Bella's POV I gulped, knowing well they found me hiding behind the tree but how? Weren't they going in the other direction a few minutes ago? "We know you're there! Come out now, Bella!" They snickered and I sat there, crying, praying, and cursing Jessica. "How could she arrange for men to kill me on short notice? How did she know I'd be here? Did Tiana tell her? Or did she find out about Tiana's plan and my involvement in it? Either way, just help me and the baby get out of here, please," I begged the heavens for a miracle. Moving away from the tree only endangered me more so I decided to stay still, praying for a miracle, and as if the heavens heard my prayers, someone yelled. "She's here, she just dumped her clothes and ran off!" "What? Where? Chase her now!" The leader yelled, going towards the bush where I stashed the maid's clothes. "Thank you," I mumbled and stood up to see my jeans, wet and stained from the liquid. My child was not in good condition and I was stuck here

Bella's POV"What are we gonna do with her?" I heard someone ask and it jolted me into consciousness.I tried to move, to stop the bright light from burning my eyes but the pain in my left shoulder forced me back down. "Are they taking me to Jessica?" I thought."Dessa," I called out to my wolf hoping she didn't disappear on me. "I'm here, Bella. How do you feel?""Painful but okay. Where are we? And who are these? Are they the rogues who chased me earlier? And why did they bandage the wound?'She nodded. "I don't know who they are. But when they saw you, they immediately changed their attitude and decided to help. It was strange to me too."The landscape around us was a blur of trees and shadows, and my vision was still blurry from the blinding light. "My face? Did they perhaps mention where they're taking me?" I inquired, adjusting my position slightly to get a better view of our surroundings."No," Dessa responded, and I shifted my gaze to the wound on my shoulder. The makeshift b

Bella's POV "Where is he?" I choked. "Everyone is waiting in the palace." He answered. "They live in a palace huh?" I muttered to myself. "Fine. Let's get this over with 'boss'." "You can call me Michael," he introduced himself with a smile and I nodded. I cleaned my face and walked out of the room with him. Just like before, we walked in silence to the palace and when we stood at the door, my heart thumped louder than ever. "This is it Bella! Time to face your supposed parents…" I said to myself and with a nod, Michael opened the door then everyone in the room turned to look at us. Immediately, my gaze settled on a man sitting far away. Our eyes locked and the bond I felt to him was unexplainable. It was like a moth to light. I didn't know when I entered the room and despite the amount of gaze on me, I could only focus on him. "Father?" I muttered, unable to tear my eyes away from the man's intense gaze. My heart raced in my chest as a mixture of emotions swirled within me.

Bella's POVI quickly gathered my wits and forced a nervous smile. "Oh, these? They're pain relief medication for my shoulder injury. The doctor prescribed them for me to help with the healing process."Selena arched an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Pain relief for a shoulder injury? That seems like quite a lot of medication. Are you sure you're not exaggerating your injury? Or are you taking drugs now?"I bit my lip, my heart racing. "No! I just want to make sure the pain doesn't slow down my recovery."The doctor chimed in, playing her part perfectly. "Yes, Lady Isabella has been quite brave in dealing with the discomfort. These medications should help her manage the pain while she heals."Selena's gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, "I just wanted to warn you. Since you're staying next to me, don't you dare disturb me! It wouldn't be in your favor," she rolled her eyes and left.As soon as she was gone, I let out a shaky breath and sank onto the edge of the bed. "That was close

Bella's POVAs I lay on the ground, my breath caught in my throat from the sharp pain radiating through my body. Another hit landed on me and I clutched my injured shoulder in pain, my heart racing as the world around me seemed to blur. Selena and her gang had ambushed me, targeting my already injured shoulder and other body parts without a hint of mercy."Bella, you think you're so special, huh?" Selena sneered, her face twisted with malice. Her cronies stood behind her, some joining her while others snickered as they watched the scene unfold.Tears welled up in my eyes, tears of frustration, anger, and pain. I couldn't believe they were doing this to me, especially when I was already struggling with the aftermath of the accident that left my shoulder in this state and the painful beating. The agony from the blows they delivered intensified with each throb of my heart."You should have learned your place by now," one of Selena's followers sneered, a cruel grin etched across her fa