Maya's back slammed into the metal bed frame. She crumpled, sliding down to the floor.
"Maya!" I screamed and rushed to catch her. Maya was trembling, her whole body wracked with pain. I gave up trying to reason with a woman who'd lost her conscience and hit the red emergency button by the bed.
"Security! We've got a violent intruder!" I shouted at the nurse who burst through the door. "Get her out of here! She's not family. She's trespassing. I want to file a complaint. Ban her from this floor. Put her on the blacklist!"
"What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?" Mother stared for a moment, then lunged at us, rolling up her sleeves. The panicked nurse tried to stop her, but Mother shoved her aside.
I had to protect Maya. I had to protect my belly. I didn't have enough strength to fight back. All I could do was curl around Maya, squeeze my eyes shut, and brace for the next blow.
Suddenly, the door exploded open. The crash echoed through the cramped space.
"Stop!"
A man's voice cracked down like a whip, cold enough to freeze your spine.
That voice cut through my despair like thunder. I looked up. The dim, oppressive room was split by harsh light from the hallway. A tall figure stood silhouetted in the doorway. He was so tall his head nearly touched the frame. The air around him was suffocating, dark with power.
Lucas.
He stood there like a judge descended from on high—tall, imposing, radiating an unstoppable force. My heart went wild in my chest, slamming against my ribs. Each beat hurt, but it was sharp and real.
How long had it been since I'd seen him?
I stared at the sharp line of his jaw. That physical dependence, in this moment, overpowered all my hate.
Mother's expression cycled through a dozen emotions in seconds, finally settling on something grotesque—eyes vicious, mouth twisted into a desperate smile.
"Mr. Rockefeller, I was just disciplining my daughter. For your sake."
"You have no right to treat her that way." Lucas's voice was ice. He stepped forward, each footfall landing like a hammer on my heart. "Leave. Now."
"But I'm her mother—"
"I don't care who you are." Lucas took another step. The pressure rolled off him in waves, forcing Mother to retreat. "If you don't leave, you'll regret ever showing your face here."
Mother met Lucas's eyes. Finally, she felt fear. She grabbed her purse and bolted from the room without looking back.
The room fell into deathly silence.
I was like a frightened bird, burying my head behind Maya's shoulder. Lucas's presence flooded the room the moment heentered. Every short breath I took pulled his scent into my lungs. I wanted to run, but my legs wouldn't hold me. I wanted to push him away, but that pathetic part of me deep inside was screaming for him to come closer.
In a blink, a massive shadow fell over me.
Lucas spoke again, his voice wrapping around me with something close to obsessive possessiveness and tenderness.
"Ella. I'm here. You're going to be okay."
Chapter Sixteen
Lucas
After Ella's mother left, the staff finally rushed through the door, still rattled from what they'd witnessed.
"You need to step out. We have to run emergency tests on the patient." The doctor and nurses scrambled to help Maya up, anxiety sharp in their voices after the delay.
I grabbed Ella's wrist and pulled her out of the chaos. She was falling apart, her body so limp I had to wrap an arm around her waist just to keep her upright.
The family waiting area was at the end of the hall. I guided Ella into a chair, then went to the water cooler and filled a cup. Handed it to her.
