Chapter 141
Elara’s POV
57
The hospital discharged Elara two days later with a thick folder of instructions and restrictions. Strict bed rest. No physical activity beyond bathroom trips. Weekly monitoring appointments. A list of warning signs to watch for that would require immediate return to the emergency room.
Dr. Sarah had been clear. Baby B was still struggling, still not getting adequate blood flow. The bleeding had stopped but the risk remained high. Every day the babies stayed inside was critical for their development, and Elara’s job now was to do absolutely nothing that might jeopardize that.
Marcus had barely left her side the entire time she was in the hospital. He’d slept in the chair next to her bed. brought her food she could actually stomach, held her hand during every ultrasound and examination. Aurora had tried to visit twice more but Marcus had turned her away both times, firm and unapologetic.
Now they were in the car heading home, Marcus driving carefully like the road was made of glass.
“I called a service,” Marcus said as they pulled into the garage. “They’re setting up the bedroom while we’re gone. Hospital bed if you want it, mini fridge, everything you might need so you don’t have to go up and down stairs.”
“Marcus, you don’t have to…”
“Yes, I do. The doctor said bed rest and I’m making sure you can actually rest.”
When they got upstairs, Elara was stunned by what she saw. The bedroom had been completely transformed. A comfortable recliner sat next to the bed with blankets and pillows. A small refrigerator hummed quietly in the corner, stocked with water and healthy snacks. There was a rolling table that could swing over the bed for eating or using her laptop. Even a bell to ring if she needed something.
“This is too much,” Elara said, tears already forming in her eyes. Pregnancy hormones made everything feel overwhelming.
“It’s not enough.” Marcus helped her into the bed, adjusting pillows behind her back until she was comfortable. “I should have done this from the beginning. Should have taken better care of you.”
“You’ve been taking care of me.”
“Not well enough. Not in the ways that mattered.” Marcus sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand. “El. I need to say something and I need you to actually hear me this time.”
Elara nodded, her throat too tight to speak.
“I love you. Not because of the contract or the babies or because we’re stuck in this situation together. I love you because of who you are. The way you make me laugh, the way you call me out when I’m being an idiot, the way you’ve fit into my life like you were always supposed to be there.”
“Marcus…”
“I’m not done. I love you and I’ve been a terrible husband these last few weeks. I let Aurora get between us. I
16:58 Mon, May 11 M…
Chapter 111
57
6 on here
let my guilt about the past override my responsibility to our present. I made you feel like you had to compete for my attention when you’ve always had all of it.”
Elara wiped at her eyes. “I love you too. I’ve been trying not to because it seemed stupid to fall in love with someone I married for a contract. But I did anyway and it’s terrifying.”
Marcus smiled. “Why terrifying?”
“Because what if you change your mind? What if you wake up one day and realize you could have done so much better than the girl from the slum who got pregnant and trapped you?”
“You didn’t trap me. I chose you. I keep choosing you.” Marcus leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “And I’m going to prove it. Starting with fixing everything I’ve let fall apart.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean Aurora is leaving. Today. I don’t care about her sob story or the Wellington deal. You come first.”
“But…”
“No buts. She’s been manipulating the situation from the start and I was too blind to see it. Or maybe I didn’t want to see it because I felt guilty about how things ended between us years ago. Either way, it stops now.”
“What about Penelope? And the investor meeting?”
Marcus’s jaw tightened. “Dante and I are working on that. We have IT forensics going through my computer, tracing the file modifications. We’ll prove it was sabotage and we’ll prove Penelope was behind it.”
“That could take weeks.”
“Then it takes weeks. But we’ll get there.” Marcus squeezed her hand. “Right now my priority is you and our babies. Making sure you have everything you need to stay healthy and keep them safe.”
Elara felt fresh tears falling. Happy tears this time. “When did you get so sweet?”
“I’ve always been sweet. You just bring it out of me.”
They sat together in comfortable silence for a while. Marcus adjusted the pillows again, got Elara some water from the mini fridge, made sure her phone was charged and within reach.
“I should let you rest,” he said finally. “Doctor’s orders.”
“Stay a little longer?”
Marcus climbed onto the bed beside her, careful not to jostle her too much. Elara curled against his side, her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
“I’m scared,” she admitted quietly. “About Baby B. About losing one of them.”
“Me too. But we’re going to do everything the doctors say. We’re going to monitor closely and catch any problems early. And if the worst happens…” Marcus’s voice caught. “If the worst happens, we’ll face it
16:58 Mon, May 11 M
Chapter 141
together.”
“Together,” Elara repeated.
:
57
oh your hers
She must have dozed off because when she opened her eyes again, Marcus was gone and the room was darker. Late afternoon sunlight filtered through the curtains.
Elara reached for her phone to check the time and saw she had several missed calls from Mimi and a few
texts.
Mimi: How are you feeling?
Mimi: Let me know when you’re home safe
Mimi: Call me when you can
Elara was about to reply when another text came through. Unknown number.
She almost deleted it without reading. Probably spam. But something made her open it.
The words on the screen made her blood run cold.
Unknown: I know you were pregnant before the wedding. Pay me $500k or everyone else knows too.
Elara stared at the message, reading it over and over, her heart pounding.
Someone knew. Someone had figured out the timeline.
Her first instinct was to call Marcus. But he’d just promised to fix everything, to take care of her, to make sure she stayed stress-free for the babies.
How could she tell him about this? How could she add another crisis to everything he was already dealing
with?
Another text came through.
Unknown: You have 48 hours to decide. Half a million dollars or the whole world finds out Marcus married you because you got knocked up. Wonder what the board will think about that?
Elara’s hands were shaking. She set the phone down on the bed and tried to breathe.
This was Luca. It had to be. The phrasing, the crude language, the amount demanded. This was exactly the kind of thing her father would do.
But how had he found out? How had he pieced together the timeline?
A third text appeared.
Unknown: Clock’s ticking, Elara. Better figure out where you’re getting that money. And don’t even think about telling Marcus. If I see any police or lawyers getting involved, I go straight to the press.
16:58 Mon, May 11 M
Chapter 141
Elara grabbed her phone with shaking hands and stared at the messages.
AD
Comment
Send gift
No Ads
2
