Chapter 4

Elena's POV

Over the past few days at the hotel, I'd been quietly handling various arrangements. Canceling flower orders, returning the wedding venue deposit, contacting guests...

Sebastian hadn't reached out to me once—probably too focused on taking care of Isabella. Maybe he thought I was just upset and would come back like before after he sweet-talked me. After all, we were about to get married.

But he didn't know I was preparing for a permanent goodbye.

Three days before the wedding, I went shopping. Since I was about to leave for London, I needed a large suitcase and some travel essentials.

Walking into the mall, I never expected to run into them in the baby section.

Sebastian was tenderly holding Isabella's shoulder as they stood in front of cribs, discussing something. Isabella leaned against him like a delicate bird.

"This color is too plain. The baby needs something more cheerful..." Isabella said coquettishly.

"Then let's go with this sky blue one," Sebastian said with a smile. "Our son will definitely love it."

Our son.

I stood nearby, quietly watching the scene.

"Elena?"

Sebastian's voice snapped me back to reality. They'd noticed me.

"What are you doing here?" Sebastian asked, somewhat awkwardly.

I held up my shopping list. "Buying some things."

Sebastian saw the large suitcase in my cart and frowned slightly. "What do you need such a big suitcase for?"

"Honeymoon trip," I said calmly. "Need to pack a lot of things."

"Oh right, we're going to the Maldives after the wedding." His expression relaxed. "Is the wedding all ready?"

"Of course," I smiled. "Everything's ready."

Including my departure. These past days I'd been proactively handling all the wedding details so he wouldn't have to worry. So even now, he still thought everything was going according to plan.

Isabella suddenly spoke up: "Elena, are you going on your honeymoon for a long time? I heard Sebastian say he wants to spend lots of time with the newborn baby..."

The air instantly froze.

Sebastian's face changed. "Isabella, don't talk nonsense."

"I'm not talking nonsense. Didn't you say just last night that you want to witness every moment of the baby's growth? After all, this is your first child..."

I watched this scene coldly. Even now, Isabella was still asserting her dominance.

"Enough, Isabella." Sebastian scolded. "Elena is my fiancée. We're getting married in three days."

Isabella lowered her head pitifully. "Sorry, I was just concerned about the baby..."

I watched Sebastian rare moment of defending me, but felt nothing in my heart.

Too little, too late.

"It's fine," I said indifferently. "Isabella's right. Children do need their father's company."

"Elena..." Sebastian tried to explain.

"I should go," I interrupted. "I've bought enough."

"Elena, let's leave together. I'll drive you back."

"No need, I..."

"Don't refuse," Sebastian insisted. "We're leaving anyway."

Too tired to make more excuses, I nodded in agreement.

Walking toward the elevator, Sebastian's phone rang.

"Emergency call from the company," he said, glancing at the screen. "You two go ahead. I'll come down after I take this call."

The elevator doors closed, leaving Isabella and me in the cramped space.

"Actually, I've always been grateful to you, Elena," she suddenly said. "If you hadn't agreed to the surrogacy, I never would have had the chance to have Sebastian's baby."

I didn't respond.

Just as she was about to continue, I heard an unusual sound.

CLANK—

The elevator suddenly shook violently, then stopped running. The lights flickered a few times before going completely dark.

Darkness instantly engulfed us.

"What's happening?" Isabella asked in panic.

My heartbeat began racing. The cramped space, the dark environment—it all reminded me of that nightmare three years ago.

No, don't think about it...

"Must be an elevator malfunction," I tried to stay calm, pressing the emergency call button. "We just need to wait for rescue."

But as time ticked by, the small elevator car began making me feel suffocated.

"Elena, are you okay?"

"I... I can't breathe..." I leaned against the elevator wall, trying to steady my breathing.

"Elena?" Isabella's voice suddenly became pained. "My stomach... it hurts so much..."

I forced myself to focus on her condition—it helped me temporarily forget my own fear.

"Hold on, Isabella," I said with a trembling voice. "Rescue will be here soon."

But Isabella's condition was getting worse. She began gasping heavily, gripping her stomach tightly.

"Elena, I think... I think the baby's coming..."

What?

"That's impossible, you're only 36 weeks..."

"My water broke!" Isabella screamed.

Just then, rescue voices came from outside the elevator.

"Is anyone in there? This is the rescue team!"

"We're here!" I shouted back. "There's a pregnant woman going into premature labor!"

"We're working on the rescue! But the elevator is stuck tight—this will take time!"

A few minutes later, they opened a small rescue opening. Sebastian's face appeared in the gap.

"Isabella! Elena!" he called anxiously, reaching out his hand.

"The elevator could malfunction again any moment!" the rescue captain shouted nearby. "This opening can only save one person at a time! You need to decide NOW!"

I looked at Isabella writhing in pain, about to say save her first.

But Sebastian had already reached out without hesitation to pull Isabella up: "Isabella goes first! She's in labor!"