Game of Ambition

Alexander

Lya had barely slept. The night had been a whirlwind of dark thoughts, each more hopeless than the last. Her future felt like a tunnel with no exit.

The creak of footsteps behind the door made her tense up. Her pulse pounded in her chest. Fear and madness mixed like poison in her blood.

The door opened with a slow, sinister creak.

Tristan appeared in the doorway.

Lya jumped from the bed, stepping back as if he were a beast.

—You're insane! —she screamed, retreating to the wall— Just let me go!

Tristan looked at her, impassive.

—You can't leave. Not like this.

—Let me go!

Desperation turned into action. She lunged for the door, but Tristan was faster. His hand closed around her wrist like a steel shackle.

—Let me go! —she struggled, but he didn't release her.

—Lya, listen to me! —he roared, his voice as sharp as a knife— Katherine wants to kill you!

The words froze her.

—W-what did you say?

Tristan looked at her with a mix of anger and urgency.

—Ever since she found out about the baby, she’s been looking for ways to make you abort. She doesn’t want it to be born. That would mean admitting she’s the problem, not Alexander.

Lya’s stomach churned.

—That’s a lie…

—It’s not —his tone was grave—. I’ve seen the messages, the calls she’s made to certain people. And now they’re trying to make you disappear.

Lya felt the room spin.

—No… that can’t be…

—That’s why I brought you here. Not to lock you up, but to protect you.

Her heart was racing. Everything inside her screamed not to trust him. But fear had her trapped.

Tristan loosened his grip, his voice turning into a rough whisper.

—I’ll take you to a doctor to check on you after you fainted yesterday. I want to know if you’re okay.

Lya hesitated.

—Why would you do that?

He looked at her, serious.

—Because this baby is important.

She didn’t know how to respond.

Minutes later, at the doctor’s office, Lya watched the doctor with her heart pounding in her ears. She still wasn’t sure if she could trust that man.

—Your pregnancy is high risk —the doctor said calmly—. The amniotic fluid has decreased.

A chill ran down her spine.

—Does that mean…?

—You need absolute rest. You can’t take any risks.

Lya felt a tremor in her hands. Tristan, without a word, took them gently.

—We’ll fix this —he whispered.

She didn’t pull away. Maybe because, at that moment, she needed him. She would take whatever she could from this situation and do the best she could.

They left the office under the rain. Lya was still in shock when a noise made her turn.

Lights. A car speeding straight toward her.

She had no time to react.

But Tristan did.

He grabbed her tightly and pushed her out of the way. He turned to shield her with his body, covering her as the car roared past, missing them by inches.

Lya’s heart pounded in her chest.

Tristan looked at her, his eyes burning with dangerous fury.

—I told you —he whispered darkly—. They want to kill you.

Lya swallowed hard.

And for the first time, she knew she couldn’t escape.

The rain pounded against the windshield as Tristan drove toward his apartment. Lya was in shock, her body trembling uncontrollably. Someone had just tried to kill her. Her mind spiraled. Her pregnancy was at risk. Katherine wanted her dead. And now… now she depended on Tristan to stay alive.

The car came to a sudden stop in front of the house. Tristan turned off the engine and faced her.

—We need to be more careful —he said tensely—. This is just the beginning.

Lya nodded without a word. Her thoughts were chaos.

Tristan pushed her phone toward her.

—I’m sorry for cutting you off yesterday, but I didn’t know what you might do— he paused— I mean, you could’ve called him or looked for him, and that could’ve hurt you.

—I… —Lya couldn’t find an answer.

—Look, I know you do whatever you want with your life, but I saw you faint. You’re pregnant, and you just heard the doctor. You need stability, and I don’t know if social media can give you that.

—Thank you —was all Lya could say.

As soon as she set foot inside the house, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out with numb fingers. It was her younger sister.

—Sofía? —her voice came out weaker than she expected.

On the other end, she only heard shaky breathing.

—Lya… —her sister’s voice was on the verge of hysteria— Mom and Dad know.

Lya’s heart stopped for a second.

—What...? What are you talking about?

—The photos. Someone left an envelope at the door. I opened it, but Mom and Dad saw it before I could do anything. They were pictures of you with Alexander.

Air got stuck in her throat.

—No…

—Lya, they’re furious. Desperate. Mom hasn’t stopped crying, Dad… I’ve never seen him like this. They say you’re a disgrace. That you were the mistress of a married man.

The ground seemed to open beneath her feet.

—Sofía… tell me it’s not true…

But her sister sobbed on the other end of the phone.

—They said they never want to see you again. That they wish you had never been born.

A dagger pierced her chest.

The phone slipped from her hand, hitting the floor. Lya felt her legs give out, and she collapsed onto the couch, hugging herself, trying to contain the pain tearing through her.

It wasn’t possible. Her parents… her family… They couldn’t reject her like this.

But they had.

A burning knot formed in her throat, her breathing turned erratic. Hot tears streamed down her face.

Tristan crouched in front of her, picked up the phone, and placed it on the table.

—Lya…

She shook her head, her eyes drowning in pain.

—No… I can’t… —she whispered, her voice broken.

Tristan watched her in silence. There was no mockery in his expression. No coldness. Just something that looked too much like understanding.

He sat beside her, without touching her, without forcing her.

But Lya felt his presence. Solid. Present.

And in that moment, she realized she was truly alone.

She had no parents.

No Alexander.

No one.

Except, maybe… him.

And that terrified her even more.