chapter 003

NORA POV

The next ten minutes was a blur of Eric’s frantic driving. He drove like a man possessed, weaving through the New Orleans traffic while I sat in the passenger seat, gripping my phone so tightly to my chest.

The moment the car screeched to a halt at the emergency room entrance, I flung the door open and sprinted inside. Eric was right behind me, as he escorted me through the main lobby toward the pediatric wing.

My eyes kept darting everywhere as I tried to find the elevators. But as I rounded the corner near the laboratory entrance, I ran face-first into a solid chest.

I stumbled back, my hands coming up to steady myself. When I looked up, my stomach dropped through the floor.

It was Robin, one of the slimiest debt collectors my mother had entangled herself with. He was a lecherous looking man with greasy hair and eyes that always made me feel like I needed to scrub my skin with boiling water. He had a heavy build and a nauseating scent of mothballs and stale cigarettes rolled off him.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up," Robin said, a disgusting, wide grin on his face. He stepped into my path and blocked the way to the elevators. "I’ve been waiting for you, Nora. Your mother said I could find you hovering around this hospital sooner or later."

"Get out of my way, Robin," I breathed, my voice shaking with a mix of panic and disgust. "I don't have time for this. My son is in critical condition. Please, let me pass."

"Oh, I don't think so," Robin chuckled, stepping even closer until he was practically invading my personal space. He reached out, his dirty fingers grabbing a lock of my damp, red hair. "Mm, pretty. Your family owes me thirty thousand dollars, sweetheart. And the interest keeps increasing. But you know what? I’m a nice guy. I'll make you a deal. You don't have to repay the money. You just need to spend one night with me at the motel down the street. Just one night, and we’ll call the whole debt even."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Eric step forward. His face was dark with a terrifying rage, his fists clenched at his sides.

But I didn't give him the chance. I didn't need a man to fight my battles, especially not today.

Before Eric could take another step, I shifted my weight, drove my foot into the floor, and brought my knee straight up into Robin’s groin with every single ounce of strength I had left in my body.

The impact was loud. Robin’s eyes went wide. The grin vanished from his face as a high-pitched gasp escaped his throat. He doubled over instantly, clutching himself as he collapsed onto the hard hospital floor, groaning in agonizing pain.

The humiliated debt collector rolled on his side, his face turning an angry shade of purple. When he looked up at me, his eyes filled with murderous hatred.

"YOU BITCH!" Robin roared, drawing the attention of nurses and visitors. "I’m going to kill you! Do you hear me? I’m going to kill you and that little bastard son of yours. You’re both dead!"

"Security!" Eric’s voice rang out. He didn't even look at Robin as he pulled his phone away from his ear. He had already called them the moment Robin cornered me.

Within seconds, three burly hospital security guards rushed down the hallway. They grabbed Robin by his arms, dragging his groaning, cursing body off the floor. He kept screaming threats at me until they hauled him through the heavy exit doors.

My heart was pounding against my ribs, but I couldn't waste another second. I turned and ran towards the elevators, Eric following close behind.

When we reached the pediatric intensive care unit, the doctor who called me was already waiting with a clipboard.

"Oh!" I gasped. "Doctor, I'm here!"

Eric immediately stepped up, signed the emergency donor consent forms, and was immediately led into the laboratory next door to begin the direct blood transfusion process.

Thirty agonizing minutes passed. I paced the hallway, praying to every power in the universe, until a nurse finally walked out of the room and gave me a small nod. The transfusion was complete. Liam’s vitals were stabilizing.

Relief washed over me so intensely I almost collapsed. But then I heard Eric’s footsteps approaching from the lab.

Knowing my son was safe, my defensive motherly instincts came back into place. I couldn't let Eric near him. I couldn't let him see Liam’s face, or notice the striking resemblance in the shape of his eyes and jaw. To protect my child from being taken by the Valerius family, I hurried to the door of the ward.

I pressed my back firmly against the wood of the ward door, using my body as a physical shield to block the entrance.

Eric stopped a few feet away from me, with a band aid on his wrist where they had done the transfusion. He looked at me in total surprise. I could tell from the twist of his eyebrows that he thought I was mad.

"I'll call this a favor I owe you," I said determinedly as I stared directly at him. "But now, I think you have to leave. You're not welcome here."

Eric stared at me, his dark eyes narrowing into a sharp glare.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a dangerous whisper. "Are you that afraid of letting me in? Afraid I'll see the bastard you had with that old man of yours? Or afraid your useless boy-toy will feel inferior when he sees me?"

The insult to my son and my life stung, but I kept my face like stone. I needed him to believe the lie so he would walk away.

"Yes," I lied, tilting my chin up. "My husband has a temper. It would upset him if he got the wrong idea about why you're here. Please conduct yourself accordingly."

Eric's entire posture went rigid. A look of intense disgust flashed across his handsome features, and he let out a cold, mocking scoff.

"Do you think I want to see it?" Eric growled. "A child born from a woman who betrayed me... I find it disgusting. And if this is your idea of a 'thank you' for saving your son, then you're just as despicable as whoever you married."

Then he turned on his heel and away down the corridor, never once looking back. He disappeared around the corner, perfectly missing his chance to meet his own son.

My knees immediately went weak the moment he left. I slid down the door until I was sitting on the floor, burying my face in my hands. I let out a shaky breath, forcing myself to calm down before I opened the door and stepped into my son's ward.

Liam was lying in the hospital bed. His small arm was attached to an IV line. His pale cheeks were finally regaining a bit of healthy pink color, thanks to Eric's blood. His large, intelligent blue eyes opened as he saw me approach.

"Mommy?" his tiny voice whispered.

"I'm here, baby," I sighed, sitting on the edge of the mattress and taking his small, warm hand in mine. "You're going to be okay now. The doctors fixed you up."

Liam looked at me, his expression far too serious and precocious for a four-year-old. "Mommy, did I make things hard for you at work again?"

"What? No, of course not, Liam. Why would you think that?"

"I overheard the nurse talking before you got here," he murmured, his lower lip trembling. "She said the medicine and the room cost a whole lot of money. I'm sorry I got sick."

Hearing those words from my baby broke my heart. Fresh tears blurred my vision, and I leaned down to press a soft kiss against his forehead, holding him tight.

"Don't you ever worry about that, Liam," I whispered fiercely. "It is my job to worrying. Not yours."

As I sat there holding my son, I knew that I couldn't keep living like this, scraping by on catering tips and covering shifts, while debt collectors hunted me down. Liam deserved better. He deserved safety and stability.

Right then and there, I made up my mind. The very next morning, I was going to find a stable, well-paying job with real benefits, no matter what it took.