Chapter 1 - The Cold Ride
The siren wailed as the ambulance tore through the dark city streets.
My hands gripped the thin edges of the stretcher.
Every bump in the road sent a fresh wave of agony through my lower back.
I squeezed my eyes shut, praying for the pain to stop.
Beside me, Noah Reed was a steady, calming presence.
The young rookie firefighter had not left my side since he loaded me into the rig.
He was constantly checking my vitals, his eyes focused and professional.
But I could see the quiet anger burning behind his professional mask.
He had seen exactly what my husband did.
He had watched Ethan carry another woman to safety while I bled on the floor.
"Your blood pressure is elevated, Amelia," Noah said softly.
"Just try to take slow, deep breaths for me."
I nodded, inhaling the sterile, freezing air of the ambulance.
"Is my baby going to be okay?" I whispered.
My voice cracked, betraying the absolute terror consuming my mind.
"We are three minutes away from Memorial Hospital," Noah reassured me.
"They have a top-tier maternity ward, and the team is already waiting for you."
He gently placed a warm blanket over my shaking shoulders.
I looked down at my bare left hand.
The pale line where my wedding ring used to sit looked like a fresh scar.
Back in the lobby, Ethan was probably still holding Claire's hand.
He was probably still asking if her twisted ankle hurt too much.
He had no idea that he had just shattered our entire family.
A sharp cramp ripped through my abdomen, making me cry out loudly.
Noah grabbed the radio, his voice suddenly sharp and urgent.
"We have a thirty-one-week pregnant female with active bleeding and severe contractions."
"Have the OB-GYN trauma team ready at the bay doors immediately!"
The ambulance swerved sharply, the tires squealing as we pulled into the hospital.
The back doors swung open, letting in a rush of cold night air.
Nurses and doctors instantly surrounded me, shouting medical terms I could not understand.
They pulled my stretcher out of the ambulance and rushed me into the blinding lights of the emergency room.
As they wheeled me down the hallway, I caught one last glimpse of Noah.
He was standing by the ambulance doors, watching me go.
In his large, soot-stained hand, he tightly held my diamond ring.
He gave me a single, determined nod.
May you like
I knew he was going to deliver my message.
And I knew Ethan's perfect world was about to violently collapse.
