BILLIONAIRES: Father or Son

Chapter Nine

FLORA'S POV

The harsh brightness of the room hit me the moment I opened my eyes, making me wince and squeeze them shut again, waiting for the ringing in my ears to settle. For a brief moment, I felt like I was floating, weightless, but my entire body ached like I had been thrown down a ten-story building. Something warm touched my arm, and then I heard a voice—a voice I knew too well.

"Oh my God, you're awake. You made it."

I blinked a few times, staring up at the ceiling, slowly piecing together where I was. My head felt heavy, but I managed to turn it to the side and saw my mom, her bittersweet smile tinged with tears. She rubbed my arm gently, like she was trying to ground me back to reality.

"Mom?" I croaked; my throat dry. "What are you...?" My voice trailed off as memories flooded back. The last thing I remembered...

I glanced down at my body, panic creeping in. Then I looked at my mom, her eyes silently pleading with me to stay calm. She nodded, trying to reassure me.

"You're okay, baby. Everything's going to be fine."

I wasn't convinced. I placed a trembling hand on my stomach. "My baby..." I whispered. "What about my baby?"

Tears slipped down my mother's cheeks as she shook her head, her lips trembling. She swallowed hard before she could speak. "I'm so sorry, my child."

"No... no." My voice cracked, rising in desperation. "What about my baby?" I asked again, firmer this time, sitting up despite the pain. But deep down, I already knew the answer.

The truth settled like a heavy stone in my chest. I broke down, tears flowing uncontrollably. My mom wasted no time, wrapping her arms around me, pulling me into the safety of her embrace. I sobbed against her, letting the grief pour out of me.

When the tears finally slowed, I pulled back slightly, my mind drifting to the one person who should've been here. "What about Jayden?" I asked, my voice still shaky.

Surely, he had heard about the accident. Even if he didn't care about me, he should care that we lost our baby. But one glance at my mother's face gave me the answer I needed. The disappointment in her eyes was unmistakable.

"How long?" I demanded, sniffing back the remnants of my tears. I didn't even know why it still hurt. "How long has he been gone?"

"For the entire two days you've been unconscious," she said gently. "He brought you here, and then Lisette called me to come stay with you. When I got here, Jayden said he needed to leave for business and would be back soon. But I haven't seen or heard from him since. Although there is a man outside that door, guarding this room."

A single tear escaped and slid down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away, but the sting lingered. Jayden always had something more important than me. I should've been numb to it by now, but it still cut deep.

"I never knew you were going through all this, Flo," my mom said, her voice soft but full of pain. "Jayden went and got his ex-girlfriend pregnant while he was still married to you? Why didn't you tell me?"

I shook my head, unable to find the words. What could I say? I hadn't wanted to burden her with my failing marriage. But she took my hands in hers, brushing away my tears with her thumb, the warmth of her touch giving me a small sense of comfort.

"You know I'll support you no matter what you decide," she said, her voice steady. "I don't care about anything but you and Sasha. If it were up to me, I wouldn't want you going back to the Kensington estate."

Our eyes met, and I wasn't surprised. She had never been in favor of my marriage to Jayden from the beginning. She had only accepted it because it was what I had wanted. I thought marrying him would give me the life I dreamed of, but that dream had long turned into a nightmare.