Chapter 3
Dylan
At 2 AM, I was alone in my office on the top floor of Kane Technologies headquarters.
The city's neon lights filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a glow across my desk where I was reviewing acquisition contracts, trying to numb my chaotic thoughts with work. Ever since seeing that ultrasound image, I hadn't been able to focus on anything.
Damn it, what had that woman done to me?
My phone suddenly blared, and I frowned at the screen—St. Mary's Medical Center.
"Mr. Kane? This is Dr. Rodriguez from the ER." The voice on the line was urgent. "About Dr. Reed... she's in critical condition with symptoms of a threatened miscarriage. We need to perform emergency procedures immediately..."
What?
I bolted upright, nearly dropping my phone.
"How is she? Is it serious?" My voice sounded more desperate than I'd intended.
"There's significant bleeding. We're doing everything we can, but both the mother and fetus are at risk. You're listed as her emergency contact, and we need..."
"I'll be right there!"
I hung up, grabbed my car keys, and rushed to the elevator. Contracts, meetings, all work completely forgotten. Only one thought consumed me—she couldn't be in danger!
On the way to the hospital, I floored the gas pedal, running three red lights.
Why am I panicking like this? I gripped the steering wheel, forcing myself to calm down. She was just a woman with an accidental pregnancy—I should be relieved—if she miscarried, all my problems would be solved.
But thinking about Chloe being in danger, about that tiny life possibly disappearing, my heart felt like it was being violently torn apart.
When I burst into the ER, Chloe was being wheeled into the trauma room.
Through the glass doors, I saw her face, white as paper, eyes tightly shut, medical staff frantically working around her.
"How is she?" I grabbed a doctor who was just coming out, my voice hoarse with anxiety.
Dr. Rodriguez removed his mask, his expression grave: "The bleeding is severe. We're doing everything possible to save the pregnancy, but honestly, the situation doesn't look good."
I felt my blood freeze.
"You have to save her! Money is no object—use the best equipment, the best specialists!"
"Mr. Kane, we'll do our best."
I paced anxiously in the ER hallway, each second stretching like an eternity. The sharp smell of antiseptic made me nauseous, but I didn't dare leave, afraid of missing any update.
Just then, a young doctor with glasses approached me, his face hostile.
"You're Dylan Kane?" he demanded. "Weren't you the one trying to force her to terminate? Why pretend to care now?"
I was stunned. Who was this guy?
"I'm David, Chloe's colleague," he continued. "Do you have any idea what kind of pressure she's been under? Your lawyers harassing her daily, threatening her—she's been up night after night!"
"What?" I had never considered how my actions might affect her.
"She's been distracted at work, sometimes even forgetting patient charts during rounds." David's eyes blazed with anger. "She's one of the kindest people I know. Why should she suffer like this? Because of a hospital mistake?"
I opened my mouth but found no defense.
"If anything happens to her or the baby, I'll never forgive you!" David stormed off with those parting words.
I leaned against the wall, experiencing genuine remorse for the first time.
So this was what my "reasonable pressure" had done to her—inflicted such cruel torment.
Three hours later, the trauma room doors finally opened.
"Mr. Kane, Dr. Reed is out of danger," Dr. Rodriguez said wearily. "We've managed to save the pregnancy, but she'll need complete bed rest."
I felt all strength drain from my body, only the wall keeping me upright.
She's okay. The baby's okay.
"I want to arrange the best VIP room for her," I said immediately.
"Mr. Kane, that's—"
"Money is not an issue! I want her to receive the best care possible!"
Half an hour later, Chloe was transferred to the hospital's most luxurious VIP suite. The room had a private bathroom, a small sitting area, and a pull-out sofa for family members.
When I entered, Chloe had just regained consciousness. The evening sun filtered through the blinds, casting gentle shadows across her pale face.
She looked surprised to see me. "You... why are you here?"
"I..." I suddenly didn't know what to say. "The doctor said you were in critical condition, so I..."
"Why?" she asked weakly. "Didn't you want me to miscarry?"
Her question left me speechless. Yes, why? Why was I so concerned about her? Why did my heart ache seeing her hurt?
"I just... didn't want anything to happen to the baby," I said awkwardly.
Chloe looked at me silently, her eyes filled with emotions I couldn't decipher.
"Thank you," she said softly. "Thank you for arranging this room."
It was the first time we hadn't argued or confronted each other. The room was so quiet we could hear traffic in the distance.
As night fell, I remained in her room.
Chloe seemed to be studying me carefully, just as I had secretly observed her before.
"Dylan," she suddenly spoke, "do you want to know why I'm so determined to keep this baby?"
I nodded.
She took a deep breath, pain flashing in her eyes: "When I was seven, my father had an affair. When my mother found out, she cried night after night. She had believed so deeply in love, in marriage, but in the end..."
Her voice began to tremble: "My mother jumped from the roof of our apartment building. When she died, she was still wearing the white nightgown from her wedding day."
My heart clenched violently.
"From that moment, I swore I would never depend on any man's love," Chloe's tears fell. "But I wanted a child, a child who would be mine alone. Someone who would love me unconditionally, someone I could protect with all my heart."
She turned to look at me: "So when I discovered I was pregnant, even knowing there would be trouble, I couldn't give up. This is the first time—the first time in my life I'll have someone who truly belongs to me."
I was deeply shaken.
So her determination to keep the child wasn't greed or calculation, but a broken soul's desperate longing for love.
"I understand," I heard myself say, "but not all men betray."
"Would you?" She looked directly at me.
Her question caught me off guard. Would I? I had never considered it before.
Late that night, only the soft bedside lamp illuminated the room.
Chloe was asleep, but I remained sitting in the chair beside her, watching her quietly.
Her sleep was restless, her brow furrowed, occasionally letting out soft moans of discomfort. I wanted to reach out and smooth away her worry lines, but ultimately held back.
"I'll cover all the medical expenses," I said softly, knowing she couldn't hear me. "You just focus on taking care of yourself and the baby."
When Chloe woke the next morning, I had already taken care of all the medical paperwork.
"I don't need your pity," she said when she saw the bill.
"This isn't pity," I looked at her seriously. "It's... responsibility."
She gave me a puzzled look.
"I won't have the lawyers bother you anymore," I promised. "Just focus on getting better. We can discuss everything else later."
As I was leaving the room, I glanced back from the doorway.
Chloe was gently caressing her stomach, her face showing a tenderness I had never seen before.
Damn, how could she be so beautiful?
Walking out of the hospital, I called the law firm: "Stop all actions against Dr. Reed."
"Sir, that case—"
"It's over."
I knew that everything had changed.
Including myself.