Chapter Ten
Gualtiero
Istep into the small space of Ella’s cabin, and my jaw tightens.
This cruise ship has thousands of rooms, and this is where they put her. A narrow bed. A desk barely wide enough for a laptop and a closet so small it would not even qualify as storage on my yacht.
She lived in this.
The door closes behind me with a soft click. Cold air creeps in beneath it, curling around my ankles, settling into my bones. It mirrors the tight grip around my chest.
My heart is cold.
My anger is not.
It churns beneath the surface. It’s the kind of heat that does not burn out but waits. Patient. Deadly.
None of the four cars had Ella in them.
She must have stayed behind, hidden near the shed while the pickup truck tore off, convincing us she was inside.
It was a simple misdirection. Effective, though.
And the three identical cars waiting beyond that? Inspired. Whoever planned it understood pursuit psychology. I almost admire it.
Almost.
But I should have known Ella wasn’t in the car. That is what enrages me most.
The heat I always feel when she is near had vanished. And I didn’t notice. I was too focused on the chase, too intent on confirming the passengers in each vehicle.
It was a mistake.
One that cost me everything. Because now I have to start my search for Ella from scratch with no clue where to begin.
I press my fingers to the bridge of my nose, breathing slowly, forcing order back into my body.
I let my gaze move over the room that was home to Ella for fifteen days. My eyes linger on the rumpled bed, the faint indentation where her body must have rested.
I can still feel her here. Her scent lingers in the air, clinging to the walls, to the fabric, to me. Reaching for her pillow, I press my face into the fabric.
Vanilla. Apple.
Something inside me fractures, leaving a hollow that no amount of rage can fill.
Without hesitation, I strip off the pillowcase and fold it carefully. It will come with me. For now, it’s all I have that carries her scent, proof she was here, alive and not slipping beyond my reach.
My eyes land on the bag she left behind. Tomas retrieved it from another cabin this morning, the one she had been hiding in.
I inhale once, then unzip it.
Nothing inside is familiar. Everything was purchased after she ran. It’s nice enough, but she deserves more luxury than this.
I pick up a yellow blouse. It’s not a color I’ve seen her wear. Does she even like it?
I drop it on the bed, my attention snapping to something else entirely.
My pulse spikes.
Tucked into a side pocket of her bag is a small, unassuming box.
A pregnancy test.
I lift it slowly, my body tingling as I touch it.
Is Ella pregnant?
The room tilts.
My fingers work the packaging. I turn it upside down, and the plastic stick slides into my palm.
No wrapper. No instructions.
She used it.
And she kept it.
My breath turns shallow as I stare at the back of the test, my grip tightening until my knuckles ache.
Slowly, deliberately, I rotate it.
My vision blurs, and I sink onto the bed.
Two pink lines.
Fuck.
My angel is pregnant.
I am going to be a father.
The realization crashes into me with brutal force. Joy and terror collide.
Ella is pregnant… and she’s running from me.
I clutch the test to my chest as if it might vanish if I loosen my grip.
A child.
Ours.
Something fierce and overwhelming swells inside me, expanding until it hurts. I picture small fingers curling around mine. A laugh that sounds like hers. A presence that binds us together in blood and bone.
We created a life.
My son is growing inside her.
He is mine.
But so is she.
And she’s carrying him alone.
The thought ignites a savage, protective instinct in me. She must be terrified.
Running, hiding, crossing borders with no one to steady her, no one to shield her from fear and danger.
And it’s all my fault.
The realization lands heavier than any blow.
For a brief moment, something close to powerlessness brushes against me. I crush it instantly.
I rise to my feet, resolve locking into place with lethal clarity. The world narrows to a single purpose.
Finding Ella.
I will tear apart every path, every false trail, every shadow she could be hiding in. And if I have to dismantle Freemont piece by piece, then so be it.
No distance, no border, no protection will keep Ella from me.
She is carrying my child.
She belongs with me.
And this time, I will give her a reason to stay. One that isn’t our child.
I will make things right.
And I won’t rest until I have my angel back in my arms.