Jay POV
Philippines — East Wing — Clinical Containment Hour Unknown
Resolve didn't feel heroic.
It felt like grit between my teeth. Like holding a scream in until it hollowed you out.
After they left, the silence pressed down harder than before.
The monitors resumed their quiet tyranny—beeps steady, indifferent. The drip pulsed cold into my vein, but my mind stayed sharp now, sharpened by fury.
I cataloged everything.
The hum in the walls—ventilation cycling every ninety seconds. The camera's faint whirr when it adjusted—left to right, then still. The restraint buckles—polymer, not steel. Meltable. Breakable. Eventually.
They thought sedation meant compliance.
They were wrong.
I shifted my fingers slowly, millimeter by millimeter, testing circulation. Pain flared—good. Pain meant I was still here. Still me.
My son rolled again, heavier now, like he was bracing himself against the world already.
"You feel it too," I whispered. "Something's coming."
Another kick. Firm. Certain.
Footsteps echoed beyond the door. Different rhythm this time. Heavier. Slower.
My body tensed instinctively, heart rate spiking before I could stop it.
The door opened.
Kaizer stepped in alone.
No white coat. No gloves. Just dark slacks and a pressed shirt, sleeves rolled like he was about to get his hands dirty.
He smiled when he saw my eyes open.
"You're awake," he said pleasantly. "Good. I hate speaking to people who aren't listening."
"Get out," I said.
He ignored that, strolling closer, gaze dropping to my belly with open ownership.
"You're progressing beautifully," he continued. "Both of you."
"Don't talk about him."
Kaizer's smile thinned. "You're in no position to dictate terms."
He reached out—stopped just short of touching me. Deliberate. Like he wanted me to feel the restraint more than his hand.
"You know," he said quietly, "most women in your position beg."
I swallowed. Hard. "I'm not most women."
"No," he agreed. "That's why you're valuable."
The word hit harder than any slap.
"Keifer will burn this place down," I said. "You know that."
Kaizer finally laughed. Soft. Amused.
"Oh, he's welcome to try."
He leaned in, voice lowering.
"But here's what you don't understand, Jay. By the time he reaches you, you won't want to leave."
My blood ran cold. "What did you do?"
"Nothing," he said smoothly. "Yet."
He straightened, tapping something into a wrist console.
"In six hours," he went on, "we initiate Phase Two."
My breath hitched. "What's Phase Two?"
Kaizer met my eyes fully now—no smile left.
"Proof," he said. "That the bond works both ways."
The door sealed behind him before I could speak again.
I lay there shaking—not from fear alone now, but rage so intense it made my vision blur.
"No," I whispered fiercely, tears spilling unchecked. "You don't get to touch us like that."
My son kicked—hard enough to jolt the restraints.
I laughed breathlessly through the tears.
"That's right," I murmured. "You don't belong to him."
I closed my eyes and reached—not with hope, but with will.
He's coming.
I didn't know how I knew.
But the certainty settled deep in my bones.
Keifer POV
Black Charter Jet — Night Cycle Indian Ocean Airspace
Six hours in, the jet felt too small.
Every vibration scraped along my nerves. Every second that passed without news felt stolen.
I stood at the rear of the cabin now, knuckles braced against the bulkhead, breathing slow and controlled.
Then—
It hit.
Not pain.
Violation.
My spine went rigid, pulse slamming as something cold brushed the edges of my awareness—Jay's fear flaring sharp and sudden, like a warning flare in the dark.
I sucked in a breath. "He was just there."
Niles looked up instantly. "What happened?"
"He threatened her," I said. My voice was steady. My hands were not. "Phase Two. Whatever that means."
Niles swore under his breath. "Timeline just moved."
"Damn right it did."
I turned, eyes burning. "We divert."
"That puts us inside regional detection—"
"I don't care."
He held my gaze, weighing risk versus inevitability.
Finally, he nodded once. "I'll alert the pilot."
As he moved away, I closed my eyes again—not to reach, but to anchor.
I'm here, I sent, not gently, not softly. Hold.
Something answered.
Not fear this time.
Defiance.
A surge of warmth bloomed in my chest so sudden it stole my breath.
A grin curved my mouth—slow and dangerous.
"That's my boy," I murmured.
I opened my eyes.
Kaizer had made one fatal mistake.
He thought this was a psychological war.
But he'd dragged my family into it.
And wars like that?
They don't end cleanly.
They end in blood.
End of chapter 47.
Hey guys, so sorry I didn't upload in the past two three dats, had my exams. Anyway hope your enjoying the book, leave a comment on how you feel.
Love ya'll