LOVE TRIANGLE

Chapter 15 – Hidden Danger and Growing Fear

The air felt heavier with every passing day. The secret inside me was no longer just a thought—it was a reality that shaped every step I took, every decision I made. I tried to stay as careful as possible, avoiding crowded places, skipping events that could bring too much attention, and always checking what I ate or drank before touching it. Deep down, I felt a strange sense of being watched, not just by Damian’s men, but by something darker and more dangerous.

Lucas, meanwhile, had doubled the security around the penthouse and arranged for private transportation whenever I needed to go out. He still did not know the whole truth, but his instincts told him that something big was coming. “Damian is moving faster than we expected,” he said one morning, going through legal papers on the desk. “His lawyers are trying to bring up old stories and twist facts to make you look unstable. But we have strong evidence to counter every claim.”

“Thank you,” I said softly, my hand resting unconsciously on my stomach. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

He looked up and gave me a faint, reassuring smile. “We have a deal, remember? And even if we didn’t… I would still stand by you.”

His words warmed my heart, but they also made the guilt heavier. Hiding this from him felt like lying to the only person who had truly tried to help me. Yet I was still too afraid to speak—afraid of how it would change everything between us, afraid of the war it would spark if the news got out.

That afternoon, I decided to visit Olivia again, just to get away from the constant tension inside the apartment. Lucas sent two guards to follow at a distance, as usual, and I made sure to keep my movements simple and predictable.

When I arrived at her place, Olivia immediately pulled me inside and locked the door, her expression looking more serious than usual. “Bella, I heard something strange from a friend who works at a hospital,” she said, leading me to the sofa. “She said someone asked for information about you—specifically asking if you had come for a check‑up lately, and what medicines you might be taking.”

My blood ran cold. “Who was it?”

“The name was not given, but the description fits the kind of people Sofia usually hires,” Olivia whispered, grabbing my hands. “Bella, she knows or suspects something. She is not going to wait quietly. If she finds out you are pregnant, she will do anything to hurt you and the baby.”

I felt a wave of fear wash over me. “So it’s not just Damian who wants this child… Sofia sees it as a threat too.”

“Exactly,” Olivia nodded firmly. “Damian wants to use the baby to tie you to him, but Sofia wants it gone so she can take over everything. You are caught between two enemies, and the baby is the most valuable thing they both want—for completely opposite reasons.”

That night, back at the penthouse, I made up my mind. I could not keep hiding forever. The longer I waited, the more dangerous it became. But before I could find the courage to tell Lucas, the first warning strike came.

Around 10 PM, I felt a sudden, sharp pain in my lower abdomen, followed by a wave of dizziness. I stumbled toward the bathroom, cold sweat breaking out all over my body. Fear gripped my heart—was this just stress? Or was something wrong?

I sat down on the edge of the bathtub, breathing slowly and trying to calm myself. When the pain faded after a few minutes, I stood up shakily and walked back to the living room. But as I passed the kitchen counter, I noticed something that made my blood turn to ice.

The glass of water I had poured earlier had a faint, unusual smell—something bitter and chemical, not like normal water. I had not drunk it yet, but just looking at it sent chills down my spine.

“Lucas!” I called out, my voice trembling.

He came running immediately, his face filled with alarm when he saw how pale I was. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

I pointed to the glass. “Look at this. I poured it ten minutes ago, but it smells… wrong. And just now, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach.”

Lucas’s expression turned dark and dangerous. He carefully picked up the glass, sniffed it, then called his security chief at once. “Take this to the lab immediately. Test it for anything unusual. And check every bottle, every tap, every entrance in this apartment—no exceptions.”

Within an hour, the result came back. The water had been mixed with a mild but harmful substance—something that would not kill an adult, but could cause severe harm to a developing pregnancy.

Lucas slammed his fist on the table, rage burning in his eyes. “This is not a random accident. Someone got in here. Someone knew exactly what to do to hurt you without making it look like murder.”

“Sofia,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “She knows. She is trying to get rid of the baby.”

Lucas froze, his eyes widening as he looked at me. “The baby? Isabella… are you pregnant?”

There it was—the moment I had feared for weeks. The secret was out, even if I had not said it directly. I looked at him, tears filling my eyes, and nodded slowly.

“Yes,” I whispered. “About eight weeks. I found out a while ago, but I was so scared to tell you. I didn’t know who the father was, I didn’t want to drag you into more trouble, and I didn’t know what you would think.”

Lucas stared at me for a long moment, his expression shifting from shock to understanding, then to fierce protection. He stepped forward and pulled me gently but firmly into his arms, holding me close.

“Why didn’t you trust me?” he asked softly, his voice full of warmth, not anger. “I told you we face everything together. Whether this child is mine or Damian’s, you are under my protection. And anyone who tries to hurt you or this baby will have to go through me first.”

His kindness broke down the last of my defenses. I cried into his chest, letting all the fear and worry flow out. “I’m so sorry… I just didn’t know what to do.”

“Shh… it’s alright now,” he murmured, stroking my hair gently. “We know the enemy’s plan now, and we know what we are fighting for. From this moment on, nothing and no one will get close enough to hurt you again.”

But even as we spoke, in a dark office across the city, Sofia was receiving news that her first attempt had failed. She crushed the phone in her hand, her face twisted with anger.

“Stupid fools,” she hissed. “One failed try means nothing. There are a hundred other ways to get what I want. Isabella and that little life inside her will not stand in my way. Next time, I will make sure it works.”

And so the danger only grew—now that the secret was out, the war was no longer just for me or for power. It was for the life of an innocent child, and every side was ready to play even dirtier to win.