MINE TO PROTECT
1033 Words
Victoria barely made it back to her penthouse before her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen.
Unknown number.
Normally, she would ignore it.
Something told her not to.
"Hello?"
Silence.
Then a man's voice.
Cold.
Controlled.
Dangerous.
"Ethan Knight."
Victoria froze.
Every drop of color drained from her face.
For the first time in years, genuine fear crept into her heart.
"Ethan..."
"I don't enjoy repeating myself."
His voice remained calm.
Somehow that made it worse.
"If you go near Amelia again, you'll regret it."
Victoria forced herself to laugh.
"You've misunderstood."
"Have I?"
Silence.
Neither of them spoke.
Then Ethan continued.
"I know about the truck."
Victoria's heart nearly stopped.
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
A dangerous chuckle reached her ears.
"You should be careful."
The warning was soft.
Almost gentle.
Yet terrifying.
"Because I'm running out of patience."
The line went dead.
Victoria stared at the phone.
Her breathing became uneven.
How much did he know?
How much had he discovered?
For the first time, her confidence began cracking.
Because Ethan Knight wasn't someone she could manipulate.
And he certainly wasn't someone she could threaten.
Meanwhile, Ethan stood on the balcony of his penthouse.
The call had accomplished exactly what he wanted.
Victoria was scared.
Good.
She should be.
His thoughts returned to Amelia.
And the baby.
The revelation still lingered in his mind.
Pregnant.
Alexander's child.
For some reason, the knowledge bothered him more than it should.
Not because he blamed Amelia.
Far from it.
He simply hated the idea that Alexander Blackwood had been given something so precious without even realizing it.
A family.
A future.
A second chance.
And he had thrown it away.
Ethan looked toward the city lights.
A decision settled firmly in his mind.
Whether Amelia wanted his help or not...
He intended to protect her.
The baby too.
Across town, Alexander Blackwood sat alone in his office.
It was nearly midnight.
The building was empty.
Silent.
Yet he remained at work.
Or at least he pretended to.
Because for the past thirty minutes, he had been staring at the same document without reading a single word.
His phone buzzed.
A message from one of his private investigators.
SUBJECT UPDATE: AMELIA HART
Alexander frowned.
Normally he wouldn't have requested updates.
Normally he wouldn't care.
Yet lately...
He found himself checking.
More often than he should.
The report contained several photographs.
Alexander opened the first one.
His jaw tightened instantly.
Amelia.
Standing beside Ethan Knight.
Smiling.
The sight irritated him.
More than it should have.
The next photograph showed Ethan opening a car door for her.
The next showed them talking.
The next showed them laughing.
Alexander suddenly threw the file onto his desk.
His expression darkened.
Why did this bother him?
Amelia was free.
He was free.
The marriage was over.
So why did seeing another man near her feel like a punch to the stomach?
Annoyed, Alexander reached for the remaining documents.
Then something caught his eye.
A medical receipt.
His investigator must have included it accidentally.
Alexander almost ignored it.
Then he noticed the hospital name.
His eyes narrowed.
The date matched Amelia's visit.
Curious, he looked closer.
The document wasn't complete.
Most of the information had been blacked out.
But one word remained visible.
OBSTETRICS
Alexander froze.
A strange feeling settled in his chest.
Obstetrics.
Why would Amelia visit that department?
His mind immediately supplied an answer.
One he rejected instantly.
No.
Impossible.
Yet the thought refused to leave.
His fingers tightened around the paper.
Could Amelia be—
"No."
He stood abruptly.
The idea was ridiculous.
Coincidental.
Meaningless.
And yet...
For the rest of the night, he couldn't stop thinking about it.
The next morning, Amelia stepped onto her grandmother's porch carrying a cup of tea.
The sunrise painted the sky with soft shades of pink and gold.
Normally she loved mornings.
Today she felt uneasy.
Victoria knew.
The secret she had fought so hard to protect was no longer a secret.
At least not from Victoria.
Fear lingered beneath the surface.
But another feeling existed too.
Determination.
Because Victoria had threatened the wrong person.
Amelia wasn't fighting for herself anymore.
She was fighting for her child.
A black car slowly approached the property.
Amelia immediately tensed.
Then relaxed when she recognized the vehicle.
Ethan.
The man stepped out.
Wearing dark jeans and a black shirt.
Casual.
Yet somehow still intimidating.
He walked toward the porch.
His gaze found hers immediately.
And for a moment, neither spoke.
Then Ethan held out a small paper bag.
Amelia blinked.
"What's this?"
"Breakfast."
She laughed softly.
"You drove all the way here to bring breakfast?"
A faint smile appeared.
"Maybe."
Her heart did something strange.
Again.
The same thing it always seemed to do around him.
Ethan climbed onto the porch.
For a few minutes, they sat together quietly.
Comfortably.
Then Ethan spoke.
"Victoria knows."
Amelia's breath caught.
The smile disappeared from her face.
"You heard?"
"I heard enough."
Amelia looked away.
Ashamed.
Scared.
Frustrated.
Everything at once.
For several moments, silence stretched between them.
Then Ethan surprised her.
He reached over.
Gently covering her trembling hand with his own.
The contact was warm.
Steady.
Safe.
Amelia's breath caught.
"You don't have to handle this alone."
His voice was low.
Sincere.
For some reason, that nearly broke her.
Because it had been so long since someone offered help without expecting something in return.
Tears filled her eyes.
She quickly looked away.
But Ethan had already seen.
And in that moment, one thought settled firmly in his mind.
No one would hurt Amelia.
Not Victoria.
Not the Blackwoods.
Not anyone.
Because from this day forward...
Ethan Knight was watching.
And anyone foolish enough to threaten Amelia Hart would have to deal with him first.
Far away, Alexander Blackwood stared once more at the hospital receipt lying on his desk.
The single word haunted him.
Obstetrics.
A possibility he couldn't ignore.
A possibility that, if true, would change everything.
And for the first time since the divorce...
Alexander felt something he had never expected.
Fear.
Fear that he might already have lost far more than his wife.
- Writer
