Bradleyâs words pierced Estherâs heart like a blade, causing a profound pain that felt like a thousand arrows striking her at once.
She reached up and used both hands to cup Bradleyâs handsome face, locking her gaze with his intense eyes.
âBrad, itâs yours⦠Itâs yours,â she repeated, her voice trembling with emotion. âBradley, Iâm carrying your child.â
Bradleyâs grip on Estherâs chin relaxed, but his eyes probed hers, searching for the truth. The intensity of his gaze made Esther involuntarily let out a soft moan.
âYouâre pregnant?â Bradleyâs voice was cold, disbelief and doubt filling his eyes.
Esther nodded, her eyes wide and sincere.
âI donât believe you,â Bradley sneered and smiled mockingly, his thumb and forefinger cruelly pinching Estherâs chin.â Esther, youâve always been crafty, spinning lies and deception. Youâd even feign amnesia to manipulate me. How can I trust something as important as a pregnancy coming from you?â
With those words, Bradley kissed her forcefully, ignoring her protests. His kiss felt like raindrops gently caressing peach blossoms in a spring breeze. Initially resistant, the blossoms gradually yielded to the rainâs embrace, turning passionate and enchanting.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Estherâs abdomen, spreading throughout her body. She gasped in alarm and clutched Bradleyâs collar with her pale hand. Her words broke into desperate fragments, like a fish gasping for air. âBrad, take me⦠Take me to the hospital now.â
Her abdomen twisted in agonizing spasms, and Esther drew in a sharp breath, the pain so intense it left her breathless. âStop pretending, Esther!â Bradley snarled. He covered her mouth and fiercely bit her delicate earlobe.
âNo!
âDonât!
âPlease!
âBrad, our childâ¦.
âSave the childâ¦â
Estherâs body contorted in pain. Tears overflowed from her eyes as she cried and pleaded, only to be silenced by Bradleyâs unyielding hand.
Bradleyâs emotions grew tangled at the thought that if he hadnât arrived in time, Esther might have been with another man. He felt like a lone wolf racing through the wild, consumed by the urge to make Esther his own.
Her body, heart, bones, and blood-her everything had to be his!
His jealousy overwhelmed his reason.
His eyes burned crimson, like a hungry wolf claiming its hard-won prey. He longed to have her all to himself. Memories of events five years ago eluded Bradley, as he savored once again the ecstasy he had experienced then. The mere memory of Estherâs lifeless state when he had confined her in the villa made his blood boil.
Estherâs body dripped with cold sweat, her delicate face now as pale as a sheet.
The agony made Esther grip Bradleyâs skin tightly. She hoped it would make Bradley realize how urgently she needed help and get her to the hospital in time. Maybe, if they reached the hospital soonâ¦.