“How bad is it?” Ethan’s voice shook, despite his struggle to sound calm.

Benjamin’s expression was grim. “Her injuries are extensive. The medical team is still assessing the damage.”

Panic seized him. Ethan snatched his jacket and rushed from the office without another word.

“Bring the car around!” His sharp command echoed through the quiet corridor. Regret and confusion swirled violently in his mind.

Why had he hung up on her like that? Why had he been so needlessly cruel?

If anything happened to her—if he lost her—how could he ever live with himself?

A cold, unfamiliar dread tightened around his heart. Benjamin watched from the doorway as Ethan vanished down the hall.

It was painfully obvious to him. Despite Ethan’s stubborn denials, his feelings for Isabella ran deep. Yet Ethan remained blind, trapped by his own self-deception. Benjamin shook his head sadly.

If Isabella truly left, Ethan’s regret would be boundless. Behind the wheel, Ethan drove mechanically toward the city hospital, his face a mask of stoic control.

But the sweat on his palms, slick against the steering wheel, betrayed the turmoil raging inside him.

Meanwhile, in the hospital room, after Sophia had gone, Isabella finally let the tears fall.

She felt broken. She couldn’t understand how Ethan had become so cold, so willing to wish death upon her and their unborn child.

“Isabella…” Lucas’s heart clenched at the sight of her distress when he returned.

He offered her a tissue gently, his touch soft. “This pain isn’t everything. You aren’t defined by one person’s cruelty.”

Isabella’s head dropped low. A fragile whisper escaped her lips. “I don’t want him anymore. I just want this heartache to end.”

Lucas hesitated, his words catching. “Well…”

He sighed heavily, the weight of his thoughts clear. Slowly, he reached out and drew her into a tender embrace, his hand patting her back in a steady, soothing rhythm.

“Isabella, you don’t have to hide your pain,” he murmured gently.

The warmth of his hold seemed to melt the walls she had built. Tears streamed down her cheeks, each one heavier than the last.

In that vulnerable moment, the hospital room door slammed open with a jarring crash.

“Isabella! Are you alright?” The urgency in Ethan’s voice was palpable, laced with a tremor of genuine fear.

Caught mid-sob, Isabella froze.

Ethan’s tone turned icy. “What is going on here?” he demanded, his gaze narrowing into a frosty glare as it swept over Lucas’s comforting arms around Isabella.

The sight struck Ethan like a physical blow. Betrayal stung his eyes, a hot rage flaring within him.

Lucas released Isabella and turned to face Ethan.

Despite their long friendship, Lucas’s anger was clear, fueled by Ethan’s absence when Isabella needed him most. “You finally decided to show up?” His voice was cold, each word dripping with contempt.

Eyes burning with fury, Ethan strode toward him, his steps predatory and menacing.