Chapter 15 - The Arrival
Two weeks later, in the dead of the night, Elara’s water broke. There was no panic this time, only a hyper-focused urgency. Daniel wrapped her in a thick cashmere blanket and carried her down the grand staircase, bypassing the very spot where she had been humiliated months prior.
At the private hospital, the VIP maternity ward was entirely secured by Daniel's men. Inside the delivery room, however, it was just the two of them and the medical staff. Elara gripped Daniel’s hand with astonishing strength as the contractions peaked, her face pale and damp with sweat.
"I can't do this, Daniel. I can't," she sobbed during the hardest part of the labor.
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"Look at me," Daniel commanded softly, wiping a damp cloth across her brow. "You are the strongest woman I have ever known. You survived alone, you survived Victoria, and you will survive this. I am right here. I'm not going anywhere."
His steady voice anchored her. With a final, agonizing push and a sharp cry, the tension in the room shattered, replaced by the loud, miraculous wail of a newborn.
