The silence of the night was deceptive, its stillness masking the storm that was brewing inside Evelyn. She stood by the window of her room, the soft rustle of the curtains the only sound breaking the silence. The moonlight streamed in, casting an ethereal glow across her face, but her thoughts were anything but serene. She had been so close to freedom, yet Nickolas had shattered that fragile hope with a single possessive glance.
The weight of his obsession pressed down on her, making every breath feel heavier than the last. She could still feel the ghost of his touch on her skin from earlier that night, his promises lingering in the air—promises that felt more like threats. "We'll have a family, Evelyn. You'll see. You won't want to leave me when we have our child." The words still remain in her mind, chilling her to the core.
A child. Nickolas wanted to bind her with something she could never escape. His twisted logic of love and control was suffocating her more each day.
Evelyn turned away from the window, pacing her room, her hand resting absently on her stomach. A strange thought had been bothering her for days. She hadn't been feeling like herself lately. She was constantly tired, her emotions more erratic than usual, and her body felt different in a way she couldn't quite place.
But even in her confusion, a quiet fear began to form in her chest. No, it couldn't be. Not now, not after everything. She shook her head, trying to push the thought away, but it persisted, sinking deeper into her mind.
The door creaked open slightly, and Evelyn tensed, thinking it was Nickolas again. But it was Lin Zie Xin, her closest aide, slipping into the room with a look of concern on her face. Zie Xin had been Evelyn's anchor in these stormy seas, the one person who understood her without judgment.
"Miss Evelyn," Zie Xin whispered, her voice soft but urgent. "I'm worried about you. You don't seem well."
Evelyn's shoulders slumped as she sank onto the edge of the bed, running a hand through her hair. "I'm fine," she said, though her voice lacked conviction. "Just...tired."
Zie Xin's sharp eyes studied her. She wasn't one to be fooled easily. "Tired? Miss Evelyn, this isn't just tiredness. You've been looking pale. You're always sleeping, and the way you've been getting sick..."
Evelyn closed her eyes, the weight of it all pressing down harder. "I don't know, Zie Xin. I just...I don't feel like myself. Something is wrong, but I can't... I can't think straight anymore."
Zie Xin knelt in front of her, taking her hands gently. "You need to see a doctor. I know you don't want to involve Nickolas, but this...this is important. If you're not well, you need to know why."
The truth in Zie Xin's words stung. Evelyn knew something was wrong, but the thought of confirming her worst fear made her feel like the ground was falling from under her.
She let out a shaky breath. "Zie Xin...what if I'm pregnant?"
The question hung in the air, suffocating them both with its implications. Zie Xin's eyes widened, her hand tightening around Evelyn's. "Miss Evelyn, if that's true..."
Evelyn pulled her hands free, standing abruptly. "I can't let it be true. Not with him. I can't be tied to him like that."
Zie Xin stood, her face pale. "But if you are...then you need to be sure. You need to make decisions before...before Nickolas finds out."
Evelyn turned away, staring back out the window as her heart raced. Could it really be happening? Could Nickolas's obsession have already trapped her in a way she could never escape?
Then, they went to a private doctor—one of Zie Xin's trusted contacts—hoping to confirm what Evelyn both feared and suspected.
The doctor's expression was solemn as he reviewed the results. "Miss Maxwell," he said gently, "you are indeed pregnant. About six weeks ago."
The words hit Evelyn like a physical blow. She felt her world tilt, the walls closing in around her. Her worst fears had been confirmed, and the reality of her situation sank in. She was carrying Nickolas's child.
Zie Xin reached for her hand, but Evelyn couldn't focus. Her mind raced with the implications. Nickolas had already taken so much from her—her freedom, her choices—and now he had ensured that she could never leave him.
But Evelyn wasn't ready to give in. Not yet.
She would fight. For herself. For her child. She had to find a way out of Nickolas's grasp before it was too late.
Evelyn sat alone in the room, staring out of the window. The weight of the truth bore down on her as if the air in the room had thickened, becoming harder to breathe. She was pregnant. There was no escaping it now. Her hand instinctively moved to her stomach, a small swell beginning to form beneath her fingers. Her heart raced as memories of the island resurfaced.
It was one hot, passionate night with Nickolas when she arrived. Her resistance had crumbled under the heat of his touch, words, and unrelenting desire for her. But it didn't stop there. For an entire week, she had been caught in a whirlwind of emotions and physical connection, pulled between the pleasure he gave her and the overwhelming knowledge that his love was nothing short of a dangerous obsession.
And now, she was carrying his child.
Flashback to the island two months ago.
The heat of the tropical island was stifling, but it was nothing compared to the heat that simmered between them. That first night, Nickolas had taken her to the master's bedroom, his touch firm, his intentions clear. He had whispered soft promises into her ear, his lips tracing her skin like fire. Evelyn had resisted at first, her body tense under his advances, but it was hot. He knew how to break down her walls and touch her to make her lose herself at the moment.
That night, under the moonlit canopy of the island, they made love in a way that felt like surrender. His hands, rough with control but tender with passion, had made her body respond in ways she hadn't wanted to admit. She had felt his need, his desperation to bind her to him in every possible way, but at the same time, there was something undeniably magnetic about Nickolas. He was dangerous, but his intensity made her feel alive in ways she had never experienced before.
For seven nights, it was the same. The fire between them grew hotter, consuming them both, and it wasn't just the physical connection that made her afraid. It was the way Nickolas looked at her afterward, the way he whispered into her ear in the aftermath of their heated heat: "You're mine, Evelyn. No one can take you from me."
Present Day
Evelyn blinked away the memory, her body trembling slightly. She had run away after that week on the island, fleeing back to Russia, desperate to escape the suffocating hold Nickolas had over her. But even with the distance, she hadn't escaped him. Not truly. His child was growing inside her, an inescapable reminder of the life she had tried to leave behind.
Zie Xin had returned with fresh tea, her face full of concern as she sat down beside Evelyn. "Miss Evelyn, are you alright?" she asked, her voice gentle. "You've been quiet ever since we left the doctor."
"I'm fine," Evelyn lied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Zie Xin's eyes softened. "You don't have to pretend with me. I know this isn't what you wanted."
Evelyn's hands trembled as she held the teacup, trying to steady herself. "It's not that," she murmured. "I don't hate the idea of having a child. It's...it's just who the father is."
Zie Xin's expression darkened slightly. "Nickolas."
Evelyn nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I thought I could escape him. I thought I could start over once I returned to Russia, but now..."
"You can still leave," Zie Xin said firmly. "There are options, Miss Evelyn. We could disappear. You don't have to go back to him."
Evelyn shook her head, her heart heavy with the weight of reality. "He'll find me. He always does. And now, with this...he won't let me go. Not when he knows I'm carrying his child."
Zie Xin reached out, squeezing her hand tightly. "You have your family. They can protect you."
"But for how long?" Evelyn whispered, her voice shaking. "Nickolas will never stop. He will do anything to keep me, even if it means hurting those I love. I can't risk that again."
Her mind flashed back to the memory of her parents, their tragic car accident still fresh in her memory. She knew that Nickolas hadn't been directly involved, but his world, power, and way of dealing with obstacles were all too close for comfort. The fear of losing more people she loved was too great to ignore.
Meanwhile, in Italy,
Nickolas Alexander Jr. stood on the balcony of his family's estate, overlooking the sprawling grounds below. The evening air was crisp, but a storm was brewing inside him. He had sent his men to search for Evelyn as soon as he realized she had fled the island. Of course, she had returned to Russia—her family's stronghold—but Nickolas wasn't worried. He knew he could reach her no matter where she ran.
He took a deep breath, feeling the familiar pull of desire as he thought of her. Evelyn was a mystery to him, one he had been unraveling for years. And now, she was carrying his child. He had been watching her closely, even without her knowing it, and the signs had been there. The moment he confirmed it and knew she was pregnant, his obsession with her grew stronger.
He didn't just want her anymore. He needed her—and their child.
Nickolas's lips curled into a dark smile. She wouldn't be able to run from him for long. She would return to him once she realized her situation's full weight. And if she didn't...well, Nickolas had never been one to play fair. He would bring her back, even if it meant tearing apart her world piece by piece.
Then he goes to his office room. Nickolas sits in his office, his fingers drumming against the polished wood of his desk. He hadn't seen Evelyn since she had slipped away from him, fleeing back to her family in Russia. But he knew where she was. He always knew. The walls of his control extended far beyond the boundaries of the island she had escaped from.
He leaned back in his chair, a cold smile curling on his lips. Soon, she would understand. Evelyn was his. The child growing inside her would only strengthen that bond. She could run all she wanted but couldn't hide from him forever. He had waited for her, loved her from afar for so many years. Now that he had tasted her and felt her body respond to him, he wasn't going to let her go.
His phone buzzed, interrupting his thoughts. It was Edward, his loyal butler, the man who had been by his side for years.
"Sir," Edward's voice came through the speaker, calm and steady as always. "The surveillance on Miss Evelyn has confirmed it. She's still at her family estate, but her brother has doubled security."
Nickolas's smile didn't falter. "Let them. They think they can protect her from me. But they don't understand, Edward. Evelyn will come back to me. It's inevitable."
Edward hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "What would you like me to do, sir?"
Nickolas's eyes darkened as he stared out of the window. "Prepare the plane. We're going to Russia."
Later that evening, back in Russia.
Evelyn sat at the dinner table with her family, and familiar conversation sounds filled the room. Her brothers, always protective, kept a watchful eye on her, though they didn't fully understand the gravity of the situation. Dmitry, her oldest brother, noticed her quietness, his sharp eyes narrowing as he leaned closer.
"Evelyn, are you alright?" he asked quietly, his voice filled with concern. "You've been distant ever since you came back from China."
Evelyn hesitated, her fingers gripping the edge of her plate. She had wanted to tell him, but the fear of dragging her family into Nickolas's world had kept her silent. Now, with the baby, she wasn't sure she could keep it hidden any longer.
"I need to tell you something," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the hum of the room. "But not here. After dinner."
Dmitry's brow furrowed, but he nodded, sensing the urgency in her tone.
That night, in the quiet of her brother's study, Evelyn told him everything. The island, the nights with Nickolas, the baby—her voice broke as she finally confessed the truth that had been eating away at her for weeks.
Dmitry's face hardened as he listened, his protective instincts kicking in. "You should have told me sooner," he said, his voice thick with anger. "I would have stopped him."
"There's nothing you can do," Evelyn said, tears welling in her eyes. "Nickolas has too much power. Even if we leave, he'll find us. He won't stop until he gets what he wants."
Dmitry stood, pacing the room, his mind working quickly. "Then we fought back. We will protect you and the baby. We're not going to let him win."
Evelyn's heart twisted. She wanted to believe her brother could keep her safe, but she knew the truth deep down. Nickolas was too dangerous, too relentless. The bond between them was already sealed—through desire, through the child growing inside her, through the dangerous love that tethered her to him.
And no matter how much she ran, she would never truly be free.
Later that evening, the storm finally arrived.
Nickolas's private jet landed in Moscow under the cover of darkness. He had come for Evelyn, just as she had feared. The Maxwell family's estate was fortified, but Nickolas had resources and men willing to do whatever it took to bring Evelyn back to him.
A sense of calm washed over him as he stepped off the plane. Soon, she would be back where she belonged. With him. Forever.