Chapter 169
Chapter 169:
The first image on her feed made bile rise in her throat.
Skye Sterling.
The photo was candid, likely taken by that bodyguard, Alistair. Skye was on the deck of a private yacht, wind whipping her dark hair into a glossy curtain, a glass of champagne in her hand. She looked vibrant, untouchable, and free. The caption was simple: Recharging.
Skye was miles away on some tropical island while Seraphina was rotting in this rainy English mausoleum.
Seraphina hurled the tablet across the room. It hit the wall with a satisfying crack.
“It’s a mistake,” she whispered to the empty room, clutching her stomach. “I’m the winner. I have the baby. I have the bloodline p>
She went to the bottom drawer of the dresser and pulled out a hollowed-out book where she kept her secrets. Inside was a burner phone—her only unauthorized link to the outside world—and a small orange pill bottle.
She rattled the bottle. The sound was like dry bones clicking together.
She didn’t need Zoe to tell her what these were. High-dose HCG stimulators. She had been taking them since before the hospital visit, keeping her hormone levels high enough to fool the blood and urine tests. But the supply was running low, and stress was eating her alive.
She knew these pills couldn’t fake a heartbeat or a fetus on a scan, but they bought her time—time she was rapidly running out of.
The burner phone buzzed. It was her mother, Alice.
“Did you get the money?” Alice’s voice was shrill, desperate. “The sharks are circling, Sarah. They’re going to break my fingers if I don’t pay the gambling debts by Friday p>
“I can’t transfer anything,” Seraphina hissed, keeping her voice low in case the guards outside the door were listening. “Liam froze the accounts. I’m locked in the guest wing. I can’t even order a pizza, let alone wire you fifty grand p>
“Then do something!” Alice shrieked. “You’re supposed to be the smart one! We need a big score, Sarah. Or we’re both dead p>
а𝘥d𝗂𝘤tіve n𝗈𝘷e𝗅ѕ оո 𝖻е.𝗰о𝘮
Seraphina stared at her reflection in the vanity mirror. She looked pale, her roots showing. She looked pathetic.
“I have an idea,” Seraphina said slowly, a plan forming in the dark corners of her mind. “But we need help. We need someone stupid and desperate. Someone Liam feels so obligated to save p>
“Who p>
“Lydia Winthrop,” Seraphina purred. “She’s been trying to claw her way back in. If she were to… disappear… Liam would have to play the hero. And while he’s distracted, we can leverage the situation for cash. Real cash p>
“Kidnapping?” Alice sounded hesitant, then intrigued. “I know some men. Professionals. But they’ll want a cut. And upfront payment. Serious money, Sarah. Money we don’t have p>
Seraphina froze. Alice was right. The low-level thugs Alice knew wouldn’t touch a Kensington job without a guarantee, and real professionals required a sponsor.
“I don’t have the cash,” Seraphina whispered, her mind racing. “But I know someone who hates Skye Sterling even more than I do. Someone with deep pockets who wants her gone permanently p>