Chapter 4

I was trapped inside the crushed metal frame of the car, unable to move.

The pain in my abdomen grew worse with every passing second, and a dark pool of blood began to soak through the car seat.

The driver of the armored SUV got out, walked over to my shattered window, and took a quick look at me. Then, he immediately pulled out his phone and made a call.

"Mr. Blackwood, I've successfully rammed and stopped Mrs. Blackwood's car as you ordered."

"The car flipped. Mrs. Blackwood is severely injured and bleeding. Should I call an ambulance?"

There was a silence on the other end of the line for a few agonizing seconds.

Then, Ethan's voice drifted out of the speaker, cold and detached:

"Wait. Once Chloe is safely checked into her new place, then you can send Elena to the hospital."

My breathing was growing weaker by the second.

My lower abdomen felt incredibly heavy and painful. The tiny life that had been growing inside me for four months was slipping away.

With the last of my strength, I cried out, "Please... take me to the hospital... I'm losing the baby..."

The driver visibly panicked and spoke into the phone urgently, "Sir! Mrs. Blackwood is bleeding heavily, I think she's..."

"I said,"

Ethan's voice dropped, carrying a chilling, absolute authority.

"Put Chloe's safety first."

That single sentence crushed the very last shred of hope I had left in my heart.

I closed my eyes as tears, mixed with blood, dripped down my cheeks.

The final ember of warmth in my chest died out completely.

My consciousness slipped into total darkness.

When I woke up again, I was in the back of an ambulance.

The blaring sirens were deafening.

The paramedic was frantically pressing down on my stomach:

"The patient is hemorrhaging from a miscarriage! Her blood pressure is crashing! Faster! Drive faster!"

My eyelids felt as heavy as lead, and my lower body was completely numb from the pain.

After what felt like an eternity, the ambulance screeched to a halt.

I was lifted onto a gurney and rushed toward the emergency room.

But just as we reached the entrance of the ER, we were blocked by several large bodyguards in black suits.

"Mr. Blackwood has cleared the entire hospital for Miss Chloe's private checkup. No unauthorized personnel are allowed inside."

The paramedic was on the verge of tears. "She's hemorrhaging from a miscarriage! Every second counts! She's going to die!"

The bodyguards remained completely unmoved.

With trembling hands, I reached out, grabbed my phone from the gurney, and dialed Ethan's number.

It rang for a long time before he finally picked up.

His voice was laced with pure fury. "Elena, you really are like a parasite! You actually followed us to the hospital?!"

"I'm telling you, as long as I'm here, you won't get the chance to hurt Chloe."

"Ethan..."

My voice was barely a whisper. Every single word sent a sharp pain through my chest.

"I'm not here for her... please tell them to let me in... I'm dying..."

He let out a mocking laugh, his tone dripping with disdain:

"People like you don't die so easily. But if you actually die, I'll gladly buy your coffin."

With that, he hung up.

Immediately after, the bodyguards seemed to receive their orders. They stepped forward and began pushing the gurney away.

The paramedic screamed, trying to block them. "You can't do this! She will die! Let us in!"

In the chaos, someone in the crowd yelled, "Mr. Blackwood is coming out!"

The lead bodyguard frowned. Fearing that I would cause a scene, he grabbed my arm and violently dragged me off the gurney.

I fell heavily onto the hard concrete floor. My wounds burst open, and blood instantly soaked through my clothes, pooling around me in a shocking shade of crimson.

Lying flat on the ground, I forced myself to lift my head.

Through the gaps in the crowd, I saw Ethan walking out, gently holding Chloe. He was carefully shielding her slightly rounded belly.

As if she were the most precious treasure in the world.

The black armored SUV slowly drove away, eventually disappearing down the street.

I opened my mouth, but only a mouthful of blood came coughing out. The light in my eyes began to fade.

BEEP---

The heart monitor in the ambulance behind me let out a long, flat tone.

The world fell completely silent.

Inside the driving SUV, Ethan suddenly felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest. Instinctively, he rolled down the window.

The frantic screams of the medical staff in the distance drifted in with the night wind:

"The patient, Elena Vance, has lost all vital signs! Time of death: 7:40 PM!"

Every drop of color drained from Ethan's face instantly.