Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 223

Hearing Sophie's name, a dark, predatory gleam flashed through Randal's eyes.

He took a deep breath, pulling her even more carefully into his embrace, murmuring soft comforts over and over: "Don't be afraid, Willa, don't be afraid... I'm right here. Nothing is going to happen..."

Perhaps the violent struggle had drained the very last of her strength. Willa's fiercely taut nerves finally began to slowly unravel.

Her thrashing gradually ceased, leaving only quiet, fragmented sobs spilling brokenly from her throat.

Her body went limp against his chest, though her hands remained stubbornly locked over her lower abdomen.

Randal's arms instinctively tightened around her.

He didn't want to hurt her, but the existence of this child in her womb was a dagger lodged squarely in his heart.

"Willa... what am I supposed to do with you?"

In his arms, Willa's consciousness finally slipped away entirely due to the prolonged high fever.

—

The sharp, clinical scent of antiseptic instantly awakened the deepest terrors in Willa's heart the second she regained consciousness.

Sensation slowly seeped back into her limbs. Her throat was parched and stinging, her body aching and completely devoid of strength.

And her stomach...

Willa violently jolted, practically springing upright. Ignoring the IV needle taped to the back of her hand, she frantically grabbed at her lower abdomen.

But she felt nothing.

Her stomach, which had always been flat, now looked glaringly agonizing to her eyes.

"Ah—!" A shrill, distorted scream tore from her throat without warning. "My baby! Where is my baby?"

Like a madwoman, she ripped the IV needle from her hand, threw off the covers, and stumbled blindly toward the edge of the bed.

"Ms. Vance, please calm down. You can't get out of bed right now." The nurse stationed nearby was horrified and rushed forward to hold her down.

"Get out! Don't touch me!" Willa shoved her away with every ounce of strength she possessed. Her bare feet hit the floor, a freezing chill shooting straight from her soles to her head.

"You need to rest."

Randal carried her back to the edge of the bed. He tried to lay her down, but she clung fiercely to his shoulders, refusing to let go.

"The baby is gone, isn't it? You killed him, didn't you?" Willa glared at him through gritted teeth, looking as though she wanted to tear him apart.

Randal shook his head. "Stop this. The doctor said you can't get agitated. It will affect the fetus."

Willa jolted, all her thrashing and screaming grinding to a dead halt.

She slowly lowered her head, staring blankly at her stomach.

Randal's voice rang clearly in her ears: "The baby is still here. Your high fever caused a threatened miscarriage. You need to stay hospitalized to stabilize the pregnancy."

Willa's eyes widened, and she jerked her head up in absolute disbelief.

The baby... was still here?

He didn't... get rid of this child?