Chapter 10: The Reckoning

The car raced through the deserted streets, the night swallowing them whole. Ivy’s heart pounded in her chest, her breath shallow as she watched the rain blur the world outside the window. The ominous warning from the mysterious man still echoed in her ears. "Your baby is a liability."

But what did that mean? How could a child, so innocent, be the source of such danger?

She glanced at Aiden, who was focused on the road ahead, his knuckles tight around the steering wheel. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes were dark with something she couldn’t quite read.

“We need to talk,” Ivy said, her voice trembling.

Aiden didn’t answer. He just kept driving, faster now, as if the very act of moving would distance them from the danger closing in.

“Talk to me, Aiden,” Ivy pressed, her voice rising. “What’s really going on? Why is everyone after us? After me?”

His grip tightened on the wheel, and for a moment, she thought he might ignore her. Then, finally, he spoke, his voice low and heavy.

“I don’t know everything, Ivy. But I know this—this thing with you, your baby, it’s bigger than we thought.”

“Bigger than what?” she demanded, her frustration building. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Aiden let out a sharp breath, glancing at her briefly before returning his gaze to the road. “My mother, Evelyn, she wasn’t just obsessed with preserving the King legacy. She believed in something ancient. A prophecy. A bloodline destined to rise and change everything.”

Ivy’s stomach churned. “What does that have to do with me?”

Aiden’s voice was tight. “My mother wasn’t the first to believe in it. Her mother—your grandmother—was part of a secret group who ensured the survival of this bloodline. And your mother… she was the one who would either save the Kings or destroy them.”

Ivy recoiled, trying to process the information. “I don’t understand. If my mother was part of this... why didn’t she ever tell me?”

“She didn’t know you existed. Not until you were born. And by then, it was too late. She was already in hiding.”

Ivy’s head spun. “Hiding from what?”

“The people who want to control the prophecy,” Aiden said, his eyes narrowing. “The ones who want your baby.”

“But why?” Ivy whispered. “Why now?”

Aiden’s expression darkened. “Because your baby is the key to the Kings’ future. And the future of every family who’s been involved in this twisted game for generations. If they can control your child, they can control everything.”

Ivy stared at him, stunned. “What do you mean by ‘control’?”

Aiden swallowed hard. “They’ll use your baby’s bloodline to gain power. Whoever controls the Kings controls more than wealth. They control influence, politics, alliances. It’s not just about money. It’s about a centuries-old network of influence. And your child… your child is the final piece they need.”

A sudden sense of dread washed over Ivy. “So, my baby isn’t just a person. It’s a tool.”

Aiden didn’t respond. He couldn’t. Because it was the truth.

Ivy’s thoughts spiraled. Everything she had known about her family, her identity, her pregnancy—it was a lie. She wasn’t just some random woman expecting a child. She was the key to a conspiracy that had been unfolding for generations. And she had no idea who to trust.

“We need to go somewhere safe,” Aiden said, his voice urgent.

“Where?” Ivy asked, feeling the walls close in. “Where can we go that they won’t find us?”

“Somewhere no one knows us. Somewhere off the grid. But we don’t have much time. They’re watching.”

She glanced out of the window again, her eyes narrowing as the shadows seemed to stretch longer than usual. The streets felt darker tonight, the looming trees standing like silent sentinels. Someone was watching them, she was sure of it. Someone knew exactly where they were.

Aiden slammed on the brakes, the car screeching to a halt. Ivy’s heart skipped a beat as she saw the figure standing in the middle of the road.

A man in a long coat, his features hidden by the hood. He wasn’t moving. Just standing there, blocking their way.

Aiden swore under his breath. “Get down,” he hissed, grabbing Ivy’s arm and pulling her down in the seat. “They’ve found us.”

“Who is he?” Ivy whispered, her voice barely audible.

“I don’t know. But they won’t let us leave without a fight.”

Aiden’s eyes were fierce, his lips pressed together in a grim line. Without warning, he threw open the door, stepped out, and faced the man in the road.

Ivy watched from the car, her heart hammering in her chest. She couldn’t just sit there. She couldn’t just wait for the man to make his move.

Slowly, she opened the door and stepped out, the rain slashing at her face. The figure didn’t move. He just stood there, eyes locked on Aiden.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Aiden said, his voice calm but dangerous. “But I will.”

The man’s lips curled into a smile, but it wasn’t one of amusement—it was a smile of pure malice.

“I’m afraid it’s already too late for that,” he said, his voice low and smooth.

And then he reached into his coat.

Aiden lunged at him, but the man was faster, pulling out a gun and aiming it at Aiden’s chest. Ivy gasped, her breath catching in her throat. This was it. The danger was finally here.

“Get back in the car!” Aiden yelled at Ivy, his voice rising with urgency.

But Ivy couldn’t move. She couldn’t leave him behind.

The man cocked the gun, a cruel gleam in his eyes. “You should’ve stayed out of this, Aiden. This isn’t your fight.”

Aiden took one step forward, his jaw clenched. “It’s too late for that. I’ll fight for her. I’ll fight for this baby.”

The man’s smile widened, but there was no humor in it. “You’re making a big mistake, Aiden. This baby will never be yours. It’s already claimed by someone else.”

Ivy’s heart froze.

“What does that mean?” she whispered, her voice trembling.

But before the man could answer, a flash of movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Another figure emerged from the shadows, faster than she could react.

Aiden’s hand reached for something at his waist, but it was too late.

The figure fired.