บททั้งหมดของ Heartbreak And Wars: บทที่ 61 - บทที่ 70

Aloe's POVThe cramping started during my third week in Durango, just as I was beginning to believe I might actually build a safe life for myself and my baby.I was refilling coffee cups in the morning rush when the first sharp pain cut through my lower abdomen, intense enough to make me gasp and grab the counter for support."Sarah?" Maria appeared at my side immediately, her experienced eyes taking in my pale face and the way I was protecting my belly. "What's wrong?""Just... a cramp," I managed, though the pain was unlike anything I'd experienced during the pregnancy so far. Sharp, persistent, accompanied by a pulling sensation that made me dizzy with fear."How far along are you?""Eighteen weeks." Eighteen weeks and two days, according to my careful calculations. Far enough along that the baby should be safe from most complications, but not far enough to survive if something went seriously wrong.Another cramp hit, stronger this time, and I felt moisture between my legs that mad

Aloe's POVConsciousness returned slowly, filtered through layers of sedation and the antiseptic smell that had become the signature of my captivity. But this time, something was different.The air was cleaner, the sounds were different, and when I finally managed to open my eyes, I wasn't looking at a hospital ceiling or hotel room.I was staring at a skylight framing the perfect blue sky and mountain peaks.The room around me was beautiful in a way that made my stomach clench with recognition. Not the sterile medical facilities or generic hotel suites of my previous imprisonments, but the kind of luxury that Wakes specialized in designer furniture, original artwork, expensive fixtures that whispered of unlimited resources.A prison so beautiful it could pass for a sanctuary.I tried to sit up and immediately felt the familiar tug of monitoring equipment. Fetal heart monitor strapped around my belly, IV line in my arm, blood pressure cuff automatically inflating every fifteen minutes

Sofia's POVThe call came at 3:47 AM, jolting me from the first decent sleep I'd had since violating my bail conditions. Jessica Whitman's voice was tight with controlled panic."They intercepted our rescue operation."I sat up in the Denver hotel room, instantly alert. "What do you mean intercepted?""I mean the Dr. Linda Chen who picked up Aloe yesterday? She doesn't exist. The Denver Women's Health Collective? It's a shell organization.The Colorado Women's Recovery Center?" Jessica's voice cracked slightly. "It's a private psychiatric facility owned through a network of shell companies that trace back to Wakes Savage."The room spun around me. We'd been so careful, so thorough in our planning. Three days of coordination, pooled resources from all four women, private investigators confirming details."How do you know?""Because the real Dr. Linda Chen called me twenty minutes ago. She's been getting inquiries about a patient transport she never authorized, using credentials that we

Wakes's povThe emergency board meeting had been called at my insistence, but I could already see the doubt in my directors' eyes. Three months of scandals, federal investigations, and media coverage had transformed me from respected CEO to controversial liability."The federal charges against Blake Matthew strengthen our position," I told the assembled board members, projecting confidence I didn't entirely feel. "His criminal conspiracy delegitimizes any evidence he gathered against me.""But the media narrative is problematic," CFO Harrison Webb said carefully. "Your wife's 'rescue' from the Sanctuary has generated significant negative attention. Our stock price has dropped nine percent since the footage aired."Nine percent. Billions in market capitalization, evaporated because Aloe had chosen to make our private business public."My wife is receiving treatment for emotional instability," I said, using the narrative my PR team had developed. "The facility was legitimate, licensed,

Aloe's POVAgent Martinez was still documenting the room when I heard a commotion in the hallway—raised voices, staff members protesting, and then a voice I recognized that made my heart stop."I'm with the federal operation. Let me through."Blake.He appeared in my doorway before Dr. Walsh could stop him, and for a moment we just stared at each other across the space of my prison room. He looked terrible—exhausted, unshaven, wearing clothes that suggested he'd been up all night. But his eyes carried something I'd never seen before: not calculation, not strategy, just raw concern."Aloe." My name came out like a prayer. "Are you okay?"I wanted to stay angry, to hold onto the betrayal I'd felt when I'd overheard his phone call. But standing there, nineteen weeks pregnant and just rescued from a psychiatric prison, I couldn't summon the energy for rage."I'm fine. The baby's fine. Everything's perfectly healthy according to my captors." The words came out sharper than I'd intended.Bl