Chapter 4

VALERIA

The room was still vibrating with the aftershocks of the confrontation when the nurse’s scream pierced the silence once more. “They are alive! The babies are alive!”

For a moment, the words didn’t register in my mind. I lay there, stunned, as my body shook with the intensity of my sobs. But then the reality of what she said hit me like a bolt of lightning. Alive? My babies were alive?

“What did you just say?” Reese asked.

The nurse was already running towards the wing where the babies were, and her voice was high with excitement. “The babies have come back to life! I don’t know how, but they are breathing, and their hearts are beating!”

Hope welled up in me, giving me strength, so I tried to sit up. “Please, let me see them!”

But before I could move, the door slammed open, and Cynthia strode in. Her eyes were sharp and calculating as they swept the room, taking in the scene. As she locked eyes with Reese, her expression hardened.

“Reese,” she said urgently. “Only one child survived. The other one didn’t make it.”

Reese’s face twisted with renewed grief. He pushed past the nurse and the doctor, heading straight for the wing where the children were. Cynthia followed closely behind him, and her presence was just like a dark shadow.

“Please, let me see my child,” I begged in a broken voice. “I need to see them!”

As the doctor tried to help me, Cynthia’s sharp voice cut through the air. “No. She stays here,” she said harshly.

Reese didn’t even look back. As he disappeared down the hall, his focus was entirely on the child who had miraculously survived. My heart shattered again for about the thousandth time as I realized that he wasn’t coming back for me.

The nurse hesitated as she glanced between me and the door. “I’ll go check on the babies,” she said softly. “I’ll make sure that they are okay.”

As she hurried away, an excruciating pain rose between my legs. It was so intense that it made me gasp loudly. The doctor was immediately at my side, and his hands were gentle but firm as he checked my vitals.

“Valeria, you need to stay calm,” he said soothingly. “Your body has been through a strenuous ordeal. You need to rest.”

“But my child…” I choked out as tears poured down my face. “I need to see my child.”

“I know,” he said softly. “But right now, you need to heal. We will do everything we can to make sure your baby is safe.”

The pain continued to flow through my body constantly. It was a brutal reminder of the trauma I had endured. I closed my eyes, as I tried to focus on my breathing, but my mind was filled with a combination of fear and anguish.

Minutes felt like hours, and every sound in the hallway made me flinch. Finally, the nurse returned. As she gazed at me, her expression was filled with sadness.

“Cynthia was right. Only one survived. The other one… didn’t make it.”

A fresh wave of grief crashed over me. “No,” I whispered. My voice was barely audible, but the pain in it was obvious. “Not my baby. Please, not my baby.”

“I’m so sorry,” the nurse said as her eyes filled up with tears. “But the one who survived is strong. Reese has taken the child to his quarters. He is making sure everything is done to keep them safe.”

I felt a stab of pain, both physical and emotional, at the thought of Reese taking my child away. My body ached, but the pain in my heart was even worse.

“Why didn’t he let me see my child?” I asked, my voice breaking. “Why did he leave me?”

The nurse didn’t have an answer. She simply held my hand, offering what little comfort she could. “Rest, Valeria,” she urged. “You need to get your strength back..”

I nodded, but the tears continued to flow. I had lost one child, and the other was now with a man who had threatened my life.

***

The hours dragged on, filled with pain and sorrow. My body ached, and my heart felt like it was being crushed under the weight of my grief. I lay in the hospital bed, trying to summon the strength to move, to fight, but the despair in me was overwhelming.

As the nurse from earlier entered the room, her expression was filled with a little bit of hope. "Valeria," she said softly. "I have some news."

I turned my head slowly, my eyes filled with tears. "What is it?" I whispered, and deep down in my mind, I was dreading the answer.

"The other twin," she began, a small smile forming on her lips. "The other twin that was pronounced dead is still alive."

Hope filled my heart immediately. "Alive?" I breathed, hardly daring to believe it. "Really?"

As the nurse nodded, I could tell that her eyes were warm with sympathy. "Yes. He’s a fighter just like his mother."

Tears of relief streamed down my face. "Can I see him?" I asked urgently, and my voice trembled with emotion. "Please, I need to see him."

The nurse hesitated. "He’s in the babies’ wing, currently receiving the best care we can provide. You need to rest and recover before you can see him."

Before I could argue, the door swung open, and Cynthia strode in. Her presence was like a cold gust of wind, and it immediately chilled the warmth of the nurse's words. She glanced at the nurse with a dismissive look and then fixed her steely gaze on me.

"Leave us," Cynthia commanded. The nurse cast a worried glance at me but obeyed as she slipped out of the room quietly.

As Cynthia approached my bed, her expression was hard and unyielding. "You think you can manipulate everyone with your tears and false innocence, don't you?" she sneered.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. "The nurse just told me that both of my babies are alive."

Cynthia's eyes narrowed. "That was a mistake. The one with Reese has died. And he believes it's your fault."

The room seemed to spin as I struggled to process her words. "No," I said, shaking my head. "That's not true. It can't be."

Cynthia leaned in closer, and when she spoke, her voice was a venomous whisper. "Reese has sent guards to kill you. He holds you responsible for the death of your child. You have caused nothing but pain and suffering to this pack, and now you will pay the ultimate price."

Panic surged through me instantly as my heart raced. "No, please," I begged. "I didn't do anything. I love my children. I would never hurt them."

Cynthia's smile was cold and cruel. "It's too late for pleas, Valeria. The guards are on their way. This ends now."

***

The room was in chaos, but somehow, I managed to slip past Cynthia as I clutched my surviving baby tightly to my chest. The nurse who had helped me earlier gave me a quick nod of encouragement, and I bolted for the door as my heart raced.

Every step was agony, but I couldn’t stop. My child’s tiny breaths against my skin gave me the strength to push forward. I had to get us to safety. The pack hospital was made up of different hallways, and as I darted through them, I prayed for a miracle.

As I rounded a corner, I saw a glimpse of the exit and immediately, I felt a spark of hope. Just a few more steps and we would be outside and free from danger. But before I could take another step, a voice echoed down the hallway like thunder, freezing me in place.

“Don’t move an inch, Valeria.”