Chapter 4

The pain in my abdomen intensified, cold sweat drenching my back.

I clung desperately to the edge of the stretcher, my fingernails bending painfully as I held on.

The moment the car door swung open, Iwan burst down the stairs.

Blood streaked his face, and a gun was gripped tightly in his hand.

"Who said you could take her?" Iwan barked.

Anthony lowered his head and said, "Ms. Forrest said Ms. Hawking was mentally unstable and could be a threat to others."

Iwan's expression darkened when he saw the blood at the corner of my mouth.

"Phoebe!" he called out.

I grabbed his sleeve and said, "Medicine..."

Iwan turned to Anthony.

Anthony responded right away, "It's just a standard sedative. She attacked Ms. Forrest and broke the security camera."

Kristen walked over with the help of a bodyguard, her eyes rimmed with red.

"Mr. Eaton, I'm fine. Please don't blame her. She was probably just scared," she said.

Iwan looked at me. There was fear, pain, and a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

My voice trembled. "Check the medicine bottle."

Kristen's fingers tightened.

Iwan finally lifted his hand. "Sebastian, get the medicine bottle," he ordered.

Sebastian turned to fetch it.

The next second, the clinic's power went out.

In the darkness, a gunshot rang out.

Sebastian let out a muffled groan and collapsed to the ground.

The medicine box was snatched away.

Kristen screamed.

Iwan pulled me into his arms, shielding me as he fired his gun into the darkness.

In the chaos, I caught a glimpse of a streak of blue fire zipping past the entrance.

Someone pressed a mini earpiece into my palm.

A soft female voice murmured in my ear, "Miss Hawking, the Godfather is coming to get you himself. Hang in there until the engagement party."

I gripped the earpiece tightly.

The pain in my abdomen felt like a knife slowly tearing me apart from the inside.

Iwan held me close. His voice was so panicked it was almost unrecognizable.

"Phoebe, don't fall asleep," he pleaded.

I looked at him and said, "You'll regret this."

*****

When I woke up, I was in Southport Villa.

The sea was right outside the window, gunmen were stationed at the door, and Iwan was sitting by my bed.

He hadn't slept all night. His eyes were red and full of bloodshot veins.

My stomach was still hurting.

I pulled back the covers. The sheets were so clean, they were almost blinding.

"How is my baby?" I asked.

Iwan swallowed hard.

I stared at him. "How is my baby?"

He took my hand, his palm cold. "Anthony said the dose wasn't much, but you were so frightened that you lost the baby and started bleeding."

I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face.

He didn't even flinch.

"You believe him?" I demanded.

Iwan's eyes were red with emotion. "I've already had someone look into it."

"What about Kristen?" I asked.

He stayed silent.

I let out a bitter laugh. "She's still getting ready for the engagement party, isn't she?"

Iwan closed his eyes and said, "The Forrest family's weapons have already been locked away. Uncle Silas was dealt with last night. The engagement party can't be canceled."

I withdrew my hand from his grasp, slow and deliberate. "Get out."

His voice was hoarse. "Phoebe, I'll make it right for the baby."

I shot back, "You were making it right for the Forrest family when you let the baby die."

Iwan went rigid, as if my words had pierced him to the core.

Kristen's voice came from outside the door. "Mr. Eaton, the higher-ups have arrived."

Iwan stood up. He reached for my face, trying to touch me.

I turned my head aside, avoiding him.

His hand hovered in the air for a moment, then finally dropped.

After the door closed, I reached under my pillow and pulled out the bug.

The red light was still blinking.

It had caught every bit from last night, including Kristen and Anthony making me take the meds.

That evening, Kristen arrived. She wore a black dress, her stomach perfectly flat, and her eyes and brows carried the relaxed confidence of someone who had already won.

Two female bodyguards followed behind her, each carrying a bowl of soup.

"Ms. Hawking, you need to take care of your health," Kristen said.

I stayed motionless on the bed.

She gave a dismissive wave of her hand.

The bodyguards placed the soup in front of me.

I smelled that familiar medicine again. This time, the scent was even more overpowering.

"Root Severing Grass?" I asked.

Kristen raised an eyebrow. "Well, Ms. Hawking, you really are quite knowledgeable."

I looked up at her. "So that's your plan? You want to make sure I can never get pregnant again?"

Kristen sat down with a smug smile on her face.

She said, "Mr. Eaton's way too soft. Even after you lost the baby, he still let you stay. But if you ever get pregnant again, you'll bring the same drama all over again."

I grabbed the bowl and threw it right at her. The soup drenched her from head to toe.

Her face darkened instantly. "Hold her down," she ordered.

The two bodyguards lunged at me.

I was too weak to fight back. They had me pinned to the bed in seconds.

Kristen grabbed my chin, her grip tight and unyielding.

"You know, Mr. Eaton once said you're like a wild cat. You scratch and bite, but you're fun to keep around," she said.

She leaned in, her smile twisted with malice. "But the position of the Black Crow Syndicate's matriarch? That's not a seat for a stray cat like you."

She poured the soup down my throat.

I choked and coughed hard, my gut burning like hell.

Kristen let go of me and wiped her fingers off on her clothes, looking disgusted.

She said, "On the day of the engagement party, you'll be stuck here watching the livestream. You'll see me in the Eaton family's black phoenix dress, and you'll watch Mr. Eaton slip the matriarch's ring on my finger himself."

Just as she was leaving, Iwan's footsteps came from the doorway.

Kristen immediately switched to a gentle tone. "Mr. Eaton, I came to see her."

Iwan pushed the door open, his expression darkening as he spotted the shattered bowl on the floor and the soup smeared on the corner of my mouth.

"What is this?" he demanded.

Kristen's eyes grew red, looking pitiful. "It's just some nourishing soup. She wouldn't drink it, and then she threw it at me."

I gripped the edge of the bed and laughed out loud. "Iwan, she forced me to swallow Root Severing Grass."

Iwan turned to Kristen.

Tears welled up in Kristen's eyes and started to fall.

"If you take her side, I'm gone. The Forrest family walks too," she threatened.

The room fell silent.

Iwan's fingers slowly curled.

Finally, he said, "Anthony, examine Phoebe."