Chapter 79 - A Mother’s Desperate Heart

A suffocating numbness settled over me, an agonizing weight pressing against my chest as the endless hours dragged on. My mind had become a battlefield of worst-case scenarios, each more horrifying than the last. Tessa had taken my baby, and I had no way of knowing what she was doing to him. The torment of my own imagination was far crueler than any physical suffering I had ever endured. When pain is inflicted by another, at least it has an end. But when you are the one fueling your own agony, there is no escape.

I squeezed my eyes shut, whispering silent prayers into the void, wishing with every fiber of my being that I could trade places with my son. I would have given anything to take his place.

Then, just as the first traces of dawn threatened to break through the darkness, the door to my room burst open. Malios stood there, breathless, his eyes alight with urgency.

“They found him!” he exclaimed, his voice filled with relief. “They found the baby!”

I stared at him, my mind struggling to grasp the words. It felt like a cruel trick—my heart refused to accept something so wonderful after all this pain.

“What?” My voice was hoarse, my throat parched from hours of silent suffering.

“They found little Damon! He’s safe! They’re bringing him now.”

Little Damon.

Before I could fully process the words, Damon strode into the room, his face unreadable. But in his arms, wrapped in nothing but the cold air of the morning, was my son. My precious, beautiful baby.

He was naked, his tiny body trembling as he wailed, and all I could think was how cold he must be. The room seemed to fade around me, the presence of others nothing more than a blur. Damon stepped forward, his expression softening as he gently extended the baby toward me.

“It’s alright,” he murmured, his voice low and soothing. “He’s fine. Take him.”

My hands trembled violently as I reached out, afraid that if I touched him, he would disappear like a cruel illusion. But the moment my fingers brushed his warm skin, I knew he was real. A sob tore from my throat as I cradled him to my chest, pressing my lips to his tiny forehead.

Even in his distress, he was perfect. His cries were the sweetest sound I had ever heard. My heart swelled, expanding in a way I hadn’t known was possible. Is this what it felt like to fall in love at first sight?

“My baby,” I whispered against his soft skin, rocking him gently. “I’ve loved you long before I ever laid eyes on you.”

Damon hovered beside me, watching intently. “Valia found him,” he admitted. “In the forest. He was lying on the ground.”

Something about the way he said it made my stomach twist. I lowered my gaze to my son’s tiny stomach and froze. There was something there—faint traces of red smeared across his delicate skin. Panic shot through me like a dagger.

“What is that?” My voice sharpened as I ran my fingers over the mark, rubbing at it in vain. “What’s on him?”

Damon hesitated, his lips pressing into a firm line.

“Tell me,” I demanded, my patience unraveling.

He exhaled slowly. “There was a message,” he admitted. “It was written in blood. Maria cleaned him, but… some of it must have remained.”

I felt my world tilt. My grip on my baby tightened. “What did it say?”

Damon hesitated again, and I wanted to shake him for it.

“Tessa,” he finally answered.

The name sent a violent shudder through me. My heart, already fragile, cracked a little more. She was taunting me. Mocking me. And worse—she had touched my son.

As the horror of it sank in, I finally noticed the others in the room. Maria stood close to Mason, her expression unreadable. Malios was watching me intently, his face unusually solemn. And then there was Valia—standing near the door, looking hesitant, almost… guilty.

My blood boiled.

“Get out,” I said coldly, my gaze locking onto her.

Her eyes widened in genuine confusion. “Ava, I—”

“She found our baby,” Damon interjected gently, as if reminding me.

“I don’t care,” I snapped. My voice rose, unsteady with anger and something deeper—something primal. “Get the hell out! Now!”

The room fell into stunned silence. My skin prickled with an unbearable sensation, as if her very presence was suffocating me. I didn’t know why, but something deep inside me refused to trust her.

Valia took a step back, hurt flashing across her face.

Tiffany, standing near Luke, didn’t hesitate. She moved toward Valia, her voice sharp and commanding. “She said leave. Now, go.”

I watched as Valia hesitated for a moment longer before slipping through the doorway. I didn’t care what anyone else thought. My instincts screamed at me, and I had learned long ago never to ignore them.

Damon was the one to break the silence. “Alright, everyone out. She needs to rest.”

One by one, they all left. I kept my gaze lowered, refusing to acknowledge the pity lingering in their eyes. Only when the door finally clicked shut did I allow myself to breathe.

But I wasn’t alone. Damon still stood there, watching me carefully.

“You too,” I whispered, though the words pained me.

His brows furrowed. “What?”

“I want to be alone with my baby.”

I couldn’t bear to look at him, but I felt the hurt radiating from him. It crushed me, but I couldn’t take it back.

There was a long pause, and then, without another word, he left.

As the door shut behind him, I clutched my son even tighter. A single tear slipped down my cheek, but I wiped it away. I didn’t have the luxury of breaking down.

Not when Tessa was still out there.