Waiting in the shadows

Edge Between Us

As the call ended Lucas went straight to Sophie. The front door shut behind him with controlled force. Not loud enough to be called a slam, but firm enough to announce that something had shifted.

Sophie was seated comfortably in the living room, her phone in hand. She looked calm. Too calm for someone who had just shaken his world with a single post. Lucas stopped in front of her and held out his phone.

The screen glows between them. Her announcement, her claim.

"Explain this," he said.

His voice was low. Controlled. The kind of control that meant anger was sitting just beneath the surface. Sophie glanced at the phone, then back at him. She did not look ashamed.

"I'm fighting for my right," she replied evenly.

Lucas's jaw tightened. "You're right?" he repeated. "You post something like this without speaking to me first?"

She stood slowly, placing her phone down. "You only remember I exist when Maya is angry with you," she shot back. "The moment she calls you, the moment she even breathes in your direction, you run to her doorstep like I never mattered."

He said nothing.

She stepped closer and suddenly grabbed his hands, pressing them firmly against her stomach. "This," she said, her voice trembling whether from emotion or performance, he couldn't tell. "This is your baby too. Can't you love it the same way you claim to love her?"

The contact made him stiffen He pulled his hands back instinctively And that was when she saw Lucas's mother approaching from the hallway.

Her tone shifted immediately, Her eyes filled. "Why are you being so cold-hearted, Lucas?" she cried, louder now. "I'm pregnant with your child. I am here trying to give our baby what it needs, and you're still chasing a woman who clearly doesn't want you!"

"Lucas?" His mother's voice cut through the room.

He turned.

She looked from him to Sophie, to the tension hanging thick between the"Is this true?" she asked, her expression severe.

Lucas inhaled slowly. "That baby is not mine, Mother."

The words dropped heavily into the room Sophie gasped Lucas's mother's face hardened instantly. "You will not disgrace this family," she said sharply. "If she is carrying your child, you will marry her before her belly begins to show."

Lucas shook his head. "I was drunk that night," he admitted. "I barely remember anything."

Sophie looked at him as if he had just slapped her. "So now you're questioning my character?" she whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks..

"Enough," his mother said finally. "There will be a DNA test. Immediately. And if the child is yours, the marriage will proceed without delay."

Sophie nodded softly, as though she had already won. Lucas looked at her long and searching. For the first time, he wondered if he had walked into something much bigger than he realised. Without another word, he left. Went up to his room and decided to leave for Sweden. He packed for Sweden that night and left for Sweden. The next day

If there were misunderstandings between him and Maya, he would clear them He could explain how Sophie had manipulated the situation, and Maya would be his. They would have a happy family. But he would not lose Maya without fighting. Lucas thinking ..

He already knew where she lived The investigator he had hired weeks ago had sent him the address. He had never thought he would use it.

Now he was.

In Sweden, the air felt colder. Morning had arrived. Damien helped Maya inside her apartment carefully, his hand steady at her back. She looked pale. Exhausted. Drained in a way that went deeper than physical weakness. He guided her to the bedroom and lay her gently on the bed, adjusting the pillows until she was comfortable.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly.

She nodded faintly.

He hesitated at the door. "Would you like something later? I can bring it over."

She turned her head slightly toward him. "Yes," she said softly. "Strawberry ice cream."

The corner of his mouth lifted just a little. "I'll be back this evening," he promised.

And he left.

Night settled. Damien returned with a small bag in his hand He rang the doorbell and leaned slightly toward the window, trying to see if she was awake. He did not notice the car that had just stopped across the street.

Lucas stepped out. He saw Damien at Maya's door He saw him peering inside. And something snapped. He crossed the distance in long strides and grabbed Damien's shoulder, spinning him around.

"Who are you?" Lucas demanded.

Before Damien could fully respond, Lucas's fist connected with his lip. Damien stumbled back, falling against the railing, blood immediately touching the corner of his mouth.

He looked up, stunned.

"What are you doing?" Damien asked.

"What are you doing at my fiancé's house?" Lucas shouted.

Damien wiped his lip slowly. "Maya is nobody's fiancée."

Lucas moved toward him again, rage blinding him. The door suddenly opened.

"Lucas!" Maya's voice cut through the chaos.

She stepped outside, weak but alert, taking in the scene in seconds, Damien on the ground, blood on his lip, Lucas breathing heavily.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

Lucas turned toward her and grabbed her shoulders. "Is this why you wanted to come to Sweden so badly?" he accused. "You needed a new toy in your arms?"

The words hit harder than his fist. Maya raised her hand and slapped him. The sound echoed."You have no right," she said, her voice shaking with anger. "No right to tell me whom I should or shouldn't be with."

Lucas ' eyes glistened. "I do," he insisted hoarsely. "That's my baby, Maya. My baby."

She looked at him steadily. "How sure are you it's yours?"

The question froze him.

She stepped back. "This baby is a Bennett," she said firmly. "And it will always be."

He felt the ground shift beneath him. "There is no more you and me, Lucas," she continued. "It's over."

Damien slowly pushed himself up behind her. Maya turned and helped him stand.

Lucas watched the gesture. Something inside him cracked. "I know I hurt you," he said, his voice breaking. "I know I wasn't perfect. I made mistakes. I made too many mistakes. But I love you, Maya. I love you."

She said nothing. "I don't want to lose my child," he continued quietly. "I don't want to lose you."

He swallowed. "My flight leaves at noon tomorrow."

She did not react. "Meet me at the airport," he said. "If you come, I'll know we still have a chance. If you don't... I'll respect your decision." He looked at her one last time. Then he walked away.

Maya stood frozen in the doorway, Damien beside her The night was heavy around them. No one spoke. And somewhere in the distance, a clock kept ticking toward noon.