted Martha’s blanket, making sure she was warm. She hadn’t said much since we got back from the hospital. She barely looked at me unless necessary, keeping her focus on Martha. I understood why. I hadn’t given her much reason to believe in me—to believe in us.But now, with them standing at the door, ready to leave, I felt something close to desperation clawing at my chest.
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-07-03
Chapter: Chapter one hundred and forty fiveThe next morning, I woke up feeling like a stranger in my own life. The weight in my chest hadn’t lifted. It was still there, heavy and suffocating, but I had to keep moving. I couldn't afford to stop.I dragged myself out of bed, my body aching as I made my way to the bathroom. The shower water hit my skin like a cold reminder of everything I was leaving behind. I let it run over me, trying to wash away the exhaustion, the pain, the fear. It didn't help.Once I was done, I dressed quickly. A simple outfit, nothing too fancy. I didn’t have the energy for anything else.The hospital. I had to get Martha. She was strong now. No longer in the NICU. She was ready to leave.I picked up my phone and called a cab. I couldn’t drive, not with the way my hands were shaking. The thought of Theo following me made my stomach tighten, but there was nothing I could do. He was a part of this now.I heard a knock on the door just as I was finishing up. I opened it to see him standing there.He didn’t
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-07-03
Chapter: Chapter one hundred and forty four Sofia's POVManchester.A fresh start. A life away from the blood, the lies, and the war that had shaped every part of me.It was what I wanted.Wasn’t it?I looked down at my hands, my fingers still curled into fists. I forced them to relax.I should have been relieved. The contract was over. The chains that had bound me to him were gone. I could walk away, take Martha, and never look back.But instead of relief, all I felt was… empty.I lifted my eyes to him. His expression was blank, but I knew him well enough to see what he wasn’t saying.He meant it this time. He was letting me go.No more fights. No more power plays. No more waiting for him to change the rules.I swallowed, my throat tight.This was it. The moment I had fought for, the moment I had dreamed of.So why did it feel like my chest was caving in?I forced myself to speak. “You really set everything up.”His nod was almost imperceptible. “You and Martha will have everything you need.”I hesitated. “And you?”He exhaled
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-07-03
Chapter: Chapter one hundred and forty threeThree Days LaterThe air was thick with grief. The cemetery was silent except for the occasional rustle of wind through the trees, the distant sound of birds chirping—too peaceful for a day like this.Two graves.Two names carved into stone.Martha Rodriguez.Javier Vargas.One was my mother. The other was the man I had killed.Sofia stood beside me, dressed in black, her face unreadable. She hadn’t spoken much since I told her we would be burying them together, giving her father the funeral he had been denied. I wasn’t sure how she felt about it.Maybe she didn’t know either.She had barely looked at me since that night in the NICU. Since I had finally let her go.I glanced down at the caskets. One was polished mahogany, sleek and expensive—exactly what my mother would have wanted. The other was simpler, darker, almost as if it carried the weight of the sins attached to it.Javier Vargas had died a traitor. A man I had buried in secrecy.Now, he was finally being laid to rest.Sofia
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-07-03
Chapter: Chapter one hundred and forty twoOne Week LaterMartha was still in the NICU. She was stronger than she had been, her tiny body fighting every single day, but she was still so fragile.Sofia never left her side.She sat in the recliner beside the incubator, eyes locked on our daughter. Her body was still recovering, her movements slow and careful, but she didn’t seem to care. The doctors and nurses had to remind her to rest, to eat, but she only did so reluctantly, as if every second away from Martha was a second wasted.And me?I stood just outside the room, watching.I had been inside, had held Martha once under Sofia’s insistent gaze, but I still couldn’t shake the fear that gripped me whenever I looked at her.She was so small. Too small.What if I wasn’t enough?What if I failed her, the same way I had failed Javier?The guilt sat heavy in my chest, an anchor I couldn’t shake.“Rodriguez.”I stiffened at the voice behind me and turned to see Dr. Reyes watching me with a knowing expression. He was an older man, h
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-07-03
Chapter: Chapter one hundred and forty oneTwo Days LaterSofia had improved. Her color was better, her strength returning bit by bit. She still moved slowly, but there was determination in her every action.And today, she was ready.I had done everything to delay this moment. Avoided every conversation about when she could see the baby. But the doctor had given his approval this morning, and there was no stopping her now.Me?I hadn’t even gone to the NICU.I told myself it was because Sofia should see the baby first. That she should have that moment before anyone else.But deep down, I knew the truth.I couldn’t bring myself to face the child.Because what story could I tell them?That they were born from violence? That their existence was a cruel twist of fate? That the first breath they took in this world was surrounded by tragedy?I didn’t even know the baby’s gender.Sofia didn’t notice my hesitation. She was too focused on getting out of bed, on making it to the wheelchair the nurse had brought in. Her fingers trembled
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-07-03
Masuk
