Chapter 3

I didn’t answer his call. Instead, I turned to Nina and gave her a firm instruction.

“Wait right outside the delivery room. The moment the nurse brings the baby out, you hold him and don’t let anyone take him from you!

“Especially Carter and Lily. Got it? No matter what they say, don’t hand him over!”

The moment I finished, a sharp, searing pain gripped my belly.

The nurse immediately called the doctor, and they rushed me into the delivery room. The agony tore through me, raw and relentless. I clung to the doctors’ voices—Breathe. Push. Harder. Push again.

I didn’t close my eyes. I didn’t let my mind wander.

Every ounce of my strength, every beat of my heart—was for the child I was about to bring into this world.

In my past life, I failed him. This time, I would protect him with everything I had.

*

The sharp cry of a newborn pierced the air.

The doctors announced, “It’s a boy. Eight pounds. Healthy and strong.”

He had been crying fiercely—loud and relentless.

But the moment his tiny face touched mine, he stopped.

As if he knew me. As if our hearts were connected.

With shaking hands, I clutched the doctor’s arm, my voice urgent and firm:

“Give my baby to my best friend, Nina. Not to his father. Promise me—only to her.”

The doctors exchanged a knowing look. They had seen every kind of family drama unfold within these walls. My request didn’t surprise them in the slightest.

The lead doctor nodded seriously. “Don’t worry. Your friend will get him. No one else.”

Only then did my chest loosen, and I let out a long, trembling breath.

I trusted these women—these doctors. And more than anything, I trusted Nina.

Once my son was in her arms, I knew that no one would take him away.

I fought to stay awake. I wanted to push through the mandatory two-hour observation. But my body, battered and drained, could hold out no longer.

The darkness pulled me under, and my eyes closed, heavy and unwilling.

When I woke up, I was back in my private room.

Nina was there—holding my son tightly, her arms wrapped around him as if she had fought a war.

Carter stood in front of her, his face twisted with frustration and barely contained fury.

It was clear he had tried more than once to snatch my baby from her and failed.

Lily was there too, standing off to the side. Shock and confusion plastered all over her face.

She hadn’t seen this coming. Not at all.

“Ria, you’re awake!”

Nina’s face lit up, and she brought the baby closer to me, her voice smug and triumphant:

“Look at this little guy! Isn’t he adorable? He even stuck his tongue out at me—such a cheeky little thing!”

Her eyes softened with warmth. “The doctors said he’s perfectly healthy. In fact, they were impressed—said it’s rare to see a baby this strong and beautiful. Told me you must’ve taken great care of yourself during the pregnancy.”

I gazed at him—my son.

Chubby, rosy, and so full of life.

Healthy. Perfect. Mine.

Nothing like the child Lily swapped into my arms in my past life—so thin, so frail, his skin a sickly yellow.

Back then, Carter had blamed me. He said it was my fault. Said I must have eaten poorly during pregnancy. He made me feel guilty and ashamed like I had ruined my own child.

I lived with that blame for years.

But this time, I had my baby. And he was nothing like the lie they tried to force on me before.

Carter’s voice sliced through my thoughts, sharp and accusing:

“Ria, what the heck? Why did you switch rooms without telling me? Do you know how long I searched for you?”

His expression darkened. “You didn’t answer my calls. And why is Nina holding the baby and refusing to let me near him? I’m his father!”

I swallowed down my fury, letting my voice fall into a careful, helpless tone:

“I wasn’t trying to hide from you. I was helping Nina get to the bathroom, and halfway there, the contractions hit hard. I had to switch to a private room. It was closer and easier since it has its own bathroom.”

I sighed, feigning guilt. “Everything happened so fast, and I misplaced my phone in the chaos. That’s why I didn’t answer your calls.”

I paused, then added, my eyes fixed on his:

“As for Nina holding the baby... I was scared.

“You hear stories, Carter. About those kidnappers who sneak into hospitals pretending to be the baby’s father—walking off with the child before anyone realizes.

“I didn’t want to take any chances. That’s why I told Nina to hold him. Only her.”

Although my excuse was flimsy, there wasn’t anything he could outright refute.

Just as he was about to say something, the door swung open.

My parents walked in.

Carter’s face twisted in shock. “Mom? Dad? I thought you were on the yacht cruise. Why are you back so soon?”

My mom’s voice was firm. “We didn’t feel right about it. So, your father and I came back early.”

Carter and Lily both froze and were completely stunned.

With my parents here and surrounded by so many people, how could they possibly swap the babies now?

And just then—

Lily’s water broke.

The fluid gushed to the floor in a sudden rush.