Chapter 3
I rested against the soft pillows,
exhausted to my very bones.
The medication made me drowsy,
but the fear kept me awake.
Nathan was still out there,
somewhere in this building,
waiting to strike.
The door to the suite suddenly flew open,
hitting the wall with a loud crash.
I flinched,
my heart leaping into my throat.
Nathan stood in the doorway,
his expensive suit perfectly pressed,
his face twisted in a sneer.
Behind him stood three ruthless attorneys,
clutching thick leather briefcases.
"There you are, Ava,"
Nathan said,
stepping into the room as if he owned it.
"You thought you could hide from me,
hide my children from me?"
I shrank back into the bed,
pulling the blankets up to my chin.
"Get out,"
I whispered,
my voice shaking violently.
Nathan laughed,
a cold,
cruel sound that made my skin crawl.
"I am not leaving without my heirs,
you pathetic woman."
He took another step forward,
reaching into his jacket for a legal document.
"I have a court order,
granting me full custody upon their birth."
Before he could take another step,
a massive shadow detached itself from the corner of the room.
Lucian stepped into the light,
blocking Nathan's path completely.
"You will not take another step, Drake,"
Lucian said softly,
dangerously.
Nathan stopped dead in his tracks,
his arrogant smirk vanishing in an instant.
He looked at the towering billionaire,
his eyes widening in pure shock.
"Mr. Blackwood,"
Nathan stammered,
suddenly looking like a frightened child.
"I did not realize you were here,
I apologize for the intrusion."
Lucian did not move,
his presence radiating lethal authority.
"You are trespassing in my private suite,
threatening a woman under my protection."
Nathan swallowed hard,
glancing nervously at his highly paid lawyers.
"Sir,
this is a family matter,
she is my ex-wife."
"She is nothing to you,"
Lucian corrected him,
taking a slow,
deliberate step toward Nathan.
"You discarded her this afternoon,
leaving her with nothing."
Nathan backed up,
bumping into one of his own attorneys.
"The children are mine,
I have the rights to them,"
Nathan argued,
though his voice lacked its usual confidence.
Lucian tilted his head,
a cruel smile playing on his lips.
"You have no rights here, Drake,
because those children are mine."
The entire room went dead silent,
the air sucking out of the space.
I stared at Lucian in absolute shock,
my mouth falling open.
Nathan turned pale,
his jaw dropping as he processed the words.
"That is impossible,"
Nathan whispered,
looking back and forth between us.
"Nothing is impossible for me,"
Lucian replied smoothly,
May you like
"Now get out of my sight,
before I destroy your pathetic little company."
