"While Aurielle tries to breathe, the Delacroix women sharpen their knives.
War is no longer coming—it has already started."
I stayed frozen, eyes on Adrien, my heart aching at how small he looked under the hospital lights. His little chest rose and fell with the oxygen mask, and I couldn't help but reach out, pressing my palm gently on his forehead. My beautiful son… I missed him more than I could ever say.
Behind me, I sensed movement. Kieran stepped inside. I didn't look up, didn't even notice him. But I could feel his presence, sharp and calculating. I didn't see him move closer, yet I heard the subtle shift of his weight as he strained his neck, angling himself to catch a glimpse of Adrien's face.
If he saw… he didn't. His phone rang sharply, and he had to step outside to answer it.
The soft click of the door opening startled me. Jason entered, carrying a few nylon packs. The moment he saw me, his face hardened, and a sharp edge cut into his voice.
"Oh… so you came back," he said, his eyes stormy, full of hurt. "You remember you have a son. You remember you have a best friend."
I couldn't respond. Kieran's words from the car echoed in my mind: Don't speak. Don't look at anyone. Don't say a word. I swallowed, choking back the lump in my throat.
Jason's anger built as he stepped closer. "You actually went ahead and got married while your son was sick? You went and married Kieran D'Angelo? What… what did you do to him, Auri? What spell did you cast that made him marry you?"
Tears pricked at my eyes, but I said nothing. I couldn't. I couldn't risk Jason's safety—or anyone's.
He didn't wait for an answer. He gripped both my arms, shaking me lightly. "Speak to me! Answer me, Auri! After everything I've done… after always taking care of you…"
Then, the words I hadn't seen coming:
"I… I loved you, Auri. I always loved you. I was too scared to tell you, but I've been in love with you all this time."
My eyes widened, my lips parted, but no words came. I silently motioned for him to let go, fear prickling down my spine. If Kieran came back now… I couldn't risk it.
Jason's grip loosened reluctantly. He shook his head, jaw tight. "I treated Adrien as my own. Everything I did… and this is how you repay me? This isn't over, Auri." With that, he turned sharply and left the room.
As he exited, his eyes met Kieran's outside the room. Kieran's phone call paused, and their gazes locked. Recognition flickered for both of them—fleeting, unspoken. They passed each other without a word, each storing that fleeting impression away.
I remained there, brushing my fingers over Adrien's tiny hands, pressing another kiss to his forehead. Kieran's voice finally broke the quiet:
"It's time to go," he said, calm but commanding.
I nodded reluctantly, still lingering over my son.
"We'll visit again," he added, eyes dark, "I have an important meeting. We'll come back for him."
I pressed one last kiss to Adrien's head, my heart twisting with both relief and dread.
Back in the Delacroix mansion, Kendella's room was a storm of chaos. Clothes and papers were scattered across the floor, her favorite things tossed aside in a flurry of frustration and despair. She fell to her knees in the center of the mess, tears streaming down her cheeks, chest heaving as she let out a wail that shook the quiet of the mansion.
Her mother, Marlies, appeared in the doorway, eyes sharp as she took in the scene. "Kendella… what is all this? Stop. Tell me what's going on," she demanded, her voice a mixture of concern and authority.
Kendella buried her face in her hands, shoulders trembling. "Mother… she… she's ruined everything! She stole him from me—my Kieran! My childhood… my love… everything! I tried, I tried so hard to push her out of his life, but… but she's replaced me. She's… she's everything I was supposed to be!"
Marlies stepped closer, kneeling beside her daughter, gripping her shoulders firmly. "Look at me, Kendella. Nothing like that has happened. Listen to me—you have me. And I can promise you this: Kieran will be yours. No one… not that girl, not anyone else, will take him from you."
Kendella froze, blinking up at her mother in disbelief. The tone in Marlies' voice—so unlike her usual coldness—sent a shiver down her spine. "How… how do you mean?" she whispered.
Marlies leaned in, her smile wicked and deliberate. "It's time for that little girl to leave our lives for good. Everything you want… it will be yours. I won't let anyone take it away from you."
Kendella's breath caught, a mixture of shock and excitement. She hesitated for a moment before throwing her arms around her mother, clutching her tightly. Marlies returned the embrace with a calculated tenderness, as though the warmth of the hug masked the steel underneath.
In Marlies' mind, the plans were already forming. Aurielle had no idea what was coming. No idea that the Delacroix family had just decided she would be erased from Kieran's life entirely. And Marlies smiled wickedly to herself, plotting every move with precision.