The Worst

Ciara's heart racing, she watched in horror as her husband, Lamar, and his accomplices worked to cut down the rope. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Why would Lamar, the Alpha of his pack, try to sabotage the celebration?

Without hesitation, Ciara sprang into action. She crept closer, her eyes fixed on Lamar, her mind racing with thoughts of how to stop him. She knew she had to act fast, before the chandelier came crashing down on the unsuspecting guests.

Brenda, sensing Ciara's tension, followed her gaze and gasped. "What's going on?" she whispered, but Ciara just held up a hand, signaling her to stay back.

Ciara's eyes locked onto Lamar, her voice low and deadly. "Lamar, what are you doing?" she demanded, her heart heavy with a mix of fear and anger. The men froze, their eyes darting nervously towards Lamar, who slowly turned to face his wife.

Ciara's eyes widened in horror as Lamar's words hung in the air. "You can't be serious," she whispered, trying to shake off the feeling of dread that had settled over her. "Our children are downstairs, Lamar. They could get hurt."

Lamar's expression was cold, calculating. "Collateral damage," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "We'll deal with it."

Ciara felt a chill run down her spine. She couldn't believe her husband, the father of her children, was willing to put their lives at risk for his own twisted ambitions.

"No," she said, trying to reason with him. "This isn't right. We can't just harm innocent people."

Lamar's grip on her arm tightened. "You're either with me, Ciara, or you're against me," he growled. "Make your choice."

Ciara knew she had to act fast. She couldn't let Lamar carry out his sinister plan. But as she looked around, she saw the men were resuming their task, their eyes gleaming with a feral intensity. She knew she was outnumbered.

Time seemed to slow down as the chandelier came crashing down, its crystals shattering into a thousand deadly shards. Ciara's scream was drowned out by the sound of crunching glass and the collective gasp of the horrified guests.

In a flash, Fidel had pushed Ethan out of the way, using his own body to shield the young boy from the deadly debris. Ciara watched in terror as Fidel's eyes widened in pain, his body jerking as the glass shards ripped into his skin.

Sophia's voice rose above the chaos, a primal scream of fear and rage. She rushed to Fidel's side, pulling him away from the wreckage as the guests erupted into panic.

Ciara felt like she was in a nightmare, unable to move or speak as she stared at the scene before her. Lamar's face was twisted in a snarl, his eyes gleaming with a malevolent triumph.

But as she looked at Fidel, bleeding and broken on the floor, something inside Ciara snapped. She turned to Lamar, her eyes blazing with fury. "You did this," she spat, her voice low and deadly. "You're going to pay for this."

Ciara's heart was racing as she rushed down to Ethan's side, her mind consumed by a single thought: "Please be okay, please be okay". She dropped to her knees beside him, her hands shaking as she gently examined his small body.

Ethan's face was pale, his eyes welling up with tears as he gazed up at her. "M-mommy?" he stammered, his tiny voice trembling.

Ciara's vision blurred as she saw the blood trickling down his arm, a jagged shard of glass still lodged in his skin. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her, but she forced herself to remain calm, to be strong for her child.

Fidel, still bleeding himself, looked up at her with a mixture of pain and guilt. "I'm so sorry, Ciara," he whispered. "I tried to shield him, but...but I wasn't fast enough."

Ciara's gaze locked onto Fidel's, her eyes filled with a deep gratitude. "You saved him," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You saved my son."

As the doctor's words washed over her, Ciara felt a wave of relief crash down on her, followed by a fresh torrent of tears. Emery, sensing her mother's emotions, continued to wail, her tiny body shaking with sobs.

Ciara tried to calm her down, but she was beyond consolation herself. Fidel, still bruised and bleeding, wrapped his arms around both of them, holding them close as they cried.

"I've got you," he whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion. "I've got you both."

The doctor's voice was a distant hum, but Ciara caught the words "luckily, the glass didn't hit any major arteries" and "he'll be fine, just a few stitches".

As the news sank in, Ciara's tears slowly began to subside, replaced by a deep sense of gratitude towards Fidel. He had saved her child, put himself in harm's way to protect Ethan. She looked up at him, her eyes locking onto his, and saw the pain and concern etched on his face.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Thank you for saving my son."

Fidel's expression softened, his eyes filled with a deep warmth. "I'd do anything for you and your children," he said, his voice low and husky.

Fidel's eyes locked onto the doctor's, his expression intense. "Tell me, doctor," he said, his voice low and urgent. "What do the test results show?"

The doctor, a bespectacled man with a kind face, hesitated before speaking. "The DNA test confirms that you, Fidel, are the biological father of Ethan and Emery."

Fidel's face went still, his eyes narrowing as he processed the information. "I see," he said finally. "And can you confirm that Ciara was unaware of this test?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes, Mr. Fidel. You specifically requested that we keep this confidential."

Ciara's voice cut through the air, her tone icy. "You had no right, Fidel. No right to do this without my consent."

Fidel turned to face her, his expression calm. "I needed to know the truth, Ciara. I had to be sure."

Ciara's eyes flashed with anger. " To think I was starting to believe you would be different from the others."

Fidel's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with a hint of defensiveness. "I am different, Ciara. And I'll do whatever it takes to protect you and our children."

Ciara's laugh was bitter. "Your children?

First Lamar, now this. Ciara got weak. Things were getting worse.