"I... I know I had feelings for you," she finally admitted, her voice barely a whisper.
"There! You can't even give me a straight answer!" Daniel's shout pierced the tense atmosphere.
Without saying another word, he turned to leave, determined to put an end to this heartbreaking charade. 
But as he took his first step forward, Adrienne's desperation took hold of her. She lunged forward and grabbed hold of his leg.
"I'm not letting you go until you forgive me," Adrienne's voice quivered, her grip tightening.
Daniel's eyes softened as he looked down at her, torn between anger and the love he still harbored deep inside. His heart ached, longing for resolution.
"If you hadn't been kidnapped that night after you slept with another man, would you have acted like nothing had happened? Would you have broken off our engagement or come clean with me?"
Adrienne's heart sank as she realized she had no answer to his question. 
The truth hung heavily upon her shoulders, and slowly, she released her grip on his leg. 
The reality of her actions and the pain she had caused were too overpowering for her to hold on any longer.
"Is that a ring on your finger? Did a man give it to you?" Daniel asked abruptly, after noticing the ring.
Tentatively, she nodded. 
"Yes, Richard gave it to me. We are having a baby... and... I love him," Adrienne confessed.
The news hit Daniel like a punch to the gut. All the emotions he had tucked away came rushing back with a vengeance. 
He scoffed, taking a step back from Adrienne, as if trying to physically distance himself from the heartbreak.
"I asked if you loved me back then and you couldn't even admit it, but look at you now," he said, his voice heavy with resentment. 
"Without me even asking, you've confessed your love for Richard. The man you cheated on me with. For three years!"
He felt his anger boiling up, Adrienne's love confession to Richard replaying in his head and crushing down on him.
"And now you're pregnant with his child, huh? If you are genuinely sorry, you wouldn't be getting married to him or starting a family with him," Daniel exclaimed, his voice filled with bitterness.
He turned his back to Adrienne, a mixture of anguish and anger etched on his face. 
"I curse the day I met you. I curse the day I fell in love with you," he muttered, his voice laced with a mixture of despair and resentment. 
"Adrienne Marie Davison, I hate you. You are the only thing making my life a mess."
He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as he delivered his final words, his voice filled with determination. 
"Forget about the stupid promise you made to me and don't ever come to this orphanage. Don't bother giving donations either."
He met her gaze one last time. 
"Have a good life. I will never forgive you, and I promise you this... I won't stop hating you for as long as I live."
***
"Richard, where are you?" Adrienne sobbed into her phone. She had been desperately trying to reach Richard, but he hadn't been answering.
"Adrienne, it's okay. Daniel just needs some time," her mom reassured her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"It's partially your fault, Mom. If you knew where I was, why didn't you tell him all along? He deserved to know!" Adrienne shouted at her mother, frustration evident in her voice.
Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door and Richard walked in. Concern etched across his face, he rushed to Adrienne's side.
"What happened? Why are you crying?" he asked urgently.
"I'll give you two some privacy to talk," her mom said, excusing herself from the room.
"It's Daniel. He hates me right now. He doesn't want to talk to me ever again," Adrienne poured her heart out to Richard, tears streaming down her face.
Richard let out a weary sigh.
"I always feared this day would come. I had a feeling it would be me versus Daniel," Richard admitted.
"It's not okay," she confessed, feeling overwhelmed.
"Try to get some rest, okay? You'll be fine," Richard gently patted her head, preparing to leave.
"You're just going to leave? Just like that?" Adrienne exclaimed, her tone filled with accusation.
"I have something I need to take care of. I only stopped by to check on you," Richard explained.
"Just stopped by to say hello, like we're casual friends? You don't like that I mentioned Daniel?" Adrienne's voice dripped with anger and suspicion.
"No, it's not that. Something unexpected came up, I promise," Richard said sincerely.
"Oh really? Your cryptic words suggest otherwise. You just don't like it when I bring up Daniel, do you?" Adrienne accused him, hurt evident in her eyes.
With a defeated sigh, Richard reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, playing a video before showing it to Adrienne.
"Hey, what is this?" she exclaimed, baffled by the unexpected video.
It revealed Juliette, bound to a chair with ropes. The video had been sent to Richard from an unknown number, but it was obviously Linc.
"It's who you think," Richard said nonchalantly.
Adrienne scoffed and tossed his phone back at him with frustration.
"He is audaciously demanding ten million dollars to release Juliette," Richard added, his tone filled with concern.
"So now you suddenly care about her?" Adrienne fired back at Richard.
Richard straightened his posture, meeting her gaze determinedly. 
"She's still a human, Adrienne. Regardless of our personal issues, we can't ignore the fact that she's a pregnant woman in danger."
Adrienne's face twisted with anger. "She should bear the consequences of her reckless choices. What did she expect when she got involved with a monster like Linc?
Now that he's kidnapped her, suddenly it's all worry and concern. Am I not your number one priority? Shouldn't I always come first?" Her voice seethed with resentment.
"Of course you are my priority. But look at Juliette, Adrienne. She's not just my daughter, she's some carrying a child inside her. I may be upset with her, but that doesn't mean I won't do what I can to help her," Richard defended.
Adrienne turned away, avoiding his gaze. 
"She's the same pregnant woman who exposed me and our unborn child to danger," she blurted, bitterness lacing every word.
Moved by a sudden surge of emotion, Richard took a step closer to Adrienne, his hand reaching out to touch her, only to have her quickly pull away.
"Get out," Adrienne spoke dismissively, wrapping a blanket tightly around herself. "Go save your daughter. I'll take care of myself."
A few seconds later, the sound of Richard's departure echoed in the room, further fueling Adrienne's anger. Huddled beneath the blanket, she muttered to herself, "She's a pregnant woman in danger... serves her right."
Deep down, Adrienne knew the words were spoken out of hurt and resentment, but in that moment, she couldn't bring herself to offer any compassion or understanding for the woman who had put her own life and the life of her unborn child at risk. She clenched her fists, determined to fend for herself, even if it meant nursing her wounds alone. 
***
"I sent your father the video over twelve hours ago," Linc said, frustration evident in his voice.
"He's not going to come. I told you, there's no point," Juliette replied, exasperated.
"So he's really cut you off? He's quite clever," Linc remarked.
"What do you mean?" Juliette asked, confused.
"He's smart. If I were in his position, I would have done the same. I will never accept a daughter who covered up for her rapist. Not like I plan on having kids, but you get my point," Linc explained.
"Why are you making it seem like I'm the bad person here? You pushed me into that! Remember?" Juliette fired back.
"Did I force you? Did I hold a gun to your head and order you to do it? Your own greed and jealousy drove you, not me. Look where it got you," Linc mocked, laughing at her.
"Well, you're not as innocent as you think. You're an even worse psychopath than your father. Don't act like you're some reasonable and well-mannered person," Juliette spat.
"Oh, really? Does it hurt? Did my words hit a nerve?" Linc laughed.
"Even if Richard comes here, do you honestly think he'll just hand you ten million dollars and let you go?" Juliette questioned.
"I have everything under control," Linc assured.
"You're planning on running away, aren't you?" she pressed him. He looked at her, scoffing, deliberately avoiding her question.
"Adrienne and Richard would never allow it," Juliette smirked.
"Oh, really? Do they have any proof that I was involved in her abduction or rape three years ago?" Linc asked, but before Juliette could respond, Linc's phone rang.
"Is that Richard?" she inquired, a flicker of hope shining in her eyes.
He smirked at her, leaving the room and locking her inside.
"I have the money," Richard's voice came through the phone.