Chapter 5: A Call Ignored

The city skyline stretched beyond Isla’s apartment window, twinkling with lights that seemed indifferent to her turmoil. The pregnancy test lay discarded on her nightstand, but the truth it revealed haunted her every waking moment.

She needed to talk to him.

Killian Blackwood might have vanished after that night, but he couldn’t ignore this forever.

Heart pounding, Isla grabbed her phone and scrolled to his contact once more. The screen glowed in the dim room, his name taunting her.

She hesitated only a second before pressing ‘call.’

The phone rang. Once. Twice. Three times.

Straight to voicemail.

A lump formed in her throat. She ended the call and tried again. This time, the call didn’t even ring—it went directly to voicemail.

He had blocked her.

The realization hit like a punch to the gut. Her breath came out in shallow bursts, fingers tightening around the device. Anger, frustration, hurt—all of it swirled inside her, an uncontrollable storm.

Elena, who had been sitting cross-legged on Isla’s bed, watching anxiously, spoke up. “Still nothing?”

“He blocked me,” Isla bit out, blinking back furious tears.

Elena’s face twisted in rage. “That bastard! He sleeps with you, disappears, and now blocks you?”

“I should have known,” Isla muttered, tossing her phone onto the bed. “Killian Blackwood was never the type to care. He made it clear from the start.”

Elena folded her arms. “So what now? You’re just going to let him get away with it?”

Isla exhaled shakily. “I don’t have a choice. I can’t force him to care. If he doesn’t want to be involved, then… I’ll raise this baby on my own.”

Elena studied her carefully before nodding. “Then that’s what we’ll do. But Isla, you need to be sure. Maybe he doesn’t even know you tried to call. Maybe his assistant or someone else blocked you.”

Isla scoffed. “You’re giving him too much credit.”

Elena sighed. “You should at least try to see him in person.”

Isla frowned, considering it. But how? Killian Blackwood wasn’t just any man. He was a powerful billionaire with security at every entrance, a fortress built around him. She couldn’t just walk into his office and demand to see him.

Could she?

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**The Next Day – Blackwood Enterprises**

The lobby of Blackwood Enterprises was all glass and steel, sleek and intimidating, much like the man who owned it. Isla’s heels clicked against the polished marble floors as she approached the front desk.

A well-dressed receptionist eyed her with polite curiosity. “Do you have an appointment, Miss?”

“I need to see Killian Blackwood,” Isla said, trying to keep her voice steady.

The receptionist’s expression didn’t change. “Mr. Blackwood does not take unscheduled visitors.”

Of course he doesn’t.

Isla inhaled deeply. “Can you at least tell him that Isla Carter is here? He’ll want to see me.”

The receptionist gave a tight-lipped smile. “I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

Frustration bubbled up. Isla wasn’t leaving without an answer.

Before she could argue, the elevator doors across the room dinged open—and there he was.

Killian Blackwood stepped out, dressed in a sharp navy suit, his presence commanding the entire space. He walked with purpose, phone in hand, sharp eyes scanning through business reports.

For a moment, Isla was frozen, her heart slamming against her ribs. Then, as if he sensed her, his gaze flickered up.

Their eyes locked.

The world seemed to narrow down to just the two of them.

Killian’s expression didn’t change—not a flicker of recognition, not a hint of surprise. He simply glanced at her, as if she were no more than a passing stranger, and continued walking.

The dismissal was a knife to her chest.

Fury ignited inside her. No. He did not get to walk away from this.

“Killian!” she called, her voice sharp enough to cut through the air.

He didn’t stop.

Her fists clenched. “Don’t you dare pretend you don’t know me!”

That made him pause.

Slowly, he turned, his expression cool, detached. “Miss Carter.”

Miss Carter? The formal address felt like a slap.

Isla took a step forward, her pulse hammering. “That’s all you have to say to me?”

His gaze swept over her with the same indifference he gave to business deals. “I don’t know what you’re expecting, but I’m busy.”

Her nails dug into her palms. “We need to talk.”

A long silence stretched between them. Then, Killian sighed, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

Isla’s breath caught. “You really are a heartless bastard.”

His expression remained unreadable. “If you’ll excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to.”

And with that, he turned and walked away.

The finality of it shattered something inside her.

Elena had been wrong. Killian knew she was trying to reach him. He just didn’t care.

Tears threatened to spill, but Isla forced them back.

She turned sharply and left the building, each step heavier than the last. She barely noticed the people bustling past her, their lives moving forward while hers felt like it had just crumbled.

As she reached the sidewalk, her vision blurred. How had it come to this? How had she let herself believe—even for a second—that he might care?

A sharp gust of wind bit at her skin, snapping her back to reality. Fine. If Killian wanted to pretend she didn’t exist, then she would make sure he had no choice but to acknowledge her one day.

Fate had a cruel way of forcing people together.

And Killian Blackwood had no idea what was coming for him.