Chapter 2

• Eight Months After That Night
• Danielle’s eyelids fluttered open at the sensation of someone shaking her gently.
• “Wake up, you can’t sleep here…”
• A nurse’s voice broke through the haze of exhaustion clouding her mind.
• Slowly, she sat up, her stiff body protesting. The faint scent of antiseptic filled her nose, grounding her in reality. She was in the hospital. Again.
• The concerned nurse placed a stack of papers in her hands.
• “We called your name several times, but you didn’t respond,” she said. “Here are your test results. Don’t forget to come for your checkup next week.”
• Danielle nodded, offering a tired but grateful smile. “Thank you.”
• As the nurse walked away, Danielle stared down at the ultrasound results resting in her lap.
• Her baby.
• A small life, growing inside her. The only person in this world who was truly hers.
• She exhaled shakily, pressing a hand against her rounded belly.
• “Just a few more weeks,” she whispered.
• A soft kick responded beneath her palm. A sad smile crossed her lips.
• At least someone still wanted her.
• “Abort it.”
• Her father’s voice was as sharp as a blade.
• Danielle sat frozen in the lavish living room of the Carter estate, her hands clenched into fists on her lap. Across from her, Richard Carter stared her down, disappointment darkening his features.
• Her stepmother, Vivian, sipped her tea elegantly, her lips curled in satisfaction. Bianca, her stepsister, didn’t even bother hiding her smirk.
• “You’re already an embarrassment,” Richard continued, his tone laced with disgust. “First, you disappear for days without explanation, and now you return with this?” His gaze flickered to her stomach.
• Danielle’s jaw tightened. “This is my child.”
• “It’s a mistake,” Bianca chimed in, feigning concern. “Dani, think about your future. Who would want a woman who—”
• “Enough,” Danielle snapped, standing abruptly. “I don’t care what any of you think. I will raise my baby alone if I have to.”
• Richard sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Then don’t expect a single penny from this family. If you walk out that door, you are no longer a Carter.”
• Danielle’s breath hitched, but she forced herself to lift her chin.
• This was not a home. These people were not her family.
• Without another word, she turned and walked out—never looking back.
• Danielle moved through life like a ghost.
• She had rented a small apartment, working remotely to sustain herself. The money she had saved from past investments was running out, but she refused to beg for help.
• At night, she dreamt of gray eyes and strong arms holding her close. Who was he? She had no answers.
• She only knew he was the father of her child.
• And soon, she would meet their baby.
• The Night That Changed Everything
• Danielle never made it to her next checkup.
• One stormy night, a searing pain tore through her stomach. The contractions came too early, her body wracked with unbearable agony.
• She was rushed to the hospital, her vision fading in and out as voices shouted around her.
• Then—darkness.
• When she woke up, she was met with a nurse’s solemn gaze.
• “Miss Carter…” the woman’s voice was gentle, hesitant. “I’m so sorry.”
• Danielle’s heart stopped.
• She tried to sit up, but the emptiness in her body told her what her mind refused to accept.
• “No…” her voice cracked, raw with grief. “Where is my baby?”
• The nurse hesitated before lowering her gaze. “There were… complications. Your baby didn’t make it.”
• The world around Danielle shattered.
• Tears streamed down her face, her body shaking as she clutched her stomach.
• Gone.
• Her baby was gone.
• She had fought so hard. Chosen her child over her family. Risked everything…
• And yet, in the end, she had lost everything.
• ---
• Danielle no longer dreamed about that night.
• Not the night of the one-night stand, not the night she lost her baby. She didn’t allow herself to.
• The woman staring back at her in the mirror was no longer the naive, hopeful girl she had been. She had been forced to become stronger.
• With a deep breath, she adjusted the lapels of her sleek blazer.
• Danielle Carter had rebuilt her life.
• She wasn’t a Carter anymore—not by name, not by blood. Her father had cut her off completely. And that was fine.
• Her sharp intelligence and business acumen had made her one of the youngest rising entrepreneurs in the city. She had a steady career, a quiet life… and no ties to the past.
• But sometimes, in the quiet moments, when she let her guard down… she wondered.
• Would her child have had her eyes?
• Would they have smiled like her?
• Would they have reached for her hand, whispering “Mama”?
• Her fingers brushed against her stomach—a habit she had never shaken off.