Ethan was driving through the pounding rain, his grip tight on the steering wheel, his mind racing with the fire situation and thoughts of Olivia. The rain was relentless, a wall of water blurring his vision, but he had no choice but to push forward.
Alex was on the phone, his voice crackling through the car's Bluetooth. "We've managed to control some of the fire, but the damage is worse than we thought, Ethan. You need to get here as soon as possible. The authorities are on-site, waiting for your assessment."
"I'm on my way, Alex. I'll be there in about—" Ethan's sentence was cut short as his car skidded on the wet road, the tires losing grip on a sharp turn. His heart jumped into his throat as the vehicle veered off course, spinning wildly.
"Ethan! What's happening?" Alex shouted over the phone, his voice filled with panic.
Ethan tried to regain control, but it was too late. The car slammed into the guardrail with a sickening crunch. The impact was severe, and Ethan's world went dark.
---
Back at Aunt Linda's—no, *Mom's*—villa, Olivia stirred in her sleep. Her dreams were restless, flashes of Ethan driving, his face etched with worry. She saw him leaving her, his figure fading into the distance. Panic clawed at her heart as she tossed and turned, her subconscious screaming at him.
"Ethan, please don't go. Ethan, Ethan!" she murmured in her sleep, her voice growing louder.
Suddenly, she screamed, jolting awake. "Ethan, don't leave me!"
Linda rushed into the room, her face etched with concern. "Sweetheart, it's okay. It's just a bad dream," she whispered, sitting beside Olivia and brushing the hair from her forehead.
Olivia took a few shaky sips of water, her hands trembling. "It felt so real, Mom. Something's wrong... I can feel it," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her mind immediately went to Ethan. She grabbed her phone and tried calling him, but the line was dead.
Her panic surged. "His phone... it's out of service. He always answers my calls, Mom. Something's happened," Olivia said, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps.
Before Linda could respond, headlights pierced the darkness outside the villa. Alex rushed in, drenched from the rain, his face pale and grim.
"Alex, what's going on? Where's Ethan?" Olivia asked, her voice trembling, the dread already settling in her chest.
Alex hesitated for a moment, knowing the weight of the news he was about to deliver. "Olivia... Ethan had an accident on the way to the factory. He's been taken to the hospital. I'm so sorry. I came as fast as I could."
Olivia felt the world collapse around her. She froze, her breath hitching as Alex's words sank in. "No... no, not Ethan," she whispered, her legs giving way beneath her. Alex caught her, helping her stay upright.
"We have to go. Now," Olivia said, her voice breaking. They rushed to the car, and Linda and Emma joined them. The ride to the hospital felt like an eternity. Olivia's hands clutched her phone, desperately hoping for some news, some miracle.
---
When they arrived at the hospital, Olivia nearly ran inside, her heart pounding in her chest. "Where is he? I need to see him!" she pleaded with the nurse at the desk.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. Mr. Ethan is in the ICU. You can't go in, but you can look through the glass," the nurse said gently, guiding her toward the small viewing window.
Olivia's knees buckled when she saw Ethan through the glass. He lay motionless, tubes and wires attached to him, his face pale and still. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her heart breaking into pieces.
"Ethan... please, come back to me. You promised," she whispered, pressing her hand against the glass. "It's not fair to leave me like this. Me and Eva... we need you. I need you."
The weight of her emotions was too much to bear. Her sobs became louder, and suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen.
"Ah!" Olivia cried out, clutching her belly as the pain intensified. "No, not now... please," she groaned, collapsing to the floor.
"Olivia!" Linda and Emma shouted in unison, rushing to her side. Nurses quickly responded, and doctors arrived to assess her condition. Olivia's face twisted in pain as she gripped her stomach, feeling the pressure mounting.
"She's going into premature labor," one of the doctors said urgently. "We need to get her to the maternity ward now."
Olivia's vision blurred as the pain consumed her, but her mind was still on Ethan. "Please... take care of him... make sure he's okay," she whispered, her voice weak as they wheeled her away.
Linda, holding back tears of her own, whispered, "He'll be fine, sweetheart. We'll take care of both of you."
But deep down, fear gripped them all.