The Billionaire’s Accidental Wife

Chapter 12: Ava Collapses

The news played on loop.

"DAMIEN COLE ARRESTED"

"BILLIONAIRE IN CUSTODY OVER MEDICAL LEAK"

"WIFE AVA COLE 12 WEEKS PREGNANT"

I sat on the floor of the penthouse.

Phone off. TV on mute.

One hand on my stomach.

"Ms. Cole," Selena said softly. "You need to eat."

"I’m not hungry," I whispered.

6 hours.

Damien had been gone for 6 hours.

No call. No text. No lawyer update.

My chest felt tight.

Like I couldn't breathe.

"Ms. Cole?" Selena knelt next to me. "Breathe with me. In. Out."

I tried.

Then the room spun.

---

I woke up to beeping.

White lights. Cold sheets.

An IV in my arm.

"She’s awake," a nurse said.

Dr. Reyes was there. Face serious.

"Ava," she said. "You fainted. Dehydration. Stress. Low blood sugar."

"Where’s Damien?" I asked immediately. Voice hoarse.

"In custody," Selena said from the chair. "His lawyer says 2 more hours."

I tried to sit up. The room spun again.

"Whoa," Dr. Reyes said, pushing me down gently. "No. You need to rest."

"The baby," I said, panicking. "Is Cole okay?"

She grabbed the monitor. Put it on my stomach.

_thump thump. thump thump._

142 bpm. Strong.

"He’s fine," Dr. Reyes said. "But you’re not. You’ve lost weight. You’re not sleeping. You’re not eating."

"I can’t," I cried. "Not without him."

Dr. Reyes sighed. She sat on the bed.

"Ava. Listen to me. Babies feel stress. And right now, you’re drowning in it."

"I know," I sobbed. "But Vivienne—"

"Vivienne is not your problem right now," she said firmly. "You and Cole are."

The door opened.

Damien.

In a suit. Hair messy. No tie. Eyes red.

He looked wrecked.

"Ava," he breathed.

He crossed the room in 2 steps and dropped to his knees beside the bed.

Grabbed my hand.

"Are you okay? Is he okay?"

"We’re okay," I whispered. "You’re out."

He nodded. Closed his eyes like he was praying.

"24 hours," he said. "They let me go. Charges pending. Vivienne pushed it through."

He looked at me. Really looked.

"You’re in a hospital bed."

"I fainted," I admitted. "I’m sorry."

"Don’t you dare apologize," he said, voice breaking. "This is my fault."

He brought my hand to his lips. Kissed my knuckles.

"I’m so sorry, Ava. I should have never let it get this far."

Dr. Reyes cleared her throat. "Mr. Cole. She needs rest. And food. And no stress."

"I know," Damien said. He didn’t let go of my hand. "Can I stay?"

"As long as you let her sleep," Dr. Reyes said.

She left. Selena left.

Just us.

---

Damien climbed carefully onto the hospital bed.

Didn’t care that it was small. Didn’t care that nurses would see.

He pulled me into his side. Arm around me. Hand on my stomach.

"Hey buddy," he whispered to Cole. "Mom’s tired. Be good for her, okay?"

I started crying. Again.

"Hey," Damien said, panicked. "What’s wrong?"

"I was so scared," I sobbed. "That you wouldn’t come back. That she won."

"She didn’t win," he said firmly. "I’m here. We’re here."

He wiped my tears with his thumb.

"Tell me what happened."

"Nothing," I said. "I just... I watched you get arrested. On TV. And I couldn’t do anything."

He cursed under his breath.

"I’m sorry you saw that."

"Don’t be," I said. "You did it for us."

We were quiet for a long time.

Just his breathing. The monitor.

"Damien?"

"Hmm?"

"I’m scared," I admitted. "Of her. Of the press. Of being a mom like this."

"I know," he said. "Me too."

He kissed my temple.

"But we’re scared together," he said. "And that’s better than being scared alone."

Eventually, I fell asleep.

To his heartbeat.

To his hand on Cole.

---

I woke up to voices.

Vivienne.

In the hallway.

"I want to see her," she said. "As family."

"She’s not seeing anyone, Mrs. Hart," a nurse said.

"She’s carrying the future of this company," Vivienne snapped. "I have a right."

Damien was already standing.

Furious.

He walked to the door and opened it.

"Get. Out."

Vivienne smiled. Fake sweet.

"Damien. Just checking on my niece or nephew."

"She’s not your anything," he said coldly. "And you’re not welcome."

Vivienne looked past him. At me in the bed.

"Oh Ava," she cooed. "You look terrible. Stress isn’t good for the baby, you know."

Damien stepped between us.

"Leave. Now. Or I call security."

Vivienne’s smile dropped.

"This isn’t over," she said quietly. "You think one speech fixes this? You think the board will protect you?"

"I think," Damien said, "that you’re about to be sued into oblivion."

He shut the door in her face.

When he turned back to me, his hands were shaking.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," I lied.

He sat back down. Pulled me close again.

"I’m not letting her near you again," he said. "Ever."

---

We were discharged that night.

No press. Back entrance.

Straight to the penthouse.

Damien carried me to bed.

Like I was glass.

"Eat," he said, sitting next to me with soup.

"I’m not—"

"Eat," he repeated. "For Cole."

So I did. One spoonful at a time.

While he watched me.

After, he laid down beside me.

Fully clothed. Shoes off.

"Sleep," he murmured. "I’m not going anywhere."

I woke up 3 times that night from nightmares.

Each time, he was awake.

Holding me.

Whispering: "I’ve got you. I’ve got you."

---

The next morning, Selena brought news.

"The board is calling an emergency vote," she said. "To remove you as CEO, Mr. Cole."

"When?" Damien asked.

"Tomorrow. 8AM."

"And Vivienne?"

"She’s leading it."

Damien nodded. He looked tired.

"Okay," he said. "Then we fight."

He turned to me.

"You need to rest today. No stress."

"What about you?" I asked.

"I have lawyers," he said. "And I have you."

He kissed my forehead.

"One day at a time, okay? For Cole."

I nodded.

But that night, I couldn’t sleep again.

At 3AM, I found him in his office.

Staring at the wall.

"Can’t sleep?" I asked.

"No," he said. "Thinking about tomorrow."

I walked in. Sat on his lap.

"What if they fire you?"

"Then they fire me," he said simply. "But they don’t get you. Or Cole."

He hugged me.

"I’d burn it all down before I let her touch you."

I believed him.

Outside, the city was sleeping.

Inside, we had a war in 5 hours.

And a baby to protect.