## Chapter 6: The Struggle
Vanessa lunged. Emily swung the laptop like a shield. The metal casing collided with Vanessa’s shoulder, sending the woman reeling back. Emily didn't wait. She shoved past her, stumbling back into the library.
“Beatrice! She’s here!” Vanessa screamed.
Emily ran for the French doors that led to the terrace. The rain was a torrential wall, but she didn't care. She burst through the glass doors, the cold air hitting her like a slap. She slipped on the wet stone, falling hard on her side. A sharp pain shot through her abdomen.
“No, no, no,” she sobbed, clutching her belly. “Not now, baby. Please, not now.”
Beatrice appeared at the door, her face a mask of triumph. She held the contract in one hand and a heavy, silver-handled cane in the other. “Look at you. Pathetic. Dragging yourself through the mud like the animal you are.”
“David is in the guest house,” Emily spat, her voice thick with pain. “I know everything. I have the recordings.”
May you like
Beatrice’s expression flickered. Only for a second. “Recordings can be deleted. And David? By the time he wakes up, you’ll be a memory. Vanessa, bring her inside. If she won't sign with a pen, we’ll use her thumbprint. Blood works just as well as ink.”
Vanessa grabbed Emily’s hair, dragging her back toward the house. Emily fought, kicking and scratching, but her body was failing her. The contractions were coming faster now. She was losing hope, her vision blurring from the pain and the rain.
