41 - Is she...?

"Faster, damn it!" Erik shouted at the driver, while holding his sister's hand tightly. "Don't worry, we're close," he whispered.

Helena looked terrible, with a pale face, sweat on her forehead and a pained expression.

"Sir, they are following us," the driver exclaimed, looking in the rearview mirror. "You are going to follow us to the hospital."

Erik turned back, watching as some motorcycles and a car from the Sol group followed them closely.

"Shit..." he murmured, clenching his teeth tightly.

-W-what's wrong?- the young woman could barely say.

"It's okay, Helena, don't worry," he said worriedly and looked at the driver. "We're going to have to leave the city and go to another clinic, hurry up."

-Yes sir.

“Damn Ivan,” he thought furiously inside of him.

Finally they were able to mislead them and leave the outskirts of the city without the Sol Group following their trail closely.

They arrived at a small clinic where the young woman was quickly treated for a good sum of money and they did not give information to anyone.

After about forty minutes that felt endless, he was finally able to see Helena again, who was resting on a bed with a weak smile on her face.

That calmed him, he finally managed to release the air he had been holding.

"Hey..." he said, approaching her.

"The baby is out of danger," the doctor exclaimed behind him. "But from now on he must rest completely, no lifting heavy things or stressing about anything."

"Thank you doctor," the young man responded.

Once they were alone, Erik sat on the edge of the bed.

-How are you?

"I can't believe she did that," he exclaimed, his voice heavy with pain.

"I'm sorry..." was the only thing the young man could say.

"You warned me and I didn't listen to you," the brunette exclaimed guiltily.

"You had to see it with your own eyes, I understand..." he whispered.

-I guess it's over-

Helena lowered her wet gaze to her belly and caressed it gently.

"I know it hurts now, but in time it will be just a bad memory," Erik consoled her.

Helena smiled bitterly and wondered how she could forget the man she loved if she was carrying his child, the terror that she looked like Ivan overwhelmed her. She felt that she could never heal that wound.

---

Although the months had passed, every day was just as gray, Ivan was still Helena the one he thought about as soon as he woke up and before falling asleep bitterly in her very large and cold bed.

The Sol group had increased its power, with the Luna Group dispersed and not showing their face for so long, it seemed that everything was going well for their clan.

Ivan couldn't care less, not only because his beloved disappeared along with his enemy, but because he had nothing left in that cold house, his brother had not contacted him since that horrible night. .

He knew that he was not dead, they had not found his body, and if the Luna Group had taken him, they would have let him know, they would not have wasted that opportunity.

Ivan couldn't be happier that Nick was away from this life of hell, but with his absence everything seemed to be even grayer.

Nothing made sense anymore.

Hadn't she gotten into all this for him?

Hadn't he obeyed all of his father's orders so that his younger brother wouldn't have to go through the same thing?

Now he was gone, his beloved was gone and he was just a damn unhappy hermit nodding his head at everything his father ordered him to do.

Ivan had not told his father, but he was still looking for Helena, hoping that she would let him explain himself, that she would allow him to ask for forgiveness on his knees and that she would give him a second chance, because without her he was an empty shell.

---

Having been at rest for so many months had served to catch up with the Luna Group's situation. Since betrayal had invaded his being, he only wanted to recover what the Sol Group had taken from his family all these years.

The death of his parents could not go unpunished, they deserved justice.

Although at first Erik had wanted to leave everything to his sister, things had changed after finding out about her pregnancy and how damaged she was by that idiot Ivan.

His desire to leave her all the power and live a normal life had taken a backseat, constantly worrying about the health of Helena and her nephew.

But the young woman had made an effort to understand the business, and Erik was beginning to think that there was no one better than her to regain the family's honor and take the reins of the Group.

"How are you?" He asked as he entered Helena's room. "Tomorrow is the big day," Erik exclaimed, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Helena put aside the papers of the Group's records and gave her brother a warm smile.

Erik looked at the huge belly that stood out between the sheets, that baby was about to be born at any moment, he could see in the tired face of his sister that she couldn't give any more.

They had scheduled a cesarean section for tomorrow, the doctor had said it would be best, because the baby and the mother were in danger. Erik couldn't feel more relieved, the idea of natural birth, running to the clinic at any moment scared him.

What if Grupo Sol discovered his location?

He knew they had been trying to locate them, the last thing they needed right now was to be caught off guard.

"I want him to be born," she exclaimed tiredly but with a smile on her face. "This baby has taken away all my energy," she said jokingly, but her smile quickly faded, sinking into her thoughts.

"Hey..." Erik exclaimed, getting closer. "Everything is going to be fine." You are strong.

Helena nodded her head, forcing herself to smile.

"What are you going to do?" She asked, changing the subject.

-With what?- asked the young man confused.

-With your life, you know... I know you hate all this, that you always wanted to have a normal life. – He smiled melancholy.

"I know... but that doesn't matter anymore, now there's you and my nephew..." he said smiling.

Helena shook her head.

-Erik... you have a life, your own, don't you want to study? Or have a regular job? -She joked-

"I love ordinary jobs," she smiled.

-You see? And why wouldn't you do it?

Erik bit his lip hard.

-Ye, you have helped me a lot all this time and you don't know how grateful I am, you have been a great brother, Erik...

Erik watched her excitedly.

-But you've done enough, when the baby is born, I won't have to be in bed anymore, you taught me the business and I understood it perfectly, you said it yourself, all this was mine from the beginning. "It's my turn to take the reins," she said with determination in her eyes.

-I do not know…

Helena took her brother's hand and squeezed it.

-You will be able to come visit us as many times as you want, your nephew will want to see you and play with you- she smiled-But I want you to stop getting involved in all this.

Erik felt betrayal tears fall down his face.

-It's unfair... you don't have to take these responsibilities.

-I have to... because I want to, I... I'm not going to take the same path as our father, that's over. I want to take back our power and do things right this time. No more extortion, no more bribes or anything like that-

Erik looked at her in surprise, he didn't want to disappoint her, but he wasn't sure if that could be achieved, not with the Sol group constantly on his heels.

---

"Mr. White... you have visitors," one of his men exclaimed from the door of his office.

"Let it happen," Ivan exclaimed without interest and without taking his eyes off the papers.

That day he had an important meeting with some new allies, but he couldn't care less. Nothing made sense since Helena had left his side.

-Brother….

The familiar voice ringing in his ears excited him, making his heart beat again.

Ivan looked up suddenly, finding Nick in front of him. He had believed that he would never see him again.

"Nick," he exclaimed, getting up from his seat, looking at him in disbelief.

"So long," he replied calmly, sitting down in the chair in front of his brother's desk.

Ivan sat down slowly, back in his place while still looking at him with surprise in his eyes.

"I thought he would never see you again," he said, still in shock.

"Me too," he replied, smiling sideways.

"How is everything going?" he could barely say.

-I'm working in a small used book store, with that I can pay for a place with a college friend. – He smiled brightly.

Ivan smiled widely as he had not done in a long time.

-That's good, that's good... what you always wanted.

Nick stopped smiling. -And how are you?

-Did you come for that?- he smiled bitterly- Nick…You know you didn't…

-I care about you. – He interrupted him abruptly.

-You should not do that. "I'm the older brother," he joked.

-Ivan… seriously, Helena….

"What does she have to do with here?" He exclaimed with pain.

-You're not fine brother...

Ivan leaned back in his seat and laughed fakely.

-Is that why you came? To remind me how miserable my life is?

-Ivan…

"No, wait... let me talk..." he said, suddenly getting up from his seat. "You have a good life, and I'm very happy, but I don't need you to come here to remind me that I'm still locked up in these four walls that are like a prison."

-You do not have to do it….

-What sense does she have? "I have nothing left," he exclaimed forcefully.

-Ivan, Helena is pregnant. – He sentenced.

There was a dead silence in the room that seemed to last an eternity.

-What did you say?

Nick shot up from his seat, walking quickly toward the exit.

"I shouldn't have told you that... You're not fine," he exclaimed nervously.

Ivan followed behind him, grabbing his arm tightly and turning him around.

-Is Helena...?

"Pregnant, yes," he exclaimed seriously. "She told me that, that day." She saved me, helped me get out of the house….

-Did you know? Since that day did you know? And you didn't tell me?