Chapter 5 Taken Back

• When she heard the sound of the opening door, Celia looked up, and her smile faded, which was soon replaced by horror and panic. It looked like she had just seen a ghost. She trembled and almost fell.
• Surprised by her sudden change, Yvonne gasped and held her up. On the other hand, Hugo was already extending his arm to Celia to keep her steady on her feet, but when he realized someone was already helping her, he clenched his fist and pulled it back.
• Celia was huffing and puffing. At the sight of his handsome face, she felt nothing but terror. Her heart was thumping furiously because of that. Why is he here? The fiend! How did he find me?! The man before her was her absolute fear, and she was seized by the urge to run. So, she held Yvonne's hand and said, "We need to go."
• However, her baby bump was hindering her. Yvonne looked at the stranger who came out of nowhere. He had a face that even the gods would envy, but the look in his eyes was as cold as ice, and she couldn't help shivering. Who is he? Why's Celia trying to run from this man?
• "I've been looking for you, Celia." Hugo gritted his teeth.
• Celia quickly clutched her belly in an attempt to keep her baby away from this man's grasp. "Don't come any closer. I won't go with you!" She teared up, but she knew there was no escape from this.
• The man went ahead and grabbed her wrist. Despite being pregnant, she still looked gaunt and fragile. Feeling her thin wrist, he felt something squeeze his heart. Has she been starving herself?
• Even though Hugo looked regal, Yvonne still mustered her courage and piped up, "Hey, mister, she's eight months pregnant, so watch it. You'll hurt her baby." Then, she looked at Celia curiously and whispered, "Who is he, Celia?"
• "The baby's father." Celia was pale as a ghost, and her heart was filled with sadness. No one would stop her from giving birth to the baby. No one but Hugo. He would kill the child.
• Hugo looked at her imperiously and ordered, "You're coming with me. Right now."
• The pregnant woman bit her lip. She felt like she was backed into a corner. One wrong step, and she would fall straight to hell. Still, courage filled her heart. It was precisely because she knew death was imminent that she fought to live. "Fine, but you're going to let the baby live." She looked into his eyes, determination filling her soul.
• "Do you think you're in a position to negotiate?" He sneered. Even when I still haven't made you pay?
• Celia's face was drained of color. She knew she had no right to negotiate and that this whole mess was her fault. Still, the child is innocent.
• Hugo's face darkened. The thought of her disappearance keeping him up at night filled him with fury. "Know your place," he said coldly.
• Her heart ached slightly. Of course, she knew her place. No matter where she went, she was still his wife. With tears glistening in her eyes, she made up her mind. I have to make this gamble. There could be a possibility that this man still has an ounce of sympathy left in his heart and will let the baby live.
• Though, her agitation alerted the baby. It started moving around and kicked her. The pain made her bend over, but someone wrapped their arm around her and held her up.
• "Are you alright, Celia?" Yvonne was worried.
• "It's alright. The baby just kicked me," said Celia.
• Hugo looked around the village. I need to take her home ASAP. If anything happens to her right now, more than one life will be at risk. He had no idea how to deal with the baby just yet, but there was no time for that. He just wanted to take her away. "Come with me. Now," he commanded imperiously, holding her arm.
• Celia knew she could no longer run. "Fine." She then turned to Yvonne. "Thanks for everything, Yvonne."
• "Hey, you still need to take your stuff. The baby's clothes, remember?" Yvonne said.
• What little color Celia had left disappeared, and her tears streamed down her cheeks. "No need for that anymore." With that, she turned to the car and went inside.
• Hugo went into the car as well. Celia held back her sadness and bade Yvonne goodbye. "Thanks for everything you and your family did for me, Yvonne. I'll return the favor someday."
• "Take care. Keep the baby safe, too." Yvonne waved her goodbye.
• Then, the off-road vehicles turned the corner, disappearing from everyone's sight.
• Celia closed her eyes, but then the car bumped suddenly. The bodyguard didn't notice the pothole, and he rammed over it. Startled, Celia quickly held her belly but ended up losing her balance and falling onto Hugo's chest.
• The man held her right away, but she quickly moved out of his arms and scurried to the other side of the car, as she worried he might hurt the baby.
• They got into the plane and flew back to Astoria. The baby had kept Celia awake the whole night, and she couldn't take it anymore. Even though Hugo was sitting across from her, she fell asleep on the couch. Even when she had drifted off to dreamland, she still put her hands over her belly, keeping her baby safe.
• Hugo withdrew his gaze from the window and stared at Celia, especially her belly. Just then, he saw something moving inside. The baby was kicking her, tossing and turning around. He stared at it in surprise. Then, a conflicted feeling filled his heart. So, that's my child, huh? Even now, he had no idea how to deal with it. He heaved a sigh and looked outside the window again. His mind was in a rut, but he told the stewardess to cover Celia with a blanket so she wouldn't catch a cold.
• The flight went on for two hours. Right before it would land, the stewardess woke Celia up. The moment she opened her eyes, the sight that greeted her was Hugo sitting with his legs crossed. Panicked, she sat up straight. She couldn't believe she had slept that long, and she massaged her numb arm. The baby in her belly turned around and kicked her, filling her with a sense of security. As long as it was moving, then the baby was fine.
• During one of the checkups, the doctor gave her a hint, so she knew the baby was a boy.
• Once they landed, they got into Hugo's car and drove toward the city. Celia was in the back seat. After spending six months living in a rural area, she felt a little disoriented at this moment. It all felt unreal to her to be back in the city again.
• At 4.00PM, they came back to Hugo's villa. Celia got out of the car, holding her lower back. The whole journey exhausted her.
• Hugo walked ahead and looked at her with a sneer. "You brought this upon yourself."
• A bitter feeling welled in her heart. I guess he doesn't care about the child at all. "Can we talk?" she asked quietly.
• "I do not wish to talk." With that, he turned around and strode ahead, leaving her out in the cold.