Chapter 163
Chapter 163:
The hospital room at St. Jude’s was quiet, save for the hum of the IV pump. Seraphina lay in the bed, looking pale and fragile. The doctors had confirmed high levels of HCG. She was pregnant.
Liam sat in the chair by the window, his head in his hands. Sarah Jones. The name echoed in his mind. The video footage played on a loop in his memory. But the baby… the baby was real.
The door opened.
It wasn’t Skye. It was Lydia.
She rushed in, fake tears streaming down her face. “Oh, Liam! I heard everything! Is the baby okay p>
She tried to hug him. Liam flinched, pushing her away.
“Get off,” he grunted.
“I was so worried!” Lydia cried. “Grandmother is beside herself. She says this woman is a gold digger. She says you should pay her off p>
Liam looked at Lydia. He saw the calculation in her eyes.
“She’s carrying my child, Lydia,” Liam said heavily. “I can’t just pay her off p>
“But she’s a criminal!” Lydia insisted. “Skye said she’s a fraud named Sarah Jones p>
“She is,” Liam admitted. “But the child is a Kensington p>
Lydia’s face twisted. “So you’re going to keep her? In the Manor p>
“I don’t have a choice,” Liam said. “Until the baby is born… she stays p>
Lydia stomped her foot. “This is ridiculous! I’m leaving p>
Lydia fled the room.
Liam reached for his phone and dialed Skye. It went to voicemail.
“Skye,” he said to the recording, “you were right. About who she is. But… the situation has changed. I have a responsibility now. I hope you can understand p>
Meanwhile, at The Spire, Skye sat on her living room floor, surrounded by documents. The Sarah Jones chapter was stalled by biology.
ոa𝗏i𝗀𝖺𝘁e е𝗮s𝘪𝗅у oո 𝗯𝘦𝗅𝗻𝗈𝗏еl𝗌.с𝗈𝗺
But something was wrong with the Thorne connection. Alistair had gone silent. He was supposed to meet her to discuss the Timothy Hayes file.
Suddenly, her front door buzzer rang.
She checked the camera.
It was Dominic Thorne.
Alistair’s estranged cousin. The one who hated him.
Skye grabbed a taser from her drawer and tucked it into her waistband. She opened the door.
Dominic stood there, smiling. He looked like Alistair, but softer—crueler.
“Skye Sterling,” Dominic said. “We haven’t been properly introduced p>
“I know who you are,” Skye said, keeping the door blocked. “What do you want p>
“I’m looking for a mutual acquaintance,” Dominic said. “A girl who goes by Seraphina Miller. Or Sarah Jones. Or… Eleanor p>
Skye’s grip on the door tightened. “Why ask me p>
“Because you seem to be digging into her past,” Dominic said, stepping closer. “And that makes me nervous. The House of Thorne prefers its skeletons to stay buried p>