By Contract: His To Own.

The clinking of cutlery and soft hum of background music faded into a blur as Ava Morales stood frozen in place, her heart thudding painfully against her chest. Her vision swam with unshed tears as she looked into the eyes of the man she had loved for three years. The man who had once whispered promises against her skin and dreamed of a future with her. But now, Ethan Hayes stared back at her without a flicker of regret.

She blinked rapidly, her lips trembling. "Ethan... what are you saying?" Her voice cracked, barely audible. "Is this a joke? Just tell me it's a joke."

Ethan exhaled impatiently and leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms like a man who was done pretending. "It's not a joke, Ava. I've found someone else," he said, voice detached and calm. "Someone I love."

Ava's knees nearly buckled. She gripped the edge of the table for balance. Her world felt like it was tilting. "You... found someone else?" she repeated hollowly, disbelief pouring from every syllable.

Ethan didn't hesitate. "Yeah. She's different. She's a billionaire's daughter. Her family has connections, money, everything."

She felt as if the air had been knocked from her lungs. A small laugh escaped her lips, bitter and broken. "After three years together, this is what you're telling me? That you've moved on just like that? That the last three years were nothing?"

Ethan's jaw twitched, but he didn't meet her eyes. "I'm sorry, Ava, but let's be honest here. What have I even gained from being with you?"

She stared at him, completely stunned.

"I've been struggling since day one," he continued, sounding almost resentful now. "We're both broke. Always scraping by. And now... now I've got a chance to build something real with someone who can help me get ahead. She's rich, she's influential. It's the smart choice."

Tears streamed down her face now, but she didn't care that the restaurant was full of people. She didn't care that her mascara was probably running. "So, I wasn't real to you?" she asked in a broken whisper. "Everything we shared... was just meaningless?"

He shrugged. "It wasn't meaningless. It just... wasn't enough. And honestly, Ava, maybe you should find someone rich as well. This whole thing between us, it's not working. I can't be with you anymore."

The finality in his voice struck her like a slap.

Ethan stood, pushing his chair back without care for the noise it made. He didn't even offer a final glance. No apology. No remorse. He simply walked away, leaving her alone in the middle of the dimly lit upscale restaurant, every eye slowly turning toward her.

Ava stood there for a long time, unmoving, staring at the empty seat across from her like it still held the ghost of the man she once loved.

As the sound of Ethan's footsteps vanished into the background, Ava finally collapsed into the chair, her hands shaking. She didn't even notice the waiter nervously approaching with the check, or the way the older couple across the room was whispering and glancing her way. Her heart had just been ripped out of her chest, and the world didn't seem to care.

Her fingers trembled as she wiped at her cheeks. She should leave. She should run out of the restaurant with whatever dignity she had left. But her body refused to move.

She had nothing left to say. And worse, nothing left to lose.

Ava sat motionless, her mind a whirlpool of disbelief and devastation. Her vision blurred from the tears that refused to stop, her heart crumbling under the weight of betrayal. The world around her continued spinning as waiters passed by, the couples continued to whisper over candlelit tables, and forks clinked against plates as if her life hadn't just collapsed in the middle of it all.

Then her phone rang.

The sharp buzz startled her. She blinked through the haze and fumbled for her phone in her purse, her fingers still trembling. She didn't even look at the caller ID before answering.

"H-Hello?" she rasped, her voice unrecognizable even to herself.

"Ava?" came the concerned voice of her sister's teacher. "It's Ms. Hill, from Maplewood Elementary. It's about Lily."

Ava's stomach dropped.

"What happened?" she asked quickly, her breath catching in her throat.

"She fainted," Ms. Hill said gently. "It happened during recess... She was playing with the other kids and just collapsed. The nurse said she had trouble breathing. We called an ambulance right away. She's at St. George Hospital now."

Ava's chair scraped loudly as she jumped to her feet. "I'm on my way."

She didn't care about the gasps or the curious eyes tracking her as she dashed through the restaurant, her heels clacking against the polished floor, her tears now fueled by sheer panic. Patrons paused mid-bite, waiters turned their heads, but Ava didn't see any of it. Her mind was consumed by the thought of her sister. Her only family.

The taxi ride to St. George Hospital was a blur of honking horns, red lights, and desperate prayers whispered between shaky breaths. Ava stared out the window, chewing on her lip, one hand clutched to her chest as if trying to keep her heart from breaking further.

When she arrived, she didn't wait for the automatic doors to fully open before rushing inside.

She made a beeline to the front desk, nearly colliding with a nurse.

"Excuse me," she said breathlessly. "Was a small girl rushed in here? Her name is Lily Morales. She's ten. She fainted at school..."

The receptionist glanced up from the computer. "Lily Morales?" she repeated as she typed. "Yes. She was admitted a little while ago. Room 203, Pediatric Wing. Down that hall, then left."

"Thank you," Ava muttered, already moving.

Her feet pounded the corridor tiles, the sterile hospital scent thick in her nose. Machines beeped in the background, nurses whispered to one another in hushed tones, and the chill of antiseptic filled her lungs.

She found the door with a bold 203 labeled on it.

Ava hesitated.

Her hand trembled on the handle. She braced herself emotionally, physically, and pushed the door open.

The sight nearly shattered her.

There, lying on the hospital bed, was Lily. Pale, fragile, her dark curls fanned across the pillow, a nasal cannula feeding oxygen to her tiny lungs. Her arms looked even thinner than usual under the hospital gown, and her chest rose and fell slowly, unevenly.

Ava stepped forward, choking back a sob.

Her baby. Her whole world.

She moved to the side of the bed and gently brushed a strand of hair away from Lily's face.

"Hey, munchkin..." she whispered, kneeling beside her. "I'm here. I'm here, okay? Everything's gonna be fine."

But even as she said the words, Ava knew she couldn't promise that. Because what if this time, it wasn't?

What if she couldn't save her?

What if the only person left in her life... was slipping away too?