Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A New Beginning… or a Temporary Escape?

Bianca's point of view 

Pain. Blinding, excruciating pain.

Bianca gritted her teeth, gripping the hospital bed as another contraction tore through her. Sweat dampened her forehead, and tears blurred her vision, but she refused to scream.

"You’re almost there," the doctor encouraged. "One more push!"

Bianca clenched her jaw and pushed with everything she had left.

A sharp cry filled the room.

And just like that, the world shifted.

The doctor lifted a tiny, wriggling baby into the air. "It’s a girl!"

Bianca’s breath hitched as they placed the newborn against her chest.

Lucia.

Her daughter.

She traced her fingers over the baby’s delicate face—dark curls, a button nose, tiny hands clutching at the air. She was so small. So perfect.

Tears spilled freely down Bianca’s cheeks as she pressed a trembling kiss to Lucia’s forehead.

"I promise," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I’ll love you the way I was never loved."

She had run away from the past, but this? This was her future.

---

Months passed in a blur of late-night feedings, diaper changes, and whispered lullabies.

Through it all, Thomas was there.

He helped without being asked. He held Lucia when Bianca was too exhausted to move. He became her family in ways no one else ever had.

One evening, as they sat together in Bianca’s small apartment, Lucia sleeping soundly in the crib nearby, Thomas reached for Bianca’s hand.

"Marry me."

The words sent a jolt through her.

She blinked at him, her heart pounding. "What?"

His expression was calm but serious. "I love you, Bianca. I have for a long time."

She swallowed hard, her mind spinning.

Thomas was everything Louis had never been. Steady. Honest. A man who had stood by her through her hardest days.

But was love supposed to feel like this? Soft, safe… but lacking the fire that once burned inside her?

"I…" Her throat went dry. "I don’t know if I can love you the way you deserve."

Thomas gave her a sad smile. "I’m not asking for perfection, Bianca. Just a chance."

She hesitated, glancing at Lucia.

Could she give her daughter a stable life? A family?

Or was she still too haunted by the ghost of a love that had destroyed her?

---

Bianca had imagined a future of happiness, of quiet days spent watching Lucia grow.

She never expected her world to shatter so soon.

It started with Lucia’s fever.

Then the fatigue. The bruises that appeared too easily.

Bianca’s stomach twisted with dread as she rushed her daughter to the hospital, clutching her tiny body against her chest.

The hours dragged. Tests were run. Doctors whispered in hushed voices.

And then…

The news that stole Bianca’s breath.

"I’m so sorry," the doctor said gently, his eyes filled with sympathy. "Your daughter has leukemia."

The words felt like a knife to the heart.

Bianca shook her head. "No. No, that’s not possible."

The doctor continued, his voice careful. "The good news is, with the right treatment, there’s hope. But we’ll need a bone marrow transplant as soon as possible."

Bianca clung to that hope. "I’ll do it. Take whatever you need from me."

The doctor hesitated. "We’ll test you, of course, but a biological parent is usually the best match."

Bianca’s stomach dropped.

A biological parent.

And just like that, the past she had tried so hard to escape came crashing back.

---

 A Choice She Never Wanted to Make

Bianca sat in the hospital waiting room, staring at the test results in her shaking hands.

She wasn’t a match.

Lucia’s best chance of survival lay with the one person Bianca had vowed never to see again.

Louis Monte.

Her hands clenched into fists.

Going back meant facing everything she had run from. The betrayal. The pain. The risk of him taking Lucia away from her.

But her daughter’s life was worth more than her pride.

Taking a shaky breath, Bianca made the hardest decision of her life.

She had to go back.

She had to face Louis.

Even if it meant breaking her heart all over again.

---

As Bianca packed her bags once more, her pulse raced with fear.

Would Louis even help her?

Or would this choice destroy her all over again?

Only one thing was certain,this wasn’t just a return to her past.

It was the beginning of a war.

A war for her daughter’s life.

A war for her own survival.

And Louis Monte was the only one who could decide the outcome.

Bianca's Point of View

The morning air was heavy with unspoken words as Thomas carried my suitcase to the waiting cab. My hands trembled as I fastened Lucia’s jacket, trying to keep my emotions in check.

"Mommy, where are we going?" Lucia’s big brown eyes peered up at me, curiosity laced with innocence.

I forced a smile, smoothing a curl from her forehead. "We're going on a little trip, sweetheart."

"To see Uncle Thomas's family?" she asked, gripping her stuffed bunny.

My heart clenched. I hated lying, but how could I explain that we were heading straight toward the past I had tried so hard to bury?

Thomas knelt beside her, brushing a gentle hand over her hair. "You and Mommy are going on an adventure," he said softly. "And I'll be right here when you come back."

Lucia pouted. "You’re not coming?"

His jaw tightened, but he kept his voice steady. "Not this time, but I'll be waiting for you."

As we drove to the airport, an ache settled deep in my chest. Leaving Thomas behind felt like cutting away a piece of my safety, but there was no other choice.

---

The plane landed with a soft jolt, and my stomach twisted.

Monte City.

The moment we stepped into the arrival hall, the memories hit me like a storm.

The betrayal. The humiliation. The cold way Louis had told me, "This changes nothing."

Lucia tugged my sleeve. "Mommy, why do you look sad?"

I forced another smile, blinking back the emoti

ons clawing at my throat. "I’m just tired, baby."

But the truth was, I was terrified.

Because I wasn’t just returning to a city.

I was walking straight back into the lion’s den.