Chapter Four

I was staring at my phone, at the Unknown Number still glowing on the screen, and my hands wouldn’t stop shaking. That distorted voice was still looping in my head. “Bring the drive, or your son dies.”

“Who was that?” Damien’s voice came from right behind me, and before I could answer Victoria was already there, her hand sliding onto his arm like she had every right to.

“What’s going on?” she asked, tilting her head like she actually cared. I swallowed, my mouth dry and forced the words out, “It was a threat. They said if I don’t bring some drive tonight, they’ll hurt Liam.”

Victoria looked surprised but she couldn’t hide the smirk, and Damien didn’t move at all. He just stood there, blank…looking at me like I was the new problem he’d have to clean up. “This is exactly why you can’t leave right now,” he said, direct and final, “you’re dragging problems everywhere you go.”

The words hit me like a slap, and I stumbled back until the wall caught me. “I just walked in on you with her,” I said, and my voice cracked in the middle, “I still signed the papers like an adult, and now you’re blaming me for this too?”

Victoria let out a soft, pitying laugh, “She’s always the victim, isn’t she? Even with father fighting for his life, she finds a way to make it about herself.”

That stung. Damien didn’t defend me, didn’t even look at her, he just kept that same distant, empty expression on his face. “Watch your mouth, Lila,” he said quietly, “you forced me into this marriage years ago, you let our life turn into this mess, Victoria would never bring this kind of danger into our home.”

Danger, like I was the danger. I felt tears coming but I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood because I was tired of breaking in front of them, tired of being the one who cried while everything fell apart.

My father was hooked to machines down the hall, and now someone had threatened my son, and I’d tried so hard to choose myself and the world just kept pulling me back under.

The doctor came out then, looking exhausted, scrub cap in his hands. “We stabilized him,” he said, “he’s weak and he needs complete rest, only one person can stay with him tonight.”

“I’ll stay,” Damien answered before I could even breathe, “Lila, go home and be with Liam, I’ll call you if anything changes.”

“He’s my father,” I whispered, my voice shaking, but Damien cut me off, his eyes commanding instead of soft, “And you’re a mess right now, so go home. I’ve got this. Please, don’t argue with me.”

Victoria reached out and touched my arm, “He’s right, Lila,” she murmured, “you look like you’re about to break. Go rest. We’ll handle everything here.”

We?? I had nothing left, no fight, no tears, so I turned and walked down the long hallway alone.

A few seconds later, his footsteps caught up to me at the elevator, and his hand closed around my wrist, not cruel but firm, like he still had the right to hold me there.

He leaned in close, his voice low so only I could hear, “You’re still my wife until those papers are filed. Don’t forget that. Go home, stay with Liam, and wait for my call.”

“No more running away tonight.” Then he let go, turned, and walked back toward my father’s room without another word, and the elevator doors closed on me alone.

The second he did, the tears came, fierce and ugly, because I hated how much power he still had over me, and I hated the small, traitorous part of me that still wanted him to care.

I was halfway to the parking lot when my phone vibrated in my hand. Same unknown number. A new text lit up the screen, Clock is ticking. Bring the drive by midnight or Liam pays for your mistakes.

My knees almost gave out right there.