Chapter 71: A Reason to Protect

The sterile lights of the hospital room were too bright, too still. Pablo sat beside the bed, elbows on his knees, head in his hands. His shirt was wrinkled, stained with the dust from the parking lot, but he didn’t care.

When the doctor entered, Pablo stood immediately. “Is she—”

“She’s stable,” the doctor said, his tone measured. “Exhaustion, mild dehydration, and stress likely caused her to faint. But there’s something else we found during her tests.”

Pablo froze. “What do you mean?”

The doctor’s gaze softened. “She’s pregnant. About seven weeks along.”

For a heartbeat, the world fell silent.

Pregnant.

The words sank in, heavy and disorienting. His chest rose and fell, slow and unsteady, as he looked toward the bed. Giana lay asleep, her face pale but peaceful.

A rush of emotion hit him — disbelief, fear, wonder, and something fierce and protective all at once. He stepped closer, fingers brushing a loose strand of hair from her forehead.

“Seven weeks,” he murmured, almost to himself. “She didn’t even know.”

The doctor nodded gently. “She’ll need rest. When she wakes, we’ll go over everything.”

When the doctor left, Pablo sank back into the chair, still staring at her. His hand found hers again, holding it between his palms.

“You scared the hell out of me,” he whispered with a shaky laugh. “But you’re okay. Both of you.”

The reality of it began to settle — she was carrying his child. And whoever had followed her, whoever had dared to threaten her, had just crossed a line he could never forgive.

He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead, his voice low and steady now.

“I promise you, Giana,” he whispered, “no one will ever hurt you again.”

Outside, the night stretched quiet and endless beyond the hospital windows, but inside, something new had taken root — fragile and fierce — a reason to fight, and a reason to protect.