Zach froze, staring at the figure weaving through the crowd. There was something familiar about them, stirring a memory he couldn’t quite place. Before he could move closer, Tara grabbed his wrist, holding him back.
“Zach, my stomach really hurts all of a sudden. Do you think it’s because I got scared earlier?”
Zach looked down at Tara, noticing how she was hunched over, her face tight with worry.
He glanced once more at the receding figure in the crowd, frustration pulling at his brow, then turned and gently supported Tara. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”
The emergency room was all harsh white lights and the sharp smell of antiseptic.
Sebastian got the hospital’s call just as he was ending a meeting. Ignoring the annoyed looks from the board, he rushed out. He arrived breathless, just in time to see Leslie waiting outside the ER doors.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, scanning her face and then the doors behind her.
Leslie gave a small smile. “Maybe I should be asking you that?”
“There was a car accident…”
“You’re okay, right? You’re not hurt?”
She watched him quickly look her over, anxious. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
Leslie caught the worry in his eyes and brushed her hair behind her ear. “No, not me. I just happened to be there. Someone fainted and I couldn’t just leave, so I followed them to the hospital.”
“Then why are you at the hospital? Are you feeling sick?”
“No, I just...”
Before she could finish, a nurse came out, helping Reese walk through the doors.
“Family for Reese?”
Sebastian stepped forward. “I’m here.”
Reese looked pale, a piece of gauze stuck to her forehead.
Leslie’s eyes widened in surprise. She glanced at Sebastian, then at Reese, her gaze lingering on Reese’s stomach. It was flat—no sign of pregnancy at all.
She took her paperwork and headed for the stairs.
Leslie watched her go, her own composure slipping as her eyes filled with tears.
“So that’s your wife?” she said, her voice shaky. “You’ve really kept her safe all these years. A little car accident and she faints.”
Sebastian heard the edge in her words and looked down at Leslie.
“She’s not usually like this. Maybe it’s because she just lost the baby. She’s still weak,” he said quietly.
“Oh?” Leslie laughed softly, her voice bitter. “And what’s she usually like? Sweet and gentle? The perfect housewife? Is that what you think a Mrs. Ratcliff should be?”
“She’s good to me.” Sebastian hesitated, his words heavy. “She’s a good woman.”
“Good to you?” Leslie’s voice broke as tears spilled down her cheeks. “And me, Sebastian? Wasn’t I good to you?”
“Back then, those old men on the board were so afraid you’d take away their power that they sent people after you, chased you all through the city. I risked everything to save you. I got hurt so badly that I can never have children again!”

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