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 422. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. Weak Points"You have to promise me you’ll let me do what’s necessary," he said, softly stroking her skin. "I’m sorry I’ve put you in this position. The last thing I wanted was for you to get involved in the agency’s filth."Chiara sat up in bed, curling herself in the blanket, and looked at him thoughtfully. "I’ve thought about that a lot lately, but it’s something you can’t and shouldn’t blame yourself for," she said. "If I had been ignorant of what was going on, if I didn’t know your true identity, I might have felt bad for being in the middle of this. But the truth is, I always knew what I was getting into.""I don’t believe that for a second..." "Did you forget that I was the one who sought you out?" Chiara replied. "I knew exactly who you were. I didn’t make the mistake of thinking the Director of Organized Crime for the CIA wouldn’t come with a lot of dangerous baggage." She hugged herself and smiled. "I’ve seen you do all sorts of things si

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 424. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. A Woman Capable of AnythingChiara lay back on the bed while Jhon sat beside her, squeezing her hand anxiously as Elías applied gel to her stomach. Dr. Martínez slowly moved the transducer over her abdomen, searching for the baby. Gradually, the contours of the skull appeared, followed by the shoulders, arms, and legs.As more details of their little one became visible on the screen, Jhon glanced back and forth between it and Chiara, his eyes filled with awe. He still couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing—this was their baby.After several moments of expectant silence, a heartbeat became clearly audible, and Jhon jolted with emotion."Is that...?" he asked, his voice breaking slightly.Dr. Martínez smiled as he confirmed his question. "Yes, that’s your baby’s heartbeat. It's strong, and you can hear it perfectly now."Jhon and Chiara exchanged looks of pure joy and emotion, both knowing that this moment would forever be etched in their memories.

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 426. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. It’s himChiara stiffened instantly. —The prison warden? —she asked—. How would Viktor Hanover have the power to stop the Parole Committee from meeting? Her lawyer sighed. —Well, he could give a bad report on your behavior as an inmate, and the committee wouldn’t even bother to meet. Or, if he’s more brazen, he could simply hide our request. After all, he’s the first to receive it. —Isn’t he obligated to forward it to the court? —she asked, worried. —Yes, that’s why I said “brazen.” It wouldn’t be the first time a warden didn’t forward an attorney’s request. The problem is, I have no way of proving whether our petition actually made it to the court or not. Chiara pursed her lips and nodded. —Don’t worry, I have a way of finding out —she replied, and as soon as that meeting ended, she headed straight to her room, pulled out the hidden cellphone, and dialed the one number she needed. Jhon shot up from the bed as soon as he heard the ring, becau

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 428. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. I’ll kill you...The pain started to become unbearable. It was a deep sensation that seemed to come from the very core of her body, worsening with each passing second. "What did you do to me, Viktor?" she cried out in fear, but all she got in return was a shrug. "I haven’t touched you. It must be the baby coming." Chiara tried to pull away from him, but it didn’t work. The pain was too overwhelming for her to walk. "We need to take you to the clinic right away," Viktor said, grabbing her arm, but she pulled away with a sharp gesture. Chiara gasped, clutching the edge of a nearby bench as the pain grew more intense. She felt her body resisting and realized the pain was coming in waves, with small intervals of relief between them. She tried not to focus on the pain, but it was too much. The baby was coming. Her daughter was going to be born, and she wasn’t where Jhon could see her or protect her. She wanted to call for help, but the prison was a

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

CHAPTER 430. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. Jhoooonnnn!The world was a dark, dark, cold place, but it was about to get worse. John Hopkins had never trembled in his life, but at that moment, it felt like all his strength was disintegrating, because his instincts told him he was on the edge of the greatest pain of his life.Yet, he couldn't even imagine that Chiara was waking up at that very moment to face her own.Chiara tried to open her eyes slowly, still dazed by the effects of the anesthesia, but something inside her urged her on. She looked around, trying to remember why she was there, and then she saw Viktor. The man's face showed deep sadness, and she felt her heart stop, not believing him for a second."My daughter..." she mumbled, first removing the mask, and as she spoke her voice grew stronger, "My daughter! Where's my daughter, Viktor?" she screamed, desperate. "Tell me my daughter is fine. Where is she? Give her to me!"Viktor approached her, and Chiara swore she could see the de