Chapter 17%
Reality was far crueler than Max had imagined. After speaking with Ashley’s psychologist, he felt as if the ground beneath him had crumbled away.
Now, he sat in the dimly lit hospital corridor, his hollow gaze fixed on the door of the room where Ashley had once stayed. His eyes were clouded with a sorrow so deep it seemed bottomless.
Dr. Berganza observed him from a distance. There was something profoundly desolate about his figure, a kind of
loneliness that made even an outsider ache.
She was a professional who believed in boundaries. She had never pried into Ashley’s personal life, never asked about her boyfriend’s identity. Her role had always been that of a listener, a witness to Ashley’s pain.
But there were times–too many times–when Ashley’s suffering had been so palpable, so raw, that even Dr. Berganza had felt the sting of injustice on her behalf.
And now, Max sat there, completely unaware. He didn’t know. He had no idea that three months ago, Ashley had been in this very hospital–for an abortion. She had learned she was pregnant with no excitement, no fear.
Only quiet resignation.&
Ashley had merely lowered her gaze to her stomach, her voice barely above a whisper as she asked, “Can the baby be saved?”
The answer had been no. She had only nodded. No tears, no visible grief. Just a hollow acceptance. Her eyes had been lifeless, like a candle that had long since burned out.
That day, Alex had felt something inside Max wither.
As she looked at Max sitting there in silence, his face a mixture of grief and confusion–Alex knew one thing for certain. Max had to know. Not just because he had a right to. But because he had to live with this pain, too.
Max sat motionless on the cold bench, his hands clenched into fists, his heart hammering in his chest. For the first time in his life, he understood–this pain would never leave him.
That suffocating pressure coiled around him like an iron grip. It felt as if invisible hands were wrapped around his heart, tightening with every breath he took–each squeeze more crushing than the last–until the pain became unbearable, leaving him unable to even sit upright.”
His vision blurred, his surroundings fading into nothing but the echo of Dr. Berganza’s voice, repeating over and over again:
“She’s been on antidepressants for a long time. This child was never going to survive. It couldn’t be kept.”
His child. Gone.”
Max, always composed and indifferent, now stood with his expression shattered–stripped of everything but helplessness and the raw, all–consuming panic of loss.
He wandered aimlessly outside the hospital, eventually stopping beneath a tree. His secretary observed him from a distance, sensing something had changed.
The tree’s branches stretched toward the sky, tender green buds swaying in the breeze, but the warmth of spring couldn’t soften the cold isolation surrounding him.
***
At Puerto Vendaval Hospital, Ashley’s body clock woke her at its usual time.&
She had never liked hospitals. Lying in a hospital bed always felt like a quiet reminder–a whisper in the back of her mind telling her she was sick.!!
She shifted, preparing to sit up, when a warmth in her palm made her pause. Her gaze lifted and for a moment, her thoughts blanked.
Alejandro? Why was he here? And more importantly–why was he still holding her hand?
At the slightest movement from her, the man–who had been dozing off–immediately straightened in his chair.
Alejandro was always impeccably put together, yet now, his usually neat hair was a mess and his perfectly pressed suit was wrinkled.M
Leaning in slightly, he met her gaze with quiet concern, completely unbothered by his own disheveled state.
“Are you feeling okay?”
Ashley blinked, momentarily caught off guard, before giving a soft nod. “Mm.”
He hesitated for a beat, then asked in a low, hoarse voice, “How long?”
The question was vague, but Ashley understood instantly. He was asking about her illness.&
The initial shock of waking up in a hospital had faded and Ashley instinctively withdrew into her usual composed self.
She pulled the blanket tinhter around her as if shieldi.
She pulled the blanket tighter around her, as if shielding herself from the weight of the conversation.%
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The faint tremor in her fingers gave her away. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly before she finally spoke.%
This illness was a scar–one she had carried for too long, tangled in the wreckage of her ten–year history with Max. She had no desire to bring those memories back to life. She only wanted to bury them for good.%
Sensing her reluctance, Alejandro felt a quiet pang of disappointment. Still, he forced a small, reassuring smile.%
“I’m sorry. If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t bring it up again.”
“I just… I was worried about you.“W
Alejandro swallowed hard, his voice low and sincere.W
“Believe it or not, all these years… I never forgot you.” “W
12:53 AM M
Chapter 10
