Nathan's POV

I sat in my living room, my phone in one hand, the TV remote in the other.


The conference was shown live.

Big banners, fancy chairs and young people everywhere, high dignitaries seated in the front row and the event looked real even I was impressed.

George did a perfect job.


The stage was decorated with my fake company's logo, Youth Forward Initiative." I laughed a little. There was nothing real about it. The whole event was a trap. A carefully planned trap.

And now, the best part began.


Jane walked up to the podium and my heart raced with excitement.

She looked beautiful, strong, and proud. But I knew she had no idea what was coming.

I watched closely as she started talking. She smiled and her voice was loud and clear, and then it happened.

She paused, her face changed and she touched her stomach. Yes.

She was feeling it.

The poison was working.

I gripped the armrest of my chair tighter. My eyes didn't move from the screen. My breath was slow.

She tried to keep talking and she drank the water Rita gave her, right on time and then boom, she fell.

The camera cuts off, but the live audience screams fill my living room.

I sat back, my smile grew wide.

'She drank it," I whispered to myself. 'She actually drank it."

It worked and exactly how we planned it.

The poison was perfect. A special mix from a doctor I paid in cash. No trace and he promised it wouldn't kill Jane, it would just flush out the baby, like a strong medicine.

That baby, Hades' baby. I hated that man.

I hated everything he stood for.

I still remembered when Jane accused him and sent him to jail. I remembered how she stood strong in court and I watched her protect her truth.

But deep down, I hated that she was ever touched by that man and now, if this poison did what it was meant to do, then the baby would be gone, that child was the only thing connecting her to Hades.

Once that was gone… she would be free. Free to come back to me and free to be mine again.

My phone rang, it was George.

I smiled wider and picked up.

'She drank it," I said.

'I know," George replies, laughing on the other end. 'It is everywhere. Jane Grande collapsed on stage during a speech. It's already trending online. News stations are picking it up fast."

'She's in the hospital now," I say calmly. 'Probably confused, probably scared. They will soon confirm she lost the baby."

George chuckled darkly. 'Once that happens, it's game over. You will have her again. She will come running to you."

I nodded slowly. 'That's the plan."

'She will be vulnerable," he continued. 'Sad. Hurt. She will need someone to lean on and we will be there."

'No," I said, 'I will be there."

George agreed. 'Right. Right. All yours."

I ended the call and sat back.

I imagine it all clearly, Jane crying, lost. alone and reaching out for me and coming back to the one man she thought she could always trust.

Once she was mine again, I will never let go.

And with her by my side, I will build everything I ever wanted, power, money and respect.

She was the key and always has been.

And now, she was almost mine again.

I leaned back, closed my eyes, and whispered, 'Goodbye, baby. Hello, empire."

Jane's POV

I lay quietly on the hospital bed and my hands rested on my stomach, gently. The white bed sheet covered me up to my chest. The room was quiet, except for the soft beep of the machine beside me.

I was still weak and my head hurt a little. My body felt slow, but I was awake and my baby, my baby , was safe. That was all I cared about.

There was a knock on the door.

It opened slowly, and I saw him.

My father, Grande.

He stepped in, wearing a grey suit. His face looked tired. His eyes were red like he had been crying.

'Dad," I said and tried to sit up a little.

He walked to me and sat by the bed. He held my hand gently.

'I came as soon as I heard," he said. 'I saw the news. Jane, my daughter" His voice broke. '

You could have died."

I swallowed and nodded slowly. 'I know. I am sorry."

He squeezed my hand. 'This is why I always tried to protect you. You are too kind sometimes. Too brave. The world is not safe, Jane. It is full of evil. That is why I told you to let me help you. That was why I wanted to secure your future."

I nodded again. 'I understand now."

'Stop attending public events," he said firmly. 'Stop going out for useless conferences. It is not worth it."

'I will be more careful," I promised

He stared at me for a long time and then he stood and walked to the window. He stared outside for a moment and his back was facing me.

I smile faintly. 'Well… I am just glad the poison didn't affect the baby."

I didn't even realize I had said it out loud.

His head turned quickly.

'What?" he said, and walked back to the bed. 'What did you say?"

I froze.

My mouth opened, but no words came out.

'You are pregnant?" he asked, his eyes wide. 'Jane… is that true?"

I nodded slowly. 'Yes."

He sighed deeply and closed his eyes. 'You didn't tell me. Why?"

'I didn't know how," I said quietly.

He sat back down. 'Who is the father?"

I looked away.

'Jane. Who is the father?" he asked again, more serious now.

I whispered, 'Hades."

He leaned back like someone slapped him.

'Hades?" he repeated. 'The same Hades I begged you to marry? The same Hades you locked in prison?"

I nodded again, shame burning in my chest.

He shook his head in disbelief. 'Jane, if you had married Hades, none of this would be happening. You wouldn't be poisoned, you wouldn't be hunted, and your company… your company would be the number one empire in the world."

I looked at him, shocked. 'Dad… how can you say that?"

'Because it's true," he said 'That man loved you in his own way. He had power. He had influence. Together, you would have been unstoppable."

'No!" I shouted. 'Don't say that! He tricked me, he raped me and he planned everything just to break me!"

My father was quiet.

His jaw tightened and he looked at me with sad eyes.

'I will never have anything to do with Hades again," I said sharply. 'Let him rot in jail. That's where monsters like him belong."

My father was about to speak again, but my phone rang.

It was Tom.

I quickly grabbed it and answered. 'Tom?"

'Jane," Tom said. His voice was calm but serious. 'We traced the source of the fake youth conference."

I sat up straighter. 'And?"

'It all leads to a location, Nathan's villa."

My heart dropped

I blinked, and I was shocked. 'Nathan?"

'Yes," Tom said. 'The documents, the bookings, the company name, everything, was created and funded from his villa. We are still digging deeper, but there is no doubt."

I clenched the bedsheet.

Of course.

Nathan.

I thought I was careful. I thought I was in control. But he still found a way to get to me.

And now he tried to take my baby too.

I ended the call and looked at my father. My voice was low, but firm.

'I will put whoever did this behind bars."

And this time, I won't miss it.