Her Birthday His Forbidden Desire novel Chapter 26

**Twilight Carves Destinies by George Orwell**

**Chapter 16**

Declan had lost consciousness for a harrowing three days after his sudden collapse at the hospital. When he finally regained awareness, the first sounds that pierced through the fog of his mind were those of his assistant delivering news that would set everything in motion. If the plan was to shield Vivienne from the grip of the law by isolating her in a psychiatric ward, then he would turn that to his advantage, no matter the cost.

With a calculated determination, he maneuvered through the necessary channels and orchestrated her covert transfer to a dilapidated psychiatric facility, far removed from the bustling city—a place so obscure that it would be nearly impossible for anyone to seek her out.

“Mr. Hawthorne,” the doctor intoned flatly, “today Miss Blake will be administered a double dosage. The treatment will include electroconvulsive therapy…”

Through the sterile glass window, a nurse methodically placed a cup brimming with white pills in front of Vivienne. Her pupils contracted sharply, a visceral reaction to the sight. Hate flickered in her eyes like a flame as they locked onto the figure of the man standing behind the glass barrier.

“Declan Hawthorne! Do you want me dead?!” Her voice erupted like a volcano, raw and unrestrained, as she hurled the pills to the ground, scattering them like confetti.

She had reached her breaking point.

The irony gnawed at her—she wasn’t even mentally ill, yet they were forcing this daily regimen of psychiatric medication down her throat. The side effects were merciless. Her body felt as if it was unraveling at the seams; within a mere week, her hair had begun to fall out in clumps, leaving her feeling like a shadow of her former self. As the beloved daughter of the Blake family, how could she possibly endure such torment?

Vivienne teetered on the edge of despair.

“I refuse to take them! I won’t undergo shock therapy either! Get away from me! All of you, just leave!” Her voice was laced with desperation as she propelled herself off the bed, fury propelling her forward. At that moment, the door swung open with a forceful shove, and Declan entered, his expression darkened by an unmistakable fury. Without a moment’s hesitation, he lunged forward, his foot striking her squarely in the abdomen.

“Ahhh!”

Vivienne crumpled to the floor, clutching her stomach as agony coursed through her. “You monster! How could you be so cruel? What have I done to deserve this, Declan? I loved you too much! For over ten years, I’ve loved you! How could you treat me like this?!”

When silence enveloped him, terror surged through her. Desperation clawed at her throat as she reached for his leg, her voice breaking. “Please! Please, I’m begging you, Declan! I know I was wrong. Just let me go—I’ll do anything you ask!”

He knelt down slowly, his grip tightening around her jaw, fingers digging in so deeply that she feared he might shatter her bone.

Then, his phone buzzed insistently, cutting through the chilling silence. “Mr. Hawthorne, we just discovered a ring wedged in the yacht’s upper deck railing…”

Declan’s complexion drained of color as he felt a wave of dread wash over him. “Don’t touch it. I’m on my way.”

Three days later, at the secluded countryside villa, Sloane stepped into the waiting Maybach, her white cane in hand, a symbol of her struggle and resilience.

It was the first time she had ventured outside since that fateful incident.

“Mr. Sharpe, really… I can manage on my own,” she protested, feeling a flutter of unease in her stomach.

Today marked her mother’s birthday, and soon, she would be leaving Riverstone for good—never to return. All she wanted was to gaze upon the ocean one last time, to bid it farewell.

What she remained blissfully unaware of, however, was that this seemingly innocuous trip was about to unleash a tempest that would alter the course of her life forever.