A man guarding the closed door to a room captured Johnathan’s interest. He guessed the baby must be in there. He pretended to drop his phone and quickly glanced under the furniture in the living room. To his relief, he found a gun hidden under the couch in the corner and pocketed it when the guard was not watching. 

Felicity came back with a tray in hand and a smile on her lips. She dismissed the guards demanding privacy and Johnathan relaxed, returning her smile. It seemed luck was on his side for a change. She made two cups of coffee and Johnathan’s heart filled with warmth because she remembered how he liked his coffee. 

.

“Here’s your coffee with a lot of cream and three cubes of sugar,” she said, handing him the cup of coffee. Thanking her, Johnathan took the cup from her hand and kept it on the glass table before asking for a glass of cold water. “Of course, John, how could I forget that you need a glass of cold water after consuming the hot sugary caffeine? I’ll be right back,” with that said, Felicity walked back to the kitchen, and Johnathan’s guilt pinched his heart once again. 

Watching her disappear into the kitchen, he rubbed his palm over his chest as if to soothe his aching heart. 

Alexander used to boast that his wife has the purest heart, and Johnathan knew that it was true. Waving his guilt away, he immediately checked the bowl filled with sugar cubes. As he expected, he found sleeping pills at the bottom hidden with sugar cubes. 

Silently thanking the maid and the cook for their great effort, he added two pills into Felicity’s cup and used the spoon to dissolve it. He sipped the coffee from his cup as Felicity came back with a glass of water. She placed the glass in front of him and lifted her cup of coffee from the tray. 

“So, where’s your little girl?” He started the conversation, his tone sounding casual. She visibly tensed and he didn’t miss the fear that flashed in her eyes before she masked it. She answered him with a warm smile, “She’s sleeping, John. You’ll meet her when she wakes up.” Felicity inwardly prayed that Hera would not wake up until Johnathan leaves. She didn’t want him to see her. 

Johnathan shook his head as if she disappointed him. He held her gaze as he placed the cup on the table. “Felicity, don’t bother lying to me, you don’t have to. We all know that you can’t conceive anymore because of the complications you went through during the birth of your son. So tell me about this new baby in your life? Are you by any chance trying to hide her from me? Who is she?” He asked, expecting her to be honest with him. 

After all, they were friends for years, and he believed that he was worthy of her trust for loving her unconditionally. He ignored the ugly irony that laughed in his face for his audacity. For someone who’d come prepared to ruin her happy family, he sure dared to demand her trust. 

Felicity finished her coffee, and Johnathan took her cup from her hand with a satisfied smile. She let out a tired sigh before answering him. “As you know, John, I always wanted a daughter. So I adopted a baby girl, and now my family is complete. That’s all you need to know because I’m not answering any more questions about her. So, drop it, John. Let’s talk about something else?” She suggested, hoping he would comply. 

Johnathan nodded and changing the topic, he asked her about her time in Havana, and they talked about life in general. Meanwhile, his eyes kept searching every corner of the Villa for her little boy. 

Felicity looked sleepy, and he knew she was going to pass out soon. He had to know about her son before she embraces unconsciousness, so he asked impatiently. “How’s your little boy, Felicity? Hope he’s not causing any more trouble for you.” He faked a chuckle, and she returned it with her genuine one. 

“Oh, he’s fine, John. Still the same trouble maker though. I hope he’s not giving his grandparents a hard time. He’s in Italy,” she said, smiling proudly, her eyes shone with happiness as she thought about her son. Johnathan’s face paled a bit at her revelation. 

No one knew about the existence of baby Hera in Alexander’s life. Baresi brothers agreed to help him in kidnapping both the children from Alexander’s house. Johnathan would take the baby girl while the Baresi brothers get to keep Alexander’s son. Now that the little boy was not there, it scared Johnathan, but he had no other choice. He had to go through the plan if he wants to kidnap Hera and he could never do it without the help of the Baresi brothers. 

He watched as Felicity rubbed her temples and she mumbled, “I feel dizzy all of a sudden, I think I’m going to,” before she could finish whatever she was going to say, her body went limp on the sofa. Without wasting any second, Johnathan dialled Franco Baresi’s number. Within minutes he heard gunshots confirming that they’d attacked Alexander’s paradise. 

Johnathan locked the door from inside and watched through the window while both Alexander’s and Baresi’s men fought, firing bullets at one another. Dead bodies littered and Johnathan felt nauseous watching the blood spill everywhere. 

He turned a blind-eye to merciless killing and took a seat next to Felicity’s sleeping form. He was more worried about her safety, and he knew Baresi brothers would want her as payment, considering Alexander’s son was not an option anymore. 

It took less than thirty minutes to eliminate every one of Alexander’s men, and they sincerely fought until their last breath to protect their boss’ wife. Franco Baresi was not happy that he lost most of his men. His twin brother Marco was impatiently waiting in his car, anticipating to see Alexander’s helpless son wailing like a wounded, scared puppy. 

It would be a priceless joy to encounter such a miracle when Alexander kneels in front of them, begging for his son’s life. 

Unfortunately for their disappointment, they had no such luck. As Johnathan speculated, when Franco couldn’t get a hold of Alexander’s son, he went ballistic. But as soon as his eyes found the limp body of Alexander’s wife, he laughed like a maniac, yelling for his brother to come inside. He thought he’d won over Alexander, but Johnathan would never let them harm Felicity. 

“We all know very well, Franco, if you even dare touch her, none of us will see tomorrow’s Sun. Alexander will not spare a single second before destroying our entire bloodline,” Johnathan said, trying to put some sense into Baresi brothers’ brain. It was a different thing to kidnap his child and blackmail him for money or power, but to touch Felicity was never an option. 

The twin brothers were not ready to return empty-handed, and their next alternative turned to be the baby girl Johnathan wanted. They were intrigued and curious to know who that baby was and why Johnathan wanted the baby. When Johnathan didn’t provide facts to quench their curiosity, they searched every nook and cranny until they found what they needed. 

They found a folder in the bedroom closet, which had baby Hera’s healthcare, medical chart, a passport, and a copy of a birth certificate inside. “Bingo, we hit the jackpot,” Marco said to his brother in victory. No matter how hard Johnathan tried to bargain, his plan backfired as the Baresi brothers demanded him to choose between Felicity and baby Hera. 

Johnathan was helpless, and he couldn’t risk Felicity’s life. He knew who his priority would be. The sole purpose of his visit to Alexander’s perfect family was to take away baby Hera from them. It didn’t matter who took her away, Baresi brothers or Johnathan. He could somehow steal the baby from them again, but he would never be able to steal her from Alexander without their help. 

It was too easy for him to decide, and the twin brothers couldn’t be happier as they took away Alexander’s daughter. As soon as they left, Johnathan called his friend Rouvin and instructed him to follow the twins and monitor their every move. He explained his situation and ordered to send his bodyguards to escort him safely in case Alexander returns before his exit. 

Meanwhile oblivious to the obstacles her family would face, Felicity went off on her journey of dark slumber. Johnathan watched her sleeping with his guilty eyes filled with regrets. She just had to open her eyes, and she would see her paradise crumbling into nothingness. 

“Please don’t hate me, Felicity. I’m sorry for doing this to your family. I had to do it. I didn’t have a choice. Would you ever forgive me?” He asked, wishing she could listen to his confession. Asleep, she looked so peaceful, yet her brows furrowed in the middle, as though her subconscious mind was battling against her unfortunate time.