Belinda's POV
I woke up to blinding white light, the smell of antiseptic, and a dull, deep ache that radiated from my abdomen. My memory was a fragmented horror: the shock of Lyle's confession, the fight with Jackson, the terrible, sickening taste of the green smoothie, and then nothing but pain.
I blinked, recognising the room: a sealed, highly-advanced surgical suite. I wasn't at the compound. Rosline was sitting beside the bed, her head resting on the mattress, her exhaustion visible even with her eyes closed. Ronda stood at the foot of the bed, her stance rigid, her face shadowed by worry.
"Ronda," I whispered, my voice a dry croak.
Ronda was beside me instantly, offering water with professional speed. Rosline woke up, her face flooded with relief.
"You're awake, B. Thank goodness," Rosline breathed, immediately checking the monitors. "You gave us a serious scare. A chemical agent…a targeted attack."
"The baby," I rasped, the question tearing at my throat. "Did I lose the baby?"
Rosline's eyes were weary, but her smile was genuine. "The baby is stable. It was a near. A deliberate, toxic attack designed to induce a miscarriage. You're a fighter, and that little one is too. We stopped the agent before it could do permanent damage. But you're staying here, under full medical lockdown, until Jackson says otherwise."
The relief was a sudden, paralysing wave that made me sob silently. I had almost lost the one thing I had been fighting for. But the relief was quickly followed by the crushing weight of reality.
"Jackson," I choked out, looking around the empty room. "Where is he? After what he said—did he... is he gone?"
Ronda stepped forward, her expression serious. "He's not gone, B. He's at the compound. He's furious. And he's in full-blown Phase Omega tactical retaliation. He's a mess of guilt and rage, but he's working."
Rosline leaned close, lowering her voice. "He ordered me to tell you two things the moment you woke up. First: He was never angry about the baby. He was only angry that you were alone, that you didn't let him and allow him to protect you. His fear for you made him reckless with his words."
She paused, letting that sink in.
"And the second thing?" I whispered, needing to know.
Rosline's eyes softened, a rare, empathetic light replacing the cold glare of the medic. "He said he's not letting you feel like a mistake, and he's going to fight this war to build you a future you both deserve."
The vow, relayed through a third party, felt more powerful than any in-person confession. He wasn't running or leaving me… he was rebuilding. He was fighting for the woman who had caused his chaos.
"And the attack, Rosline. Was it the General's network?"
Rosline glanced at Ronda, a silent exchange passing between them—a professional look that held too much information.
"Jackson has a lead," Rosline stated carefully. "An internal lead. He's setting a trap to confirm his suspicion. He is not coming back here until the threat is neutralised."
I looked at Ronda, then at the empty spot where Jackson should have been. My actions had brought us to this terrible, bloody place, but his response…the vow, the furious tactical retaliation…confirmed the one thing that mattered.
"Rosline," I commanded, the fighter in me returning, despite the pain. "Get me the main comms feed. I need to know the parameters of this trap. If I'm the bait, I'm going to be an active part of the solution. I'm not waiting for him to save me."
No I'm not going to be reckless this time. I've learnt from my mistakes.
3 Day time lapse:
Day One:
Jackson's POV
The compound was a cage. Lyle and Eleanor, initially basking in the supposed success of their attack, grew increasingly agitated. Lyle tried to access his external comms, but every signal was dead. Eleanor attempted to "slip out for groceries," only to find every exit sealed with new, unyielding protocols. They tried to question Tyrone, but he was a wall of polite professionalism. The noose was tightening, and they could feel it. I watched them constantly from the hospital feed, a cold satisfaction in my heart.
I come and watch my girl when she's asleep. She just can't know that. Hearing her voice or looking into her eyes when I feel so guilty from our last conversation will break my focus.
Belinda's POV
I was healing, steadily, but the frustration of inaction gnawed at me. Rosline kept me updated on my vitals, the baby's steady heartbeat a comfort, but information about the "internal lead" was scarce. Jackson maintained his distance, his absence a stark, painful reminder of the chasm between us, even as Rosline reiterated his messages of love. I felt like a queen in a gilded cage, desperate to rejoin the fight.
But I knew better now.
Day Two:
Jackson's POV
Lyle's frustration escalated into recklessness. He tried to physically breach the secondary perimeter in the dead of night, attempting to disable a camera that he assumed was part of the "corporate security." Tyrone, under my explicit orders, apprehended him without incident, playing the role of the stern security chief. Lyle feigned outrage, but his eyes held a glint of desperation. Eleanor, witnessing the event from her window, started packing a small bag. They were making their move.
Belinda's POV
I demanded more information and it wasn't long before I had access to everything going on at the compound.
"He's making them think they're safe, isn't he?" I asked Rosline. "He's letting them make a mistake." The thought filled me with dread, but also a grim respect. Jackson was playing a dangerous, brilliant game. I missed him so intensely, but I knew his distance was part of the trap. I practiced walking, pushing myself to recover faster.
Day Three Morning:
Jackson's POV
The call came at 03:00. Eleanor, her face a mask of frantic fear, was caught trying to disable the main gate controls, using an old, physical override code my father must have taught her. She wasn't subtle… she was frantic. Lyle, meanwhile, had accessed an old comms panel in a rarely-used server room, attempting to send a distress signal to the General's network.
Tyrone brought them to me in the vault. Lyle, defiant even in capture, and Eleanor, broken but still trying to protect her favourite son. The trap was sprung. The enemies were contained. The war against my internal demons was finally over.
"You tried to kill Bel," I stated, my voice devoid of emotion. "You tried to kill my child. You tried to compromise the entire compound. And you tried to call the General's minions."
Lyle spat at my feet. "She killed Sarah and my baby! She deserved to lose hers! And you…you're a monster, Jackson! A warlord, not a CEO! You lied to us all! I may have secretly been helping dad for a while…but that's only because of your lies!"
"I lied to protect you, Lyle," I countered, the words cold truth. "Bel gave you grief, but she also saved your life from the real monster. You were too blind to see it. And now, you'll both pay for trying to murder my family."
I didn't waste time on punishment…that would come later. I gave Tyrone the orders: Permanent containment in a secure, remote facility. Far from any network, far from any harm. For good.
I couldn't believe I was speaking this way about my own brother and mother, but this had to be done.
The day I fell for my beautiful girl was the day I made a vow to always put her above anyone else no matter what.
The compound was finally clean. And now, I could bring my girl home.