Chapter 9 Lila's tears flowed harder and faster . Any other day , seeing her cry like this , Ethan would've pulled her close , murmuring comfort . But now … His gaze stayed fixed on the phone in his hand , hi expression knotted with pain and hesitation . Lila's chest burned with fury . All at once , she hurled the phone at the wall with everything she had . " You yelled at me , Ethan ! I hate you ! " The phone hit the floor with a sharp crack , the glass splintering into a spiderweb of fractures . Still not satisfied , Lila began pounding his chest with her fists . Ethan didn't dodge . He just stared at the wrecked phone on the floor . Suddenly , he caught her wrist . " Lila , enough . You're not a child anymore . It's time to grow up . " Lila froze , her eyes wide . Then she screamed , yanking her hand free and slapping him across the face . " You liar ! You swore I'd could always be your little princess - that I could throw tantrums for the rest of my life ! " Ethan caught her wrist again and stood from the edge of the bed . " But you're pregnant now . It's time you started learning how to be a mom . " Without waiting for a reply , he picked up the broken phone and walked out . Lila stood there stunned for a second . Then she grabbed a pillow and flung it toward the door , crying hysterically as she leapt up to chase him . " Ma'am , Mr. Campbell told us you're to stay in the room and rest . " His bodyguards stopped her at the door , gently but firmly pushing her back inside . Chapter 9 t HABLAY CONECTATE OR VIDEO EN DIRECTO Tango- Live Stream , Vide … ( 4.92m ) | Tango 45.00 % Learn More Lila screamed and sobbed as she trashed the hospital room , breaking tens of thousands of dollars ' worth of medical equipment . Ethan never came back . Ethan sat in his car , tapping repeatedly at the shattered screen , but it wouldn't respond at all . Frustrated , he leaned back in his seat - Ashley Whitmore's face appearing again and again in his mind . Her smile . Her gentleness . And that final look - despair so raw it felt like it could crush his soul … It was like an invisible net cinching tight around his chest . Suffocating him . He'd never felt anything like it - never felt this helpless before . He shouldn't have used Ashley to bait his uncle . He should've protected her . He needed to apologize . After that , he'd give her a generous sum of money and see her off himself . That way , she'd no longer haunt his emotions . He slammed his foot on the gas and sped toward the villa . But the closer he got , the more uneasy he felt . His grip tightened on the wheel as anxiety twisted in his gut . Finally , less than a mile away , the car refused to go any farther . No matter how he tried , the engine stalled . He climbed out , lit a cigarette , and - by chance - noticed the dried trail of blood on the pavement . His fingers trembled . He followed the faint stain , one step at a time , until he stood once more at the threshold of the villa . She couldn't be hurt . She couldn't have- Chapter 9 45.00 % MABLAY CONECTATE 98 VIDEO EN PRECIO Tango- Live Stream , Vide … ( 4.92m ) | Tango Learn More The cigarette burned all the way down , singeing his fingers - yet the pain didn't even register . The villa was a mess . Blood stained the floor near the sofa . Shreds of torn clothing lay scattered . Ashley's desperate cries echoed in his mind - her hands clinging to his pant leg . " Please … help me … " Something exploded in his head . He remembered . Every word . Every plea . And that conversation with the nurse at the hospital … " Help my baby … " She'd really been pregnant . The realization struck like lightning . Shock . Disbelief . And then … a surge of white - hot rage . It had been a long time since he last touched her . Whose child was it ? How dare she betray him ? How dare she carry another man's child ? Why … Why did he care so much about a woman like her ? Chapter 9