Billionaire's Regret: Losing Me And Our Son - Chapter 112: Chapter 112

Now wasn't the time to let my imagination wander. I shook my head, brushing off the strange images that kept popping into my mind.
I slapped my face hard, trying to snap out of it, then gritted my teeth and pushed myself to stand.
I knew I wouldn't survive more than a couple of days here without food or water. I couldn't just sit around waiting to die, I had to do something.
The plan was simple: I needed to get close to the small courtyard and find somewhere with a signal to call the cops.
But it was still daylight, and if there were too many people around, I would get caught. I'd have to wait until night to make my move.
First things first, I needed something to eat.
I mustered up the strength to drag myself toward the forest on the other side of the courtyard. There were a few fruit trees there. I checked them carefully to make sure they weren't poisonous before picking a few to eat.
The fruit was bland, but at that point, it felt like a blessing. After eating, I wandered a little deeper into the forest, found a spot with some soft fallen leaves, and collapsed there, closing my eyes to rest.
By the time evening rolled around, my fever had gotten worse. I wiped my forehead and pushed myself up, forcing my tired body to head back toward the courtyard.
It was lit up, and I could tell they hadn't rested in two days, still searching for me. I ducked behind the trees, phone in hand, trying to find a signal.
But there was nothing. No signal at all. That meant I had no choice, I would have to get into the courtyard.
I planned to retrace my steps and find a way up to the top porch, somewhere out of sight, where I could try for a signal.
But after struggling to climb, I couldn't help but curse when I saw the phone screen. Dammit, still no signal.
Then, without warning, a vine snapped under my foot. I tumbled, the sound echoing in the quiet night.
Goosebumps prickled my skin. Then, footsteps rushed toward me. "What's that noise?"
A thug below me picked up the vine, then turned to Forrest. "It's fine, just a branch."
Forrest was here too. I froze, our eyes meeting. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Ms. Hinton, you've really made me work for this."
My heart skipped. Instinct told me to jump off the wall and run, but just as I moved, a gunshot rang out. Pain shot through my calf, and I screamed, falling onto the porch.
Forrest raised the gun, smirking. "If you're not gonna cooperate, please don't blame me for being tough, Ms. Hinton. Get her down here!"
The thugs started climbing up, but I couldn't move. My calf was bleeding, and the pain was too much.
I held onto my phone, panic flooding me. This was it. Forrest wasn't going to let me go.
What would happen to Benedict if I die? The thought gripped me, shaking me to the core. My head spun with fear.
Then, for some reason, I thought back to my dream from last night.
Maybe I was too selfish, thinking I could keep Benedict to myself. Was this my punishment?
I thought of Quinn. Maybe he could be a good dad after all.
With trembling hands, I typed a message on my phone: [After I die, go find Rose and take care of Benedict. He's your son.]
I sent it to Quinn, but of course, it didn't go through.
I couldn't help but smile in frustration. No signal, of course. I must have really been out of my mind with this fever.
"Get down!" One of the thugs yanked my hair and dragged me off the porch.
The moment my feet hit the ground, everything went black. I couldn't hold on anymore and passed out.
When I came to, I was back in the secret room. Gemma was there, tending to the gunshot wound on my leg.
I gasped when she touched it. "Ah!"
She pulled off the bloody gauze and wrapped a new one around my leg without even looking at me. "You're on an island. What were you thinking, trying to run?"
"What else was I supposed to do? Just sit here and wait to die?" I forced a bitter smile.
Gemma rolled her eyes. "I told you, once the goods on your father's ship got here, Forrest will let you go."
I didn't hesitate. "Causing my family more trouble would be worse than dying for me."
She stopped for a second, then looked at me like I was crazy. "Family? In this world, staying alive is all that matters."
I bit my lip and asked, "If people are kind to you, would you just take it and watch them destroy themselves?"
Gemma stared at me for a while, then frowned. "I'm not like you. I've never met anyone like that."
The room was silent for a moment. I had an idea, so I asked, "If you help me, I can help you. I'll give you money, get you out of here, send you overseas to start over."
"Quit dreaming." Gemma shot me a cold look. "I'm not helping you. Don't try anything stupid again."
She lifted her shirt, revealing scars on her body, some of which looked like whip marks.
"These injuries... Forrest did this?" I stared at her, shocked. "Aren't you his girlfriend?"
"So what? He can swap women whenever he feels like it."
"Then why stick around?" I couldn't wrap my head around why she would still be with him.
"Because Forrest and the people backing him are worse than you think." Gemma's voice dropped, and she gave me a hard look. "If I betray him, it won't matter where I go. I'd be dead."
I tried to make sense of it. "Who's behind him?"
"Don't even think about it. Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you." She finished wrapping my leg and started packing up the first aid kit.
"You won't get anything to eat until Forrest calms down. If you don't want to starve, when he gets back, just do what he wants."
Before I could say anything, the door was slammed open. "Bitch, I'm gonna kill you today!" Jim barged in, his head still wrapped in thick gauze.
My stomach dropped. It looked like he was here to make me pay.