Chapter 6

"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" Kason sneered. "Using a baby to try and trap me. How low can you get?"

Isabela was in too much pain to respond. The cramping in her stomach was getting worse.

He grabbed her arm, his grip hard and unforgiving, and hauled her to her feet.

"Let's go."

He dragged her out of the apartment and shoved her into his car.

The car sped through the city streets, a silver bullet in the night.

They screeched to a halt in front of a private clinic.

He lifted her out of the car and marched into the brightly lit reception area. "I need to schedule an abortion. Now."

Isabela clutched her stomach, tears of pain and humiliation streaming down her face. "No," she gasped. "Kason, please. I need to see a gastroenterologist."

He scoffed, his voice dripping with contempt. "A gastroenterologist? Is that your new excuse? You'll do anything to keep this baby, won't you?"

He leaned in close, his voice a venomous whisper. "I'm not letting you hurt Dalia. I won't let you ruin our happiness."

Isabela had a history of severe stomach problems. Stress always made it worse.

Kason knew this. He used to be the one to patiently brew her ginger tea, to sit with her for hours until the pain subsided.

Now, he was so blinded by Dalia's lies that he couldn't see the truth right in front of him.

She was pushed into an examination room, the door closing behind her with a final, damning click.

Kason leaned against the wall outside, a sense of relief washing over him. The problem would be solved soon.

He heard two nurses whispering nearby. "That poor girl. He just dragged her in here. Didn't even ask what was wrong."

"Some men are just trash. He probably has a girlfriend on the side and is just trying to get rid of the evidence."

Their words hit him. He pushed himself off the wall and walked over to them. "Is the procedure... dangerous?"

One of the nurses looked him up and down with disdain. "Every procedure has risks. Especially when it's forced on someone against their will. It can cause infertility. Or worse."

A cold dread washed over Kason. His body felt heavy, his limbs weak.

His mind was a chaotic mess.

He saw Isabela's face, pale and contorted in pain.

A jolt of something that felt suspiciously like pain shot through his own chest.

He remembered the first time he saw her. A small, sad girl with big eyes, lost in the chaos of a new family.

He remembered her smile, how it could light up a room.

He remembered her hand in his, how she would look to him for help, for comfort.

He remembered the kiss, the softness of her lips. A thought, one he had buried deep, surfaced: he had wanted to marry her. He had imagined a future with her, a family.

What was he doing?

The light above the examination room door went out.

Kason surged forward as the doctor came out.

"How is she?" he demanded, his voice tight with an emotion he couldn't name.

The doctor, an older woman with tired eyes, glared at him. "How is she? You brought your girlfriend in for an emergency appendectomy and tried to force her into the OB/GYN wing. How do you think she is?"