Chapter Two: The Breaking Point

"Are you okay?"

That was the first word Axel ever said to Ivory. He was as impeccably dressed as ever. Even in college, his sharp jawline and deep eyes made him the hottest catch in town.

Then his background.

The Riggs were a generation of billionaires, with each generation surpassing the other.

Even then, she was well aware that they were far apart.

But that day, when he saved her from killing herself, her heart started beating for him. Axel Riggs gave her the will to continue this destitute life.

But now he was taking it, as well as their baby's.

"She's bleeding too much. We will need a transfusion."

She could feel herself moving at a fast pace. The sound of wheels and the blinding lights stung her eyes whenever they flickered into consciousness.

A familiar scent filled her nose. She couldn't help but wrinkle it. Memories made her eyes sting with tears.

Daddy had spent his last days here.

He was the last person in her life, but she lost him. The tears rolled down her side and fell on bright red strands.

The sounds around her muffled, and she fell out of consciousness.

When her eyes fluttered open, she was in an unfamiliar place. The walls were white. There was a beeping sound that grated on her nerves. For a moment, she thought she caught a whiff of Axel's mint scent.

Her gaze shifted to the window, where a tall man stood. His hands were in his suit pockets. She sat there, her whole body ached, but she took her time to soak in his handsomeness.

For years, she had admired him from afar, but then he got into trouble with his father. The man wanted him to get married, so Axel sought her out, his secretary at the time.

She became his contract wife while he paid for her stepmother's hospital bills. But the cancer had eaten up her brain. She didn't want to live either. Ivory lost her a year ago.

There was no longer anyone by her side.

Axel was all she had.

Was Axel also leaving her? What about her baby? Her fuzzy memories returned, and a wave of panic washed through her. "My baby. Where is my baby?" Her throat was parched, but her hands caressed her flat lower abdomen.

This caught his attention, and he turned to her, gaze sharp and distant.

Their marriage wasn't perfect, but Axel took care of her. He never made her feel like she had no one left, especially the time her stepmother died.

His eyes followed her movement as she tried to get out of bed. The IV needle in her wrist was snatched out by her. She pushed away the white duvet.

But she had miscalculated because instead of stepping off the bed, she stumbled to the floor. She inhaled sharply from the pain.

Axel never moved from his spot. "Are you done acting pathetic?" His question made her stop her movement.

"I—" Before the words could leave her lips, he strode over in large steps, then gripped her wrist harshly while his other hand grabbed her jaw.

The grip was harsh, and his hot breath fanned her skin, making her breath hitch from their proximity.

Axel crouched to look her in the eyes, his gaze searched hers, as if he wanted to see something, but when he didn't see what he wanted, he released her chin with a sharp push.

She winced, but there was a deep ache in her chest. "M—my baby is gone, isn't it?" Bitter tears trickled down her chin.

Axel was quiet, and so was the room, save for the continuous beep and her sniffles. The ache was now sharp enough that she began to gasp for breath.

Why was life so cruel?

She didn't even get to know the child. She didn't get to soak in the fact that she was carrying the child of the man she loved.

Why?

Her silent cries turned into sobs. She hit her chest, trying so hard to breathe. Why was life so cruel to her? "My baby," she whimpered, laying on the floor and curling into a ball.

Axel's hot gaze burned her skin, but she no longer cared.

He always saw her composed, and even when her stepmom died, she didn't cry too much. But now, her baby was gone.

Her own flesh and blood.

"Stop crying." He commanded, voice harsh, but she didn't listen. She didn't care. "The child isn't dead," he finally said.

But instead of stopping her tears, they flooded down. She wrapped her arms around herself, shoulders shaking in relief.

Her baby. Her baby wasn't dead.

"But not for long. Ivory…" Axel crouched down. He pulled her up by her neck. "I want you to get rid of the child." His lips were downturned, a sign that showed his disgust.

She went rigid. "W—what?" It took her a while to find her voice.

"If you get rid of it, I will believe you," he offered.

She shook her head, crawling away from him. "Not my baby, not my baby." Her hair whipped around, strands of red falling into her eyes.

His eyes darkened. "You leave me no choice." He stood up. "Come in." His voice was soft.

The hospital door opened, and a group of men flooded in. They were dressed in black from head to toe. "Drag her to the operating room, and get rid of the child."

"No!" she screamed. "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

They didn't listen.

Cold hands grabbed her wrists. She thrashed, fighting with all her strength, but it only hurt her baby. "AXEL!" she cried. "AXEL, PLEASE!!! Please don't do this." She screamed till her throat cracked.

Her body was weak, and the burly men had all the strength she didn't.

When Axel's gaze met hers, they were cold.

"Please." Her last resort was pleading. "Please, for the sake of the three years we have known each other, let my baby live." She sobbed.

But Axel didn't care. She was dragged, pleading and screaming into the operating room. The corner of her eyes caught a figure. It was Shaw, Axel's best friend.

Shaw's lips were stretched in a smile, and his eyes sparkled like he enjoyed her screams. "Shaw," she whimpered. "Shaw, please help me beg him. He always listens to you."

The operating table was cold against her back. Every sharp object was pointed at her like the enemy.

Shaw moved out of the shadow, blonde hair combed neatly. His white t-shirt and sweatpants were as neat as ever, and his blue eyes gave him the feminine look that once made her relax.

"Why should I do that? You betrayed him, so you should pay for it."

She shook her head continuously. "I didn't, I really didn't." The room was in a flurry of activities, and her body had grown so weak that she didn't even have the strength to fight anymore.

The lamp placed above her head made her eyes tingle with pain. Shaw's lips rose in a smile, enhancing his charm. "Do you want me to help you?"

She nodded vigorously, feeling her head grow fuzzy.

"I have a catch, though," he taunted. "Are you willing to die with the bastard inside you?"