Back then, Zion had held me close, swearing again and again, “No matter boy or girl, as long as the baby is yours, it’s precious to me, the one who carries on the Payne family.”
This past year, there were plenty of women who tried to get pregnant with his child.
He turned all of them away.
But now, Maeve was pregnant. And she was carrying a boy.
And this baby was now being pushed in front of me by my own husband, said with those words, “carry the family line,” as if it were completely reasonable.
I instantly drew in a deep breath.
That almost-breaking collapse, I forced it down into the bottom of my chest.
Grandpa Kale, upset, kept shouting nonstop, his cane hitting the floor again and again.
Ravenna’s eyes were red, too. She kept hitting Zion’s back, scolding him for being stupid.
Everyone thought I would lose control.
Cry, question him, fall apart.
But I didn’t.
I only stood up, my voice so calm it felt cold. “Today is Great-Grandfather’s birthday. It’s a joyful day. Let’s not ruin it over these things.”
“As for the baby… We’ll talk when it’s time.”
The whole room went still.
Grandma Ravenna opened her mouth, but in the end, she could only swallow her anger, forcing herself to keep the scene steady and continue the banquet while everyone hid their own thoughts.
During the dinner, I said I wasn’t feeling well and left early.
Seeing me not argue and not cry, a sudden, strange fear rose in Zion’s chest.
Was she planning to divorce?
But he quickly brushed the idea away.
How could I ever bring myself to leave him?
My car had just rolled off the main road outside the old house when an unfamiliar van appeared in the rear-view mirror.
At first, I didn’t think about it until that vehicle suddenly sped up out of nowhere and swerved hard toward me.
A sharp screech tore through the night.
The next moment, my car door was pulled open from the outside.
I didn’t even have a second to react before someone dragged me out.
The world spun, the back of my head hit something hard, and before I could make a sound, a hand covered my mouth, and I was shoved roughly into the van.
The door slammed closed with a loud bang.
In the darkness, I heard the engine start again.
Fear rushed up in me.
On instinct, I wrapped my arms around my belly, my fingers shaking badly, my trembling hand trying to find my phone in my bag.
When the screen lit up, I dialed Zion’s number almost without thinking.
No answer.