Part 2After the ICU

The moment Michael had Nina settled, his goons swarmed me. They leered, their eyes raking over my body before one of them ripped away my thin robe.

I scrambled backward, clutching my son, but I was no match for them. They shoved me to the ground, tore my son from my arms, and ripped off his last layer of clothing, tossing his naked body onto the ice.

A heart-wrenching scream tore through the air, but it was already weaker, thinner than before.

Panic seized me. I started crawling toward him, ignoring the searing pain as my bare skin froze to the ice, tearing away with every movement. A long, crimson trail marked my path. My son was also frozen to the surface, and every attempt to lift him only made him cry harder.

I huddled over him, trying to use my own body heat to melt the ice beneath him, whispering soothing words as my own blood pooled around us.

Minutes later, Michael must have noticed the growing sea of red. He pushed Nina aside and leaned down for a better look. Before he could speak, Nina slid down the ladder.

“Lara, just apologize! A man has his pride. All his friends are here today. If you don’t apologize, how can he face them?”

I lunged, grabbing the collar of her coat. “Why should I apologize?! My son was in the ICU because of you! Do you dare let Michael check the security footage right now?! Only an idiot like him would fall for your pathetic lies!” I screamed. “You said you collapsed? Show me your hospital report!”

Michael had followed her down. My words made him look at Nina with a flicker of doubt.

But in that instant, Nina tore off her own fur coat and dropped to her knees beside me with a thud. She started slapping her own face, hard.

“Michael, it’s all my fault! Please, just take Lara and go home! Don’t fight with her because of me…” she sobbed. “But… Michael, I swear I wasn’t lying. I’ll just kneel here. In a few hours, when I collapse from the cold, then you’ll believe me…”

The doubt in Michael’s eyes melted into pure adoration. He rushed to her side, helping her up with a look of utter devotion.

Then he turned to me, his eyes like ice. “Lara! You have a real talent for twisting the truth. If I wasn’t here to protect her, you’d eat a sweet girl like Nina alive! Since you insist on this attitude, don’t blame me for what happens next!”

He turned and barked an order. “Go! Open the cage and let the polar bear out! Let him have some fun!”

A chorus of whoops and cheers erupted from the helicopter. “Whoa, never seen a polar bear play with a human before! Thanks for the show, Mrs. Cole!”

They scrambled toward a large iron cage. Just as they were about to open it, a young woman’s timid voice piped up from behind.

“Boss… my dad saw a polar bear on an expedition once. He said they’re incredibly aggressive. If they smell blood, they’ll… they’ll actually eat people. Look, Mrs. Cole and the baby are covered in it. If you let it out, someone might actually die…”

Michael motioned for the man at the cage to pause. He was about to speak when Nina let out a faint, pained whimper.

“Michael, never mind. I’m not afraid of collapsing. I’m just… I’m worried about the baby in my belly…” she whispered. “And that day… I had just found out I was pregnant when Lara threw me out. Maybe… maybe that’s why she’s so angry…”

I didn’t even know the bitch was pregnant! But I had no chance to defend myself.

Michael’s face became a mask of cold fury. “Open the cage!” he roared.

The next second, the seven-foot-tall beast was charging directly at us. Michael hauled Nina onto the helicopter and watched me scramble away with my son, roaring with laughter.

“Lara! Let’s see how tough you are now! You tried to harm Nina, and you tried to harm her unborn child! You deserve everything that’s coming to you!”