“I won’t,” Richard said, surprising even himself with the certainty in his voice.
What followed felt unreal.
In the middle of a storm, on a forgotten street, a billionaire and his driver became something else entirely—guiding, encouraging, holding steady as Emily cried out in pain. Minutes stretched endlessly until finally—
A cry pierced the darkness.
A newborn.
Alive.
Richard let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Without hesitation, he wrapped the baby in his own coat, shielding her from the cold, then helped lift Emily into the SUV.
“Drive,” he ordered.
The vehicle sped through the rain toward the most exclusive private hospital in the city. Staff rushed to meet them as Richard demanded immediate care—no delays, no questions, no limits on cost.
For the first time in years, as he sat in the waiting area holding the trembling hand of the little girl, he felt something unfamiliar.
Warmth.
Human.
Real.
But that fragile moment didn’t last.
The glass doors burst open.
Victoria stormed in, her heels striking the floor like gunshots, her expression twisted with fury.
“Richard! What is this?” she snapped, her voice echoing through the hallway.
She stopped when she saw them—the soaked child, the exhausted mother being rushed past, the man she was supposed to marry kneeling beside strangers.
Her face hardened with disgust.
“Get them out of here,” she said loudly. “This is a hospital, not a shelter. They’re probably scammers.”
Richard didn’t even look at her.
That was enough.
Something dark flickered in Victoria’s eyes.
Without another word, she stepped aside, pulling out her phone as she moved into a shadowed hallway. Her voice dropped to a whisper, cold and deliberate as she spoke to someone on the other end.
A slow, unsettling smile spread across her face.
No one noticed.
But the air shifted.
Because something terrible had just been set in motion.
The next morning, the room felt peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Emily lay weak but stable, her newborn daughter resting nearby, while the little girl—Sophie—sat quietly beside her, holding her hand.
For the first time in what must have felt like forever, they were safe.
Then—
The doors opened.
Hard.
Three officials walked in, their expressions stiff, their uniforms crisp.
“Emily Carter?” one of them asked.
Her heart sank.
“Yes…?”
“We have an order,” he said, holding up documents. “Immediate removal of both minors.”