All Chapters of Ruthless Claim: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

The moment Lucia’s words landed, the fragile peace in the room shattered.“They’ve named the hospital.”Silence followed, thick and electric. Aria’s chest tightened; her fingers instinctively curled protectively around the baby.Luca stared at the phone in his mother’s hand, then at Marco, who had already pulled out his own. “How fast is it spreading?” he asked, voice low but seething.“Every outlet is picking it up,” Marco said grimly. “There are reporters outside already. By dawn, this place will look like a circus.”Aria’s heart hammered painfully. “Luca, our daughter”“I know,” he interrupted gently, his palm brushing her hair back, eyes fierce but soft when they met hers. “I won’t let anyone near either of you.”“Luca, this isn’t just about cameras anymore,” Lucia said, voice steadier than her trembling hands. “They’ll try to get statements, photos, maybe even security footage. Someone inside leaked this.”Aria’s blood ran cold. “Inside?”Luca’s jaw clenched. “Then I’ll find who

Aria’s POVThe world came back in fragments.Rain. Tires on gravel. A voice calling my name from very far away.When I opened my eyes, the villa ceiling was gone; in its place were bare rafters, a single swinging bulb, and the smell of antiseptic. I was lying on a narrow bed, heart hammering, lungs clawing for air. My body felt both heavy and hollow.“Easy,” a man’s voice said. Marco. His hand was on my shoulder, steady, solid. “You’re safe. We’re at a safe house.”Safe. The word meant nothing.“Luca,” I croaked. My throat scraped raw. “Where is he?”Marco’s jaw worked before he answered. “We don’t know yet. The driver lost sight of him after the gunfire. I got you out before the security perimeter closed.”I tried to sit up, but a hard kick from the baby doubled me over. Pain sliced through my stomach, tight and merciless.“Aria!” Marco caught me, pressing me back against the pillows. “You need to stay still. You’ve been having contractions.”“I’m fine,” I lied, gripping the sheet un

The world dissolved into sound rain hammering the windows, my heartbeat crashing in my ears, Luca’s voice a rough, steady current cutting through it all.“Breathe, Aria. That’s it. Stay with me.”I tried. God, I tried. But the pain came in waves, wild and merciless. Each one stronger, closer. My hand clutched his, damp and shaking.“I can’t.”“Yes, you can,” he said fiercely, his forehead pressed to mine. “You’re the strongest woman I know. Just breathe for me.”Lucia’s voice filtered in from somewhere near the doorway. “She’s dilating fast. We need to move soon.”I could barely focus. The villa lights blurred into gold smudges. Every contraction tore through me like lightning, sharp and hot.Luca’s arms were my anchor, his voice my compass.When the pain subsided for a heartbeat, I looked up at him, soaked in sweat and fear and love. “You should,” I tried to say, “you should change.”He shook his head. “Not leaving your side. Not even for a second.”“You’re drenched, Luca.”“So are y

The room felt too bright, too loud, and too far from the quiet I craved. My arms ached, my legs trembled, but I couldn’t let go, not now, not ever. Every second away from him, from the baby, felt like a betrayal.“Aria, you need to rest,” Lucia’s voice was calm but insistent, cutting through my haze of pain. “We need to move the baby to observation.”I shook my head, ignoring the fatigue crushing my muscles. “No. I’m going. I won’t be separated from him.” My voice was raw, trembling with exhaustion and defiance.Luca’s hand gripped mine, his fingers tight enough to leave marks. “Cara, you can barely stand. Let me”“I don’t care,” I snapped, heat flaring despite my weakness. “I’ve carried him for months. I’m not letting anyone take him from me.”He stared at me, jaw tight, eyes dark with worry and something else, something fierce. “You’ll kill yourself,” he said softly, almost a growl. “I can’t let you do that.”“Then let me go with you!” I shouted, the baby kicking sharply as if echoi

Rain still hissed against the windows, streaking the city in gray and silver, but inside the hospital, the world narrowed to Aria. Every measured step she took toward the NICU made my chest tighten. I had insisted she stay seated and rest, but she had refused. My voice had cracked more times than I’d like to admit, yet she only smiled that stubborn, fierce smile I could never say no to.“She’s determined,” I muttered to myself, gripping her hand as she moved. “Too determined.”Her hand shook in mine, the baby kicking sharply, thrashing beneath her ribs like he knew we were running on a razor’s edge. I could feel each movement, each flinch of pain, like my own body had absorbed it.“Luca,” she whispered, almost a plea, “I need to see him. I have to see him.”Her eyes were wide, glistening with fear and hope at once. I swallowed hard, my throat tight, knowing she had no idea how close she was to tipping over. “Aria… amore, please… just a few more steps, but slowly. We’ll get you there.”