"W- what?" , I stuttered as I sat down, feeling like my legs couldn't carry me any longer. "But how? I was here just an hour ago"

"We don't have the exact time she was taken, but it's in the time frame between 20 and 30 minutes ago"

"What are you doing about it? She barely just got out of the intensive care unit, she's still fragile. She still needs medical attention", I didn't have the strength to fight anymore. I just feared for my daughters life. Who knows what can be going through the psychopath that took her, her life could be in real danger.

"We're doing the best we can to find her", the detective said and the monster in me awakened as I stood up to meet his gaze

"How are you doing the best you can whilst you're still standing here while you're supposed to be out there looking for the person who took her?", I fired up, and he nodded his head as he motioned with his hands that I must cool down

"I understand your frustration Mr Kingsley-"

"I don't think you do. This is unacceptable"

"I promise you we'll find your daughter as soon as we can. We have all the roads blocked"

"Do you know how was she even taken?"

"The kidnapper posed as one of the nurses working in the nursery. The CCTV camera's show an unidentified woman coming in holding nothing, then walked out carrying a bag. We suspect the baby was in that bag", he explained, and I buried my face in my hands.

If the woman could have walked in here and out with a newborn baby without raising any eyebrows, that just made me wonder how even more dangerous she could be

"My daughter's life is in danger Detective", I said as tears welled up in my eyes and I walked away from him

"Please, keep an eye on him", I heard him command one of the officers that tried to restrain me. "Make sure he doesn't do anything to jeopardize this investigation", I could feel the other officer following me to the elevator. I dragged myself out of the elevator, trying to find my voice as I prepared to tell the others of what happened.

"Damon, I need you to come with me", I felt a hand pulling me in the opposite direction. Everything around me was going in slow motion, the movements, the voices. I felt drowsy and lost.

"You mind giving us a few minutes?", the person said to the officer

"I'm not supposed to let him out of my sight", the officer replied

"I'll keep an eye on him", the person said, dismissing the officer and continued walking with me, he must have said something, but I was too out of it to even hear anything. We stopped as he stood in front of me.

"Damon?", he grabbed both my arms and shook me. His face slowly came into sight. "Snap out of it", he shook me again.

"She's gone Daniel", I found myself to say defeated. "My little girl is gone", I said, and he signed heavily before he guided me up the stairs.

"I know", I heard him say before he took many turns on the floor we were now in. I could feel myself walking, I just didn't know how. He pushed one door open before pushing me inside and closed the door behind me. My mother was alone in that room, cradling a baby to her chest.

Great, I was now hallucinating

"Damon", she stood up and walked towards me. I stared at her in confusion before she placed the baby in my hands. It was her. I bought her closer to my face, and it was really her, I wasn't dreaming, I wasn't hallucinating. It was her, in her adorable white and yellow onesie and matching hat I got for her the following day Layla told me she was pregnant.

I half chuckled, half sobbed as I held her closer to me. It felt unreal that she was in my arms and not the arms of a psychopath. She was sleeping soundly, her little mind not aware of what was going on around her.

"She's safe", my mother wrapped her hands around us as she gently brushed on little baby Kingsley's cheek

"But how?", I asked before Daniel pushed the door open again, and quickly closed it behind him

"I was just checking that we were not being followed", he walked towards us

"It's Daniel we have to be grateful to", my mother said before we exchanged looks, me and him

"I don't understand", I said, and he pocketed his hands, walking to stand near us

"After hearing that Layla was admitted to hospital, I assigned some of my men to keep an eye on her and baby Kingsley, without being spotted and keep them safe", he started. "But then I was tipped off that Amber was seen lurking around the hospital corridors, she was seen disguised almost everyday near the intensive care unit. I just knew that witch was planning something", he clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Then she was photographed talking to this nurse", he took his phone and showed me the pictures, of Amber and a nurse I occasionally saw in the intensive care unit, she was the one who took care of my daughter. One photo showed Amber exchanging a brown envelope with her, probably giving her money. "I suspected they must have been working together", he scrolled through all the images. "Then I just knew she was either planing to kidnap her or something else, like maybe getting her killed"

"What is it with that woman?", I said as I gave the baby back to my mother again

"She's out to get you Damon, she'll do anything in her out most power to destroy you"

"So, how did you manage to make sure that she takes the wrong baby?"

"I asked Dr Khan to swap Baby Kingsley's name tag with one of the babies in the unit. Her mother died during childbirth and there hasn't been anyone to claim her. So when Amber disguised herself as a nurse, with the help of the other nurse, when she saw the name tag, she was certain that she got the right baby".

"What if she does something to the other baby? Like hurts her or something?"

"I had her followed after she took a cab from the hospital. They'll make sure no harm comes to the baby, if no one comes forward to claim her, I'll find her a suitable family to adopt her. I also informed the police about her whereabouts, she'll be in custody by the end of today".

"I don't know what to say", I shrugged because I didn't know how to thank him for all he's done. All this time he's been here, he was actually protecting the people I love, and I felt like an idiot.

"Don't worry about it", he said as if what he did isn't a big deal. "I'm just glad I did something in time. I just want Layla and the baby to be safe", he shrugged as he looked over to my mother's direction. "Which reminds me, we have to tighten the security around the both of them, no authorized person should come near them. Who knows what else that crazy bitc-", he spat before my mother cleared her throat, warning him in not so many words to choose his words wisely.

"I mean that woman, crazy woman has planned", he dropped his eyes from my mother's gaze

"Thank you", I said and his eyes widened as he looked at me.

She shrugged lightly. "It's only a pleasure"

"No I mean it Daniel", I extended my arm for a handshake, and he was taken aback before raising his hand and placing it in mine. "Thank you for keeping them safe. I don't know what I would have done if anything happened to one or both of them. Thank you".

His eyes softened as we shook hands

"I'd do anything for them, they're a part of my family now", he said as we broke contact

"Well not anymore", my mother walked towards us. "Would you like to hold her?", she asked and Daniel hesitated before looking at me for some kind of confirmation, I gave a short nod before he took her in his arms carefully.

"She's so beautiful", he cooed as he rocked her side to side. "Have you thought of a name?

"Ava. Ava Kingsley".

Amber got arrested a couple of hours after the kidnapping. She applied for bail, but it was denied, the prosecutor believed they had a strong case against her, he was going to make sure she never got to see the light of day ever again. Kidnapping was a huge criminal offense, no matter the circumstances.

She awaited trial behind bars and I was pleased. She deserved everything that was coming her way. The baby she has mistaken as Ava was also safe and sound.

I was sitting by Layla's bedside as I took her hand in mine. Dr Khan told me talking to her would sometimes help, she couldn't say anything back, but she could still hear me. I was telling her how big and beautiful our baby girl was getting, I felt her hand move beneath mine. She did that move once, and I was convinced she was waking up, but Dr Khan said it was just a reflex.

Today it was different, it wasn't just a reflex movement, I placed her hand in mine and I could feel her hand tightening around mine. I looked up at her to find her eyes wide open as she stared at the ceiling.

"Layla", I stood up and leaned to her face. "Are you awake?"

***

Hey lovies!!

Decided to publish two chapters in one day cause y'all are so awesome♡

Thank you for the love you've been showing this book...we're over 65k reads now, and honestly, Thank You!!!

Please don't forget to Vote. Comment and Share♡

I love hearing from you, your comments make my day😂. Till the next update. Happy Reading♡

Love,

Teekay