CHAPTER 421. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. My hormones are fine"No."That word came out of her mouth with more determination than either Jhon or she expected. "What...?" "No, I don’t want it!" she repeated firmly.Chiara looked at Jhon, her heart heavy with the suffering that seemed never-ending. She knew the road ahead would be tough, but she also knew the only path forward was a fresh start, to erase everything and begin again."Chiara... this is the best for..." "You need to give me better options," she interrupted. "You know how much I love my family, and you know..." She stopped herself from saying how much she loved him because he didn’t deserve it yet! "You need to give me better options, Jhon! I can't accept you going back to the CIA. That would be a sacrifice that would only bring us peace for a short while, and then everything would get worse. I won’t let our daughter’s life get tangled up in this. I don’t want her to grow up like that."Jhon’s eyes welled up as he looked at Chi

CHAPTER 423. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. PreparationsOn the other end of the line, there was a stunned silence filled with surprise and helplessness. "Exactly. And if I could find him, don’t think no one else will be able to," Jhon murmured. "It was smart to change your son’s last name to protect him, but what wasn’t so smart was using your influence to get him a spot at Harvard. The trail of favors you left is too obvious. Can you imagine what would happen if they found a bag of cocaine in his trunk? Or if someone reported a series of contacts with a terrorist cell?" "You wouldn’t dare...!" snapped the director. "If you’re going to make threats, make sure you can take them as well," Jhon said calmly. "It would be good if you remembered who I am, and even if I’m not with the agency anymore, I’m still the best you’ve ever had. The CIA and I won’t cross paths again. I’ll make sure to stay off the radar, but I’m not coming back. My time with the agency is over. I’ve given a huge part of my

CHAPTER 425. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. Parental InstinctsSuddenly, just for that moment as Chiara stood in front of Viktor, challenging him with those determined eyes, she felt the room was small, cramped, and far too cold for her."I didn’t expect this from you," he murmured, shaking his head in resignation. "Since you arrived, I’ve tried to make you feel good, to make you happy...""And I’m incredibly grateful for that!" she replied. "But part of feeling good is putting my pregnancy in the hands of a doctor I trust, and I don’t trust that woman.""Don’t you think your instincts for trust might be a little off?" he hissed, and Chiara held her breath. "After all, trusting the wrong person is what landed you in this cage, isn’t it?"She stepped forward, closing the distance between them and looking directly into his eyes. Because no one—no one!—not even him, had the right to judge her mistakes."You’re right, and that’s exactly why I’m not willing to make the same mistake again. If you fo

CHAPTER 427. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. What Did You Do!?—Or rather, because he wants her —Jhon clarified, and Billy nodded. —If you think about it, it makes sense. They’ve known each other since they were kids, but they took very different paths. She’s a millionaire businesswoman, and he’s a prison warden. You don’t choose a career like that unless you’re messed up in some way, you know that. Jhon nodded, feeling both helpless and frustrated. This wasn’t the best time to give Chiara bad news; the baby was about to be born. But he couldn’t hide the truth from her. Reluctantly, he picked up the phone and dialed her number. Through the cameras, he saw her answer immediately, and the silence was enough for her to understand. —What’s going on, Jhon? —she asked firmly, and he took a deep breath before replying: —Chiara, I’m sorry, baby, but you’re not going to like this... —It was Viktor —she interrupted, already knowing. —That’s right. Viktor didn’t process your parole request. He didn’

CHAPTER 429. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. HelplessnessChiara had gone out to talk to Viktor, but he knew how quickly she got tired now. She couldn’t be walking around out there. He was about to call Speedy when his phone started ringing, and he saw it was the young man calling. "Speedy? What’s going on? Where’s Chiara?" he asked frantically. "That’s why I’m calling, boss. The director took her out almost an hour ago, said they were going for a walk in the gardens, but they haven’t come back..." He paused, and Jhon could sense disaster looming. "And? And what else, Speedy?" "I went to the gardens, and they’re not there!" the young man exclaimed. "I walked around the building twice, and I don’t see them!" Jhon felt his heart stop. This couldn’t be happening, not now, not when they were so close to having the baby. "Find her! Look in Viktor’s office, in the clinic, anywhere, but find her, Speedy, find her!" he yelled. "On it, boss," the young man murmured before hanging up, and Jhon ro