He Never Loved Me Until the Day I Finally Left Him novel Chapter 418

The bodyguard stepped inside and finally noticed Helena standing there, completely unbandaged. Shock briefly paralyzed him.

She didn't hesitate for a second. Tossing the covers aside, she bolted into the hallway.

Sebastian didn't try to stop her; he simply tore after her.

Helena practically had the route to the NICU branded into her brain.

She sprinted like her life depended on it.

It wasn't until she was mere feet from the ward doors that Sebastian finally caught her wrist.

The sheer force of his grip brought her to a jarring halt.

But her entire body remained rigid with barely contained panic.

She was terrified for Hope.

Sebastian's voice, in stark contrast, was terrifyingly calm.

He locked eyes with her, ensuring she absorbed every single word.

"I told you exactly how dire her situation is. I haven't hidden a thing from you."

"Helena, whatever we are about to walk into... you have to understand that it's expected."

He was desperately trying to brace her for the worst.

Helena simply stared at him, her silence screaming louder than any words could.

With a violent jerk, she ripped her arm from his grasp.

She turned her back on him and marched straight toward the NICU observation window.

Through the heavy glass, she watched the medical team frantically working on her baby.

That incredibly tiny body was swallowed by a terrifying maze of tubes and wires.

Machines flashed relentlessly as doctors scrambled around the incubator.

Helena couldn't fathom how such a fragile little soul was supposed to survive this level of medical invasion.

She didn't even dare picture the horrific surgical wounds hidden beneath the bandages.

The very thought of it threatened to shatter her completely.

She was drowning in an agonizing cocktail of heartbreak, guilt, and profound sorrow.

Yet her eyes burned dry; she was completely out of tears.

The emotional devastation crushed her chest, leaving her gasping for air.

A sick part of her wished the bandages were still on, wished she was still blind.

At least in the dark, she could have kept lying to herself.

She stood frozen, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs.

As Sebastian caught up, he saw her pressing her palm flat against the cold monitor glass.

A sudden, desperate urge gripped him.

"Tell me. How is she?" she demanded without hesitation.

The doctor's eyes immediately darted to Sebastian.

Sebastian gave a single, tight nod.

The message was clear: no more sugarcoating.

The doctor turned back to Helena. "Mrs. Hayes... you need to prepare yourself."

Everyone in that hallway knew exactly what those words meant.

Helena knew it better than anyone.

All the color drained from her face, leaving her looking like a ghost as she stared at him.

It felt like an eternity before she finally managed to choke out the question. "How long does she have?"

How many more precious seconds did her daughter have left in this world?

It felt as though her own heartbeat was inextricably linked to that tiny, failing monitor.

Hearing a mother ask for a timeline on her newborn's life...

It was a soul-crushing kind of devastation.

And the reality of it was ripping Helena apart.

"Very soon," the doctor answered heavily. "It's entirely up to her little body now. But... realistically, we are looking at a day or two."