The Years Between Signing and Seeing novel Chapter 161

She struggled back to the sofa and collapsed onto it, every ounce of her spirit drained away.

A vortex of exhaustion, helplessness, and pain churned within her, gnawing at her heart.

Her gaze drifted aimlessly around the lavish bedroom, a bitter smile playing on her lips.

Once the paternity test results came in…

Suzie could already picture the scene of Jamie tearing her children away from her.

She rested a hand on her slightly rounded belly, unable to stop the horrible image forming in her mind.

She saw herself imprisoned in this room, waiting alone as her belly grew day by day until the babies were born. But the moment they arrived, Jamie would snatch them away without a shred of mercy.

She would be left in a hospital bed, her cries tearing through her own throat, but no one would pity her, no one would help her…

The thought made her whole body shake.

No, she couldn't live like that. She couldn't endure nine months of hardship only to have her children stolen from her before she even had a chance to hold them.

The sheer, suffocating despair of it made tears stream down her face. The image was so vivid it made her want to fall to her knees and beg Jamie, plead with him not to take her children away.

Curled up on the sofa with a pillow clutched to her chest, Suzie cried until she wore herself out.

Time slipped by unnoticed. Eventually, with tears still damp on her cheeks, exhaustion claimed her, and she drifted into a deep, heavy sleep.

...

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the entire bedroom.

Who had been here?

Was it Lucy who had carried her to bed? But a woman her size likely couldn’t have lifted a pregnant woman in a deep sleep.

Could it have been Jamie…

Impossible. He wouldn’t have come back just to check on her. He hadn’t been back to the manor in ages; he must have left for good last night.

Or maybe, after Chloe’s dramatic breakdown, he had gone straight from here to comfort her…

Lying in bed, Suzie let her thoughts drift, trying to piece together the missing parts of the night. It wasn't until her stomach rumbled insistently that she finally forced herself out of bed.

When she entered the en-suite bathroom, she found the shelves next to the sink fully stocked with an array of toiletries and personal care items. She recognized the skincare products—all top-tier brands specifically for pregnant women. The towels and face cloths were all new and of the highest quality.