~~Scarlette~~ âWhat happened? Why did you go back?â Liam asked as he kept driving, his voice low but edged. I wasnât about to disclose anything to him. If I did, heâd twist it into his wayâtelling me not to move, not to speak, not to act until he thought the time was right. No. Not this time. This time, I wasnât giving him that power. âNothing, Liam. I just⌠suddenly felt like asking Rayne about Emeliaâs antenatals,â I said, staring straight ahead, my tone flat. âSo what did he say? Did he give you any clues or what?â he pressed, not letting it go. âNope. He didnât. I was so disappointed,â I replied quickly, tightening my hands in my lap. âReally?â he shot back, suspicion dripping from his voice. âOr you just donât want to tell me⌠because I sure donât see disappointment on your face.â Before I could react, his hand left the wheel. His finger curled under my chin, firm, forcing my head to turn toward him. His eyes searched mine like he could peel my secrets out of me.
~~Scarlette~~ I had read in the file that Iâd have to see Rayne in the examining room, so Liam and I walked in together. A patient was just leavingâa pregnant woman who gave me a small smile on her way out. âHey, PumpkinâŚâ Rayne teased, the same way he always did. âHello to you too, Rayne,â I replied, rolling my eyes lightly. Liam and Rayne didnât bother with a proper greeting. They only exchanged a quick look, tension lingering in the silence. âSoâŚâ Rayne started, flipping through my chart. âYou complained about the pain and, um, the bleeding, right?â âYes,â I sighed. âItâs too intense. I feel like nothing is normal with me anymore.â He gave a small chuckle. âEverything wonât feel normal until youâve got your baby out safe and sound.â I frowned. âThatâs no way to cheer me up right now.â Liam leaned forward, his voice carrying that playful edge. âCan you also add the fact that sheâs always angry and the mood swings are wild?â Rayne smirked. âWell, thatâs also par
~~Scarlette~~ Four Months Later. In the house, I had started noticing Emeliaâs uneasiness. The way she stiffened whenever Mother brought up her pregnancy, the way her eyes darted like she was hiding something. It happened again at dinner last night. Julie asked her a simple question â nothing sharp, just a friendly remark. But Emeliaâs reaction⌠it was shocking. She froze, her face drained, and she stammered like she had been caught doing something wrong. No one else seemed to find it unusual. They brushed it off as hormones, mood swings, pregnancy nerves. But I knew better. This wasnât just hormones. This was something else. Something Emelia didnât want anyone to know. "Liam⌠have you noticed how Emeliaâs been behaving these past few weeks, huh?" I asked as he stepped out of the bathroom. I was already slipping into a dress, getting ready for the doctorâs appointment. I hadnât told him about the pains all over my body, or the little bleedingâI only said it was a normal
~~Scarlette~~ I swear I hadnât slept a bit. Not a wink. My body ached from tossing and turning, my mind restless and loud. I couldnât even leave the room to get my drugsâIâd left my bag in the car, and the pills were buried inside it. I thought, like always, Liam would storm off after our fight, maybe vanish for the night like he used to whenever tempers ran high. But he didnât. Every hour, I heard the soft creak of the door. It was him. Probably just to check if I was still breathing. The third time he slipped inside, his voice was low, almost careful. âI got you your drugs⌠from the car. You forgot to take them. Do you want me to get water?â I kept my eyes closed, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response. I let my silence do the talking, pretending to be asleep. Pretending I didnât hear the worry threading through his voice. He stood there for a whileâlong enough for me to feel his presence filling the roomâbefore quietly leaving again. By morning, the pal
~~Scarlette~~ Liam was unpredictable, unreadable, a man I could never fully decipher. Not even years of therapy experience could unravel himâthis hot, impossibly dangerous man Iâd fallen for. I tried to read himâexpressions, posture, any hint of what was coming. Nothing. Just that cocky grin, that smirk I wanted to slap off his arrogant face. God, he was unfairly handsome. How had I never noticed him all those years ago? âHey⌠relax,â Liam murmured, amusement thick in his voice. One hand slipped inside my gown, tracing lazy circles over my thighs, inching dangerously close to my pussy, while the other drove steadily. I clenched immediately, heart hammering. âI mean⌠tell me if youâre going to die soon⌠I might need to have your assets transferred to my child⌠becauseâhell!â My gasp stumbled into a moan, catching me off guard. I rolled my eyes for the third time today. âJust so you know, I'm feeling pretty relaxed,â I muttered, though my voice betrayed me. âAre you, t
~~Liam~~ I wasnât sure how to act. It wasnât about her stopping me from walking outâit was about her standing up against my mother. She had never done that. Never. âWhyâd you ask that, huh?â she shot at me, those sharp eyes locked on mine. That same fire I saw when she dared face my mother was still burning in her. I smirked, leaning back like I had all the time in the world. âDonât look at me like that. Iâm just⌠impressed.â Her lips parted, but she didnât break the stare. Brave. Too damn brave. âSeriously, Liam,â she said flat, âthere are a whole lot of packages that come with pregnancy. That's it? That's all you see?â I tilted my head, my jaw tightening, fighting the urge to just throw her back on the bed and remind her exactly what she belonged to. Instead, I let the cruelty drip from my tone. âMaybe. But you? Your claws are ready to attack. You think that makes you my equal?â Her expression didnât falter. âMaybe. My claws are ready to attack, Liam. Every time.â