The Royal Contract

"So, how is your pregnancy?" Haley placed her hand on the belly of her sister-in-law, happy that they would finally have a child.

She witnessed the tragedy that had befallen them when they lost their first child. She saw the devastation of the accident that almost caused their marriage.

Therefore, she could only be thankful they were happy together, building the family they always wanted and deserved.

"I can't complain." Jacky looked down at her swollen abdomen, which appeared like she had swallowed a melon. "But I had some good days and some bad." She confessed.

"Thankfully, the bad ones are lessening," Marcus interjected, sounding relieved.

She could only imagine what Jacky had asked his brother to do during her first trimester. And she knew Jacky had her temperamental moods.

"I was not that bad." Jacky protested, slightly slapping her husband on the arms.

Haley could only laugh at their interactions, but at the same time, she could not help but feel envious. She guessed she also wanted what they had. Unfortunately, she lost that chance.

"No, you were not." Marcus conceded, probably not wanting to upset his wife as he lavished her with love and affection.

She could not remember an instant when they were growing up when her brother showed care, tenderness, and adoration to another woman except for her.

He only dated countless women to sleep with them, but never to have a committed relationship. But she understood his reasons.

His brother did not have parents to show him what love was. Their same father, Alfred, and his mother were not what she would call exemplary parents that made a role model to a young child.

Unlike her childhood, Alfred and her mother had showered her with love. She lived in a home where everything seemed perfect.

"Hey, we still do not have dessert, and you are already giving me a toothache with your sweetness." She jokingly expressed with a forced laugh.

She was genuinely delighted for them, but deep inside, she still felt like her perfect life just turned upside down.

Since her mother died, she noticed the changes in her father. But she ignored it, thinking it was the grief of losing his wife.

But she never expected, even in his wildest dream, that his father could be this evil. Suddenly, she wondered if he had only transformed into this new man after he lost his great love.

Or was he already a criminal even before then? Perhaps, he was good at hiding who he was, fooling her and her mother about his true character.

"Your brother could sometimes be overbearing," Jacky complained, but with a beaming smile as her hands gently tapped her husband on his jaw while looking at him lovingly.

She agreed, remembering how her brother would sometimes be overprotective of her. He would even go to great lengths to investigate the background of the boys who dared to court her.

"I know the feeling." She laughed with her friend, exchanging more stories they could share about her brother. "I think he is just afraid of karma." Making her and Jacky laugh hysterically.

"Hey! I know you are both pregnant, but don't be mean." Marcus complained. "But honestly, Jacky made an honest man out of me. So, there is no need for karma to come after me."

Suddenly, she felt lighthearted, sensing her sadness and loneliness washed away. She guessed she needed her family, even for just a little while.

"Of course, you will be a great father. And you will teach our sons not to follow your wayward ways. And then, you will protect our daughters from those who will take advantage of them." Jacky assured him as they ate their dessert with gusto.

"Anyway, how long are you planning to stay?" She asked, already dreading the day that they would leave.

Of course, she knew they had their lives to return to, but it was also great to have them around. Having them around, somehow, gave her some normalcy. It was as if nothing had changed.

Once they were gone, she knew she would feel like a prisoner again on this island, unable to go anywhere without the fear of being discovered.

Despite the many safeguards Mike placed on keeping her hidden from those who were after her, she knew there was still a slim chance they would find her. Continue reading at m|v-l'e -NovelBin.net

"We booked for a week," Marcus answered, placing his arms around his wife's shoulders.

"We are using this to relax and enjoy a much-deserved vacation," Jacky added, seemingly glowing as she tilted her to stare at her husband.

"That is great." She expressed enthusiastically, knowing she could use their company.

Maybe a week was enough to lift her spirits again and bring her back to a new perspective. Honestly, lately, she had been feeling down.

She guessed work was not enough anymore to distract her from loneliness. But, of course, she knew what she had signed up for when she chose to run away from her father to protect her child.

"How about you?" Marcus suddenly turned to her. Gone was the playfulness on his face. "How are you holding up?" And the worry lines started to show.

Her protective brother was back, looking as if he was ready to stand in the way of those who would want to hurt her.

Suddenly, she wondered if her brother had an inkling of their father's secret life. She knew Marcus never saw eye to eye with their father.

Did he ever suspect that their father was a criminal mastermind?

"I am good." She responded, not wanting him to worry more about her condition.

As much as she wanted to ask for help from him, she did not want to burden him. He was starting a family. She could not drag him into her messy situation.

"Haley, I know what is going on. Let us help you." Finally, Marcus extended his hand on the table and reached for her hands. "Mike told us everything."

So, her secret was out. Now, she did not need to speculate on what they were doing here. But what could they do to help?

It was not like her brother could face their father and make him pay for his crimes. But first, did she even want to put her father behind bars?

Could she do that to the man who gave her life? Could she betray the man who loved her when she was growing up?

But was he the same man now? That was her moral dilemma. The man that raised her was loving and law-abiding. But this man, pretending to be her father, was the complete opposite.

He might not pull the trigger that killed Gerald, but he ordered it. He killed him. He was still responsible for the death of the man she loved.

So, how could she forget that? How could she forgive him? The man that killed the father of her child deserved to rot behind bars.

"I don't want you to get involved in this." She stated, afraid that harm would come to her brother and his family.

It was enough that she was already suffering. She could not let the same fate happen to them. Not to her brother or friends.

"But we want to." Jacky insisted. "We are family. We can't leave you to handle this by yourself." She looked at her, pleading with her eyes to listen to reason.

"Alex, Mike, and I have a plan. And we need you to get on board with this." Her brother tightened his grip on her hand as if urging her to listen.

"This is not just for you. Do this for your baby too." Marcus implored her to agree to whatever they had decided for her.

She had never felt so helpless in her life, more than she felt at that moment. She had valued her independence, but now, it all slipped away.

Now, all she had been doing was asking for favors and allowing others to dictate what she should do. But, of course, she understood her situation. Under her present circumstances, she did not have a choice.

"Ok. I will listen." She conceded, letting her brother explain what they had come up with.

But, truthfully, she wondered what she would do when she finally finished her job on this little island. What was next for her?

She could not expect that she would live here forever. But where would she go where her father would not find her?

"That is all I ask." Marcus sounded satisfied that he had his way. But his brother always knew how to handle her and her stubborn ways.

She could never really be mad at him for showing how much he loved her in his unconventional ways. Still, she appreciated him for always sticking at her side, despite being only half-related.

Somehow, she also knew he was trying to make up for those times he tried to stay away from her because of their father. But now, she promised nothing would separate them again, at least in her heart.

"Let me do this for you. Let me protect you and the child you are carrying." He offered after informing her of their plan.

Her heart almost burst from the overwhelming love and support she felt from her brother and her friends. She did not realize they would go to all these lengths to help her.

"So Alex had bought this entire place just to protect me." She said, astounded by the news.

"Yes, we want to control this place so you will have protection." Marcus suddenly pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket.

She took it when her brother handed it to her, unfolding it so she could read the content. It took her a minute to understand what it meant.

"Witness protection?