Page 106 of Of Oaths and Secrets

I blink up at him, my vision unfocused. “Save her…” I whisper, the words slurred. “Promise me…”

“No,” he chokes out, gripping my hand like a lifeline. “I won’t promise that. Because I’m saving both of you. You hear me? Both of you. I can’t lose you, Nora. I can’t.”

The car lurches forward, and I feel the vibrations beneath me. His voice—broken, raw—echoes in my ears as the darkness tugs at me again.

“I love you,” he murmurs, his forehead pressing against mine. “You’re my everything. Please, Nora… stay with me. Please…”

I feel his tears against my cheek as the void finally claims me.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Rafaele

The car races through the city, Paolo at the wheel. My hands won’t stop shaking as I cradle Nora’s limp body in my arms. Her fever is high, her skin clammy and pale, and her breathing is shallow—every labored exhale a dagger to my chest.

“Faster,” I bark, my voice breaking. Paolo’s knuckles are white on the steering wheel as he pushes the car to its limits, weaving through traffic like a man possessed.

“I’m going as fast as I can, Rafa,” he mutters, but his voice wavers, betraying his own fear.

I look down at Nora, brushing the damp hair away from her face. She looks so small, so delicate. My Nora, who is anything but fragile, reduced to this. “Hold on, amore,” I whisper, pressing my lips to her burning forehead. “We’re almost there. Don’t leave me. Please.”

The hospital comes into view, its sterile lights like a beacon in the darkness. Paolo slams the car to a stop in front of the emergency entrance. Before it is even fully parked, I’m out, carrying her in my arms.

“Help!” I shout as I burst through the doors, my voice echoing in the quiet of the night-shift lobby. “I need a doctor! My wife—she’s pregnant, and something’s wrong!”

A nurse rushes over, her eyes widening as she takes in the scene. “Get a stretcher, now!” she calls behind her. Within moments, a team surrounds us, guiding me to lay her down on a gurney.

“Nora,” I whisper, brushing her cheek as they wheel her away. “I’m right here, amore. I’m not leaving you.”

One of the doctors stops me as they head toward the maternity ward. “Sir, we need to take her now. Are you her husband?”

“Yes,” I snap, the word heavy with desperation. “What’s wrong with her?”

The OB-GYN arrives, a middle-aged man with sharp eyes that take in everything at once. He doesn’t sugarcoat it. “Your wife is showing signs of severe preeclampsia. It’s dangerous for both her and the baby. We need to stabilize her immediately.”

My chest tightens, and my voice comes out in a growl. “If you have to make a choice, you save her. Do you understand? She has to live. No matter what.”

The doctor hesitates, his professional mask slipping for a moment as he glances at the unconscious woman on the gurney. “We’ll do everything we can for both of them.”

“No,” I bark, stepping closer. “You saveher. Promise me.”

His eyes meet mine, and he nods. “I understand.”

They disappear behind the double doors, leaving me in an empty hallway with nothing but the pounding of my heart and the sound of my ragged breaths. Paolo comes to stand beside me, silent at first. Then he speaks, low and careful. “I heard her, Rafa. She asked you to choose the baby.”

“I know.” My voice is hoarse, barely audible.

Paolo looks at me, his face solemn. “You’ve always been so adamant about letting her make her own choices.”

I shake my head, unable to meet his gaze. My hands tremble as I rake them through my hair. “I can’t lose her, Paolo.”

“If she lives and the baby dies because of a choice you made, she’ll hate you.”

“At least she’ll be alive to do it,” I snap, my voice breaking. “At least she’ll still be here.”

He doesn’t reply, and the silence sits heavy between us as I sink into a chair, my head in my hands.

The shrill ring of my phone cuts through the tension. I answer sharply without thinking. “What?”

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