Max’s breathing was shallow but even, his eyelids twitching lightly under sedation. Amara sat beside him, her fingers threaded loosely with his. The hospital room felt like a bubble—too sterile, too still, too far removed from the chaos her life had quietly become.
Liam leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. He hadn’t told her about the call from Sebastian. He wasn’t even sure how to. There was a protective fury inside him, and it was growing louder each day.“His color’s better,” Amara murmured without looking up.“Yeah,” Liam said. “Dr. Alain said they’ll repeat the labs tomorrow. If the markers hold, he might be able to sit up by the weekend.”She nodded, then finally turned to him. “You didn’t sleep.”“No.”A pause stretched between them.“He’s still watching us, isn’t he?” she asked softly.Liam didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “Yeah. I’m sure of it.”Amara swallowed. “I don’t want to live likeThe silence between Amara and Liam had changed. It wasn’t heavy with dread anymore—it was taut with possibility. Like walking barefoot on cracked glass. Each word, each glance, a test of how much weight their fragile truth could hold.The morning sun streamed through the sheer curtains, casting slow-moving shadows on the bedroom floor. Amara sat cross-legged on the bed, sketching absentmindedly in the corner of a worn notebook. She hadn’t picked it up in weeks. The lines were hesitant but alive.Liam entered with two mugs of tea, one hand steady, the other wrapped around the chipped ceramic like it anchored him.“I made the mint one for you,” he said softly, offering it to her.She took it with a quiet nod. “Thanks.”He didn’t sit right away. Instead, he hovered, unsure, then slowly lowered himself to the floor, his back to the bed.They sipped in silence for a moment. Amara watched the steam curl upward and disappear.“
Amara had always known silence could scream. But tonight, it was whispering.The lights were dimmed in Liam’s penthouse. She sat at the kitchen table, mug of mint tea untouched, staring at the window. Not through it—at it. At her reflection. Hair pulled back, dark circles under her eyes, skin paler than usual. Pregnancy fatigue had nothing on emotional fatigue.Her phone buzzed once. Then again.She didn’t want to look.It buzzed a third time.Liam was in the other room talking to the security team, trying to triple-check the apartment’s privacy settings. The last time he let his guard down, someone ended up dead. And Amara almost lost herself.She picked up the phone.Unknown number.Her heart beat faster.The text read: "You can hide in his arms, but you can't outrun what you gave away."Bile rose in her throat.She stared at the words. Then deleted the message. Not out of denial—but
Amara hadn’t left the bed all day.The curtains were drawn, the room dim, cloaked in the dull hush of late afternoon. Her phone vibrated twice, then went still again. She didn’t check it. Couldn’t. Not yet.The nausea wasn’t new. Neither was the fatigue. But the weight on her chest this time had nothing to do with the baby growing inside her. It was guilt. Tangled and dense.She curled on her side and placed a hand on her stomach. Eight weeks, maybe nine. The first trimester was almost over, but she felt more off-balance now than she had when she first learned about the pregnancy. And today—today, it felt different. As if her body was trying to speak louder than she’d let it.When the knock came, she thought about pretending to be asleep.But Liam didn’t wait. He opened the door quietly, stepping in like a man walking into a sacred space he no longer owned."You okay?" he asked gently.Amara nodded but didn’t turn. "Just tired."He sat beside her on the edge of the bed. "Is it the pre
Amara stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror of the hospital, fingers gripping the edge of the sink. Her eyes were bloodshot, dark circles blooming like shadows beneath them. She hadn’t slept. Not really. Not since the chapel. Not since the envelope.She splashed water on her face. It did nothing to steady her.The reflection didn’t lie—she was fraying. Bit by bit. She was supposed to be the strong one. The one who could compartmentalize, push through. For Max. For Liam. For the baby.But the truth was that she was barely holding it together.She dried her face and walked back into Max’s room.He was awake.“Hey,” she said softly, managing a smile.“Hey,” he croaked, his voice weak. “You look like you fought a war.”She pulled up a chair beside him. “I think I’m still in one.”He gave a small grin, then winced. “You don’t have to stay here all day, Mara. I’m good. Just tired.”“You’re not getting rid of me that easy.”He hesitated. “Liam came earlier.”“I know.”“He told me..
Max’s breathing was shallow but even, his eyelids twitching lightly under sedation. Amara sat beside him, her fingers threaded loosely with his. The hospital room felt like a bubble—too sterile, too still, too far removed from the chaos her life had quietly become.Liam leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. He hadn’t told her about the call from Sebastian. He wasn’t even sure how to. There was a protective fury inside him, and it was growing louder each day.“His color’s better,” Amara murmured without looking up.“Yeah,” Liam said. “Dr. Alain said they’ll repeat the labs tomorrow. If the markers hold, he might be able to sit up by the weekend.”She nodded, then finally turned to him. “You didn’t sleep.”“No.”A pause stretched between them.“He’s still watching us, isn’t he?” she asked softly.Liam didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “Yeah. I’m sure of it.”Amara swallowed. “I don’t want to live like
The sun filtered through the apartment windows, soft and golden. It painted the room in warmth, but Amara couldn’t feel it. She moved through the morning in silence—making tea, opening windows, letting the light in as if that alone would sweep away the weight lodged in her chest.Liam watched her from the doorway. Something in the way she avoided his eyes told him everything he needed to know—she was trying to bury something. He’d seen it before. With clients, with strangers. But this was different. This was her.“Amara,” he said gently, “talk to me.”She looked up, startled. “I am talking.”“No,” he said, stepping closer. “You’re performing.”She exhaled, shoulders slumping. “What do you want me to say?”“That you trust me. That whatever’s chasing you inside your head doesn’t have to stay there.”Amara turned back to the window. “I thought I was over him.”Silence.Liam didn’t ask who.“I thou