Chapter Thirteen

**RYAN**

The drive to the café was tense. Tara sat beside me, her fingers tapping nervously against her thigh. The weight of Dammy's cryptic message hung over us, a dark cloud of uncertainty. I kept glancing at her, trying to gauge her thoughts, but her expression was inscrutable.

"Do you think he knows something about the baby?" Tara asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

"I don't know," I admitted. "But whatever it is, we need to find out."

She nodded, biting her lip. I could see the worry etched on her face, and it made me feel helpless. For once, I didn't have all the answers.

When we arrived at the café, we found Dammy already seated at a corner table, his face a mask of grim determination. As we approached, he looked up, his eyes flicking between Tara and me. There was a tension in his gaze, a mixture of anger and something else I couldn't quite place.

"Tara," he said, standing up as we reached the table. "Ryan."

"Dammy," I replied curtly. "What is this about?"

He gestured for us to sit, and we did, the air thick with unspoken words. For a moment, no one spoke. Then, Dammy leaned forward, his voice low and urgent.

"I didn't want to do this here, but I had no choice. Tara, you need to know the truth about the baby."

Tara's eyes widened. "What truth?"

Dammy took a deep breath. "I overheard something at the hospital, something you need to hear."

"What did you hear?" I demanded, my patience wearing thin.

He looked at Tara, his expression softening. "I heard the doctors talking. They were discussing your case, Tara. They mentioned...complications."

Tara's face paled. "Complications? What kind of complications?"

"They didn't go into detail, but they seemed concerned. They said something about needing to run more tests, about potential risks."

I felt a cold knot of fear form in my stomach. "What kind of risks?"

"I don't know," Dammy admitted. "But they were worried. I thought you should know."

Tara's eyes filled with tears, and she turned to me, her voice trembling. "Ryan, what if something's wrong with the baby?"

"We'll deal with it," I said, trying to sound reassuring even though I felt anything but. "We'll go back to the hospital and demand answers."

Dammy nodded. "That's what I thought too. But there's more."

"More?" Tara echoed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Dammy hesitated, then reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "I found this in your office, Ryan. I think you need to see it."

I took the paper from him, my hands shaking slightly as I unfolded it. As I read the words, my blood ran cold. It was a letter, addressed to me, from someone I hadn't heard from in years.

"Ryan, what's going on?" Tara asked, her voice tinged with panic.

"It's from my ex," I said, my voice hollow. "She's threatening to expose everything if I don't meet her demands."

Tara's eyes widened. "What does she want?"

"Money, mostly," I said bitterly. "And she wants me to end this...arrangement with you."

"Why would she do that?" Tara asked, her voice trembling.

"Because she's jealous," I said, crumpling the letter in my fist. "She always hated that I moved on, that I found someone else."

Tara looked at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and confusion. "Ryan, what are we going to do?"

"We're going to handle this," I said firmly, even though I had no idea how. "We'll go to the hospital, find out what's going on with the baby, and then we'll deal with my ex."

Dammy nodded. "I'll help however I can. Just...be careful."

As we left the café, I couldn't shake the feeling that our problems were only beginning. The pieces of our lives were falling apart, and I didn't know how to put them back together.

**TARA**

The ride to the hospital felt like a lifetime. Ryan drove in silence, his jaw set in a hard line. I could see the worry etched on his face, mirroring my own fears. What if something was wrong with the baby? What if this was all my fault?

When we arrived, Ryan parked the car and turned to me, his expression softening slightly. "We'll get through this, Tara," he said, his voice low and reassuring.

I nodded, but I wasn't sure if I believed him. The fear gnawed at me, a constant, relentless ache. We walked into the hospital, and Ryan immediately demanded to speak with my doctor.

Dr. Collins arrived a few minutes later, her expression grave. "Mr. McKenzie, Ms. Donna, please come with me."

We followed her into a small, private room. She closed the door behind us and gestured for us to sit. "I understand you're concerned about some complications we've noted in Ms. Donna's pregnancy."

"Yes," Ryan said, his voice tense. "We want to know everything."

Dr. Collins nodded. "There have been some irregularities in the tests we've conducted. Nothing conclusive yet, but there are some potential risks to both the baby and Ms. Donna."

"What kind of risks?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"We're concerned about the baby's development," Dr. Collins said gently. "There's a possibility of a congenital condition. We need to conduct more tests to be sure."

I felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me. "What kind of condition?"

"We're not certain yet," Dr. Collins said. "But we need to monitor you closely. This could be serious, Tara."

Ryan reached for my hand, his grip firm and reassuring. "We'll do whatever it takes."

Dr. Collins nodded. "We'll start with some additional scans and tests. I recommend we keep you under observation for a few days."

I looked at Ryan, my eyes filled with tears. "Ryan, I'm scared."

"We'll get through this," he said, his voice steady. "We're in this together."

As we left the doctor's office, I felt a mixture of fear and determination. We would face this, whatever it was. We had to.

**RYAN**

I held Tara's hand as we walked out of the hospital, my mind racing. The possibility of something being wrong with the baby was terrifying, but we had to stay strong. For Tara, for the baby, for our future.

"We'll get through this," I repeated, more to reassure myself than anything else. "We'll figure it out."

Tara nodded, her grip on my hand tightening. "Thank you, Ryan."

"There's nothing to thank me for," I said, my voice rough with emotion. "We're in this together."

As we walked to the car, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, frowning when I saw an unknown number. I hesitated, then answered. "Hello?"

"Ryan, it's me."

I froze, recognizing the voice instantly. "What do you want?"

"Meet me at the park. Now."

Before I could respond, the call ended. I looked at Tara, my heart pounding. "I have to go."

"What? Why?" she asked, her eyes wide with fear.

"It's my ex," I said, my voice tense. "She wants to meet. Now."

Tara's face paled. "Ryan, be careful."

"I will," I promised, pulling her into a tight hug. "I'll be back soon. Stay here, and rest. I'll handle this."

She nodded, her eyes filled with worry. "Okay. Just...come back to me."

"I will," I said, kissing her forehead. "I promise."

As I drove to the park, my mind raced. What did my ex want now? How did she even know about the baby? The questions swirled in my mind, but I pushed them aside, focusing on the task at hand.

When I arrived, I saw her standing by the lake, her back to me. I approached slowly, my fists clenched at my sides. "What do you want?"

She turned, a sly smile on her face. "Ryan, darling. Long time no see."

"Cut the crap," I snapped. "What do you want?"

Her smile faded, replaced by a cold, calculating expression. "I want what you owe me. And if you don't give it to me, I'll make sure everyone knows about your little arrangement with Tara."

I felt a surge of anger. "You're bluffing."

"Try me," she said, her eyes glinting with malice. "I have proof, Ryan. And I'm not afraid to use it."

I took a step forward, my voice low and dangerous. "You leave Tara out of this."

She laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "Oh, Ryan. You're so naive. This isn't just about Tara. This is about you. And what you owe me."

"I don't owe you anything," I said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, but you do," she said, her voice dripping with venom. "And if you don't pay up, I'll destroy everything you care about."

I stared at her, my mind racing. I couldn't let her ruin everything. But what choice did I have?

As I stood there, trying to figure out my next move, my phone buzzed again. I glanced at it, my heart sinking when I saw Dammy's name on the screen.

What now?

I answered the call, my voice tense. "Dammy?"

"Ryan, there's something you need to know," he said,