Chapter 534

Maddy’s POV

She nodded weakly, her fingers curling slightly around mine. “Thank you, Maddie,” she whispered.

Her words tugged at my heart. I wanted to be strong for her, to be the anchor she needed in this moment, but it wasn’t easy. Seeing her like this…so fragile, so unlike the vibrant, lively Layla I knew…was almost unbearable.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Jason sitting on the couch, his head in his hands. 

He hadn’t said a word since Layla mentioned the baby, and I could only imagine what he was feeling. It wasn’t lost on me that she remembered me and her child but not him. 

The man who had been by her side through everything, who had risked everything for her, was now a stranger in her mind.

“Layla,” I said softly, stroking her hand. “You’re not alone in this. Jason and I are here for you. We’re not going anywhere.”

“Jason?” she repeated, her tone puzzled.

My heart sank. I had