LOGINChapter 124Lila’s apartment felt smaller than usual with all three of them inside. She sat on the couch, legs tucked under her, a cup of untouched tea cooling on the table. Ethan paced near the window, jaw tight, while Damien leaned against the wall, arms crossed, looking like he had not slept in days. The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on, but they had no choice. After Heyes cornered her, they needed to talk. Really talk.Ethan stopped pacing and looked at her, his eyes soft but burning with that protective fire she knew so well. “Tell me again exactly what he said. Every word.”Lila rubbed her temples. “He basically admitted Amara sent him. He had a syringe, Ethan. Talked about complications and miscarriages like it was nothing. Then he said the deal is changing. The baby or your freedom. I am scared, but we cannot fall apart now.”Damien pushed off the wall and came closer, his voice low but steady. “Heyes is dangerous because he has nothing to lose anymore. My moth
Chapter 123 Lila’s feet ached by midday, but she pushed through her rounds anyway. The pregnancy was still early, barely a secret anymore, but her body already felt different—tired in a bone-deep way that no amount of coffee could fix. She kept one hand absently on her lower belly whenever she thought no one was watching, like she could shield the baby from the poison swirling around this place. She was in the medication storage room, double-checking a patient’s antibiotics, when the door clicked shut behind her with a soft, deliberate sound. Dr. Heyes. He stood there blocking the only exit, arms folded, that same unhinged glint in his eyes from the night he’d attacked her months ago. His reinstatement under Amara had given him new confidence. The bruises Ethan left on him were gone, but the hatred clearly wasn’t. “Nurse Lila,” he said, voice low and mocking. “Or should I say Mommy-to-be? The whole hospital is buzzing about your little miracle. Funny how quickly news spreads when
Chapter 122Lila paced her small living room, the faded rug wearing thin under her feet. Her hands kept drifting to her stomach like they had a mind of their own. The apartment smelled like the cheap jasmine candle she’d lit to calm her nerves, but it wasn’t working. Not tonight. She’d texted Ethan earlier, something short and shaky: Need to talk. My place. Please come alone. He’d replied almost instantly: On my way.Now the knock came—three firm raps that made her jump. She opened the door and there he was, filling the doorway in his dark jacket, eyes tired but locked on her like she was the only real thing left in his world. The bruises from whatever hell he’d been through lately had faded, but the weight on his shoulders hadn’t.“Lila,” he said, voice low and rough. He stepped inside without waiting, closing the door behind him. “You okay? After everything at the hospital today—”“I’m pregnant, Ethan.”The words fell out heavy, cutting him off mid-sentence. She watched his face cha
Chapter 121 (Lila POV) The sterile scent of antiseptic hit me like a slap the second I pushed through the hospital’s automatic doors. My scrubs felt tighter than usual—not because I was showing yet, but because every inch of my body carried the secret I’d been cradling like fragile glass for weeks. Pregnant. The word still made my stomach flip in equal parts terror and fierce, protective love. The doctor who’d confirmed it two days ago had been professional, sworn to confidentiality, and I’d left that office determined to tell Ethan and Damien on my own terms. Not like this. Never like this. I kept my head down as I walked the familiar corridors toward the nurses’ station, my sneakers squeaking softly against the linoleum. My heart hammered with a mix of exhaustion and resolve. After everything—the kidnapping, the fake dating with Damien to throw Richard off, Ethan’s devastating marriage to Sophia, the threats, the break-ins—I needed this. The routine. The paycheck. My brother’s law
Chapter 126I sat on the edge of the hospital bed for a long time after the doctor left. My hand stayed on my stomach the entire time, like I was trying to feel something that wasn’t there yet. Four months. I was four months pregnant and I had no idea. How could I have missed something this big?My mind kept circling back to one thing — Ethan.How was I supposed to tell him? He already had Sophia pregnant with his child. A boy. An heir to the Black family. And now I was carrying his baby too? The thought made my chest feel tight. What if he didn’t want this? What if he saw it as another problem added to the mess we were already in?I didn’t even know how to feel about it myself. Part of me was scared. Another part was… something else. Something warm and terrifying at the same time. But the fear was louder right now.By the time they discharged me, I still hadn’t made up my mind. I went straight home, changed into something comfortable, and sat on my couch staring at nothing. The silenc
Chapter 119 I woke up feeling like my head was spinning. My body felt heavy and weak, like I hadn’t slept at all. A wave of nausea rolled through me the moment I tried to sit up. I pressed a hand to my forehead and groaned softly. Something was wrong. I slowly got out of bed and made my way to the bathroom. The moment I turned on the light and looked at myself in the mirror, I winced. “Shit… I look like shit,” I muttered under my breath. My face looked pale and tired. There were dark circles under my eyes, and my lips were dry. I leaned closer to the mirror, turning slightly to the side as I studied my reflection. “Did I add some weight?” I whispered, frowning as I pinched the soft skin around my waist. My stomach looked a little rounder than usual, and my breasts seemed fuller too. I sighed heavily and ran a hand over my face. “Oh God… the last thing I need right now is more weight,” I said to myself. “Not with everything that’s already happening.” I didn’t have time to dwel
Chapter 47 The day after Ryan Hayes was escorted out of the hospital by security, the atmosphere at Mercy General felt heavier than usual. Whispers followed Ethan wherever he went. Some nurses avoided his eyes, while others gave him quiet nods of respect. Everyone knew what had happened in that co
Chapter 36 The next morning, Ethan Black arrived at Mercy General earlier than usual. He had not slept much. His mind had been filled with images of Lila’s tear-streaked face, the way she had trembled in his arms after Ryan Hayes forced his way into her apartment, and the ugly words Hayes had thro
Chapter 5My hands wouldn’t stop shaking as I stared at the dead phone. The distorted voice kept echoing in my head. Stop digging… next time the syringe won’t miss. I wanted to scream, but nothing came out. The hospital room felt too quiet now, too dark. Every shadow looked like it could hide anoth
Chapter 4My heart slammed against my chest like it wanted to break free. The man in the dark hoodie stood right beside my bed, the syringe glinting under the faint light from the machines. I could smell something sour on him, like old sweat and danger. Fear choked me, but I forced my voice out.“G







