Chapter 12: Paper Shield

Lola’s Pov

The penthouse was too quiet. Without the baby’s crying or the constant hum of the nanny moving around, the space felt like a museum.

I stood in the middle of the kitchen, looking at the box that had been delivered to the service entrance. I didn't have anyone to talk to and nowhere to go.

I just had this marble island and the package.

I grabbed a steak knife and cut the tape. I pulled the cardboard flaps back and looked inside. There was a stack of photos on top.

I picked them up, my fingers brushing over the glossy paper. It was my parents. They were standing on the porch of the old house, looking young and happy.

I hadn't seen these in years. I didn't even know they existed.

Under the photos was a heavy, cream-colored envelope. I pulled it out and felt the weight of it. The wax seal was dark red and thick.

I broke it with my thumb and pulled out a piece of parchment that felt like it belonged in a different century.

"Sovereign Betrothal Decree," I said to the empty room.

I read through the lines of messy, formal handwriting. My eyes stopped at the bottom. Lola Herdez and Williams Schofield.

My father's signature was right there, next to a thumbprint in dark ink. The date was from twenty years ago.

"What did you do, Dad?" I muttered.

I sat on a barstool and read the whole thing three times. It wasn't just a promise to marry. It was a legal transfer of my entire life.

I grabbed my phone and dialed Arthur. I needed a professional to tell me this was a joke.

"Lola? Is something wrong?" Arthur asked.

"I found a document, Arthur. It’s a Sovereign Betrothal Decree signed by my father."

"A Sovereign decree? Are you sure?"

"It has the seals. It has his thumbprint. It says I’m promised to Williams Schofield."

"Send me a photo. Right now."

I laid the paper flat on the marble and took the picture. I hit send and waited. I started pacing the kitchen, my footsteps echoing against the high ceilings. The phone rang back a minute later.

"How binding is this?" I asked.

"Lola, if this is real, it changes everything. In the old pack laws, a Sovereign decree overrides almost everything else. It’s a blood contract."

"Is it a good thing for me?"

"It could save you. It gives you a status that Tristain can’t touch legally. But it could also destroy you. If Williams decides to enforce this, you belong to his house. You're just swapping one cage for another."

"I haven't even seen him in years," I said, leaning against the counter.

"You need to move fast. Sofia is already putting on the pressure. I heard she’s filed for a custody injunction this morning. She’s telling the Council that you aren't fit to be a mother and that she’s the only stable family the baby has."

"She isn't even family. We just grew up in the same orphanage."

"The Council doesn't care about that. They care about optics. And right now, Sofia looks like a saint and you look like a ghost in a penthouse. The pressure is going to get suffocating, Lola. They will come for that baby."

"I know," I said.

"Call Williams. If he has the other half of that decree, he’s the only one who can stop the Council from handing the child to Sofia."

I hung up the phone and looked back at the parchment. My father had signed this when I was a child. He had traded my future before I even knew what a pack was.

I looked at the photos of my parents again. They were smiling like they didn't have a care in the world, while I was sitting here trying to figure out which man was going to own me next.

I checked the time. It was late, but I couldn't sleep. I felt like the walls of the penthouse were closing in. I walked to the window and looked down at the city lights.

Sofia was out there somewhere, probably drafting more lies for the Council. Tristain was probably helping her.

I went to the drawer and pulled out the business card Miller had given me. It was simple. Just a name and a number. Williams Schofield.

I sat on the floor and pulled my knees to my chest. I stared at the phone for a long time. I thought about the baby. I thought about the way Sofia had held her at the cafe, like she was already claiming her.

I started a new text message. My fingers felt heavy.

"Meet me tomorrow," I wrote.

I stopped and looked at the Sovereign seal on the desk. I needed to be clear. I couldn't handle any more lies.

"Old district pier. 11 AM," I added. "If you lie to me even once, I will disappear forever."

I hit send and tossed the phone onto the rug. I didn't want to see if he replied. I didn't want to hear his voice. I just wanted to close my eyes and pretend that none of this was happening.

The penthouse felt colder than usual. I went to the bedroom and lay on top of the covers, still dressed. I thought about the orphanage and the cold mornings I had shared with Sofia. I thought about the way we used to share a blanket. Now she was trying to take the only thing I had left.

I wasn't going to let her. I watched the shadows move across the ceiling as the cars passed by on the street below. I didn't cry. I didn't have the energy for that anymore. I just waited for the sun to come up so I could go to the pier and find out if I was truly free or just being handed to a new master.

When the light finally started to hit the windows, I stood up and washed my face. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked tired, i looked like someone who was running out of time.

I grabbed the cream envelope and tucked it into my jacket. I didn't take anything else. I walked out of the penthouse and locked the door behind me. I didn't look back. I just got into the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby.

The drive to the district was quiet. The streets were mostly empty this early. I parked a few blocks away from the pier and walked the rest of the way. The air smelled like salt and old wood.

I walked onto the pier and looked at the water. It was gray and choppy. I checked my phone. No new messages, i stood there and waited.

I didn't know what Williams was going to say. I didn't know if he even knew about the decree but I knew one thing for sure.

I wasn't going back to that penthouse until I had a shield.