Chapter 128
Chapter 128
Bella, feeling hopeful and excited, headed to the clinic for a test that morning.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, you’re not pregnant,” the female doctor broke the news to her.
Bella could feel the frown on her face deepen. She walked slowly to her car. Ethan was slipping
through her fingers fast! No matter how she tried, she couldn’t get pregnant for Ethan. She felt agitated.
If she had kids, maybe she could get Ethan’s emotions back. So, even after she got rid of Hazel’s
brats, Ethan wouldn’t have to miss them so much. He would have her kids as
well.
She heads home and just lies on her bed, too upset to go to work. Her phone vibrated, her hidden
phone. She thought of ignoring it absolutely not in the mood for her brother or Gabriel’s antics.
“What is it?” She snapped
“I strictly told you not to contact me, didn’t I?!” She yelled.
“Ethan’s onto you, Naomi,” is all the person says, then hangs up.
She stood immediately, pacing around. If Ethan suspects her, it’s something she narrowly escaped
from the other time. She bites her lips anxiously. She couldn’t face Ethan’s confrontation right now. She
didn’t know what he knows.
And he was being so cold and withdrawn now.
“If only I was pregnant, he wouldn’t treat me this way.” She whined to herself.
Ethan badly wanted kids. He has mentioned it several times to her, that was before everything started
falling apart in their relationship. It was also how she was able to keep him tightened on her leech after
her first ‘Miscarriage.’
Then a light bulb goes off. She wasn’t, but Ethan didn’t have to know.
Ethan walked in moments later, she could feel him watching her, his gaze hard on her. She musters a
smile, turning to him.
“Ethan, I’m pregnant.” She says catching him completely off guard. Keep going, she mutters to herself.
She could always fake another miscarriage.
She watched as his face and features falter.
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Then his five shows didbelled how wwww wark, his eyes moving to her stomach.
Surprise! She fored another, Wiggey owe
“What?” The whisper hour hike wow she wondered, feeling slightly annoyed.
“Why don’t you do happy boy? She woke him, walking up to him.
“What do you mean you’re pregrown? He yells. It’s unexpected, and she flinches, genuinely feeling
hun. So even if she truly was, this would be his reaction?
Hazel’ She seethed angrily ‘all her fault.
“You can’t be pregnant, Bella,” he said. He sought a way to uncover her motives, but the prospect of a
child made him hesitate. It would mean doing the same to Hazel. No, no, no. He urgently stepped
extende, needing air.
Bella finally breathed Ethan rushed back inside. “Naomi,” he mumbled. Though caught off guard by
Bella’s revelation, he hadn’t forgotten the primary issue at hand. “What do you know about her he
asked her. He was still on this, she seethed inwardly. He didn’t srupt in joy the way she had imagined
he would. © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
I don’t know, what about her she anxiously replied. She genuinely had no clue; it was all Derrick’s doing
Naomi had recognized her, true, but she hadn’t anticipated Ethan going back to check. Derrick, that
ugly bas ta rd, was behind it all. Ethan observed her closely, noticing her Tear and teary eyer
“I don’t believe you” He growled grabbing her wrist and pining her when she tried to
Leave
Las go of me” She yelled, trying to shove him away. “I don’t know!” She continued yelling, and thus mar
she wasn’t lying Ethan’s accusations only fueled her anger. “What’s with all that womanations?! I really
don’t know! I don’t!” she vibrated and shouted them hoping
“Taugh” dan yelled, sagharing his grip ‘Ouch!” she cried, her face contorting in pain 3 Barts by belly”
she caused, and Kihan released her immediately. She fell
to the tot
“Was wrong with grow. En? Why does this always happen? Whenever I have your bad on boom
geognant, you turn into so she she sobbed. “Remember what Supponed the last cuoc” she spat.
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Ethan froze at the mention of the last incident. Frustration mounting, he punched the wall in anger.
“Black Axe,” he muttered forcing himself to calm down. She had to know something about it.
“What do you know about Black Axe?” he calmly asked her.
Bella looked up at him, her reaction intense.
“What’s this reaction?!” Ethan thundered. “Enough!” Axel yelled, entering and grabbing Ethan away
from Bella. “You shouldn’t be hurting a pregnant woman,” he muttered. Ethan shot him a look.
“I know, I’ve been here for a while now,” Axel said calmly.
“Black Axe, you have some connection don’t you!” Ethan asked turning his attention back to her.
“That’s enough for now “Axel said calmly.
Bella stood up immediately. “Whatever you think you Know, it’s not true and you’ll be sorry.” Bella
fumed then walked away. She didn’t like Axel but she felt grateful to him for now
“Black Axe has some dreadful history. Bella might actually have been a victim,” Axel mumbled
thoughtfully.
“What are you talking about?” Ethan asked with a frown. “I looked into Black Axe; the stories are
dreadful. The girls there went through a lot. They were practically abused, Ethan,” Axel explained.
Ethan’s frown deepened. “I don’t know yet for sure but Bella might have something to do with that.”
The two sat there quietly for long minutes. “I need to go somewhere,” Axel said suddenly, grabbing his
things to leave. “I think it’s best you avoid Bella for now, until we know for sure, and I’m pretty sure you
don’t want a repeat of what happened before,” he warned, reminding Ethan of the accident Bella had
the first time.
Ethan sighed deeply. “Okay.”
Axel drove with a fixed destination in mind, his thoughts and head all over the place.
“Jasmine,” he mused thoughtfully. When she saw Bella the other time at the mall, she had reacted in a
weird and frightened manner. She visibly paled. He needed to see her first and ask her some things.
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He drove through the familiar streets that once housed his home. This apartment, he stepped out with
a deep sigh. This was the place where he had felt real and true happiness in a very long time. From
looking up, the lights of her apartment were turned off, but he was sure she was in. She had to be in.
He felt guilty returning back here in this manner, after the way he ditched her the other time. He’d hurt
her.
He stepped into the elevator, lingered at the front of her doorstep for a while before finally pressing the
doorbell. “Jasmine!” He yelled, banging on the door. “That lady, I don’t think she’s in. I haven’t seen her
out in almost a month now,” someone came out and informed him when the noise became too much.
Jasmine was in. She was hiding under her bed. The nightmares had started again, only this time they
were realer. She sat there on the floor, sobbing.
Axel, growing more anxious, continued his fervent attempts to reach Jasmine. “Jasmine!” he yelled, the
intensity of his voice seeping through the door. In the shadows, she heard him, whispering her name
like a lifeline.”Axel?” she whispered back, her voice a fragile echo. Slowly, she approached the door, a
mixture of trepidation and curiosity in her eyes. After what felt like an eternity, the door creaked open.
The sight that met Axel’s eyes left him breathless. “Jasmine,” he uttered softly.
Jasmine stood there, her gaze averted, unable to meet Axel’s eyes. Her frail form spoke volumes – she
was skinny, too skinny and hollow-eyed. It was clear she was struggling. Her lips were parched, fear
etched across her face, she seemed like a mere semblance of the girl Axel had once known.
“Axel,” she whispered, her voice laden with tears. “It’s really you,” she murmured, a fragile smile
attempting to breach the desolation etched on her face. Axel’s heart clenched at the sight – he
shouldn’t have left her.
“How have you been?” he inquired, concern furrowing his brow as she averted her gaze. “Jasmine?” he
pressed, attempting to bridge the emotional chasm. When he moved to touch her, she flinched,
stepping back with an alarmed expression
“You remembered?” Axel questioned, sensing the deep scars etched into her memory.
“Why are you here, Axel?” Jasmine’s voice, though trying to sound brave, betrayed a hidden anguish.
“Jasmine, can we talk?” Axel implored gently, a surge of protective instinct coursing through him. She
had lost the innocence and clumsiness he once knew, replaced by weariness and despair.
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“My name is Christine,” she stated slowly, tears streaming down her face. Axel sighed.
“The man from the other time was right; it wasn’t an ordinary stalker. I belonged to him,” she confessed,
her words carrying a haunting weight.
“No! You don’t, Jasmine.” Axel protested vehemently, vividly recalling the unsettling conversations he
had had with that man.
“He’ll come back for me, take me there,” she whispered, trapped in the nightmarish echoes of her past.
Axel was quiet watching her talk, he could only imagine the agony she was reliving. He could
remember, after that stranger stalker guy had come, he had looked into it before the man died later on
in prison.
He had where the man stayed. The man was said to be from a Black Axe.
The man had lived in a basement. There he found several pictures of Jasmine sc at tered about the
small room. His suspicion was right, the man wasn’t just an ordinary stalker.
Then something else caught had caught his attention a locked drawer. He picked at it quite easily
unraveling something that made him freeze. It was a picture of Jasmine, but she looked very young in
it. She wasn’t any more than fourteen in that picture he held.
The pictures however made him feel heavily nauseous, there were shots taken of her small and barely
developed b*dy. Axel’s hands had shook as he held it in his arm. Her b*dy was being abused and used,
there were several horrifying picture of that type. His fingers tightened fiercely in anger. Rage
reverberated through his entire being.
This was it, Jasmine had lived there on that Island. They had broken her completely, used her. The
man had found out she was still alive and had come looking for her.
Somehow the deranged psychopath was convinced they were in love. That those things weren’t being
done against her will.
The blank memories, there were things she never wanted to remember ever again. Things those men
had done to her.
He didn’t know how to face her with knowing all those things, he didn’t want her to remember so he’d
let her be. But now all of the memories were crashing over her.
He had gone back to the cell to find the man, but was told he had killed himself there in prison.
He wished she would forget it permanently, but it seemed she hadn’t.
“He won’t come back, Jasmine. You’ll never go back there. I promise.” Axel’s words were
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a gentle reassurance as he pulled her into his arms, offering solace to a soul ravaged by past horrors.
She crumpled in his embrace, tears flowing freely.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Axel’s muttered apologies mingled with guilt for abandoning her when she needed
him the most.
Minutes later she sat curled up in her sofa rocking back and forward.
“Hey,” he called, attempting to breach the walls she had erected.
“Why did you leave?” Her whispered inquiry was laden with vulnerability, and Axel sighed, settling
beside her. “Because I was afraid. I changed so much I didn’t even realize it,” he confessed.
“Then when I did, it scared me.” He admitted.
“I thought it was because you didn’t like me, because I was worthless,” Jasmine said sadly.
“No. No. I more than liked you,” Axel affirmed, peeling back layers of his emotions. “I was falling
completely for this clumsy, beautiful woman. You were changing me. It was scary,” he said. For the first
time he was going to be real and honest with what he was feeling.
Axel’s gaze traced the scars on her b*dy, she instinctively tried to conceal them, under her hoodie but
he gently seized her hand. “Don’t hide yourself from me,” he pleaded.
“I’m hideous,” she muttered, wrestling with his arm. He held her smaller palm in his
own.
“No, you’re not,” Axel said honestly, a genuine smile accompanying his words. “You’re beautiful,
Jasmine,” he affirmed, expressing a sentiment that had taken root since the moment she entered his
life. She looked up at him a genuine smile spreading on her face.
“Jasmine,” he called, capturing her attention. “I knew remembering things are hard for you. But do you
remember that woman, the one we met at the mall the other day after you broke my phone, and I had
to fix it?” he teased lightly, eliciting a small laugh from her at the memory of her attacking him that night.
“You saw someone that day, this woman.” Axel produced his phone, displaying a picture of Bella.
Jasmine took it slowly, examining the image. “Do you know her? Was she there as well?” Axel asked
her.