Chapter 91 091
EMILY
It hadn’t even been up to forty minutes.
Forty minutes.
That was all the time I had gotten to breathe… to sit with everything Ryan had just said… to try and make sense of the mess in my head.
And yet, it already felt like too much.
The room had been quiet since he left.
Too quiet.
The kind of silence that didn’t comfort you but instead made your thoughts louder.
Relentless.
Every second stretched, dragging along memories I would rather not revisit.
I swallowed hard, staring up at the ceiling like it held answers it refused to give me.
I hadn’t moved much.
Just lay there, staring blankly, my body still but my mind running in circles I couldn’t escape.
My fingers brushed lightly against my stomach again before I quickly pulled them away.
Like even acknowledging it made everything more real.
More terrifying.
Because it wasn’t just me anymore.
I squeezed my eyes shut briefly, exhaling slowly, trying to calm the storm building inside me.
But it didn’t work.
Nothing was working.
Then—
The door opened.
This time, not abruptly.
Just a soft click.
I turned my head.
And saw them.
Hazel stood quietly at the back.
But it wasn’t her that held my attention.
It was them.
My parents.
My supposed real parents.
For a moment, none of us moved.
We just stared at each other.
Like if we moved too fast, the moment would break.
Like this wasn’t real.
Like this couldn’t possibly be real.
Then, my mother moved.
Fast.
Like she couldn’t hold herself back anymore.
She rushed toward me.
And before I could even react—
She pulled me into her arms.
Tightly.
Desperately.
The force of it caught me off guard.
My body went stiff instantly, my hands hovering awkwardly at my sides.
I didn’t know what to do.
Didn’t know how to respond.
Everything about this felt unfamiliar.
Too sudden.
Too much.
But then—
She tightened her hold on me.
Like she was afraid I would disappear if she let go.
“I was so worried,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
And something inside me cracked.
Just like that.
My breath hitched.
My chest tightened painfully.
And before I could stop it—
Tears filled my eyes.
I didn’t understand it.
Didn’t understand why I felt this way.
But my body reacted anyway.
A soft sob slipped out of me.
Then another.
And suddenly… I was crying.
Really crying.
My hands slowly came up, clutching onto her like I needed something to hold onto.
Like I needed her.
“I…” My voice broke completely. “I don’t understand what’s happening…”
“It’s okay,” she murmured immediately, one hand coming up to cradle the back of my head. “It’s okay… you don’t have to understand right now.”
That only made it worse.
More tears slipped out.
My shoulders shook as I buried my face into her shoulder.
Because somehow, her arms felt safe even when they shouldn’t.
“I’m here,” she whispered. “I’m right here.”
I pulled back slightly after a moment, my vision blurred with tears as I looked at her.
Her face was so close.
So emotional.
Like she had been waiting her whole life for this moment.
“You’re really…” I swallowed hard. “You’re really my mother?”
Her eyes filled instantly.
“Yes,” she said softly.
That was it.
That was all she said.
But it hit deeper than anything else.
A fresh wave of tears rolled down my cheeks.
I let out a shaky breath before asking, “What happened? How did we even get separated in the first place?”
Her expression shifted.
Not drastically.
But enough.
Her smile faded slightly.
Her eyes darkened with something heavier.
Something painful.
Before she could answer—
My father stepped forward.
Calm.
Composed.
But his eyes carried emotion too.
“We’ll explain everything,” he said gently. “But not right now. You need to rest first.”
I looked between them.
There were so many questions sitting at the back of my throat, so many things I wanted to understand. But I felt drained.
Too overwhelmed to push further.
Before I could say anything else, my mother pulled me into another hug.
Softer this time.
Like she didn’t want to let go.
“The doctors told us,” she said quietly.
I frowned slightly, pulling back just enough to look at her.
“Told you what?”
Her hands stayed on my arms.
Her eyes softened again.
“You’re pregnant.”
I exhaled slowly, looking away for a brief second.
“They really don’t keep anything private here, do they?” I muttered.
Hazel let out a quiet laugh from where she stood in the background.
“Apparently not.”
My mother shook her head lightly.
“That’s exactly why I don’t want you here,” she said. “This place isn’t good enough.”
I looked back at her.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean,” she continued, her tone turning protective, “I want you transferred. Somewhere better. Somewhere safer.”
I frowned slightly.
“Now?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation. “As soon as possible.”
I shook my head immediately.
“No… I’m fine here.”
They both looked at me.
“I actually just want to be discharged,” I added. “I don’t even want to stay here longer than I have to.”
That part was true.
I was tired of everything feeling out of my control. I just wanted to be back in my bakery.
My mother’s expression softened, but she didn’t back down.
“You’re not just thinking about yourself anymore,” she said gently.
My chest tightened.
She moved closer again, placing a hand lightly on my stomach.
“You’re carrying my grandbaby,” she added softly. “You deserve the best care. The best of everything.”
I swallowed.
Nodding slowly.
Not fully agreeing.
But not arguing either.
Then suddenly, a simple thought crossed my mind.
I looked around the room.
“Where’s Morgan?” I asked.
Hazel smiled lightly from the background.
“She stepped out.”
“And Zara?” I added, my voice softer now.
“They went together,” she replied. “To get something. They should be back soon.”
I nodded.
That made sense.
Zara probably got bored.
Or wanted something.
Or just insisted on going along like she always did.
A small smile almost formed on my lips at the thought.
Then…
The door burst open.
The sound startled all of us.
My head snapped toward it instantly.
Morgan rushed in.
Breathing heavily.
Her chest rising and falling too fast.
Her eyes wide.
Panicked.
Terrified.
The smile on my lips disappeared immediately.
“Oh my God—” she started, her voice shaking as she looked around the room.
Something in my chest tightened.
Hard.
Something was wrong.
I didn’t think.
Didn’t pause.
My hand moved instantly to the IV in my arm.
And I yanked it out.
“Emily—!” my mother gasped.
But I didn’t care.
I pushed myself off the bed, my feet hitting the ground as I rushed toward Morgan.
My heart was pounding too fast.
Too loud.
“Where’s Zara?” I demanded.
My voice came out sharp.
Urgent.
Morgan didn’t answer.
She just stood there.
Frozen.
Tears filled her eyes instantly.
My chest tightened painfully.
“Morgan,” I said again.
Louder this time.
“Where is she?”
Her lips trembled.
Her shoulders shook.
Tears spilled down her face.
And something inside me—
Cracked.
“Talk to me!” I shouted.
My voice broke.
The room suddenly felt too small.
Too tight.
Like the walls were closing in.
Morgan shook her head, her breathing uneven.
Like she couldn’t get the words out.
And then—
“She’s missing.”