Please Come Back, My Love Chapter 76

Julian: POV

I wanted to argue. Wanted to shove past everyone and stay by her side.

But Adrian was right.

I was useless.

**Worse** than useless.

Because this was my fault.

All of it.

I'd driven her to this. With my cruelty. My weakness. My fucking **cowardice.**

*"I don't know if I want this baby."*

What kind of monster says that?

What kind of **father—**

"Sir." Adrian's voice cut through the spiral. "Sit down before you pass out."

I realized I was swaying. Vision blurring at the edges.

When was the last time I'd eaten? Slept?

Didn't matter.

Nothing mattered except—

A sound from the exam room. Sharp. Urgent.

Elena's voice.

**Screaming.**

---

I was moving before I thought. Shoving past Adrian. Past the nurse trying to block me.

Burst through the door.

Elena was awake. Thrashing on the bed. Fighting against the hands trying to hold her down.

"**MY BABY—**" Her voice was **raw.** Destroyed. "**MY BABY'S GONE—**"

"Elena—" I crossed to her in three strides. "I'm here. I'm—"

She saw me.

And the look on her face—

*Pure hatred.*

"**YOU.**" She tried to lunge at me. Didn't make it far. Too weak. Too injured. "**YOU DID THIS—**"

"Elena, please—"

"**YOU SENT THEM—**" She was sobbing. Hysterical. "You sent them to kill our baby—you **wanted** this—"

The words hit like a physical blow.

"What? **No—**" I reached for her. She flinched back. "Elena, I would **never—**"

"**LIAR—**" Her scream was **inhuman.** "They told me—they said—said someone wanted the baby **gone—**"

*What?*

I looked at the doctor. "What is she talking about?"

The doctor's face was grim. "She has multiple injuries consistent with assault. Blunt force trauma to the abdomen. Possible rib fractures. Head trauma."

**Assault.**

Someone had **beaten** her.

Beaten my **pregnant wife.**

"Who?" My voice came out deadly calm. "Who did this?"

"She hasn't been able to tell us yet." The doctor moved to Elena's side. Tried to check her vitals. "Mrs. Sterling, I need you to calm down—"

"**NO—**" Elena's eyes were wild. Fixed on me. "**Tell me the truth, Julian. Did you send them? Did you want our baby dead?**"

The question **shattered** me.

"No." I stepped closer. Ignored how she tried to shrink away. "Elena, I swear to God. I didn't—I would **never—**"

"**You said you didn't know if you wanted the baby—**" Her voice broke. Cracked. "You said—last night you said—"

*Fuck.*

She was right.

I **had** said that.

Had told her I didn't know if I wanted our child when she'd needed me to say **yes.**

"Elena, I was **scared.** I didn't mean—"

"**Then who?**" Tears streaming down her face. "**If not you then WHO? Who wanted my baby dead?**"

She was looking at me. Really looking.

Searching my face for something.

And I saw the moment she found it.

The moment she realized—

I was just as **destroyed** as she was.

"Oh God." Her hands flew to her stomach. "Oh God it's really—the baby's really—"

"Mrs. Sterling—" The doctor tried to inject something into her IV.

Elena knocked her hand away. Harder this time.

"**Don't touch me—**" She was hyperventilating. "Don't—I need to know—I need to know who—"

“I don‘t know.’”

She went still.

Just for a second.

Then— "**Victoria.**" She spat the name like poison. Like venom. "**Of course** it was Victoria. She wanted me **gone.** She wanted the baby **gone.** And you—"

Her voice broke.

"You **let her.** You chose her. Every fucking time you **chose her** and now—now my baby's **dead—**"

"I'm sorry." My voice cracked. "Elena, I'm so fucking sorry—"

"**Get away from me—**"

"Please—"

"**I SAID GET AWAY—**"

She was fighting. Clawing at the doctor. At the nurses trying to hold her down.

So much **rage.**

So much **pain.**

"Mrs. Sterling, you're going to hurt yourself—" The doctor looked at me. "Mr. Sterling, I need you to help us calm her down or I'll have to ask you to leave—"

"No." I moved to the bed. Caught Elena's wrists. Gently. "Elena. **Elena, look at me.**"

"**Let go—**"

"I'm not going anywhere." I held her hands. Let her fight me. "I'm not leaving you. Not again."

"You **killed** my baby—" She was sobbing. Thrashing. "You and her—you both—"

"I know." My voice broke. "I know. And I'm going to spend the rest of my life making this right. I'm going to find out exactly what happened. I'm going to get **proof.** And then I'm going to destroy whoever did this."

"It was **her—**"

"Then I'll destroy **her.**" I meant it. Every word. "I promise you, Elena. I'm going to make her **pay.**"

She was starting to tire. The fight draining out of her.

"My baby," she whispered. Broken. "My baby's gone."

"I know." I couldn't stop the tears. "I know. I'm so sorry."

The doctor moved in with the syringe again. This time Elena didn't fight.

Just stared at me with those amber eyes.

So much **hate.**

So much **grief.**

"You killed my baby," she whispered as the sedative started to work. "You and her. You both—"

"I know." I pulled her into my arms. Held her as she went limp. "I know. And I'm going to fix this. I'm going to find out who did this. I **promise.**"

But she was already gone.

Body slack against mine.

The doctor checked her pulse. "She's stable. We need to run tests now."

"Is the baby—" I couldn't finish.

The doctor's face said everything.

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Sterling. Based on the trauma and the amount of blood loss, the pregnancy is no longer viable."

*Viable.*

Such a clinical word for **death.**

"You're sure?" My voice didn't sound like mine.

"We'll confirm with an ultrasound. But—" She paused. "You should prepare yourself."

I looked down at Elena.

At my **wife.**

Who I'd failed in every possible way.

"Can I stay?" The words came out hoarse.

The doctor hesitated. Then nodded.

"You can stay until we take her for the ultrasound."

I settled into the chair beside her bed. Took her hand.

It was still cold. Still limp.

But I held it anyway.

"I'm going to find out who did this," I whispered against her knuckles. "I'm going to get proof. And then I'm going to make them **pay.** I promise you, Elena. I'm going to make this right."