When Bella woke up, her head pounded like drums. Her wrists and ankles were sore, bound with coarse rope that scratched her skin. The last thing she remembered was Jessy's wailing before darkness swallowed her whole.
"Jessy..." she croaked, struggling against the restraints. Panic clawed at her chest until she heard it soft, newborn cries from somewhere nearby. Relief and terror mingled in her veins. At least he was alive.
The door creaked open. An elderly woman with silver hair and tired blue eyes shuffled in, balancing a tray of bread and water.
"Who are you?" Bella asked hoarsely.
"My name is Isabel," the woman said gently. "Eat. You need strength."
"I don't want food. Please help me. They took my son." Bella's voice cracked.
Isabel's lips trembled. She glanced nervously toward the corridor before whispering, "The child is safe... for now. But I cannot help you leave. If I do, they will kill my children, my grandchildren. You don't know these people."
Bella's eyes filled with tears. "Please. I'm begging you. At least tell my family I'm alive." She scribbled Bianca's name and number on a scrap of tissue and pressed it into Isabel's wrinkled palm. "If you can't help me, then give this to someone. Please."
Isabel tucked the note quickly into her apron, but her face was pale.
From the hallway, voices echoed.
"Why is the DNA test taking so long?" one man muttered.
"They had to send it to London. Once the results are back, we'll know," another replied.
"And if the brat is really his?"
"Orders are clear. Kill them both."
Bella froze. The blood drained from her face as she clenched her fists against the ropes. They were talking about Jessy.
Meanwhile, across the city, Vera sat stiffly on Joanna's couch. Hours had passed since Bella vanished. The police had already taken statements, but progress was slow. Fear gnawed at her heart.
A sudden knock rattled the door. Joanna hurried to open it and froze.
Chris.
"What are you doing here?" Joanna snapped, her arms crossed.
Vera rushed to the door and her face hardened. "Leave. You're not wanted here."
Chris's eyes were dark, restless, but steady. "I heard. She's missing. Let me help."
"Help?" Vera scoffed. "Where were you when she needed you most? You let her drown in scandal and heartbreak, and now you show up because it suits you?"
Chris swallowed hard, guilt flashing across his face. "I can't explain everything now, but I never abandoned her. I've been working, silently. Gathering evidence. I never believed that video. I know Thelma staged it, with Lilian's help. I can prove it."
Vera's jaw tightened.
"I severed ties with my parents," Chris continued, voice low. "I ran seven DNA tests on Arabella. She is mine. And I will not let Bella or our child..."
"Our child?" Vera cut in sharply.
Chris hesitated, realizing too late what he had revealed.
Vera's eyes blazed. "So you know about Jessy."
Chris's silence was her answer.
"I don't care what you claim," Vera spat. "If anything happens to my daughter, I'll hold you responsible."
Chris stepped back, his chest heavy with unspoken truths. "Believe me or not, I won't stop until I bring her back."
He turned and disappeared into the night, leaving Vera trembling with rage and fear.
Back in the hideout, Isabel returned to Bella's side with damp cloths and whispered, "Stay strong. If God wills it, you and your son will live."
Bella clutched her son to her chest, rocking him gently. In the silence, she whispered to him, "Jessy, Mama won't let them hurt you. Not while I breathe."
But deep down, she knew the clock was ticking. And somewhere in London, Thelma Frederick was sharpening her knives, waiting for the perfect moment to erase them both.
The hideout smelled of damp wood and cigarettes. Bella rocked Jessy in her arms, whispering prayers under her breath. Every creak of the old floorboards sent her heart racing. She knew time was running out.
Isabel slipped into the room, her hands trembling as she carried a candle. "Eat this quickly," she whispered, handing over a small loaf. "And listen carefully."
Bella's eyes searched hers. "What is it?"
"I can't free you outright... but tonight, they've been ordered to move to another safe house. There will be fewer guards when the cars switch. If you can slip out if you're brave, you may have a chance."
Bella's grip tightened on Jessy. "Why would you risk this?"
The old woman's eyes glistened. "Because I see my granddaughter in your eyes. And because if God put you in my path, maybe He meant for me to help you."
Bella's lips quivered. "Thank you."
Isabel pressed the folded tissue Bella had given her earlier into her palm. "I'll try to get this message to the outside world. But you must be strong. No matter what happens, don't scream. Don't stop moving."
Midnight.
The men began shouting orders, throwing bags into vans. Two guards stepped into Bella's room, dragging her roughly to her feet. Jessy whimpered.
"Quiet the brat," one of them growled.
As they pushed her toward the exit, Isabel stumbled into their path, clutching her chest dramatically. "Wait please, I can't breathe!" she gasped, collapsing onto the floor.
The guards swore and knelt to check her, distracted for just a moment.
Bella seized her chance. She bolted into the shadows of the corridor, clutching Jessy against her chest. Her bare feet slapped against the cold floor. Behind her, shouts erupted.
"Get her! Don't let her escape!"
She ran toward the back, but a tall figure stepped from the darkness, blocking her path. The same tattooed man from the airport.
"Well, well," he sneered. "Running makes the hunt more fun."
Bella froze, her breath shallow, Jessy crying in her arms.
Before he could grab her, Isabel hurled herself between them, screaming, "Run, child! RUN!"
The man shoved the old woman to the ground with a curse, but Bella had already slipped past, sprinting into the night air.
Across town, Chris was awake at his desk, maps and dossiers spread across the polished wood. Elliot sat opposite him, his face grave.
"We've tracked Clinton's men in Toronto. They were spotted near a private hospital the day Bella gave birth. We believe she's being held somewhere near Scarborough."
Chris's jaw tightened, veins pulsing at his temple. "Then we don't have time."
Elliot hesitated. "Sir, are you sure you want to risk everything? Your father, your fiancée, the board they'll come for you if they find out."
Chris's eyes burned with fire. "Let them. They've already taken enough from me. They tried to erase the woman I love. They won't touch my son."
Elliot's brows rose slightly, but he said nothing.
Chris pulled a thick file closer photos, receipts, recordings, all dirt on Thelma and the Fredericks. "I've been preparing for this. The wedding will be my stage. The world will know the truth."
He leaned back, his voice low, dangerous. "But first, we find Bella. Whatever it costs."
Elliot nodded. "I'll activate the men."
Bella stumbled into the dark streets, her lungs burning, Jessy's cries loud against her chest. She didn't know where she was only that she had to keep moving.
Behind her, headlights flashed, tires screeched, and men shouted her name.
Her escape had begun.