Chapter 16
Victoria shook her head, trying to rise from her chair. “No, I’m coming too—”
“No, you’re not,” Tobias interrupted sharply, pointing a finger at her. “Stay here, Victoria. You don’t know what’s out there.”
Elena placed a calming hand on Victoria’s arm, nodding toward the boys. “They’ve got it. Just stay put for now.”
Victoria sat back reluctantly, her heart pounding as Tobias and Jonathan hurried out of the room. She and Elena listened intently, the heavy sound of the front door opening followed by hurried footsteps outside.
The silence dragged on, thick and suffocating. Victoria wrung her hands together, glancing anxiously toward Elena. “What do you think it was?”
“Probably just some idiot who lost control of their car,” Elena said, though her voice lacked conviction. Her pacing started up again, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor. “But with everything going on…”
Victoria nodded, her throat dry. She didn’t need Elena to finish the thought. After everything that had happened—the car vandalism, Damian’s call, Selena’s threats—this felt too close, too deliberate.
Minutes passed, though they felt like hours, before the sound of the front door opening again made them both look up. Jonathan stepped inside first, his face pale as a sheet. His hands were trembling slightly, clutching something that looked like paper.
Elena was the first to react, rushing toward him. “Jonathan? What happened? Are you okay?”
Jonathan didn’t answer immediately. His eyes flicked to Victoria, then back to Elena, as though he were struggling to find the right words. “It was…” He paused, swallowing hard. “It was suicide.”
Victoria froze, the word hitting her like a physical blow. “Suicide?” she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper. “What do you mean?”
Jonathan took a shaky breath, stepping further into the room. “A car sped into the driveway—right into Tobias’s car. Full speed. The driver… they didn’t survive.”
Elena’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God.”
Victoria’s heart sank, her mind racing with questions. “But… how do you know it was suicide?”
Jonathan hesitated, his hands tightening around the paper he was holding. “Because of this,” he murmured, holding it up. It was a crude, handwritten note, the letters bold and menacing. “It was plastered to his head.”
Victoria’s stomach churned as Elena grabbed the note and read it aloud. “GET RID OF THE BABY NOW.”
The words hung in the air like a dark cloud. Victoria felt the room spin as she tried to process what she’d just heard. “This… this can’t be happening,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
“It is,” Jonathan said grimly, his face still pale. “Whoever did this, they wanted to send a message. And they’re not playing games.”
Elena’s eyes darted toward Victoria, her expression a mix of anger and concern. “This is Selena,” she said firmly. “It has to be. She’s lost it. She’s trying to scare you into running.”
“But this…” Victoria gestured weakly toward the note. “This is more than a scare tactic. This is murder.”
“It’s not just murder,” Jonathan said darkly. “It’s a declaration of war. They’re showing us they’re willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want.”
Elena nodded, pacing again. “We need to act fast. This isn’t just about Victoria anymore. It’s about that baby. If they’re willing to kill themselves to send a message, who knows what they’ll do next?”
Victoria buried her face in her hands, her breathing uneven. “This is my fault,” she murmured. “I should’ve never come back. I’ve put everyone in danger.”
“Don’t you dare say that,” Elena snapped, stopping mid-pace to glare at her. “This is not your fault. The people doing this—they’re the problem. Not you.”
“She’s right,” Jonathan added. “You didn’t ask for this. And you’re not going to face it alone.”
The front door opened again, and Tobias walked in, his face as grim as Jonathan’s had been. “The cops are on their way,” he said, his voice steady despite the tension radiating from him. “They’ll try to ID the driver, but my guess is they won’t find anything useful. Whoever orchestrated this isn’t going to leave loose ends.”
Victoria looked up at him, her eyes wide with fear. “Tobias, what do we do? How do I stop this?”
Tobias set a hand on the back of her chair, leaning down to meet her gaze. “First, we focus on keeping you safe. That means tighter security, no solo trips, and no more risks. Second, we start looking into who might’ve pulled this off. Selena is the obvious suspect, but we can’t rule out others.”
Elena crossed her arms. “And Damian?”
Tobias hesitated. “He’s a question mark. If he’s in on this, he’s playing it subtle. But if he’s not, he might be just as much a target as Victoria.”
Victoria let out a bitter laugh. “Great. So I can’t trust anyone.”
“You can trust us,” Tobias said firmly. “And you’re going to need to, because this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”
Before anyone could respond, the sound of police sirens filled the air, growing louder as they neared the house. Victoria’s heart sank as she realized how far things had spiraled out of control.
“I’m scared,” she admitted quietly, her voice trembling. “Not for me. For my baby.”
