HER WOMB, HIS HEART

THREAT

Twenty-Four Years Earlier

"My stomach... ahh..."

Samantha clutched her abdomen, her face contorted in pain.

"What's wrong, Samantha? It's almost your turn!" Zoe called out.

"I need to use the restroom. I'll be back as quickly as I can."

Samantha hurried toward the quietest restroom at the far end of the campus.

Inside one of the stalls, she quickly untied the long piece of fabric wrapped around her swollen belly. The pain and tightness in her abdomen intensified.

"Contractions? Please, sweetheart, not today. Please don't come today. I have to get that position today."

She gently rubbed her aching belly.

A warm stream of clear fluid suddenly ran down her legs.

"My water broke?"

Panic filled Samantha's heart.

The pain became almost unbearable. She lowered herself into the corner of the restroom stall, searching for the most comfortable position she could find. Slowly, she steadied her breathing. The pressure inside her grew stronger with every passing moment.

She pressed a handkerchief tightly against her mouth to muffle any sound.

After three hard pushes, a beautiful baby girl was born, her loud cries filling the tiny stall.

"Sweetheart, don't cry. Everyone will hear you."

Terrified, Samantha quickly gathered her baby into her arms.

"Where's Samantha? They've called her name three times already."

Zoe searched frantically for her.

"Which restroom did she go to? Shouldn't she have used the closest one so she wouldn't miss her audition?"

Zoe checked every restroom stall she could find, but Samantha was nowhere to be seen.

Zoe's footsteps came to an abrupt stop outside the last restroom at the end of the hallway. She heard the cries of a baby.

Her eyes widened in shock when she found Samantha unconscious, a tiny infant cradled in her arms. Samantha's body was surrounded by an alarming amount of blood.

**

"Tyson, do you love me?" Soraya asked, her eyes glistening with tears.

Tyson didn't answer right away.

I only love one woman. Becca, Emily.

"Of course, sweetheart. I love you," Tyson replied.

"Really? Then why don't I feel any sincerity in your answer? It feels... empty."

Soraya forced a bitter smile.

"I love you, Soraya. I know your heart is hurting. How about we just enjoy this vacation? We can relax and enjoy the beautiful beach," Tyson coaxed gently.

"Will you marry me? After that child is born and I finally have everything," Soraya asked.

Tyson fell silent. He didn't answer her immediately.

What if you eventually find out that child isn't yours?

"Hey, sweetheart. Why are you so quiet?" Soraya teased.

"Of course I'll marry you. I was just surprised you asked because I thought this relationship didn't mean anything to you," Tyson answered.

"Mm."

Soraya kissed Tyson passionately.

**

"Eat. Open your mouth. Ahhh."

Alan lifted another spoonful of food to Emily's lips.

Emily glanced around nervously, afraid someone might catch them together.

"What's wrong?" Alan asked.

"Sir, keep looking straight ahead. Mrs. Noldi is watching us through the window," Emily whispered. She gently took the spoon from Alan's hand and began feeding him instead.

Alan did as she said.

Wasn't Young Master Alan the one feeding Emily just a moment ago?

Mrs. Noldi narrowed her eyes, trying to confirm what she had seen.

That's strange.

She watched Emily carefully as Emily fed Alan.

Eventually, Mrs. Noldi decided to drive to the convenience store.

I'm certain Young Master Alan was feeding Emily just now, she murmured to herself.

"Give me the spoon back. Now open your mouth. Our baby is hungry in there. She's waiting for her father's next bite," Alan said softly.

Emily obeyed him and finished every last bite of her meal.

"It seems our baby likes her father more," Emily said with a laugh.

"Oh, really? And what makes you think that?" Alan asked, laughing along with her.

"Because she only lets me keep down the food when it's fed to me by her father. If I try to eat on my own, she rejects it. I end up throwing everything back up," Emily replied.

"Are you sure? Our baby likes me more than her own mother?" Alan teased.

Emily's cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment.

"Sir, thank you for the meal. I'll excuse myself now."

She rose from her seat.

"Wait."

Alan gently caught her arm.

"What is it, Sir?" Emily asked.

"There's something I've always wanted to ask you."

Alan looked deeply into her eyes.

"What is it, Sir?" Emily asked again.

"When we made love, did you... like it?"

Alan finally found the courage to ask.

"No, Sir. I felt like I wasn't respected as a woman. You took away what I had protected for so long. Before I met you, I would rather have been beaten by Mrs. Grace for failing to bring in clients. But because of you, I was able to leave that place and quit that degrading job."

Emily's eyes shone brightly as she spoke.

"I'm sorry for everything, Emily. Because of what I did, you've had to endure all of these hardships. I promise that after our baby is born, I'll give you the chance to live a normal life. You'll be able to move forward and build a good future for yourself. You can ask me for anything."

Alan gently wiped the tears from Emily's cheeks.

"So, you think I agreed to this contract because of your money?"

"Yes, I'll ask for a very large compensation for giving birth to an heir to the Horison family."

Emily smiled bitterly.

"So, you really did all of this just for the money? You never intended to raise our baby together?"

**

"Let's party!" Evelyn shouted excitedly as she invited her friends to raise their glasses for a toast.

"Hey, Miss! You need to go home. Tomorrow is your first day at work!" Geon said, taking the glass from Evelyn's hand as she grew increasingly intoxicated.

"Just one more glass!"

Evelyn snatched the drink back from her boyfriend and finished it in one gulp.

"Ahh."

She flashed a wide smile.

"Sweetheart, let's go home. You start work tomorrow."

Geon grabbed Evelyn's arm roughly.

"Let go! Let go of my hand! Why am I the one who has to work to pay off all of your debts?" Evelyn shouted, thoroughly drunk.

Geon let out a cynical laugh.

"You're drunk. Stop talking nonsense. Just come home with me."

He yanked her arm even harder this time.

Evelyn struggled to pull away, lost her balance, and knocked a drinking glass off the table. It shattered on the floor. A sharp piece of broken glass sliced into her hand. Blood poured from the wound until it spread across the floor.

Terrified, Geon turned and tried to run.

"Where do you think you're going?"

A well-built man stuck out his leg, sending Geon crashing to the floor.

"Security! Detain this man. Take him to the police station! Bring the CCTV footage with you!"

The man immediately lifted Evelyn into his arms and rushed her to the nearest hospital.

"The patient needs a blood transfusion because the broken glass severed part of a vein. We have to operate immediately. Unfortunately, we're out of compatible blood. We need type AB," the attending physician explained.

"I can donate. We have the same blood type," Dave said.

Following the medical staff's instructions, Dave underwent the donation process.

"Please, God... save that girl."

**

"Sweetheart, why did you book two rooms?" Soraya asked, her face filled with confusion.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I have a lot of work to do. I have a surgery scheduled for the day after tomorrow, and I need to prepare for it," Tyson said, gently taking Soraya's hand.

"So, what you're saying is that I'm just a distraction?"

Annoyed, Soraya pulled her hand away and opened the door to her room.

"Sweetheart, I can explain everything," Tyson pleaded from the other side of the door.

There was no response.

Giving up, Tyson went into the room next door.

I'm sorry, Soraya. I need time to think. I can't allow myself to waver. My goal has never been you. It's Emily.

You're so infuriating, Tyson! Why are you so clueless? Shouldn't you be the one comforting me?

Pouting, Soraya threw her nightgown onto the floor.

**

"A storm? But the weather forecast said it was supposed to be clear today."

Mrs. Noldi stood outside the convenience store.

"Ma'am, please come inside. A severe storm is about to hit!" one of the store employees called.

Mrs. Noldi quickly went inside.

This storm is bound to cause terrible traffic. It's already nine o'clock at night. Young Master must be waiting for me.

Alan's phone rang.

"Hello."

"Young Master Alan, it's me."

"What's wrong, Mrs. Noldi?"

"Young Master, I'm afraid I won't be able to make it home tonight. A severe storm has brought traffic to a standstill."

"Oh no. Where are you now, Mrs. Noldi? Are you alright?" Alan asked anxiously.

"I'm fine, Sir. I'm inside a convenience store with several other customers. Please apologize to Emily for me. She won't be getting the red apples she wanted today."

"I'll let Emily know. Take care of yourself, Mrs. Noldi. Call me if anything happens," Alan said before ending the call.

Alan walked to Emily's bedroom.

Knock. Knock.

"Emily, it's me."

"Forgive me, Mom. This is all my fault, Mom. Mom..."

Emily mumbled in her sleep, her eyes still closed.

Alan quietly opened the bedroom door.

"Emily, it's me," he whispered.

Emily jolted awake, drenched in sweat.

"Mom!" Emily burst into tears as the heartbreaking memory of her mother's death in the accident came rushing back.

Alan immediately pulled her into his arms and gently patted her back. "Don't be afraid. I'm here."

Once Emily had calmed down, Alan went to the kitchen and prepared a cup of warm milk for her.

"Drink this."

"Thank you, Sir." Emily sipped the warm milk little by little.

Alan looked at her with pity in his eyes. Why does it hurt so much to see her cry? I can't bear to watch her suffer.

"How are you feeling now? Do you feel a little better?" Alan asked.

Emily gave a slight nod. "Thank you, Sir."

"Emily, what really happened to your mother?" Alan asked softly.

Emily took a deep breath before answering.

"My mother died in a car accident. A few days before it happened, I left home. I abandoned her after calling her a prostitute." Emily broke down in tears once more.

Alan wrapped his arms around her again, letting her pour out all of the sorrow she had carried alone.

"It's all my fault, Sir. If I hadn't been born as a fatherless child, my mother wouldn't have had to carry everything by herself. I never understood how hard she struggled to earn money for us. But..." Emily's voice caught in her throat.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Emily. A child doesn't get to choose who their parents are. Your mother must have been grateful to have you in her life." Alan gently stroked her hair.

"It must have been so hard carrying all of this by yourself, Emily. Share your pain with me."

Emily fell silent. Alan's words reached the deepest part of her heart.

"Thank you, Sir. You're a truly kind man. Honestly, this is the first time anyone has ever cared about me. Our child is very fortunate to have a father like you," Emily said, her eyes filled with quiet sadness.

Alan gazed deeply into Emily's eyes before gently pressing his lips to hers.

"Mm."

****