Chapter 056

~~~Aiden~~~ As I sat there, the weight of the impossible choice I had to make rested heavily on my shoulders. In one minute, with just one decision, I would be able to escape this place, but at a steep cost - the cost of never seeing Hailey and my son again. The mere thought sent a chill down my spine, and I felt a wave of desperation wash over me. I stared at Sandra with every ounce of disgust I could muster, still unable to believe she could stoop so low. I had totally underestimated her, and now I was paying the price. "I'd rather die here than go anywhere with you," I spat at her, my voice laced with venom. She really thought something like this could coax me into running away with her? The last thing I wanted was to never see Hailey again, even if it meant I had to die trying. Sandra's face twisted in anger, and she began to play mind games with me. But I was prepared for her now. I knew better than to underestimate how cruel she'd become since our breakup. We went back and forth, the tension between us palpable, until she finally snapped. Her eyes flashed with anger as she picked up a gun that was hanging loosely on one of the guard's pockets. "If I can't have you, then no one else will," she hissed, the gun trained on me. My heart skipped a beat as I tried to reason with her. "Put the gun down, Sandra," I said, trying to keep my voice calm, but my mind raced with fear. But I was wrong to think I could calm her down. As soon as she heard the police sirens, she pulled the trigger without hesitation and fled the area, leaving me tied to the chair. The sound of the gunshot still echoed in my ears, making my head spin. I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me, and for a few minutes, all I could hear was the sound of bells ringing. Slowly, the room came back into focus, and I realized that I was alone. The fire-scarred man, the guards, and Sandra were all gone. Minutes later, the police arrived with my dad, and they freed me from the chair. I flexed my hands in pain as I stood up, feeling a mix of relief and gratitude. "Dad," I called out, my voice shaking with emotion, as I walked up to him to give him a handshake. But instead of a handshake, he hugged me tightly, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of fear in his eyes. "Where is he?" he asked, his voice firm and calculated. "Who?" I asked, confused. "Your abductors," he replied. "They all fled into the woods," I said. "I'm sure they couldn't have gone far." "And that ex-girlfriend of yours?" he asked, his face twisted in disgust. I raised an eyebrow, wondering how he knew Sandra was involved. He seemed to know more than he was letting on. "She ran too," I replied. My dad's face turned red with anger. "What?! And you couldn't stop her?!" he yelled. I felt a surge of frustration at his reaction. Didn't he care that I'd almost been killed? Didn't he care that I'd been through hell? "I don't know if you just saw what happened here, Dad," I fired back, "but I was bound to a chair." My dad's expression softened slightly, but I could still see the anger simmering beneath the surface. I wasn't surprised, though. I knew he was more concerned about catching my abductors than about my well-being. It wouldn't hurt if he pretended to care, just a little bit. As I walked through the front door, I was met with a sight that filled my heart with joy. Hailey was seated in the living room, waiting for my return. Hailey's eyes sparkled as she caught sight of me, and a bright smile spread across her face. I couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness as I took in the scene before me. "Hailey?" I called out, my voice tentative as I approached her. I was still unsure if she had regained her memories or lost them completely again. She turned to me, her eyes shining with excitement. "Aiden!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with emotion. Without hesitation, she ran towards me, her slender body fitting perfectly into mine. She wrapped her arms around me, and I felt a rush of love and relief wash over me. We stood there for a moment, holding each other tightly, the world around us melting away. Then, without warning, she leaned in and pressed her lips to mine. The kiss was passionate and all-consuming, and I felt myself getting lost in the moment. We stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, our lips locked in a tender kiss. As we pulled away from each other, Hailey's face flushed with embarrassment. "Uhm... uhm... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry that wasn't supposed to happen... uhm, it isn't part of the...," she stammered, her eyes dropping in shame. But before she could finish her sentence, I pulled her back into another round of passionate kisses. This time, there was no baby bump interrupting us, and our bodies fit together perfectly. Just as we were getting lost in the moment, a familiar voice called out from upstairs. "Aiden?" my mom called out, her voice filled with warmth. I pulled away from Hailey, a sheepish grin spreading across my face. "Mom?" I called out, running towards her as she came down the stairs. We hugged each other tightly, taking in each other's scent. My mom's eyes were shining with tears as she held me close. "Oh, Aiden, I missed you so much," she cried, her voice filled with compassion. I pulled away from her, a smile still plastered on my face. "I know, I know," I said, trying to reassure her. "And the baby?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. "He's asleep," my mom replied, a warm smile spreading across her face. I nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. "And your dad?" my mom asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. "He's out there with the police trying to catch my abductors," I said, a hint of sarcasm creeping into my voice. My mom muttered an "oh" under her breath, her eyes filled with pitiful concern. "Mom, is anything the matter?" I asked, noticing the worried look on her face. She shook her head, a faint smile on her lips. "No son, I... I just thought he would at least come with you. He hasn't really been himself since the incident in Germany," she explained. I nodded sympathetically. "Well, that's expected," I said, trying to reassure her. "Can I get something to eat? I'm starving," I added, my stomach growling with hunger. We all headed to the dining area, the tension and worry of the past few hours slowly dissipating as we sat down to a warm, comforting meal together. Time passed quickly, I had just freshened up and was in my room when a knock came in. As I opened the door, Hailey's eyes locked onto mine, and I could see the emotions swirling beneath the surface. Her eyes, brimming with tears, sparkled with a mix of happiness and sadness. Without a word, she threw her arms around my waist, pulling me into a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close as she buried her face in my chest. I could feel her warm breath on my skin, and her tears dampening my shirt. The scent of her hair and the softness of her body against mine brought back a flood of memories, and I felt my heart swell with love and emotion. As we stood there, holding each other tightly, I could feel the tension and stress of the past few days melting away. It was just Hailey and me, lost in our own little world, where nothing else mattered. I stroked her hair, whispering softly into her ear, "I'm here, Hailey. I'm here for you." 'I remember Aiden, I remember everything." She mumbled with her face buried in my chest. 'I know, I figured the minute you recognized me." I said patting her hair lightly 'What do you mean?" She said pulling herself back 'The doctor said you had a chance to either forget your whole identity or regain your entire memory of who you were." I explained 'What?!" She said above a whisper, 'Yes Hailey, and I desperately prayed to you every day that you got your memory back because I have something to tell you myself." 'Me too," she replied her gaze never leaving mine 'Oh really, so you go first." I said hoping she was about to tell me that I was the father of her child and then that would be the part where I feign a surprise, but that wasn't the case 'Aiden, this is a lot bigger than I thought," she began 'What is?" I asked 'Everything, everything that's happened, and why you were abducted, I don't think we can fight it." She said 'What?" I replied my voice above a whisper 'Yes Aiden, I tried fighting it three months ago and now look where it landed me, Aiden, I just want to let you know that I want to terminate our contract together and go somewhere else with my child, somewhere far off where I'll never have to worry about someone trying to kill me." She said, making me stare at her in shock, how could she even think of such a thing. 'So you're trying to run, aren't you?" I said with tears welling up at the corner of my eyes threatening to fall 'No, Aiden, I'm seeking protection for myself and my baby." She said 'What about everything we've been through together huh? What about everything we shared." 'Aiden, we both knew this was going to end anytime soon, so please let's not stress it. She said moving away her gaze from mine as she stared at the balcony into thin air 'What?" 'Don't you get it? The more I try to fight it the more people get hurt, your mom was shot because of me," she said amidst tears 'Hailey you don't know that yet," i interrupted 'It's true Aiden," this person wants me dead and he's coming for every single person around me, and that's why they came for you too, I just want to go to somewhere far away where I can raise my child in peace. 'But that's my child too!!" I yelled, making her flinch as she stared into my eyes wondering how I knew about it, but I just stood there panting as I stared at her.