Chapter 3: Three Heartbeats

Ava couldn't take her eyes off the ultrasound screen.

Three tiny shapes moved across the monitor, almost too small to comprehend. The image was blurry to her untrained eyes, but the doctor seemed to understand exactly what she was seeing.

Three lives.

Three tiny heartbeats.

Three babies.

Ava's fingers trembled as they settled over her stomach.

She was carrying triplets.

“Everything looks good so far,” the doctor said gently. “You're still very early in the pregnancy, but all three babies appear to be developing normally.”

Ava swallowed.

“Three?”

The doctor smiled.

“Yes. Three.”

The word barely left Ava's lips.

“Triplets.”

Ava stared at the screen again.

Only a few hours ago, she had stood outside Ethan's study clutching a pregnancy test, her heart filled with nervous excitement as she imagined telling her husband he was going to be a father.

She had expected one baby.

She had imagined one tiny heartbeat.

Instead, there were three.

Three children.

Three lives that had somehow already become more precious to her than anything else in the world.

A laugh escaped her, but it broke halfway through and became a sob.

She covered her mouth.

The doctor gave her a moment before asking, “Are you all right?”

Ava nodded quickly.

“Yes.”

But the tears running down her face told a different story.

The doctor pulled a chair closer.

“You've obviously had an emotional evening. Try not to put too much stress on yourself. A pregnancy with triplets requires careful monitoring, plenty of rest, and good nutrition. We'll schedule your follow-up appointments and keep a close eye on you.”

Ava nodded.

“I will.”

Her eyes returned to the screen.

“Can I hear them?”

The doctor smiled.

“Of course.”

She adjusted the machine.

A moment later, the room filled with a rapid, rhythmic sound.

Ava's breath caught.

One heartbeat.

Then another.

Then a third.

She stared at the monitor, tears gathering in her eyes again.

There was something almost overwhelming about hearing those tiny heartbeats.

They were no longer an idea.

They were real.

Her babies were real.

Ava closed her eyes and listened.

For the first time since leaving the Blackwood mansion, the pain in her chest loosened.

She placed both hands over her stomach.

“Hello,” she whispered.

Her voice trembled.

“I don't know if you can hear me yet.”

A smile touched her lips.

“But I'm your mother.”

The heartbeats continued beneath the doctor's careful monitoring.

Ava laughed softly through her tears.

“I already love you.”

For several seconds, she allowed herself to forget Ethan.

Then his face appeared in her mind.

The happiness disappeared.

I only married her because I had no other choice.

Ava's smile faded.

Her gaze dropped to the floor.

She reached for her phone.

Ethan's name was still at the top of her recent calls.

Her husband.

The father of her children.

The man she had loved for three years.

Her thumb hovered over his name.

She could call him.

She could tell him about the triplets.

She could send him the ultrasound photograph.

She could hear his voice and give him one chance to tell her that everything she had heard was not what it seemed.

Ava closed her eyes.

Her thumb moved toward the call button.

Then stopped.

What if he wasn't happy?

What if he heard the word triplets and immediately thought of responsibility instead of family?

What if Richard found out and decided the children belonged to the Blackwood legacy before they even had a chance to become her children?

And what if Ethan really had never chosen her?

Ava pulled her hand away.

She couldn't risk finding out the answer tonight.

She opened Ethan's contact.

Her finger hovered over the screen one last time.

Then she deleted it.

One tap.

His name disappeared.

Ava stared at the empty contact list.

Her chest ached as though she had physically torn something out of herself.

“You don't need him,” she whispered.

She looked down at her stomach.

“And neither do they.”

The door opened.

Ava quickly wiped her face.

“Excuse me?”

A familiar voice came from the doorway.

“Ava?”

She looked up.

Her eyes widened.

“Lucas?”

Lucas Bennett stood at the entrance, still dressed in the dark suit he had worn to work. The concern on his face deepened when he saw the tears she hadn't managed to hide.

He crossed the room.

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Ava.”

His voice softened.

“Don't tell me nothing. You look like you've been crying.”

She looked away.

Lucas had known her for years.

Unlike most people in their social circle, he had never treated her as Ethan Blackwood's wife first and Ava second.

With Lucas, she had never needed to pretend.

He had always spoken to her as though her name alone mattered.

That was why, despite everything happening tonight, seeing him made something inside her relax.

Lucas pulled a chair beside the examination bed.

“Tell me.”

Ava hesitated.

Then she took a breath.

“I'm pregnant.”

Lucas froze.

For a moment, he simply stared at her.

“Pregnant?”

She nodded.

“Does Ethan know?”

Ava shook her head.

“He can't.”

Lucas's brows drew together.

“Why not?”

Ava looked down at her hands.

“Because I heard him.”

“Heard what?”

Her throat tightened.

“I was going to tell him tonight.”

She swallowed hard.

“I was happy. I thought... I thought he'd be happy too.”

Lucas remained silent.

Ava stared at the floor.

“But before I could enter his study, I heard Richard asking Ethan about me.”

Lucas's expression hardened.

“What did he ask?”

“He asked if Ethan was finally going to end our marriage.”

Lucas leaned forward.

“And Ethan?”

Ava's lips trembled.

“He said he only married me because he had no other choice.”

Lucas went quiet.

Ava forced herself to continue.

“Richard mentioned Sophia. He said she had always been the appropriate choice.”

“And what did Ethan say?”

“He said he'd handle me.”

Lucas leaned back slowly.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then he asked, “Ava, did you hear the entire conversation?”

“No.”

“Then you don't know what Ethan meant.”

“I know what I heard.”

“You heard one part of a conversation.”

“I heard the way he said it.”

Lucas frowned.

“You've known him for three years. At least talk to him before you make a decision this serious.”

Ava looked at him.

“I was his wife for three years.”

The words carried more pain than anger.

“I spent those three years trying to understand him. Whenever he was distant, I told myself that was simply who he was. When he didn't talk about his feelings, I gave him space. When he came home late, I told myself he was busy. When he forgot things that mattered to me, I made excuses for him.”

She wiped away another tear.

“I kept waiting for him to choose me.”

Lucas's expression softened.

“But how long am I supposed to keep waiting?”

He had no answer.

Ava turned toward the ultrasound screen.

“There are three babies.”

Lucas blinked.

“Three?”

She nodded.

“I just found out.”

He stared at her.

“Triplets?”

“Yes.”

Lucas ran a hand through his hair, visibly struggling to process the news.

“That changes everything.”

“No.”

Ava placed her hand over her stomach.

“It changes everything for me.”

Lucas studied her.

Ava's voice became quieter.

“I have three babies to protect now.”

“From Ethan?”

She hesitated.

“I don't know.”

That was the truth.

She didn't know what Ethan would do.

She didn't know whether he would want the children because they were his or because they were heirs to the Blackwood family.

She didn't know what Richard would do if he discovered there were three children carrying the Blackwood bloodline.

And she certainly didn't know what Sophia Lancaster would do.

There were too many unknowns.

So Ava had made the only decision that felt safe.

She would disappear before Ethan or his family could decide her children's future for her.

Lucas reached across the space between them and gently took her hand.

“You shouldn't have to do this alone.”

Ava looked at their joined hands.

“I know.”

“Then let me help you.”

She met his eyes.

For the first time that night, she didn't feel completely alone.

“Thank you.”

The door opened again.

The doctor returned with a folder containing Ava's medical information and the preliminary ultrasound report.

“You'll need to schedule another appointment soon,” she said. “And please take the rest seriously. Your body is going to be under considerable strain carrying three babies.”

Ava nodded.

“I will.”

Before leaving, she looked at the ultrasound image one more time.

Three heartbeats.

Three tiny lives.

Her lips curved into a faint smile.

“Your father doesn't know you exist,” she whispered.

Lucas heard her.

His expression changed.

Ava's smile faded.

“Maybe that's for the best.”

Lucas didn't agree.

But he knew she was too wounded to hear it.

He squeezed her hand instead.

Across the city, Ethan Blackwood stood inside a private security office, staring at a wall of surveillance monitors.

“Show me every camera around the mansion from the time Ava left.”

His security chief nodded.

“Yes, sir.”

The footage began.

Ethan watched without speaking.

There was Ava.

Walking out of the mansion with a suitcase in one hand.

She looked small beneath the enormous entrance of the house.

And devastated.

Ethan's jaw tightened.

He had seen Ava upset before.

But never like this.

Why hadn't he noticed?

Why had he let her walk away?

The footage continued.

A black car waited outside.

Ava entered.

The vehicle pulled away.

“Track the license plate.”

“We're already doing that.”

“Where did she go?”

The security chief hesitated.

“There is a problem.”

Ethan's gaze sharpened.

“What problem?”

“She went to a private medical clinic.”

Ethan's expression changed.

“Which clinic?”

“We've identified it, but the patient records are sealed.”

“Unseal them.”

“We tried.”

“And?”

“They refused.”

Ethan's eyes hardened.

“Who owns the clinic?”

“It's privately held through another company.”

“Whose company?”

“We're tracing the ownership now.”

Ethan turned back toward the monitors.

Something wasn't right.

Ava had left without taking the jewelry he had given her.

She had left her wedding ring.

She had gone directly to a private medical clinic.

And now someone was warning him to stop looking for her.

His phone was already in his hand before he made the decision.

There was one person he needed to speak to.

His father.

Richard answered on the second ring.

“What is it?”

“Did you know Ava was going to leave?”

Silence.

Only a second.

But Ethan noticed it.

“No.”

“You're lying.”

Richard's voice hardened.

“Watch your tone.”

“Where is she?”

“I told you, I don't know.”

“Then why did you sound surprised when I asked?”

“I am surprised.”

Ethan stared through the glass wall of the security room.

“Did you know she was pregnant?”

This time, the silence lasted longer.

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

“Father?”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“You paused.”

Richard exhaled.

“You're imagining things.”

Ethan's voice became dangerously calm.

“If you know anything about Ava leaving, I'll find out.”

“Ethan, don't make this worse than it already is.”

The line went dead.

Ethan lowered the phone slowly.

Worse?

What exactly did his father mean?

He looked toward the security chief.

“Keep investigating.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And don't tell my father anything about what we find.”

“Understood.”

The security chief left.

Ethan remained alone.

He looked at the surveillance footage again.

Ava's face filled one of the monitors.

She looked frightened.

He remembered her questions.

If you had the chance to start your life over, would you choose someone else?

He remembered the suitcase.

The wedding ring.

The pregnancy test.

His child.

Or perhaps...

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

Could there be something else Ava hadn't told him?

Before he could follow the thought, the security chief returned.

“Sir.”

Ethan turned.

“What?”

“We found another camera.”

“Where?”

“Across the street from the mansion.”

The footage appeared on the largest monitor.

Ethan watched.

Ava walked toward the waiting car.

Then another figure entered the frame.

A woman.

She was standing near the gate, watching Ava leave.

Ethan's expression hardened.

“Zoom in.”

The image enlarged.

The woman's face remained too blurred to identify.

But her handbag was visible.

Black leather.

Gold clasp.

A small silver emblem near the handle.

Ethan stared at it.

He knew that handbag.

He had seen it countless times.

His voice dropped.

“Run facial recognition again.”

“We can't get a clear enough image.”

“Then identify the handbag.”

The security chief hesitated.

“We already did.”

Ethan turned.

“And?”

“It belongs to Sophia Lancaster.”

Silence filled the room.

Sophia.

The woman his father had mentioned earlier that night.

The woman Ava had always feared he still wanted.

The woman who had been watching his house when Ava left.

Ethan's expression became unreadable.

He took out his phone and called Sophia.

She answered after several rings.

“Ethan?”

“Where were you tonight?”

Silence.

Ethan's voice hardened.

“Sophia.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Where were you when Ava left the mansion?”

Another silence.

He heard her breathing.

“You don't want to know.”

Ethan's fingers tightened around the phone.

“Try me.”

Sophia remained silent for several seconds.

Then she whispered, “Ethan, if you find Ava, you're going to wish you never did.”

The call ended.

Ethan stared at the screen.

For the first time that night, his thoughts weren't centered on the marriage.

They weren't centered on the pregnancy test.

They weren't even centered on Sophia.

They were centered on Ava.

Something had happened.

He knew it now.

Ava hadn't simply walked away from him.

Someone was watching her.

Someone was frightened by what Ethan might discover.

And somewhere in the city, his wife was carrying a secret that could change the Blackwood family forever.

Ethan turned toward the surveillance screen one last time.

Ava's image remained frozen there.

His voice was barely a whisper.

“Where are you, Ava?”

He didn't know that three tiny heartbeats were already beating beneath her hand.

He didn't know that he wasn't searching for one child.

And he certainly didn't know that by the time he found his wife, she might no longer be willing to let him call himself their father.