Astonishing Us

XLIV

Aether

I am crying in pain. I want to shout but I just can't and it is because of the cloth wrapped around my head and in between my mouth to keep me from making noise other than my soft sobs. I tried to move my hands but it was chained to each corner of the nasty bed so are my feet, I am almost naked.

I am only wearing the bikini Jaime had forced me to wear earlier, or was it earlier? I don't know anymore, I cannot sleep and my tummy is growling in Hunger, I don't know how many days I have been locked up in this basement but it feels like I have been here since forever.

I tried to get up to look at my tummy and cried hard to see some bruises not just over my stomach but around my body, when we get out of this house I run to the beach searching for some boat I could ride to leave and when I found nothing I was eager to escape from Jaime's hands so I run towards the forest of the island, I tripped and fell while running and that is when Jaime catches me, at first he was so careful as he pick me up just like how he was acting like we are sort of couple as I run to the beach to search for a boat to leave the island, he's taking photos using drone and saying sweet things like what he used to tell me when we were still together but then when his eyes fell on my stomach his face turned dark.

A cold smirk appeared on his lips and moved his hand from softly holding me to gripping and pulling my hair that made me groan in pain.

"Ah!"

He pulled me by pulling my hair and whispered to my ears.

"Tell me you're just a fat cow now and not pregnant Aet."

My eyes widened when I read what he was going to do when he disliked my answer. I shook my head as tears built up in my eyes.

"I'm not pregnant— aghk! Ahhh!" I cried in pain when I felt a hard punch landed on my stomach.

"Liar. You won't bleed if there's nothing inside that belly of yours," he said that made my teary eyes widen as I looked down at my thighs and saw blood flowing down from my center.

"N-No the baby... no no no— "

I closed my crying eyes shut when the door opened and the blinding light welcomed my tired eyes.

"Have you chosen, Love? You know you won't suffer that much if you said the word," Jaime chuckled as he played with a dagger in his hand.

"Choose me and you will only lose that fetus and I will keep Ridge breathing."

Ridge

AS THE SPEED BOAT is getting closer and closer at Island, I could only feel two emotions inside my chest, worry for Aether and anger to whoever tried to ruin us this time although I already have an idea that it is Jaime who's behind this again, just like how he was behind of everything that had happened months ago.

I gritted my teeth as I looked at the Island on the deck of my speed boat cleaning Axel's 9mm Browning Pistol. I felt a presence behind me and moments later someone standing behind where I am, tapped my shoulder, I looked at him when he was already beside me. It was Gin Lion, my cousin. He was with me together with his whole brotherhood in case this becomes a bloody fight, I wanted this to be my fight all alone honestly but thinking of how I could save Aether in case I was injured in battle gave me no choice but to accept the hand they're handling me.

"Control yourself as much as you can, Cous. If this becomes bloody, let us handle it and just save Aether. You cannot take risk and stain your name on what is going to happen, it can be used against you by any enemy's ally to turn the table."