Chapter 189 One Hundred And Eighty Nine

Chapter 189 One Hundred And Eighty Nine
The relief Kennedy had felt moments ago vanished instantly.
One second, he was driving home with his son safely secured in the backseat.
The next...
His entire world tilted again.
The police station was now far behind him as he sped through traffic, one hand gripping the steering wheel while the other held his phone.
He needed to hear Antonia's voice.
Needed to tell her their son was safe.
Needed to tell her the nightmare was over.
The call connected.
But instead of Antonia's voice, he heard her sisters'.
"Helen speaking."
Kennedy frowned immediately.
"Helen?"
Something in her tone made his stomach tighten.
"Where's Antonia?"
A brief silence followed.
Too brief.
Too heavy.
Then Helen answered.
"She's at the hospital."
The blood drained from Kennedy's face.
"What?"
"Kennedy—"
"What happened?"
His voice rose instantly.
"Helen, what happened?"
In the backseat, his son looked up curiously at the sudden panic in his father's voice.
Helen exhaled slowly.
"Her water broke."
For a second Kennedy couldn't process the words.
Then reality hit.
Hard.
"Her water broke?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"About forty minutes ago."
Kennedy slammed the brakes at a red light.
Cars honked behind him.
He barely heard them.
"Forty minutes?"
"We called an ambulance."
"Helen!"
"She's in labor."
His heart nearly stopped.
Labor.
The doctor had warned them.
High-risk pregnancy.
Possible complications.
Extra monitoring.
Extra care.
The words flooded back now.
Kennedy's grip tightened around the steering wheel.
"Is she okay?"
Helen hesitated.
The hesitation terrified him.
"Helen."
"The doctors are with her."
"Helen."
"They're monitoring her closely."
Kennedy cursed under his breath.
That wasn't an answer.
That wasn't an answer at all.
"Helen, tell me the truth."
His voice cracked slightly.
For the first time all day, fear truly took hold of him.
The kidnapping.
The police.
Daniel.
He had handled all of it.
But this?
This terrified him.
Helen softened her voice.
"She's scared, Kennedy."
The words hit him like a punch.
"She keeps asking for you."
His chest tightened painfully.
"And now that you've found your son, I think that's all she wants."
Kennedy closed his eyes briefly.
Guilt immediately flooded him.
The argument.
The distance.
The silent treatment.
The nights spent apart.
The coldness.
All of it.
Antonia had needed him.
And he hadn't been there.
Not when she was carrying their child.
Not when she was terrified.
Not when she was hurting.
Now she was in labor.
And he wasn't beside her.
"Damn it."
"Kennedy."
"I'm coming."
"Drive safely."
"I'll be there soon."
The call ended.
Immediately Kennedy made a sharp turn at the next intersection.
Changing directions completely.
Home no longer mattered.
Nothing mattered except Antonia.
And their baby.
In the backseat, a small voice spoke.
"Daddy?"
Kennedy glanced into the rearview mirror.
His son looked worried.
Kennedy swallowed hard.
His heart breaking a little.
"Mommy's at the hospital. We're going to see her."
The little boy blinked.
Kennedy forced a smile.
"Your baby brother or sister is coming."
A grin spread across the little boy's face.
Despite everything, Kennedy couldn't help smiling.
Then the fear returned almost immediately.
Because Antonia's pregnancy wasn't normal.
The doctors had warned them repeatedly.
High risk.
Complications.
Unexpected problems.
Every appointment had carried a degree of uncertainty.
And now she was in labor while already emotionally and physically exhausted.
His stomach twisted.
Please be okay.
Please.
Twenty minutes later, Kennedy arrived at the hospital
He barely stopped the vehicle before jumping out.
Helen and Ernest were already waiting outside.
The moment Helen saw him with his son, she rushed forward.
Their son immediately ran toward her.
"Auntie!"
Helen burst into tears.
"Oh thank God."
She dropped to her knees and hugged him tightly.
The little boy laughed happily, not fully understanding the fear everyone had experienced.
Ernest stepped forward and gripped Kennedy's shoulder.
"He's okay."
Kennedy nodded.
But his attention remained elsewhere.
"Antonia."
Helen stood.
"I'll stay with him."
Kennedy hesitated.
Looking at his son.
Looking at Helen.
Then back toward the hospital where his wife was fighting for her life.
Inside the maternity wing, he found a nurse immediately.
"My wife."
The words came out breathless.
"Antonia Walton."
The nurse checked a chart.
"Labor and delivery?"
"Yes."
She pointed toward a corridor.
"Room seven."
Kennedy was already moving before she finished speaking.
His heart hammered violently.
The hallway seemed endless.
Then suddenly...
A scream.
Antonia's scream.
His blood froze.
Her voice echoed through the corridor.
Pain.
Fear.
Desperation.
He broke into a run.
Nurses moved aside.
Doctors rushed past.
And then he reached the door.
Without hesitation, Kennedy pushed it open.
The sight inside shattered him.
Antonia lay on the hospital bed.
Sweat covered her face.
Her hair stuck to her forehead.
She looked exhausted.
Terrified.
And in pain.
The moment she saw him, tears filled her eyes.
"Kennedy..."
His heart broke.
Completely.
He rushed to her side immediately.
"I'm here."
He grabbed her hand.
"I'm here, baby."
Antonia squeezed his hand so tightly it hurt.
But Kennedy didn't care, because at that moment, nothing else mattered.
Not Daniel.
Not Sofia.
Not the company.
Not the chaos.
Not the arguments.
Not the mistakes.
Only her.
Only their baby.
"Where's our son?" She managed to asked.
"He is safe." Kennedy replied, "He is with Helen."
Antonia smiled through the pain.
Her son was safe.
And as another contraction ripped through Antonia's body and she cried out in pain, Kennedy held her hand tighter and silently prayed.
For the first time in years.
He prayed with everything he had.
Because now all he wanted was for the woman he loved and their child to survive.