But then—suddenly, violently—pain erupted in my abdomen.
My eyes flew open as I gasped, instinctively clutching my stomach. Warm liquid gushed down my thighs, and sheer panic surged through me.
No.
Not now.
Please, not like this.
A strangled sound escaped me as agony gripped every part of my body. My fingernails clawed into my skin, my legs quivering beneath me. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. The pain intensified, wave after wave, merciless and unrelenting.
And then—
Something shifted inside me.
Something… let go.
And after that—
A soft splash.
A small, heart-shattering sound that changed everything.
The world went silent.
My body became weightless, my breath frozen in my lungs. I couldn’t process it. I couldn’t even blink.
My baby…
My babies.
Darkness swallowed me whole just as the bungee cord recoiled, jerking me upward once more.
---
I must’ve blacked out.
Because when I came to, it wasn’t from sleep—it was from the impact of a boot slamming into my ribs.
“Wake up.”
The pain barely registered. I was beyond pain now. Beyond everything.
Another kick landed, harder than the first.
“Stop faking it. You think I’m that gullible?” Lucien’s voice was sharp, filled with irritation. “Get. Up.”