All Chapters of Beneath His Rules: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Ivy's Pov I woke up early; the light was just beginning to spill outside. I felt sick again, the dizzy feeling coming and going whenever I stood up. I walked slowly to the bathroom but did not look in the drawer beneath the sink. The test was in there, the two lines were in there and I did not want to see them. Today was the day Mia and I were supposed to go to the next town, to the clinic, to find out the date, to get the truth. I had to know the truth before I could tell Dominic. I returned to my room and sat on the bed, my phone in my hand. Mia had texted me the address and time; we were meeting at the corner in an hour. I did not want to go. I was exhausted from secrets. I was tired of fear but I had to go. I opened social media, a bad habit I should have avoided but I couldn’t stop myself. I scrolled and saw a picture. It was an old photo from a school trip, maybe a year ago. It showed Janelle, some other girls, and me, all smiling like normal high school students. The pi

Dominic’s Pov I went upstairs just after dawn when I knew Ivy would still be asleep. Her door was open a little bit, i walked into the room. It was brighter now, she was not there. But the bed covers were messed up, and the room was empty; she was gone. I started to search her room. I did not care about her privacy anymore, she was keeping things from me. She was making decisions without me and she was putting herself in danger. I needed to know what she was hiding. I needed all the facts to plan my move. I walked to the dresser and checked the drawers. I did not find anything important, just clothes and silly papers from school. I walked back to her bed, i stared at the pillow where her head had been moments ago. I walked over and pulled the pillow up. Underneath it was something metal and dark. I reached down and picked it up. It was a knife. A small folding pocketknife, it was not a kitchen knife. It was a weapon, i held the cold, heavy metal in my hand and stared at it. Why d

Ivy's Pov I knew I couldn’t just sit in my room pretending that email from Mrs Hayes hadn’t happened. Dominic was focused on the white car and the stalker, which was good for me because it gave me some freedom from his total attention. I needed to use that time to deal with Janelle and the huge betrayal she showed by sending those pictures to the school. I had to face her. I had to know why she hated me so much. I waited until late morning, knowing Dominic was talking to someone important on the phone in his study and wouldn’t hear me leave the house. I changed into my darkest hoodie and jeans, pulling the hood up high over my head. I slipped quietly out the side door and started walking toward Janelle’s street. It was a longer walk than to Mia’s house, but I needed the time to think about what I would say when I finally saw Janelle’s face. I knew I couldn’t say anything about the baby or the white car, I could only talk about the photos and the school. I found her house easily bec

Ivy's Pov I was back in my room after my mother finally left the house. The house felt strangely empty and quiet now that she was gone. Dominic had not come up to check on me for a few hours, which was good because I needed the time to be alone and think about what I had to do next. I sat on the bed and pulled my knees up to my chest. I put my arms around my legs and rocked back and forth a little bit. I felt completely worn out from all the fighting, the running, the fear, and the secrets. My life was moving too fast, and I felt like I was standing still in the middle of a rushing river. I lowered my legs and sat up straight on the bed. I put my hands on my stomach. It was still mostly flat, but I could feel a slight curve there that was new. It was not just extra food or gas anymore, it was starting to feel heavy. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the spot where I was pressing my hands. I was thinking about the blue lines on the stick and the fact that there was a person gro

Dominic's Pov I was in the study all morning making preparations. The knowledge that Victor Shaw was the stalker gave me a clear path forward. I knew his name and his motives, which was the most important thing. He was not just some random threat, he was a professional extortionist who worked for my wife's family once and was now using Ivy to get to me. He was trying to get money and destroy my control. I had several calls with my security consultant. I told him everything about Victor Shaw's criminal record and the connection to the family business. I told him to stop just observing the house, I told him to find Victor Shaw's last location and set up a face-to-face meeting. I needed to handle this problem myself without leaving any trail of evidence. I did not go upstairs to check on Ivy. I knew she was being quiet in her room and that was exactly where I needed her to be. I needed total focus right now, my mother leaving the house was a distraction but also a benefit. It meant I