Aidan.

We didn’t waste a second after leaving the dungeon. The moment Patricia’s words settled in, we all moved, fast, urgent, driven by a mixture of anger, disbelief, and something far darker simmering beneath the surface.

Vanessa had a lot to explain.

Our footsteps echoed through the corridor as we made our way to her room, none of us speaking, yet everything hanging heavily in the silence between us. By the time we reached her door, the tension was unbearable.

Without hesitation, we pushed it open and barged in.

The door slammed against the wall, and both Vanessa and Anabel flinched at the sudden intrusion, their bodies reacting instantly to the force of our entrance.

"Brothers, what’s wrong with you?" Anabel asked, her brows knitting together in confusion as her gaze moved from one of us to the other.

But none of us answered.

At least...not calmly.

Adrien was the first to move.

He didn’t hesitate, didn’t pause to think. He stormed straight toward Vanessa, his movements sharp and filled with rage. Before anyone could stop him, his hand shot out, gripping her dress tightly as he yanked her up from where she stood.

"Adrien, you’re hurting me!" Vanessa cried out immediately, her voice laced with panic as fear spread across her face.

But Adrien didn’t loosen his grip, If anything, his expression darkened further.

"Hurting you?" he repeated, his voice low, dangerous. "Did you stop to think about that when you were planning your little conspiracy against Maria?" he demanded, his eyes blazing.

Vanessa froze.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly, though there was still a hint of denial lingering in it.

That was it.

My patience snapped.

I was just about to step forward, ready to take control of the situation, to demand answers the proper way...

But Adrien beat me to it.

His hand moved suddenly, striking Vanessa across the face with a force that echoed through the room.

The sound alone made everything go still.

Vanessa’s eyes widened in shock as her body lost balance, collapsing to the ground instantly. The impact was harsh, and it didn’t take long before a thin line of blood appeared at the corner of her mouth.

For a brief second, no one moved.

Even I could feel the weight of that slap.

"Careful, Adrien... she’s pregnant," I said without thinking, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

And the moment I said it...I regretted it.

"I don’t care, Aidan," Adrien snapped back immediately, his tone sharp, filled with unrestrained fury.

He stepped forward again, crouching down before grabbing Vanessa by the throat, his fingers tightening just enough to make his intentions clear.

"You better start talking," he growled, his face inches away from hers. "And maybe... just maybe, I’ll go easy on you."

Vanessa’s eyes widened further, her hands instinctively reaching for his wrist as she struggled against his grip, her breathing uneven, her fear now fully exposed.

Damien stepped forward then, his movements slower than Adrien’s had been, but no less dangerous. There was a controlled calmness about him that made the air feel even heavier, more suffocating.

Without a word, he reached out and firmly pried Adrien’s hand away from Vanessa’s throat.

The moment the pressure eased, Vanessa collapsed slightly against the floor, her body shaking as she sucked in air desperately. Her breaths came out uneven, ragged, desperate gasps as though she had been pulled back from the edge.

For a second, it almost looked like Damien was showing restraint but that illusion didn’t last.

Before Vanessa could even fully recover, his foot came down, hard, on her fingers.

A sharp cry tore from her lips as pain shot through her hand, her body jerking instinctively. Damien crouched down slowly to her level, his expression unreadable, his movements eerily composed.

"Vanessa..." he began, his tone low, almost disappointed.

His free hand reached out, gently brushing a strand of her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear with a softness that didn’t match the cruelty of his foot pressing into her fingers.

"I really did not expect this from you," he continued, his voice calm. "You’ve truly disappointed me."

The contrast was chilling.

"Damien, please..." Vanessa choked out, her voice trembling, her breath still unsteady. "I can explain... I really didn’t..."

She didn’t get to finish.

Damien’s hand shot forward, gripping her arm tightly, his fingers digging into her skin as he yanked her slightly, forcing another pained reaction from her.

"What is there to explain?" he cut in sharply, his eyes darkening. "Maria already felt the pain you planned for her."

He leaned in closer, his voice dropping.

"And this?" he added, pressing his foot down just a little more. "This is nothing compared to what she went through."

A pause.

"Am I right?"

Vanessa’s lips trembled, her body visibly shaking under him.

"Damien... my... my... ba—baby..." she stammered, her words breaking apart as fear overtook her.

But Damien didn’t soften, If anything, his expression grew colder. His hand slowly moved from her arm... to her stomach.

"Does it hurt?" he asked quietly.

Vanessa nodded weakly, tears pooling in her eyes.

"How about I help you get rid of it?"

The words dropped like ice, his gaze darkened completely, something dangerous flickering within it.

I froze.

No.

No way.

Punish Vanessa? Fine.

But the child...

The child was innocent.

Before I could think any further, I moved. I stepped forward quickly and shoved Damien away from her, forcing him to lose balance slightly.

"Damien, calm down!" I yelled, my voice sharper than I intended.

I didn’t wait for his reaction.

I immediately crouched down in front of Vanessa, reaching out instinctively.

The moment I did, she clung to me, her arms wrapped tightly around my neck, her grip desperate, trembling.

"Aidan... please..." she cried, her voice breaking. "Save our baby..."

My chest tightened.

"I didn’t do it," she added quickly, her words tumbling over each other in panic. "It wasn’t me... it was..." Her trembling hand lifted weakly, pointing toward a direction behind me.

I followed it and the moment I saw...My face went pale.

Anabel.

My thoughts stalled completely.

Why?

Why would she do something like this?

The question echoed loudly in my mind, confusion and realization colliding all at once.

Was it...

Because of Noah?