POV: LAUREN
He moved forward in silence, his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my heart race. I stepped back, but it was useless. In one swift motion, Henry pulled me toward him and pinned me against the wall.
His strong hands seized my wrists, holding them above my head, keeping me trapped as his face drew dangerously close. His gaze dropped to my mouth before he captured it between his teeth, biting down on my lower lip and sucking it slowly.
A low moan slipped from me.
He didn’t wait for anything else.
He plunged into a deep, intense, and hungry kiss, exploring my mouth with no rush—but with absolute possession. His tongue moved against mine, setting the pace, while his hands released my wrists to roam my body.
His firm touch slid beneath the hem of my nightgown, tracking every curve before gripping my leg and pulling it against his hip. I fe
POV: LAURENI felt betrayed. Hurt. Outraged by the cruelty, by the trap they had set around us. My daughter was far away from me, taken by people who must have known nothing but emptiness—because only someone soulless could do something like that to a child.When the tears finally stopped, all that was left were dry sobs. I took a deep breath. My entire body was trembling. I tilted my head back, resting it against the cold edge of the bathtub. My eyes were burning, heavy, and red. I didn’t have the strength to cry anymore.“I won’t cry anymore, baby…” I whispered, my voice cracking, like a promise made with a shattered heart. “I won’t waste any more energy on pain. Now… now it’s time to fight for you. I will bring you back, my little girl.”I got out of the bath slowly, feeling the water run down my body like the last bit of strength slipping away
POV: LAURENI took a deep breath, but the air felt heavy, harsh, almost impossible to pull in. Every step I took felt like an almost superhuman effort. My arms were shaking—I didn’t even know if it was from exhaustion, anxiety, or the unbearable pain eating me alive from the inside.“The problem… isn’t that, Kate.” My voice cracked halfway through the sentence. I froze at the doorway to my daughter’s room. My eyes scanned every little detail inside—the mobile hanging from the ceiling, the tiny armchair in the corner, the folded blankets, and the stuffed animals perfectly lined up on the shelf. Everything… absolutely everything had been prepared with so much love, so much care, so much hope.I swallowed hard, but it felt like the saliva simply wouldn’t go down.“How…” My voice broke again. I had to breathe deeply and try one more time.
POV: HENRY“You’re right...” she nodded, trembling, holding back tears. “I... I’ll stand by her... by both of you... And Carter?”“Yes?” I replied over my shoulder, already walking away, with no intention of dragging out the conversation.The tone of Amélia’s voice made me pause, if only for a second. It was shakier than before, more fragile. Almost breaking.“I know that...” she took a deep breath, her voice choked, stumbling over the words, “I know none of this can be easy for you... I...”She swallowed hard, averting her gaze.“I’m sorry... for accusing you before...” Her voice broke again, her tear-filled eyes trembling. “And I’m grateful. Grateful that you love my daughter so much...” she took another deep breath, holding back tears, “and... for taking care
POV: HENRYShe squeezed her own arms tightly, and I noticed the slight tremor in her hands—a clear sign that she was trying to hold herself together.“It doesn’t feel right.” She looked straight at me. “Having another baby... here in the house.”I closed my eyes for a second, taking a deep breath, forcing my body to stay in control even though my mind was screaming.“I know you just want to protect my daughter...” Her voice faltered halfway through, becoming softer, more fragile. “That you just want her to feel okay, to not feel... to not feel alone.”She took a deep breath, and her pause was long and heavy, as if she were choosing each word with extreme care.“But I...” Amelia swallowed hard, and her eyes welled up with tears, and her breathing became shorter. “I don’t think that making her take care of someone else&
POV: HENRYHer voice dropped, hoarse, choked, and full of pain.“And what if someone shows up wanting that baby back? Are you going to make my daughter lose another child, Henry?” Amelia held her accusatory gaze. “Are you going to let her be shattered all over again?”I closed my eyes for two seconds, pressing my temples with my fingers. The exhaustion was destroying me from the inside out. My shoulders felt as if they were carrying tons. And, for the first time in years, I tasted that bitter flavor in my mouth… the unacceptable taste of failure.“I couldn’t stop it, Mrs. Amelia.” I spoke, every word bitter, harsh. I took my hand off my forehead and looked at her, steady, with the same look I used at negotiation tables when I tore apart any CEO who dared to confront me. “I failed.” I admitted, coldly, letting the words fall heavy.“I failed
POV: HENRYHis look… damn that look. Full of fear, but also of courage. In a way no child should ever have to carry.I swallowed hard. I couldn’t soften it; there was no room for that.“Theo…” I held my tone steady. My eyes stayed fixed on him. “The babies… were switched at the hospital.”There. I said it.The silence that followed was deafening. Theo’s chest heaved immediately. His hands trembled, and he hugged his arms so tightly against his body that his shoulders lifted. His eyes widened, red and brimming with tears.Amelia stayed frozen. Her mouth parted slightly, but no words came out. Just a choked sound, a mixture of a gasp, pain, and disbelief. Her body shook.“Dear God…” Amelia brought her trembling hands to her mouth, her face losing all its color. She started fannin