Chapter 6 6

The day dragged on like a prison sentence. Elaina was poked, prodded, and lectured by Dr. Foster. She was forced to listen to Mozart for an hour while lying on a yoga mat. By the time evening fell, she was exhausted and bored out of her mind.

Adrian came home at 10:00 PM. He looked tired, his tie loosened, his eyes red-rimmed. He smelled of scotch.

Elaina was curled up on the sofa, watching a reality show. She had fallen asleep.

Adrian flipped the wall switch, flooding the room with blinding LED light.

Elaina groaned, shielding her eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Wake up," he said, tossing a thick document onto the coffee table. "We missed a clause."

Elaina sat up, rubbing her eyes. She reached for the document. The Heir Provision.

She read the text. Her heart began to pound.

Clause 12: Upon the birth of the heir and the completion of breastfeeding (approx. 12 months), the marriage shall be dissolved. Full physical and legal custody of the child shall remain with the Conway Family Trust. The Mother (Elaina Conway) shall receive a lump sum of $5,000,000 and relinquish all visitation rights.

Elaina dropped the paper as if it were burning. "You... you want to take my baby?"

Adrian sat in the armchair opposite her, crossing his legs. "Not take. Place. A Conway child must be raised in the Conway world. Best schools, best security, best connections."

He gestured vaguely at her. "Look at your background, Elaina. Your father is a criminal. You grew up in a one-bedroom apartment. You cannot provide the life this child needs."

"I can provide love!" she shouted, standing up. "I'm not selling my child for five million dollars!"

Adrian's face was stone. "You signed the first agreement to save your mother. If you don't sign this amendment, the trust fund payments to the Swiss clinic stop tomorrow."

Elaina gasped. It was pure blackmail. He was holding her mother's life hostage.

"You are a monster," she said, her voice shaking.

"I am a businessman," he replied. "And I am protecting my legacy. Sign it."

He held out a Montblanc pen.

Elaina looked at him. She looked at the pen. She thought of her mother, breathing through a tube in a hospital bed, finally getting the care she needed. She felt a cold resolve settle in her chest, a stark contrast to the hot tears pricking her eyes. I will sign, she thought. I will sign to keep Mom alive. And then, I will spend every single day of the next nine months finding a loophole. I will fight him when I have strength. Right now, I have nothing.

She took the pen. Her hand shook so violently she could barely hold it.

She pressed the nib to the paper. It felt like she was signing her own death warrant. She scrawled her name.

Adrian took the document back instantly. He checked the signature. He nodded.

"Good choice."

He stood up and walked toward his room. At the door, he paused.

"Get some sleep. Stress is bad for the baby."

The door clicked shut.

Elaina grabbed a heavy velvet cushion from the sofa and hurled it at the door. It hit with a soft thud and fell to the floor.

She sank to her knees, wrapping her arms around her stomach.

"I won't let them take you," she whispered fiercely to the tiny life inside her. "I signed the paper, but I didn't sign my soul. I will fight him. I will win."