BEAUTY IN THE BEAST

Bound By Blood

Ch 134: Bound by Blood

Kat

The dim light of dawn filtered through the heavy curtains of the grand bedroom, casting a soft glow on the antique furniture that surrounded me. The past three weeks had been a blur, a whirlwind of emotions and revelations that left me in a state of constant turmoil. I am sitting on the edge of my ornate bed, my hand instinctively moving to my stomach, where I had discovered a secret that would change everything.

Two pink lines. I stared at them in disbelief this morning, the implications of those lines weigh heavily on my heart. I should have felt joy, a sense of elation at the thought of new life growing within me. But instead, all I could feel was dread like last time. Ace, the father of my child, has become a man I despise. He had manipulated me, controlled me, and turned my life into a nightmare. And now, I was carrying his child.

I close my eyes, trying to block out the memories that had been haunting me since I woke up in this house. This wasn't just any house—it was my grandfather's home, the stronghold of the O'Sullivans, the head of the Irish Mafia. The realization had come slowly, the pieces falling into place as I pieced together the fragmented memories from the night Andrei had brought me here.

Three weeks earlier, I had been disoriented, barely conscious as Andrei dragged me through the back alleys of the city. I remember the harsh neon lights flickering above, casting eerie shadows on the walls. Andrei had been tense, his usual cocky demeanour replaced by something darker, more sinister. I had watched through half-lidded eyes as he made a deal with a man I couldn't recognize, the words slipping in and out of my consciousness.

The next thing I remember is waking up in a lavish room, far removed from the dingy streets I had been in before. The air here is different—cleaner, colder. And the faces that greeted me were not the ones I had been expecting. It had taken me days to realize where I was, to understand that the man who had been caring for me, who had spoken to me in hushed, gentle tones, was none other than my grandfather, the man who had ruled the Irish Mafia with an iron fist.

At first, I was wary, suspicious of his intentions. But as the days turned into weeks, I began to let my guard down. My grandfather was nothing like the men who had torn my life apart. He spoke of my mother with reverence, telling me stories of her bravery, her defiance against the forces that had sought to control her. He told me how she had loved my father, despite the odds, and how she had fought to protect me until her last breath.

Those stories had brought me a sense of comfort, a connection to the mother I had never truly known. And yet, they had also deepened the rift within me. I had been born into a world of violence and betrayal, a world that had shaped me into the woman I had become. But now, I was faced with a choice—a choice that could either save me or destroy me.

My hand lingered on my stomach, the reality of my situation settling over me like a heavy shroud. I had been here for three weeks, protected and cared for by my grandfather's men. But I knew that I couldn't stay hidden forever. Ace was out there, searching for me, and it was only a matter of time before he found me.

But he couldn't know. He couldn't know about the baby, about the life we had created in a whirlwind of deceit and lies. I had made up my mind—I would keep this secret from him, no matter the cost. He has already taken so much from me, and I refused to let him take this too.

The door creaked open, and I look up to see my grandfather standing in the doorway. His eyes are kind, but there is a hardness there, a steely resolve that reminds me of the power he held. He crosses the room and sits beside me, his hand resting gently on my shoulder.

"You've been quiet today, lass," he said, his voice low and soothing. "What's on your mind?"

I hesitated, unsure of how to put my thoughts into words. "I'm just... thinking," I finally replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

He nods, as if he understood. "It's a lot to take in, I know. But you're safe here, Katherine. You don't have to worry about him anymore."

But I did worry. Ace was a constant presence in my mind, his voice, his touch, his betrayal all etched into my memory. I had trusted him, and he had used that trust to manipulate me, to control me. And now, even as I sat in the safety of my grandfather's home, I couldn't shake the fear that he would find me, that he would take me back to that gilded cage I had escaped from.

"I don't want him to know," I said, my voice trembling. "I don't want him to find out where I am."

My grandfather's expression softened, but there was a flicker of concern in his eyes. "You have my word, Katherine. He won't find you here. You're under my protection now."

I nod, trying to believe him, trying to find solace in his words. But deep down, I knew that this was only temporary. Ace was relentless, and he wouldn't stop until he had me back. And when that day came, I would have to face the reality of what I had become—a woman caught between two worlds, bound by blood and torn by love.

As the hours passed, I find myself alone again, the silence of the house amplifying the chaos in my mind. My thoughts drift back to the last moments I had spent with Andrei, the man who had tormented me, just as Ace had. But he was different that night, the thought echoes in my conscious for the millionth time since I was thrown here, his words lacked fear, there was a steely resolve, a dark, sinister energy surrounding him. I shake my head, the thought is like a loop, a disc stuck in the record player, I am overthinking it, nobody knows where Andrei Mikhailov is anymore, not my grandfather and especially not anyone else, all I know is my grandfather had some sort of deal with Andrei on keeping me captive until he returned for me, while all along playing to get me here, to safety under my maternal family.

I replayed the scene in my mind, trying to make sense of it all. Andrei had been frantic, his usually calm demeanour shattered as he argued with the man on phone in the alley. I had been too disoriented to understand what he were saying, but I knew that whatever deal they had made, it had sealed my fate.

Now, as I sat in my grandfather's house, I couldn't help but wonder what Andrei's role in all of this had been.

My grandfather had been the one to fill in the gaps, to reveal the parts of the story I hadn't known. Over long conversations in the dimly lit study, he told me about the lengths he had gone to in order to protect me from Ace's father. The deals he had struck, the favours he had called in, all to keep me out of the reach of the Bratva. All the 'coincidences' I had given so much thought to made sense now, a part of me was hurt too though, hurt of feeling like an orphan when my grandfather was alive and well. My mother had wanted me to have a normal life as he said, far away from the violence that had consumed hers. But as much as my grandfather had tried, he now understood that it had been futile. I was already too far gone, too deeply entrenched in this world to ever escape it.

"He was obsessed with you, Katherine," my grandfather had said one evening, his voice tinged with regret. "Just like his father was with your mother. I tried to keep you safe, to give you a chance at a different life. But in the end, it wasn't enough."

I hadn't told him about the pregnancy, not yet. The thought of burdening him with that knowledge felt too cruel. He had already lost so much—his daughter, his peace of mind, his hope for a different future. But we did talk about Ace, about the man who had once been my everything and was now the source of my deepest pain.

"You loved him," my grandfather had said, more of a statement than a question. A part of me whispers that I still do.

I had nodded, unable to speak. I had loved Ace, once. But that love had been twisted into something unrecognizable, something that had left me broken and afraid.

"Love can be a dangerous thing, Katherine," my grandfather had continued, his eyes distant as if recalling his own memories. "It can blind you, make you do things you never thought possible. But it can also give you strength. You just have to decide what kind of strength you want it to be."

As the shadows grew longer, I knew that peace was still a distant dream. The storm was far from over, and I was caught in the eye of it, waiting for the winds to change and the truth to be revealed. My hand rested on my stomach, a silent promise to the life growing within me. I would protect this child, no matter what. And I would face whatever came next with the strength I had left, for myself and for my baby.

REVEALATIONS ALERT!!!!!! I must say though, the pain I am feeling for Ace in this chapter was quite enough to make me cry twice.

-love rky xoxo.