Chapter 24
Without thinking, I ran to the edge and jumped in after her. The icy water engulfed me, pulling me down as waves crashed around me. I fought against the current, my only thought being to find Hannah.
“Hannah!” I shouted, my voice muffled by the water.
I spotted her a few feet away, her body floating limply. My heart clenched as I swam toward her, reaching out and grabbing her arm.
“Hannah, wake up!” I shouted, holding her close as I kicked toward the surface.
When we broke through the water, I gasped for air, holding her tightly. “Stay with me, Hannah,” I begged, my voice breaking.
I swam toward the shore, every muscle in my body screaming with effort. When I finally reached the beach, I pulled her onto the sand, collapsing beside her. “Hannah,” I whispered, brushing the wet hair from her face. Her eyes relief flooded through me.
“Scott…” she murmured weakly.
fluttered open,
and
“I’m here,” I said, tears streaming down my face. “I’m here. You’re going to be okay.”
In that moment, nothing else mattered. Not Emily, not the fight, not the chaos surrounding us. All that mattered was that Hannah was alive, and I wasn’t going to lose her.
The hospital waiting room was a blur of white walls, muffled voices, and the distant beeping of monitors. My clothes were still soaked, sticking to my skin as I paced back and forth, my hands shaking. My mind was racing with fear and guilt, the image of Hannah being pulled out of the water haunting me.
She was inside the operating room now, surrounded by doctors trying to save her life. My heart felt like it was being torn apart, knowing that this happened because I failed her. I failed to protect her.
I gritted my teeth as my thoughts shifted to Emily. She had started all of this, dragging her lies into our lives, pushing Hannah to the brink. And for what?
As if on cue, Emily appeared in the hallway, escorted by one of my men. Her face was pale, but she still carried that nervous, manipulative energy.
“Why?” I growled, my voice low but filled with fury. I stepped closer, my fists clenched. “Why would you do this? Why would you lie about something so serious? Do you even realize what you’ve done?”
Emily backed up slightly, her eyes darting to the side. “I–I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” she stammered.
“Didn’t mean for this to happen?” I snapped, my voice rising. “Hannah almost died, Emily! She jumped off a cliff because of your lies. How the hell do you not mean for this to happen?”
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“Didn’t mean for this to happen?” I snapped, my voice rising. “Hannah almost died, Emily! She jumped off a cliff because of your lies. How the hell do you not mean for this to happen?”
She shrank under my glare, but I wasn’t about to let her off the hook.
“Who’s the father, Emily?” I demanded, my voice sharp and unrelenting. “Because it’s not me. And we both know it.”
She hesitated, her hands trembling as she clutched her bag.
“Tell me the truth,” I said, stepping closer, my voice icy. “Now.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she shook her head. “I just needed money,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
I froze, my chest tightening. “Money?”
Emily nodded, looking down at her hands. “The baby isn’t yours, Scott. I swear. The father… he ran off. He left me, and I didn’t know what to do. I thought if I could get money from you, I’d be able to take care of myself and the baby.”
I felt like the ground beneath me was crumbling. My jaw clenched, and I took a deep breath, trying to keep my composure.
“So you lied,” I said slowly, my voice dangerously calm. “You lied, knowing it could ruin my life. Knowing it could destroy Hannah. All for money.”
She nodded, tears streaming down her face now. “I didn’t think it would get this far. I thought… I thought she’d leave, and you’d come back to me. But I never wanted her to get hurt.”
My hands trembled as I tried to process her words. I wanted to scream, to yell, to make her feel even a fraction of the pain she had caused.
“You don’t get to play the victim here,” I said, my voice low and threatening. “You don’t get to act like this was some innocent mistake. You’ve destroyed lives, Emily. And you’re going to fix this.”
She looked up at me, her eyes wide with fear. “What do you mean?”
“You’re going to tell the truth,” I said firmly. “To everyone. You’re going to admit that you lied about the baby, about everything. And you’re going to make it right.”
“–”
“No,” I cut her off, my voice sharp. “No excuses. If you don’t, I’ll make sure you pay for what you’ve done. Legally, financially, everything. Do you understand me?”
She nodded quickly, her face pale. “I’ll do it. I’ll tell the truth.”
I stared at her for a long moment, my anger simmering just below the surface. Finally, I turned away, my focus shifting back to Hannah.
Hours passed, and I couldn’t sit still. I kept pacing the hallway outside the operating room, glancing at the door every few seconds as if willing it to open.
Emily sat in a corner, her head bowed, while one of my men kept an eye on her. I didn’t care
Chapter 24
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“You’re going to tell the truth,” I said firmly. “To everyone. You’re going to admit that you lied about the baby, about everything. And you’re going to make it right.”
“No,” I cut her off, my voice sharp. “No excuses. If you don’t, I’ll make sure you pay for what you’ve done. Legally, financially, everything. Do you understand me?”
She nodded quickly, her face pale. “I’ll do it. I’ll tell the truth.”
I stared at her for a long moment, my anger simmering just below the surface. Finally, I turned away, my focus shifting back to Hannah.
Hours passed, and I couldn’t sit still. I kept pacing the hallway outside the operating room, glancing at the door every few seconds as if willing it to open.
Emily sat in a corner, her head bowed, while one of my men kept an eye on her. I didn’t care about her anymore. All that mattered was Hannah.
When the door finally opened, a doctor stepped out, his expression tired but calm.
“Mr. Hayes?” he said, looking at me.
I rushed forward. “How is she? Is she okay?”
“She’s stable,” he said, and relief washed over me like a wave. “She took in a lot of water, but we managed to stabilize her. She’s resting now, but you can see her soon.”
I let out a shaky breath, my hands running through my hair. “Thank you,” I said, my voice thick with emotion.
The doctor nodded before walking away, leaving me standing there, trying to steady myself.
When I finally entered Hannah’s room, the sight of her broke me. She looked so fragile, lying there with an IV in her arm and an oxygen mask over her face.
I pulled a chair up beside her bed, taking her hand gently in mine.
“I’m so sorry, Hannah,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “I let you down. I let her get to us. I swear, I’ll make this right. I’ll fix everything.”
I sat there for what felt like hours, my thumb brushing over the back of her hand as I waited for her to wake up.
Finally, her fingers twitched, and her eyes fluttered open.
“Hannah,” I said softly, leaning closer.
She blinked, her gaze meeting mine. “Scott?” she whispered, her voice weak.
“I’m here,” I said, squeezing her hand. “I’m right here.”
Tears filled her eyes, and I leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead.
“You’re okay,” I said, my voice shaking with relief. “You’re okay.”
In that moment, nothing else mattered. She was awake, she was alive, and I wasn’t going
to let anything–or anyone–hurt her again.
