Chapter 08

Kylie

Once we reached my room, Atlas shut the door behind us, and the silence between us grew louder. I sat on the edge of my bed, my hands trembling as I rested them on my lap. He knelt down in front of me, his hands resting on my knees, his warm touch grounding me.

"Kylie," he began, his voice low and steady. "We need to talk about what just happened."

I looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "Atlas, I’m sorry," I whispered. "I never meant for any of this to happen. You shouldn’t have to deal with this."

He sighed, his thumb gently tracing circles on my knee. "I told you, I’ll help you through this. But we need to be careful. Vaness won’t let this go. She’s determined to find out the truth."

I swallowed hard, the weight of his words pressing down on me. "You don’t have to keep pretending, Atlas," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don’t want you to suffer because of me. I never should’ve dragged you into this."

He lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. His eyes were filled with understanding, but also something deeper—an unwavering determination. "You didn’t drag me into this, Kylie. I chose to help you. I’ll protect you and the baby, no matter what."

Tears stung at the corners of my eyes. He was too good, too selfless. And I didn’t deserve it. "But it’s not your responsibility," I whispered, my voice trembling. "The baby… it’s not yours to begin with, Atlas."

His expression didn’t falter. He had known this from the beginning, but hearing the words aloud seemed to solidify the weight of the situation. "I know," he said quietly. "But I’m still here, and I’m not going anywhere. We’ll figure this out, together."

I didn’t have the strength to argue anymore. The burden of hiding the truth had taken its toll on me, and Atlas’s quiet resolve only made me feel more conflicted. How could I let him sacrifice so much for a lie? How could I let him take on the weight of this child, knowing it wasn’t his?

Days passed and I’m still not okay with this, knowing that I have a burden to carry yet still their life moves forward, but here I am still stuck with this problem and can’t vent out. My problem with Vaness, that I know she can’t accept the fact that Atlas, the guy that she loved, was really helping me through this thing and I know where she’s coming from. But I can’t accept the fact that both her and aunt Celeste wanted our wealth.

Each day I saw how they really prepared our wedding like it was an extravagant experience, I don’t know why they wanted this to happen, is it because of my pregnancy? Or they really wanted this to happen so that they can do the collaboration that they really wanted so that they can be unstoppable in the business world.

“Why are you still here, Kylie? You should get rest,” Atlas’s mom told me. I smiled at her like I really meant it. I don’t know what to say, because I really saw in their eyes how they are looking forward to this to happen. But afraid not, this is not what I wanted, I don’t want to hurd Atlas, I don’t want him to suffer just to help me get through this. This is not me, this is not the Kylie that I knew.

This is my problem and I should be the one who will fix this. I should not let other people interfere and involve them in this kind of mess. I want him to be free, because he deserves it. He doesn't deserve to be tied up in this mess, even though his feelings are real, but that is not a valid reason for me to use him. So even though everyone will paint me as a bad one, I will and fully accept it, because this is the problem that I’m facing.

Dinner that night was tense. My father sat at the head of the table, his presence domineering as always. Celeste, ever the perfect wife, sat by his side, sipping her wine while Vaness shot me cold glares from across the table. My hands were trembling as I pushed the food around on my plate, but I knew there was no backing out now.

“You know what, the venue is really good. One thing, Kylie, you should go to the designer tomorrow so that you can chose the gown that you will be wearing to your big day,” dad said with fully smile on his face like it was a dream for him to see his daughter walk on the isle and marry the man that will give her life.

But sadly, because those smiles are for his goal, and that goal which is the collaboration of Valdez and Robert’s business.

"I have something to say," I said, my voice wavering slightly. All eyes turned toward me, and the room grew eerily quiet. My father raised an eyebrow, his usual impatience barely concealed.

"Well, go on then," he grumbled, setting his fork down. This is the right time to tell them about this. I know that he will be mad but I will accept it.

I took a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest. "The baby I’m carrying… it’s not Atlas’s."

The silence that followed was suffocating. My father’s face turned a dangerous shade of red, and Celeste’s wine glass paused halfway to her lips. Vaness sat back, a smug look of satisfaction spreading across her face.

"What?" my father finally growled, his voice low and filled with fury. "What did you just say?"

I swallowed hard, my throat tightening. "The baby… isn’t Atlas’s. I made a mistake, and it happened with someone else. Atlas offered to help me, but I can’t keep lying to you. To any of you."

The silence stretched on, thick and heavy. My father’s expression darkened, and the tension in the room became unbearable. He stood abruptly, the chair scraping harshly against the floor.

"Who is he?" he demanded, his voice booming through the dining room. "Tell me who the father is!"

I lowered my gaze, unwilling to meet his eyes. "I… I can’t tell you that," I whispered.

His fist slammed down onto the table, rattling the silverware and causing Celeste to jump in her seat. "You can’t tell me? You disgrace this family, and you refuse to tell me who’s responsible for this?"

I flinched, the weight of his anger crashing over me. But I couldn’t give him Rage’s name. I knew if I did, it would only make things worse. Rage was the head of Montez Enterprises, our family’s bitter rival. If my father found out I was carrying his child, the fallout would be catastrophic.

"Kylie," my father’s voice softened slightly, a dangerous edge creeping in. "You will tell me who he is, or I’ll make sure this problem is dealt with another way."

My stomach twisted in fear, but I held my ground. "It doesn’t matter who he is, Dad. I’m keeping the baby."

For a brief moment, it seemed like the world stopped. Then, my father’s face contorted in rage. "You’re keeping it?" he spat, his voice dripping with disgust. "You want to keep this bastard child and ruin everything we’ve worked for?"

I stood straighter, summoning every ounce of strength I had. "Yes. I’m keeping my child. You can say whatever you want about me, but I will not let you dictate what happens to my baby."

Celeste placed a hand on my father’s arm, trying to calm him, but his eyes never left mine. "You will not shame this family. You’ll go to the clinic tomorrow and get rid of this mistake, or you can leave this house and never come back."

The words hit me like a blow to the chest. I felt my knees weaken, but I forced myself to stay upright. My own father was asking me to choose between my child and my family. And yet, I already knew the answer.

Tears streamed down my face, but my voice was steady. "I won’t do it. I won’t kill my baby just to save your pride."

His face twisted in disgust, and he pointed toward the door. "Then get out. You’re no daughter of mine. Leave, and don’t you dare come back."

Celeste sat back, her expression cold and detached, while Vaness looked far too pleased with the outcome. Atlas, who had remained silent the entire time, reached for me, his face stricken with guilt and pain.

"Atlas, don’t," I said softly, stepping out of his reach. "This isn’t your fight. I appreciate everything you’ve done, but I have to do this alone."

He looked like he wanted to argue, but I shook my head. "I can’t let you give up your life for me. You deserve more than this."

The silence that followed was suffocating. My father’s words echoed in my mind, but there was no room for regret. This was my decision, and I would stand by it.

"I’ll leave tonight," I said, turning away from the table, ignoring the ache in my chest as I walked out of the dining room.

Packing was a blur. I stuffed as many clothes as I could into a suitcase, my hands trembling with the rush of adrenaline. I couldn’t believe this was happening. My entire life was here, and now I was being forced to leave it all behind. But it didn’t matter. All that mattered was protecting my child. No matter what.

As I zipped up my suitcase, I heard a knock at my door. For a moment, I thought it was my father, maybe even Vaness coming to gloat, but when I opened the door, it was Atlas.

"Let me help you," he said quietly, stepping into the room.

I shook my head, my heart aching at the sight of him. "Atlas, please. Don’t make this harder than it already is."

"I can’t just let you leave like this," he said, his voice filled with emotion. "I love you, Kylie. I don’t care if the baby isn’t mine. I want to be there for you, for both of you."

Tears welled up in my eyes again, and I forced a smile. "I know you do, and that’s why I have to go. You deserve a life where you don’t have to bear someone else’s mistakes."

He opened his mouth to argue, but I stepped closer, placing a hand on his cheek. "You’ve done enough. You’ve been more than anyone could ask for, and I’ll never forget that. But I can’t let you ruin your future for me."

His shoulders slumped in defeat, and he nodded slowly. "If you ever need anything, anything at all, I’ll be there."

I nodded, wiping away the tears that refused to stop falling. "Thank you, Atlas. For everything.Now, I’m setting you free."

I left that night, slipping quietly out of the mansion with my suitcase in hand. There was no grand farewell, no tearful goodbyes. My father had made his choice, and I had made mine.

With the money I had saved, I booked a one-way flight to New York, where my grandmother lived. She was the only family I had left, and I knew she would take me in without question. As the plane took off, the lights of the city disappearing beneath me, I placed a hand on my stomach, feeling the faint flutter of life within me.

"I’ll protect you," I whispered, my voice steady despite the tears. "No matter what."