"If I didn't come, how would I get to watch this little show?"
Ina's expression shifted instantly to one of fear, and she tugged at Victor's sleeve.
"Victor..."
He snapped back to his senses and patted her hand reassuringly, then turned to me with a frown.
"Freya, this is all my fault. It has nothing to do with Ina. I'm the one who stole the ticket."
"I'm sure you can tell—Ina's pregnant."
I followed his gaze to her belly. She was indeed pregnant—six or seven months along, by the look of it.
Victor noticed where my eyes had landed and rushed to explain, as if afraid I'd get the wrong idea.
"Don't misunderstand. There's nothing between Ina and me. The baby isn't mine. I just felt sorry for her, being alone in a foreign country with no one to look after her. That's the only reason I took your ticket."
His voice softened then, and he looked at me with those gentle eyes of his.
"Freya, I've always known you're a kind person. You understand why I did it, right?"
"Think about it—you only had one ticket. If you board that plane, that's one life saved. But if Ina takes it, that ticket saves two lives. You're in medicine. You know what it means to have a healer's heart. I think you'd be willing to make that choice."
The words nearly burst out of me: What about me? I'm pregnant too!
But I swallowed them. In my last life, he'd already proven that even knowing I was carrying his child, he would choose Ina and her baby without a second's hesitation.
"But Freya, don't be scared. I'll stay with you. Life or death, I'll be right here beside you. Just give this chance to Ina and her child, okay?"
Listening to his plea, I smiled faintly.
"Sure. She can have it. Consider it my good deed for the day."
Relief flooded both their faces. Victor let out a breath and reached for my arm. I stepped out of his reach.
He faltered for a moment, then dropped his hand. "Freya, let's go. I'll explain everything when we get back."
He turned to Ina with an aching look. "Go on, get on the plane. Take care of yourself when you get home."
Ina cradled her round belly, eyes rimming red, voice thick with tears.
"Victor... when the baby's born, I'll give him your last name. Your mother will be his grandmother. I'll treat Mrs. Delgado like my own mother."
"Thank you, Ina. That puts my mind at ease. Tell my mom... I'll repay her for raising me in the next life."
I watched this little performance with cold eyes. The irony was suffocating. Thank God I'd been given a second chance. This time, I wouldn't put my parents through that kind of grief again.
Just as Ina wiped her tears and started toward the gate, glancing back every other step, I picked up my luggage and walked in the same direction.
Victor froze. He grabbed my arm. "Freya—you're going the wrong way."
I shook him off, my voice ice. "You want to die? Die alone. I plan on living."
"You don't have a ticket. How are you going to get through?"
Seeing the confusion on his face, I stopped pretending. I reached into my bag and pulled out a boarding pass.
