Suddenly, a pair of strong hands came from behind and pulled her into an embrace. Todd’s voice was full of concern.
“Why are you standing out here and not coming in? Your hands are freezing…”
He circled around to face her, then scooped her up and carried her into the house.
“Your face is so pale. Is it your period? Are you feeling sick?”
He scrambled around looking for a heating pad, carefully sticking it onto her lower belly, then wrapped a thick blanket around her.
Breanna sat stiffly on the couch, staring at him in a daze, and didn’t deny anything.
His palm gently brushed her cheek, his gaze steady. “I’ll make you some chamomile tea.”
Under the warm yellow light, his long fingers held the ladle as he prepared to brew. The way he looked at her was filled with unshakable warmth.
Her eyes began to blur, pain quietly spreading through her chest.
She had always suffered from severe menstrual cramps, and every time they flared up, Todd stayed with her.
He was a big-shot businessman, yet to cure her dysmenorrhea, he took a three-month leave and traveled all over the country visiting renowned doctors.
When he finally brought back a prescription, he’d lost a ton of weight, his beard was messy, but he was smiling like a kid.
He used to love her that much.
“Babe, if it wasn’t for the pregnancy prep, you wouldn’t have had to stop your meds, which made your cramps worse. We don’t have to have a child. I just need you to be healthy. As for marriage, I’ll find a way to make my family accept it.”
His words yanked her back to reality.
He crouched down, holding the steaming cup of tea, speaking with genuine sincerity.
If Breanna hadn’t discovered the truth, she really might’ve been fooled.
She lowered her gaze, hiding the surge of emotions in her eyes. “Actually, I’m pre—”
Suddenly, his phone rang.
She clearly saw Darlean’s name on the screen.
Todd’s eyes darkened. He set the cup aside and stepped away to answer the call.
Barely a few seconds passed before his expression turned cold. He grabbed his coat and headed for the door, leaving only, “Something urgent came up at the company. Stay home and wait for me.”
Breanna hesitated only a moment before deciding to follow him.
The second she got out of the car, she saw it—at the entrance of an old apartment complex, Darlean was surrounded by a group of thuggish-looking men.
Her lower belly was slightly rounded, her face ghost-white, and she was begging nonstop.
In the next heartbeat, Todd appeared out of nowhere, kicking one of the men straight in the chest.
Then he moved fast and brutally, and the men fell one after another, pleading for mercy.
“I told you—her dad’s debt, I’ll pay it!”
The leader spat back, “He crossed the young heir of the Bottchers in Nashville. This won’t be solved that easily!”
A murderous chill flashed through Todd’s eyes, his voice as cold as ice. “The Bottchers have been eyeing that plot of land in Nashville. I’ll give it to him. Just make sure you never come after Darlean again.”
Standing from afar, Breanna felt her fingertips shake.
That plot of land in Nashville—Todd had spent five hundred million to secure it. He told her it was his wedding gift to her. After their baby was born, he wanted to build a playground there, a place to share their love story with everyone.
But now, to protect Darlean, he gave it away like it was nothing—like he had never made her any promises at all.
Breanna quietly watched Todd standing protectively in front of Darlean. And she remembered—back then, when he’d been bullied to the point of self-harm, she’d risked everything to protect him. When she was almost pushed off the rooftop, his eyes had been red and trembling.
He had said he would never betray her.
Breanna wanted to laugh, but her cheeks were already wet with tears.
Right now, Todd was holding Darlean tightly. “Are you okay?”
Darlean’s voice trembled. “I… I got scared. My heart feels a little off.”
Todd gently patted her back. “I’m here. No one’s going to hurt you.”
Breanna’s eyes dimmed, and a bitter smile tugged at her lips.
Before Todd returned to the dangerous Lannister’s place for her sake, he had told her, “As long as I’m here, no one will ever bully you.”
She couldn’t help but sneer.
A metallic taste rose in her throat as she let out a cold, broken laugh.
How could he say the exact same words to both her and Darlean?
And how could one heart be split into two?
She picked up her phone and called her doctor. “I don’t want to keep the baby anymore. Please schedule the abortion for tomorrow.”
The doctor sounded shocked. “Ma’am, you went through so much for this baby. It took countless hardships to finally succeed. If you abort it this time, you may never be able to get pregnant again. Are you sure?”
