I opened my eyes, but had to squint due to the direct light shining on me. The smell of disinfectant filled my nostrils, and I immediately realized I was in the hospital.

‘What happened?’I could only remember having an argument with Damon. My head immediately recalled what Damon wanted—to take away my child.

I quickly held my belly and jolted from the bed, “my baby” I screamed.

I tore off the hospital blanket that was covering me.

“'Mr. Your wife is 3 months and 2 weeks pregnant. She fainted due to being stressed out. I advise for the healthy growth of your baby, she should be taken care of, along with her mental health.'" I heard my doctor's voice.

My mind relaxed a bit knowing that my baby was still inside of me and that the abortion hadn't happened yet.

I didn't wait to hear Damon’s reply to the doctor; I quickly ran to my ward window. It was so high—I guessed I was on the 20th floor.

I tied the bed dresses together to make a rope. As I climbed down from the window, I was so determined to save my baby that I forgot the worst that could happen to me.

Just as I stepped across the window, my leg stumbled through the wrapped cloth.

I tried to hold on to the makeshift rope tightly, but unfortunately, it began to tear. My mind went blank, and I was so scared of losing both my life and that of my baby.

"Damon!" I screamed, my voice echoing in the air. The fear coursed through me as I clung desperately to the rope, hoping he would hear me.

“Help!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably. Is this going to be my fate? Am I going to die like this? My mum also fell from a height; I guess my fate is tied to hers.

I closed my eyes as the make-out rope finally tore apart. My ears went blank; I couldn't hear anything anymore, with zero gravity my body fell to the ground.

I waited for the impact of the great fall and the pain that would accompany it, but my back hit something soft, and my body bounced.

Just then, my hearing returned; I could hear people whispering, the sounds of ambulances, police sirens, and so on.

When did all this happen? That was the only thought racing through my mind as my body grew weak, and everything faded to black again.

~~~~~~~~~~

“How is it now?”

“She is out of danger, but her fetus…”

“What is it?”

“Her… fetus is no longer stable. She will have to take extra care of herself if she wants her child to be delivered safely.”

“Mmm, I understand.”

“If any other violent issue occurs to her, Mr. Damon, I’m sorry to say your wife’s health would be exposed to more complicated conditions that could affect her when she wants to give birth.”

After silently listening to the doctor and Damon’s discussion, I woke up a few minutes earlier, feeling scared. My baby is all I want; I was determined to take care of my baby. I was also surprised that Damon didn’t mention abortion.

“When can she get discharged?” Damon’s cold tone resounded in my ears. I really didn’t want to go home with the beast anymore.

“Oh, Mr. Damon, as soon as she wakes up, you can take her home.”

“Alright.”

“You should also get this list of drugs for her.” The doctor kept on prescribing and describing to Damon.

“I will take my leave now.”

I heard the door shut; my doctor must have gone out. I opened my eyes slightly to see if Damon was still in here.

“Clara, home now.” His tone was firm and cold, as if he had already confirmed everything.

“How did you know I was—” Before I could finish my words, he took his suit jacket from the armrest and walked outside with long strides.

I was still in the hospital gown; I didn't have time to change as I ran after Damon.

All the way home, the car was dead silent. A drop of a pin could be heard.

Just then, the silent atmosphere was disrupted by the sudden buzz of Damon’s cell phone.

He got it connected to the wireless airpod in his ear.

“ Mm, Got it,” Damon responded. I looked at his face, wondering what the other end was saying,But Damon’s face remained cold and indifferent, with a hint of anger in it.

‘Was he still angry at me, or was he mad at what was mentioned to him?’

I felt the car suddenly increase its pace. Nausea hit me as I held my mouth, trying not to spill out what was threatening to gush out of my belly.

I glanced at Damon with a pitiful face, hoping he would stop, but he didn’t spare me a glance as he increased his pace.

‘What had happened? Why did he increase his pace just after a phone call? These questions swirled in my head, knowing that Damon wouldn’t give me an answer.’

Finally, the race that felt like it had lasted forever came to an end with a sudden stop. My body was pulled forward, and my head crashed against the car part in front of me. I closed my eyes tightly, waiting for the impact, but nothing came.

I opened my eyes to see Damon’s hands in front of my head. I looked at him; his face still cold and indifferent. I could feel the temperature of the car suddenly drop, but my stomach was churning.

I felt like throwing up. I quickly closed my mouth while trying to use my other hand to open the car door. “Arghhhh!” I yelled as I spilled out as soon as I left the car.

“Find your way home,” Damon’s cold voice resounded in my ears, accompanied by the sudden speed off of his car. I stood rooted to the ground, feeling utterly lost in the middle of nowhere.

It was almost dawn, and the evening sun was setting as the clouds started to show little stars.

Suddenly, a cold night breeze hit me, sending chills through my body. Tears began to flow down my cheeks uncontrollably as I heard the loud roar of thunder, signaling that rain was coming.

“Can today get any worse?” I couldn't help but squat on the floor as my legs began to feel wobbly.

Just then, a black car that looked exactly like Damon’s parked in front of me. I stood up immediately, thinking it was Damon; he must have come back. But instead, men dressed in black tailored suits with broad, muscular features approached, making me feel oppressed.

They looked like professional bodyguards.

“What! Wh-what do you want?” I stammered as one of the guards lifted me over his shoulder and shoved me into the car, slamming the door hard.

“Let go of me!” I screamed, hoping to be heard and maybe rescued from these kidnappers.

But my mouth was silenced with a white, soft cloth that smelled awful. I felt choked as I tried to pull it off, but my hands were held tightly. I couldn't help inhaling the awful smell in the cloth as I choked, and then everything went blank.

~~~~~~~~~

A blast of cold water jolted me from my slumber as I gasped, heaving for air.

“Hahaha, look at that cute face!”

Hmm, she looks really cute and sexy. Damon would be so mad if he hears his precious wife is with us.

"Pfft, after the boss has enjoyed her, he will run mad."

I tried to open my eyes, but they were filled with the cold water that had been poured on me. I felt disgusted after hearing the perverted conversation from the abductors.

Just then, I heard a heavy metal door open. I could already guess where I was—definitely in a counter store.

I finally opened my eyes and scanned the place. It looked abandoned, with cobwebs and junk everywhere, along with trash and dust.

The abductors, who had been muttering nonsense seconds ago, bowed their heads at a man who was almost as tall as Damon. He had broad shoulders, a scar over his brow, and several cuts on his arms, with chains tied around his wrists.

Panic surged through my body as I felt overly scared and began to cry while pleading.

“Please let go of me! I didn’t do anything to you! Please let me go!” I cried, hoping the strange figure would show mercy.

I had returned to New York a few months ago, and I couldn’t remember offending anyone, not even in Europe.

“Tell your husband to come here now!” The strange man, who looked more like a monster, shoved a cell phone toward me.

I looked at the phone, my heart racing.

“Quickly!!!” the strange man roared, sending shivers down my spine.

“I…I… I’m ti…tied,” I stammered, struggling to form words as nervousness gripped me.

‘How does he expect me to use the phone when my hands are tied behind my back against the chair?’

A guard approached to untie my hands, and though I hadn’t felt any strange pain earlier, once my hands were free, it felt like my wrists were about to tear from my palms.

“If your husband doesn't come here, I will make sure you eat your flesh,” the scary man said, leaning closer to me.

Tears streamed down my face as I wished for Damon to arrive. I had little faith he would come.

I took the phone with shivering hands, “I…I.. don't know his number.”

The monster man held my face as he dug his fingers into my skin.

"You are his wife and you don't know his number? You think I would buy that?"

"I…I.. ha..ve nev..er called him."

"Steve.. Damon contact!"

The phone finally rang, beeping twice, and then disconnected.

It was dialed again; it rang twice again and disconnected.

"Argh, Damon!!!!!!!" The big man roared as he threw the phone hard against the ground.

I jolted in shock; the man was really impatient. I was scared for myself and my unborn child. This is going to be my fate, isn't it?

"Call again!" the man yelled at the guard.

This time, after a beep, it got connected. I sighed in relief; Damon had picked up the call.

"Talk to him," the guard whispered as the other put a knife against my neck.

"Da…mon," I couldn't help but cry. I tried to hold myself together, but for some reason, I just wanted to be with Damon at this point.

"Speak up," Damon's cold voice resounded through the speaker, with a hint of impatience.

"I… am.. kinda…" Just then, I felt the knife blade on my throat.

I looked upward as instructed by the guard; there were some writings.

"Honey, please come to Villey 23 block," I mentioned as instructed.

"And why is that?" Damon said casually, not caring about what I had said.

"Damon, if you don't come here in the next 60 seconds, you will meet your wife's corpse," the monster man interjected as I began to plead.

"No, please don't kill me!"

"Franklin," Damon said from the other end.

They must have known each other.

"Damon, you know I don't play around."

"Are you threatening me with a useless mistress?"

"What?"

"Didn't she tell you? Why not ask her what binds us together?"

"Damon, don't mess with me."

"Whether she is dead or alive has nothing to do with me."

My heart tightened; Damon really didn't care.

"If the sky doesn't fall down, don't ever call me," Damon said, hanging up with two beeping sounds that echoed in the silent hall.

"What!!! So you are useless to him?" Franklin kicked a stone, and it fell apart. He pointed at me like he would rip me apart.

"You two fools have wasted my time," he pointed at the guards and left the store with a bang on the door.

"Well, since you are useless, we will just continue from here," he said, smirking.

"Yeah, baby," the two guards began to unbutton their shirts as one of them ripped off my hospital dress that I hadn’t changed out of.

"Please, no! Please!”

“Please, no, please!” I pleaded, my voice trembling as one of the guards pulled my hair backward.

I tried to pick up the metal rod at the side of me to defend myself, but the guard slammed my hands against the ground, leaving me helpless

Just then, the heavy metal door of the hall collapsed, sending dust swirling through the air. I couldn't help coughing as the two criminals jerked to see who had entered.

“Damon! It’s Damon! Damon came!” I gasped, relief flooding through me as I called out.

“Ohhh, sir Damon, you are here now!” the guard mentioned as he buckled up their pants.

Damon stood tall and imposing, his transparent glasses perfectly framing his jade blue eyes.

The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, revealing his muscular, fair, veiny hands, now stained with blood from various angles, as if he had just come from a fierce fight. Instead of ruining his beauty, it made him look even more fierce.

He strode with large strands of steps toward the two criminals, unleashing a flurry of kicks and punches without mercy.

The room echoed with the sounds of groans, the crack of broken bones, and splatters of blood, creating a chaotic atmosphere as Damon showed no signs of stopping.

“Take them to the basement.”

“Yes, boss.”

I looked at Damon fiercely; I didn’t want to go home with him at all. Besides, I was just a useless mistress in his eyes.

“Let’s go home,” he said as he walked away,blood dripping down his left arm.

“Take her home,” he instructed his assistant, shoving a car key into his hand.

I could finally breathe a sigh of relief; my unborn baby and I were fine.

“Miss Clara, are you okay?” Damon’s assistant asked.

“I am fine.”

“That’s good, boss was worried about you.”

“Worried?” I asked sarcastically.

“Yes, only you could manage to make him worry in just one day.”

“What do you mean?”

“In the hospital, he quickly called for an emergency after only seeing that you weren’t in your ward.”

“He was the one who called?”

“Yes, Miss Clara. He had just finished a business deal when you called to say you were in danger…”

“But he didn’t care! He called me a useless mistress,” I interrupted.

“That’s the only way he could assure your safety from Lord Franklin. He’s dangerous and has been looking for a tool to use against Damon.”

“Ohhh, is that why he always has bruises, is he always attacked?”

“As for that, Miss Clara, you would have to ask him yourself.”

It's been another three months since I last saw Damon. After that incident, it was like he had disappeared from New York.

A part of me began to miss him, even his cold and indifferent personality.

Waves of memories flooded back: the first time I met Damon, his soft lips against mine, his firm chest over my body, his dangerous looks when he was beating up criminals, his warm embrace at the conference meeting, and his warm palm on my head when I almost bumped into a car.

My mind was conflicted. I didn't understand Damon at all. Sometimes it feels like he doesn't care, while other times it feels like he does, like when he insisted on aborting our baby.

I couldn't help but touch my baby bump; she was now five months and three weeks along.

I strode to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, my thoughts interrupted by the incessant ringing of my phone. I had been ignoring Dad's calls for months now.

As I walked back to my room, the ringing persisted. Curiosity got the better of me, and I picked up without checking the caller ID.

"What do you want?" I snapped.

The response was icy. "Do I need a reason to call my wife?"

Mortified, I yanked the phone away from my ear to double-check the caller ID. My eyes widened in embarrassment.

"It's...it's you, Damon," I stuttered.

Boss the meeting has begin I could hear his assistant voice from the other side accompanied with beeping sound of my phone

I heard the assistant's voice from the other side of the door. "The meeting has begun."

My phone beeped, He has hung up.

My phone rang again. I glanced at the screen. My father's name flashed on the caller ID. I reluctantly answered.

"Clara, why haven't you answered my calls in months?" my father's voice boomed through the phone. "You think because you're married now, you can neglect your family?"

I countered, "Speaking of neglect, who's been neglecting family? If you have nothing to say I would hang up now.

My father's tone turned stern. "Clara, come home quickly. We need to talk."

I stood firm. "Whatever you want to say, say it now. I'm not coming."

My father's voice rose. "Clara, please! Be peaceful for once and come home."

I sneered and hung up the phone.

*******

In the Walter mansion

As I entered the Walter mansion, my stomach churned with unease. Even my baby seemed to sense the tension.

My father stood before me, his walking stick in hand, his face cold and unyielding.

My step-sister and mother clung to each other, their hands intertwined in a gesture that felt more like a calculated display than genuine affection.

At the sight of me, my father's expression softened, and he reached for my hands.

"Clara, my child, you—"

"What do you want?"

"Ckara, my child, your father loves you a lot. You'll keep your father safe when you need to, won't you?"

I pulled my hands free,"If you have nothing to say, Mr. Walter, I'll take my leave."

"No, no, Clara, my child... your husband... ah..."

For the first time, I saw a flicker of fear in my father's eyes. But I hardened my heart, knowing his ruthless and cruel nature.

"I won't say this again: if you don't have anything to say, I'll take my leave now. I'm not interested in this drama today.”

I turned to leave, but my legs were suddenly held. My father fell to their knees

"Clara, we know we've wronged you," my father pleaded, "but you must keep your father safe. Your husband has hacked into our company's network system. We don't know what he wants, but he's secretly bought all our shares. We'll go bankrupt."

I scoffed."What nonsense are you spouting? You're tired of taunting me, and now you're going after my husband?"

"No, no, my child. Your husband is powerful, and he wants to come after me."

"Clara, my child, don't you understand? Your father—"

I cut off my stepmother as she tried to intervene."This has nothing to do with me. Don't call me your child. I'm leaving now."

I saw my father and stepmother exchange a nervous glance, but I wasn't interested in their drama. I tried to shake them off, but they held tight.

"Let go of me!" I yelled, struggling to break free.

"Clara, my dear! Clara, my child!" my father and stepmother exclaimed in unison, their grip on my arms tightening as I struggled to break free.

Suddenly, a foot connected with my legs, sending me stumbling. I tried to regain my balance, but a push from behind sent me crashing to the ground. My stomach throbbed in agony as I cried out.

The wind was knocked out of me, and my vision blurred. Through tears of pain, I saw a satisfied smile spreading across my step-sister's face, while my stepmother's expression feigned concern.

As I struggled to stand, a warm sensation trickled down in between my legs. I looked down, horrified, as a pool of blood formed on the floor.

"My baby!!!"

★★★