LOGINMadelyn I woke to the faint hum of machines, a dull pressure in my chest, and the strange, tender tug of reality whispering at me. My eyes fluttered open, heavy with exhaustion and disbelief. Dominic was sitting there, just like Iâd imagined a hundred times in my dreams, though none of them had felt real. His hand rested on mine, fingers curled around it, firm and warm, grounding me. His eyes were wide, intense, slightly red, but steady on me. âMadelyn?â he murmured, voice low, careful. âYouâre awake.â I blinked, trying to focus, and then I saw Lilian, my mother-in-law was cradling a tiny bundle, her arms soft and practiced, eyes glistening. The air in the room shifted, a mixture of disbelief, relief, and awe pressing down on me. My chest tightened, throat raw. That little bundle stirred in Lilianâs arms, and suddenly everything became crystal clear. I knew instantly it was mine. I whispered, barely audible, âIs⌠is she mine?â Dominicâs lips curved into a smile, small, but it c
DominicThe moment they pushed her through the double doors into the operating room, everything narrowed to the sound of my own heartbeat, echoing in my ears. The beeping machines, the squeak of shoes on tile, the muffled voices of nurses and doctorsâit all blurred except for her.Madelynâs eyes met mine for a fraction of a second before the curtain closed, and I swear I could see fear flicker there. She tried to smile, but it was weak. Her hand lifted slightly, just enough to brush my fingers with hers through the small gap in the stretcher.âIâve got you,â I whispered, my voice almost breaking. âIâm right here.âShe nodded faintly, and then she was gone behind the sterile green curtain.The surgeon turned toward me, his face grim. âMr Blackwell, sheâs exhausted. Weâve tried a natural delivery, but sheâs weak. A cesarean is necessary. We need to knowâââDonât even start with hypotheticals,â I cut him off, stepping closer. My hands clenched into fists at my sides. âSheâs not going any
MadelynThe past four months had flown by faster than I could ever have imagined. Our home, Dominic Mansion, had transformed into a proper nest for all of us, with staff bustling quietly in the background. I still caught myself staring at the polished floors or the strategically placed vases, thinking Dominic had lost his mind hiring so many extras, but there was a comfort in the order he craved.Dominic hovered more than ever. Every appointment, every check-up, he was there, notebook in hand, asking questions heâd clearly Googled in advance. He read obsessively about pregnancy care, his eyes scanning articles as if memorizing every tip, every precaution. Heâd pause mid-sentence, look at me with this half-serious, half-panicked expression, and ask, âDo you feel okay right now?âI rolled my eyes more than once, though I couldnât hide the twitch of a smile. âDominic, Iâve survived a lot. I can survive pregnancy.ââStill⌠we don't know what to expect.ââHa-ha,â I muttered, letting him ki
MadelynThe news replayed Leanaâs face again and again on the screen. She's been trending for the past weeksâŚI pressed my hands against my bump, the slight curve of it reminding me of what really mattered. My fingers trembled, not from fear but from the echo of everything that had happened.Dominicâs voice broke through the room, soft but firm. âItâs over, Maddie. She canât touch us now.ââI know,â I whispered, though my voice felt brittle, as if saying it aloud could shatter something fragile inside me. âBut I⌠I donât feel anything. I thought Iâd feel something. Relief, maybe⌠or anger. But itâs just⌠empty.âHe sat beside me, hand brushing over mine. âThatâs fine, Weâre done with her chaos. Thatâs all we need.âI shook my head. âItâs hard not to think of everything she almost took. Ava⌠you⌠me⌠the baby. She wanted it all.â My voice caught. âI keep thinking of what couldâve happened ifâŚââDonât,â Dominic interrupted gently, his thumb rubbing my hand. âDonât go there. Avaâs okay.
MadelynThe hospital smelled of antiseptic and fear. Sharp, biting, impossible to ignore. The corridors were a blur of white coats and wheels, voices calling, phones ringing, the occasional beep from a monitor somewhere in the distance. My hands felt ice-cold, trembling violently as I gripped the pen, signing the consent forms for Avaâs surgery. Each stroke of my signature felt heavier than the last, as if the ink carried the weight of everything that had just happened.Dominicâs hand brushed mine, steadying, grounding me, but his touch couldnât erase the guilt roaring inside me. *This should have been me. I should have taken the hit. This was my fight.* My stomach clenched painfully at the thought. I glanced at Ava being wheeled away on a stretcher, her eyes wide, still trembling from the shock. She gave me the briefest lookâhalf fear, half reassuranceâand I felt my chest squeeze until it hurt.James and Clarissa arrived moments later, their expressions frozen in horror. They didnât
MadelynThe moment I see Leanaâs face, my stomach drops. Rage has twisted it into something unrecognizable, something cruel. Sheâs moving toward me, steps sharp, purposeful, and my brain freezes for half a heartbeat before everything clicks.âYouâve ruined everything!â she screams, and it feels like the words echo in slow motion. My chest tightens, my hands instinctively clutch my gown over my bump.Then I see the flash. Her hand dips into her bag. I barely register it before itâs out again, the cap flying off a container. I know. I know. My body reacts before my brain does. I twist, turning, raising my hands instinctively to shield my stomach.The liquid arcs through the air, gleaming in the soft light. A moment later, itâs everywhere, and I realize Iâm screaming too, though I canât hear my own voice over the sudden chaos.Ava is faster than me. Sheâs moving like a blur, kicking a stool into the path of the liquid. I see it collide and spill partially onto her instead. Her scream is







