CHAPTER 139
Jack felt his heart squeeze at the sight of the firelight dancing on the distant hill.
Abandoning his horse, he climbed the pile of rocks, coming across a scene that ignited the flame of jealousy in his chest. His wife, lying on Charles' shoulder, aroused insecurities that consumed him.
Jealousy, like a shadow, darkened Jack's mind, preventing him from seeing beyond the surface.
It was at that moment that the angel Thomas materialized in front of him, tapping his feet. Seriously. His penetrating gaze conveyed a silent message, questioning Jack's trust in the woman he loved.
The angel wordlessly projected and showed images of what Elizabeth had been doing. Jack felt like he was in a movie, his body didn't move and he could only watch everything that had happened since the flat tire, it was agony to see his wife in Charles' hands being grabbed, but he noticed her looking at a light and saw a determination in her eyes, he heartbroken with pain saw his wife being kissed by Charles, but he also saw her signaling to her father, that angel illuminated by lights... He saw Elizabeth, trying to get Charles to make small talk, and she was using the strategy of distracting him to wait for help. Everything was revealed to him, from his wife's devotion, the love that overflowed from her and the reason behind her closeness to Charles, as she was trying to protect herself from Charles' aggressions and thus protect the baby; Jack, taking a deep breath, saw the truth that the shadows of jealousy obscured. The angel, fulfilling its mission, disappeared while Jack, ashamed of his thoughts, looked at the place where his wife was.
Jack remembered that day when Frank had preached, saying:
"The eyes are the chain of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. Matthew 6:22-23".
He now saw perfectly what Frank meant, the importance of maintaining a clear and pure spiritual vision, warning against attitudes and emotions that can obscure this inner light.
Jealousy is a harmful emotion that can negatively influence our judgment.
Jack stared at his wife, sitting downstairs on Charles' shoulder, but now as he looked more closely at her, he noticed the ties that bound her, a detail eclipsed by the fog of jealousy.
Jack, moving in the shadows of the hill, outlined his strategy for rescuing Elizabeth.
Crouching down, he waited patiently for the right moment to act, watching Charles' every move, his heart pounding with the urgency of the situation.
As the day began to lighten, Elizabeth and Charles awoke.
Tension hung in the air as Charles tried to kiss Elizabeth, remembering a promise he had made. Charles' wild laughter revealed his twisted nature.
A possessive embrace from Charles enveloped Elizabeth, but Jack, cunning and determined, found a way to send a discreet signal to his wife. Elizabeth's eyes, initially confused, met Jack's as she looked over Charles' shoulder.
A glimmer of hope lit up in Elizabeth's eyes as she realized Jack's presence.
Charles stood up and pulled Elizabeth up, lifting her too quickly to start walking again. She was pale, dizzy and fragile at the same time, and Jack noticed her faltering steps from afar, leaving a trail of discomfort in their wake.
The atmosphere became heavy as she suddenly found herself suffering from pregnancy sickness, vomiting in front of Charles and revealing her pregnancy.
Charles' expression changed instantly, his face becoming a mask of aggression as he stared at his discovery.
In an instant of fury, Charles, driven by dark impulses, and now realizing that he was being deceived by her, slapped her across the face... Elizabeth became dizzy, staggered and was thrown to the floor, her voice echoing among the screams and cries as Charles immobilized her.
The atmosphere was tense, tormented, desperate and brutal. A sharp, cold voice rang out behind Charles, who was lying on top of Elizabeth.
- Let go, my wife!
The words, full of determination, broke the silence like thunder. Jack's eyes seemed to want to pop out of their sockets, his fury and desire to protect the love of his life made him go after Charles with all his rage, and that's how Jack grabbed Charles' shirt, starting a fierce struggle that echoed with thunderous punches.
In one agile movement, he grabbed Charles by the shirt and threw him away.
Charles, momentarily surprised, recovered quickly, revealing a defiant smile. He advanced towards Jack, throwing a powerful punch. The impact sent Jack reeling backwards, but he wouldn't give up.
Jack wiped the blood dripping from his wounded mouth. Fists clenched and the fight was just beginning.
The exchange of blows intensified with punches and kicks being thrown in rapid succession. With brutal strength, Jack managed to maintain his initial advantage. With fierce determination, Jack fought back with everything he had. Each blow was delivered with frightening force, fueled by the fury of seeing his wife in danger. The punches and kicks were accurate, knocking Charles Kensigton III off his balance and, seizing the opportunity, Jack landed a powerful punch right on Charles' face, knocking him to the ground in a daze.
Jack had kicked Charles' gun away.
Charles, dazed and dizzy, lay on the ground, tired from the fight...
Jack, panting, approached his wife, carefully untying her. Pulling her into his arms, he hugged her tightly, promising that he would never let anyone hurt her again.
Jack's heart ached at the sight of his frightened and pale wife, but he was relieved that she was safe.
Jack, with eyes full of worry and relief, held his beloved's face between his hands, examining the marks left by Charles' violence.
- Bella! He hurt you... look what he did to you.
- I'm fine, Jack. He hit me when I tried to help Malyn at school, but it will heal. The important thing is that you got there in time to save us.
He gently squeezed her arms, relieved to know that she was unharmed apart from those bruises.
However, Jack's gaze quickly turned to Charles, who was still lying on the ground, but was now beginning to recover.
Charles was showing his sick stubbornness and slowly stood up, staring defiantly at Jack.
- You're a fool, Jack. This woman doesn't belong to you. She's mine, and she always will be. You may have won this fight, but she will always go back into my hands.
When Jack heard these words, he felt anger bubbling up inside him. He turned to face Charles firmly, ready to confront the man who dared to claim possession of his wife.
- You're wrong, Charles. No one belongs to anyone. Elizabeth is a free woman, and the only fool here is you, thinking you can control someone else's life. She is my wife by choice, not by possession.
- You can do whatever you want, Jack Thorton, but she will always be mine. And next time, there will be no one to save you.
Jack, staring into Charles' eyes, replied with determination.
- You can try all you want, Charles..., but you'll never have control over her. We will overcome anything you try to put in our way. And justice will judge you for it.
- I want to see if the problems will be overcome when I take her to my bed, I want to see if you'll accept being with her, after everything I've done to that little body, Charles laughed.
Elizabeth was afraid in Jack's arms, deathly pale, dread on her face.
Jack had never seen his wife like that, it was only when William Thatcher attacked her that he saw the dread in her eyes, and now that monster was doing the same.
Jack hugged her protectively and, looking at her with affection and tenderness, smiled... And spoke reassuringly;
- It's going to be all right, Bella. We're together and nothing will tear us apart.
- I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been here to save me.
- I'd do anything for you, Bella. And now, we look to the future together, you, me and our little one.
He placed his hand on her belly, lightly caressing the place where her baby was growing. A new life, full of hope, was on the way...
But... not everything is perfect...