Chapter 2
Right before Lucas turned to leave, I pushed through the tearing pain and grabbed his sleeve. "Brother..."
"What did you just call me?" asked Lucas. His body went stiff, his eyes locked on my face.
And his pupils shrank as he mumbled, "Your eyes..."
His expression iced over, and he jerked his arm free. "Your eyes look like Chloe's and like my dead little sister's. But not everyone with these eyes gets to call me brother."
He tore his arm free so hard that my wound split. I shook all over and could only watch him lead Chloe out without looking back.
In the big hospital room, it was Brian and me now.
Brian leaned over me as I nearly passed out and pressed the call button like he was doing me a favor.
"A man's got to look out for himself. Don't blame me for being cold. That baby in your belly can't stay."
My heart lurched as I stared at Brian in disbelief, his face cold and blank.
I'd assumed he didn't know I was carrying his child, so he'd let Chloe run me over.
Head down, Brian fussed with his shirt cuff, as if he couldn't bring himself to look at me.
He said, "I saw the ultrasound you left in the room. You wanted to surprise me, right?
"If it weren't for Chloe, maybe I would've been thrilled about this baby.
"But a man has to put his career first. Chloe can give me what you and the baby never could."
It felt like my chest was ripped open, the pain smothering me from the inside.
What happened to the boy in college who only had eyes for me?
Or maybe he never changed. Maybe deep down he was this selfish and cold. I just never saw through him before.
I could faintly hear the nurse's furious voice. "She's got broken ribs and miscarriage cramps at once. The smallest move could make her pass out from pain. Do you even know how to care for her?"
Brian replied, "She's nothing to me. I saw her get hit and brought her in out of kindness. If that's all, I'm leaving."
It felt like a knife carved straight through my heart.
Seven years together, and to hear him tell it, we were just strangers.
Tears fell without a sound.
He dumped the baby and me for Chloe to climb higher, didn't he?
I'd let him get all the way to the top and bask in his glory before I showed up in front of him again.
I'd tell him the one at the top, who could kick them down anytime, was the orphan they threw away.
*****
To keep Chloe from coming after me again, I used the money she and Lucas gave me to hire two medical staff members once I woke up.
On the third night, I booked a private ambulance to a top hospital in the next city. Six months later, I'd finally healed.
A week before that, I'd gotten in touch with my dad.
Even though he was a mob boss, reaching him wasn't hard.
He had a private number that only the four of us in the family knew. When I was a kid, my dad made me memorize it by heart.
He knew he had many enemies and feared something would happen to us. As long as we were alive, we could reach him through that number.
*****
Back in Crestfield, I walked out of the airport into the bright sun. It felt like I was finally alive again.
My dad's people would come for me any minute.
I wasn't that helpless orphan anymore.
I'd take back what was mine until I replaced Chloe as the one nobody in Crestfield dared to cross.
"Emily? What are you doing back in Crestfield?" A familiar voice snapped me out of it.
It was Brian.
A flash of annoyance crossed his face.
"We're done. Do me a favor and stay out of my sight." As he spoke, Brian started shoving me. "Leave. If Chloe sees you, she'll get jealous and throw a fit."
"What are you two doing?" A sharp female voice rang out.
It was Chloe. She walked straight over and shoved me to the ground.
"Where'd this bitch come from? Are you sniffing after my man?" Chloe trailed off, studying my face, and scoffed.
"So it's you. You took my money, and now you're back in Crestfield chasing my man? You think I'm a pushover?" She raised her hand to slap me, then froze, glancing at the crowd.
She slipped right back into her polished rich-girl act.
A nasty smile curled her lips. "Put her in my van. I want to catch up with an old friend."
Two bodyguards in black stepped up and dragged me toward the van.
As I was about to be shoved inside, a fleet of luxury cars rolled up and stopped at the airport entrance.