Chapter 6

Elena POV

When I woke up again, I was staring at a stark white hospital ceiling.

The smell of disinfectant filled my nose.

I tried to move my fingers. My right hand was wrapped in thick bandages. The slightest movement sent sharp pain through it.

But I didn't care about my hand. Instinctively, I reached with my left hand to touch my stomach.

Flat.

That feeling of connection, of life growing inside me, was gone.

The hospital room door opened. A doctor in a white coat walked in, looking at me with sympathy.

"Miss Rivers, you're awake."

I opened my mouth. My throat was so dry I couldn't speak. I could only look at the doctor pleadingly.

The doctor sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry. You were brought in too late. We couldn't save the baby. And..."

The doctor hesitated, as if he couldn't bear to continue.

"Because you were frozen in the snow for so long and suffered severe hemorrhaging from the miscarriage, your uterus sustained irreversible damage. You... you may never be able to become a mother again."

Those words hit me like a sledgehammer to the skull.

I didn't cry. I didn't scream. I didn't even shed a tear.

I just stared at the ceiling.

I don't know how much time passed before the door was violently shoved open again.

My father, Robert Rivers, stormed in furiously.

He didn't look at my face. He didn't ask about my condition. He rushed to the bedside and raised his hand, slapping me hard across the face.

The sharp crack echoed in the quiet room.

My face whipped to the side. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth.

"You useless piece of trash!"

He pointed at my nose and cursed.

"Do you know Damien Cross just pulled funding from the downtown project? Rivers Corporation is about to go bankrupt! I raised you all these years so you could strengthen our relationship with the Cross family, not so you could offend him!"

I slowly turned my head and looked at this man who was my biological father.

"I lost my baby."

I said quietly.

"So what if you lost it! It was just a clump of cells!"

He waved his hand impatiently.

"As long as you're still Mrs. Cross, you can adopt a child later! Right now, the most important thing is for you to get out of this bed and go kowtow to Lily White and apologize! As long as Lily's happy, Damien will leave Rivers Corporation alone!"

I looked at him and laughed.

This was my family.

In their eyes, I was never a living, breathing person. Just a bargaining chip to trade for profit.

"Get out."

I said coldly.

"What did you say?"

He stared at me, as if he couldn't believe his ears.

"I said get out!"

I don't know where I found the strength, but I grabbed the water cup beside me and hurled it at his feet.

"I'm not part of the Rivers family anymore! Whether you live or die has nothing to do with me!"

The sound of shattering glass startled him.

He looked at me like I was crazy, cursing as he backed out of the room.

"Fine! You're tough! Don't ever think about coming back to the Rivers family!"

The hospital room fell silent again.

My throat felt unbearably dry, like it was on fire.

I pulled the IV needle from the back of my hand. A bead of blood welled up at the puncture site.

I ignored it. Barefoot, dragging my weakened body, I slowly made my way out of the room toward the water dispenser at the end of the hall.

When I reached the corner by the stairwell, I heard familiar footsteps.

It was Marcus, Damien's assistant.