Chapter 256

Robert's POV

The line went dead as Sarah ended her call with Philip. Her eyes, once warm with affection wwhen looking at me, now held nothing but cold determination as she kept the gun pointed at my chest. The yellow bulb overhead cast disturbing shadows across her face, making her appear almost ghoulish in the dimly lit keeper's cabin.

Outside.Atlantic waves crashed against the pier's wooden supports.Each impact sent subtle vibrations through the floor beneath my feet. Inside, the air was thick with tension and the faint scent of Sarah's perfume-the same scent that once intoxicated me now made my stomach turn.

"Why, Sarah?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice steady.My temper had always been my downfall, but I needed to remain calm for the children's sake. "Why go after Annie like this? What did she ever do to you?"

Sarah let out a sharp, humorless laugh that sent chills down my spine.The gun in her hand trembled slightly, and I couldn't tell if it was from emotion or indecision.

"Why?" she repeated, her voice dripping with venom. "You're actually asking me why? Annie Baker is the source of everything that's gone wrong!Look at her-some nobody from Boston who couldn't accept her place in life. She had to seduce Philip, and now she's crawled into Howard's bed!"

My jaw clenched involuntarily. I'd never been good at hiding my emotions,but I needed to try-for Max, for the other children.

"This has nothing to do with Lucy or Brian," I said carefully, keeping my eyes on Sarah's trigger finger. "They're innocent children."

"Innocent?" Sarah stepped closer, the gun now inches from my chest.I could feel my heart hammering against my ribs. "What about me? Wasn't I innocent? Everything Annie does is designed to ruin me. I worked so hard to get close to Philip. Do you know why? For Max! To give our son a better future!"

The mention of our son sent a pang through my heart. Max was in the next room, probably terrified, listening to his mother speak like a madwoman. It was a side of Sarah I'd seen glimpses of during our marriage, but never this extreme, never this dangerous.

"And now," Sarah continued, her voice rising with each word, "even you,Robert, are taking Annie's side. Why? Why does everyone revolve around Annie Baker?"

I could see the unhinged light in her eyes growing brighter.The Sarah I'd married-ambitious,calculating, but rational-was slipping away,replaced by someone I barely recognized. I needed to reach her, to pull her back from this edge.

"Sarah, please," I kept my voice as gentle as possible, though my instinct was to shout. "If you're angry, take it out on me. Leave the chidren out of this."

"It's too late for that." Her smile twisted into something unrecognizable."There's no going back now, Robert."

She suddenly extended her hand toward me. "Give me your phone."

I hesitated, weighing my options. Each second felt stretched to eternity as I calculated outcomes. If I refused, would she shoot? If I complied, what would she do next?

"Now!" Sarah's voice cracked like a whip.

Reluctantly, I handed over my phone. Sarah took it with her free hand,her eyes never leaving mine as she dialed a number one-handed, the gun still aimed at my chest.

"You sound out of breath," she said into the phone, her voice suddenly eerily calm, almost pleased. "Haven't found Annie yet?"

I couldn't hear the response, but from her words and the smug expression that spread across her face. I guessed she was speaking to Howard. My stomach clenched with dread.

"Now you're asking about the children? I'm afraid it's too late for Annie,"Sarah continued, her lips curling into a smile that made my blood run cold.

The person on the other end spoke again, their voice an indistinct rumble from where I stood.

"Don't threaten me," Sarah snapped, her composure fracturing momentarily. "I didn't call to give you information. I'm just curious why you didn't follow my instructions to go to the old pier in Long Island?"

More words from the other end, then Sarah's voice turned sharp.

"I told you, they're with me! Both children are with me! Did you think you could break my rules and get away with it?"

As Sarah became more engrossed in the conversation, I noticed her grip on the gun loosening slightly. Her attention was divided-this might be my only chance.

Memories of our marriage flashed through my mind-the good times before bitterness and resentment took over, the birth of Max, Sarah's smile

when she told me she was pregnant again. The child currently growing in her womb was part of me too, despite everything.

But I looked toward the room where the children were held and made my decision. Their safety came first.

I lunged forward, grabbing for both the phone and the gun simultaneously.Sarah's reflexes were faster than I anticipated. She jerked backward, her finger tightening on the trigger.

"Let go!" she screamed,her face contorted with rage.

We struggled, locked in a desperate grapple. My hands closed around her wrist, trying to point the gun away from both of us. Sarah fought with surprising strength, her nails raking across my cheek, drawing blood. We crashed into a small table, sending an old lamp crashing to the floor.

The gun discharged with a deafening crack that seemed to shake the entire cabin.

Time froze.

Sarah's resistance ceased instantly. Her eyes widened in shock and pain as she looked down at her abdomen. A dark stain was spreading across her cream-colored dress, the fabric quickly becoming saturated with blood.

"No..." she whispered,her legs buckling.

I caught her before she hit the ground, lowering her gently against the wall.The gun slipped from her fingers, and I kicked it away, my heart pounding so hard I could barely breathe.

"Sarah... I knelt beside her, pressing my hands over the wound, trying to stem the bleeding. But the blood continued to seep between my fingers,

hot and sticky. My mind went blank with panic for a moment before years of watching medical dramas kicked in.

Pressure on the wound. Keep her conscious. Call for help.

Sarah's face had already lost its color, her skin taking on an ashen quality that terrified me. But a strange. almost peaceful smile played at the corners of her mouth.

"Look what you've done, Robert," she whispered, her voice so faint I had to lean closer to hear. "You've killed our baby..."

The words struck me unawares. Our baby. My child. Despite everything Sarah had done, despite how our relationship had deteriorated,this was our child. A life we'd created together that would never have a chance to begin.

"I'll call an ambulance," I said, my voice breaking as I reached for the phone that had fallen to the floor during our struggle.

"Too late..." Sarah murmured, her eyes growing unfocused. "Maybe... it's better this way... for the baby..."

As I dialed 911 with shaking fingers, the full weight of what had just happened crashed over me. The irony wasn't lost on me-I'd tried to save three children and ended up taking the life of my own unborn child. Part of me wondered if Sarah was right. What kind oflife would that child have had, born to a mother consumed by hatred and revenge?

"Emergency services, what's your emergency?" a calm voice answered.

"Gunshot wound," I managed to say, my voice sounding distant to my own ears. "Pregnant woman. Lighthouse keeper's cabin, northern Long Island pier. Please hurry."

After giving them the details. I dropped the phone and rushed to the room where the children were held. No matter what had happened,those innocent kids didn't deserve any of this. I had to get them out, had to make sure they were safe.

As I pushed open the door, three small faces turned toward me-Max,Lucy,and Brian. Their eyes wide with fear, their small bodlies trembling.In that moment, seeing their innocence against the backdrop of adult madness, I made a silent vow: I would protect them, all of them, no matter what came next.

There was no turning back now.