Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Jacob.

My stomach tightened. I slowly turned towards the door, feeling an unpleasant chill creep down my spine. It was ridiculous. I knew where I was. I knew I was alive, sitting in my bedroom, with a locked door separating me from him.

But my mind wasn't here.

It was back in that cold, dark place. I could still hear the gunshots.

One. Then another.

I remembered the unbearable pain, the taste of blood in my mouth and the way my legs had given out beneath me. Most importantly, I remembered my baby. My poor, innocent baby who had become a victim of so many cruel schemes.

And Jacob...

God, Jacob. I could still see his face as he stood over me, looking down without the slightest hint of remorse. He had looked at me as though I were someone unworthy of mercy.

*You should never have been adopted.*

I squeezed my eyes shut. Those words still rang in my ears.

"Oh, Jacob," I whispered. "Just you wait. I'll make sure you pay for everything."

"Selena! Are you deaf?"

His fist struck the door again, making me flinch.

For a moment, I wanted to hide. I wanted to pretend I hadn't heard him. That was what I had always done whenever he was angry. I would keep quiet, apologise even when I had done nothing wrong and hope he would eventually leave me alone.

Not anymore. I had been given another chance, and I wasn't going to spend it being afraid of the people who had destroyed my life.

I needed to protect myself. And I needed to protect my baby.

I knew what would happen after Bay Harbour. I knew that a child would come from that terrible night, and I knew how much I had lost when I failed to protect it. I might not have confirmation yet, but I wasn't going to wait until something went wrong before taking precautions.

"Go away!" I shouted.

There was a brief silence before he laughed. It was the kind of laughter filled with disbelief.

"Selena, I won't repeat myself. O-P-E-N the damn door!"

I remained in my chair, forcing myself to breathe slowly.

"Did you hear me?" he demanded.

"Yes, Jacob. Unfortunately, I did."

His footsteps stopped outside.

"What did you just say?"

I swallowed. My heart was beating painfully fast, but I refused to let him hear the fear in my voice.

"I said I heard you. What do you want?"

"You have some nerve."

I almost laughed. He was right. I was beginning to develop some nerve, and he clearly didn't like it.

"Whatever it is, we can talk later. I'm busy."

"Busy doing what? Sitting in your room pretending you're somebody important?"

I looked at the laptop on my desk. "Something like that."

He struck the door again. "You think you can disrespect me now?"

I didn't answer. He continued banging for a while. Eventually, I heard him speaking to someone in the hallway. I couldn't make out the conversation, but I recognised the irritated tone in his voice. Whoever it was seemed to be asking him to lower his voice.

Jacob had never been someone who listened.

"You won't get away with what you just pulled, Selena," he said finally. "And I hope you enjoyed yourself at the party last night."

My fingers went cold. Bay Harbour. The hotel.

Darian.

Suddenly, the memories came rushing back. The dizziness, the confusion, the strange feeling that I wasn't in control of my own body. Then the man who had entered the room.

Darian Johnson.

I pressed my lips together. I didn't want to remember that night. I certainly didn't want to think about him. Whatever had happened between us, I would not allow it to become the centre of my life again.

Darian was someone I needed to avoid. Completely.

"Selena?" Jacob called.

I said nothing. He muttered something under his breath before his footsteps finally disappeared.

I remained still for another minute, listening carefully. Only when I was certain he had gone did I release the breath I had been holding.

My hands were trembling. I hated that he could still make me feel this way. I hated that remembering what he had done could reduce me to someone who was afraid of opening a door.

But fear wasn't weakness. It was a warning. And I would learn to use it.

I turned back to my computer. I needed to get out of this house eventually. The sooner I established myself, the sooner I could stop pretending that everything was normal.

My eyes settled on the contact details for Vale Technologies.

Lucas Vale.

I had spent a good part of the morning researching him. His company had recently expanded its interest in smart devices and emerging technology, and I believed my designs could be useful to them. More importantly, I needed someone with the resources to help me turn those designs into something substantial.

I picked up the house telephone and dialled the number listed on the company's website. After a few rings, a woman's voice answered.

"Good afternoon. Vale Technologies. How may I help you?"

"Good afternoon. My name is Selena Bruce. I'd like to speak with Mr Lucas Vale."

"Do you have an appointment, Miss Bruce?"

"Not yet. I'm calling to request one."

"May I know the purpose of your visit?"

"It's regarding a business proposal that may be relevant to the company's investment in smart devices."

There was a pause.

"I'm sorry, but Mr Vale's schedule is currently very busy. You may send your proposal through our official email address for review."

"I understand. However, I'd prefer to discuss it with him personally."

"Miss Bruce, we receive several business proposals every day. Mr Vale cannot personally meet everyone who contacts the company."

I pressed my lips together.

"I understand that too. But this isn't an ordinary proposal."

"Everyone says that."

I almost laughed. Considering his position, I could imagine how many people were constantly trying to secure his investment.

"Then perhaps you should give me the opportunity to prove it," I replied.

The woman sighed.

"I'm sorry, Miss Bruce. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Yes. May I have your name?"

"Amelia."

"Thank you, Amelia. Please tell Mr Vale that Selena Bruce called. I'm sure we'll speak again."

"I'll make a note of your call."

"Have a lovely day."

I hung up.

"That went well," I muttered sarcastically. At least I had tried.

I returned to my computer and opened the unfinished proposal. I wasn't expecting Lucas to welcome me with open arms, but I needed to find a way to get his attention.

I had no intention of walking into his office and begging for help. I wanted a partnership. Something that would benefit both of us.

As I worked, I remembered something from my earlier research. Lucas had recently withdrawn his support from a company called Nexora Innovations.

I searched the name again. A few articles appeared, but one caught my attention.

**NEXORA INNOVATIONS FACES FINANCIAL UNCERTAINTY AFTER UNEXPECTED INVESTOR WITHDRAWAL.**

The report mentioned that several investors had abandoned the company shortly before Lucas withdrew his support.

"That's strange."

I opened another article. This one discussed a dispute involving stolen intellectual property. My eyes narrowed.

"Was that why Lucas walked away?"

I continued reading, but the page suddenly redirected to an unavailable link.

"What?"

I refreshed it. Nothing. I tried another link. The same result. I leaned closer to the screen.

"That's convenient."

Someone had either removed the reports or restricted access to them. I couldn't tell which, but it was worth remembering.

I copied the company name into my notes and saved the links I could still access. Then my attention returned to the proposal.

I couldn't afford to become distracted by every suspicious detail I came across. There were already enough problems waiting for me.

I glanced at the clock. If I wanted to make progress, I couldn't spend another day waiting for someone to respond to an email. Amelia had made it clear that Lucas wasn't going to make time for an unknown woman simply because she had requested an appointment.

Perhaps I needed to approach things differently. I looked at the address of Vale Technologies on the screen.

"Fine, Mr Vale," I murmured. "If I can't get an appointment, I'll have to try my luck in person."

I closed the laptop. Tomorrow, I would go to Vale Technologies.

And I would make sure I had something worth listening to when I finally stood in front of Lucas Vale.

For now, I had one more promise to keep. I would stay away from Darian Johnson.

No matter what happened, I would not let that man become the reason I lost my child again.