~~Scarlette~~ āWhat happened? Why did you go back?ā Liam asked as he kept driving, his voice low but edged. I wasnāt about to disclose anything to him. If I did, heād twist it into his wayātelling me not to move, not to speak, not to act until he thought the time was right. No. Not this time. This time, I wasnāt giving him that power. āNothing, Liam. I just⦠suddenly felt like asking Rayne about Emeliaās antenatals,ā I said, staring straight ahead, my tone flat. āSo what did he say? Did he give you any clues or what?ā he pressed, not letting it go. āNope. He didnāt. I was so disappointed,ā I replied quickly, tightening my hands in my lap. āReally?ā he shot back, suspicion dripping from his voice. āOr you just donāt want to tell me⦠because I sure donāt see disappointment on your face.ā 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 Iād have to see Rayne in the examining room, so Liam and I walked in together. A patient was just leavingāa pregnant woman who gave me a small smile on her way out. āHey, Pumpkinā¦ā Rayne teased, the same way he always did. āHello to you too, Rayne,ā I replied, rolling my eyes lightly. Liam and Rayne didnāt bother with a proper greeting. They only exchanged a quick look, tension lingering in the silence. āSoā¦ā Rayne started, flipping through my chart. āYou complained about the pain and, um, the bleeding, right?ā āYes,ā I sighed. āItās too intense. I feel like nothing is normal with me anymore.ā He gave a small chuckle. āEverything wonāt feel normal until youāve got your baby out safe and sound.ā I frowned. āThatās no way to cheer me up right now.ā Liam leaned forward, his voice carrying that playful edge. āCan you also add the fact that sheās always angry and the mood swings are wild?ā Rayne smirked. āWell, thatās also par
~~Scarlette~~ Four Months Later. In the house, I had started noticing Emeliaās 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 ā nothing sharp, just a friendly remark. But Emeliaās 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 wasnāt just hormones. This was something else. Something Emelia didnāt want anyone to know. "Liam⦠have you noticed how Emeliaās 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 doctorās appointment. I hadnāt told him about the pains all over my body, or the little bleedingāI only said it was a normal
~~Scarlette~~ I swear I hadnāt slept a bit. Not a wink. My body ached from tossing and turning, my mind restless and loud. I couldnāt even leave the room to get my drugsāIād 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 didnāt. 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. āI got you your drugs⦠from the car. You forgot to take them. Do you want me to get water?ā 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 didnāt hear the worry threading through his voice. He stood there for a whileālong enough for me to feel his presence filling the roomābefore 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 himāthis hot, impossibly dangerous man Iād fallen for. I tried to read himāexpressions, 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? āHey⦠relax,ā 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. āI mean⦠tell me if youāre going to die soon⦠I might need to have your assets transferred to my child⦠becauseāhell!ā My gasp stumbled into a moan, catching me off guard. I rolled my eyes for the third time today. āJust so you know, I'm feeling pretty relaxed,ā I muttered, though my voice betrayed me. āAre you, t
~~Liam~~ I wasnāt sure how to act. It wasnāt about her stopping me from walking outāit was about her standing up against my mother. She had never done that. Never. āWhyād you ask that, huh?ā 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. āDonāt look at me like that. Iām just⦠impressed.ā Her lips parted, but she didnāt break the stare. Brave. Too damn brave. āSeriously, Liam,ā she said flat, āthere are a whole lot of packages that come with pregnancy. That's it? That's all you see?ā 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. āMaybe. But you? Your claws are ready to attack. You think that makes you my equal?ā Her expression didnāt falter. āMaybe. My claws are ready to attack, Liam. Every time.ā