Chapter 43
The moment I woke up, a deep fear gripped me. The uncertainty of where I was and what had happened left me breathless. But seeing Monica by my side, a small spark of calm flickered to life. My voice came out trembling, desperate:
“My baby? Where's my baby?” Anguish floods my voice as my hands desperately search for my belly. Profound relief washes over me when I feel that he's still here, safe inside me. I breathe deeply, trying to calm my racing heart.
“Calm down, Chloe. Everything's fine with you and the baby. But you need to stay calm and rest now,” Monica says gently, trying to reassure me.
But my mind is already far away, lost in thoughts of my sister.
“Where's Elena? Is she here too?” My voice trembles slightly, heavy with apprehension and fear of the worst.
An understanding smile crosses Monica's face before she responds:
“No, Alex took her to his place. I spoke with him a little while ago. Elena is doing great and being well taken care of. You can rest easy, Chloe. You're safe now.”
Relief washes over me like a warm wave, but my thoughts soon turn to Alex and the baby.
“Alex... he knows...” I point to my belly, trying to process the swirl of emotions inside me.
“He's the one who got you out of there. He was desperate when he found out about your pregnancy, and then your disappearance. He didn't rest until he found you both. I've never seen him so distraught,” Monica explains, her eyes filled with empathy and relief.
She moves to leave and, with a careful look, says:
“I'm going to let him know you're awake. Is that okay?”
“Yes. That's fine,” I respond, a weak smile forming on my lips. “After all, he's Alexei's father, and sooner or later we'll have to talk.” I try to mentally prepare myself for the reunion, organizing my thoughts about everything that's happened and what's to come.
Monica leaves the room and Jullian enters shortly after, probably to check on me and be there in case I need anything.
He watches me closely, his eyes reflecting obvious concern.
“Hi, Chloe! I'm so glad you're awake. We were worried,” he says with genuine affection, taking my hand. “Do you need anything? Are you uncomfortable? In pain?” Jullian asks, the words tumbling out, visibly anxious.
I can't help but smile a little at his restlessness.
“Hi, Jullian! I'm glad to be here now, safe,” I respond calmly, trying to ease his anxiety as well. “Don't worry, I'm not in pain. I just want to know how we're doing.” He sighs with relief, releases my hand, and nods:
“All three of you are perfectly fine,” Jullian says with a gentle smile.
“You were dehydrated, but nothing serious.
The baby is being monitored too and seems ready to come into the world whenever he decides.
So just sit tight. The medication they injected didn't harm either of you. You can rest easy about that.”
I breathe a sigh of relief knowing we're okay. My biggest concern was my son and Elena. We talk with Jullian for a while longer, and he stays nearby like a silent guardian. Then Monica returns and he leaves the room, leaving us alone.
We're talking when the door suddenly opens and I see Alex.
My gaze travels over him, searching for any sign of serious injury, but I only notice his injured hand.
I look back into his eyes as he approaches and sits beside me, his expression cautious.
I watch him, his gaze full of desperation, his voice trembling as he tries to justify his mistakes.
Part of me wants to feel relief at finally hearing the words I waited so long for. But I can't. Everything feels too late.
His words crash against a barrier I built over so many nights of pain and abandonment.
The emptiness he left behind was filled with scars, not hopes.
When he mentions making our family happy, a knot tightens in my throat.
There's no denying it: it still hurts. I wanted to believe that love conquers all, but the truth is, the fear of giving myself to him again is stronger.
I'm no longer the same Chloe who waited for him every night.
Now I have someone who depends on me, someone he also let down.
When I interrupt him, telling him to shut up and stop talking, he seems to shatter before me, and the tear sliding down his face makes my heart waver. I almost reach out to console him, but I hold back. I can't give in so easily. He may have saved me, but that doesn't erase the pain he caused.
I can't and won't go easy on him. After everything I went through, Alex deserves to suffer, at least a little. So I say:
“You're my son's father, Alex. And I accept that. I can't change the past or erase what happened between us. But I also can't just forget everything I felt when you chose to leave.”
He lowers his head, and I notice his hands are trembling. He seems fragile, vulnerable, so different from the confident man I knew.
“My little one...” he murmurs, his voice barely a whisper. “I was lost. I didn't know how to deal with any of it. I was a coward.”
I cross my arms, trying to hold myself together, even though inside I'm falling apart.
“You were lost? What about me? I had to pick up the pieces of my life alone while discovering I was carrying your child?” My voice breaks, and I feel tears burning my eyes. “I can't just forget.”
Alex lifts his gaze, and there's something genuine in his regret, but it's not enough. Not now.
“I know I don't deserve forgiveness. I just want a chance to be present, to be part of our son's life. Please.”
I take a deep breath, trying to control the flood of emotions. I don't want to be cruel, but I also don't want to be naive again.
“I won't stop you from being a father, Alex. Our son has the right to know you. But that doesn't mean we're going to be a family. You broke something in me that you may never be able to fix.”
He closes his eyes, as if trying to absorb the harsh truth of my words. For a moment, silence envelops us, heavy and suffocating.
“I'm going to win back your trust,” he says, determined. “For you. For our son. That's a promise, my love!”
I let out a tired breath and continue:
“I found out you got us out of there, and I thank you for that.
My biggest fear was losing my son. I know Vladimir wouldn't hurt Elena, but with me...
I was already expecting the worst. As for the two of us, I don't want to talk about it anymore right now.
I've been through so much, and I just want to rest and wait for my delivery, which is close.
When Alexei is born, we'll talk about this again.
But, as I said before, I can't promise we'll get back together and be a family.
Every word you said to me before hurt me deeply. So for now, let's drop it.”
“Whatever you want,” he responds softly. “I want you to have a peaceful delivery. And most importantly, I want you to rest.”
“Monica told me you took Elena to your place. If you'd like, you can send her to the club, at least until I talk to Martha.”
“She already knows and is with Elena at my apartment. You don't need to send her anywhere. I'm completely charmed by your sister. She's such a sweet, captivating girl.”
“Yes, she really is. I'd love to see her, but I don't know when I'll be able to leave.”
“Tomorrow I'll bring her to spend some time with you. Now, rest. I'll have them bring you something to eat.”
“I need a shower first, but I don't have any clothes.”
“Elena and I went to a store and bought some maternity pajamas. Everything's in that suitcase,” he says, pointing to a small suitcase on the sofa that I hadn't noticed before.
I start to climb out of bed and he rushes over to help me. His touch sends a shiver through me, along with an overwhelming longing. But now isn't the time for those thoughts… I need to stay firm and strong. I have to know for certain whether he's really changed.
“Do you want me to help you shower?” he asks, but quickly adds, noticing my look: “And you don't need to look at me like that. You're pregnant and still weak. I wouldn't think of you that way, not right now.”
“Alex… let me shower, please. And order me something light to eat.”
I say and head into the bathroom, but not before noticing how awkwardly he's standing there, looking uncomfortable and unsure how to act. I can't help but smile, amused by the situation. I take a long, hot shower, feeling myself relax.
When I open the suitcase he placed on the bathroom counter, I'm amazed to see how he prepared everything for me.
There's a soft towel, comfortable underwear, some pajamas and nightgowns, and a little toiletry bag.
I'm impressed by who he is—always so detail-oriented and thoughtful.
In that moment, he really showed it, thinking of every little thing.
I love him, and all I want is to throw caution to the wind and simply forgive him. But I was deeply hurt, and I can't make it easy for him. He needs to understand that his words wounded me deeply. So I'll let him suffer a little, the way I suffered and am still suffering.
I'm coming out of the bathroom when he enters the room with my dinner. I sit down and savor the broth he ordered for me, feeling a bit more comfortable and relieved.
I'll never forget everything I went through, especially the abuse I suffered.
It still pounds in my mind, and I feel disgusted with myself.
But just being here, surrounded by people who love me and welcomed me so warmly, I feel grateful and calmer.
Just as I've overcome so many things before, I know I'll overcome this too.
As soon as I finished, he helped me lie down. I thought he would leave, but I was wrong. He pulled out the small sofa bed, grabbed a pillow and a blanket.
“Are you sure you want to sleep there?” I asked.
“I'm not going to leave you alone, unless you want to share your spacious, comfortable bed,” he replied with a smile.
“You stay on the sofa.” I lay down, still restless, when I realized I didn't have my phone. “Alex, do you know where my phone is?”
“It's with me, but I left it at my place. If you want, you can use mine,” he said, pulling his phone from his pocket and handing it to me. “It has Martha's, Arthur's, and Elena's contacts…”
“Since when does Elena have a phone?”
“I bought her one when we went to the mall.”
“She's too young for that, Alex. She's only ten years old.”
“I know, but she wanted one, so I gave it to her as a gift. I asked Anthony to install a better tracker than the phone's built-in one and block all the apps she could use to talk to strangers. You can relax.”
“Remind me to transfer the money later.”
“It's my gift to her, so you don't need to pay me back. Go ahead and talk to your sister—she's dying to hear from you.”
“What's the passcode?”
“Same as before. I didn't change it.”
I look at him, unlock the phone, and search for my sister in the contacts to make a FaceTime call. She answers on the first ring. On the screen, I see Martha, Arthur, and behind them, my little one.
“Sis, I missed you so much! How are you?”
“Hi, my little one! I'm dying to see you too. We're fine, and I hope everything's okay there,” I say, holding back my emotions at the sight of them.
“Everything's perfect, friend. Don't worry. Elena, as always, is a sweetheart…”
We spend a good while talking, covering all sorts of topics, until I start feeling tired and say goodbye. The three of them promise to visit the next day.
I fall asleep quickly, but in the middle of the night, I feel liquid running down my legs. I wake up startled and call for Alex, who comes running.
“What happened? Are you feeling sick? Any pain…” he asks, worried.
“I think our son is coming,” I respond, anxious.
“I'll call Monica right away.”
He hangs up the phone and, seconds later, my friend and obstetrician walks through the door.
“That was fast,” Alex comments.
“Night shift! It's time for this boy to be born. I've already had them prepare the operating room. They'll come get you in a bit,” Monica explains.
“Why surgery? Won’t it be a natural delivery?” Alex asks, surprised.
“Alexei is too big. It would be hard on both mother and baby. So we decided on a C-section. But don’t worry.”
“Okay. Can I be there?”
Monica looks at me and I nod my approval. After all, he’s the father and deserves to be part of everything with his son. The nurses, whom I know well, come to prep me, and Alex too.
I’ll admit I’m a little nervous, but with Alex by my side, I feel comfortable. The surgery begins, and he seems even more eager to see our son than I am. He sits beside me, gets up and paces around the room, then comes back to check on me.
Then, finally, everything ends with a little cry that moves us both. It’s the magical moment I’ve been waiting for. Now I can truly say I’m happy and complete. I smile at Alex, who came running to my side after watching his son come into the world, tears in his eyes.
“Our son is beautiful,” he says. “Thank you for giving me this wonderful gift—the best gift of my life.”
And he seals it with a kiss. I find I don’t mind and kiss him back. The moment is pure emotion and happiness, with no room for resentment. A new life begins now, and I hope it will be the best one yet.