Chapter 122

The moment Sophia stepped into the dimly lit interrogation room, her pulse quickened.

Daniel Carter sat across from her, his hands cuffed to the table. His usually sharp gaze was now clouded with exhaustion.

She swallowed hard.

This wasn’t the man she had fallen for—the confident officer who had made her feel safe.

This was a prisoner.

And it was all her fault.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Daniel muttered, his voice rough.

Sophia clenched her fists. “I had to see you.”

Silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating.

Then, Daniel’s expression darkened. “Ethan Blackwood did this.”

Sophia flinched at the venom in his tone.

“He framed me,” Daniel continued, his jaw tight. “And now I’m rotting in here while he walks free.”

Her stomach twisted.

She had suspected Ethan’s involvement, but hearing it confirmed sent a chill down her spine.

“I’ll fix this,” she whispered.

Daniel scoffed. “How? You think you can take him down?”

Sophia met his gaze, determination hardening her resolve.

“I have to.”

Because if she didn’t, Daniel would pay the price.

And she couldn’t live with that.

Not again.

The door creaked open behind her.

A guard stepped in. “Time’s up.”

Daniel’s eyes locked onto hers, desperate. “Be careful, Sophia.”

She nodded, her throat too tight to speak.

As she turned to leave, his final words followed her out.

“He won’t stop until he destroys you too.”

Her steps faltered.

Then she straightened her shoulders and walked away.

Ethan Blackwood had made his move.

Now, it was her turn.

I give a slow nod.

Sebastian's voice drops to a whisper. "I've always envied the connection you share with Liam. Even now, it eats at me." His confession makes my head snap up in surprise.

"Truly?"

It still feels surreal—Ethan Blackwood sitting beside me on the cold bathroom tiles. The Ethan I knew wouldn't have spared me a second glance, much less tenderly wiped away my tears.

"Yeah," he murmurs.

Silence stretches between us. Exhaustion soon pulls at my eyelids. I don't remember drifting off, or how I ended up tucked beneath my duvet. The last sensation I recall is the brush of his lips against my forehead.

When I wake, golden afternoon light spills through the curtains. A breakfast tray sits abandoned on my nightstand, the food long gone cold.

I drag myself upright and schedule an appointment with Dr. Bennett. A scalding shower does little to revive me as I pull on fresh clothes. My limbs feel leaden, my mind fogged with fatigue.

The untouched meal gnaws at my conscience. Though I don't know for certain, intuition whispers Ethan's name.

The drive to the clinic feels endless. I crawl along at a snail's pace, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles bleach white. When I finally arrive, I sit in the parking lot for five full minutes before forcing myself inside.

The waiting room brims with expectant mothers, many flanked by doting partners. The sight transports me back to my pregnancy with Liam—countless lonely appointments where Ethan couldn't be bothered to show. His sudden insistence on being present during delivery had shocked me then, given his indifference throughout those nine months.

Shaking off the memory, I check in with the receptionist and take a seat. Forty-five agonizing minutes later, my name echoes through the sterile space.

"Sophia Sterling?"

Dr. Bennett greets me with a warm smile. "Good afternoon, Sophia. What brings you in today?"

My fingers twist together. "I... I need an ultrasound. Home tests came back positive yesterday, but I require medical confirmation."

Her kind eyes soften as she gestures to the examination table. "Of course. Make yourself comfortable while I prepare the equipment."

The paper sheet crinkles beneath me as I stare at the ceiling tiles. My pulse thunders so violently I fear it might crack a rib.

"Just lift your top for me, dear."

The cold gel makes me flinch as she glides the transducer across my abdomen. Static resolves into rhythmic thumping—a sound that steals my breath.

"Congratulations! You're approximately twelve weeks along." Dr. Bennett beams as the heartbeat fills the room.

Tears prickle behind my eyelids. While she chatters about prenatal vitamins and dietary plans, my world narrows to that relentless pulsing echo. The printed sonogram images feel like burning coals in my hands as I flee the clinic.

Numbness carries me through the drive. Some foolish part of me had clung to hope—that the tests were faulty, that this nightmare wasn't real. Now the evidence lies on my backseat, undeniable as a signed death warrant.

I drive aimlessly until the road ends at a cliffside overlook. Ocean winds whip my hair as I approach the precipice.

How can I possibly welcome this child? A living reminder of Daniel's betrayal, conceived through deception and violence. Every time I look at this baby, I'll see the man who tried to destroy me.

This pregnancy chains me to memories I'd give anything to forget. No matter how innocent, this child will always be Daniel's legacy—a permanent scar on my soul.