As evening descended, Theodore concluded his affairs and returned to the hospital.

Upon reaching the sixth floor, he noticed a nurse stationed outside Ariana's room. Filled with concern, he approached her, and she promptly relayed the distressing news.

"Miss Edwards has not eaten or drunk anything for an entire day. She's been confined to her bed. Every time we try to approach her, she becomes aggressive and throws objects. To prevent further agitation, we've been maintaining a distance. When the doctor came for rounds earlier, she was already asleep," the nurse explained.

Theodore's heart clenched as he absorbed the information. Nodding silently, he gently pushed open the door to Ariana's room. There she lay, her back turned to him, her figure curled up on the bed.

Quietly, Theodore approached, making his way towards her until he reached the bedside. Tear stains glistened on her eyelashes, evidence that she had fallen asleep while crying.

Even in her slumber, she instinctively shielded her stomach with her hand. Theodore's heart ached profoundly at this sight, piercing him with a mix of emotions. His fingers reached out tentatively, aching to caress her cheek, but he hesitated, his hand retreating.

A wave of guilt washed over him as he realized the cruelty of his past actions. He had never given her the opportunity to make a choice, and now he understood that she Likely resented him for it.

Desolation etched across his face, the weight of his pain almost suffocating him.

Doubt began to creep in, insidious and persistent. Maybe his unwavering persistence had been misplaced. Perhaps their children didn't have to be terminated after all.

Maybe the situation wasn't as dire as he had imagined.

Theodore lingered by Ariana's side for a while longer, his presence a silent plea for forgiveness

As the door gently closed behind him, Ariana's eyes began to flutter open. Slowly, she propped herself up, her searching hand fumbling beneath the pillow in a desperate quest for her phone.

Earlier that afternoon, the doctor had presented Ariana with a consent form for the abortion procedure. However, she adamantly refused to affix her signature to it, causing a tumultuous commotion that eventually led to the departure of everyone involved.

Deep within her, Ariana felt convinced of Theodore's unwavering stance, leaving no room for compromise.

Yet, beneath the surface, a truth lingered. Ariana had never truly harbored the intention to terminate her pregnancy. Her resolve, fortified by an unyielding determination, pushed her to seek a way out of this confining place.

Nevertheless, her current predicament posed a formidable challenge.

Theodore's watchful eyes seemed to monitor her every move, making it exceedingly difficult for her to slip away unnoticed. She needed to come up with a solution.

Under the shroud of night, in front of a modest villa, two figures became entangled in a struggle. It was Brielle and Reilly.

Reilly's hand found its place upon Brielle’s hip, a gesture laden with a sinister leer.

Troubles had plagued him incessantly as of late, with the elusive root cause perpetually eluding his grasp. The company’s accounts bore unsightly gaps that demanded filling, yet the flow of cash remained insufficient. Consequently, he contemplated leveraging his connections to procure a loan.