CHAPTER 17

The following morning, sunlight spilled across the pristine lake, casting shimmering reflections on the surface. The estate seemed untouched by the chaos that had consumed their lives, offering a deceptive calm. Fiona sat by the large bay window in her room, sipping tea and watching the ripples of water dance in the gentle breeze. It was beautiful, serene even, but the weight in her chest refused to ease.

She couldn’t remember the last time she felt safe.

Downstairs, Darwin was on the phone, his tone curt and commanding. Fiona could hear snippets of the conversation, the name “William” punctuating the air like a drumbeat. He had been on edge since they arrived, pacing the house, checking the estate’s security system, and making calls to his network.

Fiona knew he was trying to protect her, but the distance between them felt like an ever-widening chasm.

---

By midday, Darwin approached her in the kitchen, his expression unreadable. He placed a small folder on the counter.

“What’s this?” Fiona asked, setting her mug down.

“Information,” he replied. “I had my team dig deeper into William’s movements. He’s been pulling strings at the Atlas Group for longer than I realized.”

Fiona opened the folder, her eyes scanning the pages of reports and photos. The evidence was damning—emails, financial transactions, and even surveillance images of William meeting with Bella.

“Bella’s involvement is worse than we thought,” Darwin continued. “She’s not just leaking information. She’s actively sabotaging operations, using her position to turn my own people against me.”

Fiona’s stomach churned as she processed the extent of the betrayal. “And William? What’s his endgame?”

Darwin’s jaw tightened. “He wants to destroy everything I’ve built. The Atlas Group, my reputation—he won’t stop until there’s nothing left.”

Fiona felt a pang of guilt. “And me? Am I part of his plan too?”

Darwin hesitated, his eyes meeting hers. “Yes,” he admitted. “William knows how much you mean to me. He’s using you to get to me.”

Fiona looked away, the weight of his words pressing down on her. She had spent so long feeling like a pawn in someone else’s game, and now it seemed that hadn’t changed.

---

That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Darwin invited Fiona to join him on the terrace. The lake was bathed in hues of orange and pink, the tranquil scene at odds with the tension in the air.

They sat in silence for a while, the soft rustling of the trees their only companion.

“I’ve been thinking,” Darwin said suddenly, his voice breaking the stillness. “About everything. About us.”

Fiona turned to him, her brow furrowing. “What do you mean?”

Darwin sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve made mistakes, Fiona. More than I can count. I thought I was protecting you by keeping you close, but all I did was trap you in a life you didn’t choose.”

Fiona’s heart ached at the vulnerability in his voice. “Darwin, I—”

He held up a hand, stopping her. “Let me finish. I can’t change the past, but I can promise you this: I’m not going to let William, Bella, or anyone else take away the future we deserve. I’ll fight for us, for you and the baby. Whatever it takes.”

Fiona felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She wanted to believe him, to trust in the man who had once been her anchor. But the scars of the past were not so easily forgotten.

---

As the night deepened, Fiona found herself unable to sleep again. She wandered through the house, her thoughts a tangled mess.

In the study, she came across Darwin, seated at the desk with his head in his hands. Papers were strewn across the surface, and the dim glow of a lamp cast shadows across his face.

“Darwin,” she said softly, stepping into the room.

He looked up, his expression weary. “Couldn’t sleep?”

She shook her head. “Neither could you.”

He gestured to the chair across from him, and she sat down.

“I’ve been trying to figure out our next move,” he admitted. “William’s smart, but he’s overconfident. He’s left a trail, and if we’re careful, we can use it against him.”

Fiona nodded, though a part of her wondered how much longer they could keep running and fighting. “And Bella?”

Darwin’s eyes darkened. “Bella’s a wildcard. She’s dangerous, but she’s also reckless. If we expose her role in sabotaging the Atlas Group, it’ll weaken William’s position.”

Fiona studied him, her heart heavy. “You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”

“I have to,” he said simply.

---

The following morning brought unexpected news.

One of Darwin’s contacts arrived at the estate, a wiry man with sharp eyes and a confident stride. He handed Darwin a USB drive, his tone urgent.

“You’re going to want to see this,” the man said.

Darwin inserted the drive into his laptop, and Fiona watched as a series of videos played out on the screen. They showed Bella in various compromising situations—meeting with William, accepting bribes, and even tampering with company files.

“This is enough to ruin her,” Darwin said, his voice cold.

“But it’s not enough to stop William,” Fiona pointed out.

Darwin nodded, his expression grim. “No, but it’s a start.”

---

As the day wore on, Fiona found herself drawn to the lake. The water’s surface was calm, reflecting the clear blue sky above. She knelt by the edge, letting her fingers trail through the cool water.

She thought of everything she had lost and everything she stood to gain. The life she had once dreamed of felt so far away, but for the first time in a long time, she felt a spark of hope.

Darwin joined her after a while, his presence a comforting weight by her side.

“Do you ever think about what life would be like if none of this had happened?” she asked.

“Every day,” he admitted. “But we can’t change the past. All we can do is fight for the future.”

Fiona looked at him, her heart aching with a mix of emotions. She wanted to believe in that future, to believe that they could find happiness despite everything.

But as the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the estate, Fiona couldn’t shake the feeling that their fight was far from over.

And deep in the recesses of her mind, a voice whispered a chilling truth: the calm before the storm never lasted long.