Stolen Empire, Stolen Child, Stolen Life

ey's

atal check-up. The doctor, a kind, elderly woman with wise eyes, smiled at me. "Everything looks perfect, Audrey. Strong h

if someone were in a desperate situation, with no other options, and they needed to... to terminate a pregnancy... very late term. Is

e life and well-being of both mother and child. Late-term termination is only considered in the most extreme, life-threatening circumstances for the mother, or if the fetus has a condition incompatible with life. It is

and hopelessness, now filled me with a profound sense of shame and guilt. My child was not a burden, not a problem to be solved.

of my responsibility. As I walked out of the clinic, head bowed, still r

dre

d. I spun around, my eyes scanning the street. There he was, leaning against a sleek black car, hi

. My hand flew to my belly, a shield, a silent prom

ou think you can just disappear, Audrey? Fake your death? You think I wouldn't f

r quickly morphing into furious indignati

ends now. Jazmine is... distraught. And you. You're carrying my child, Audrey. Our chi

Donovan! Not anymore! Not after I saw your plan, clear as day. Not after I discovered I w

t's a lie! A desperate fantasy you've conco

bout finding my recipe journals, why she's paraded around with a fake baby bump, claiming your child is hers, why she's been so open about her 'excitement

ned, a flicker of genuine shock, then raw fury. "She... she would

y lips. "I'm not the naive fool you married, Donovan.

y, please. I made mistakes. Terrible mistakes. But we can fix this. We can go back. For the baby. For us." He took a step c

I' d ruin your carefully constructed fantasy. There is no 'us,' Donovan. There

e stumbled back, caught off guard. I didn't wait. I turned and ran, not lookin

. "He found me," I gasped, still running. "Donovan f

mental state" and "desertion." His team of lawyers was formidable, his resources seemingly endless. H

ith unlimited resources and a network of corrupt connections. The legal battle would be a protracted, brutal war, draining me of what little strength I h

from their shadows. I would not let my precious baby be a trophy fo

If I couldn't fight him in a court of law, if I couldn't simply disappear, then there was only one