Chapter 118Vanessa's POV:For the past few days, I barely slept. Not really. Not with the weight of Andre’s arrest sitting like stone on my chest and the cold memory of his voice the last time we spoke replaying in my head over and over.Every breath I took since he was taken felt like a question without an answer. I kept thinking maybe if I closed my eyes, I’d wake up and none of this would be real. But reality didn’t bend for hope. I had tried going to check on him, but they said only his lawyer was allowed to visit and sent me back. I never stopped calling Stanley, who told me Andre was doing fine and that I shouldn't be worried, but I knew better than that. He was just trying to calm me, and yet my heart continued to be bothered, unable to shake off the feeling that he isn't well in there.When my phone buzzed that morning, I wasn’t expecting anything but another message from Stanley, or his lawyer saying they were still looking into it. That had been their routine.Instead, it
Chapter 117Andre's POV:I don’t make promises I can’t keep. And I sure as hell don’t let people think they’ve beaten me. When I saw Vanessa that night—choking, fighting for her life—something inside me snapped. That kind of fury, that helpless rage... it's not something you bottle up and forget. It becomes a vow. One I made right there on that floor as I held her trembling body: they're going to pay.I didn't sleep. Couldn't even close my eyes. I sat beside her like a guard dog all night, my arm never leaving her side. Her breathing eventually became soft and rhythmic, but every creak in the apartment kept me wired. When morning came, I was already dressed and ready to face the storm.******A day earlier, I had gone to the lab after receiving confirmed result from another hospital.Getting inside wasn't hard. I may have lost my position by my father's side, but I still had connections. Old friends. A few well-placed threats and some cash handled the rest. The technician was a jitte
Chapter 116Vanessa's POV:I could still feel the echo of Andre's heartbeat when he held me earlier, his chest rising and falling like a fortress of calm around my chaos. But calm doesn't last. Not for someone like me."I need to go home," I whispered, gripping the strap of my bag tightly. My fingers trembled, but I refused to let him see just how much. "I need to clear my head."Andre looked at me with that unreadable expression again. Half stern, half something that looked too much like pain. "Vanessa, don't do this. You should be here. With me. Where I can protect you."Protect me. I repeated in my head.I wanted to believe him. But everything I thought was safe had twisted itself into something else. My pregnancy. The baby. The truth that was supposed to protect me had nearly shattered me. The bump was growing bigger by the day, and me? I was getting more attached to the baby, and I couldn't stand to watch it get hurt."I just need a few hours. I'll return tomorrow," I lied. "To b
Chapter 115 The hospital room was tense, filled with the sharp scent of antiseptic and the unbearable silence that hung like a heavy fog. Vanessa sat on the edge of the hospital bed, her hands trembling slightly on her lap, her eyes wide and glassy with confusion. One minute she was talking to Louisa, and the next minute she found herself in a hospital with Claire here. She didn't know what had happened between the hours of her unconsciousness.The moment Andre burst through the door, he came to stand by her side, protectively, his jaw clenched so tightly that the muscle there ticked. Claire sat close to Vanessa, holding her hand, warming her up.The strange man who had walked in at the same time with Andre dropped a bombshell, claiming to be the father of Vanessa's unborn child. Andre turned to Vanessa with surprise-filled eyes."Vanessa," he asked, his voice breaking, "what the hell is he talking about?"Her breath hitched. It felt like the world tilted beneath her. How could she a
Chapter 114 The sky was a quiet painting of gold and lilac as the sun dipped toward the horizon, casting warm light over Andre Garcia's penthouse. There was no grand hall, no orchestra, no rows of white chairs. Just a wide porch wrapped around the front of Andre’s house, lit softly by hanging lanterns, white curtains, and fairy lights that twinkled like fireflies in the coming dusk. Andre stood at the far end of the porch, his hands clasped nervously behind him. He wore a grey suit, simple but perfectly tailored, the collar stiff with anticipation. His friend, Ethan, stood beside him—steadfast and grinning from ear to ear. His hand pressed on Andre's shoulder, giving him an occasional squeeze. Sarah adjusted her shawl beside Ethan, whispering something about how Andre had “finally grown up,” and they both chuckled. And then there was Stanley, arms crossed, face unreadable, but the faintest hint of pride rested in his dark eyes. He was a tough man to impress, but tonight, he could
Chapter 113Andre's POV:I woke up with a heavy chest-the kind of weight you feel when your world is starting to tilt out of its perfect axis. My fists clenched automatically, and I stared at the blinking screen of my phone. Message after message. Missed calls. Mentions. A dozen news alerts. All shouting the same line:"Garcia Heir Resigns for Pregnant Mistress."My jaw twitched. My thumb hovered over the article notification. I didn't need to read it to know what lies were spreading. An anonymous source leaked it. Not hard to guess who. Someone from the inside. Someone desperate.I gritted my teeth, eyes scanning the phone before I hit dial. Stanley. He instantly informed me that he'd successfully set the meeting with some people who liked my proposal, and that they were ready to invest after a meeting tomorrow morning. I was grateful for that. I'd always been scared to leave my father and go on my own, probably because I sold out the company name more than I sold out my own name. B