Billionaire's Regret: Losing Me And Our Son - Chapter 25: Chapter 25

I stared at him, cold and unyielding. My voice was as sharp as glass. "If you have time for this, Mr. Madden, you'd be better off hurrying home to Diana and starting that family you've always wanted."
"Natalia!" His voice cracked, raw with emotion, as he slammed the bowl back onto the nightstand. His dark eyes burned into mine, his tone rough and accusing. "Do you really think you're the only one hurting right now?"
Was he hurting too?
It made sense—this had been his first child, after all. But deep down, I couldn't stop the thought from creeping in: once he married Diana and had children with her, this loss would fade from his memory like yesterday's news.
I opened my mouth to speak but found no words.
Suddenly, the door burst open with a loud bang, and my mother stormed in, fury etched across her face.
Her anger was palpable, and my father, trailing behind her, was powerless to hold her back. She marched straight to my bedside, raised her hand, and slapped me hard across the face. "How could you be so careless with your own child?" she yelled.
The sting spread across my cheek, hot and sharp, and I felt my chest tighten with pain.
But that slap wasn't enough for her. She raised her hand again, ready to strike.
Quinn grabbed her wrist mid-air, his voice like ice. "That's enough."
My mother flinched but quickly tried to regain her composure. She glared at him, her tone defiant. "I'm disciplining my daughter. Stay out of it."
"She's my wife," Quinn said coldly, his towering frame shielding me as his expression darkened.
My father stepped in, finally pulling my mother back. His face, however, carried nothing but disappointment.
He sighed, trying to defuse the tension. "Natalia, your mother is just heartbroken—"
"I know," I cut him off, my voice flat. I'd heard this excuse too many times before to care anymore.
My father hesitated, then turned to Quinn. "Quinn, could we talk outside for a moment?"
Quinn glanced at me, then at my mother. Seeing that she'd calmed down, he gave a slight nod and followed my father out of the room.
Once they left, the room fell silent except for my mother's sharp, disapproving gaze.
She sat down, her expression filled with disdain. "What bad luck—for you, or for the Hinton family, I can't tell. Now that the child is gone, I doubt Mr. Madden will go through with donating that building or sending Skylar to study in Drofton City. What a mess."
"Mom, my child is gone. Are you seriously not even a little sad?" I asked, my voice trembling, my eyes burning with unshed tears.
She faltered for a moment, then her frown deepened. "Of course I'm sad, but what's the point? Sadness won't fix anything. You're the one who failed to protect your child. Let's be real—you never stood a chance against Diana. "
If her reputation hadn't been so questionable, you'd never have gotten to be Mrs. Madden."
"Mom, I'm your child too," I whispered, my voice breaking as my vision blurred.
My mother's cold stare pierced through me. Her lips moved, forming words, but my ears buzzed so loudly that I couldn't make out a single thing she was saying.
Quinn didn't come back after he left. Maybe he'd already weathered the storm, moved past the worst of it. But I hadn't. The pain in my chest was unbearable, like a weight I couldn't shake.
Late into the night, after sending the nurse's aide away, I slipped out of bed barefoot. My movements were slow, deliberate, as if on autopilot. I rummaged through the drawer and pulled out a fruit knife. Sitting back on the bed, I pressed the blade against my wrist.
"My baby, wait for Mommy. Mommy's coming to join you." The words echoed in my head, raw and desperate.
"Natalia, stop!" Aiden burst into the room, his voice sharp with panic as he yanked the knife from my hand. His eyes were filled with an aching mix of anger and pity as he pressed me back onto the bed.
He glanced toward the door before leaning down to whisper urgently in my ear. "Natalia, listen to me. Your baby is still alive."
"What... what did you say?" I froze, my mind reeling. Was he trying to comfort me? Was it just another empty promise to keep me from losing it completely?
But Aiden's expression was deadly serious. "I keep my promises," he said firmly. "It's a long story, and this hospital is the last place to explain. Too many ears, too many eyes. For now, you need to keep playing your part in front of the Maddens. Stick to the plan."