The cold Swedish night wrapped around Maya as soon as she stepped outside Damien's family's house.
The warmth, the laughter, the comfort she had briefly allowed herself to feel vanished the moment the door closed behind her. Snow crunched softly beneath her boots as she walked, her breath uneven, her mind replaying the image she couldn't unsee.
Sophie.
Pregnant.
Maya pressed a hand to her chest, willing her heart to slow. It doesn't concern you, she told herself. You left. You chose peace. But her body didn't listen. A sharp pain cut through her lower abdomen without warning. She stopped abruptly, gasping. Another wave followed-stronger, tighter-forcing her to bend forward.
"No... no, please," she whispered, panic rising.
Tears spilt freely now. She tried to breathe the way the doct
