Chapter 14. THE HEARTBEAT
840 Words
Amelia stared nervously at her reflection.
The doctor's appointment was in less than an hour.
Normally, she wouldn't be this anxious.
But today's appointment was different.
Today she would hear the baby's heartbeat.
The thought made her emotional.
Excited.
Terrified.
Happy.
All at once.
A knock sounded at the front door.
She already knew who it was.
For some reason, that realization made her smile.
Ethan.
When she opened the door, she found him standing there with two cups of coffee.
"Good morning."
His eyes immediately softened when they landed on her.
"Morning."
He handed her one of the cups.
"Thought you might need this."
Amelia laughed.
"You do realize I'm becoming predictable."
Ethan's lips twitched.
"Not even close."
For a moment, neither looked away.
Then Margaret appeared behind them.
A giant smile stretched across her face.
"Have fun."
Amelia groaned.
"Grandma."
The older woman ignored her.
Completely.
Again.
Ethan looked suspiciously amused.
Traitor.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the clinic.
The waiting room wasn't crowded.
Still, Amelia felt nervous.
Her fingers twisted together unconsciously.
Immediately, Ethan noticed.
Without saying a word, he moved closer.
Not touching her.
Just close enough to remind her she wasn't alone.
The simple gesture calmed her more than she wanted to admit.
Soon, the nurse called her name.
"Miss Hart."
Amelia stood.
Her heart hammered inside her chest.
Ethan followed.
The nurse smiled.
"He can come too."
Heat rushed into Amelia's cheeks.
The nurse clearly assumed Ethan was the father.
Ethan didn't correct her.
Neither did Amelia.
The realization made things strangely awkward.
And strangely comforting.
Inside the examination room, the doctor greeted them warmly.
"How have you been feeling?"
"Better."
The doctor nodded.
"Excellent."
After a few routine questions, the examination began.
Amelia lay back.
Her heart raced.
The room felt unusually quiet.
Then the doctor adjusted the equipment.
A moment later—
A sound filled the room.
Fast.
Strong.
Steady.
A heartbeat.
The baby's heartbeat.
Amelia froze.
Her breath caught instantly.
The sound seemed to echo everywhere.
Inside her chest.
Inside her soul.
Inside her heart.
Tears immediately filled her eyes.
"Oh."
The single word barely escaped.
The doctor smiled.
"That's your baby."
Amelia's hand moved to her stomach.
Trembling.
Overwhelmed.
A tiny heartbeat.
A tiny life.
A tiny miracle.
Beside her, Ethan stood completely still.
His gaze remained fixed on the monitor.
For the first time in years, something unfamiliar gripped him.
Emotion.
Raw and unexpected.
Because despite everything...
Despite the complicated situation...
That heartbeat mattered.
It mattered because it mattered to Amelia.
And anything important to her had somehow become important to him.
The realization startled him.
The doctor continued speaking.
But Amelia barely heard a word.
She was crying.
Smiling.
Laughing.
Everything at once.
A handkerchief appeared beside her.
Ethan.
Of course.
She accepted it with a shaky laugh.
"Thank you."
His gaze softened.
"Anytime."
The word lingered.
Far longer than it should have.
Across the parking lot, another man watched everything.
Alexander Blackwood.
His hands tightened around the steering wheel.
He had followed them.
He hated himself for it.
Yet he couldn't stop.
Not anymore.
The moment he saw Amelia enter the clinic...
The moment he saw Ethan beside her...
The jealousy returned.
Stronger than ever.
Then he noticed the department name.
Maternal Care.
His stomach dropped.
The last traces of denial disappeared.
Because deep down...
He already knew.
Amelia was pregnant.
The only question remaining was whether the child was his.
And every instinct screamed that it was.
For the first time in years, fear overwhelmed him.
Not fear of losing money.
Not fear of losing power.
Fear of losing family.
Something he had never truly valued until now.
Meanwhile, inside the clinic, the appointment ended.
As Amelia stepped outside, she felt lighter.
Happier.
For the first time in weeks.
She glanced at Ethan.
"You didn't have to come."
His answer came immediately.
"Yes, I did."
The certainty in his voice made her heart stumble.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Because every day she spent with Ethan made it harder to remember why she should keep her distance.
And easier to imagine a future she never expected.
A future where she wasn't alone.
Unfortunately, someone else was imagining a very different future.
Several miles away, Victoria sat inside a private office.
A group of men occupied the seats across from her.
Corporate sharks.
The kind who destroyed companies for profit.
She slid a file across the table.
One name appeared on the cover.
ETHAN KNIGHT.
The men exchanged glances.
Victoria smiled.
Coldly.
"I want his company ruined."
Silence.
Then one of the men laughed nervously.
"You want us to attack Ethan Knight?"
Victoria's smile widened.
"Yes."
The room became uncomfortable.
Because everyone knew Ethan's reputation.
Powerful.
Untouchable.
Dangerous.
Yet Victoria didn't care.
Her obsession had already gone too far.
And desperate people made reckless decisions.
A mistake she would soon regret.
Very badly.
Because Ethan Knight was not a man who forgave attacks on the people he cared about.
And Amelia Hart had already become one of them.
- Writer
