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.

was empty. I thought maybe she went downstairs, but I checked, and she's not there either." Panic flared in my chest. "Did you

her eyes wide.

Sarah's name as I opened doors and looked into

echoed down the

staircase sent my

standing at the top of the stairs, frozen in horror. My eyes followed hers to the bottom of the stairs, where Sarah lay crumpled in

floor beneath her, its dark red hue a stark contrast

shouted, racing down

frantic. "Oh my God,

trembled as I pressed my fingers to her neck, searching for a pulse. It was faint, but it was there. Relief mingled

I barked at

her phone, her hands

hair back from her face. "Baby, please wake

dazed and unfocused. Her lips parted, and she

to blur my vision. "You're

emergency dispatcher, her voice shaky but urgent as she relayed

my focus on Sarah, willing her to stay conscious, to keep

thundered down the stairs as Martins appeared, his face etched with confusion and concern. "What

my voice breaking.

with grim determination. "The ambulance is

tears streaming down her face as she ended the call.

Martins said, shrugging off his jacket and pressing

The chatter and music from the guests in the living room faded into a distant hum,

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 ambulance. "I'm coming with

need space to work,"

"We'll follow in my car," she said

Sarah and knowing Zoe was right. Finally, I nodded, watching helplessly as the ambulance doors closed and

***

blur. Zoe was behind the wheel, her knuckles white as she gripped

on my shoulder, grounding me when all I felt was panic threatening to consume

were ushered into a waiting area while the

antiseptic filled the air, and the harsh fluorescent lights

fiancée is in surgery. She's lost a significant amount of blood, and we're performing an emergency

baby is

to act quickly to save

my arm. "She's in good hands, Richard. They