The sharp sound of Aurora's voice cut through the tense air. "Stop the car!" she nearly screamed, her breath uneven, her hands shaking.
Liam's head whipped toward her, confusion flashing across his face. "What? Why?"
"Just stop!" she urged, her desperation making him obey without question. The car jerked to a halt at the side of the empty road.
Aurora barely had a moment to catch her breath before bright headlights flooded the interior, a sleek black SUV pulling up beside them.
No.
Her stomach twisted violently as she stared at the vehicle. Even before the door slammed shut and before the heavy, deliberate footsteps approached, she knew.
Tim.
Aurora's fingers dug into Liam's arm. "We have to go—"
Too late.
The passenger-side door was yanked open with terrifying force.
Tim stood there, dressed in his usual crisp, tailored suit, but there was nothing composed about the rage growing beneath his cool exterior. His icy gaze locked onto Aurora's, and for the first time in a long time, she felt utterly trapped.
Liam moved first, pushing his own door open and stepping out with slow, deliberate movements, like a man preparing for a battle he already knew would end in blood.
Aurora followed suit, her legs trembling as she stepped onto the pavement.
The night air was cold, but not nearly as frigid as the silence that stretched between them.
Tim's face was unreadable, but his presence alone suffocated her.
Liam squared his shoulders, planting himself between them. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Tim?" His voice was steady, but the anger in his voice didn't hide.
Tim barely spared him a glance, his focus locked solely on Aurora. "Get in the car," he ordered, his voice oddly calm.
Aurora's heart pounded. "No."
Tim's jaw ticked. He took a measured step forward, his dark eyes glinted under the streetlights. "That wasn't a request."
Liam shifted, blocking his path. "She's not going anywhere with you."
Tim let out a low, humorless chuckle, shaking his head as if Liam's defiance was merely an inconvenience. "And you think you get to decide that?"
"She does." Liam's voice was firm. "She's not your property, Tim."
Tim's expression turned razor-sharp, his lips curving into something cold. "That's where you're wrong." His gaze flickered, just briefly, to Aurora's stomach before snapping back to her face. "She belongs to me. And that—" he nodded toward her belly, "is mine. You thought the hospital wouldn't inform me that my wife is pregnant?"
Aurora flinched at the possessiveness in his voice.
Liam stood his ground. "Aurora isn't an object, and that baby? It's hers."
A muscle ticked in Tim's jaw, his patience clearly thinning. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into, Liam."
"Oh, I know exactly what I'm getting into." Liam's voice dropped, his anger barely restrained. "Unlike you, I actually care about her."
The air crackled with tension. Tim wasn't a man who liked being challenged, and right now, he was being challenged in the worst possible way.
His voice came low, lethal. "Walk away now, and I might let you."
Liam didn't even hesitate. "Not happening."
Tim's lips curled into something resembling a smirk, but there was nothing amused about it. It was the expression of a man who knew he always got his way. "Then you just signed for whatever comes your way."
Aurora's pulse spiked. "Tim, stop." Her voice was shaky, but she forced herself to hold his gaze. "Please."
For a moment—just a moment—something flickered in his eyes. Something soft. Something with emotions.
But then it was gone.
He exhaled slowly, as if reigning his temper. When he spoke again, his voice was eerily soft. "Get in the car, Aurora. I won't ask again."
She knew that tone. Knew it well. It was the voice of a man who was on the edge.
If she refused, she wasn't sure what he'd do.
Her feet controlled themselves as she took a step forward. Then another. Her body moved instinctively, as if caught under his gaze.
Liam cursed under his breath. "Aurora, don't." He begged, his voice a strained whisper.
She wanted to listen. Every part of her screamed at her to turn back, to run. But she knew Tim. Knew that if she didn't comply, he'd make Liam suffer for it.
She couldn't let that happen.
As she neared Tim's car, a terrible realization settled in her stomach. The road. The location. The water.
The bridge.
A lump formed in her throat as the pieces clicked together.
She currently had no way out, unless…
Unless…
A wild, desperate thought slammed into her, sending her mind into a blind field. Her heartbeat quickened.
Tim wanted control. He wanted to own her. Own her choices. Own her baby.
But what if she took that power away?
What if she chose?
She inhaled sharply, her hands trembling. Then, just as she reached Tim's car, she spun around, locking eyes with him one last time.
"I won't let you control me," she whispered.
His brows furrowed, suspicion flickering across his face. "Aurora—"
He took a step closer, and before he could take another step, she ran.
Not toward the car.
Toward the bridge's edge.
"AURORA!" Liam's desperate scream tore through the night.
Tim cursed sharply, his steps quickened. "Don't you dare!"
Aurora didn't stop. Her green eyes glistened beautifully with tears in them.
She reached the barrier, her heart hammering against her ribs. The wind blew around her, whipping strands of hair into her face as she gripped the cold metal railing.
Tim steps to a sudden halt just feet away, his expression no longer unreadable.
For the first time ever, she saw fear in his eyes.
"Aurora, get down," he ordered, his voice a bit hard but remarkably pleading.
She shook her head, tears burning her eyes. "You don't own me, Tim."
He took a slow, deliberate step forward. "You think this is the answer? Jumping?"
"I think…" Her voice wavered. "It's the only way to be free."
Behind Tim, Liam was yelling, trying to push forward, but Tim's outstretched arm stopped him.
His voice softened, coaxing. "Come down, and we'll talk. I swear, we'll figure this out."
Aurora let out a bitter, shaky laugh. "You don't swear, Tim. You command."
His jaw clenched. "Aurora, you're pregnant. Think about the baby."
She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I am thinking about the baby."
And then, before she could lose her nerve—
She jumped.