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Chapter 45

Author: Arab Wood
last update Last Updated: 2025-06-01 22:50:34

The woman at my front door had Carlos's eyes.

They were dark brown and cold, just like my ex-husband's. But Carlos had always dressed nice and acted fancy when he was being cruel. This woman was different. She wore her anger like a shield. Her cheap jewelry rattled against an old leather jacket every time she moved.

"You must be Emily," she said. She didn't wait for me to invite her in. She just walked right into my house. "I'm Isabella. Carlos's half-sister."

Behind me, Alejandro's whole body went stiff. Upstairs, Mateo peeked through the stair railings. His face looked curious but scared.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand," I said carefully. "Carlos never told me about—"

"Of course he didn't." Isabella's laugh sounded bitter and mean. "The fancy Reyes family doesn't talk about kids born outside marriage. But family is family. I have every right to half of what my dead brother left behind."

"Dead?" The word hit me like cold water. "Carlos isn't dead."

"He might as well be. Prison, s
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  • He Stole My Love, Heart and My Future—But I’m Taking It Back   Chapter 51

    The morning of the hospital opening, I stood in front of my bedroom mirror. I kept fixing my dress over and over. At four months pregnant, my belly was finally showing. It was a gentle curve that made me feel strong and scared at the same time."You look beautiful," Alejandro said from the doorway. He was already wearing his dark suit."I look nervous.""That too." He walked up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. "But mostly beautiful. And strong. And ready."In the mirror, I could see both of us. He was tall and steady behind me, and I had my growing belly and hands that wouldn't stop shaking since I woke up."What if I mess up my speech?""Then you'll figure it out as you go. Like you always do.""What if the reporters ask about Carlos? About the trial"?"Then you'll tell them the truth. Today isn't about the past. It's about the future."I turned around in his arms. "What if I cry?""Then you cry." He kissed my forehead. "Emily, this hospital exists because you refused to

  • He Stole My Love, Heart and My Future—But I’m Taking It Back   Chapter 50

    The noise that woke me up wasn't thunder. It was Lobo making a deep, angry sound from downstairs. The house felt cold and wrong."Alejandro." I shook his shoulder. My heart was beating fast. "Something's not right."He woke up right away, like soldiers do. "What's wrong?""Lobo is really upset."Then we both heard it. A floorboard made a soft creak. Someone was in our house. Alejandro reached for his phone when Lobo started barking loudly."Stay here," Alejandro whispered. But I was already putting on my robe."No way."We walked quietly down the hall together. The darkness felt thick around us. The baby's room door was open. We had closed it before bed. My blood felt like ice water."Call 911," Alejandro whispered without making a sound. He moved toward the baby's room.Inside, a dark shape was bent over the crib Alejandro had been building. Even in the dim light from the window, I knew who it was. I knew that angry way of standing.Daniela.She was holding something in her hand. It

  • He Stole My Love, Heart and My Future—But I’m Taking It Back   Chapter 49

    The cold gel felt icy on my skin, but Alejandro's hand was warm in mine."First time hearing your baby's heartbeat?" Dr. Martinez asked, putting the tool on my tiny bump."First time for everything," I whispered. My voice was tight with excitement and worry.The screen lit up - a fuzzy black and white picture that looked like clouds to me. But then Dr. Martinez moved something, and there it was. A tiny flutter on the screen, barely bigger than a bean."There's your baby," she said softly.I couldn't breathe. That tiny flutter was mine. Ours. Growing inside me even though every doctor had said it couldn't happen."And here..." She pressed a button, and suddenly the room filled with sound. A fast, steady whooshing that seemed to come from everywhere at once.The heartbeat.I started crying before I knew it. Not quiet tears, but deep sobbing that came from my soul."Emily?" Alejandro sounded worried. "Are you okay?""It's so strong," I said through my tears. "Listen to how strong it is."

  • He Stole My Love, Heart and My Future—But I’m Taking It Back   Chapter 48

    The bright hospital lights made everything look pale and strange, like we were in a dream."Emily, can you hear me?" Alejandro's voice sounded far away.I tried to sit up on the hospital bed, but the room spun around me like a ride at a fair. "What happened?""You fell down in the bathroom. You were unconscious for ten minutes." His hand felt warm on my forehead. "The ambulance people said your blood pressure dropped very fast.""Where's Mateo?""Sofia is with him at home. He's okay, baby. You're okay."But I didn't feel okay. I felt like I was floating above my body, watching this happen to someone else. Everything felt unreal and fuzzy."Mrs. Reyes?" A young doctor with kind eyes came to my bed. "I'm Dr. Luke. We're going to do some tests to see what made you faint. Have you been feeling sick lately? Throwing up, tired, eating differently?"I tried to think through the fog in my head. "I've been tired, but it's been a hard time. We were in court today, legal stuff...""Is there any

  • He Stole My Love, Heart and My Future—But I’m Taking It Back   Chapter 47

    The courthouse steps felt huge and scary, like climbing a mountain."You don't need to worry," Sofia said, fixing her bag strap. "We have everything we need."But my hands were still shaking. For six months, I had taken care of Mateo. For six months, I loved him but was always scared someone might take him away. Now we were here for the big day. I wanted to become his real guardian forever. I wanted the law to say what my heart already knew - he was my son."What if she comes here?" I asked, looking around the courthouse door."Then we'll deal with it." Sofia's voice was strong but gentle. "Daniela can't do anything to us now, no matter what tricks she tries."Mateo held my hand tight. He had been quiet all morning. But this wasn't the scared quiet from months ago. This was different. This was the quiet of a boy who had found his strength."I'm ready," he said.Judge Martinez was a woman around sixty years old. She had kind eyes and gray hair pulled back neatly. Her courtroom felt war

  • He Stole My Love, Heart and My Future—But I’m Taking It Back   Chapter 46

    The clean mountain air filled my lungs. It felt like taking my first real breath in months.Marco's quiet place sat between rolling hills covered with oak trees and wildflowers. The flowers went on and on toward a sky so bright blue it almost hurt to look at. For the first time in months, I could breathe easy. The heavy weight on my chest was finally gone."This place is so pretty," Mateo said, running ahead of us on the stone path. He had been different since we got here yesterday. He seemed lighter, like he wasn't watching for danger anymore."Marco built this place after his wife died," Alejandro said softly. "He said he needed a place where people could come and remember what it felt like to be peaceful."I understood that feeling. The worry that had been buzzing in my head for so long had finally gone quiet.Yesterday we had walked on easy trails, eaten meals without looking at our phones, and played card games by the warm fireplace. Mateo had laughed so hard his belly hurt when

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