I hugged myself, remembering how I had slapped him once for getting handsy. He clearly held a grudge.

"I'm sorry. I was young and ignorant," I said, swallowing my pride. "Please forgive me and help me."

Saving Teresa was what mattered now, but he didn't budge.

He sneered, "And that's your apology? Not sincere at all."

Desperate, I slapped myself and said humbly, "I was out of line. I'm really sorry. Please send some men to save Teresa. She is too old to take the ordeal."

He leered at me, grabbing my chin and lifting my swollen face.

"If you'd come earlier, I might've believed you. You look so pitiful," he said. "But Billy just called, saying you're working with the kidnappers to kill Alicia. She is my girl. You think I'd help you hurt her?"

His tone shifted as he added, "A vixen like you need a lesson for causing so much trouble for her."

It turned out Billy had gotten to him first.

Ignoring my eight-month pregnancy, I dropped to my knees. "It's not true. I'll explain later, but Teresa is in danger. Please save her."

Brenden wavered.

Just then, Emily's call came, her voice breaking. "They broke Mom's legs, saying if no one shows up in an hour, they'll break her arms and kill her. What do we do? Did Brenden agree to help?"

Brenden cut in, "I can help you."

I looked up, hopeful, thinking he had believed my words.

However, he pointed to bottles of liquor on the table and said, "Drink all these, and I'll send men to save her."

My blood ran cold, but I clenched my fists and nodded. "Keep your word."

Teresa treated me like her own daughter. For her, I'd risk everything.

I grabbed a bottle and chugged. My stomach burned, twisting in knots.

Brenden mocked me. "Look at you, drinking like a champ while pregnant. If you'd just given in to me back then, would you have been in this mess?"

Unable to hold it down, I vomited and collapsed.

A warm gush flowed from my lower body, followed by sharp pain.

"What's the matter? One bottle, and you're done?" Brenden taunted. "You and Teresa are so close, right? You don't want to save her anymore?"

His words stung as I struggled to stand, but then I noticed he was on a video call with Billy. A camera linked to his phone recorded me.

In the feed, Alicia snuggled against Billy, teasing her dog.

"Is this your surprise? I love it," she cooed.

Billy smirked through the screen. "You're going all out for this act, Isabel. Forgot what happened last time? Need to lose the baby to learn?"

"I'm not acting!" I screamed.

My abdomen sank, something slipping away. Blood pooled beneath me.

Something was wrong with the wine. I realized it had been spiked with an abortion drug.

"This is our child! He's eight months old!" I cried my heart out.

He didn't flinch. "You know how that kid happened. Good riddance. You don't deserve my child. Only Alicia does."

I knew what he meant. Teresa, desperate for a grandkid, had spiked his milk to get us together.

Billy always thought it was me, no matter how hard I tried to explain it. Since I got pregnant, he'd been cold to me and stuck with Alicia all the time, saying he owed her.

Just then, Emily sent a video of Teresa, beaten and bruised.

Her legs were detached, and she moaned in pain, "Billy, I can't take it. Save me!"

I shoved the phone at them, but Billy only got colder. "One trick fails, so you try another? Even faked a video. Good for you, but I'm not falling for it this time."

My strength gave out, and I blacked out.

When I woke up, I was at the party. Billy's arm was around Alicia as he toasted the crowd.

I crawled to him, grabbing his pants leg. "You have to save Teresa. Believe me just this once. Her life is in your hands."

The pain was excruciating, but I refused to give up.

"You're still acting?" he snapped. "That's my mom. You think I'd let her die?"

...

He kicked me away, brushing off his pants like I was filth.

"If you don't believe me, send someone to check if she's home," I insisted.

Reluctantly, he sent a guy.

Soon, a call came. "Boss, everything is fine. Mrs. Stone Sr. is reading at home."

The man even sent a video of Teresa sitting calmly at her desk. I was stunned, wondering if she wasn't kidnapped at all.

Billy sneered, kicking me in the abdomen. "You're vile. Still lying on your last breath?"

Ignoring the tearing pain, I called Emily. "Is Mom back?"

"She is," Emily replied.

Relief hit me, but her following words shattered it.