Countdown to "I Do" novel Chapter 18

**Midnight Roads Unseen by George Orwell**

**Chapter 18**

Adrian felt a sharp pang as he bit down hard on the tip of his tongue, the metallic taste of blood flooding his mouth, a stark reminder of the turmoil swirling within him. The stinging pain jolted him back to reality, sharpening his focus.

“Ella,” he said, his voice cold and unyielding, “you need to get rid of that bastard with an unknown father. I can’t bear the thought of it existing in this world any longer.” His words hung in the air, heavy with finality. He turned away, his expression a mask of icy resolve, ready to leave the conversation behind. But before he could take a step, he felt her arms wrap around him from behind, a desperate embrace.

“Adrian, please,” Ella pleaded, her voice trembling, “I was wrong. I know I messed up. Just… please forgive me.”

He felt her warmth against his back, but it only fueled the coldness in his heart. “You’ve forgiven me so many times before,” he shot back, bitterness lacing his tone. “Can’t you just forgive me one more time? You’re the one who spoiled me into this personality, aren’t you? You have to take responsibility for it!”

With tears brimming in her eyes, she clutched at his waist, her voice barely above a whisper. “The baby in my belly is really ours. Nothing happened between me and Leo. Please, you have to believe me. Just give me a chance. We can wait until twelve weeks for a paternity test to find out whose it is, and then we can decide what to do!”

Her grip tightened, desperation seeping into her words, as warm tears cascaded down her cheeks, soaking into the fabric of Adrian’s shirt, each drop a silent plea that dripped into the recesses of his heart. Yet, despite the anguish reflected in her eyes, Adrian felt no flicker of pity. He was resolute, cold as ice.

One by one, he pried her fingers from his waist, indifferent to the bruises he was leaving on her delicate skin. “Ella,” he stated flatly, “the abortion isn’t up for discussion. This is a notification, not a request. I haven’t given you a chance to refuse. This child cannot be kept.”

Ella’s heart sank at his words, the chill of his voice cutting through her. “If you want to have children with someone else in the future, it has nothing to do with me,” she retorted, her fear morphing into a mix of anger and desperation.

“Don’t… don’t get rid of my baby!” she cried out, her voice cracking, nearly collapsing to the floor in despair.

But before she could plead further, a few of the Foster family’s bodyguards stepped forward, their expressions stoic as they grasped her arms, dragging her away toward the hospital, her protests falling on deaf ears.

“Really? I’ll be okay?” Ella’s heart raced, misunderstanding his words, thinking perhaps Leo had taken the fall, leaving her free of consequences.

But the next moment, Adrian’s harsh reality shattered her fragile hope. “How could that be? You haven’t finished paying what you owe Isabella. How can you go to jail now?”

Turning to Julian, he commanded, “Once Ella’s health improves in a few days, schedule the surgery to remove the kidney that isn’t hers. What doesn’t belong to her must be returned to its rightful owner.”

Julian stood frozen, the gravity of Adrian’s words crashing down upon him. “Adrian, are you insane? You can’t just put a kidney back once it’s been removed! Besides, with Ella’s health, she’ll die without this kidney. Are you really trying to kill her?”

Panic surged through Ella as she heard those dangerous words. She quickly begged, her voice low and trembling, “Adrian, I know I was wrong. I can apologize to Isabella. Please, don’t take my kidney. I don’t want to die. I really don’t want to die!”

As she lay on the hospital bed, shrinking back, she wished for nothing more than to disappear into the shadows, to escape the reality that had become her prison.