Warne

een cut. Pain, a blinding, all-consuming agony, tore through me

dark

scent lights of a hospital room hummed above

in. "Dr. Warner, you're a

y, raw. A dull ache radiated from my l

ou lost consciousness at the gala. We've been monitoring you closely.

cold and sharp, pierced

ening. "Dr. Warner, you were pr

my eyes shut, a wave of nausea sweeping

d, her voice gentle. "We did everything w

The child I didn't even know I had was gone. The world tilte

ked at me with concern. "Would you like me t

pushed me, who dismissed my pain as theatrics, who left me ble

haking my head violen

ht. Just try to rest. You' ve been thro

eplayed the last few days, fragments of our life tog

for greatness. I was just a bright-eyed science student,

u, always protect you." He' d whispered those words to me on our we

g. He' d rushed in, pulling me from the flames himself, a hero

He' d quietly paid off my debts, secured my future, all without me knowing until much l

nd hall. "I promise to love you, to cherish y

ment? My heart, already shattered, splintered further. The man I

painful memories. The door

r was disheveled, his suit wrinkled. He walke

trange mix of concern and something else I cou

y eyes burning. Ho

re. "Dr. Warner just suffered a very traumatic loss. A miscarriage. S

flicker of something resembling guilt in his eyes. "A

is face instantly hardened. "Damn it," he muttered.

ried out, a raw, desperate plea tearing from my thr

tient. "Ayla, I told you, stop with the dramatics.

n, he w

. While I lay here, ble

neled. The wo

. My head throbbed. The pain in my abdomen was a d

y bed. She folded her hands, her expression

ounded. "W

on." She paused, her gaze meeting mine. "You have significant internal bruising. E

ve. It wasn' t just an argument. It was viole

inued, her voice clinical, objective. "A strong one. Enough to render y

eeled. Had Ashley don

I've seen enough. You need to take care of yourself. And you need t

my grief and shock. He had manipulated me. Gaslighted

s wasn't just sadness anymore. It was fury. It wa

its tremor. "Doctor," I said, "I need to mak

eak. I would n

The doctor's gaze was knowing. "Take care, Ayla," she

different Craig appeared. He was impeccably dressed, a bouquet of my favorite

am so, so sorry. I should have been here. I truly regre

y, my gaze unwaverin

know I messed up. But Ashley... she was in

pulative sociopath, Craig! And you are her protector. Y

thinking clearly. This whole situation, with the award, your

aby! Because you shoved me! Because you cared more about her manufactured panic

by because you're stressed, not because of anything I did. Don't you dare blame me for this!" His voice was filled

He was beyond redemption

ttled over me. He wasn't worth my tears. He wasn't worth my anger. He

in my dreams. The way he used to look at me, like I held the stars in my eyes

hoed in my mind, stark and undenia

out. I had

, steady. "Craig," I s

d composure cracking. "Ayla, don't

his gaze head-on. "I'm

nd reaching for mine. I recoiled as if b

en angry. "What is this,

I scrolled through my contacts. I knew who to call. Kenneth Shannon. A

number, a soft knock