Chapter 07

Kylie

We were standing before them—Dad, Aunt Celeste, and now Vaness—facing the inevitable. My heart raced as I saw the expression on their faces. They could sense that something was off, and I could feel the weight of what was about to happen.

I wanted to stop Atlas. This wasn’t his responsibility. He didn’t need to carry this burden, yet the determination in his eyes was undeniable. He wanted this—to stand by my side, even if it meant sacrificing his own happiness and freedom. The sadness that washed over me was suffocating. He was willing to give up so much to form a family, just to help me.

"What do you have to say?" Dad’s voice was sharp, demanding. His gaze, more intense than I had ever felt, made the air between us heavy.

The tension in the room thickened further when Vaness arrived. She looked at us, her face hard with confusion and suspicion.

“What’s going on here, Aunt?” I heard her ask Aunt Celeste.

“Well, they’ve been standing there for a while, but still, nothing’s come out of their mouths yet,” Aunt Celeste said, the irritation in her voice unmistakable.

I exhaled slowly, feeling the unspoken anger emanating from all of them. Atlas reached for my hand, squeezing it firmly, making me turn to face him. His smile was small but reassuring. He then turned to face Dad and Aunt Celeste.

“Uncle, Auntie, there’s something we need to tell you. And since everyone’s here, I think this is the perfect time to do it,” Atlas began, gripping my hand even tighter.

“What’s all this suspense? Why don’t you just spit it out already? Stop dragging it out,” Aunt Celeste snapped, her patience wearing thin.

Atlas didn’t flinch. “We’re moving the wedding up,” he declared. “Kylie’s pregnant.”

Their reactions were instant—shock, disbelief. Vaness gasped audibly, her face paling as her eyes widened in confusion.

“What? Something happened between the two of you?” Vaness’s voice trembled with accusation as she stared at me. I swallowed hard, feeling the lie catch in my throat. One wrong move, one wrong word, and they’d see right through us.

“That’s not important right now,” Atlas cut in before I could speak. “What matters is that I’m taking responsibility. I know what we did wasn’t right, which is why we’re here. You deserve to know the truth.”

I glanced at Vaness. Her lips trembled, and I could see the unshed tears in her eyes. The pain in her gaze was undeniable, but so was the fury.

Dad, on the other hand, was different. His reaction was more measured, almost pleased. He stepped forward and placed his hands over ours, his smile wide and approving.

“I know what you did was a mistake, but I forgive you both. And because you came to us and asked for our blessing, we’ll agree to this.” His words weighed heavy on me. He was so happy, thrilled even. But what would happen if they found out this baby wasn’t Atlas’s?

“They’ll come by soon—my parents—to finalize the wedding plans,” Atlas began, but Dad cut him off.

“You don’t need to worry about any of that. We’ll handle the wedding. We’ll schedule it for next week, before Kylie starts to show. The sooner, the better, so no one else gets a whiff of this,” Dad said decisively. Aunt Celeste moved closer, her eyes studying me, scrutinizing every inch of my face.

“I didn’t expect this from you two,” Aunt Celeste’s tone was sharp as a blade. “I never thought you’d end up in this position, Kylie. Especially with a man you don’t even love.”

Her words cut deep. She was referencing Atlas, of course. She knew how vocal I had been about my feelings for him. But the truth, the real truth about Rage, was burning a hole in my chest.

“This isn’t the time to bring up those things,” Atlas intervened, trying to deflect her harsh words.

“Oh, I’m just curious,” Aunt Celeste pressed, her gaze narrowing. “Why are you two so vocal about this pregnancy when it feels... off? I’m not convinced. Is that really Atlas’s child you’re carrying, Kylie?”

The tension in the room snapped like a taut rope. Her question was loaded, daring us to confess.

“Celeste—” Dad warned, his voice a low growl.

“No, Vic, I want to know. This is important. For the future of the Robert and Valdez families. What if... the baby isn’t Atlas’s?”

“Celeste!” Dad barked. “What are you implying? That my daughter is carrying another man’s child?”

Aunt Celeste laughed, but it was a cruel sound. “I’m not implying anything. I’m just saying we can’t be sure. After all, none of us were there to witness it.”

Atlas’s face tightened with anger. “Are you hearing yourself? Do we need to provide some kind of proof for you, like a video, to convince you that it happened? It’s ridiculous.”

Dad stepped in again, his voice calmer this time. “Celeste, let it go. It’s not our business how they do things. Atlas is ready to take responsibility, and that’s all that matters. Now, you two should get some rest.”

The room felt like it deflated slightly as Aunt Celeste and Dad left us alone. The tears I had been holding back finally spilled over, and Atlas pulled me into a tight embrace.

“Shh, it’s okay. I’m here,” he whispered, rubbing my back as I tried to keep my sobs under control. “Let’s go upstairs. You need to rest.”

I wiped my tears and nodded. “What about you?” I asked quietly as we headed towards my room.

“I’ll wait for my parents. Then I’ll come check on you,” he said with a small, reassuring smile. I tried to smile back, but it was weak, forced. Turning away, I headed up the stairs to my room.

As I reached the hallway, I froze. Vaness stood outside her room, glaring at me with a look so full of hatred it made my skin prickle.

I knew why she was angry. She had just learned about Atlas and me. Even I hated it. I hated that I was using Atlas to protect my family from Aunt Celeste’s schemes. But I had no choice.

I exhaled deeply, attempting to walk past her, but her hand shot out, gripping my arm tightly. Before I could react, her hand cracked against my cheek with a force that left me stunned.

Vaness’s slap stung more than I expected, and for a moment, I just stood there, frozen in shock. Her eyes were wild, her face twisted with fury. "You slut! You think you can lie to everyone, but I know the truth!" she hissed, her voice trembling with rage. She raised her hand to strike me again, but this time, I caught her wrist before it made contact.

"Enough, Vaness!" Atlas’s voice boomed from the hallway as he rushed over, grabbing Vaness’s other arm and pulling her back. The tension in the air was thick, electrifying, as he stepped between us, shielding me from her. Vaness’s eyes flickered between us, confusion and anger clouding her expression.

"You think I don’t know? That baby isn’t his," she spat, venom dripping from her words. "You’re lying to everyone, and when I find out the truth, you’ll pay for ruining everything!"

"Vaness, stop it," Atlas said, his tone firm but calm. "You’re only making this worse."

Her gaze softened as she looked at him, and for a fleeting moment, I could see the hurt behind her anger. It wasn’t just about me; she had always been obsessed with Atlas. This was about more than a baby—it was about her losing him, the man she had tried so desperately to win.

"Let me go, Atlas," she whispered, her voice breaking. He released her arm, stepping back, but not before giving her a warning look.

"Don’t do this," he said quietly. "Don’t make this harder than it has to be."

Vaness glared at me one last time, her eyes full of malice, before turning on her heel and storming off down the hallway. The tension hung in the air, thick and suffocating, even after she was gone.

Atlas turned to me, his expression softening with concern. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, though my cheek still burned from her slap. The emotional weight of everything was far heavier than the physical pain. "I’ll be fine," I muttered, though I wasn’t sure if I believed it.

"Let’s get you out of here," he said, gently guiding me toward my room. I didn’t resist, too drained to argue. As we walked down the hallway, my mind raced with thoughts of Vaness’s accusations, her rage, and the lie I had allowed Atlas to take on. Guilt clawed at my insides. He didn’t deserve to suffer for this, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could let this continue.