Bride to Blood Bank - Chapter 4: Chapter 4

Jaime scoffed but obeyed, his grip tightening around my arm. "But I can do this, right?" He dug his fingers in hard, sending a sharp jolt of pain through my skin. Tears pricked at my eyes as I flinched, and he smirked, relishing my reaction.
Before I could retaliate, Ian's phone rang. He answered in an instant, his face turning grim.
"Dr. Seymour, your friend's fever just spiked—it's critical. You need to get here now."
The call ended, and Ian's jaw clenched. "Trish doesn't have time. We're doing the C-section now."
The elevator doors slid open, and before I could react, Ian seized my wrist, yanking me forward.
"Hey, stop!"
A sharp voice cut through the tension, sending a rush of hope through me. I turned to see Marilyn standing there, slightly breathless.
For the first time in what felt like forever, something inside me dared to hope.
"Zara, you left your prenatal booklet with me last time," Marilyn said, handing it to Ian with a polite smile. "Good luck with everything."
"Thank you," Ian replied smoothly.
As she turned to leave, I tried to call out— "Mar—"
Jaime's hand clamped over my mouth before I could finish. Ian gripped my wrists, his voice dripping with fake concern.
"Yes, honey, I know it hurts. Just hold on. We're almost there. I'm sorry, but we have to go."
Only when the elevator doors closed behind Marilyn did Ian finally let go. Jaime, however, dug his nails into my arm again, his voice a venomous hiss.
"You bitch. You almost ruined everything."
Pain flared, but I was helpless—outnumbered, trapped, at their mercy. They dragged me down the hall, shoving me into an operating room.
"Ian, this is illegal! You know that!" I screamed, fighting uselessly against their hold.
Ian, now in scrubs, barely glanced at me. "You're my wife, and I'm the head of obstetrics. Who's going to question me for operating on my own wife?"
Without hesitation, he plunged a syringe into my arm. My limbs turned leaden, but my mind stayed horrifyingly clear.
"Strap her down," Ian ordered coldly.
Jaime obeyed, buckling thick leather restraints around my wrists and ankles. They bit into my skin as I thrashed, my breath coming in panicked gasps.
Jaime smirked. "Not even gonna numb her first?"
Ian barely spared me a glance. "No anesthesiologist available. Besides, this is already illegal—bringing in another doctor just complicates things. We'll do it without."
Terror crashed over me, turning my blood to ice.
"Ian, you're a monster!" I screamed, my voice breaking.
He scoffed. "I'm saving your best friend. Why are you fighting this?"
Jaime rolled his eyes. "Face it—you want Trish to die. You've always been a jealous, vindictive bitch."
I locked eyes with him, my voice trembling with fury. "And you—have you lost your damn mind? Do you even remember whose baby this is?"
Jaime's smirk was pure malice. "Exactly. And that's why this is happening. My child was meant to save Trish—it's his destiny."
He turned to Ian. "Hurry up. Let's get this over with."
Ian nodded, scribbling his signature on a consent form without hesitation.
"I married you for this. Now that I've signed as your husband, you have no legal standing to fight me later."
Even though I'd known the truth, hearing him say it out loud shattered me completely.
Then—agony.
The scalpel sliced into my abdomen, tearing through flesh with no mercy, no numbness—just raw, searing pain. I felt every cut, every layer being ripped apart, like something alive was clawing its way out of me.
My screams echoed off the sterile walls, desperate, unheeded.
"You'll pay for this," I rasped, my voice barely audible.
Ian's voice cut through the haze of pain, triumphant. "It's out! The baby's out!"
For one fleeting second, hope flickered—
Then—
Panic gripped him as he cradled the tiny, blood-smeared body in his trembling hands.