Chapter 19

It’s too quiet in our room as I lie on the bed. Luk’s side is empty, and I feel like he’s been gone forever. I’ve been trying to write in my journal, but the notebook just sits there, staring back at me. I keep moving the pen around on the page, but no words issue forth. It’s like my brain is too full of everything that has happened, and I’m unable to formulate any other thoughts.

We’ve only been married a little over two months, yet in that short time, I feel like we’re the main characters in some crazy action movie. Finding out about my pregnancy should feel amazing, but with the threat of danger surrounding us, I can’t help but feel scared. Really scared. I’m constantly wondering how Luk is going to react to the news. The timing of this baby couldn’t be worse. Our enemies are lining up just as we’re about to bring a new life into the world.

But regardless of how frightened I am, I can’t sit around and do nothing. It’s time to face things head-on. Sharon is at the center of many of my questions, and I am determined to pry the answers out of her.

I put the journal away. I’ve got to be smart and cautious. I have to dig into my family’s secrets without causing a confrontation and without Sharon knowing.

I feel the clock ticking, and it’s driving me crazy, like time is counting down to something big. I’ve got to make a move, and fast. I’m not going to let anyone threaten our little family. I get out of bed, feeling more determined than ever. I’m ready to take on whatever it is that’s hiding in the dark for our sake and our baby’s. It’s time to find out the truth, no matter what.

The garden is alive with color, each flower basking in the morning sun. Lily is knee-deep in dirt and petals, looking every bit the garden goddess she is. Watching her work is like a hit of calm, something I am in desperate need of.

“Lily,” I blurt out, my heart racing with the news I’d been carrying around. “I’m pregnant.”

She freezes, hands in midair, dirt crumbling from her fingers, then whips around with a smile so big it nearly splits her face. “Oh, Maura! That’s amazing! Perhaps it’s not the best timing with all of this craziness, but still, amazing.”

“Right?” I say, laughing, but it sounds more like a sigh. “I haven’t even told Luk yet. How does one drop a bomb like this amongst all this mess?”

Lily stands and wipes her hands on her apron before coming over, her eyes shining with something fierce and protective. “Maura, that man cares deeply for you. This baby’s going to be a beacon for you both. But yes, we need to make sure that everyone stays safe.”

Her words are meant to lift me, and they do, but they also create a commotion inside me. I’m torn, standing on the edge of a cliff with my family’s secrets on one side and my new, growing family on the other.

“I get that and thank you. It’s just…” I trail off, my worries too big and tangled to put into words.

Lily steps closer, her warmth cutting through the morning chill. “Hey, whatever you need, I’m here. This place,” she gestures around us, “is your fortress. And that little one?” She smiles gently as she points to my belly, “is going to be the most loved kid ever.”

She wraps me in a hug, providing me with momentary comfort and a promise of support. But still, a battle wages within, hope and fear duking it out.

“Thanks, Lily,” I manage to say, my voice thick. “I just need to figure all of this out. I have to figure out how to shield this baby from what’s coming.”

She squeezes my hand, her grip solid and sure. “You will. You’re made of tough stuff. And you’re not alone in this.”

Lily’s assurance is a spark in the dark, kindling that fire in me that had been smothered by fear and uncertainty. As we walk back toward the mansion, I know what I have to do. My family’s secrets, Sharon’s dealings… it’s time to pull back the curtain, and I need Lily’s help to do it.

That afternoon, we find a quiet nook in the house to hide in, a secluded corner that feels miles away from the chaos. Daylight streams through the windows, casting patterns on the floor, a reminder that life, with all its complexities, still moves forward.

“Lily,” I tell her in a whisper, “I need to dig into my stepmother’s activities. There’s something she’s not telling me, something that could be the key to all this madness.”

Lily’s eyebrows shoot up, but she nods, her usual warmth tempered with seriousness. “You think she’s involved in the attempts on your life?”

“I honestly don’t know,” I admit, feeling the weight of my suspicions. But I can’t shake the feeling that she knows more than she’s letting on. Luk’s way of handling things is direct and powerful, but this needs a subtler touch. I don’t want to start an all-out war without knowing what we’re walking into.”

Lily leans in, her eyes sharp. “How can I help? You know I’m with you every step of the way.”

A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. I am so grateful for her unwavering support. “First, I need to get my hands on any financial records and communications, including emails and phone calls, anything that might give us a clue to what she’s been up to. I’m thinking of starting with the business dealings. There have to be traces somewhere.”

“Smart,” Lily nods, her mind already ticking over the possibilities. “I can start poking around—discreetly, of course. I’ll bet there are people in the family who aren’t as loyal to Sharon as she thinks they are. That could be a way in.”

“And,” I continue, the plan crystallizing with each word, “we need to do this without alerting Luk. At least not yet. He’d go in, guns blazing, and that’s the last thing we need right now.”

Lily’s agreement is immediate. “Understood. We’ll keep it quiet, just between the two of us. Luk’s got enough on his plate, and the last thing he needs is to worry about internal family drama.”

As we map out our strategy, I can’t help but feel both excitement and dread. The path ahead is fraught with danger, but the need to protect my family, to protect the little life growing inside me, outweighs any fear.

“Thanks, Lil,” I say, feeling a surge of affection for the woman who’s become more than just staff, more than just a friend. She’s become like family to me. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

She squeezes my hand, a gesture of solidarity. “You’d do just fine. But the good news is you don’t have to. We’re in this together.”