Ariana’s POV

Sarah had picked me up from the hospital.

She was the only person I could turn to in moments like this.

"Ariana, breathe. You need to breathe."

I shook my head. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t do anything. I was falling apart, everything was falling apart.

"He doesn’t remember me," I said. The words came out between sobs. "He doesn’t know who I am, Sarah."

Sarah pulled me close with her arms wrapped around me. She held me tight. "I know, I know, sweetie. Marcus told me. I’m so sorry."

I pulled back.

I looked at her face, which was blurry through my tears. "He took my son, my baby. He had no right. No right to take my child away without permission."

Sarah’s eyes were wet too. "I know. I know he hurt you. I know he made terrible choices."

"Terrible choices?" I laughed. It was an ugly sound. "He stole my baby. He lied to me for all the years we’ve been together. He let Alan grow up thinking I was dead. He let Asher grow up without his twin, and now he doesn’t remember any of it. He doesn’t remember me. He doesn’t remember our children. He doesn’t remember our life. He doesn’t remember anything."

I was pacing now.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

My hands were shaking.

My whole body was shaking.

"He remembers Melissa," I said the name tasted like poison. "He remembers her. He thinks he’s engaged to her. He’s forgetting me. He’s forgetting us. How could he do this to me? How could he do this when I need him the most?"

Sarah stood up.

She came to me.

She put her hands on my shoulders. "Ariana, stop. You’re going to make yourself sick. You need to calm down."

"I can’t calm down!" I screamed. "My husband doesn’t know me, and my son didn’t even know me. My father stole our company. Melissa is back in his life, and I’m here alone, falling apart. How am I supposed to calm down?"

I was crying so hard I couldn’t see.

My chest was tight.

My head was pounding.

My whole body was shaking.

Sarah grabbed my arms. Her grip was firm. "Ariana, look at me. Look at me."

I looked at her.

"You are not alone," she said. "You have me. You have Marcus and the children. You have people who love you, and you are going to get through this. All of it. Do you hear me?"

I shook my head. "I can’t. I can’t do this, Sarah. I can’t."

"You can. You are the strongest person I know. You survived Melissa, Angelo, and your father once. You can survive this again."

I wanted to believe her. I wanted to believe that I was strong, that I could do this, but I didn’t feel strong.

"He doesn’t remember me," I whispered.

Sarah pulled me into her arms again and held me tight. "He will remember. The doctors said it could come back. It might take time, but it could come back."

"And if it doesn’t?" My voice was small. "What if he never remembers me? What if he marries Melissa? What if he takes? What if I lose everything?"

Sarah pulled back.

She looked me in the eyes. "Then we fight for your family, Ariana."

I wanted to believe her, but the pain was too much.

I sank back onto the couch.

My hands were on my belly.

My baby.

My unborn child.

"I need him," I whispered. "I need Dante. I can’t do this alone. I can’t have this baby without him... I can’t deal with Melissa or my father without him."

My stomach tightened.

I gasped.

I put my hand on my belly.

The baby was moving.

Kicking.

It was early.

Too early.

"Ariana? What’s wrong?" Sarah’s voice was sharp.

Worried.

I shook my head. "Nothing, the baby. He’s moving. He’s kicking hard."

I tried to stand up, but my legs were weak. My back was hurting. A sharp pain shot through my stomach.

I cried out, grabbing the edge of the couch.

"Ariana!" Sarah was beside me. Her hands were on my arms. "What is it? What’s happening?"

"I don’t know my stomach. It hurts. It hurts so bad."

Another pain.

Worse this time.

Sarah was shouting, I couldn’t hear what she was saying, everything was blurry and m spinning.

The pain was everywhere.

In my stomach.

In my back.

In my whole body.

I felt something wet down my legs. I looked down. Water, clear water running down my legs.

Pooling on the floor.

My water broke.

It was too early.

Way too early.

The baby wasn’t due for two more months.

"The baby," I gasped. "The baby is coming. It’s too early. Sarah, it’s too early."

Sarah was on her phone. I heard her voice. Shouting. "We need an ambulance. Now! Her water broke. She’s going into labor. She’s only seven months old. Please hurry!"

I sank to the floor. My legs wouldn’t hold me.

The pain was everywhere.

Sarah dropped the phone.

She knelt beside me with her hands on my face. "Ariana, listen to me. The ambulance is coming. They’re on their way. You’re going to be okay. The baby is going to be okay."

I shook my head. "No. No, it’s too early. The baby is too small. He’s not ready. He’s not ready.... I don’t want to lose the baby."

Another pain, I screamed. It was the worst pain I had ever felt.

Sarah held my hand.

She squeezed it tight. "Breathe, Ariana. Breathe. The ambulance is almost here, just hold on. Just breathe."

The pain was everywhere. The fear was everywhere. My whole body was shaking.

My whole world was falling apart.

I heard sirens far away, then closer.

Paramedics rushed in.

"How far along is she?" one of them asked.

"Seven months," Sarah said. "Maybe a little more. The baby isn’t due for two months."

They were lifting me onto a stretcher.

The lights were bright.

The voices were loud.

Everything was spinning.

"Dante," I whispered. "I need Dante, please, someone call my husband."

"Arian—"

"I don’t care!" I screamed. The pain was making me crazy. "I don’t care if he doesn’t remember me! He’s my husband! He’s the father of this baby! I need him! Please, Sarah. Please call him."

Sarah nodded. Tears were streaming down her face. "Okay. Okay, I’ll call him. I’ll call Marcus."

They loaded me into the ambulance.

The sirens were screaming.

The pain was coming faster now.

Harder.

"Please," I whispered. "Please let my baby be okay. Please let Dante come."