Chapter 5

Selena was shocked beyond belief. She had expected it from Claire, maybe, because Claire was always around them and was more outgoing and adventurous. But Katie?

She never would have expected this from her.

“Are you okay?” Selena asked first. She needed to make sure Katie was alright before bombarding her with questions.

“Yes.” Her voice was so low that if they hadn't been paying attention, they might not have heard her.

“If you can, tell me how it happened.” Selena sat beside her, took her hands, and waited.

Claire answered instead. “She won't say.” She looked at her sister. “Mum, Dad, and I have tried to get answers from her, but she won't say anything.”

“It's okay.” Selena pulled Katie into a hug, and Katie started crying again. “Whenever you're ready to tell us, please do.” She paused as something occurred to her. “Is it someone we know? Is that why you're protecting him?” Katie didn't say anything. But her silence was enough. Selena hugged her again.

“So what did your father say?”

“He's sending her abroad to get the situation handled and attend school there under our aunt's supervision.” Selena looked confused.

“So she's not going to come back?” She turned to Katie. “Do you want this?” Katie kept crying but shook her head. Claire's expression hardened.

“So you want to throw away your future for that?” Her voice rose as she gestured toward Katie.

Katie didn't back down this time. “Don't you dare call my baby that!”

Both Selena and Claire froze. Katie wiped her tears.

"It didn't happen under the circumstances I would have wanted, but I want to keep it.” She rubbed her stomach in a slow, circular motion. Selena felt a pang in her chest. She could see how badly Katie wanted to keep the baby, but she also knew it was going to cost her a lot. There had to be a way for everyone to come out of this without Katie losing everything.

“She can keep it.”

Claire turned toward Selena in shock.

“Listen to me first,” Selena said quickly. “Since she's going abroad anyway, she can keep the baby. If you talk to your aunt, maybe she can help take care of the baby while Katie continues school. We can help too during the holidays.”

Claire remained doubtful. “The problem is that Katie might have to stay home for a year. Unless your dad is willing to pull some strings and let her continue somehow.”

“I don't know, Sel.” Claire shook her head. “We're only seventeen. What do we know about raising a child? And Dad isn't going to agree to this. He might even drag her to a clinic himself.”

Selena started thinking of another solution. Then her eyes widened. “Ah-ah!” She snapped her fingers. “I have an idea.”

Claire looked at her. “Call your dad and tell him you're sleeping over.” Claire didn't question her. She picked up her phone and made the call while Selena stayed beside Katie, comforting her until she finally calmed down.

By dinner, the Knights were already home. The three girls exchanged nervous glances several times while they ate. Finally, Selena decided to speak.

“Mr. Knight, Mrs. Knight... um, there's something we want to tell you.” The Knights looked at her briefly before continuing with their meal. Selena had noticed that neither of them seemed particularly cheerful when they returned from work. She had almost asked what was wrong, but she stopped herself. They had been her guardians for three years, and she was close to them now, but she had always tried to respect their privacy. Before Selena could continue, Louisa spoke.

“We know she's pregnant.” All three girls looked up in shock. Louisa, however, remained calm. “Her father called this morning and told us about the... situation.” Her eyes briefly moved toward Katie. Selena swallowed. Brandon wiped his hands with his napkin, stood up, and looked at Selena.

“Come with me." Louisa had no choice but to follow them. Brandon closed the door to his study behind them.

“Why didn't you mention this when you returned from your trip?” he asked immediately. Selena froze. Louisa closed the door completely.

"That was because I didn't know,” Selena explained. “I only found out today too.” They both looked at her skeptically.

Selena quickly added, “I swear. That's the reason she's sleeping over.” Brandon's expression remained unreadable.

“Did you only want to tell me she was pregnant at the dinner table, or is there something else you wanted to say?”

Selena had never seen him this angry before. Or this frightening. And she couldn't understand why. How could Katie's situation affect him this much?

“Yes.” She swallowed. Brandon gestured for her to continue.

“She wants to keep the baby even though she's going overseas.” Louisa stared at her as though she had just announced something completely outrageous. Brandon began pacing around the room. Selena lowered her head and rubbed her hands together nervously. Tears began to fill her eyes. Louisa noticed. She moved closer to Brandon.

“Brandon,” she whispered. “You're frightening her.” He stopped. His expression softened almost immediately. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down before walking over to Selena.

“I'm sorry, okay?” He took her hand and guided her toward the chair. Then he crouched in front of her so they were at eye level. “Her father called us this morning. He said some things that worried us.”

Selena looked at him. “What things?”

"He claimed that you girls secretly went to a bar, that you and Claire got her drunk, and that you somehow put her in a situation she knew nothing about.”

Selena's eyes widened. “That isn't true.” Her voice shook.

“Then what is true?” Louisa asked gently from behind her.

Selena turned toward her. “We never went to a bar. You both know I don't really like going out. And I never even saw them leave the hotel.”

She paused. “And even if we had gone somewhere without telling you guys, wouldn't the bodyguards have known?”

Louisa and Brandon suddenly laughed.

Selena blinked. “What?”

“You silly child,” Louisa said, gently rubbing her shoulders. “It's a luxury hotel. Of course it has a club, lounge, and bar.”

She kissed the top of Selena's head. “And we never believed you were capable of doing what he accused you of. We simply thought the girls might have gone downstairs without telling anyone, or that something had happened that they were too afraid to tell us.”

Selena slowly nodded.

“So... what do you want us to do?” She looked between them.

“We promise we'll do whatever we can.” Brandon extended his hand and Louisa took it firmly. “You have our word.”

Selena smiled. She knew they would help because they genuinely cared about her. But she still wanted to hear them say it.

“You promise?”

“You have our word,” Brandon repeated. Selena's smile widened.

“She doesn't want to go through with the plan her father made for her, and honestly, we can't force her. So what we thought was... maybe she's abroad she'll give birth, and her aunt could take care of her and the baby.”

She paused, pressing her lips together as she gathered the courage to continue. “We've already spoken to her aunt, and she's willing to take care of both of them.” She took a breath. “Please help her with school too. Help her keep studying while she's abroad. And if possible, make it look like everything went according to her father's plan.”

Brandon and Louisa exchanged a long look. They didn't need to say anything. The look between them said enough.

“There are a lot of things wrong with that plan,” Brandon finally said.bSelena's smile disappeared slightly.

“But,” Louisa added, “we're going to make sure we keep our promise.” Selena's face lit up.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I'll go tell them now” She hugged them both before practically bouncing out of the study. Brandon and Louisa watched her leave, amusement filling their eyes. What Selena had asked of them wasn't particularly difficult.For people like them, making arrangements, calling the right people, and opening the right doors was easy. But they knew better than to teach Selena that everything in life came easily. Not even for them.

When the door closed behind Selena, Louisa looked at Brandon.

“You should audition for a film, you'd get the role,” Louisa whispered seductively in his ear, leaning in close. “You scared her so much, even if you didn't mean a single word of it.”

“I learned from the best.” He looked at her like nothing else mattered, wrapping his hands around her waist and pulling her into a deep kiss. “I had to make it believable—that’s what they wanted. But we’ve been too lenient.”

“Still, don't scare her like that next time. I hated seeing her cry, and she'll start getting afraid of us, thinking we don't like her anymore” she said with a soft moan, running her fingers through his hair.

“Okay,” Brandon murmured, trailing kisses down her neck.

“Don’t forget the promise we made to her parents.”

Brandon raised his head to look at her. “I never will.”

Louisa smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Good. Let's get her a gift later.” She leaped up slightly to wrap her legs around his waist, and he gave a quick nod, carrying her toward the little room hidden behind the study.