Evelyn
The knife trembled in his grip, his knuckles whitening as his gaze flickered between me and the blade lodged deep into the armrest. His breathing was uneven, his chest rising and falling with the weight of something dark, something I couldn’t name. Then, in a sudden burst of motion, he ripped the knife free and hurled it against the wall with a sharp thunk.
“Don’t fucking push me, you goddamn woman!” His voice was raw, frayed at the edges. “I can’t kill you.”
A beat of silence. Then as he noticed the surprise in my eyes, he added quickly, “Yet. I can’t kill you yet!”
A chill slid down my spine.
I didn’t know what war he was fighting inside his head, but I didn’t care-not now. Survival was the only thing that mattered. Mine and my baby’s. If I had to destroy this broken, volatile version of Tyler to make it out alive, I would. But my hands were tied, my body useless, leaving me with only one weapon-his mind. If I could plant the right seed, twist the right nerve…maybe he’d let me go.
Less damage.
Better chances.
“Tyler,” I whispered, forcing my voice to steady. “My baby has no fault in any of this.” I met his gaze, searching for something-anything-human left inside him. “You can hate me. You can hate Jacob. But let me give birth. You can kill me after that, if that’s what you want…just… spare my baby. She’s innocent.”
The air between us turned razor-sharp. His expression wavered, then his brows shot up, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes. And then-before I could brace myself-he lunged forward.
I flinched.
His face was so close, his breath fanning against my skin, his presence suffocating.
“What did you say?” His voice was quieter now, but not softer.
I swallowed, my throat dry. “Let me… let me give birth-”
“No.” His fingers dug into the arms of my chair. “After that. What did you say after that?”
I forced the words out. “You can kill me after I give birth… if that’s what you want. Just let my baby live.”
Tyler went still. Completely, terrifyingly still.
His eyes locked onto mine, something dark and unreadable churning in their depths. Then, in a breath of disbelief, he whispered, “You’d do that for your child?”
He said it like it was the most absurd thing he’d ever heard. Like a concept so foreign, it didn’t belong in his world.
Of course, I would. Any mother would.
I just wanted my Sienna to live-to take her first breath, to open her tiny eyes, to be held by someone who would love her even if I couldn’t. Even if I wouldn’t be there. At least she’d be alive, safe with Jacob.
“Y-yes…” My voice trembled, because something about the way he was looking at me made my stomach knot with dread. That same, all-consuming dark eyes. That same reckless, destructive desire-the one that had torn our lives apart once before.
He studied my face, his head tilting slightly, as if peeling back layers I didn’t even know I had. And then, just as suddenly as the tension had spiked, he exhaled sharply and let go, dropping down onto the floor beside my chair.
Casual. Unarmed. Exposed.
This Tyler… this version of him-I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen before.
“You women are strange,” he mused, his voice distant, as if speaking more to himself than to me. He wasn’t looking at me. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the cold, mold-streaked wall in front of us, its surface tangled with spiderwebs that shuddered faintly in the dim light.
“Some of you claim you’d die for your children,” he continued, his fingers tapping absently against his knee. “And some of you make them wish they were dead.” A bitter chuckle slipped past his lips. “Isn’t that weird?”
Then, suddenly, he turned to me, his eyes sharp, burning with something unreadable.
“How can you all be so different? You’re supposed to be the same-sluts, greedy for money, heartless, cruel. That’s what I’ve always known. That’s what I’ve seen. But maybe…” He exhaled slowly. “Maybe it’s just you who’s different, and the rest of the world is exactly as rotten as I’ve always believed.”
I swallowed hard, my throat tightening.
Where was this coming from?
“I-I-” I tried to speak, but my voice splintered, cracking under the weight of his words.
His expression darkened, his gaze narrowing as if I’d just confirmed something for him. “How can you be so willing to give up your life for a fetus that hasn’t even stepped foot on this earth yet-when she tried to kill her own living, breathing, perfectly fine and happy eight-year-old son just because he saw her murder her husband?” His voice was a razor, cutting through the air.
And suddenly, for the first time, I didn’t see the ruthless, twisted businessman before me. I didn’t see the man who had tormented me, trapped me, broken me.
I saw a child.
A forgotten, wounded child, desperate for an answer to something he could never understand, who tried to get validation from everything he could.
“Tyler…” My breath hitched, my chest constricting with something I didn’t want to name. “I’m so sorry.”
It was the truth.
Despite everything he’d done, despite every horrifying thing he’d put me through-I meant it. Maybe I would never forgive him. Maybe I would spend the rest of my life hating him.
But no child deserved that. Not even him.
His jaw tightened, and he shook his head. “No, don’t be.” His voice was clipped, firm, but I saw the flicker of something else in his eyes. Something raw. “You know nothing, and assumptions will get you nowhere.”
Then, as if nothing had just happened, he stood, brushing the dust from his pants.
“And as for your request?” His fingers flexed before he reached for the knife, gripping it tightly. “Fine. I won’t kill you-yet. You’ll stay with me until you’ve given birth to this… whatever you call it, Sienna of Sea.” The way he said her name was almost mocking, but there was something hesitant underneath. “We’re going to keep moving. Your boyfriend won’t stir up too much of a mess-he knows I might change my mind, and I’m sure he doesn’t want to risk that.”
He tilted his head slightly, considering something.
“But after the child is born?” His voice dropped lower, softer-colder. “I will kill you, Evelyn. I have to.”
It wasn’t a threat. It was a promise. A law written into his bones, as if he had no choice but to see it through.
My stomach lurched, my pulse hammering so hard I thought I might choke on it.
Tyler knelt in front of me, his fingers working methodically at my bindings. “First thing-we’re going to untie you.” His tone was almost businesslike, his movements precise. The moment my wrists were free, a sharp ache pulsed through them, my circulation sluggish from being restrained for so long.
“Second thing-Chloe is coming with food. You’re going to eat it. No complaints. I don’t care if it’s good or bad.”
The mention of Chloe caught me off guard. My mouth parted slightly, but I didn’t dare question it.
“Third thing.” His grip suddenly tightened around my wrist, forcing my eyes to meet his. “You won’t try to escape.” A faint smirk touched his lips. “Because that’ll get you nowhere. We’re far from anywhere, and before you could even get close to help, I’d catch you.” His voice darkened, dripping with something ominous. “And that wouldn’t end well for you.”
A chill slithered down my spine.
“And the fourth thing…” His smirk deepened. His gaze dragged over me, slow, deliberate.
“You’re gonna get naked. Now.”
My breath caught.
My stomach dropped.
And my eyes widened in pure, unfiltered terror.