Chapter 4 - The AwakeningWhen I finally opened my eyes, the blinding white light of the ICU hit my vision.
The rhythmic, electronic beep of my heart monitor was slow, steady, and calm. My throat felt raw, my body impossibly weak, but the searing pain in my abdomen had been replaced by a dull, managed ache.
Sitting in the armchair beside my bed was Marcus.
Beside him, sleeping peacefully in a heated mobile bassinet, was my son.
“Amelia?” Marcus whispered, instantly springing from his chair, taking my hand with extreme gentleness. “Can you hear me?”
“My... baby...” I choked out, my voice barely a whisper.
Marcus carefully lifted the tiny, warm bundle from the bassinet and laid him against my chest.
Looking down at my son—his dark curls, his healthy rosy cheeks, his steady breathing—tears flooded my eyes, spilling onto the white hospital blanket. He was alive. He was perfect. Ten pounds of pure, unbroken life.
“I named him Leo,” I rasped, kissing his tiny forehead. “Leo Grant.”
“He’s a fighter, just like his mother,” Marcus said softly, his eyes shining with deep emotion.
The heavy glass door of the ICU room slid open.
Cameron stepped into the room. He looked broken. His green scrubs were wrinkled, his face gaunt, his hands trembling as he stared at me and the baby.
“Amelia...” Cameron sobbed, taking a step toward the bed. “Oh God, Amelia... you’re alive... I’m so sorry... I was out of my mind...”
Leo stirred against my chest, whimpering slightly at the sound of Cameron's voice.
I didn't scream. I didn't cry. I looked at the man I had spent seven years loving, and I felt absolutely nothing. No anger, no resentment—only a vast, hollow emptiness.
“Get out, Cameron,” I said calmly.
“Amelia, please!” Cameron begged, falling onto his knees beside the bed, trying to grab my hand. “It was a mistake! Sophie lied to me! She made me think you were trying to ruin her career! I love you! He’s my son!”
Marcus stepped between Cameron and my bed, placing a heavy hand on Cameron’s shoulder, forcing him up.
“She told you to leave, Bennett,” Marcus said coldly.
“You don't tell me what to do with my wife, Sterling!” Cameron roared, his old arrogance flaring up for a brief second.
“She’s not your wife anymore,” Marcus replied smoothly, pulling a white envelope from his jacket pocket and slapping it against Cameron’s chest. “That is a formal notice of emergency suspension, a temporary restraining order, and a subpoena from the State Medical Board.”
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Cameron stared at the papers, his face draining of all color.
“And Cameron?” I spoke from the bed, my voice clear and cutting through the quiet room. “Leo carries my last name. You will never hold him. You will never see him. And by next week... you won't even have a medical license.”
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