Page 55 of False Heir

And just like that, he was gone.

The remnants of my breakfast lay scattered across the table, a mute testament to the morning’s earlier chaos. I sat there, ignoring the fucking box, cradling my swollen belly, feeling the twins shift restlessly inside me. The safehouse was silent—a stark difference from the usual hum of activity. Tristan had left in a hurry with Kieran, their urgent whispers still echoing off the walls.

I blinked back tears, but not just because of their abrupt departure. My body ached, each movement an effort as I pushed myself up from the chair. The thick air of the Callahan Domain seemed to press against me, heavy with unspoken threats and lingering cigar smoke. It was all-consuming, this life we’d woven around power and survival, and at that moment, it felt like a gilded cage.

Needing to escape the oppressive silence, I moved slowly, pulling on my coat with more effort than I cared to admit. The door creaked open, and a gust of frigid Boston air slapped my face, almost as if to wake me from the stupor of my own troubled thoughts.

The Fens were quiet under a pristine blanket of snow. Where children usually played and vendors hawked their wares, now only the hushed sounds of winter prevailed. I walked, one hand resting beneath the swell of my belly, the other clutching my coat closed against the biting wind. My breath plumed out before me, white puffs disappearing into the chilled air with every exhaled worry.

As I trod the familiar path, the empty streets mirrored the emptiness I felt. With each step, the sharp cold seared through my layers, a cruel reminder of how alone I truly was. Tristan’s absence loomed large, his reasons for leaving me behind unclear.

I had wanted time to myself…but I hadn’t expected him to be the one to leave.

What once felt like a partnership now seemed like solitary confinement, my heart growing colder with each thought of betrayal.

But I couldn’t let despair take hold. For the sake of my unborn children, for my own sanity, I had to keep moving. So, I walked through the snow-covered Fens, my mind racing as fast as my heart, searching for the warmth of hope in the coldness that surrounded me.

The café materialized like a beacon as I trudged forward, the steam fogging its windows a silent invitation to seek refuge from the cold. Pushing open the door, a bell chimed overhead, and I stepped into the cozy embrace of the shop. The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans hit me, a reminder that life’s simplest pleasures could still offer solace.

“Small coffee, please,” I murmured to the barista, my voice rougher than I intended.

“Coming right up,” she said with a smile.

Soon, my hands wrapped around the cup, absorbing the heat that seeped through the cardboard. It was a small comfort, but comfort nonetheless. I settled into a corner seat, feeling the warmth spread across my palms while my thoughts drifted back to Tristan.

Every now and then, I glanced over my shoulder instinctively. Even here, in this mundane haven, I couldn’t shake the unease. The argument with Tristan had left me raw, exposed, the harsh words echoing in my head like a bitter aftertaste.

Then, the unexpected vibration of my phone shattered the quiet. Heart jolting, I fished the device from my purse, my sister Carmen’s name flashing on the screen. A hesitant smile tugged at my lips—Carmen, the firebrand to my ice, the one who always seemed to call when darkness threatened to overwhelm me. Regardless of whatever else was happening between us, it was as if she could read my mind.

“Hey, Carm,” I answered, trying to steady my voice.

“Adriana?” Her tone was both sharp and tender, cutting through the fog of my worries. “How are you holding up?”

“Been better,” I admitted, staring into the black depths of my coffee as if it held answers. “But your timing is impeccable, as always.”

“Listen, Ade, whatever it is, we’ll sort it out,” she said firmly, her conviction a lifeline thrown across the miles. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Tristan and I had a fight,” my voice quivered, the tremble betraying the fear that gripped me. “It was...it was bad, Carmen. The kind of argument that leaves cracks in the foundation, you know? As if we ever had one.”

Her silence on the other end spoke volumes, giving me space to gather the shards of my courage.

“I just need a break,” I whispered into the phone, the dam behind my eyes threatening to burst. “I can’t think, can’t breathe. Everything here is just too much.”

“Okay, kid. Come stay with me.” Carmen’s words cut through the static of my panic with clarity and strength. “You can stay as long as you need, okay? No pressure, no expectations. Just...come find some peace.”

The offer hung between us, a lifeline amidst the tempest of my life. Carmen, ever the anchor, understood the chaos that churned within me. In her simple invitation, I found solace—a safe harbor from the storm that raged in Tristan’s Territory, away from the opulence that now felt more like a gilded cage than a home.

She could have thrown this in my face. She had every right. She wasn’t, and I was so grateful.

“Thank you,” I breathed out, a weight lifting from my shoulders at the thought of an escape, even if temporary. It was all I could manage, but it was enough for Carmen to understand.

“Pack a bag, Adriana. I’ll be waiting,” she said, her voice a steady balm to the turmoil inside me.

“Alright,” I said, steeling myself for the brief return to my apartment. “Just give me a couple of hours. Wait, what about the twins?”

“They’re attached,” she said, laughing. “We’ll take care of the little ones too. Don’t worry.”

It didn’t take long. I took a rideshare back to my place, where I was greeted by a skeptical looking doorman because it had been a bit since I had been home. I didn’t need to pack much, so it didn’t take a lot of time. I thought of the wardrobe that Tristan had bought me and my heart clenched in my chest.

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