Chapter 11: The Weight of Silence.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, blurring the already indistinct path ahead. She wandered aimlessly, each step heavy with the weight of her confusion. What am I going to do? The silent question echoed in her mind.

A sudden gasp escaped her lips as a familiar hand gently grasped her arm. "Ava." The voice, deep and resonant, belonged to Lucas, who stood just behind her.

His eyes searched hers, a mixture of worry and something deeper etched on his face. "Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I've been?

She started to speak, her voice trembling, "I... I..."

Before she could form the words, Lucas pulled her into a tight embrace. "Please," he murmured against her hair, "don't ever do this to me again."

Ava's heart hammered against her ribs. A wave of panic threatened to overwhelm her, but she fought for composure. She needed to tell Lucas everything about the pregnancy, about that awful night.

"Let's go home," Lucas said softly, reaching for her bag.

"Actually," she began, her voice a little steadier, "there's... there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Lucas asked, his brow furrowing slightly with concern.

"It's... uhm.. I'm..."

"Hey Mr!" a voice boomed. It was a security guard hurrying towards them. "You are one tough cookie! We've been trying to reach you, but you managed to keep escaping."

"What do you mean?" Lucas' brow furrowed, confusion clouding his face.

"Your car's causing a serious commotion outside, dude. Parked halfway on the curb. People can't get in or out, if their life depended on it!" the guy snapped, his voice tight with irritation.

"Oh, shoot, man. My bad! I was in a total rush," Lucas mumbled, a flush creeping up his neck. "Sorry about that."

" Sorry' ain't gonna cut it," the guy shot back. "You're gonna have to cough up some dough for the ticket."

"Okay, okay, how much we talkin'?" Lucas sighed, already reaching for his wallet.

"That will be 25 bucks man, and you'll also have to come with us to finish some paperwork." He added.

"Okay. Ava hey, I gotta finish this paperwork. You gonna stick around?" He said as he turned to face her.

"Sure!" Ava assured.

They headed back inside to wrap things up. A few minutes later, they were in the opulent surroundings of Antonio's mansion.

Ava's gaze drifted around, taking in the decorations she had made earlier, it had all gone to waste.

"Come on in and grab some rest," Lucas suggested gently, noticing her fatigue.

Ava nodded silently, lost in her own thoughts, she continued to her room, the door closing like a curtain falling.

She reached into her purse, her fingers fumbling slightly before pulling out a folded piece of paper. She smoothed it open, her eyes tracing the words.

"I still can't believe it... a baby's growing inside me," she whispered, a hand instinctively going to her stomach.

"Lucas's baby." A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she gently rubbed her belly.

Just then, her smile faltered, a shadow passing over her face.

"Why does fate keep throwing curveballs? I don't want to live this kind of life anymore." A tear slipped down her cheek.

**********

"Ava! Breakfast's ready!" Lucas called, knocking softly on the door.

"Okay, I'll be down in a sec," she replied, her voice sounding heavy.

A few minutes drifted by before she finally went downstairs for breakfast. Just seeing Lucas made her skin crawl. Unease coiled in her stomach.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Lucas greeted, his voice casual. "Morning. How'd you sleep?" He pushed her favorite mug toward her.

"Thanks," she mumbled.

She picked at her food, taking a small bite. Suddenly, a wave of nausea washed over her. She bolted from the table, racing up the stairs.

Her bathroom door slammed open, and she practically flew inside.

Lucas, concern etched on his face, followed her. "Hey, you okay?" he called out, hovering near the bathroom door.

He paced the room, a knot of worry tightening in his chest. Silence echoed from the bathroom.

Then, something white caught his eye. A folded piece of paper lay on the bed next to her purse. Curiosity tugged at him. He picked it up, his fingers unfolding the creases. As he read, his eyes widened in disbelief, his jaw slackening.

Just then, Ava stumbled out of the bathroom, her face pale and damp. Lucas stared at her, the paper clutched in his hand.

"What the heck is this?" Lucas demanded, his gaze sharp as he looked from the paper to Ava.

Ava stood frozen, her eyes darting around as if searching for an escape route from the mess she was in.

"Are you pregnant?" he pressed, his voice urgent. "Whose report is this? Answer me right now!"

She remained silent, searching for a way out of her predicament.

"Answer me! Whose pregnancy report is this!".

"Yeah, I'm pregnant, and the report is mine" she blurted, her eyelids clamping shut like she was bracing for a blow. A hush fell over the room, thick and heavy.

"What the hell?" he exploded, his hand slamming against the wall, making her flinch. "Are you freaking serious right now? That's why you just puked your guts out?" His fingers dug into her shoulder. "Who did this to you? Who's the son of a bitch who got you pregnant? Who the hell is that bastard!."

Ava met his furious gaze, her own eyes steady. "He's not a bastard, Lucas, and he didn't force me. It was my choice," she added, her voice trembling slightly, but firm."

A chilling hush descended upon the room for a few moments, broken only when Lucas spoke again, his voice dangerously low.

"It's gotta be Mateo. That guy's gonna pay for this!" He lunged for the door, his eyes blazing with a dangerous fury, but Ava instinctively grabbed his arm, holding him back with surprising strength.

"Mateo's not the one," Ava yelled, her voice raw.

Lucas spun back to her, his face contorted in a mask of rage and disbelief.

"Seriously? Then who's the jerk, Ava? Tell me! Tell me right now!"

"I don't know!" she shrieked, tears welling in her eyes.

"What?! You're telling me you don't know who knocked you up? So how in the world are you gonna take care of that thing inside you? 'Cause there's no way I'm helping raise some little bastard!"

"My baby is not a bastard," Ava choked out, her voice barely a whisper, filled with a sudden, fierce protectiveness. "And you don't need to worry about a thing, Lucas. I'll take care of him myself.