All Chapters of Waiting in the shadows : Chapter 161 - Chapter 169

The lab was colder than the rest of the hospital, the air carrying that sterile stillness that made everything feel distant, but Lucas felt none of that calm as he stepped in, his expression steady while his mind held onto only one thing.Proof.A nurse guided him toward a chair, her movements efficient, her tone polite but professional as she prepared the equipment without asking unnecessary questions. Lucas sat down without hesitation, rolling up his sleeve his gaze fixed somewhere ahead as if focusing on anything else would disrupt the clarity he had just begun to find.“Relax your arm,” the nurse said softly.Lucas didn’t respond, but he complied, his hand resting still as the band tightened slightly around his arm, followed by the brief sting of the needle sliding into his vein. “Run a paternity test,” he said.The nurse paused, clearly not expecting that addition, her eyes lifting briefly to meet his.“Sir?”“The baby,” Lucas clarified, his voice calm, firm, leaving no room for

Lucas stood in the hospital corridor, his mind unsettled despite the quiet around him. Something didn't feel right, and no matter how much he tried to push it aside, the feeling only grew stronger. He had called Maya several times, yet there was no response. That alone was enough to bother him. Maya wasn't careless, and she wouldn't ignore his calls without a reason.The last time he saw her replayed in his head. She had told him clearly that she was going to meet Sophie. At that moment, it didn't seem like anything serious, but now it felt like the beginning of something he should have paid attention to.He turned as Damien approached him. Lucas didn't hesitate."Maya is missing," he said, his voice calm but firm.Damien looked at him, his expression controlled. "What do you mean by missing?""The last time I saw her," Lucas continued, "she said she was going to meet Sophie. And I suspect Sophie has a hand in it, but right now she is not in a situation to say anything."There was a b

As Lucas arrived home, Kade called him."I see you decided to put my own mother into your plans that's nice," he laughed sheepishly then his face changed."My revenge is almost complete and there is nothing you can do about it."Lucas's grip on the phone tightened instantly, his jaw clenching as anger surged through him. Where are you, Kade?" he snapped. "Stop being a coward and hiding in the shadows."Kade cut him off, not allowing him to say another word, "I decide when we will meet and that should be soon."Then he sent Lucas a video ,He opened it immediately.The moment the screen lit up, something inside him dropped.Maya.Her mouth was tied, her hands restrained, her eyes the only thing visible, and even through the screen, the fear in them was undeniable.Lucas's breath stilled. Yes, yes," Kade's voice returned, almost pleased now, "I am with your lover... or should I say, baby mama."Don't you dare hurt..." Lucas started, his voice rising, but the words didn't even finish.Ka

Lucas drove for a long time before arriving at Guildford, the road stretching endlessly ahead of him as his thoughts refused to settle, because not knowing where Maya was felt worse than anything else, it felt like time was slipping away and every second he wasted could cost her life. He was not ready to sit back and let that happen, not after everything they had already been through. He slowed down when he saw a small roadside market and pulled over, stepping out with urgency written all over him as he walked in and asked if there were any abandoned buildings or houses further ahead. Still, the people there only looked at him strangely, like his question made no sense, like he was the one out of place, and it irritated him because he knew he was close, he could feel it, until a young girl spoke up and said she was heading in that same direction and asked if he could drop her off.Lucas didn't hesitate, he agreed, and they got into the car, continuing the journey down a road that grew

Lucas woke slowly, the weight in his body still there but lighter than before, the sharp pain replaced by a dull pull that reminded him he was still alive, and the first thing he saw was Maya sleeping beside him, her head resting close, her face calm in a way he hadn't seen in a long time, like for once she wasn't thinking about danger or running or what could go wrong next.He watched her for a moment without saying anything.Then he reached out and touched her face gently, his fingers brushing against her skin, and a small smile formed without effort, something quiet, something real, something that didn't need words.Maya stirred slightly at the touch, her brows tightening before her eyes slowly opened, and the moment she saw him awake, everything else disappeared."Thank God you are awake," she said immediately, her voice filled with relief as she sat up, her hand moving to his shoulder, checking him like she still needed to be sure he was actually fine."You scared me," she added,