Chapter 138
Marcus’s POV
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Marcus broke every traffic law getting to the hospital. Red lights, speed limits, lane changes without signaling. None of it mattered. The only thing that mattered was getting to Elara.
His phone kept buzzing with calls from Dante, from board members, from his assistant. He ignored all of them. The investor meeting, the sabotage, Penelope’s schemes, it all faded into background noise.
Elara was at the hospital. There was a problem with the pregnancy. Nothing else mattered.
He screeched into the hospital parking garage and abandoned his car in the first spot he saw, not even checking if it was legal. He ran through the entrance, nearly colliding with an elderly woman with a walker.
“I’m looking for Elara Thorne,” Marcus said breathlessly to the woman at the reception desk. “Dr. Sarah called me, said she was here…”
The receptionist typed into her computer. “She’s in the maternity ward, third floor. Room 3247.”
Marcus was already moving toward the elevators before she finished speaking. He jabbed the button repeatedly like that would make it arrive faster.
The ride up felt like an eternity. When the doors finally opened on the third floor, Marcus stepped out and immediately saw Mimi pacing in the hallway outside one of the rooms.
“Where is she?” Marcus demanded.
Mimi turned and for a second Marcus thought she might actually hit him. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling you for an hour!”
“My phone was off. I was in a meeting. What happened? Is she okay?”
“She started bleeding. A lot. We were at the doctor’s office this morning and they found problems with one of the twins and then we got home and she just… there was so much blood, Marcus.”
Marcus felt the floor tilt under his feet. “The babies…”
“Are still there. For now. But it’s bad. One of them isn’t getting enough blood flow or something. The doctor can explain it better.”
Marcus moved toward the door but Mimi grabbed his arm. “She’s been trying to call you all morning. All morning, Marcus. And you didn’t answer.”
“I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know. My phone was off for the investor meeting…”
“Well, maybe your wife should be more important than your investors.”
The words hit like a slap but Marcus couldn’t even be angry because Mimi was right. He should have checked his phone. Should have made sure Elara could always reach him.
16:56 Mon, May 11 M….
Chapter 138
“Is she awake? Can I see her?”
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Mimi stepped aside. “Room 3247. But Marcus… she’s scared. Really scared. So whatever bullshit you two have been fighting about, put it aside and just be there for her. Okay?”
Marcus nodded and pushed open the door.
Elara was lying in the hospital bed, looking small and fragile against the white sheets. Her face was pale, her eyes red from crying. An IV was attached to her arm and monitors beeped softly beside the bed.
When she saw him, her face crumpled.
“Marcus…”
He was at her side in two steps, grabbing her hand and holding it tight. “I’m here. I’m so sorry. My phone was off and I didn’t know…”
“One of the babies is sick,” Elara said, her voice breaking. “Baby B. The doctor said the heartbeat is weak and it’s not growing right and I started bleeding and I thought I was losing them…”
“But you didn’t. They’re still here. You’re all still here.”
“For now. But Marcus, what if… what if we lose one of them? What if I can’t keep them safe?”
Marcus climbed onto the bed beside her, careful not to disturb the wires and tubes. He pulled her against his chest and held her while she cried.
“You’re doing everything you can,” he said quietly. “This isn’t your fault.”
“The doctor said I need to avoid stress. But how am I supposed to do that when everything is falling apart?”
Marcus closed his eyes. She was right. The stress from Aurora, from their fighting, from everything… it had contributed to this. He’d contributed to this by not handling the Aurora situation better.
“I’m going to fix it,” Marcus said. “All of it. I promise.”
Before Elara could respond, the door opened and Dr. Sarah walked in. She looked surprised to see Marcus there but smiled.
“Mr. Thorne. Good. I’m glad you’re here. We need to discuss Elara’s care plan going forward.”
Dr. Sarah pulled up a stool and sat down. She explained everything in detail. Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. The weaker heartbeat in Baby B. The need for constant monitoring, twice weekly appointments, strict bed rest.
“No physical activity beyond walking to the bathroom. No stress. Proper nutrition and hydration. If things get worse, we may need to intervene surgically, but we’re not there yet.”
“And the bleeding?” Marcus asked.
“Was likely caused by the stress of the situation combined with the compromised blood flow. We’ve got it
16:56 Mon, May 11 M…
Chapter 138
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under control now, but it’s a warning sign. Elara’s body is under tremendous strain trying to support two babies when one isn’t getting what it needs.”
“So what do we do?”
“We watch and we wait. We do everything we can to keep both babies stable until they’re developed enough for early delivery if it comes to that.”
Marcus felt Elara’s hand tighten in his. “How early?”
“Ideally we want to get you to at least thirty-two weeks. Right now you’re at twenty weeks. Every day we can keep them inside is crucial for their development.”
After Dr. Sarah left, Marcus and Elara sat in silence for a long moment.
“I’m sorry,” Elara said finally. “For the last few days. For shutting you out. For making everything harder than it needed to be.”
“I’m sorry too. For Aurora, for not setting better boundaries, for putting you in a position where you felt like you had to compete for my attention.”
“I was scared. I am scared. Not just of Aurora but of… everything. Of these feelings I have for you that keep getting bigger and scarier and more real.”
Marcus pulled back slightly so he could see her face. “What feelings?”
Elara’s eyes filled with tears again. “I love you, Marcus. Like, really love you. Not because of the contract or the babies or because it’s convenient. I love you and it terrifies me because I don’t know if you feel the same way or if I’m just…”
Marcus kissed her. Cut off the words with his mouth on hers, gentle and careful because of all the tubes and wires but firm enough to make his point.
When he pulled back, Elara was staring at him with wide eyes.
“I love you too,” Marcus said. “I have for a while now. I was just too stubborn to admit it.”
“Really?”
“Really. And I’m going to prove it to you. Starting with kicking Aurora out. For real this time. I don’t care about her sob story or the Wellington deal. You come first. Always.”
Elara smiled, small but genuine. “I’d like that.”
They sat together in the hospital bed, Marcus’s arms around her, both of them finally saying the things they should have said weeks ago.
There was a soft knock on the door and a nurse poked her head in. Young, blonde, holding a clipboard.
“Sorry to interrupt,” the nurse said. “Mrs. Thorne, there’s a woman here claiming to be family. Says her name is Aurora Wellington?”
16:57 Mon, May 11 M
