CHAPTER 2

Chapter 2

Ava’s POV

The pain tore through me again, sharp and merciless. I clutched the sheets, sweat dripping down my forehead.

Isa’s hand gripped mine tight, her lips pressed together as though she could take my pain if she held on hard enough.

“Push, Ava,” Dr. Miranda ordered, her voice clipped and professional. “You’re almost there.”

I cried out, pushing with everything I had left. The room blurred, white walls and harsh lights pressing in on me.

A sudden cry pierced the air. Thin and fragile, but alive.

“It’s a girl,” Dr. Miranda said.

She lifted the tiny infant, her gloved hands steady.

I sobbed, not from relief, but from something deeper. Something I couldn’t explain.

My chest swelled with a strange mix of wonder and grief.

She was so small. So perfect.

My baby. And yet, not mine.

The nurse wrapped the newborn in a blanket, her faint cries filling the room.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

Isa smiled through her tears.

“She’s beautiful.”

I nodded, unable to speak.

Then Dr. Miranda’s face changed.

A flicker of alarm crossed her expression as she looked at the monitor.

Then she looked at the nurse.

“No,” I whispered, a bit confused. “No. What is it?”

Her voice was brisk, “There’s another.”

The words hit me like ice water.

Another?

Isa gasped, “Twins?”

Panic slammed into me. My breathing turned ragged.

“No, that can’t be right.”

I looked at Dr. Miranda.

“The contract. It was for a child.”

She didn’t answer.

“Push again. Now.”

I shook my head furiously, “I can’t. I can’t do this again.”

Isa leaned closer, her forehead pressing against mine.

“Ava, you have to. You’re strong. Do it. One more time.”

Another contraction ripped through me and I screamed.

My body convulsed as I pushed with everything I had left.

Then another cry filled the room. This one was deeper and stronger.

A boy.

I collapsed against the pillows, sobbing.

Two babies. Two lives.

Everything I thought I could control had just fallen apart.

The nurse carefully lifted the baby.

“It’s a boy.”

My eyes immediately found him.

“Let me see him.”

The nurse brought him closer.

The moment I felt his warmth against my chest, something inside me changed.

His tiny fist clenched, his eyes squeezed shut, and his breathing was soft and steady.

I stared at him through my tears.

My son.

I didn’t know how I could feel so connected to someone I had only just met.

But I did.

He was mine.

Dr. Miranda looked between the two babies.

“Twins weren’t part of the arrangement.”

I looked at her and without thinking twice, “I want him. He can have the girl.”

My voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

Her expression hardened, “You understand the problem this creates.”

I held the boy closer.

“I don’t care.”

“Ava.”

“I can’t give them both up.” My voice broke, “I can’t.”

All the confidence I had, were gone.

The baby girl’s cries grew louder from the bassinet across the room.

I turned my head toward her.

I felt pain deep inside me. She was mine too.

But the worst part, I couldn’t keep both of them.

I had no home of my own. No stable job. No idea how I would raise even one child.

I looked back at the boy in my arms. Then at Dr. Miranda.

“Please.”

She frowned.

“Please let me keep him.”

“Ava, you signed a contract.”

“I know.”

“You agreed to give the baby to Mr. Reynolds.”

“I know.” Tears rolled down my face, “But I didn’t know there would be two.”

Dr. Miranda remained silent.

“I can give him the girl,” I whispered. “Let Liam have her. Just let me keep my son.”

Isa squeezed my hand.

“You know she won’t change her mind,” she told Miranda. “Look at her.”

Miranda’s eyes moved to me and she sighed.

“If you take him, you’re breaking the agreement.”

“I know.”

“Mr. Reynolds may come looking for you.”

“Then I’ll leave.”

“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”

I looked down at my son.

“I know what I’m choosing.”

For a moment, Miranda said nothing. Then she looked toward the door.

“We need to keep this quiet.”

I frowned. “What?”

“The second baby.”

My eyes widened, “You’ll help me?”

“I said we need to keep it quiet. I didn’t say this is going to be easy.”

She turned toward the nurse.

“Take the boy to the private recovery room.”

My arms tightened around him.

“No.”

“Ava, listen to me. If anyone connected to Mr. Reynolds sees him, this becomes much harder.”

I reluctantly handed him over.

The nurse wrapped him more securely and carried him through the adjoining door.

I watched until he disappeared.

“Will I be able to see him?”

“Yes.”

Miranda looked at me seriously and said, “But you have to cooperate.”

I nodded.

“Okay.”

The door closed.

I looked toward the baby girl. She was calm now.

I felt something crack inside me. I had just given birth to two children.

And already, I was being forced to choose.

Several hours later, I was lying in a private hospital room.

My body felt like it had been hit by a truck. I barely had the strength to move.

Isa sat beside me, watching quietly.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“No.”

She sighed, “I know.”

I stared at the ceiling.

“Did they bring him?”

“Yes.”

I immediately turned toward her.

“Where?”

“In the private room.”

I pushed myself up slightly.

“I want to see him.”

Isa helped me sit up.

A nurse came in a few minutes later and carefully placed the boy in my arms.

I looked down at him. He was sleeping peacefully. Like the world hadn’t just changed around him.

I touched his tiny cheek.

“Damien,” I whispered.

Isa smiled, “That’s what you’re calling him?”

I nodded.

“Damien.”

She looked at him.

“It’s a strong name.”

I kissed his forehead, “Because he’s going to need to be strong.”

Isa’s expression changed.

“Ava.”

I looked at her.

“You know what you’re doing is dangerous.”

“I know.”

“Then why?”

I looked down at Damien.

“Because I can’t leave him.”

She didn’t argue. She simply reached over and touched his tiny hand.

“He’s your son.”

A knock came at the door. We both looked up.

Dr. Miranda entered.

“Ava, someone is here.”

My stomach tightened.

“Who?”

“Ivan.”

I frowned. “Who is Ivan?”

“He works for Liam.”

My heart skipped, “Liam is here?”

“No.” She shook her head, “He sent Ivan.”

I immediately looked toward Damien.

Miranda understood.

“Don’t worry. He’s still in the private room.”

I nodded.

Miranda took Damien from my arms.

“I’ll keep him there.”

I watched her leave with my son.

A few seconds later, Ivan walked into the room.

He was dressed neatly in a dark suit, carrying a folder.

“Mrs. Morales.”

I nodded.

“Where’s Liam?”

“He couldn’t make it. He sent me to handle everything.”

Ivan placed the folder on the table.

“These are the final documents.”

I stared at them.

“What do I need to sign?”

“Confirmation that the arrangement has been completed and the necessary paperwork.”

“And the payment?”

“Will be released immediately after you sign.”

I looked at him.

“Can I speak to Liam first?”

Ivan shook his head, “I’m sorry. He’s unavailable.”

I didn’t ask anything else.

Maybe I was relieved he wasn’t there. Because if Liam came into that room, he might ask questions.

Questions I wasn’t ready to answer.

I picked up the pen, my eyes moved over the documents.

Then I signed and Ivan collected them.

A few minutes later, my phone vibrated.

I looked at the screen. The payment had arrived.

Two million dollars.

I stared at the number.

For years, I had worried about money. Rent, bills, food. My mother’s needs.

Everything.

Now I had enough money to change all of it.

But instead of relief, another thought came to me.

I could leave, I could take Damien. I could use this money to start over somewhere far away.

Somewhere Liam would never think to look.

I slowly looked toward the door.

That was when I knew I wasn’t going to give up my son.

I was going to run.

The next morning, I was discharged from the hospital.

Isa came to pick me up.

And as we drove home, I kept looking down at my son.

I knew this wasn’t over. Not even close.

That night, after Damien fell asleep, I found Isa sitting in the living room.

“Mom.”

She looked up.

“You should be sleeping.”

“We need to leave New York.”

She stared at me. “What?”

“We can’t stay here.”

“Ava, you just gave birth. Where will we go?”

“I don’t know.”

She was quiet. Then she slowly leaned back.

“I might know somewhere.”

I looked at her, “Where?”

“Montana.”

“Montana?”

“My old friend lives on the outskirts. It’s quiet there. She has a place where we can stay for a while.”

I thought about it.

It was far from New York, far from Liam. Far from everyone who knew about the contract.

“Okay.”

Isa studied my face.

“You’re really doing this?”

I looked toward the room where Damien was sleeping.

“Yes. I have to.”

Two days after I gave birth,we arranged all the necessary things needed, and we left New York.

I didn’t know how long we’d stay in Montana. I didn’t know what would happen when Liam discovered the truth.

I didn’t know if I was making the right choice.

But I knew one thing. I had made my decision and I was taking my son and disappearing.

And there was no going back.