Elara’s POVThe phone almost slipped from my hand. For one suspended second, the dawn-lit customs tower, Morozov’s body disappearing into smoke, and the sound of Axel forcing his way through the steel shutters all vanished behind one terrifying sentence.If you want to save the baby. The war had ended, the Bratva was broken, and the final leader was dead. And still, the aftermath found a new way to hurt.My free hand went to my stomach so fast it felt instinctive, protective, and desperate.“What happened?” I asked, my voice shaking despite every effort to steady it.The surgeon on the line did not waste time. “Your elevated stress response, the side wound, and the toxic smoke exposure from the docks have triggered acute complications. We have stabilised Ruin, but we need you here immediately to assess foetal distress.”The words landed in pieces, each one heavier than the last. Stabilised Ruin. There was foetal distress, and I had to be there right away.I forced myself to breathe. “
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