Aida POV:

Caroline' s voice was sickly sweet. She draped herself against Drake.

"Aida, it' s sad. You talk about 'contracts' and 'money.' Drake was so good to you. He gave you a home. He paid for your mother' s treatment. You started to feel entitled, didn' t you?"

She paused. Her eyes scanned the curious crowd. She played the victim perfectly.

"Please, Aida. Just accept it. If you' re pregnant, we can all work something out. I' m even willing to step aside for a while, for the sake of the child."

She offered a fake, magnanimous smile.

"It hurts, of course. But some things are bigger than us. Drake deserves to be happy. You both deserve to be happy."

Drake' s arm tightened around her. He pulled her closer. His eyes, full of adoration, met hers.

"No, Caroline. Never. You are not going anywhere."

His voice was gentle. It was a tone I had never heard directed at me. It was reserved for her. It was a stark contrast to the venom he had just spat at me.

"Our seven years together mean something. This… this woman means nothing."

He turned to me. His eyes flashed. They were filled with cold fire.

"You ungrateful opportunist. You think you can manipulate me with a child?"

His words were poison. They eroded my dignity.

"I was going to give you a generous severance. Enough for you and your mother to live comfortably. I was even going to ensure your mother' s continued care."

He paused. His voice was hard.

"But I will not allow you to ruin what Caroline and I have. Our relationship is sacred. I will protect it. At all costs."

The icy understanding hit me. He was threatening my mother. He would use her life as leverage. My breath hitched. The air left my lungs.

My previous pain, my anger, all vanished. Only a chilling dread remained. I gripped my hands. My knuckles turned white. This was not about love, or even betrayal. This was about power. And I had none. He had just declared war. My mother was his weapon.

A high, desperate laugh escaped my lips. It was devoid of joy. Tears streamed down my face. I wiped them away with a trembling hand.

"I don' t want your money. I don' t want your arrangements. My mother' s treatment, every single bill, I paid for it. Every cent came from my sweat, my endless work hours."

My voice shook. I looked at him. My eyes were burning.

"I am not pregnant. I swear to you, I would never use a child to trap a man who doesn' t love me. I am not that desperate. I don' t need you. You' re not that important."

Drake' s face darkened. His jaw tightened. He stepped away from Caroline. He advanced on me.

"You dare talk back to me? You think your words have any weight, any truth?"

His voice was low, menacing.

"Three years ago, you begged me. You were nobody. A charity case. Don' t flatter yourself into thinking you' re anything more than that now. Don' t think you can pull these stunts to stay."

Caroline intervened. Her voice was soft again.

"Drake, darling, she' s just hurting. She' s lashing out. Don' t let her sour your mood. She probably just needs some time to accept the situation."

Drake looked at her. His face softened. He then turned back to me. His eyes were full of disgust.

"Look at her, Aida. Caroline is graceful. She is understanding. You are a conniving, desperate woman. You have no grace. You have no dignity."

He spat the words.

"You are a sick, twisted gold-digger. You will do anything to get what you want."

The crowd watched. Their whispers grew louder. Their eyes pierced me. I felt naked. Stripped bare. Utterly humiliated. My chest burned. My lungs seized. I could not breathe.

Aida POV:

The words felt like physical blows. Each one landed hard. My mind reeled. He was threatening my mother. He would use her life. The realization hit me. It was a cold, hard fact.

A mirthless laugh tore from my throat. Tears streamed down my face. They were hot, bitter.

"I don' t want your money. I don' t want your arrangements. My mother' s treatment, every single cent, I earned it. I paid for it. Not you."

I looked at him. My voice was raw.

"I am not pregnant. I never was. I would never use a child to tie down a man who doesn' t love me. I have more self-respect than that. You are not that important to me."

His face twisted in anger. He stepped closer. His eyes were cold.

"You' re still lying. Still fighting. You think your empty words matter?"

He sneered.

"Remember three years ago? You were desperate. You were nothing. You think you' ve changed? You' re still the same calculating opportunist, trying to claw your way up."

Caroline put a hand on his arm. Her voice was a purr.

"Drake, dear, she' s just upset. She' s grasping at straws. We should just let her go. She' ll come to her senses eventually."

Drake looked at me. His eyes were full of disgust.

"Look at Caroline. She' s kind. She' s compassionate. You are a vile, manipulative woman. You are not fit to stand in her shadow."

His voice dripped with venom.

"You are despicable. Aida. Utterly despicable."

The crowd muttered. Their judgment was a heavy weight. Their words cut me.

"Shameless gold-digger."

"Pretending to be pregnant? How low can she go?"

"Poor Mr. McDonald, what he has to put up with."

I felt stripped bare. Exposed. Every word was a lash. My heart screamed. My lungs ached. I could not breathe. My vision blurred. I was choking on my own despair.

He just made a call, I realized, my blood turning to ice. One call to the doctor—and my mother's life is in his hands.

Aida POV:

My hand still clutched my medical file. It was my last hope. My voice was hoarse.

"This is my real report! It proves I' m not pregnant!"

Caroline lunged. She snatched the file from my hand. She tore through the papers. Her eyes darted over them. She found my gynecological report. Her face twisted. She shredded it. The pieces fluttered to the floor.

"You' re delusional! This is obviously a fake! Trying to trick us with forged documents!"

She tossed the torn pieces. They landed on my feet.

"You think Drake is stupid? You think you can just wave some fabricated report and we' ll believe you? He' ll hate you even more for this!"

My body shook with uncontrollable anger. I stared at the shredded paper. My last piece of evidence. Destroyed. I bent down. I tried to gather the pieces. I wanted to put them back together.

Drake shoved me. He pushed me hard. I stumbled. I hit the wall. A sharp pain shot through my head. My vision swam.

"Enough, Aida! Do you hear me? Enough with your pathetic charade!"

His voice boomed. It echoed through the lobby.

"The evidence is clear! You are pregnant! Your lies are transparent!"

I pushed myself off the wall. My head throbbed. I looked at him. One last desperate plea.

"I am not pregnant! That test result is fake! Please, just go to the lab. Go check the records. It will prove everything!"

He laughed. A cold, dismissive sound.

"And what? You think I haven' t thought of that? You probably bribed the technicians. Or erased the surveillance footage. Your tricks are pathetic, Aida."

Caroline saw her chance. She started to walk away. She dabbed her eyes with a delicate handkerchief.

"I can' t bear this, Drake. I just can' t."

Drake panicked. He grabbed her arm.

"Caroline, don' t leave! Please!"

He turned back to me. His eyes were blazing with fury.

"You think this is a game? You think this will make me chase you? You are wrong!"

He pointed a finger at me. His voice was icy cold.

"Here' s your chance, Aida. Get rid of the child. Prove you are not lying. Then, maybe, just maybe, I will believe you."

He paused. His voice was laced with a cruel promise.

"I will still pay you. A substantial sum. And your mother' s treatment will continue. Do what I say, Aida. Get the abortion."

My mind froze. Abortion? For a child that didn' t exist? He was asking me to destroy my body. He was asking me to admit to a lie. My voice trembled.

"Are you insane? I told you, I' m not pregnant! There' s no child to abort!"

He sneered. His eyes were full of dark satisfaction. He had anticipated my reaction.

"Oh, so now you' re playing the innocent victim? You want to keep it, don' t you? You want to secretly give birth and then extort me. I won' t let that happen, Aida. I swear."

He turned to his bodyguards. His voice was a flat command.

"Take her. Take her to the operating room. Ensure the procedure is done immediately."

My heart hammered against my ribs. Fear seized me. They were going to force me.