CHAPTER 880. MY LITTLE BELOVED. Wounded HeartsHer heart ached, her body hurt, even her thoughts were painful; but she could do nothing more than take one step after another and be strong.Gigi stepped off the last bus in a small town near Lake Geneva. Her feet felt heavy, and her thoughts were a mess, but the sight of the lake calmed her for a moment. The sun was beginning to set behind the mountains, reflecting off the tranquil water, as if the world were a more peaceful and orderly place than the one she had left behind. After two days of switching buses, moving without a clear destination, she had finally arrived somewhere no one knew her—a place where she could disappear.Lake Geneva was enormous, surrounded by both large cities and small villages seemingly forgotten by God. She walked through the cobbled streets of one of those villages until she found a small inn. Its facade was simple but welcoming, and Gigi pushed open the wooden door, making a small bell chime to announce he
CHAPTER 881. MY LITTLE BELOVED. HelpGigi sat at the small table in her kitchen, staring at the pregnancy tests she had left there, as if they were bombs about to explode. Her breathing was unsteady, her pulse raced, and her hands trembled. All night, she had avoided the inevitable moment when she would have to face what she feared the most. So, as the sun began to rise over the lake, she remained frozen in place. She didn’t know what to do. If the tests came out positive, her entire life would change in an instant. But damn it, her life was already a disaster!“This can’t be…” she murmured for the umpteenth time, trying to convince herself that she was overreacting, that it was just her body playing tricks on her.Finally, when the anxiety became too much to bear, she got up from the chair, grabbed one of the tests, and walked to the bathroom with unsteady steps. She shut the door behind her and sat on the edge of the bathtub, staring at the small device with a mixture of terror and
CHAPTER 882. MY LITTLE BELOVED. Until the Last Trace.Niko sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window as his uncle John drove. The narrow roads wound through small villages, surrounded by green fields and the towering backdrop of the Alps. The sun was beginning to rise, casting a soft golden glow over the road, but the day didn’t feel bright to him.They had spent days going from town to town, stopping at every bus station, asking at every restaurant, every grocery store, but it was all in vain. Gigi seemed to have vanished like a shadow. Niko tried to stay calm, but the frustration was eating him alive. He couldn’t stop imagining her alone, scared, unsure of whom to trust. Was she eating well? Was she safe?"This place seems quiet too," John said, breaking the silence as he glanced at the small map on the dashboard screen. "We could ask at the bus station and then check the surrounding areas. Maybe someone has seen her.""Maybe," Niko sighed.They got out of the car and walked
CHAPTER 883. MY LITTLE BELOVED. HelpGigi was sitting at the small kitchen table, staring at the pregnancy tests she had left there as if they were bombs about to explode. Her breathing was shallow, her pulse was racing, and her hands were trembling. All night long, she had avoided the inevitable moment when she would have to face what she feared. So now, as the sun was rising over the lake, she remained frozen. She didn’t know what to do. If the tests were positive, her entire life would change in an instant. But damn it, her life was already a disaster!"This can't be..." she murmured for the umpteenth time, trying to convince herself that she was overreacting, that this was just her body playing tricks on her.Finally, when the anxiety became too much to bear, she got up from the chair, grabbed one of the tests, and walked to the bathroom with hesitant steps. She closed the door behind her and sat on the edge of the bathtub, staring at the small device with a mix of terror and desp
CHAPTER 884. MY LITTLE BELOVED. At the Gates of DisasterThe phone was still warm in Gigi’s hands. She had spoken with Anja just ten minutes ago when a loud knock echoed at the door. Galia started howling like crazy, so intensely that Gigi assumed Ingrid was rushing over with some kind of emergency. Because, of course, there was no one else she knew well enough to be knocking at this hour."Calm down, Galia!" she whispered as she walked to the door, her heart pounding.She opened it without thinking too much, but what she saw was nowhere near what she expected.Niko.He was there.He was standing right in front of her.Why…?Why was he…?The world seemed to freeze for a second, and before her mind could process what was happening, the ground disappeared beneath her feet. Everything went black for Gigi, and Niko barely had time to react—but his reflexes were quicker than his surprise. He took a step forward and caught her before she collapsed, just as John rushed toward them."Gigi!" N
CHAPTER 885. MY LITTLE BELOVED. Painful TruthsNiko was at a loss for words, as if the world had suddenly become a fragile bubble bursting before him.The pregnancy test in his hands felt as heavy as a ton of bricks, and from the flood of emotions crashing through him, none was as strong as sheer shock. He looked at Gigi, standing in front of him with tear-stained, red-rimmed eyes, and all he wanted to do was hold her, kiss her… though he knew that doing so would only make things worse."I'm so sorry…!" He heard her sob. "I didn’t mean to… I swear it wasn’t on purpose! This… this happened the night we celebrated the cooking competition. I… I should’ve taken the morning-after pill, but…""Gigi…" Niko wasn’t even asking for an explanation, but she averted her gaze, biting her lip nervously."I swear I bought it. You reminded me that morning, and I bought it!... but then Renard showed up," she continued, speaking slowly, as if reliving every painful detail. "He forced me to go to my moth
CHAPTER 886. MY LITTLE BELOVED. Tracking the PastNiko paced back and forth in the small living room, clutching his phone tightly, waiting for John to respond. Gigi watched him from the couch, with Galia dozing in her lap; and though she tried to calm herself, the knot in her stomach wouldn’t disappear. There was so much at stake, so much she didn’t fully understand, and it suffocated her.Finally, Niko’s phone vibrated, and he answered immediately, never taking his eyes off Gigi."John, I need you to do something for me," he said as soon as his uncle picked up. "Is it possible to track the money my parents paid Chantal eighteen years ago? I want to know where it ended up."On the other end of the line, John took a few seconds before responding."Are you talking about the three million?" he asked, surprised. "Well… I can’t guarantee anything, but I’ll get the guys working on it right now. Even though it’s been many years, maybe they can try to follow the trail, see if there’s a bank a
CHAPTER 887. MY LITTLE BELOVED. A FORTY-EIGHT-HOUR HELLNiko didn’t even let Gigi protest when they talked about taking her back home after the tests. And by “home,” he, of course, meant the apartment where they had lived together until just a few weeks ago. He knew that even though they were both exhausted, the weight of uncertainty was still crushing them.When they arrived, Gigi saw Anja waiting for them in the living room, looking a little anxious. Niko had called to tell her that he had found Gigi, and she was there to reassure the young woman that she had kept her word.“Honey, I swear I didn’t…” Anja tried to explain, and her face, always so serene and maternal, brought a silent tear to Gigi’s eyes.“Don’t worry, I know it wasn’t you and… well… we already had the tests done,” she murmured softly, and Anja quickly noticed the nervousness that hinted at something more.“What’s wrong?” she asked, her eyes shifting rapidly between her son and the young woman.Gigi felt overwhelmed