Chapter 211
“First things first.” I said calmly, channeling the practical nature I’d developed during those challenging years. “It’s way too early to know if you’re pregnant. And if you are, you won’t be facing it alone. I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “But right now, your more immediate problem is that you abandoned David in your bed without so much as a goodbye note.”
She cringed. “He’s going to hate me.“
“He’s not going to hate you,” I assured her. “But you can’t avoid him forever, especially since he works directly for Ethan.” A mischievous smile spread across my face. “Just imagine those awkward pack meetings.”
“You’re enjoying this too much,” she grumbled, finally turning off the car engine. “Can we please change the subject? I need time to process before I can figure out what to do.”
“Fine,” I agreed, my smile softening. “But you know I’m here for you, whatever you decide, right?”
She nodded, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. “Thanks. That actually means a lot.
As we stepped out of the car, the familiar sounds and scents of the training camp washed over me. The rhythmic thud of combat practice, the occasional grunts and shouts of instruction, the earthy smell of dirt mixed with sweat and determination. We walked slowly toward the main building, my pace necessarily measured due to my condition. As we rounded the comer, a commotion near the administrative offices caught my attention. A group of security personnel–all wearing the distinctive black uniforms of Ethan’s elite guard–were escorting someone out of the building.
I narrowed my eyes, trying to get a better look. The person being escorted–no, restrained–was a woman with long blonde hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. Her hands were secured behind her back, and she struggled against her captors grip
“Is that… Sarah?” I asked, recognizing the assistant trainer who had been so friendly when I first arrived at the camp.
Zoe’s expression hardened immediately. “Yes, it’s her. David’s team picked her up
“What? Why?” I watched in confusion as Sarah continued to resist, her face contorted with anger and fear.
-While
investigating Emma’s disappearance, David discovered that Sarah had been in regular contact with her for months,” Zoe explained, her voice low and tight. “She was feeding Emma information about you–your schedule, your routes home, even details about your medical appointments.”
A cold chill ran down my spine despite the warm spring day. The thought that someo
someone I’d considered friendly had been watching me, reporting on my movements to the woman who had tried to kill me and my unborn children… it made me feel violated in a way i hadn’t expected.
Suddenly, Sarah looked up and spotted me standing there. Her expression changed instantly from defiance to desperate pleading.
“Arin!” she called out, her voice cracking with emotion. “Please help me! Im innocent! Don’t you remember how kind I was to you when you first arrived? I was your friend! You have to believe me!”
The guards tightened their grip on her arms, but she continued to call out to me, her voice growing more frantic. “It’s all a misunderstanding! Emma thesatened me, I had no choicet Please, Ania!”
I stood frozen, one hand automatically moving to protect my belly as the twins shifted restlessly inside me, perhaps sensing my distress. Part of me wanted to believe her to think that perhaps she had been coerced or threatened. But another part, the part that had learned harsh lessons about trust and betrayal, held me back.
Zoe placed a protective hand on my shoulder, gently guiding me away from the scene. “Don’t listen to her,” she murmured. “David has evidence–text messages, phone records, even surveillance footage of them meeting in secret.”
Sarah’s cries continued to follow us as we walked away. “Aria, please! You can’t let them do this to me!”
“What will happen to her? I asked quietly once we were out of earshot.
“Shell
I be questioned thoroughly,” Zoe replied, her voice became hard. “David wants to know if she has any information on Emma’s current whereabouts.”
