Chapter 5
I dragged myself to Dad's bedside and gently grasped his icy hand.
A wave of pain hit me; I blacked out.
When I woke, Nurse Miller looked at me with deep sympathy.
"Ms. Bloom, stay strong. Your baby needs you, and you almost lost him." she said softly.
I stared blankly as the disinfectant smell filled my nose, tears falling without warning.
I touched my barely visible belly, heart heavy with sorrow.
"Baby, you're the only family I have left. You have to be okay," I pleaded silently.
I barely held myself together for Dad's funeral, then spent days recovering in the hospital.
When I got home, I threw out Shawn's things, packed my bags, and left.
This city had nothing left to keep me here.
On the way to the airport, I finally looked forward to the future.
As we drove, I realized something was wrong, then blacked out before calling for help.
I woke tied up, with Raina still unconscious beside me.
Suddenly, I heard two unfamiliar men talking outside.
"Big Mike, we kidnapped both of Shawn's women. He won't bail on us, right?" one asked.
"Relax. He's still a hopeless romantic, but I'm not sure who he's into," the other replied.
Shawn arrived instantly, exuding fierce, wild energy like an enraged lion.
Raina woke, saw Shawn, and burst into tears, her voice trembling with fear and pain.
"Shawn, you're finally here! Please, save me and the baby," she sobbed.
He felt guilty and softened his tone.
"Raina, don't be afraid. I'm coming."
Then, he spoke in a calm, steady voice.
"What will it take for you to let her go?"
The heavier kidnapper suddenly spoke, as if struck by an epiphany.
"So childhood sweethearts have the deepest bond. But this woman has been by your side for years too, Shawn. You're heartless," he sneered.
A kidnapper yanked my hair, burning my scalp. His words pierced my heart, silencing me.
He let out a mocking laugh, his words colder than winter.
"Just let my wife go. Take her if you want. No one will stop you," he said coldly.
The pain hit like a sledgehammer, spreading from my heart through my whole body.
All those years I thought I was loved, but to him, I was nothing.
I closed my eyes in despair, quietly waiting for whatever fate had in store for me.
The other kidnapper was trembling with anger.
"Shawn, you ruined the Todd family and left us homeless. Now you'll feel the pain of losing someone you love," he spat.
With that, he raised his knife, aiming it right at Raina's throat.
Shawn's eyes blazed as he kicked the kidnapper's hand.
The men nearby quickly subdued the kidnappers. Shaken Shawn cradled her, as if barely escaping disaster.
The kidnapper holding me went berserk when he saw his buddy taken down.
"Shawn, I'll haunt you forever, even after death!" he screamed.
Then he glared at me with bloodshot, wild eyes. Fear hit me like a freight train.
As the knife plunged into my stomach, I looked at Shawn.
He watched unemotionally as I fell.
I murmured softly, "I'm sorry, baby... Mommy let you down..."
Raina sobbing in Shawn's arms drew his attention from me.
"Shawn, I'm scared! My stomach hurts—what if something's wrong with our baby?" she whimpered.
He instantly grabbed her and ran off without looking back.
I only saw his cold, resolute back as he walked away.
Shawn rushed her to the hospital and stayed with her through every test.
He only relaxed after the doctor assured them all was fine and sighed in relief.
Watching Raina sleep in the hospital bed, he felt restless anxiety.
Vera lying in a pool of blood kept replaying in his mind.
The uneasy feeling stayed. She'd been by his side for years, so he owed her a look.
He called his assistant, who sounded nervous and hesitant.
"Mr. Cross, Ms Bloom is still in surgery," the assistant stammered.
Shawn stood outside the operating room, staring at the floor, overwhelmed.
He reminded himself Raina was his lifelong love; Vera was a temporary distraction, like a pet soon forgotten.