Chapter Five: The Edge of the Abyss

"Somebody help him! Please, I am begging you!" Sebastian screamed, his voice raw with a terror he had never felt in his entire life.

He carried Jasper in his arms, sprinting down the grand hallway of his mansion. Jasper's body was frighteningly light, his face pale as death, his lips tinged with blue. Blood stained Sebastian's white shirt, warm and sticky against his skin.

"Stay with me, Jasper," Sebastian choked out, his vision blurring with tears. "Don't you dare leave me. Don't you dare."

The doctor burst out of the medical suite, his face going pale when he saw them. "Bring him in! Quickly, put him on the table!"

Sebastian laid Jasper down on the cold steel table. Jasper groaned, a weak, pitiful sound that tore through Sebastian's heart like a knife.

"The baby," Jasper whispered, his eyes fluttering open, unfocused and glassy. "Please... save my baby."

"I will," the doctor said, already pulling on surgical gloves. "But you need to step outside, Mr. Thorne. I need to work."

"I am not leaving him!" Sebastian roared.

"Sebastian," Jasper whispered, his trembling hand reaching out and weakly grabbing Sebastian's sleeve. "Go. Please. I can't... I can't focus if you're screaming."

The words hit Sebastian like a physical blow. He looked down at Jasper's hand, so fragile, so small. He leaned down and pressed a fierce kiss to Jasper's forehead.

"I will be right outside that door," Sebastian whispered, his voice breaking. "You fight, Jasper. You fight with everything you have. I will be right here."

He forced himself to let go of Jasper's hand. He walked out of the room, the heavy door swinging shut behind him.

The moment the door closed, Sebastian's legs gave out. He slid down the wall, landing hard on the marble floor. He buried his face in his hands. His entire body was shaking.

He had faced death a hundred times. He had been shot, stabbed, betrayed by everyone he had ever trusted. But nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to the agony of watching the man he loved bleed out on a table.

The man he loved.

Sebastian lifted his head, staring at the closed door. When had that happened? When had the pregnant, broken, beautiful man from the basement become the center of his universe?

He didn't know. All he knew was that if Jasper died tonight, a part of Sebastian would die with him.

Minutes stretched into hours. Sebastian sat on the floor, his back against the wall, listening to the muffled sounds of the doctor working. He heard Jasper cry out once, a sharp, agonizing sound. Sebastian slammed his fist against the marble floor, cracking the stone.

Finally, the door opened. The doctor stepped out, pulling off his surgical mask. He looked exhausted, but he was smiling.

Sebastian shot to his feet. "Is he alive? Is the baby alive?"

"Both are alive," the doctor said, holding up a hand. "But it was close. Very close. The stress and the physical trauma caused a partial placental abruption. I managed to stop the bleeding, but Jasper is on strict bed rest. No stress. No excitement. No arguments. If he has another episode like this, he will lose the baby. And he might not survive it himself."

Sebastian let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He braced his hands on his knees, his shoulders slumping with overwhelming relief. "Can I see him?"

"He is asleep," the doctor said. "But yes. Keep it short. He needs to rest."

Sebastian walked into the room. Jasper lay on the bed, his dark hair spread across the white pillow. His face was still pale, but he looked peaceful. Alive.

Sebastian pulled a chair to the bedside and sat down. He carefully took Jasper's hand, holding it gently in his own.

"I am sorry," Sebastian whispered, his voice thick with tears. "I am so sorry, Jasper. This is all my fault. I should have protected you. I should have kept you safe."

He pressed Jasper's hand to his cheek, closing his eyes.

"I love you," Sebastian whispered. "I don't know how it happened, or when it happened, but I love you. And I will spend the rest of my life making this up to you. I promise."

He didn't know if Jasper could hear him. But it didn't matter. He meant every word.

Hours later, Jasper stirred. His eyelids fluttered open. He looked confused for a moment, his hand immediately flying to his stomach.

"The baby," Jasper gasped, panic flooding his features. "Is my baby..."

"He is alive," Sebastian said quickly. He squeezed Jasper's hand. "The baby is alive, Jasper. You both are. You are safe."

Jasper's eyes filled with tears. He looked at Sebastian, seeing the exhaustion, the tear tracks on his cheeks, the raw, unfiltered emotion in his blue eyes.

"You stayed," Jasper whispered.

"I never left," Sebastian replied. "I will never leave you, Jasper. Not ever."

Jasper let out a broken sob, and Sebastian leaned forward, wrapping his arms carefully around Jasper's shoulders, pulling him into a gentle hug. Jasper buried his face in Sebastian's chest, crying softly.

"I was so scared," Jasper sobbed. "I thought I lost my baby."

"You didn't," Sebastian murmured, stroking Jasper's hair. "You are both fighters. And I will burn this entire city to the ground before I let anyone hurt you again."

They sat like that for a long time. Eventually, Jasper's sobs quieted. He pulled back, looking up at Sebastian with red-rimmed eyes.

"Victoria," Jasper said, his voice hoarse. "She tried to kill my baby. And your mother... she sent those men."

"I know," Sebastian said, his jaw tightening. A dark, deadly fire burned in his eyes. "They will pay for what they did. Every single one of them. But right now, you need to rest. The doctor said no stress."

"I can't rest knowing they are out there," Jasper whispered, his hand instinctively cradling his stomach. "I can't rest knowing they want my baby dead."

Sebastian kissed Jasper's forehead. "You don't have to worry about them. I am going to handle it. Tonight. I am going to make sure they never come near you again."

He stood up, gently tucking the blanket around Jasper's body. "I need to go deal with my mother and Victoria. I will leave guards outside your door. No one will get in. I promise."

Jasper looked up at him, his eyes filled with fear. "Sebastian... be careful."

Sebastian smiled, a cold, predatory smile. "I am always careful." He leaned down and kissed Jasper softly on the lips. It was a gentle kiss, full of promise. "I will be back before you know it. Get some sleep."

Sebastian walked out of the room, his heart heavy but his resolve like iron. He nodded to the two guards stationed at the door. "No one enters this room. Not the doctor. Not my mother. Not the President of the United States. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Mr. Thorne," the guards said in unison.

Sebastian walked down the hallway, his footsteps echoing. He pulled out his phone, dialing a number.

"Prepare the car," Sebastian said, his voice cold as ice. "And bring the special equipment. I am going hunting."

Back in the bedroom, Jasper lay back against the pillows. He felt weak, but he also felt a strange, fierce determination. He had to survive. He had to protect his baby.

He was thirsty. His throat was parched from the screaming.

He looked at the bedside table. There was a glass of water and a small bottle of pills. The doctor had left them earlier. Take one every eight hours for the pain, the doctor had said.

Jasper reached for the pill bottle. He popped the cap off and shook one pill into his hand. He swallowed it with a sip of water.

He lay back, closing his eyes.

Minutes later, his eyes flew open.

A sharp, agonizing cramp seized his lower abdomen. He gasped, curling into a ball. The pain was worse than before. Much worse.

He looked at the pill bottle on the nightstand. His blood ran cold.

The safety seal on the bottle was broken. Glued back together so perfectly that he hadn't noticed.

He looked toward the door, ready to scream for the guards. But before he could make a sound, the bedroom door swung open.

Victoria stood there, a cold, triumphant smile on her face. Behind her, the two guards lay unconscious on the floor.

"Hello, Jasper," Victoria said softly, stepping into the room. She closed the door behind her, locking it with a quiet click. "I told you I wasn't done with you."

Jasper opened his mouth to scream, but a blinding wave of pain stole his breath. He clutched his stomach, his eyes wide with terror.

Victoria walked toward the bed, her heels clicking softly on the marble floor.

"Don't worry," she whispered, leaning over him with a smile that made his blood freeze. "This time, there is no one coming to save you.”