Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO

Chapter 191 - 191: You're Not Alone

When he finally lifted his head, his voice was ragged. "Ruby… I'm so sorry but there's no baby. Our baby's gone."

Her face went still, her breath catching. "No..."

"The smoke, the stress—" Stefan's voice broke. "There was nothing they could do. Noreen… she tried, but…" He shook his head, sobs tearing through him. "There was no heartbeat."

Ruby's lips parted, her gaze unfocused as though his words were too heavy to understand. Then, like the ground giving way beneath her, the meaning struck. He baby was no more.

A strangled cry left her throat. Her hand tore away from his to clutch her stomach, her eyes filling with devastation. "No. No, Stefan, no—"

He caught her before she could thrash against the tubes and wires, wrapping his arms around her as gently as he could, pressing her against his chest. His own tears poured freely, his heart shattering all over again at her grief.

"I'm sorry," he whispered hoarsely against her hair, rocking her trembling body. "I tried, Ruby, I swear I tried. I would've given my life for you both. I'm so sorry. I failed you."

Ruby sobbed into him, broken sounds that cut deeper than any fire ever could. Her world — their world — had been torn apart before it had even begun. The child she had dreamed of, touched lovingly every morning, whispered hopes to every night… gone. And here he was, blaming himself when in fact, she was the true cause.

his own chest caving under the weight of her pain. "You're still here," he whispered through his tears. "You're still here, Ruby, and I'll spend the rest of my life loving

her with all the words he thought of but Ruby's sobs didn't stop. They echoed in the sterile room, raw and unrestrained, and Stefan could only cling to her, bearing the storm of grief with

with her hands over her mouth, tears streaming silently down her face. Ethan's jaw was tight, his eyes burning as he stared at the floor. Even Elizabeth, who had seen her share of heartbreak, leaned heavily against the wall, her

shield her from this truth, wished he could bear the grief for both of them. But this was a wound they would have to survive

let her face it alone or

a strange silence after Ruby's sobs finally weakened, though the echo of them still

pillows, her body exhausted from crying, her face pale and streaked with tears. Her eyes were swollen, staring blankly at the ceiling. She hadn't spoken in nearly an

clutching hers tightly, terrified that if he let go, she might slip away from him — not physically, but in

thumb across her

Her chest rose and fell in shallow

wider with every second of her silence. He would've preferred her anger, her screams, even her blame. Anything

"I should've protected you. I should've saved the baby. I replay it a thousand times in my head, how I could've done more, been more alert. Maybe if I had held you tighter during the blackout or that I had seen you earlier. My negligence

him. Tears pooled again, but her voice when it came was soft, broken. "It was supposed to be different, Stefan. We were supposed to meet our baby. We were supposed to hold her. But we can't anymore and it's not even because of you. None of this is

know, sweetheart. But you still lost her and I'm sorry. I just wish there was something

her already. I loved her so much and couldn't wait to see her and hold