Chapter 4

Those words hit Elena like a bucket of ice water. She thought donating blood might be enough to keep her baby, but turns out Emmanuel had already made up his mind—he wanted the baby gone. She forced a bitter smile, her lips twitching slightly. "Miss Wakefield's awake!" The doctor spotted her eyes opening and quickly alerted Emmanuel. He turned around slowly, walked over to the bed, and stood there, motionless. "How do you feel?" His voice was flat and cold, as detached as ever. Elena didn't respond, just stared at him, her gaze heavy. The Emmanuel she knew used to be sharp, confident, with that effortless charm. But now, the man standing in front of her looked drained. His eyes were sunken, dark stubble covered his chin—he looked like he hadn't slept in days. And even seeing him like this, she couldn't help feeling a pang of heartache. She hated it. She knew he didn't care, knew all this was probably because of Lilith. But her heart just wouldn't shut off. He noticed her silence and the way her eyes were locked on his face. His own expression darkened, clearly irritated. "I asked you a question. What, gone mute?" "I'm fine. Thank you, Mr. Mitchell, for your concern." Elena dropped her gaze, hiding the pain and despair in her eyes. That "Mr. Mitchell" hit a nerve. Emmanuel's face tightened with annoyance. "Elena, stop acting like the world owes you something. We don't owe you anything!" We. She got the message. He meant him and Lilith. Elena felt a chill creep through her chest. She really had been alone from the start. Suddenly, the door flew open. Emmanuel's assistant stepped in. "Mr. Mitchell, Miss Lilith's asking for you." The moment he heard Lilith wanted to see him, Emmanuel left without a second thought. Elena watched him go, tears spilling down her cheeks, one by one. That night, Lilith came to her room, helped in by a maid. The door shut behind them, and the maid quietly backed out.Lilith dropped the fragile act and strode straight to Elena's bedside, smirking. "Tsk, tsk. Look at your face—all pale like that. After losing that much blood, you're still conscious? Gotta admit, you're pretty tough, Elena." Elena stared at her in shock. Wasn't Lilith supposed to be unconscious from a car accident with severe blood loss? How was she up and walking like nothing happened? "Surprised, huh? Well, turns out I didn't lose much blood at all. Just a minor crash, really. But look how worried Emmanuel got—almost drained you to save me." "You're twisted," Elena trembled with anger. "Twisted? Please, this is just the intro. You remember how you've treated me before? Now it's my turn." Lilith sneered, voice icy. Elena felt a chill run through her. When did her cousin become this terrifying? "Elena, I heard you're pregnant?" "I'm not! I'm not pregnant!" Elena denied immediately. "Oh, drop the act. I know everything—you're three weeks along," Lilith said, eyes narrowing as she looked Elena over. "These past three years, you've terminated three pregnancies. This one's your fourth. Emmanuel's trying to force you to end it again because he doesn't want me upset. And with how thin your uterus is now, take this one away and you're done. No more kids—ever." Elena stared in disbelief. She knows? She really knows everything? "How do you even know all that?" "Doesn't matter how I found out." Lilith leaned in closer, her voice colder than ever. "What matters is this—your 'precious' little thing is going to be gone soon, and you? You'll never be a mom. Pathetic, isn't it? But hey, since we're family, I'll give you a way out." "What way?" Elena's heart clenched at the thought of losing her baby. She was so desperate, she ignored the menace in Lilith's voice. "Get on your knees and beg. Maybe I'll let you and your little spawn live." "Really?" "I don't lie." Elena didn't hesitate anymore. If it could save her child, she'd do anything. Struggling to sit up, she forced herself off the bed, knees hitting the cold floor. "Lilith, it was my fault before. I'm sorry. I'm begging you—please don't hurt my baby."