I paced the length of my room until the carpet felt worn thin beneath my feet.
Back and forth. Back and forth.
Every step sounded like a countdown.
Valentin's last words wouldn't leave my head.
A surprise.
When a man like Valentin Von Stein promised a surprise, it wasn't flowers or jewelry—it was a trap. It was a display of power.
My mind raced through the darkest possibilities. Had he seen Ayo slip me the device? Was he waiting to reveal my "betrayal" in front of the entire household? Or maybe he had found out something even worse.
If Valentin discovered it. He would take Adrien. He would take my unborn child. And I would disappear into one of the house's many silent rooms where screams never reached the walls.
I pressed my palm against my stomach, feeling the faintest flutter.
"I'll protect you," I whispered, though my voice shook.
But how?
Should I call the number?
Should I destroy the phone?
Should I pretend to obey him until I found a better moment to run?
