Frustration surged through me, quickly turning into anger.

‎I knew that even if I managed to overtake it, the only way to truly get away would be to speed up and outrun it.

‎But I wasn’t skilled enough for that.

‎And even if I were...

‎I wouldn’t risk it. Not like this. Not with my child.

‎I forced myself to stay calm, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

‎I needed stability—not recklessness.

‎Glancing at the rearview mirror, I signaled and carefully pulled over to the side of the road, intending to call the police—

‎Only to realize—

‎I didn’t have my phone.

‎My heart dropped.

‎And then—

‎Bang!

‎A deafening crash tore through the air.

‎The force slammed into me as the airbags deployed instantly.

‎Pain exploded in my head, and my vision blurred.

‎Everything spun.

‎As consciousness slipped away, one final realization struck me—

‎The white car behind me...

‎It had been following me too.

The screech of brakes pierced through my ears.

‎Then—

‎A deafening crash.

‎Flames erupted, swallowing the car whole until nothing remained but a charred skeleton.

‎The scene played over and over in my mind like a nightmare I couldn’t escape.

‎My eyes snapped open.

‎Pain pounded violently in my head, as if it were about to split apart.

‎A sharp, sterile scent filled the air.

‎Disinfectant.

‎Slowly, awareness returned.

‎I was in a hospital.

‎Everything before me was blurred.

‎At first, I thought it was just because I had been unconscious for too long.

‎I lifted a hand and rubbed my eyes, blinking a few times, waiting for my vision to adjust—

‎But even after several seconds...

‎The blur didn’t fade.A sense of unease tightened in my chest, and an unfamiliar fear began to rise.

‎"You’re awake," a gentle female voice said.

‎I turned toward the sound, but all I could make out was a vague outline—her figure, the color of her clothes. Her face remained indistinct, blurred beyond recognition.

‎Beside her stood a tall man, dressed in a similar uniform.

‎On either side of me were other hospital beds. I could hear patients speaking softly with their families, their voices distant yet grounding.

‎"Miss," the woman continued softly, taking my hand and guiding it to rest on her shoulder, "I’m a police officer. The doctor said you were involved in a car accident and suffered a head injury. There’s some fluid buildup in your brain, which is affecting your vision. Is everything still blurry?"

‎My grip on her hand tightened. The inability to see clearly made everything feel more fragile—more uncertain.

‎"The fluid is putting pressure on your optic nerves," she added reassuringly. "Once it’s absorbed, your vision should gradually return."

‎Her words did little to calm me. Panic crept into my voice as I asked,

‎"My child... how is my baby? Is the baby okay?"

‎"Don’t worry," she replied gently. "The baby is fine."

‎I let out a shaky breath, but another worry quickly followed.

‎"But I was injured... will the medication affect the baby?"

‎She hesitated slightly. "I’m not a doctor, so I can’t give you a definite answer. But from what we’ve been told, your injuries aren’t severe, and nothing in the report raised concerns. The doctors have been very careful with your treatment. Your baby should be safe."

‎"...That’s good," I whispered, some of the tension finally easing. "That’s a relief."

‎"How are you feeling now?" the officer asked. "I need to ask you a few questions about the accident. Are you able to answer?"

‎I nodded faintly. "I can. Please go ahead."

‎"What’s your name?"

‎"Alicia Sinclair."

‎She continued with routine questions—my age, my address, basic details—her voice steady as she wrote everything down.

‎Then she paused before asking,

‎"What were you doing before the accident?"

‎I swallowed softly before answering,

‎"I was on my way home. I had gone to visit my parents’ graves... and I was heading back."

"Your car was parked on the roadside when it was rear-ended. The suspect fled immediately, and a passerby called the police. Do you remember what happened before the accident?"

‎I ran my fingers through my hair and nodded. "Yes... I remember."

‎"Please describe everything in detail."

‎I took a steady breath and carefully recounted the entire sequence of events.

‎It aligned perfectly with the footage from the traffic cameras.

‎The male officer jotted everything down before looking up. "So, from your account, both vehicles appeared to be deliberately targeting you. Are you certain you don’t recognize the driver of the black car?"

‎"I’m certain," I replied without hesitation.

‎"What about the white car? Did you see the driver clearly?"

‎I shook my head slightly. "No. It stayed too far behind. I only caught glimpses of it in the rearview mirror when I changed lanes, but I couldn’t make out any details."

‎"Alright," the officer said reassuringly. "Don’t worry. We’re already working on identifying the suspects. With surveillance cameras in the area, it shouldn’t take long to track them down."

‎There was no way they could disappear without a trace.

‎"Thank you," I said quietly.

‎"You can contact your family now," she added. "We didn’t find your phone at the scene..."

‎"I didn’t bring it with me," I replied. Then, after a brief pause, I added, "Officer, could you help me make a call?"

‎"Of course. Just give me the number."

‎For a moment, Alexander’s number lingered at the tip of my tongue.

‎He was probably still with Lilian.

‎A bitter smile crossed my lips.

‎"...Call this number instead."

‎I gave Maria’s number.

‎The phone rang a few times before it was answered. The officer handed it to me.

‎"Hello? Who is this?" Maria’s voice sounded confused.

‎"Maria... it’s me."

‎There was a brief silence—then her tone changed instantly.

‎"Mrs. Blackwood! You left without your phone! Why haven’t you come back yet?"

"I had an accident. Please come to the hospital and bring me a change of clothes. My wallet is on the desk in my room."

‎Maria gasped. "Mrs. Blackwood, are you alright? How did this happen? I’ll come right away!" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

‎With the officer’s help, I quickly gave her the hospital name and my room number.

‎"Okay, I’ll be there soon!"

‎After hanging up, I handed the phone back to the officer. "Thank you."

‎"You’re welcome. We’ll notify you as soon as we catch the suspect."

‎"Alright."

‎The officer left shortly after.

‎A doctor came in to examine me, confirming what the officer had said earlier. I made sure to ask again about the baby.

‎He reassured me that my injuries weren’t serious. He had also consulted the obstetrics department regarding the medication I’d been given, and it wouldn’t affect the pregnancy.

‎Relief washed over me.

‎After a brief pause, I spoke again.

‎"My housekeeper will be here soon to handle the paperwork. She’s close to my ex-husband... so I’d appreciate it if you could keep my medical information confidential. Please don’t mention the pregnancy to her."

‎The doctor looked slightly surprised. "You’re pregnant, but you haven’t told your ex-husband?"

‎"...He’s about to remarry."

‎A trace of sympathy crossed the doctor’s face, but he didn’t press further.

‎"Understood," he said gently.

‎I lay back on the hospital bed, feeling strangely empty.

‎There were two other patients in the ward, one on each side.

‎Since my bed was in the middle, I could hear their conversations clearly.

‎The woman beside me had a caregiver with her, complaining about the cost of medical bills.

‎I turned my head slightly, but everything remained blurred.

‎Just then, I sensed someone standing at the doorway.

‎I looked up, trying to focus on the dark figure.

‎