When I woke up again, I stared at the ceiling, then instinctively reached out to touch my stomach.
The small bump that had once been there was now completely flat.
My face turned pale and a crushing pain seized my chest that I could not breathe.
Even though I had prepared myself for the possibility that this child might not stay with me long, I never expected the goodbye to come so soon. I had not even bought the little jar to keep a part of it with me.
Fighting through the pain, I called my mother in tears.
"Mom, the baby is gone… Tell Dad that I agreed to marry the son of the Quinn Family."
My mother, who had seemed hesitant before, suddenly sounded overjoyed.
Once my father confirmed the Quinn Family's answer, he could not stop grinning.
"You’re so lucky that the Quinn Family is still willing to accept you, even as secondhand goods."
I lay quietly in bed, watching them pack my things with excitement. None of them asked if their child had suffered.
I shut my eyes tightly, but tears still fell silently from the corners.
When everything was packed, my parents left to complete the discharge papers.
Then, suddenly, I heard a sound at the door. I turned instinctively and saw Alden.
Without saying a word, he grabbed my hand and dragged me out.
I could not keep up with his pace. My injured foot was throbbing and the wound worsened.
When we arrived at Celine’s ward, Alden spoke urgently, breathless.
"Doctor, I brought someone. Draw her blood."
I stared at him in disbelief and turned to leave.
However, Alden held me down firmly.
Celine pretended to plead, though her eyes gleamed with smugness.
She said, "Alden, I don’t think Elara wants to do this. She did push me, but let’s just forget about it. I don’t want you two to fight because of me. I can just bear with the pain a little longer."
As she spoke, she gently placed her hand over her belly, tears welling in her eyes.
A flicker of pain flashed across Alden’s face. He frowned and looked at me.
"Elara Thorne! You were the one who pushed Celine, so you have to take responsibility. It’s just a little blood, so it’s not a big deal. Celine is really unwell right now. Nothing can happen to her."
With that, he pinned me down even harder.
"Let me go! I didn’t push her, Alden! Let me go!"
Seeing the doctor glance at me, Alden quickly covered my mouth.
"Well, she looks pale. If she’s pregnant or having a miscarriage, she can’t donate blood," the doctor said.
A flicker of hesitation crossed Alden’s eyes and he almost pulled his hand away. But then, a trace of resentment flashed in Celine’s eyes and she suddenly began to cry softly.
"Alden, it hurts so bad."
The moment she spoke, Alden’s expression hardened. Without hesitation, he said, "She’s not pregnant. Just draw her blood. I’m her husband, so if anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility."
In the end, under his insistence, the thick needle was plunged into my arm.
As my blood was drained, I collapsed to the ground, completely powerless.
Alden held me tightly, his expression pained, eyes red as if he were crying blood.
"Elara, it’ll be over soon. Nothing will happen to you. The baby will be fine too, I promise. This is the last time."
I stared at him with lifeless eyes and finally closed them, losing consciousness completely.
From that moment on, there was nothing left between Alden and me.
The next day, despite my weak condition, my parents put me on the Quinn Family's private jet.
At the same time, news of the marriage arrangement between the Quinn and Thorne families swept across the country and I was about to become the wife of a billionaire.
The nurses at the hospital whispered among themselves and Alden overheard them.
He knew there was no other daughter in my family. The one marrying into the Quinn Family… could only be me.
Realizing this, he began calling me like a madman.
At the last moment before takeoff, he finally tracked me down.
But in the end, human effort had its limits, so he could only watch, screaming helplessly, as the plane carried me into the sky.
From that moment on, there was truly nothing left between us.
