POV: LAUREN
Kate nodded with her jaw clenched, her expression determined. But she didn’t hold back from asking what had been circling in my mind from the beginning:
“And what about Ethan?” Kate raised an eyebrow, her arms crossed over her chest. “Do you really think he’s going to believe that his own wife kidnapped his ex-wife’s daughter to pretend she was hers? Especially if he’s involved in this. We have no guarantee he’s clean.”
I lowered my eyes, feeling that pain in my chest again. It was like a constant pressure, a punch that never stopped.
“I know,” I murmured, my voice weak, exhausted from so much crying, from overthinking everything. I brought the back of my hand to my eyes, wiping away the remaining tears. “But right now, that doesn’t matter. I’m not going to wait for Ethan’s moral judgment. I’m not going to a
POV: LAURENKate nodded with her jaw clenched, her expression determined. But she didn’t hold back from asking what had been circling in my mind from the beginning:“And what about Ethan?” Kate raised an eyebrow, her arms crossed over her chest. “Do you really think he’s going to believe that his own wife kidnapped his ex-wife’s daughter to pretend she was hers? Especially if he’s involved in this. We have no guarantee he’s clean.”I lowered my eyes, feeling that pain in my chest again. It was like a constant pressure, a punch that never stopped.“I know,” I murmured, my voice weak, exhausted from so much crying, from overthinking everything. I brought the back of my hand to my eyes, wiping away the remaining tears. “But right now, that doesn’t matter. I’m not going to wait for Ethan’s moral judgment. I’m not going to a
POV: LAURENEmpty.It was the only word that defined what I had felt since they took my daughter. A hole inside me—cold, dark, suffocating. Nothing filled it. Nothing calmed it.I couldn’t react. I didn’t want to see anyone. Not Theodor, not Henry.Especially not Henry.Because looking at him was like facing the reflection of my failure. And it hurt.It hurt so much that my body trembled just thinking about it.How could I have let her be taken?How did I allow them to rip my baby from my arms?I failed.As a woman.As a mother.Even so, Henry came every day. Despite my protests, my screams, my anger, and the words I threw at him to push him away… he never backed down.He would lie beside me. In silence.He simply… held me.Wrapped me in his strong, warm arms and let me cry on hi
POV: HENRYKate remained still for a moment. Her gaze shifted between hurt, frustration, and helplessness. But in the end, she nodded with a tense, silent gesture.I turned around and walked toward the surveillance sector, guided by the directions the head of security had sent me. Every step felt heavy against the cold hospital floor. My heart pounded in my chest, and my breathing fluctuated between control and the edge of collapse.As soon as I reached the room, I pushed the door open forcefully without announcing myself. The room was dark, lit only by dozens of monitors showing different angles of the hospital. The tension in the air was almost tangible.I entered with a straight posture, exuding authority. Lucian quickly caught up and positioned himself beside me in silence.I stopped in front of the screens, my eyes locked in place, unblinking.“Show it now,” I ordered, my voice firm, low, and laced with anger. “No delays. Show me everything.”The operator swallowed hard and start
POV: HENRY“Henry?” I heard Lucian’s voice behind me—tense, heavy with warning. He walked into the room with a deeply furrowed brow. “Kate’s at the door. And she’s furious. She wants answers. She says Lauren isn’t doing well.”I ran my hands over my face, feeling the cold sweat trickle down my temple. My heart was in chaos, my mind at war.“What the hell am I supposed to tell her, Lucian?” I muttered, exhausted, my voice low and hoarse from holding back an explosion. “That the woman who was supposed to be in this room… vanished, along with our daughter?”The door burst open with a bang.“She vanished?!” Kate stormed in like a hurricane, her eyes wide, her face pale with rage and panic.“Kate, please…” Lucian tried to ease the tension, raising one hand in a calming gesture. “Give Henry a second…”“A second?!” she cut him off with a fierce shout, her eyes blazing. “We don’t have a second, Lucian! Lauren is trying to get out of bed; she’s restless! Her blood pressure is through the roof;
POV: HENRY“That man…” He took a deep breath, his voice catching. “He said he had contacts, resources… that he could destroy my career, ruin my life… he threatened my family, my children. I couldn’t take that risk...”“Believe me when I say…” I stated, my voice low and cold, nostrils flaring, jaw clenched. “No one in this damn country has more power than I do to end your life. And if you think that man could destroy you, it’s because you haven’t seen what I’m capable of yet.”I leaned in closer, and his breath hitched. Sweat dripped down his temples, and his eyes trembled, searching for an escape that didn’t exist.“Now talk.” I snarled in fury. “Where is my daughter?”“I… I don’t know.” He whispered, barely audible, his lips dry. “Honestly… I don’t know. A man… a nurse who wasn’t part of our team… he came into the delivery room wearing a badge… everything seemed fine… he took the baby and left before anyone questioned him.”My vision went black for a second.Lauren whimpered softly b
POV: HENRYHe mumbled something I couldn’t understand. My left fist trembled, ready to strike.“I swear to God, if you don’t open your mouth right now, I’ll break every bone in your body. You’ll leave here straight to the operating table or the morgue,” I spat with disgust, tightening my grip even more.Blood pounded in my temples. I no longer saw a doctor in front of me. I saw an accomplice. A traitor. A man who had been complicit in my daughter’s kidnapping.And if he didn’t talk...I’d make him scream until the truth came out.“Mr. Carter, please...” the doctor began to struggle under the pressure of my hand. His eyes rolled back slightly, his face turning red, his voice coming out muffled, choked. “I don’t know his name...”My heart stopped for a second. A spark of
POV: HENRY“I feel it, Henry...” Lauren said with a trembling voice, keeping her eyes locked on mine, filled with tears about to fall. “I saw her. She was so small... so beautiful...” her voice faltered, but she forced herself to continue, “and then... that man... he took her. Took her from me. Pulled her away. And at that moment...” her breath hitched again, a sob escaping, “it was like a part of me was ripped out. Like they took a piece of my heart.”I closed my eyes for a second, taking a deep breath, trying to contain the wave of rage growing inside my chest like a hurricane.“Are you sure about this?” I asked, my voice deeper than I intended. The tension echoed in every syllable. “Are you sure about what you saw, Lauren?”She nodded, fragile, desperate. And I knew. By the way, she spoke. By the pain trembling through every muscle in her b
POV: LAURENHe stepped forward again, his body stiff and threatening.“And I demand to see her now!” Henry shouted. “We won’t accept excuses or mistakes! Bring my daughter. Now!”I felt my blood run cold.The chill that rose from my stomach took over my arms and legs. I started sweating, even though my skin was freezing. My fingers were trembling.“Henry...” I called, my voice weak, stammering. “Please... I need to see our daughter... now.” My hands clutched the bedsheet. “I need to hold her... in my arms...” My eyes filled with tears. “I need to see my Alice. For God’s sake...”Despair consumed me.Something was wrong.And I could feel it deep in my soul.“You heard her, Dr. Peter,” Henry said, his voice firm, cold, and relentless. “Bring our daughter. Immediately.”The doctor just nodded, pale as a sheet, before leaving the room, almost tripping over his own feet.Henry stood there, motionless for a moment, as if he could feel the weight of something about to collapse hanging in the
POV: LAURENI tried to speak, but something stopped me.A tube. In my throat.Panic hit me all at once. My eyes widened, and instinctively I brought my hands to my neck, desperate to pull it out. My chest rose and fell in quick waves, the anguish taking over. I wanted to scream, cough, and breathe, but nothing came out. Just the suffocation.That’s when I felt strong hands holding mine, firmly but not aggressively. Those hands… I knew them. The warm skin. The steady touch.“Hey, calm down, my love.” Henry’s voice came close, low, and controlled, even though clearly tense. “I’m here. I’m going to call the doctor. Just… please don’t try to pull it out. You could hurt yourself.”My hands were trembling. My eyes filled with tears instantly. A single tear slid down the corner of my face — warm, silent. I nodded with difficulty, swallowing the sob that threatened to suffocate me even more.He pressed a button quickly, and within seconds, the door opened.A nurse came in first, followed by a