Chapter 2 2

River's POV

Nova-my best friend who helped get me out of prison. The one who smiled in my face, held my baby, and told me I'd be fine. There she was, standing in a white dress, holding the hand of the man I loved.

My legs trembled. Rowan's eyes met mine. His face went pale, like he'd seen a ghost. His mouth opened, but no words came. He clearly had no idea I'd been released.

Nova... she saw me too. Our eyes locked...and then she smiled. Like everything was perfect. Like she was the happiest woman on earth. I couldn't breathe.

No one else seemed to notice me standing there like a statue. Just them. I stumbled to the back and sat on a pew. I tried not to cry, but the tears came anyway...hot, heavy, and unstoppable.

I looked up again. They were still standing there, smiling at each other. Why did Nova help me get out? Was it to mock me? To watch me break down?

Then it hit me-she must have been the one who sent that message telling me to meet Rowan here. This was her plan all along.

I remembered how they laughed at the office, the silly jokes they shared, and how they hung out because she worked at the company too. But I never thought it would mean anything.

She was my best friend. She wouldn't betray me... right?

My chest ached, and I felt like I was falling...but there was no one to catch me. I looked down at the engagement ring on my finger. The one I never took off. The one I held onto every single day in prison.

I told myself it meant something. That he loved me. That he would wait. But it was all a lie.

All for nothing.

I wiped my tears with my sleeve and raised my head to watch the rest of the show. I noticed Rowan kept glancing at me like he expected me to cause a scene.

Then suddenly the priest spoke. "If anyone has a reason why these two should not be joined in marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace."

And I stood up.

Every head turned.

Gasps. Whispers.

"Isn't that Rowan Kane's P.A.?"

"The assistant who disappeared after the scandal..." They recognised me. Rowan's hands began to shake. Sweat beaded on his forehead, even in the air-conditioned room.

He thought I'd speak up. Thought I'd reveal everything. But I didn't. I just looked at him for the last time. Then I turned around and walked out of the building.

The doors shut behind me, sealing in the music, the lies, and the pain. I stood outside and took a shaky breath. My eyes were sore...I had no tears left to cry. I slipped the ring off my finger and threw it far into the street.

And there-right in front of that building-I made a promise to myself: Rowan Kane was going to pay for what he did to me. At just 23, he had destroyed my life. Left me with a prison record that would stain everything I tried to build.

Now, I'd destroy him. No matter how long it took.

Piece by piece.

I started walking, trying to flag down a cab. But I was so lost in thought...thinking about everything and nothing all at once...that I didn't see the car. And before I knew what was happening, it knocked me off my feet.

Then pain-blinding and sharp, shooting through me like lightning. I heard shouting. Someone screamed my name or maybe it was in my head.

My baby.

I turned my head just enough to see her on the ground...so small, so still...and then everything went black.

~~~~

When I opened my eyes again, everything was hazy. The light above me was too bright. A steady beeping echoed somewhere nearby.

My head throbbed with a deep, dull ache. I blinked, trying to focus. White ceiling. Hospital bed. The sheet over me smelt faintly of disinfectant.

"My baby", I croaked, my voice dry and cracked. I tried to sit up, but pain shot through my skull, making me groan.

"Ouch..."

"Be careful, dear," a calm voice said beside me. I turned my head slowly and winced. A tall man stood next to me, with kind eyes and a gentle expression. I didn't know him.

"Who are you?" I asked, barely whispering.

"Oh-I'm Killian," he said with a small smile. "I was the one who brought you here. You were hit by a cab, but thank God, it wasn't too serious."

I didn't care about that.

I only cared about one thing. "Where's my baby?" My throat tightened. My heart pounded. Before he could answer, the door opened. A doctor walked in holding a clipboard, wearing the practiced, tired smile doctors always wear.

"Oh, you're awake," he said cheerfully. But I didn't look at him. I couldn't. My eyes locked on the person behind him...a nurse, walking in quietly.

In her arms was my baby.

Safe.

Whole.

Wrapped in the same little blanket I'd tucked around her that morning. I let out a shaky breath, my chest loosening for the first time since waking.

The nurse gently placed her in my arms. "There you are," I whispered. My baby blinked up at me, sleepy and soft. "You need to be careful, please."

"It looks like your baby is just two days old, and you still need more rest after giving birth. This accident could have been worse, but we thank God that you and your baby are fine." His words came with a kind smile.

I felt a soft rush of relief, even as my body still ached from the crash. He turned slightly and nodded towards the man standing quietly near the door. "Thanks also to this gentleman over here who rushed you in on time."

My eyes followed his gaze, and I looked at the man again. "I've prescribed some drugs for you to help with the pain."

"You can leave whenever you're ready; the gentleman has sorted your bills." I couldn't say anything for a moment. My throat felt tight and my eyes began to sting.

"Thank you so much, Killian. I'm so grateful you saved my life." My voice cracked a little, and I quickly wiped the tears from my cheek. I didn't even want to think about what could have happened if he hadn't shown up.

I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if anything had happened to my baby. He gave me a small smile. "Let me know whenever you're ready to leave."

"Oh, it's fine. I can get home myself. You've done enough for me already." I didn't want to bother him anymore. He didn't argue much, but before he turned to go, he asked softly if he could have my number.

I hesitated, looking at him for a moment. Something about it made me uneasy. I didn't want him to come back expecting more than I could give.

He didn't look like the kind of man who helped just to help, and I wasn't sure I was ready to find out if I was wrong.

So I said no.

He didn't push. He just nodded slowly, almost like he had expected it. After a while he still went out of his way to get me a cab. "Be safe," he said softly. I watched the hospital fade behind me as the car pulled away.

I couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened just in the space of two days. Even if I never saw Killian again, I'd always remember what he did for us.

Getting home was slow and painful; every step sent a sharp ache through my body, but I held my baby close and kept moving because I had made up my mind.

I couldn't stay here any longer, not after everything that had happened. I was done waiting for things to get worse. I had already planned to leave the country for good.

I was an orphan with no one to turn to. Now I have to start over somewhere far away and raise my child in peace. Even though my body screamed for rest, I began packing my bags.

I folded clothes with shaking hands, trying not to think about Nova...my best friend who I now knew would betray me. If she could turn her back on me like that, then what else was she capable of?

The night dragged on. I couldn't sleep. I lay on the bed with my baby beside me, staring at the ceiling. I thought about Rowan, about how much I gave him, how much I sacrificed.

And now, he was married to someone else, living a life I thought we were building together. I was lost in that pain when I heard footsteps...soft but steady-somewhere in the house.

My whole body froze. Fear wrapped around me so tight I couldn't breathe. I sat up, my heart racing, and reached for the lamp on the table. It was the only thing I could grab.

I crept out of the room, each step heavy with dread, and when I turned the corner, I saw him...a man in a black hoodie. "How did he get into my apartment?"

I patiently waited for him to get close, and when he did, I raised the lamp, ready to hit him, but he was too fast. He grabbed me...his hand over my mouth, the other tight around my arm.

I fought him with everything I had, and when I broke free, I finally saw his face in the dim light.

It was Killian!

"River," he whispered my name. But it wasn't the way he said it that scared me. It was the look in his eyes.