Chapter Four: The Grandmother's Revenge

"Stay away from me! Don't you dare come near my baby!" Jasper screamed, his voice tearing through the silent room. He scrambled backward on the huge bed until his back hit the ornate headboard. His hands were shaking violently, but he kept them firmly pressed against his stomach, shielding his unborn child with his bare hands.

The woman who walked into the bedroom didn't even flinch at his scream.

She was tall and elegant, dressed in a crisp white pantsuit that probably cost more than Jasper had earned in his entire life. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a tight, severe bun, and her face was perfectly made up. But it was her eyes that froze Jasper to his core. They were the exact same ice-blue as Sebastian's, but where Sebastian's held a flicker of dark passion, this woman's eyes were completely dead.

"Mother," Sebastian said, stepping forward and positioning himself directly between the bed and the woman. "You are not welcome here."

Eleanor Thorne looked past her son as if he were invisible. Her cold gaze landed on Jasper, lingering on his trembling hands and his slight belly. Her lip curled in absolute disgust.

"So it is true," Eleanor said, her voice smooth and chilling. "You really did impregnate a man. A freak of nature. Do you have any idea what you have done to this family's reputation, Sebastian?"

"I don't care about our reputation," Sebastian replied, his voice hard as steel. "I care about Jasper and my child. You need to leave. Now."

Eleanor let out a cold, humorless laugh. She walked past Sebastian, her heels clicking on the marble floor like the ticking of a bomb. Jasper shrank back further, his breath catching in his throat.

"I am not here for you, Sebastian," Eleanor said, stopping at the foot of the bed. She looked down at Jasper like he was a cockroach she wanted to crush. "I am here for him."

She reached into her expensive purse and pulled out a thick envelope. She tossed it onto the bed next to Jasper's feet.

"Inside that envelope is a check for five million dollars," Eleanor said, her voice flat. "Take it. Go to a private clinic. Terminate the pregnancy. And disappear from my son's life forever."

Jasper stared at the envelope. Five million dollars. It was more money than he could ever dream of. It could buy him a house, safety, a new life. But the moment the thought entered his mind, his baby kicked for the very first time.

A tiny, fluttering movement inside his belly.

Jasper gasped softly, his eyes filling with tears. He looked up at Eleanor, and for the first time since she walked in, he didn't feel afraid. He felt angry.

"I don't want your money," Jasper said, his voice shaking but firm. "I am not going to kill my baby. And I am not going to leave."

Eleanor's eyes narrowed. The fake politeness dropped from her face. "You listen to me, you disgusting little street rat. You might have tricked my son into bed, but you will not trap him with this... this abomination. Do you understand me? I will not allow my grandchild to be born from a man."

"Mother, that is enough!" Sebastian roared, grabbing her arm and pulling her away from the bed. "I love this baby. And I will not let you or anyone else harm it. Get out of my house!"

Eleanor yanked her arm free. She smoothed down her jacket, her eyes blazing with a dangerous, calculating fire.

"You think you can protect him?" Eleanor whispered. She snapped her fingers.

The bedroom door opened, and two men in white medical coats walked in. They were large, muscular, and they carried a black medical bag.

Jasper's heart stopped. "Sebastian..."

"Call off your dogs, Mother," Sebastian snarled, stepping in front of Jasper.

"I am not calling them off," Eleanor said calmly. "These doctors are here to handle the problem. Since you refuse to see reason, I will do what is best for this family. Sedate the freak. The doctors will take care of the rest."

The two men advanced. Jasper screamed, a raw, terrified sound. He tried to get off the bed, but his legs were tangled in the silk sheets. He fell to the floor, curling into a ball, his arms wrapped tightly around his stomach.

"Don't touch me! Please! Don't hurt my baby!"

Sebastian moved like a demon. He grabbed the first doctor by the collar and slammed him into the wall so hard the man crumpled to the ground, unconscious. The second doctor swung a syringe at Sebastian's neck. Sebastian caught his wrist, twisted it until it snapped, and threw the man out of the bedroom door.

The room fell silent. The two doctors lay groaning in the hallway.

Sebastian was breathing heavily, his chest heaving, his eyes wild with protective rage. He turned to his mother.

"I will kill you," Sebastian whispered, his voice deadly calm. "If you ever, ever try to touch him or my child again, I will kill you myself. Do you understand me?"

Eleanor stared at her son. For a moment, a flicker of fear crossed her dead eyes. She took a step back.

"You are making a mistake, Sebastian," Eleanor said, her voice cold as ice. "You are choosing a freak over your family. Over your birthright. Your father will hear about this."

"Let him hear," Sebastian spat. "Get out."

Eleanor turned on her heels and walked out of the room, stepping over the groaning doctors without a second glance.

The moment she was gone, Sebastian fell to his knees beside Jasper.

"Jasper," Sebastian gasped, his hands hovering over Jasper's trembling body. "Are you hurt? Did they touch you?"

Jasper couldn't speak. He was crying too hard. The fear, the adrenaline, the sheer terror of the last five minutes crashed over him. He grabbed onto Sebastian's shirt, burying his face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

"I thought they were going to take my baby," Jasper sobbed. "I thought they were going to kill my baby."

Sebastian wrapped his arms around Jasper, holding him tightly against his chest. He rocked him gently, resting his chin on top of Jasper's head.

"I won't let anyone take our baby," Sebastian murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "I will burn the whole world down before I let anyone hurt you."

Jasper felt Sebastian's heart pounding against his cheek. It was racing as fast as his own.

"Why are you doing this?" Jasper whispered, looking up at Sebastian with tear-filled eyes. "You barely know me. Why are you risking everything for me?"

Sebastian looked down at him. He gently wiped a tear from Jasper's cheek with his thumb.

"Because for the first time in my life, I have something worth protecting," Sebastian said softly. "You are carrying my child, Jasper. But you are also the only person who has ever made me feel like a human being. I won't lose you."

Jasper's heart swelled. He wanted to believe Sebastian. He desperately wanted to. But a small, wounded part of him was still terrified.

Suddenly, Jasper flinched. A sharp, agonizing pain shot through his abdomen. He gasped, his hands flying to his stomach.

"Sebastian..." Jasper choked out, his face going pale. "Something... something is wrong."

Sebastian's eyes widened in panic. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Jasper looked down. A small patch of blood was soaking through the white silk of his shirt.

"I think..." Jasper whispered, his vision going blurry. "I think I'm losing the baby."

Sebastian screamed for the doctor. He scooped Jasper into his arms, holding him desperately against his chest.

"Stay with me, Jasper," Sebastian begged, his voice breaking. "Please. Don't leave me. Stay with me."

And as Jasper's world faded to black, the only thing he could hear was Sebastian's desperate, broken sobs.