Chapter 40: Rissa, Stop!

I rub my forehead.

"Okay..."

I take a shaky breath.

"Okay, we can take it out, right?"

Olivia’s expression changes instantly to horror.

"No!"

She immediately moves a protective hand over her stomach.

I stare at the gesture.

"You don’t want that?"

She shakes her head.

"No."

Her voice is quieter now.

"Please, no."

I eye her warily.

"Olivia..."

"I want my baby."

My mouth opens, but I don’t know what to say....of all the things I expected her to say, that wasn’t one of them.

I look at her hand resting protectively over her stomach.

She’s already attached to the baby, already willing to fight for it.

And suddenly, I understand that there is no convincing her.

I sigh.

"Okay."

She looks at me.

"Okay?"

"Yes."

I sit back down on the edge of the bed.

"If you’re keeping it, then you’re keeping it."

Her shoulders relax slightly.

"But..."

I point at her.

"Who is the father?"

She freezes for a second and my eyes narrow.

"Who is the father, Olivia?"

She looks away.

"Is it Aaron?"

She immediately shakes her head.

"Hell no."

I almost laugh from relief.

Aaron is one trust fund dude our father tried to set her up with about a year before he died.

The kind of man who had more money than personality.

I never liked him.....Neither did Olivia.

So if it isn’t him.....

"Then who is it, Olivia?"

She starts fiddling with her fingers.

"It’s, uhm..."

I lean forward.

"It’s what?"

She doesn’t answer.

"Spill."

She looks at me.

"It’s Nathaniel."

I stare at her in silence, i don’t blink or breathe.

I just stare at her dumbfounded.

Nathaniel, our enforcer.

The man who had been holding Olivia in her room before the ceremony.

Oh. My. God.

My brain finally catches up.

"What?"

Olivia rushes forward and grabs my hands.

"Please, you can’t tell anyone."

Her fingers tighten around mine.

"When you’re asked, you don’t know anything."

"Olivia..."

"You know Uncle will kill him."

I pull my hand away and stand.

"Nathaniel?"

I stare at her.

"This is insane."

"I know."

"Olivia, this isn’t just some random guy...he’s a part of the family,

"I know."

"He’s supposed to protect us!"

"He did."

I stop.

She looks at me through tear-filled eyes.

"He protected me."

I don’t know whether to laugh or scream.

Olivia grabs my hand again.

"Please, Rissa."

Her voice cracks.

"Please."

I look down at our joined hands then back at her.

"You don’t understand what happens if Uncle finds out."

"I know."

"No, you don’t."

"He’ll kill Nathaniel."

"I know."

"And then he’ll..."

I can’t finish.

Because I don’t even know what Lorenzo would do to Olivia afterward.

My stomach twists.

Olivia squeezes my hand.

"Please promise me."

I stare at her.

"Promise me you won’t tell anyone."

I hesitate then I nod.

"I promise, Oli."

Her shoulders drop in relief.

"Thank you."

I sigh.

"How did this even happen?"

She gives me a small, almost embarrassed smile.

"It just kind of happened."

I stare at her.

"That’s your explanation?"

She laughs weakly.

"We fell in love."

I blink.

"You fell in love."

"Yes."

"The two of you?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"I don’t know."

"How do you not know?"

"It wasn’t one particular day."

She looks down.

"We just started spending more time together. Talking. He was always there when I needed someone."

She touches her stomach.

"And somewhere along the way..."

She smiles sadly.

"We fell in love."

I sit beside her again.

"Oh God."

I shake my head.

"This was bad before but now?"

I let out a breath.

"Now it’s worse."

So much worse.

This isn’t just an unwanted pregnancy, this isn’t just a scandal with some random dude.

It’s Nathaniel.

A man who works for our family, a man who was never supposed to touch Olivia, a man who could lose his life for this.

And Olivia is carrying his child.

I look at her carefully.

"Did he take advantage of you?"

Her eyes widen.

"No!"

The answer is immediate.

"He would never."

"You were married to Lysander."

"I know."

"And Nathaniel..."

"I know, Ris."

She reaches for my hand.

"We are in love."

I stare at her.

"How did that even happen?"

She smiles sadly.

"I told you. It just did."

I shake my head.

"This is bad."

"I know."

"How can I fix this?"

She looks at me for a long moment then she shakes her head.

"You can’t fix it, Ris."

I frown.

"You can’t fix everything."

Her voice softens.

"Especially not this."

She places both hands over her stomach.

"I’m keeping my baby."

She takes a breath.

"I’ll figure out a way. I’ll..."

A knock interrupts her and we both freeze when the handle begins turning.

"Nerissa?"

I recognize the voice immediately and my blood runs cold.

Fucking Nathaniel.

I look at Olivia.

She looks terrified.

The door handle moves again.

"Nerissa?"

Something inside me snaps. I’ve been angry since the moment I heard Olivia was pregnant, I’ve been terrified since she told me who the father was and now the man responsible is standing on the other side of the door.

Perfect.

At least now I have someone to pour all my anger on.

I rush toward the door.

"Rissa!"

I unlock it, then I throw it open.

Nathaniel barely has time to register my face before my fist connects with his nose.

Hard.

A sickening crunch fills the room as his head snaps backward and he stumbles.

I stand there breathing heavily, staring at him.

My knuckles sting.

His hand flies to his face, blood immediately begins running between his fingers.

His eyes widen in shock.

"What the hell..."

I step toward him.

"You."

He looks at me, at Olivia then back at me.

And suddenly, I want to hit him again.

Because now I know, he’s the man who got my sister pregnant.

I clench my fist again.

And Nathaniel is wise enough to take one cautious step backward.

"Nerissa..."

"Don’t even."

My voice comes out low.

"Don’t you dare say my name."

Olivia rushes toward us.

"Rissa, stop!"

I don’t take my eyes off him.

God help Nathaniel, because I am nowhere near finished with him.