The Prince’s Secret Twins (Al-Sintra Family #2)

Chapter 28

The doorway was so close—just a few feet away! So close to freedom, to the life she was meant to have.

Ophelia’s breath came in frantic gasps, her heart hammering against her ribs. She clutched the baby tighter, willing him to stay quiet. Please, please, just a little longer. She tried bouncing him, jostling him gently as she ran. She had no idea if this was Rafi or Laith, but it didn’t matter. He was hers now. She had done everything right to get here.

For the past week, she had woven herself into the palace fabric like a well-placed thread. She had been hired on as part of the cleaning crew, smiling at the guards, laughing at their jokes, asking about their families. She’d worked extra shifts, covered for others, learned their routines. She had memorized their names, their schedules, their habits. She’d made sure she was seen as reliable, friendly, trustworthy.

And it had worked.

They had welcomed her. Trusted her. Let their guard down.

And now—this was her moment!

She pushed harder, her legs burning, her breath hitching. If she ran fast enough, she could make it. The guards hadn’t noticed yet. She could see the sunshine. The promise of escape.

But then the baby wailed, a sudden, piercing cry that shattered the illusion of safety.

Ophelia flinched, panic gripping her chest. No, no, no! She tried bouncing him again, her mind whirling, careening between thought and impulse. She had to hush him—had to quiet him! Just a little longer, sweet boy. Just until we’re free.

It wasn’t fair. That woman had two! While she—she had suffered, she had lost, she had been robbed of what should have been hers! I had a daughter, but I need a son. My husband needs a son!

The miscarriage had taken her baby. And he had been a boy. He had to have been a boy.

She deserved this child. This was fate correcting itself.

Ophelia ran, her vision narrowing to the doorway, the golden spill of sunlight beckoning her. Just a few more steps. She barely heard the shouts behind her, barely registered the growing commotion.

All she heard was the baby’s cry, and in her mind—the child she had lost, the boy she should have had, the future she was stealing back.

If she could just—get—out!

There was a dark shadow off to the side, but Ophelia ignored the tall man, assuming he was just another guard. She’d already maneuvered around too many guards to count in order to get to this point. She could dodge this one too. He might be bigger than the others, but Ophelia told herself that she had desperation and hope on her side. She had right on her side. It was her right to have a baby boy! She could do this! Just a few more steps and…!

The big man stepped in front of her. He was huge! Taller and bulkier than most of the guards. But Ophelia refused to be stopped. Not when she was so close to success! So she pulled the bloody knife out from the folds of the baby blanket, holding the boy with one arm while she slashed through the air with the knife in her other hand.

“Stay away!” she screamed. “This is my baby now! You can’t have him!”

“I can’t let you steal that baby,” the man warned her.

Ophelia’s mind raced, trying to find a way out of this horrible place. She needed to get her infant son to safety! “I will! You can’t stop me! He’s mine! All mine! She doesn’t deserve two when I don’t have any! I need a baby boy!”

Ophelia blinked back tears. The doors were so close, she just had to get this man out of the way and she’d be free with her tiny baby boy!

There was a flash of blood, but Ophelia didn’t stop, didn’t even pause. She needed to get away! She needed to feed her baby son and put him into the cradle she’d already purchased for him! Ophelia knew that, as soon as she presented a baby boy to her husband, everything would be back to normal. He would love her again because he would now have a son to carry on the family name. And she would have provided that son to him! Everything would be better!

But that bastard with the red slash across his chest stepped in front of her again. Ophelia reached out to cut him again, but he gripped her wrist and…!

“Ow!” she gasped, her wrist twisted to the point where she could no longer hold the knife. “Stay away from me, you bastard!” she hissed, trying to back away. Unfortunately, he still had hold of her wrist and he didn’t let go no matter how hard she tried to free her hand.

“You’re hurting me!” Ophelia gasped, still fighting. She didn’t have a weapon anymore, but it didn’t matter.

“Give them the baby, and I’ll release your wrist,” the man in the dark suit and yellow, silk tie demanded, his jaw clenching in fury.

Ophelia looked behind her and saw two other tall men in beautiful suits, as well as several more guards, all heavily armed and ready to harm her or her baby boy. None were pointing their weapons and she knew that was only because they couldn’t risk hitting the baby. She cradled the boy closer, hearing his screams of anger in her ears. But her mind translated those screams into the baby telling her to hurry, to get him away where he would be safe.

Ophelia tried one more time to get away, but the man anticipated her move and tightened his grip on her wrist. She gasped and bent down, stumbling to her knees to try and ease the pain, but he didn’t relent. A second later, Ophelia felt another person reach out and pluck “her son” from her arms. Only then did the man release her wrist.

Ophelia cradled her wrist, sobbing as “her” infant son was carried away. That’s when she saw Tila, that bitch from the playground.

Her fury was uncontrollable now. “You have two sons!” Ophelia screamed, still holding her wrist but the pain in her heart was worse. “You have two! I just wanted one! Why couldn’t you let me have just one boy?” She was screaming so hard that her throat hurt and she watched through her tears as that horrible man gave the baby to the bitch. The woman Ophelia hated more than life cradled the tiny bundle closer. Some man, a big guy with broad shoulders moved so that he was blocking her view of her son and Ophelia couldn’t handle being even visually separated from the little boy. “He’s mine! I caught him so I get to take him with me!” she shrieked, hysterical now.

Someone was pulling her arms behind her back but Ophelia didn’t feel anything because the pain in her chest was too intense. She stumbled when someone pulled her back, but she couldn’t walk away. Not with the boy so close to her. Her dreams were centered around that small baby. “I have his crib all ready for him! I just want one boy! Just one!”

And then a door closed, blocking her view. There was no baby in her arms, no baby to take home to love and cherish. Everything was gone.