Married to the Billionaire Who Betrayed Me novel Chapter 38

Chapter 38 Claiming My Child For Myself

The broken glass echoed against the damp brick walls. The sharp sound shattered the silence of the night. Mateo Castillo paused. He turned his head toward the dark mouth of the alley. His hand moved toward his shoulder holster. Dark metal caught the neon light from the liquor store. He drew a heavy weapon. He took a measured step toward the shadows.

My lungs seized. I pressed my back against the rough masonry. The cold seeped through my thin coat, chilling my skin. I wrapped

my arms over my abdomen. I shielded the fragile life growing in the dark.

A sanitation truck turned the corner. The massive diesel engine roared. Heavy tires splashed through deep puddles, sending sheets of dirty water across the asphalt. The mechanical noise filled the street. Blinding headlights swept over the brick buildings.

Mateo shifted his attention toward the blinding lights. He shielded his eyes with his free hand. He squinted against the glare,

The distraction provided an opening. I pivoted on my heel. I sprinted through the narrow passage. My breath burned in my throat. I reached the end of the alley. A rusted iron fence blocked the path. I jumped. My fingers curled around the top bar. Rust sliced the skin of my palms. I hauled my body over the iron spikes. I dropped to the wet concrete on the opposite side. A sharp pain flared in

my knees.

I crouched behind a pile of discarded wooden pallets. I held my breath. I listened to the rain hitting the pavement.

Heavy footsteps crunched on the broken glass in the alley. Mateo searched the shadows. He found empty space. A frustrated curse floated over the brick wall. Footsteps retreated toward the main street. Car doors slammed. An engine revved. The black SUV

departed.

I remained behind the wooden pallets for sixty minutes. Freezing water soaked my clothes. My muscles cramped. My teeth chattered. I rose to my feet and walked toward the industrial district.

Room 402 belonged to the Johnston Group. My hoarded wages sat beneath the floorboards in a rusted coffee can. I abandoned the money. I surrendered my warm blanket. Returning to that building meant capture. Survival demanded sacrifice.

I navigated the labyrinth of cracked sidewalks. I reached Valdez Elegance. I gripped the new brass keys in my trembling hand. I unlocked the heavy steel door. I entered the cavernous warehouse. I locked the deadbolts.

The concrete floor offered zero warmth. The air smelled of diesel fuel and broken perfume bottles. I walked into the glass management office. I collapsed into the leather executive chair.

Silence pressed against my ears. I wrapped my arms around my torso. I placed both hands over my lower abdomen.

The tiny heartbeat flickered in my memory. The ultrasound image represented a fragile, living promise.

Tristan Johnston sent armed men to capture me. He desired a caged bird. He wanted a hidden mistress locked inside the Azure Tower If his security team captured me, Tristan would discover the pregnancy. The Johnston family prized legacy above all things. Evelyn Johnston would summon her corporate lawyers. They would strip my maternal rights. They would rip my child from my arms. They would hand my baby to Celeste Whitmore to raise as a pedigreed heir. My existence would vanish.

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Chapter 38 Claiming My Child For Myself

The realization ignited a fire in my blood. The flames consumed the lingering heartbreak. I loved the man in the courthouse.

trusted his solemn vows. I believed his soft promises.

That man died in the Grand Hawthorne Hotel.

The man hunting me was a predator. He protected his stock price and discarded human lives. Predators forfeit their claim to

children.

“You belong to me, I whispered to the dark room. “He receives zero knowledge of your existence. He forfeited his rights. I claim

you.

I made the vow. I sealed my heart behind a thick wall of ice. The naive girl shed her final tear. I chose the cold. I chose war. I chose

absolute survival.

Morning arrived. Harsh sunlight pierced the dusty warehouse windows. The loading bay doors remained locked.

Eduardo Valdez entered through the side entrance. He rested his weight on his wooden cane. He wore his thick tweed overcoat. He spotted me sitting in the glass office. My wet clothes clung to my skin. My hair hung in tangled strands.

He opened the office door. He analyzed my appearance.

“They found the apartment,” I stated. My voice cracked.

Eduardo gave a single nod. “I anticipated their speed. The Johnston network possesses infinite resources.”

I abandoned my savings, I continued. “I require a salary advance. I need to secure an unlisted apartment under a shell corporation.

I need a ghost identity.”

Eduardo reached inside his coat. He produced a thick white envelope. He placed the paper packet on the mahogany desk.

“Five thousand in cash, Eduardo said. “Take the afternoon. Find a secure location. The hounds lose the scent when the prey goes off

the grid.”

I picked up the envelope. The paper felt heavy. “Thank you, Eduardo.

Eduardo kept his gaze fixed on my face. His expression remained grim. He gripped the handle of his cane with white knuckles.

“We face a massive complication, Minerva.”

“Explain the complication.”

Eduardo pulled a folded newspaper from his pocket. He dropped the broadsheet onto the desk. The front page featured a massive photograph of the commercial harbor. A bold black headline dominated the top half of the page.

Johnston Group Announces Acquisition of Port Sterling Shipping Hub. I stared at the black ink. My lungs burned. The implications crushed the air from the room.

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