CHAPTER 2: THE SECRET SHE NEVER KNEW
The silence between them lasted only seconds.
But for Adeline, it felt like five years.
Five years since she had last seen Ethan Carter.
Five years since the night he vanished without explanation.
Five years since he shattered her heart.
"Adeline..."
His voice was barely a whisper.
Before either of them could speak again, the little girl cried out in pain.
The spell broke instantly.
Doctor instincts took over.
"We need to move her now," Adeline ordered.
Nurses rushed forward with a gurney.
The child—Lily—was quickly transferred and wheeled toward the trauma room.
Ethan followed closely behind.
Every few seconds he glanced at Adeline.
As if afraid she might disappear again.
An hour later, Lily's injuries had been treated.
Thankfully, none of them were life-threatening.
A fractured arm.
Several cuts.
A concussion that would require observation.
Nothing more.
When Adeline finally stepped into the waiting room, Ethan was standing alone by the window.
Rain tapped softly against the glass.
Neither knew how to begin.
Finally, Adeline spoke.
"You left."
The words carried five years of pain.
Ethan closed his eyes.
"I know."
"No explanation."
"I know."
"No goodbye."
His voice cracked.
"I know."
Tears filled Adeline's eyes.
"Why?"
For several moments Ethan couldn't answer.
Then he reached into his wallet.
He pulled out a worn photograph.
A younger Adeline.
Smiling.
Pregnant.
The picture looked as if it had been carried every day for years.
"I never stopped loving you."
Adeline's heart skipped.
"Then why did you leave?"
Ethan stared at the floor.
"Because someone threatened to kill you."
The room went silent.
Adeline froze.
Ethan slowly explained everything.
Five years earlier, he had been working undercover as a federal witness against a violent criminal organization.
When the gang discovered his identity, they threatened everyone he loved.
Especially Adeline.
Especially their unborn child.
Authorities offered him only one option.
Disappear.
Immediately.
No contact.
No warning.
No explanation.
If he stayed, they would die.
So he walked away.
And spent the next five years believing it was the only way to keep them safe.
Adeline felt the world tilt beneath her feet.
Everything she had believed was suddenly gone.
May you like
The man she hated...
Had actually sacrificed everything for her.
