All Chapters of The Past Between Us: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

I stood outside the ICU room with my hand on the door. My legs would not move. Sophia stood beside me, one arm around my shoulders. Mia sat on a chair down the hall with Lucas asleep in her lap. The little boy looked so peaceful. So innocent. He had no idea his whole world was falling apart too.The doctor waited patiently. “He is asking for you. His vitals are dropping. If you want to see him…”I nodded. I had to.I walked in alone.Damien looked even smaller than before. His skin was gray. The machines beeped slower now. He turned his head when he heard me. His eyes were full of pain and regret.“Lila…” His voice was so weak. “Come here. Please.”I sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand. It was cold. Too cold.“I am here,” I whispered. Tears fell onto the white sheets. “I am right here.”He squeezed my hand with what little strength he had left. “The boy… Lucas… he is mine. I cannot lie anymore. It happened before I really changed. Before I understood what I had with you. I wa

I sat on the edge of the bed and took his cold hand in both of mine. The machines were beeping slower now. His face was gray and his eyes kept drifting shut like he was fighting to stay with me.“Tell me,” I whispered. My voice sounded raw. “Whatever it is, just say it before it is too late.”He opened his eyes and looked straight at me. For the first time I saw no walls left. Just a man who knew he was running out of time.“The biggest secret,” he said, each word slow and heavy, “is that I have been dying for almost a year. Cancer. The doctors gave me maybe eighteen months when they found it. The bullet just sped everything up. I was trying to fix every single thing before I left you and the kids. That is why I lied. That is why I hid Lucas. That is why I kept the divorce papers from being filed. I thought if I could clean up the mess I made, if I could protect you all from the partner and from my own family’s old deals, then maybe I could die knowing I had finally been the man you d

I ran back into the room so fast I almost slipped on the shiny floor. The nurse was already shouting for the crash cart. Doctors and more nurses flooded in behind me. Someone pushed me toward the corner and told me to stay out of the way. I couldn’t move. I just stood there watching them work on him.They shocked him once. His body jerked on the bed. I covered my mouth with both hands to keep from screaming. They shocked him again. The flatline sound kept going for what felt like forever. Then, finally, the monitor picked up a weak rhythm again.“He’s back,” one of the doctors said, but his voice was tight. “Barely. We need to get him to surgery. Now.”They wheeled him out so fast I barely had time to touch his hand. It was cold and limp. I followed them down the hallway until a nurse stopped me at the double doors.“You can’t go in there, Mrs. Voss. We’ll come get you when we know more.”I nodded because I didn’t trust my voice. My legs felt like they might give out. I sank onto the

I stood there by the river for what felt like forever, staring at the spot where the black car had disappeared. My phone was still in my hand. Sophia’s voice kept echoing in my head.“They took them. I’m so sorry.”My legs finally moved. I ran back to my car and drove like the world was ending. I called Sophia again on the way.“Tell me everything,” I said the second she answered. My voice sounded strange. Too calm. Like it belonged to someone else.She was crying. “Two men. They had guns. They knew exactly where the kids were sleeping. They took Liam and Rose and left before I could do anything. The guards… one of them is hurt bad.”I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles hurt. “Did they say anything? Leave anything?”“Just a note on the table. It said you would know where to go if you wanted them back.”My stomach dropped. They wanted me to follow. They wanted me to keep playing their game.I hung up and drove straight to the hospital. I had to see Damien before I did anyth

I don’t know how long I sat there in the dark. Time had lost all meaning. The same images kept looping in my head: Damien flatlining on that hospital bed, Liam’s terrified little face in the video, Rose’s tiny voice calling for me through the door.I felt hollow. Like someone had reached inside me and scraped everything out, leaving only fear behind.Then I heard footsteps.Slow. Heavy. Coming down the hallway.My whole body went rigid. I sat up straighter, heart hammering. The footsteps stopped right outside the living room. For a few endless seconds, there was nothing but silence.The door creaked open.A woman stepped in.It took me a second to recognize her in the dim light.Victoria.My sister.She looked exhausted…hair messy, dark circles under her eyes. She wasn’t holding a weapon, but she didn’t need one. The way she carried herself said she was in control.She closed the door quietly and leaned back against it.“Hi, Lila,” she said softly.My voice came out raw. “You. You too