Ashton said again, "Mal, I'm sorry for everything. But the baby is innocent. Please put him down first."Tears streamed down Mallory's face as she asked bitterly, "Do you think I'd hurt the baby? Is that how low I've sunk in your eyes?"She gently pressed the baby to her cheek, her expression softening. Then, she turned to look at me."Pip, come take him," she said.Ashton and I exchanged a glance, and he nodded subtly.I approached Mallory cautiously, extending my hands with deliberate care. Mallory took one last, lingering look at the baby before reluctantly placing him in my arms. The warm, solid weight of my baby in my arms made relief flood through me at last.I began walking back to Ashton with joy in my steps when Mallory's voice, filled with desperate fury, cut through the air."I won't hurt the baby, but you must die!"Startled, I spun around. Mallory had produced a small knife from somewhere and was charging straight at me.I instinctively shielded the baby and ducke
My baby had gone missing.The day I was discharged from the hospital and while we were handling the paperwork, we left the nanny to watch over the baby in the room. She stepped out briefly to use the restroom, and in that short time, the baby disappeared.We anxiously reviewed the hospital's surveillance footage. It showed a young woman in sunglasses had taken him.It was Mallory.Ashton immediately called Cameron to ask what had happened.Cameron explained that the previous night, Mallory had feigned stomach pain to send the nanny and caregiver away, taking the opportunity to slip out unnoticed.They had been searching for her discreetly without informing Ashton, not wanting to alarm him. No one expected her to show up at the hospital early that morning and take the baby.Despite scouring the surveillance footage, we found no trace of her leaving. For the first time, true fear overtook me.Ashton sent out a team to search for Mallory, his phone ringing constantly with updates.
As I lay on the ambulance stretcher, I could feel blood pooling beneath me. Before losing consciousness, my only thought was that I needed to see Ashton one last time. When I woke again, it was the searing pain in my abdomen that roused me. I found myself on a delivery bed, with shadowy figures bustling around me. My vision was blurry, and I barely managed to whisper Ashton's name through trembling lips.Suddenly, a hand gripped mine tightly, and I heard the voice I had been desperate for."Ashton," I whispered, feeling relief flooding me.He leaned close. His voice was a mixture of panic and forced calm. "Pip, I'm here. Don't be afraid."The pain made me groan involuntarily. My face was pale as sweat dripped in large beads down my cheeks.Ashton gently stroked my face as he said in a soothing voice, "It's okay to scream if it hurts."Even so, I bit down hard on my lip, refusing to cry out. When blood began to seep from my lips, Ashton shouted for the doctor, panic overtaking h
Mallory sat on the couch. Her gaze was fixed on my heavily rounded belly, and there was a flicker of unreadable emotion in her eyes. She asked, "When are you due?"In the past, I might have told her without hesitation. But now, knowing she was not well, I kept my tone calm. "Next month."Mallory glanced around the house nonchalantly, but then her body stiffened. I followed her gaze and felt my stomach drop—it was Ashton's coat, carelessly left behind during his last visit. I had washed it with the intention of returning it, but I had unwittingly left it in plain sight.Mallory slowly turned her head toward me, disbelief etched on her face. "Is Ash here?"I shook my head quickly. "No, he isn't."Suddenly, she began storming through the apartment."Is Ash here?" she repeated over and over, frantically searching the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. When she found no one, her demeanor settled slightly, and I let out a quiet sigh of relief.Glancing at the clock on the wall, I calcula
When I was nearly nine months pregnant, I came down with a severe cold. I resisted taking any medication for the baby's safety. However, a week passed, and I showed no signs of improvement. Worried about my condition, the nanny secretly informed Ashton.That night, I felt parched and feverish while I was half-asleep. It was as if I were dying of thirst. As I murmured for water, I never expected someone to actually give me a drink. Sweet, cool water slid down my throat, soothing the discomfort.As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw Ashton's silhouette under the dim glow of the bedside lamp.A wave of vulnerability washed over me, and I threw my arms around him, bursting into tears.Ashton comforted me in a gentle voice, "Pip, it's my fault. I came too late."I continued to sob uncontrollably, refusing to let go.He patted my back lightly. "You've been burning with fever. You can't keep toughing it out like this. If the baby's fine but you harm your body, what then?"His teasing broug
I discreetly wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes and forced myself to speak in a lighthearted tone, "You don't need to worry about me. With all the money you gave me, I could raise ten kids!"Ashton chuckled at my words. "Is that money enough to buy the kids a father?"I froze for a moment, then replied softly, "A person can live without a father. I did when I was a child."Ashton's tone turned stern. "Piper Stevens!"He only called me by my full name when he was angry.I pushed him away. "Ashton, you should leave. I can take care of myself just fine."He shot back, "You can't even tie your own shoelaces."I insisted stubbornly, "I'll hire a nanny to help me."He dismissed my idea with a scoff. "Nannies don't tie shoelaces for you."Frustrated, I puffed up my cheeks. "I'll pay her extra! Ten times more!"Ashton ruffled my hair gently. "Be good and listen to me. I'll finish up everything in Regensburg and come here to stay with you."His sincerity startled me, and I w