All Chapters of The billionaire's secret baby : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Ava The sound of gunfire echoed through the underground tunnels as I ran, my bare feet slapping against the cold concrete. Behind me, the screams of women filled the air, mixing with the shouts of armed men who had breached our sanctuary. "This way!" Dr. Chen grabbed my arm, pulling me deeper into the maze of tunnels that snaked beneath the city. Her face was streaked with blood from a cut above her eye, but her grip was steady. "There's an exit that leads to the subway system." My lungs burned as we sprinted through the darkness. The emergency lighting cast eerie shadows on the walls, making everything look like a nightmare. Two days ago, I felt safe here. Two days ago, I believed we were winning. "How did they find us?" I gasped, stumbling over loose debris. "Someone talked," Dr. Chen said grimly. "Or they followed one of the women we rescued. It doesn't matter now. What matters is getting you out of here." Another burst of gunfire, closer this time. I could hear boots po

AvaMarcus pressed his back against the shipping container, his breathing labored from our sprint across the dock. Blood still trickled from the cut above his eye, but his grip on the bolt cutters was steady."You sure about this?" he whispered, glancing toward the massive cargo ship where armed guards patrolled the gangplank.I nodded, though my heart was hammering so hard I could barely think straight. "Liam's distraction won't last long. We have maybe ten minutes before they realize what's happening."Through the maze of shipping containers, I could see chaos erupting near the ship's bow. Liam had done exactly what we planned. Smoke was billowing from what looked like a small explosion, and guards were rushing toward the commotion, shouting orders at each other."Now," Marcus said.We ran in a crouch toward the loading area where containers waited to be lifted onto the ship. The massive steel boxes towered above us like a metal forest. Each one could hold dozens of people, and the

AVAThe ship's engine rumbled beneath my feet as guards shoved Marcus and me into a cold storage room below deck. The metal walls sweated with condensation, and the air reeked of disinfectant and something else, something metallic and wrong that made my stomach turn violently.Eli lay motionless on a gurney in the corner, still connected to that terrible IV. His small chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. I lunged toward him, desperate to hold him, but rough hands yanked me back so hard I stumbled."Easy," Marcus whispered, his voice strained from his injuries. Blood had dried at the corner of his mouth. "Save your strength. You're going to need it."A woman in surgical scrubs entered, her face obscured by a mask and cap. She walked past us without a glance, her shoes squeaking against the metal floor, and began checking the IV bags of the other children lined up against the far wall. Six small bodies. Six unconscious kids who should have been home in bed, safe with their families

AVAThe gunshot from above deck shattered the terrible silence in the holding room. Dr. Roth's head snapped up, his gloved hand freezing inches from Eli's face."What the hell was that?" one of the surgical assistants asked, moving toward the door.Then came the sound that made my heart leap, helicopter rotors. Multiple helicopters. And voices booming through loudspeakers: "FBI! THIS IS THE FBI! DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"Marcus moved before anyone could react. He lunged from his position against the wall and slammed into the nearest surgical assistant, sending them both crashing into the metal instrument tray. Scalpels and clamps scattered across the floor with a terrible clatter."Ava! RUN!" Marcus shouted, grappling with the assistant. "Get Eli out of here!"I didn't think. I just moved. I threw myself at Dr. Roth as he reached for Eli, my hands clawing at his surgical mask. He stumbled backward, cursing, and I positioned myself between him and my son like a human shield.The door burst o

AVAThe drugs Morrison had injected me with were wearing off, but my head still felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Every thought came slowly, like wading through mud."Ava." Agent Torres gripped my shoulders, her face urgent. "Can you hear me? We need to evacuate the hospital. Victoria might have planted explosives here too..""No." I pushed her hands away, stumbling toward Eli's room. "I'm not leaving without my son.""The paramedics are already preparing to move him..""Not Eli. The others." My brain was starting to clear, adrenaline burning through the remaining drugs. "The other children. On the ship. The six kids who were with Eli. Did they all get off?"Agent Torres's expression changed. "Most of them. But..""But what?" I grabbed her arm. "How many are still on that ship?"She hesitated, and that hesitation told me everything."Three children are still in the medical bay," she said quietly. "They're in critical condition. Too unstable to move quickly. The paramedics are tryi