Chapter 40

Ten minutes later.

The doctor burst out of the ER, coat fluttering behind him. A nurse followed close behind, pushing Lucie's gurney down the corridor.

"Prep for surgery, now!"

Steven rushed forward, panic twisting his features. "Doctor, what's happening?"

"Mr. Heath, your wife is having a miscarriage," the doctor said, voice clipped and urgent. "She's losing a lot of blood. We need to operate immediately."

Steven staggered back, the news slamming into him like a freight train. For a moment, his mind went blank as they wheeled Lucie away, her face pale beneath the harsh hospital lights.

He'd been getting birth control injections for years. One shot could offer three months of protection. He was due for another last month, but he'd been swamped and forgotten.

When they got married, he lied. Told her he had low sperm count. So they never used protection. Ever.

"Lucie... How did this happen?" he whispered, guilt gnawing at him.

Half an hour crawled by. Mr. Anderson arrived, face pinched with worry, breathless from hurrying.

"How's Lucie?" His voice trembled.

"Grandpa... she's-she's in surgery."

"What happened? She was fine yesterday! How could things go so wrong overnight?"

Steven's face drained of color. His throat worked, but no words came.

If he'd known she was pregnant, he would never have been so rough with her. He would never have risked this.

The glare of the fluorescent lights stabbed at his eyes. He slumped onto a bench, fingernails digging into his knees until his knuckles turned white.

Mr. Anderson grabbed him by the collar, voice shaking. His eyes were red and wild. "Tell me! What did you do to her?!"

"Grandpa, I..." Steven's voice caught, raw and broken. It felt like shards of glass lodged in his throat.

Mr. Anderson could only mutter desperate prayers under his breath, hands trembling.

Suddenly, the operating room doors swung open. A nurse rushed out, clutching a clipboard.

"Mrs. Heath is losing too much

blood

from the miscarriage. Her et critical. We need to`

condition

operate now family needs to sign!"

Mr. Anderson lurched for the pen, his hand unsteady.

Steven's hand shot out first. The pen sliced across his finger, drawing a thin line of blood as he signed.

"Do whatever you have to," he rasped, voice hoarse with fear and regret. "Just save my wife."

"We'll do everything we can, Mr. Heath."

"A miscarriage? Lucie was pregnant?" Mr. Anderson's voice broke, eyes wide with shock.

Steven's expression was stone, the weight of shame pressing down on him.

"Lucie told me you had fertility problems. She said you couldn't have children naturally. How did this happen?"

Steven swallowed hard, words barely making it past his lips. "It must've been... an accident."

"What did you do?" Mr. Anderson's suspicion sharpened. "Is this your fault?"

"Grandpa, I'm sorry. I swear, I didn't know she was pregnant."

Just then, Shannon came racing down the hallway in her wheelchair, worry etched deep on her face.

"Steven, what happened? Is Lucie sick?"

He couldn't answer-couldn't even look at her. Regret and horror twisted his features.

When Mr. Anderson saw Shannon, his anger exploded. He whipped around to face Steven, voice thunderous.

"Is it because of you and this woman? Did you push Lucie to this?!"

His whole body shook with fury.

Det

"You said you loved her, begged me

marry my granddaughter

this is now treat her

"Grandpa, I'm sorry!"

"If my granddaughter comes

through this, fine. But if anything happens to her swear will use everything have to make the Heath family pay."