Chapter 8 - Three Hearts Beating
The delivery room was a chaos of light and sound.
Adeline was exhausted,
her body pushed to its absolute limit.
"One more push, Adeline!"
the doctor urged.
She screamed,
a sound of pure agony and defiance,
and then,
a thin,
wailing cry broke through the air.
"The first boy,"
the nurse whispered,
placing a tiny,
wriggling weight on her chest.
He was beautiful,
perfect,
and so very small.
But there was no time to rest.
The second arrived ten minutes later,
a girl with a head of dark hair.
And finally,
the third,
another boy,
who came into the world with a roar that surprised everyone.
"Three,"
Adeline whispered,
tears streaming down her face.
"Three of you."
She held them as best she could,
feeling their warmth,
their fragility,
and their incredible strength.
Outside the room,
the world was still at war.
Nick Drayke had made one last,
desperate move.
He had hired a private security firm to bypass the hospital guards.
He was in the vents,
the service elevators,
anywhere he could find a crack.
He didn't care about the law anymore;
he was a cornered animal.
But Lucien was ready.
He had turned the hospital into a fortress.
When the first of Nick’s men tried to enter through the roof,
they found themselves staring into the barrels of Lucien’s personal team.
When Nick himself tried to sneak in dressed as a doctor,
he didn't even make it past the lobby.
Lucien was waiting for him by the elevators.
"You're late, Nick,"
Lucien said,
stepping out of the shadows.
Nick pulled a small,
silver pistol from his coat,
his hands shaking.
"Get out of my way, Arkwright!"
"Those are my kids!"
"That's my money!"
Lucien didn't flinch.
He walked toward the gun,
his eyes cold and predatory.
"You think that toy will help you?"
"The police are already on their way."
"Sienna has already given them the records of your offshore accounts."
"She traded you for a plea deal, Nick."
"Even your model doesn't want you."
Nick’s face crumbled.
The gun wavered,
then dropped to his side.
"It was supposed to be mine,"
he sobbed,
falling to his knees.
"The company,"
"the land,"
"everything."
"You lost it the moment you threw her out,"
Lucien said,
looking down at the broken man.
"You threw away a diamond,"
"to chase a piece of glass."
The police burst through the doors,
tackling Nick to the ground.
As they led him away in handcuffs,
Lucien didn't feel triumph.
He felt a deep,
hollow sense of justice.
May you like
He turned and headed toward the maternity wing.
He had a promise to keep.
