CHAPTER 23 CAPTURED

As Madison lay in her hospital bed, grappling with the news of her lost baby, a new understanding of her world started to take shape. Life had dealt her a cruel hand, and she had faced unimaginable tragedy. Yet, she was still alive. Her heart beat, her lungs filled with air, and her mind, despite the trauma. Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps echoed through the hospital hallway. Michael came rushing in, his eyes wide with fear and his face pale. "Madison," he gasped, his voice shaking. "Something's wrong. Connor is missing." Madison's heart raced as she processed the news. Connor. The man who had stabbed her. The man who had almost taken her life, and the life of her unborn child. "How...what happened?" she asked, tears streaming down her face. Michael rushed to her side, wrapping his arms around her. Madison melted into Michael's arms, her body shaking with sobs as the news of Connor's disappearance struck her with the force of a thunderbolt. "I don't know what happened," Michael