Please Come Back, My Love novel Chapter 365

Chapter 365

“Yes, Miss Cruz. Mr. Reynolds was quite clear about his instructions.”

I closed my eyes and counted to ten, trying to block out the sound of construction. “That’s not necessary. I’ll be fine on my own

“I’m afraid I must insist. Mr. Reynolds was very specific.”

Of course he was. Because Lucas didn’t do anything halfway. If he was going to imprison me, he was going to make damn sure I had a warden watching my every move.

I shoved my chair back and stood abruptly. “I need some air.”

“Of course. Though we should wait until the workers finish with the garden area.”

Even my outdoor space was being systematically neutered.

An hour later, Margaret finally allowed me outside. The autumn gardens should have been beautiful, but all I could see were the guards. Six of them now, stationed at regular intervals around the perimeter, their eyes constantly scanning.

Margaret gestured toward a stone bench beneath an oak tree. “The sunlight and fresh air are excellent for reducing stress. Very good.

for the baby’s development.”

I almost laughed. Stress reduction. As if a little vitamin D could fix the fact that I was being held prisoner by the father of my unborn child.

But I sat anyway, because what else was I going to do? Run? With six guards and Margaret watching my every move? Even if I somehow made it past them, where would I go? Lucas had made it brutally clear what would happen to my parents if I tried to leave.

I pulled out my phone, my fingers hovering over the keyboard.

I should call someone. A lawyer. The police. Someone who could help me escape this nightmare.

But what would I even say? That my billionaire ex–boyfriend had gotten me pregnant and was now keeping me in a mansion against my will? They’d think I was lying. Or crazy. And even if they believed me, Lucas would make one phone call, and my parents would be in handcuffs within the hour.

“If that’s what’s required to keep you and the baby safe, then yes.”

Safe. There was that word again, twisted beyond all recognition.

I stood abruptly, ignoring the way Margaret tensed. “I want to go back inside.”

She followed me back through the French doors, up the now–padded stairs, down the foam–wrapped hallway. I could hear the workers still at work above us, the steady rhythm of their modifications a constant reminder that my world was being reshaped without my consent.

When I entered my room and tried to close the door, she remained in the doorway, her expression apologetic but firm.

“I’ll be right outside if you need anything,” she said.

I didn’t bother responding. I just shut the door in her face and sank onto the bed, my hands shaking with impotent rage. Through the window, I could see more workers in the garden, putting the finishing touches on their safety modifications.

Every piece of padding, every rounded corner, every soft surface was a reminder that Lucas owned me now. And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.