Winning Back His Ex's Wife's Broken Heart by Hayley

Richard

pov

The living room buzzed with life-laughter, the clinking of glasses, and warm chatter filled the air.

Guests had arrived, carrying brightly wrapped gifts and wide smiles. It should have been a joyful day, a celebration of new life.

But all I could feel was unease twisting in my gut like a knot that wouldn't come undone.

Martins nudged me as I stood by the window, eyes darting to the security guards stationed discreetly outside.

"Hey, CIA," he joked, his tone light. "You might wanna dial it down before Sarah figures out you've turned the baby shower into a covert operation."

I managed a thin smile. "Just being cautious."

Martins chuckled. "Yeah, cautious is your middle name. You're so tense, you might scare the baby into coming early."

His humor didn't land. I couldn't shake the image of Sarah falling down those stairs from my mind-a thought that had no basis but still felt like an omen.

Isabelle was out there. I didn't know where, and that made her a threat.

"Where's Sarah?" Martins asked, looking around. "She's still getting ready?"

"Yeah," I said, glancing at my watch. She'd been upstairs for a while now.

Martins grinned. "She's probably wrestling with her dress or trying to figure out how to make her swollen feet fit into shoes. Women in the eighth month-they're in a league of their own."

I nodded absently, my unease growing. The clock seemed louder than the chatter around me, each tick dragging her absence out longer.

Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore. "I'm going to check on her," I muttered, leaving Martins to hold down the fort.

"Don't tell her I said anything about her feet," he called after me.

I climbed the stairs two at a time, my pulse quickening. As I reached the landing, Zoe stepped out of Sarah's room, her face pale.

"Richard," she said, her voice shaking. "She's not in there."

"What do you mean she's not in there?" My stomach dropped.

back, the room was empty. I thought maybe she went

said, her eyes wide. "Richard, she's

past her, calling Sarah's name as I opened

voice echoed

staircase sent my

and saw her standing at the top of the stairs, frozen in horror. My eyes followed hers to the bottom of

her, its dark red hue

shouted, racing

followed, her steps frantic. "Oh my God,

dropped to my knees beside Sarah, gently cradling her head. Her face was ghostly white, her breathing shallow. My hands trembled as I pressed my fingers

barked at Zoe.

fumbled for her phone, her

brushing her hair back from her face. "Baby, please

brief moment, dazed and unfocused. Her lips parted, and she muttered something so faint I had to lean

my jaw, fighting the tears threatening to blur my vision. "You're going to be okay, Sarah. Both

the phone with the emergency dispatcher, her voice shaky but urgent as she

Sarah, willing

down the stairs as Martins appeared, his face etched

snapped, my

his usual demeanor replaced with

nodded, tears streaming down her face as

Martins said, shrugging off his jacket and pressing it gently against the

music from the guests in the living room faded into a distant hum, replaced by the deafening

the paramedics finally arrived, they worked quickly, assessing Sarah's condition and loading her onto a stretcher. I stayed close, gripping her hand as they wheeled her out to the waiting

space to work," she replied

a hand on my arm. "We'll follow in

Finally, I nodded, watching helplessly as the ambulance

***

behind the wheel, her knuckles white as she gripped the

in the back with me, his hand on my shoulder, grounding me when

were ushered into a waiting area while the

antiseptic filled the air, and the harsh fluorescent lights seemed to

"Your fiancée is in surgery. She's lost a significant amount of blood, and we're performing an emergency C-section to deliver the baby." Her words

nodded. "The baby is

act quickly to save

"She's in good hands,