Chapter 3

A nurse came in, silently re-bandaged Avah's bleeding hand, dimmed the harsh overhead lights, and quietly slipped out of the room.

Avah leaned back against the stiff pillows. She closed her eyes, her chest rising and falling heavily as she tried to digest the brutal reality of the last hour.

The slightly ajar hospital door suddenly creaked. It hadn't been fully latched after the nurses rushed out, and a small, brightly colored toy car rolled into the room, bumping against the leg of the visitor's chair. A tiny force pushed the door open wider, making a soft squeaking sound. The boy had clearly slipped away from the adjacent suite while his caretakers were distracted.

Avah's eyes snapped open. Her body tensed, thinking her father had returned. Her fingers instinctively reached for the call button again.

A small boy, no older than four, poked his head into the room. He was dressed in a miniature, perfectly tailored suit and a little bow tie.

The boy had the most striking, deep ocean-blue eyes. He blinked, staring curiously at Avah lying in the hospital bed.

Avah froze. The tight knot of anxiety in her stomach instantly unraveled at the sight of the beautiful child.

The moment the boy got a clear look at Avah's face, a massive spark of pure joy exploded in his blue eyes.

His little legs moved fast. He ran straight past the chairs, entirely unafraid, and threw himself headfirst into Avah's arms.

"Mommy!" The boy's voice was soft, sweet, and laced with a desperate, emotional relief.

Avah's entire body went rigid. The word "Mommy" acted like a live wire, sending a violent shock straight through her heart.

Her mind went completely blank. Her first instinct was to gently push this strange child away.

But the boy wrapped his little arms tightly around her neck. The faint, sweet scent of baby powder and milk drifted to her nose. Avah's hands hovered in the air, unable to push him away.

The trauma of losing her own child three years ago hit her hard. Her breathing turned ragged. Her eyes burned, and hot tears threatened to spill over.

Her hands trembled as she finally lowered them, gently rubbing the boy's small back. She tried to steady her voice. "Sweetheart, I'm... I'm not your mommy."

Outside in the hallway, the heavy, rhythmic sound of expensive leather shoes hitting the tile floor approached rapidly.

"Leo." A deep, freezing male voice called out. The footsteps stopped right outside her door.

The hospital door was pushed wide open. A tall, broad-shouldered man stood in the doorway, backlit by the hallway lights.

He wore a dark, immaculately tailored suit. A suffocating aura of absolute dominance and power radiated from his large frame.

Avah looked up. Her eyes collided with a pair of deep, icy blue eyes-the exact same shade as the little boy's.

The man's dark eyebrows pulled together in a slight frown when he saw his son clinging to a strange woman in a hospital bed.

He stepped into the room. His polished shoes clicked against the floor, tapping out a dangerous, deliberate rhythm in the quiet space.

Atticus stopped two feet away from the bed. He looked down at Avah, his gaze heavy and calculating.

His aggressive eyes slowly scanned Avah's pale face, dropping down to her messy, tangled curls.

Leo turned his head, looking at the towering man. "Daddy! I found Mommy!" he yelled, his voice full of excitement.

A dark, unreadable emotion flashed through Atticus's blue eyes, but it vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, hard mask.

He reached out a large hand with prominent knuckles. His tone left no room for argument. "Leo. Come here."

Leo stubbornly shook his head. He buried his face in Avah's neck, hugging her even tighter, as if protecting his territory.

Avah felt incredibly awkward caught between the father and son. She gently tried to pry the boy's arms off her neck.

Atticus suddenly leaned down over the bed. The crisp, clean scent of cedarwood and expensive cologne instantly enveloped Avah, making her breath catch.