Chapter 12

Innara lay still, her breathing soft but steady. Machines hummed quietly in the background. Agustin hadn’t moved from her side for what felt like hours — unmoving, statue-still, except for the slow clenching of his jaw every time he looked at her bruised wrist or the IV running into her thin arm.

The doctor finished noting something on his chart, then turned to him.

"Sir, with all due respect… you’re bleeding."

Agustin didn’t react at first.

The doctor gestured to the dried streaks of blood on his forearm, the torn sleeve clinging to a burn mark, the smudges of soot and ash still clinging to his temple.

"Your shoulder’s burned. And your palm — that gash may need stitches."

Agustin's eyes remained on Innara.

"I’m fine." He replied as if he really doesn't care about himself.

"You’re not," the doctor said more firmly. "If you collapse, you’re no use to anyone. Sit. Down."

The young nurse standing by the door gasped softly when she finally noticed the raw skin along Agustin's knuckles — charred, blistered in places, probably from tearing open the metal door of her prison.

He sighed finally and stepped back — reluctantly. As though leaving her side, even for a few minutes, was unbearable.

"She’s not to be left alone," he said quietly, his voice carrying weight.

"She won’t be," the doctor promised. "We’ve stationed a nurse here. And I’ll personally stay in this room."

Agustin nodded once, then turned.

His steps were heavy, pain finally settling in now that the adrenaline was gone. The moment he stepped into the hallway, one of his men rushed forward with fresh clothes and a medic kit — but he waved them off.

He sat down on a bench in the corridor, not far from her door, and only then let himself wince.

The burn along his shoulder was worse than he realized.

But still… he said nothing.

Let the nurse clean the wound. Let the doctor stitch the torn skin.

His thoughts weren’t in the pain.

They were with the girl inside the room.

The one who didn’t even know he had saved her.

Not yet.

But she would.

And when she did… he didn’t know what she’d see in him — a stranger, a rescuer, a mistake.

But he knew one thing for certain:

He would not let her go back to that life. Ever.

Even if she didn’t trust him.

Even if she never thanked him.

Even if she never looked at him again.

He would make sure she — and her baby — would be free.

After a few hours, the soft golden light of late afternoon filtered through the tall windows, casting warm slants across the quiet room. The harsh white of hospital lights had long been replaced by gentler hues, meant to ease the nerves, calm the mind. Somewhere nearby, a bird chirped — a sound she hadn't heard in what felt like forever.

Her eyelids fluttered open.

It took her a moment to adjust to the brightness. Her throat was dry. Her limbs felt heavy. Her stomach twisted — not with hunger this time, but from the unfamiliar softness of the mattress beneath her. She squinted her eyes and then blinked a few times meeting with an unfamiliar ceiling.

She blinked again.

'Where was she…?' was the first question to come into her mind.

Her hand instinctively flew to her belly.

Still there. Round. Firm. Alive.

And then, a soft gasp escaped her lips as she sat up slightly, wincing from soreness. Panic clutched her chest. Then the door creaked. A nurse stepped in quietly, eyes widening when she saw her awake.

"You’re up," she whispered with a gentle surprise. "Please don’t try to move too quickly. You’re safe."

Innara flinched slightly, still unsure — the word safe didn’t mean anything to her yet.

"Where am I?" her voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

The nurse smiled kindly. "With people who want to help. You were rescued."

Innara's gaze flicked to the window, then to her clean clothes, the IV in her arm, the faint scent of antiseptic and roses — so different from the rot she’d grown used to.

A doctor entered next, checked her pulse, her vitals, measured her belly and nodded with quiet satisfaction. "The baby’s doing fine. So are you. You’ll need a lot of rest and nutrition, but you’re out of danger."

She nodded numbly, her eyes darting to the unfamiliar room again. "Who brought me here?"

The doctor smiled faintly. "He’s waiting outside."

"Who?" She questioned again wanting to know who that person was, who rescued her from that hell hole and why.

The nurse looked toward the door. "You’ll see."

The doctor left and returned moments later — not alone this time.

In stepped a tall man, dressed in fresh clothes now, though a bandage peeked from beneath his collar. His face was unreadable — strong jaw, intense dark eyes but a soft composure too, comforting and welcoming that scanned her face the moment he entered. But he didn’t come too close.

Not yet.

Agustin stood just inside the room, hands in his pockets, trying not to overwhelm her. His eyes rested on her face — watching her confusion, her wariness, the slight tremble in her fingers. And for the first time he smiled a little since he has been here catching Innara off guard.

She didn’t recognize him.

Why would she? She doesn't know him from anywhere as far as she can remember.

He had pulled her from fire, not from memory.

Still, something in her eyes softened — not with recognition, but with realization: this man wasn’t like the others.

Not a customer.

Not a captor.

She tried to sit up more. He stepped forward, gently raising a hand.

"Don’t please ," he said quietly. "You’ve done enough fighting."

Her lips parted slightly. The walls around her heart flinched. Her hands still hovered protectively over her stomach. Agustin glanced down at her bump. Then back to her face.

"I’m Agustin. Agustin Fernandez." he said finally introducing himself.

"I was sent to destroy the place you were trapped in. I didn’t know… you were there. I almost missed you. I'm really sorry for that." He said sincerely but didn't get any reaction from her.

She stared at him — searching for deception.

But found none.

Only something unfamiliar: regret.

Silence sat between them for a moment. Then she whispered, "Why did you save us?"

"All of you deserved saving," he replied simply.

Her throat tightened, and for the first time in years… tears welled in her eyes.

But not from pain.

From the unbearable relief of still being alive.

The room was quiet again. The air felt heavier now, like it was waiting for something. She stared at him, still unsure whether she could trust what she was hearing, unsure if anything in her life could possibly be real if it felt this kind.

Agustin pulled the chair beside her bed and sat — not too close. His voice stayed calm, measured, and almost gentle. He wanted her to be comfortable first because he understood where she was coming from. Trusting someone would be so difficult for her since she was a kid and getting assaulted by the men around her.

"I know you don’t know me," he began, "and I don’t expect your trust… not yet."

She didn’t respond. Her hands lay folded over her belly, her eyes cautious but listening.

"You were locked in that room," he continued, "Forgotten. Hidden. If that girl hadn’t screamed your name… I wouldn’t have found you."

A flicker of pain crossed her face, remembering the fire, the pounding heat, the smoke crawling beneath the cracks of the door.

"I didn’t think I’d get out," she murmured, her voice like paper.

"But you did," Agustin said. "You’re here. And so is your baby."

He leaned forward slightly. "I’m going back to Spain in two days. The other girls will be taken care of — they’ll be placed safely with support, protection, whatever they need to rebuild. But you…"

He paused, choosing his words carefully.

"I want to offer you something else."

She looked at him now, really looked — confusion tightening her brows. "What do you mean?"

"I want you to come with me."

Her breath caught in her throat.

"I know it sounds sudden," he continued quickly. "But I don’t mean it out of pity. You don’t owe me anything — not gratitude, not explanation. But… you’ve been alone too long. I can give you a home. Safety. A future."

He glanced at her belly again, then met her eyes. "For both of you."

The words settled between them like a soft blanket — too gentle to touch, too heavy to ignore.

She blinked slowly, as if processing what he’d just said.

"You want to take me with you?" she whispered.

"Yes," he said without hesitation. "You and your child. I’ll take responsibility. I won’t ask anything from you. Just let me give you back what was stolen from you."

Her eyes shimmered, unsure whether to believe him. Her voice broke as she asked,

"Why me?"

Agustin exhaled. His gaze didn’t waver.

"Because I’ve seen what the world does to girls like you. And for once… I want to be the man who makes it stop."

"Believe me Ms..." He was about to say but then he remembered he still doesn't know her name, yet.

"Innara." She replied in her weak voice earning a nod from him.

"Believe me Ms. Innara I mean no harm to you, I just want to provide a safe future to you and your child." Agustin explained which made her to look down in her lap where her fingers were fidgeting.

She doesn't have any option either because even if she was free, she had no where to go, no where to live, no one as hrt family, she knew no one and how would she survive with her baby in this world where she knows nothing about anything. She doesn't have any option rather than agreeing to his offer, even if she doesn't trust him she has to go with him because she couldn't even work in this condition.

"I don't know what to do with myself but I want a safe environment for my baby. I agree to go with you." Innara said pushing all of her insecurities aside because at last she doesn't have any other option than going with him.

Agustin smiled at her widely in appreciation and nodded at her. He felt good when she accepted his offer and he felt more than happy suddenly. Innara noticed he was injured too and she knew he must have gotten those injuries while saving her but she didn't choose to question him as she wasn't much familiar with him yet.

"I can assure you that you will love my place. My mama and fathers are the best parents in the world. They would also love to have you there." Agustin said with a little excitement which made Innara to look at him in confusion.

"F-Fathers?" She asked him in confusion.

"Yes, I have three fathers. Sounds weird no? I know but at first I used to feel the same but I'm lucky to have them." He said with a smile earning a nod from her but he could notice an uncomfortable expression on her face which she was trying to hide very skillfully.

"What happened? You seem a little off?" He asked her but she shook her head in denial.

"You can say anything to me without any hesitation. What happened?" He asked again earning a soft sigh from her.

"Won't your parents ask about me...?" She asked looking down and hesitation clearly visible in her composure which he understood.

"My fathers were the ones who sent me here to rescue you all and I know they won't be having any problem with you." He told her but she still didn't say anything and he knew something was off.

"If there something still bothering you?" He asked but she shook her head in denial not wanting to bother him. Agustin sighed.

"I know you don't trust me enough but consider me as your friend. You can say anything to me and I'll help you in it." He said making her gulp and she could see he was really sincere.

"I'm not used to live with a family." Innara muttered lowly because just the thought of being with so many people around scared her.

"That's it? You don't have to worry about then. I have a personal spare apartment and I know it'll be really suitable and cosy for you, you can have it as your own space." Agustin said not really bothered by her taking his apartment.

Innara shook her head immediately not wanting to bother him and take his personal space for her own use but before she could deny he beat her to it and spoke.

"I'm not bothered at all really so you don't have to worry about it. I'll be more than glad to have you there so you and your baby can live peacefully." He said with a smile which really comforted him. She tried to smile back but it looked more like an awkward smile which he still appreciated.

"Now you should take rest as I'll be leaving for somewhere. There are still few things left to be taken care of." He said standing up from the chair with his charming smile on a display earning a curt nod from her.

Agustin walked out of there leaving her alone with her own thoughts. Finally she was alone and free with a man who rescued her and was ready to take responsibility of her and her child, she will be leaving with him for Spain in two days. Was all that easy? Was she free and really live a peaceful happy life with her baby and a helpful man beside her? She couldn't believe her cruel fate suddenly going so easy on her but all she could do was go with the flow than opposing it.