Bella’s POV
"How are they doing?" Hugo’s voice carried across the terrace as I stepped outside.
I had just erged from checking on the children, and exhaustion weighed heavily on my shoulders.
"Finally sleeping," I answered, my voice strained with fatigue.
The image of other mothers dealing with this mysterious illness haunted . How many were out there right now, watching their children suffer with no idea where to turn for help?
"We’re going to find answers. I promise you that," Hugo said, though I could hear the uncertainty beneath his reassuring words.
"Are we though?" The question escaped before I could stop it, tears threatening to spill over. "It’s been days of the sa routine. We interview these kids, force them to relive their nightmares, and then what exactly? Watching my daughter in that state nearly stopped my heart."
"Then we analyze everything we’ve gathered and piece together the puzzle. These dreams have to be connected to what’s happening to them," Hugo insisted, positioning himself against the terrace railing with his arms crossed defensively.
The small balcony offered a sweeping view of the mountain range, with the town’s buildings scattered below like toys.
"I don’t think you understand, Hugo. These children are my entire world. The re thought of them suffering is tearing apart," I said, my knuckles turning white as I gripped the tal railing.
Hugo remained across from , his posture rigid, while I stared out at the mountain peaks.
"I do understand," he said quietly. "And I owe you an apology for what I said before. You’ve raised incredible children. They’re remarkable kids, and that’s because of you."
His words made turn to face him directly.
"I’m being completely honest," he continued. "You’re an exceptional mother. You ca back to a place that holds nothing but bad mories for you, and you did it entirely for them." A slight smile crossed his face, though it didn’t reach his eyes.
"About our conversation earlier, I need to apologize if my relationship with your sister has made things uncomfortable for you," he began. "But you weren’t here, and she was the one who stood by ."
There it was again. Another ntion of her. My body tensed involuntarily.
I forced myself to appear unaffected.
"It doesn’t bother that you’re with her," I lied, the words bitter on my tongue.
I couldn’t ask him to end their relationship. Their choices were their own, and clearly, he had already decided where his loyalties lay. He had made it obvious how much she ant to him. As for , I had navigated the pain of that realization completely alone.
There would be no returning to whatever friendship we once shared.
"I want you to know that she’s genuinely different now," he added.
Again with the character transformation narrative. Each ti he said it, anger flared inside like a match being struck.
Perhaps it infuriated because he had never witnessed her cruelty firsthand. He hadn’t endured her relentless harassnt the way I had. So when he spoke as if he truly comprehended the situation, it struck a raw nerve.
I chose to ignore his comnt.
"I’m not asking you to end things with her," I said quickly.
My tone must have been sharper than intended, because his response ca just as fast.
"Good, because I won’t be ending anything. Actually, I’m planning to propose to her," he declared.
I turned to stare at him, speechless.
"I assud you were already engaged," I managed to ask, and he shook his head.
"I’ve referred to her as my fiancée before, but technically she’s my girlfriend. We’ve been organizing an engagent party for months now," he explained, his gaze shifting away. His head dropped slightly, and he only lifted his eyes enough to study my reaction.
"Well, congratulations then," I replied, unable to hide the bitterness that crept into my voice.
"Would you attend the engagent if we sent you an invitation?" he asked.
Just when I thought these n couldn’t possibly disappoint further, they found new ways to prove their complete lack of awareness. They were all completely clueless.
"No, Hugo. You have my best wishes, but that’s where my involvent ends," I stated coldly, crossing my arms protectively across my chest.
"I don’t understand your attitude about this. I an, I would want my child present at my engagent," Hugo said.
The words hung in the air between us. My head snapped toward him.
"Say that again. I don’t think I heard you correctly," I demanded, my voice carrying a dangerous edge.
He tilted his head, looking genuinely confused.
"Oh my God, Hugo, you are absolutely unbelievable!" I hissed, all the suppressed emotions rushing back as we launched into another heated argunt.
"What? I don’t give a damn about your ridiculous rules!" he shot back, unfolding his arms and straightening to his full height as his voice rose. "What the hell is this nonsense about not being able to acknowledge my own child?"
"Because you never wanted this child! You were prepared to arrange for soone to help get an abortion. What gives you the right to demand the title of father now?" I scread at him.
His eyes widened with fury. He wasn’t just insulted, he was genuinely shocked that I was challenging him.
"Because I want to be involved in my son’s life! I don’t care what I said before!" he shouted back, leaving stunned.
"That will never happen. Never! You rejected the idea of this baby. You despised the thought of fatherhood!" I yelled.
The wind suddenly picked up around us, whipping across our faces. The fury in his expression matched what I knew was reflected in mine.
"You approached all of us claiming one of us was the father without even knowing which one! How did you expect any man to react to that? I couldn’t even be sure the baby was mine! And I told you the final decision would be yours!" he shouted.
I was prepared to fire back. I had replayed that devastating conversation countless tis over the years, morizing every painful word.
"And you told the choice was mine, but that you would never give the baby your surna. The sa surna you’re demanding recognition for now," I shot back.
The guilt washed over his face imdiately. His shoulders sagged, his arms dropped to his sides, and his eyes fell for several seconds before eting mine again.
"Fine, I lied, alright? I wanted to be part of the baby’s life from the beginning," he admitted, his hands settling on his hips as he faced .
"It’s too late for that now," I said quietly.
As my voice dropped, his hands fell from his hips.
"I want to be part of his life, Bella. I really do." This ti, he didn’t shout. His voice was almost pleading.
"Unfortunately, there’s soone else in your life who wanted this child dead. And no matter how many tis you insist she’s changed, as a mother, I have every right to protect my son. Besides, I’m not even staying here permanently, so I don’t understand what kind of involvent you think you could possibly have in Zack’s life," I said softly.
A single tear traced down my cheek.
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