Page 71 of Kingpin's Secret Baby

“What are you?—”

Harold doesn’t answer. He gestures lazily to his men, and before I can brace myself, strong hands grab my arms, shoving me roughly against the wall. Rope coils tight around my wrists, binding them above my head to a rusted chain. I thrash against their grip, my mind swimming, my heartbeat thunderous.

Harold steps back, examining his handiwork with a satisfied smirk. He raises the camera, the red recording light blinking like a malevolent eye. “Now, let's make this interesting,” he says, his voice cold and calculated. He turns to the camera, his eyes gleaming with malice.

“I’ve got something of yours,” he begins, his voice echoing off the cold concrete walls. “Yourwife, Piers,” He gestures to me, bound and helpless against the wall. “Seems like you’ve got a lot more to lose than I thought. Might’ve been smarter to keep that quiet. Yep, she’s quite the fighter... for now. But unless you do exactly what I say, you’re about to be a widower.”

Harold continues, his voice dripping with venom. “Here are my demands…”

I shut my eyes against the suffocating weight of it, against the image branded into my mind- Piers, somewhere across the sea, watching this. Seeing me. Hearing these words.

The camera clicks off.

The silence left in its wake is deafening.

Harold pockets the device, sighing like this has all been a tedious bit of business. “See?” he drawls. “That wasn’t so bad.”

I keep my head down, my breath coming in short, controlled gasps.

I need to stay calm.

I need to hold on.

Harold gives me one last mocking pat before exiting the room, leaving me alone in the dim silence.

As soon as I hear the lock slide into place, my knees give out.

I collapse, the chains catching me, biting into my wrists. A choked sob rips from my throat, raw and broken.

This is how Piers is going to find out.Not from me. Not in some quiet, safe moment where I could tell him the truth the right way. Instead, he’ll see me like this- tied to a wall in a cell, with Harold taunting him like it’s all a game.

I turn my face into my shoulder and let the tears come.

For the first time in two years, I pray that he still cares enough to fight- for me, and for the daughter he's only just about to discover.

Chapter 35

Piers

The morning begins like any other as I make my way downstairs. The usual quiet hum of the house, the scent of fresh tea brewing, and the soft shuffle of my housekeeper, Mrs. Garrow’s steps in the kitchen- everything in its place, a perfect start to the day.

“Good mornin’, Mr. Warwick,” she greets me, turning with a smile, her broad Scottish accent as thick as ever. Though her eyes hold a hint of concern.

“I’ve got somethin' for ye.” She steps over, handing me a plain envelope, its surface unmarked, no return address or postmark, except for my name scrawled in hurried, jagged handwriting.

I take it from her without a word, my brow furrowing as I slide my finger under the flap to tear it open.

Inside, there’s nothing but a single thumb drive, tucked into the paper like it’s some sort of secret. My mind races as I glance up at Mrs. Garrow.

“Did you see who dropped this off?”

She shakes her head, lips pressed in a thin line. “Nae, sir. It came early this mornin’. I thought ye should have it right away.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Garrow,” I say, my voice clipped. She nods and retreats to the kitchen, leaving me alone with the envelope and the growing sense of dread in my chest.

I move to my study, the thumb drive clenched tightly in my hand. My laptop is already open on the desk, and I insert the drive and run a scan before opening anything. The seconds drag as I wait, tension coiling in my gut. Then, just as the scan completes, the screen flickers, and a video file appears. I click it, my pulse quickening as the footage begins to play.

The first thing I see is her.

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