bChapter /bb250 /b

    OLIVIA’S POV

    I saw himing closer. At first, I thought it was because the robbers were pushing all of us into a tighter corner, trying to keep us under control. But no… something about the way he moved didn’t fit. He wasn’t bumping into people like the rest of us, and he wasn’t being shoved. He was moving on purpose, slowly, carefully, like he didn’t want the robbers to notice.

    And he wasing toward me.

    My heart skipped, my mind racing in confusion. Why was heing closer? Why me, of all people?

    At first, my thoughts went straight to the worst reason. Maybe he wanted to warn me, or worse, threaten me. He hadn’t forgotten how could he? I had been the one who sent him to jail, even if it was only for a short while. I told myself it wasn’t a big deal, that it was only a few minutes, but I knew better. For someone like him, someone who cared so much about power and reputationb, /beven a few minutes behind bars was enough to stain his name forever. His image had been tarnished, and even though he acted fastb, /beven though the evidence was removed from the inte, people had seen it. Someone out there would always remember.

    That’s why I thought he wasing closer now–to remind me, to make me regret what I did.

    But then another thought crept in, and this one made my stomach twist into knots. Maybe it wasn’t about the jail time. Maybe it was about Charlie.

    After all, they had been in the same room for a little while, and knowing Charlie, he might have spoken to him. He was too innocent, too trusting. If he said the wrong thing, it would be enough to confirm everything.

    –

    It wasn’t like Adrian didn’t already know. I mean it was he who sent those people after me and my family people who were supposed to make sure Charlie was never born, and I never to live another day longer. I remembered those nights, hiding, afraid, protecting the life growing inside me. He might pretend otherwise now, but he wasn’t blind. He had always known there was a possibility I had been pregnant back then. And if he had figured it out, then surely, surely he had connected the pieces together.

    I tried to ignore the thought, ignore his steps drawing closer. Instead, I forced myself to look down at my son. He was the only thing that mattered.

    “Baby,” I whispered, brushing my hand lightly over his hair. “Did they hurt you? The bad men?”

    His big eyes lifted to mine, nervous but strong, and he shook his head quickly. No. Belief rushed through me. I let my gaze travel over him, searching for any sign – bruises, scratches, marks. Nothing. His little body was safe, untouched.

    My chest ached with gratitude. If anything had happened to him, if they hadid a single finger on him, I didn’t know what I would have done. The thought alone burned inside me like fire.

    I cupped his face gently, leaning down iso /ionly he could hear me. “Don’t worry,” I whispered, forcing calm into my voice for his sake. “Everything is going to be okay. Mummy is here with you.”

    I saw it work. The way his shoulders loosened, the way the tension in his eyes softened. He trusted me. He believed me. And that was enough to calm him, even if just a little.

    But once I saw him calm, once I knew he was safe for the moment, another thought gnawed at me again. Adrian.

    I had to know.

    I bit my lip, hesitating, ncing toward the robbers to make sure none of them were watching too closely. Their attention was still

    scattered, shouting at people, waving their guns around. It gave me a small window.

    I lowered my voice even more, so soft only Charlie could hear. “That man over there,” I said carefully, tilting my head the slightest bit toward Adrian. “The one you walked in with… did you speak to him while you were in the backroom?”

    Charlie’s lips pressed together, and he hesitated, almost like he didn’t want to answer. That hesitation was all I needed. My heart dropped.

    Finally, he nodded. Just one small nod, but it was enough.

    And in that moment, I felt something inside me sink, a heavy weight pulling me down. Because I already knew what wasing

    next.

    “And what did you guys talk about, honey?” I asked gently, brushing Charlie’s hair back from his forehead.

    “He asked why I was alone and where my parents were. I told him you were my mom and why I was in the room alone.” His small voice wavered as he spoke, and I could still hear the fear trembling inside him, lingering in every syble. He tried to sound brave, but his tone betrayed the weight of what was happening all around us.

    My stomach twisted, and I bit my lower lip hard enough that I tasted blood. Crap, this confirms it. That monster had the information he needed, the very truth I had worked so hard to protect. Now he knew Charlie was his son.

    Before I could gather my thoughts, a voice broke through the chaos.

    “Hey, Olivia.”

    It came from my side, low but clear, a voice I recognized immediately. It was impossible not to. Even though I hadn’t heard it in what felt like a lifetime, the familiarity of it wed at me. My heart sank like a stone.

    I didn’t even need to turn my head to know who it was. His voice alone pulled old memories to the surface, memories I had buried so deep I thought they’d never resurface. But they did. All of them.

    “It’s been a while,” he added.

    Slowly, almost against my will, I turned my head slightly in his direction. He sat there, on the bare floor like everyone else, as if he were just another victim caught in this nightmare. But I knew better.

    The sight of him made my chest burn. My pulse pounded in my ears, and I felt the sudden, violent urge tosh out – p him across the face, scream until my voice broke, let all the rage I had bottled up for years spill over. Rage at him. Rage at what he had done to me. Rage at what he had done to us.

    But I didn’t.

    I forced my hands to stay still, forced my voice to stay trapped behind clenched teeth. Doing anything now–screaming, hitting him, giving in to that anger would only draw unnecessary attention. Thest thing Charlie needed was for me to provoke the wrong person in this crowded, dangerous room.

    So I swallowed hard and did what my father had always taught me: I stayed calm. Or at least, I tried. Calm was the only shield I had left.

    I shifted my body ever so slightly, inching away from him. I wasn’t going to sit next to him. Not after everything. Not after what he tried to do – what he nearly seeded in doing. This wasn’t just any man. This was a monster. The same monster who had once tried to kill me and my family.

    I didn’t dignify him with a reply. Instead, I turned my full attention back to Charlie, who clung to my arm like it was bthe /bonly se thing in this ce. His wide eyes were searching mine, waiting for guidance.

    “We’re going to gently move, okay?” I whispered, leaning close so only he could hear. “Move as slowly as you canb./bb” /b

    Charlie nodded, his little chin trembling, and together we began to inch away. The robbers were distracted for now, their eyes elsewhere, and I knew this was our chance to quietly shift position. Every movement felt like it took an eternity, but I kept my breathing even, kept my hand firmly on Charlie’s back to steady him.

    For a moment, it worked.

    And then, from the corner of my eye, I noticed movement. Him. He wasn’t staying behind. He was following us.

    “Where are you moving to?” he asked in that same calm, intrusive tone, as if he had the right to know, as if he still had some im

    on us.

    I didn’t answer. My jaw tightened, my lips sealed shut. He didn’t deserve my words, my attention, or my acknowledgment. He had already taken enough from me.

    So I ignored him.

    Charlie and I kept moving, as far from him as the crowded space allowed. But every time we shifted, he shifted too, shadowing us. Like a predator trailing its prey, he stayed just close enough to make his presence known, just close enough to remind me he wasn’t going anywhere.

    The room was tight, packed with frightened people, and our options for movement were painfully limited. If we moved too far, if we drew too much attention, the robbers would notice. And if that happened, things could spiral out of control.

    Still, I kept moving, kept inching away, because I couldn’t stand being near him.

    But no matter how far I tried to go, he followed.

    AD