Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 311 - Chapitre 320

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310: THE TALK

ELARA’S POV Dinner ended faster than it was supposed to. Apparently, all these weeks of cooking with pregnancy tastebuds meant I’d been serving salt blocks for dinner. and Nate, along with the chef, let me believe I was some upcoming Michelin star prodigy. Turns out the only edible thing on the table was my fish… and the desserts I didn’t even make. For the ten minutes we actually sat together, Mom and Elliot threw every name possible at my cooking. If they weren’t my family, I’d swear they were gremlins sent from hell just to ruin my night. But honestly? I was glad it was just them who had to eat it. The tension between me and Elliot felt almost non- existent. I was just about to confront Nate for lying to me about my “perfect seasoning” when Mom dragged him away to show her the house. Elliot left to take a call, and I stayed behind, pretending I could help the staff clean the table. I couldn’t. My feet were too swollen, my back felt like someone had been using it

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-12-03

311: STRONG

ELARA’S POV. The paper beneath me crinkles as I shift, trying to get comfortable. It never works. Every time I’m on this bed, it feels colder… like the room knows what’s at stake. Nate’s fingers wrap around mine. I’m gripping tight enough to drain the blood from his knuckles, but he doesn’t complain. The ultrasound tech lowers the probe onto my stomach, eyes fixed on the screen. “There’s the head,” she murmurs. My breath snags. There she is — not a blur anymore, but a real baby. Curled. Tiny. Perfect. My throat burns, and I blink fast. No way I’m crying in front of strangers. The tech keeps moving, clicking, measuring. She pauses. Writes something down. Her face doesn’t change — but that’s the problem. Too still. Too professional. A chill runs down my spine. “Do you want to know the gender this time?” she asks, tone light but not her eyes. “I… I’d like it to be a surprise,” I manage. Nate jumps in before I finish. “We already know,” he says confident

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-12-04

312: MY ANCHOR.

Struggling to pull the tank top over my swollen chest, I froze. My eyes fell on the ultrasound picture pinned in the corner. A million thoughts running through me. And I broke before it could go further. I tugged at the fabric, trying to cover more than I could, my hands trembling. I didn’t realize Nate had come back home, me until he stepped closer. “What’s wrong, my love?” His voice was soft, careful. For months, I’d held everything in. Tried to keep my emotions minimal, measured. “The top… it won’t go any lower,” I croaked, my throat burning with every word. “Baby,” he whispered, brushing a thumb over my arm, gentle as a feather. “Do you want me to grab a different top? I have one just like this.” “No!” I hissed, keeping my gaze fixed anywhere but him. God, I hated this. Hated that I was crying. Hated that he knew why, and still let me lie. Why couldn’t I be more like him? Why couldn’t I hold it all together? Think straight. I’d made the choice to

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-12-04

313: REALITY IS BACK.

NATE’S POVOur princess could not have chosen a worse moment for her first kick.One second Elara was crying into her tea. The next she was laughing like nothing had ever hurt her. And then that tiny flutter hit her belly and I swear the whole world shifted beneath my feet.For weeks I tried to get her involved in the nursery. I asked her opinions, showed her the crib options, begged her to just pick paint colors. She always slipped away. Flowers to tend, layouts to approve, furniture to order for other people’s homes. Everything mattered more than our own child’s room.But I knew better than to push. She is strong, yes, but until Nicolas is behind bars, she will always be bracing for the moment her nightmare tries to crawl back into her life. Even with all the raids, even with the police ripping apart his warehouse piece by piece, the bastard has not cracked. He will wait for the perfect time to strike.So we pretend life is normal. We pretend this city is safe. And we pretend that b

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-12-05

314:

NATE’S POV “Elara, what is going on?” Her eyes went wide as she pressed both hands over her belly. “What is going on? You said we would hit three more stores.” Her tone was flat, but her stare could cut stone. “I know. But maybe we should leave the rest for another day.” “No.” Her voice snapped like a whip. “We finally get to shop for our baby. I am not leaving until we cross everything off that list of yours.” “Elara…” I pinch the bridge of my nose, scrambling for the right words that will not set her off. She pulls out her phone, scrolling through the checklist from our parenting class like she is about to take an exam. “We are more than halfway done,” she says. “You can take one of the cars and go home. The guards and I will finish here.” Her expression is unreadable. Serious. A dare. “You don’t actually think I will leave you here alone.” “Then your plans should wait.” She most definitely know what could be at stake. What could happen if we don’t get to safety but she

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-12-06

315: DON’T LET IT SHOW

ELARA’S POV That feeling again. The one that presses into the ribs. A warning. A sting. Like my body knows something I don’t. It sits in my chest as I stare at my phone, waiting for a message from Nate. Nothing. Just silence and the last look he gave me before he left… the look that said trust me and don’t ask questions. Apparently, keeping my mind busy was supposed to help. That is what I told myself when I dragged Kyle into this. Big mistake. “Are you sure you’re listening to me?” His voice snaps me back and I jerk, blinking at him. “Yes,” I lie with a smile that probably looks painful. “No you’re not.” He pushes his laptop aside and leans forward, studying me with that annoyingly sharp gaze. Breathing today feels like lifting weights. Gardening was impossible. Sitting too long makes my hips lock. And bending down? I’d rather die. So I figured working on designs would distract me. Wrong again. “Why am I here? And don’t say it’s because you forgot how to m

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-12-10

316: THE PROMISE

316: ELARA’S POV “Hi,” I whisper. The word tastes scared. He doesn’t smile. Not even the fake one he gives strangers. He sinks down beside me, shoulders stiff, hands balled. The scent of sweat and metal hiding under too much cologne clings to him. “What’s that?” he asks rough hands press to my lower back. My eyes narrow at his tired ones. Begging for me to pretend and not pry. He wants the distraction But why? What happened. I had a ton of questions. But my just had to remind me why all this is happening. So I force a smile. “Just a project I never got to finish.” “Tell me more!” I talk too fast explaining just the little things . “A shelter idea. It’s old and probably stupid of me to—“ “It’s not stupid.” He interrupts quietly. “You should do it, El. Everything about it is… you.” My heart tries to believe him. “You really think so?” “One hundred percent. I’ll be your first donor.” His fingers brush mine, warm but trembling. “Non-profit or not, I’ll back you.

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-12-11

317: I’VE BEEN TO HIS HELL.

ELARA’S POV Today’s session felt just like the last. Dr. Harrison said the heaviness in my chest is just my mind bracing for something bad. She still thinks I need to let go. But my gut has never lied to me. Every quiet minute. Every time Nate steps out of my sight. No matter how busy I keep myself, the dread stays. And if there’s anything life has taught me… when a fear refuses to leave, you listen to it. I just don’t know what to do to stop it. Is Nicolas getting closer? Or is Nate walking into something he shouldn’t? No. He promised me. I trust him. I have to. If I let my anxiety run wild, I’ll break myself before anything even happens. So I force my eyes shut and press closer to him. The past few weeks have been calm. No incidents. The baby is okay. I need peace more than anything. Warmth pulls me down into sleep— —until a soft buzz drags me back. Nate’s phone. His body tenses hard the moment he answers. “Hello?” A beat. Then his entire posture snaps like a wir

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-12-11

318: TRAPPING THE TRAPPER.

NATE’S POV The road blurs under the headlights, but my mind is sharper than it’s been in months—too sharp, too awake, every nerve pulled tight like wire. Elara’s voice keeps cutting through me like broken glass. “You’re choosing death over us.” “You promised me.” “I don’t want to give birth alone again.” I slam my palm against the steering wheel, rage and guilt twisting together. I promised her. I fucking promised her I wouldn’t lose my head when this moment came. And I meant it. But the second I heard Marcus’s voice—or what sounded like it—everything inside me split. Some men can lose a sibling and still breathe. I’m not one of them. As irritating as Marcus can be when it comes to his life decisions. my brother has spent his whole damn life trying to protecting me in his own way. Heck I’m alive thanks to him. Years ago if he didn’t show up at the mines- No. Not now. If I let that memory surface, it’ll tear me apart before Nicolas even gets the chance.

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-12-13

319: SHOTS AFTER SHOTS.

ELARA’S POV I rush to the nearest window, heart slamming against my ribs. For half a second, I let myself hope. That maybe Nate came back. That maybe I imagined everything. Then I see the guard. Blond. Tall. One of Ana’s regulars. His gun is raised. Aimed at something outside my line of sight. Then he drops. Just like that. My breath locks in my chest. I stumble back from the window, every nerve screaming. He’s here. There is no time to think. No time to panic. I sprint to the closet and rip open the locked case. Same place Nate pulled the guns from earlier. My hands shake as I grab the first one I see. Pulling the Safety off I Grip tight. Breathe. The panic room. I grab my phone, dial 911 with clumsy fingers, then Nate. Straight to voicemail. I don’t try again. I run. My feet ache, swollen and heavy, but fear gives me speed. I won’t protect Nate tonight. I failed at that already. But I will protect my baby. I turn left down the hallway to

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-12-16

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