Bella guided James toward the bathroom, her hand steady on his arm. Despite his weakened state, his presence remained indomitable—his heat, his scent, everything about him screamed raw masculinity. Her gaze flickered down without thinking, and her eyes widened slightly."Wow," she blurted out before she could stop herself, her cheeks burning. "You're, uh, big."James's brows shot up despite the haze clouding his mind. "Bella," he drawled, his voice rough but teasing, "If you keep looking at me like that, I might take you up on that ride idea."What? At this point, he might tell Bella to tie both his hands and his mouth until the drug effect wears off. Her head snapped up, eyes wide. "I was just....oh, shut up!" she sputtered, pushing him toward the bathtub. "Stop being so cocky."He arched a brow as he leaned back against the edge of the tub for support. A minute passed, and then five minutes went by as they engaged in a staring contest. Finally, James spoke, "Trying to sneak a peak

That same year, Evelyn was pregnant and went into premature labor after learning about Robert’s betrayal. To prevent her from getting her company back or fighting him, Robert took extreme measures. He started poisoning her slowly, pretending the toxins were health supplements and medicine. Evelyn, stressed by his betrayal, trusted him and never thought he would poison her.Her health worsened quickly. The doctors, bribed by Robert, claimed she had cancer. By the time Evelyn figured out the truth, it was too late. Weak and stuck in bed, she could not challenge Robert’s control over XY Corps.When Evelyn found out that James was due and had been removed from the incubator, she focused completely on protecting her child. She wanted to keep her child safe more than anything else. She tried to leave, but her failing body stopped her. Deep down, she knew she wouldn’t live long enough to keep her promise to protect James from Robert’s cruelty.Everything she had worked for was gone, and soon