The morning sun broke through the curtains in soft stripes, casting golden lines across Ethan’s kitchen floor. He stood by the counter, coffee untouched in his hand, eyes fixed on the clock above the stove, Bella, didn’t want to even see Lucy else she might murder her, Valerie and Vera are staying at the old mansion because they might just kill Lucy as well.
Lucy sat at the edge of the dining table, legs crossed, her knee bouncing anxiously beneath her loose sweater. "It’s almost ti," she said quietly.
"I know," Ethan muttered, but his tone was distracted.
He wasn’t just thinking about requesting the DNA test or the doctor’s findings—he was thinking about what Lucy might try to do with them. He didn’t trust her. Not with sothing this delicate. And even though he’d been willing to play it cool the day before, he’d already decided: he was going with her today.
Lucy glanced at him, her fingers tightening around her handbag. "I can go alone, Ethan. It’s fine."
"You’re not going alone," he replied without looking at her. "Not this ti."
Before either could say more, a shrill ring shattered the stillness. Ethan’s phone lit up on the counter. The caller ID made his blood run cold.
"Valerie."
He answered imdiately. "Hello?"
It was Val’s voice on the other end, tight and serious. "Ethan. Grandpa just collapsed. We’re taking him to rcy General."
"What? Is he—"
"We don’t know yet. Just co now."
Ethan was already moving, grabbing his keys, his jacket, his breath shallow. He turned to Lucy, who stood now, wide-eyed.
"I have to go," he said. "It’s Grandpa."
Lucy blinked. "But the appointnt—"
"You’ll go alone."
She opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off, voice firm and sharp.
"I’ve already called Dr. Bennett and told her to loop in with whatever updates co through. I trust her. She won’t let anything slip past ."
Lucy’s face froze for a second, then quickly adjusted into a neutral expression. "Right. Okay."
Ethan’s eyes narrowed as he grabbed his keys. "Just rember, Lucy—whatever happens, the truth always finds its way out."
And then he was gone, the door slamming shut behind him.
Later That Morning
Lucy sat alone in the waiting room, her nails digging into the leather strap of her purse. The sterile air of the hospital clung to her skin, and every second dragged like an anchor. She’d done the tests. All she needed now was a good result. Sothing solid. Sothing she could use.
Because if that baby wasn’t healthy... or worse, if sothing in those tests hinted at the truth she was hiding...
No. She couldn’t afford that.
Dr. Bennett called her na.
Lucy stood, heart thudding like a war drum in her chest, and followed the doctor back into her office—alone.
—
Ethan sat beside the hospital bed, one hand resting over his grandfather’s. The steady beeping of the monitors offered little comfort. The man who’d once carried Ethan on his shoulders now looked so small, almost fragile. He hadn’t opened his eyes in nearly an hour, and each minute stretched painfully.
It had all happened so fast. One mont his grandfather was chuckling at sothing Vera said during brunch, and the next—he was on the floor, clutching his chest, gasping for breath.
They’d brought him here to rcy General, but after the first tests, the diagnosis was clear: he needed a cardiac specialist. Fast.
And not just any specialist—the best.
The kind only one hospital had right now: Shepherd Hospital.
Ethan paced outside the ward, tugging his phone from his pocket with trembling fingers. He didn’t have ti for ego or pride. There was only one person he could turn to now.
Mara. She picked up after two rings. "Ethan?"
"Hey," his voice was taut. "I need your help." He explained everything quickly: the collapse, the diagnosis, the urgency.
"I know Shepherd has a specialist. I need soone to approve a transfer—"
"Say no more," Mara said without hesitation. "That man was like a grandfather to , too. I’ll talk to Stefan."
Ethan exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. "Thank you." Before he could say another word, Mara had long ended the call.
Later That Afternoon – Shepherd Hospital
Mara found Stefan seated behind his grand desk in his office, flipping through a report.
She didn’t knock just walked in, determined.
"Stefan," she said, "Ethan’s grandfather is in critical condition. They need Ayla Devereux. She’s the only one who can perform the procedure."
Stefan raised an eyebrow. "Devereux? She’s under exclusive contract with our hospital right now."
"I know. That’s why I’m here." Stefan leaned back in his chair. "Stef, you do realize Ethan is —"
"I don’t care," Mara cut in. "This isn’t about us. It’s about the man who took in like a daughter when I had nowhere else to go. The one who always stood by when everything else fell apart."
Her voice trembled slightly. "Please. Not for Ethan. For him."
Stefan’s expression softened. He closed the file and stood slowly. "Alright."
He pulled out his phone. "I’ll make the call. For Valerie. And for you, Stef."
–
Ethan stood in the lobby, tension radiating from every muscle. The transfer had gone smoothly, and his grandfather was now in one of the private recovery suites in the Shepherd hospital.
Monts later, Stefan arrived with Mara by his side.
"Dr. Shepherd," Ethan said with a dry smirk. "Didn’t think I’d step foot here again unless I was bleeding out."
"Try not to do that," Stefan replied coolly. "We charge a fortune."
They stood in silence for a beat before Stefan continued, "Ayla’s being paged now. I told her everything. She’s agreed to take the case."
Ethan blinked. "You didn’t have to do that."
"No, I didn’t," Stefan said. "But Stef reminded who we’re doing this for. Valerie and Vera would’ve wanted us to take care of him."
Ethan turned to Mara, his voice lower. "I owe you. Big ti." Mara gave him a faint smile.
As the elevator doors opened and Ayla stepped out in her white coat, clipboard in hand, the air between her and Ethan crackled with old history, but for now, they both knew the past had to wait.
Because right now, all that mattered was saving a man they all loved.
—
The sterile, white walls of the doctor’s office blurred before Lucy’s eyes.
She sat perfectly still, lips parted slightly, trying to process what she’d just heard. Her heart thudded dully in her chest like it too was confused about how to feelhow to survive this.
"You’re not pregnant, Miss Lucy," Dr. Bennett repeated gently. "I’ve run the scan twice just to be sure."
"But..." Lucy’s voice cracked. "I did several tests at ho. They were all positive."
Dr. Bennett gave a sympathetic nod. "False positives aren’t common, but they do happen. Stress, hormonal imbalance there are factors. But what’s more urgent right now is this—"
She turned the monitor slightly toward Lucy.
"We found sothing else."
Lucy stiffened.
"There’s a fibroid. A large one. The position is extrely dangerous."
Lucy swallowed hard. "Okay. So, you want to remove it?"
The doctor hesitated.
"We can. But the location... It’s aggressive and embedded. It’s affecting your uterus beyond repair. We’ll have to perform a full hysterectomy."
The room spun.
"Hysterectomy?"
"I’m sorry, Lucy," the doctor said, her voice low and full of pity. "It ans we’ll have to remove your womb. You won’t be able to carry children."
It was as if lightning had struck her spine and frozen her entire body.
Not pregnant. Never pregnant. Never could be.
Lucy’s mind splintered with the weight of it.
She blinked slowly, then rose from the chair like a ghost. The doctor was still speaking—sothing about options, second opinions, counseling—but the words didn’t make it past the roar in Lucy’s ears.
"This is my private dical information," she said suddenly, her voice cold and sharp.
Dr. Bennett paused. "Of course, your file is completely confidential."
"No leaks. Nothing. If this cos out... I swear, I’ll sue this hospital to the ground."
And with that, Lucy turned and walked out the door.
As she stepped into the lobby, the world moved around her in slow motion. Her chest felt hollow, her legs weak, but her eyes were locked on sothing that snapped her back into her old self: a young woman, glowing, smiling at her phone... holding a sonogram picture.
Lucy walked over, slowly, smoothly.
"Hi," she said, pretending to glance at the scan. "Is that your baby?"
The woman lit up. "Yes! Just had my scan done. Eight weeks. It’s my first."
Lucy gave a small, trembling smile. "You must be so excited. I rember mine too... The little bean shape, right?"
They laughed together for a mont, just enough ti for Lucy to slip the woman’s scan from her folder and slide it into her own bag before excusing herself.
—
The house was quiet. Ethan hadn’t returned from the hospital yet.
Lucy moved through the hallway like a shadow, climbing the stairs to Ethan’s room.
She placed the frad scan on his bed, wrapped in soft tissue paper, with a ribbon around it. She didn’t leave a note—she didn’t need one. The implication was loud enough.
Then, without looking back, Lucy walked out of the mansion. Her heels echoed down the marble floor, her back straight, her face blank.
But inside?
A storm of rage and pain boiled beneath the surface. She had nothing left to lose now. And that made her more dangerous than ever.
Reviews
All reviews (0)