55 vouchers

    Watching him disappear into the line, Jessica estimated the wait and realized it might take a while. She pulled out her phone and began listening to a prenatal education lecture to pass the time.

    Absorbed in the audio, she failed to notice someone approaching until a sudden sh of silver pierced the air. “Die, you whore!”

    Jessica’s eyes widened in horror. She instinctively turned her head, narrowly dodging the attack.

    The de missed its mark and plunged violently into the metal backrest of the bench. The man wielding it, face contorted in rage, tightened his grip on the handle.

    Startled, Jessica nearly screamed. She reacted on instinct, hurling her phone at the attacker’s face before scrambling to her feet.

    The blownded squarely. Miguel, momentarily stunned, staggered just long enough for Jessica to break into a run, shielding her belly as she fled.

    But she barely made it a few steps before Miguel, now enraged and covering his face, caught up with her.

    “Don’t bother running. Neither of you is getting out of this today!”

    Driven to the edge by a streak of misfortune, Miguel no longer cared about the consequences. He wanted to drag both Brian and Jessica down with him.

    Once again, the cold gleam of the knife shed toward her.

    A cry rang out from a bystander. “Oh my God. He’s trying to kill her!”

    Chaos erupted. People shouted in panic as they rushed to call for help.

    Jessica’s only instinct was to protect her unborn child. She curled her arms tightly around her belly, bracing herself.

    “Stop!” A bodyguard, realizing something was wrong, rushed in just in time, grabbing Miguel and wrenching

    him away.

    The wave of fear and adrenaline overwhelmed Jessica. Her breath caught in her throat, and the world tilted, then everything went dark as she copsed.

    “Jessi!” Brian, alerted by themotion, abandoned the cake in his hands and sprinted back.

    Seeing her fall, he dropped to his knees, catching her before she hit the ground.

    “Jessi, hey, stay with me. Come on, Jessi…” He cradled her in his arms, voice trembling as he took in her pale, lifeless face.

    Gasping for air, Jessica finally stirred. It took her a moment, but she forced her eyes open and murmured, “I’m okay… Don’t worry.”

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    …

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    55 vouchers

    Brian let out a shaky breath, relief flooding his features.

    “Thank God. You scared the hell out of me.” His voice cracked with emotion as he pulled her close, holding her tightly as if afraid to let go.

    Jessica rested her chin on his shoulder, slowly calming her breath. “I’m fine now. The bodyguard got here in time. He didn’t hurt me. Really, I’m okay,” she whispered, patting his back gently in reassurance.

    Brian pressed a kiss to the top of her head, his voice barely above a whisper. “Yeah… okay.”

    Once Jessica had been safely escorted to the car to rest, Brian turned back alone to face the failed assant and the two bodyguards whose negligence had nearly cost them everything.

    His expression darkened. “You’ve got some nerve… raising a hand against her.”

    With that, Brian stepped forward and drove a hard kick into Miguel’s chest.

    Miguel, already pinned to the ground by two guards, doubled over and coughed up blood.

    At the alleyway’s entrance, other bodyguards kept onlookers at bay.

    Brian didn’t stop. The fury in his chest needed an outlet, and Miguel bore the brunt of it.

    When he finally straightened, he cast a cold, unforgiving gaze at the two guards who stood silently, heads lowered. “You’ve disappointed me,” he said tly. “Report back and receive your punishment.”

    “We’re sorry, Mr. Atkinson,” one of them muttered, but Brian didn’t spare them another look.

    He’d already decided they would be dismissed. Jackson would deliver the news shortly.

    Right now, there was still the matter of dealing with the man who started it all.

    Miguel locked eyes with Brian’s cold, merciless stare and felt as though he were being watched by a predator, Panic surged through him, and he instinctively stepped back.

    He wanted to apologize, to exin that he truly understood his mistake, but his mouth was gagged with a foul

    rag.

    No matter how hard he tried, all he could manage were broken, muffled sounds.

    “Give him to his ex’s new boyfriend,” Brian said evenly. “Tell them if they want to keep living in Hartdale, I’d better never see him again.”

    “Yes, Mr. Atkinson,” the bodyguard replied at once.

    Brian’s gaze swept across the group of bodyguards, all standing with lowered heads. His tone turned sharp. “This doesn’t happen again. One more mistake, and you’re all out.”

    The weight of his authority was palpable. No one dared to speak. The two who had failed him lowered their

    heads even further.

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    He didn’t care what they were thinking. With his resources, recing them would be simple. Failure had no ce in his world.

    With Miguel dealt with, Brian returned to the car. Jessica was waiting, and together they headed for the nearest hospital.

    Even though she kept saying she was fine, he wasn’t willing to take any chances.

    Jessica, sensing his worry, agreed to a full examination. When the results came back clear, she handed him the report with a smile. “See? Everything’s normal. You can stop worrying now.”

    He pulled her into a quiet embrace, resting his chin on her shoulder. His eyes stayed fixed on the report a moment longer, just to be sure. Then he nodded slowly. “I’m sorry, Jessi.”

    “You don’t need to be,” she said gently. “It’s not like you scared me.”

    “It still started because of me. If I’d seen through Madeline from the beginning, we wouldn’t have…” He trailed off, the rest of the sentence hanging unspoken.

    Jessica understood. She looked down and said quietly, “Let’s not talk about it. It’s over.”

    Those years with Madeline were still a nightmare she struggled to leave behind.

    What hurt most was how deeply Brian had let her down so much that she once couldn’t imagine a future with him.

    He heard the weight in her voice and felt the familiar ache of guilt. She hadn’t forgotten, and he couldn’t me her.

    “It won’t happen again. I promise,” he said, voice raw.

    “Alright. I believe you. Now let’s go. Jake’s still at home waiting,” she said, gently steering the moment away.

    She could see how quickly remorse pulled him down, and she wasn’t about to let it take hold again.

    He hade a long way back. She wouldn’t let him slip now.

    “Yeah. Let’s go,” Brian said, threading his fingers through hers, voice steadier.

    Jessica had given him another chance. He intended to earn it and not give her a reason to worry again.

    She noticed the shift in his tone and smiled, reassured. “Come on. We’ve still got to pack. We fly to Willowridge tomorrowi, /iand I don’t want any drama ruining the mood.”

    “Understood,” Brian replied with a mock salute.

    Jessicaughed, and for a moment, the tension eased.

    But while they found a quiet moment of peace, Miguel’s nightmare was just beginning.

    The gang leader had never liked him. After hearing Brian’s message, he didn’t hesitate.

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    As soon as the bodyguards left, he kicked Miguel hard, knocking him to the floor in front of one of his men.

    “He’s yours now,” the man said, his voice thick with disdain. “Do what you want. Just don’t kill him.”