Chapter 23
[ 495 words ]
Chapter 23:
Maybe because of all the movement around it, a heavy light stand nearby lost its balance. It pitched forward, falling straight toward Ivy.
And I was standing between Ivy and the equipment crashing down.
“Watch out!” Ethan yelled.
My body reacted before my mind did; I reached out, trying to drag Ivy out of danger.
But in the very next second, a much stronger force crashed into my shoulder.
It was Ethan.
To save the woman he cared about, he had put all his strength into shoving me—his so-called obstruction—ruthlessly aside.
𝗗і𝘴c𝘰𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗻𝗲𝘸 𝗌𝗍𝗈r𝘪𝘦s 𝗈𝘯 𝗀a𝘭𝗇o𝘷e𝗅𝘴.𝖼𝘰𝘮
The giant light stand slammed into the concrete floor with a thunderous crash that made my ears ache.
I hit the solid floor hard. A sharp snap came from my ankle, and unbearable pain instantly shot through my whole body.
But I hardly felt it. All I could see was Ethan clutching Ivy tightly in his arms.
He was down on one knee, shielding the frightened woman against his chest, asking in a frantic voice, “Ivy? Are you hurt? Don’t be scared. I’m here. I’ve got you…”
At that instant, it felt like all the blood in my body had frozen solid.
The cruelest part was not that he favored Ivy.
It was that, in the face of life and death, Ethan’s first instinct was not to protect his fated mate. Instead, to keep another woman safe, he had shoved me into danger.
If that light stand had fallen just a little differently, I would have been the one lying there in a pool of blood.
“Ugh…” A sudden rush of warmth spilled from my lower belly, followed by wrenching cramps.
My face lost all color in an instant. Cold sweat dotted my forehead.
I clutched May’s hand hard, my voice shaking. “May… help me. Get me to the hospital. Hurry…”
Only then did Ethan seem to remember that I existed at all.
He looked up, and the moment he saw the state I was in, his eyes narrowed sharply. “Lianne?”
He let go of Ivy and rushed at me in alarm, trying to lift me into his arms.
“Don’t touch me…” I shoved at him weakly. “Ethan… I hate you.”
He paid no mind to my resistance, gathered me up by force, and ran toward the garage like a man who had lost his mind.
Pressed against his wide chest, I could feel his heart hammering wildly. That heartbeat, which had once made me feel safe, now seemed nothing less than a bitter joke.
My awareness started slipping away. One thought alone stayed in my head. Baby, please don’t leave me. You’re the only family I have left in this world.
In the hospital’s emergency room, the harsh surgical lights were too blinding for me to handle.
Using the last scrap of strength I had, I seized the attending doctor’s white coat.
“Doctor… save my baby…” My voice came out rough and broken. “Please…”
The doctor stilled for half a beat, then gave a grave nod.
I drew a shaky breath. “Don’t tell that man outside about my pregnancy. Not one word. Don’t let it slip.”
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