Chapter 34

LEON'S POV I felt my heart constrict as I watched Irene's brow furrow in pain, her face losing color with each passing second. It was like an invisible hand had reached into my chest and squeezed, leaving me breathless and desperate. Without thinking, I scooped her into my arms, ignoring the rising panic threatening to overtake me. All I could focus on was getting her to safety, to help—anything to take away the pain etched on her face. As I rushed towards the car, I barked orders at the driver. “Get us to the nearest hospital, now!” I couldn’t hide the urgency in my tone, nor the fear that had filled me whole. I held onto Irene’s hand tightly, as if letting go would mean losing her. My eyes never left her face, scanning every detail, every grimace of discomfort. My mind raced with thoughts of what could be wrong—was it the baby? Was something more serious happening? The thought of losing them both twisted my gut in ways I’d never experienced before. In that moment, I realized somethin