Chapter 445
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Chapter 445:
She didn’t ask why Justin was calling her. She didn’t ask about his political staff.
A violent, biological panic exploded in her chest. It was a primal scream echoing in her blood. Her body moved entirely on its own.
She grabbed her Porsche keys, sprinted out of the office, and slammed the heavy glass door behind her.
Carmen drove like a maniac. She tore down FDR Drive in the middle of Manhattan rush hour, swerving violently between yellow cabs, her tires screeching against the asphalt. She ran two solid red lights. Her heart was hammering against her ribs so hard she thought her chest would crack open.
The fear was suffocating. It felt entirely out of proportion for a child she had only met a few times. It felt like her own flesh and blood was dying.
Twenty minutes later, Carmen slammed the brakes outside the Mt. Sinai Emergency entrance. She left the Porsche running at the curb, ignoring the shouting security guards, and sprinted through the sliding glass doors.
“Aaden Collins!” Carmen screamed at the triage nurse, her hands slamming flat onto the marble counter. “Where is he p>
The nurse typed frantically. “He was just moved to the VIP Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Top floor p>
𝘙𝘦а𝖽 𝘧𝗋𝖾𝖾 𝗻о𝘃е𝗅𝘀 𝘰ո
Carmen ran to the elevators. The agonizingly slow ascent felt like being trapped in a coffin.
The doors finally pinged open.
Carmen burst into the sterile, brightly lit hallway. The smell of bleach and rubbing alcohol hit her lungs.
At the far end of the corridor, Justin Collins stood alone.
The flawless politician was gone. His expensive tie was ripped off. His collar was unbuttoned. There was a fresh, coagulating scratch across the back of his hand, as if he had violently struck a wall or a doorframe in his sheer, unadulterated panic.
Justin looked up. His hazel eyes locked onto Carmen. A complex, dark flicker of triumph flashed deep in his pupils, instantly masked by profound relief.
He took three massive strides forward. He didn’t say a word. He just grabbed Carmen and pulled her violently against his chest.
Carmen’s legs gave out. She collapsed against him, her fingers digging desperately into the fabric of his shirt.
“They just stabilized him,” Justin whispered, his lips pressed against the top of her hair. “The doctors met us at the entrance and got the tube in. He’s breathing, Carmen p>
The moment the words registered, the adrenaline completely drained from Carmen’s body. A horrific, ragged sob tore out of her throat. She buried her face in Justin’s chest, crying uncontrollably for a child she didn’t even know was hers.
The VIP Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Mt. Sinai was terrifyingly quiet.
Carmen stood in the hallway, her face buried in Justin’s chest. The sound of her own ragged breathing echoed in her ears.
Slowly, the rational part of her brain began to reboot. The sheer embarrassment of her public breakdown hit her like a bucket of ice water. She placed her palms flat against Justin’s chest and shoved herself backward, breaking the embrace.