Chapter 134: Chapter 134 The Devil’s Bargain

Bella’s POV

The silence stretched like a taut wire when Lord Morris spoke, his voice cutting through the chaos with calculated precision. Every person in the room turned toward him, waiting.

"Why waste energy fighting over Leah? Make him surrender Zack to us. The woman can keep her daughters if that satisfies her," Lord Morris declared, his tone suggesting the matter was settled.

Derek’s head snapped toward his father, confusion etched across his features. "What are you saying?"

"I speak only truth, son. Caring for daughters presents challenges no father should bear. Girls come with complications, endless emotional needs. But a son? A son carries the family legacy forward," Lord Morris elaborated, his reasoning delivered with absolute certainty.

Derek’s expression darkened, his jaw clenching. "Father, you know the promise you gave me. Bella stays with me. That was our agreement."

Fear coursed through my bloodstream like poison, my hands forming tight fists at my sides. Zack and Leah pressed closer to their protectors, tears streaming down their small faces as they sensed the adult tension surrounding them.

"Your promise remains valid, but she refuses you repeatedly. Rather than pursuing the daughter, claim the boy. Logic demands it," Lord Morris countered, his frustration evident. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

The old man had clearly misunderstood Derek’s focus on Leah, assuming his son wanted only one child as leverage against me. His solution reflected his traditional mindset about gender and inheritance.

"Father, Leah means everything to me. More than anything in this world," Derek stated firmly, his voice carrying absolute conviction.

Lord Morris’s face contorted with displeasure, his nose wrinkling as if he’d tasted something bitter.

"Explain this preference. Why choose the girl over your heir? Zack represents power, continuation of our bloodline. He could rule after you," Lord Morris pressed, his voice rising with each word.

My gaze shifted to Zack, catching the meaningful look Hugo shot in my direction. The struggle played across Hugo’s face like an open book. He desperately wanted to reveal the truth about Zack’s paternity, to tell the domineering old man that the boy belonged to him, not Derek. The restraint he showed, the way he bit back those words, proved his character surpassed Derek’s in every way.

"You take nothing from me. Not one child," I snarled, but both men acted as if I’d never spoken.

"My decision stands firm. I want Leah. Our connection runs deeper than you understand," Derek replied, each word bitten off with fierce determination.

Lord Morris shook his head in obvious disappointment.

"You think with emotion, not strategy. This clouds your judgment completely. I’ll make this choice for you. Don’t concern yourself with details. I can secure Leah for you easily enough. Should you desire it, all three children can be yours," Lord Morris announced with chilling confidence.

His hunger for a male grandchild blazed in his eyes, revealing his true motivation beneath the strategic facade.

"You dare discuss my children like bargaining chips?" My voice cracked as the volume rose, the words torn from my throat by raw fury.

The shock finally lifted, spurring me into action. I lunged forward, reaching for Leah to pull her from Derek’s grasp.

Derek immediately resisted, tightening his hold while Leah’s screams pierced the air.

"I refuse to go near Tara!" she sobbed, and I froze mid-motion, one hand gripping hers while Tara remained balanced on my other arm.

"Leah, she’s your sister. Family," I whispered, my heartbeat thundering against my temples so loudly it nearly drowned out my own words.

"She pushed me into the well! She tricked me, told me she wanted to show me something special, then shoved me in! She said terrible things about not loving us, about wanting to hurt us!" Leah’s accusations spilled out between gasping sobs, each word shattering something vital inside my chest.

"You hear her testimony clearly. The child fears Tara, and rightfully so," Derek said, his voice carrying vindication as he gestured toward my youngest daughter.

I turned to look at Tara, who sat frozen in stunned silence, unable to defend herself against such serious charges. She remained just a baby, yet her own siblings regarded her with terror and suspicion.

"Custody battles aside, shouldn’t you separate the innocent children from your dangerous one? Basic protection demands it," Lord Morris added with calculated cruelty.

Rage exploded through my system, pressure building behind my ears until I thought my head might burst.

"Keep your poisonous words away from my child! Don’t you dare speak about her that way!" I roared, the force of my anger making my entire body tremble.

"Father, step back immediately. Your interference ruins everything I’ve worked toward," Derek finally intervened, and I guessed he finally recognized he’d pushed me beyond my breaking point.

"Now you play the reasonable man? You destroyed her life, Derek. Look at what you’ve done to her. She needed friendship, support, understanding. Instead, you exploited her vulnerable state for your own selfish purposes. Even now, you continue this manipulation," Hugo interjected, his arms tightening protectively around Zack.

"Your opinions mean nothing to me. I understand my own actions perfectly. All she needs to do is..." Derek began repeating his familiar refrain, but I raised my palm to silence him.

"Return my daughter to me. Now," I demanded, extending my hand toward Leah with unwavering determination.

"Acceptable. Then Zack comes with us instead," Lord Morris countered smoothly, and I glared at him with pure hatred.

"That will never happen," I replied flatly, but the old man began chuckling with dark amusement.

"Of course it will happen. He’s my blood, my grandson. The boy belongs with his family, with his grandfather who can provide properly for him," he declared with insufferable pride.

Desperation clawed at me as I wished desperately for my children to voice their own preferences, to reject his claims. But their fear of Tara kept them silent, and that silence might cost us everything.

I held Lord Morris’s gaze while forcing myself to breathe steadily, fighting to maintain control.

"Father, Zack cannot come with us. That’s impossible," Derek stated as he rose from his position on the ground.

His movement triggered mine immediately, partly from fear he might flee with Leah, but also from growing terror that Derek was finally approaching his breaking point.