CHAPTER 419. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. A Difficult DecisionJhon wasn’t sure if he should answer, but after three calls, the persistence was too much. He finally grabbed the phone and picked up.“Hopkins, who’s this?”A melodic voice responded from the other side. “Agent Hopkins, code and access number, please.”For a second, Jhon hesitated. “I don’t have one,” he answered curtly, almost sensing the doubt from the other end.“I think I didn’t hear you, agent. Your code and access number so I can connect you, please.”“You heard me perfectly. I said, ‘I don’t have one.’ I don’t have a code or access number.”The sweet voice suddenly turned irritated. “Agent, without the requested information, we won’t be able to connect you,” the woman reprimanded him.“Well, that’s perfect because, to begin with, I wasn’t the one who called you,” he replied and immediately hung up.Not even five minutes passed before the phone rang again, and on the other side, he heard a rough, annoyed voice he knew a
CHAPTER 420. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. I Won’t Betray YouJhon knelt in front of her, closing his eyes to hold back the tears as he felt his daughter’s movements inside Chiara. The dance of life, the most precious treasure he had ever known. A deep sense of emotion spread through his soul as tears escaped his eyes. He focused on that moment and wondered what his life would be like once that little girl finally came into the world. He knew he would be capable of doing anything for her.Chiara watched him as he rested his forehead on the curve of her belly, unable to stop herself from melting inside at the sight of him like that. She reached out, her fingers slipping into his hair, gently stroking it. She knew the moment was delicate for both of them, sharing something intimate and unrepeatable, and she wished that everything could just be okay again.“Jhon,” she said softly, “what’s going on?”He opened his eyes and looked up at her. He couldn’t deny that she knew him too well. The deep lo
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