Chapter 5

I clicked to control the tears streaming uncontrollably from my face as we rushed through the halls of the prison.

 Every step felt like a weight pressing down on me, each thought of Jonas increasing the fear of a terrible happening coiling in my stomach.

  "Bruce ... Bruce has my son," I cried, the words spilling from me as I paced Mrs. Janet's room.

  Mrs. Janet remained weirdly and unpleasantly composed , her eyes sharp, calculating , almost as if she were studying me.

  "He has your son, and you're crying?" she asked, her tone cutting through the air. "Girl, do you understand Bruce doesn't even know you're out of here? He thinks you're my late daughter, and that you handed your son over to her."

  I nodded , the weight of the fake image we'd created settling in. But I couldn't stop shaking with fear and emotion.

  "I don't know what to do, Mrs. Janet ," I choked out. "I'm scared . He wants to meet up with Elena Maxwell , but you know that's not possible. I can't..."

  "Relax, Elena ," she interrupted, her voice steady. She began pacing , her mind already at work, processing the next move.

  After a moment, she stopped, her cold eyes locking onto mine. "There's a way."

  My heart jumped in my chest. "What is it?"

  "There's only one option," she said, her look steady. "You need an extra hand."

  "I'll do anything, Mrs. Janet ," I whispered , without hope for a way out of this nightmare. "Please go ahead and tell me."

  "There's a guy," she said, her tone growing more serious. "The only one I can think of right now. He can help you. Though, let me warn you, he has his own demons to fight. You'll have to convince him."

  She pulled out her phone, typing quickly before looking back at me. "I sent you his number and address. Check."

  I opened my phone, and when I saw the details, my breath caught. "The person I need to meet is in Spain ?"

  Mrs. Janet's look didn't shift back and forth.

  "We don't have a better option, do we?" she asked, her voice firm. "You've got to do this.. unless you want to face Bruce alone and end up dead?"

  I waited for a few seconds, weighing the worse event that could possibly happen of the situation against the extreme very upset feelings of hopelessness clawing at me.

  Then I nodded , my voice determined. "Okay, fine. I'll do it. But... are you sure he'll agree?"

  "Yes," Mrs. Janet said in a way where you're sure you are right. “I'll speak to him. Don't worry about that."

  I swallowed my questions. There was something about her quiet, relaxed mental state, her ability to pull strings extremely easily, that hinted at a side of Mrs. Janet I still didn't fully understand.

  She made a call, and within an hour, everything was arranged . A private jet was scheduled to fly me to Spain the next morning.

  **********

  I arrived in Spain drained and confused.

  The flight had been a blur , and I had barely gotten any sleep. I came alone.. Becca stayed back in New York to keep tabs on anything that might pop up.

  Mrs. Janet had promised to me that Jonas was fine, but I couldn't wait to see my baby again.

  After a brief rest at the hotel, I forced myself to pack my things. There was no time to waste.

  I cheer and greeted a taxi and headed straight for the address Mrs. Janet had given me.

  The drive was long, the city blending into quiet streets.

  As we approached the gates , the taxi driver quickly looked at me through the rearview mirror, his eyes narrowing a little. "This is the place?" he asked, his voice low, almost cautious.

  I nodded , feeling a sudden wave of unease . "Yes, this is it."

  He waited, his fingers tightening on the steering wheel. "You sure about this, lady? This place... it's not exactly where you'd want to be alone."

  His words hung in the air, the tension rising. I gave a tight nod, my mind racing with unanswered questions. "What do you mean?"

  With a grunt , he slowly turned the car toward the gates . "Just be careful," he mumbled , before adding , almost to himself, "This area... it's got a reputation."

  Reputation?

  I didn't have the energy to ask more. The words didn't matter. I had to get inside.

  After a very few minutes of walk down the estate, the mansion stood before me, imposing in its beauty.

 It was huge, its gates designed with detailed detail, set against a background of beautiful greenery . The stillness of the place sent a chill down my spine .

 I approached the gates and rang the bell.

 The person gatekeeper answered almost immediately. I showed him the ID Mrs. Janet had given me, and after a quick careful examination, he pressed a button.

  A man came to the gate, his presence both rugged and neat.

  The person gatekeeper whispered something to him, and without a word, he stepped aside, allowing me to enter.

  I stepped through the gates and walked toward the main house.

  The door opened as soon as I reached it. A man stood there, his back to me.

  "Hello..." I said, unsure of what else to say.

  The man turned to greet me, but as soon as our eyes met, he froze .

  I felt my heart drop. I blinked , trying to catch his face well to make sure I wasn't making a mistake.

  But it wasn't a mistake, it was really him.

  The same stranger from the amusement park. The bold and annoying jerk?

  "You...?" I suddenly took a short breath in, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

  The man stared at me, his jaw tightening .

  " Youu .. what the hell are you doing in my house?"