The world returned in fragments.

A shrill monitor.

Bright surgical lights.

Voices layered over one another.

"Blood pressure is crashing!"

"We're losing her!"

"Prep the OR now!"

Emily Carter struggled to open her eyes, but everything around her was blurred. Every breath felt like shards of glass scraping through her chest.

The pain in her abdomen was unbearable.

She instinctively reached for her belly.

Warm hands stopped her.

"Emily."

A calm voice.

Officer Daniel Torres.

His uniform was stained with her blood.

He knelt beside the hospital bed before doctors wheeled her toward surgery.

"You need to stay with us."

Emily grabbed his sleeve with surprising strength.

"My... my baby..."

Her voice barely existed.

Tears slipped down the corners of her eyes.

"Please..."

Daniel swallowed hard.

"The doctors are doing everything they can."

Emily shook her head weakly.

"No..."

"You don't understand..."

"He'll come back."

Daniel frowned.

"Marcus."

"He'll finish it."

The operating room doors burst open before she could say another word.

Doctors rushed her inside.

The doors slammed shut.

Silence.

Daniel stood frozen outside, staring at the streaks of blood left on the floor by the gurney wheels.

Behind him, another officer approached.

"We caught Kane."

Daniel turned sharply.

"What?"

"He tried to leave through the underground parking garage."

A pause.

"But there's a problem."

Daniel's expression hardened.

"What problem?"

"The district attorney just received calls from three senators... and two executives from Kane Global."

"They're demanding his immediate release."

Daniel's jaw tightened.

"On what grounds?"

"They're claiming self-defense."

Daniel stared in disbelief.

Self-defense?

Against a pregnant woman?

His phone vibrated.

It was the lead detective.

"We searched Marcus Kane's office."

"What did you find?"

A long silence.

Then—

"A hidden server."

"Encrypted financial records."

"Offshore accounts."

"And..."

The detective's voice dropped.

"We found files labeled with Emily Carter's name."

Daniel felt a chill crawl down his spine.

"What kind of files?"

"Life insurance."

"Surveillance reports."

"Medical records."

"And one document..."

Another pause.

"...describing exactly how to make Emily disappear without anyone suspecting murder."

Daniel looked back at the operating room.

This had never been a crime of passion.

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