A doctor approached, voice low. “We checked. She didn’t speak to anyone. CCTV shows her slipping out through the west exit—baby in her arms. No staff noticed.” The words pierced through him like glass. A hidden escape. Like she’d been planning…or desperately reacting in the moment.
Ethan’s mind spun. Outside. Alone. Lina, bleeding, shaky on her legs. A fragile newborn pressed against her chest. Cars. Strangers. The unpredictability of a city morning. Fear gnawed at him—what if she collapsed? What if she handed the baby over to someone? What if they were already far away?