Chapter 282
Brad’s POV
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They made us all wait outside. Every non–essential person was pushed from the operating room as Eleanor Blair and her team took over. I
found myself in the hallway with Raymond, Peter, Martin, and several other Blair family members, all of us united in our helpless vigil.
The hours crawled by like centuries. I paced the length of the corridor so many times I could have worn a groove in the linoleum.
Raymond tried to offer me coffee. Peter attempted conversation. I ignored them all, my entire focus trained on those closed doors and the
faint sounds of medical equipment beyond them.
Dawn was breaking through the hospital windows when the doors finally opened.
Dr. Chen emerged first, looking exhausted but no longer carrying that expression of barely controlled panic. Behind her came Eleanor
Blair, moving slowly, her usually perfect posture showing the strain of the long night.
Everyone surged forward at once – Raymond, Peter, Martin, the other Blair family members – all talking over each other, desperate for
news.
“How is she?”
“Is the baby-”
“Are they both-”
I hung back, watching Dr. Chen’s face as she fielded the barrage of questions with professional patience. Only when the crowd had gotten their initial reassurances did I approach Eleanor.
“Eleanor,” I said quietly. “How are they really?”
She looked at me for a long moment, her sharp eyes studying my face. Then, unexpectedly, she smiled.
“Don’t tell me you spent all night worrying and didn’t even think of what you’re going to name the baby.”
The relief hit me like a physical force. My knees nearly buckled as the meaning of her words sank in. A name. She was asking about a
name because there was going to be a baby to name.
“You mean-” I couldn’t finish the sentence.
“Elle and the baby are both safe,” Eleanor confirmed with a nod. “It was touch and go for a while, but the potion prevailed.”
I felt tears sting my eyes – the first time I’d cried since I was a child. “Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you.”
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Chapter 282
Eleanor’s expression became businesslike again. “Of course, now you owe me quite a considerable debt.”
“Anything,” I said immediately. “Name it.”
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“Twenty percent of Rayne Group shares for the Blair family, plus a full partnership agreement. We save your mate and child, you give us
what we deserved.”
I didn’t hesitate. “Fair enough.”
Eleanor smiled – a real smile. “I thought you might see reason. Your mate and boy are in recovery room three.”
I was already moving toward the recovery rooms before she finished speaking, leaving the others behind in my urgency to see Elle.
The door to room three was partially open. I could hear voices inside – Elle’s voice, weak but unmistakably alive, talking to her parents.
“…don’t know how to thank Raymond and Peter,” she was saying as I approached. “If they hadn’t acted so quickly…”
*You don’t need to thank us,” Raymond’s voice replied. “We’re just grateful you’re both okay.”
“The Blair family is remarkable,” Peter added. “I’m amazed by what Eleanor was able to accomplish.”
I paused in the doorway, taking in the scene. Elle was propped up in the hospital bed, pale but alert, her parents standing on either side of her. She looked fragile but alive – beautifully, wonderfully alive.
Raymond and Peter noticed me first. They exchanged a look, then Raymond cleared his throat.
“I think we should let you rest now,” he said to Elle. “We’ll check on you later.”
Peter squeezed her hand. “Get some sleep. And congratulations.”
They filed past me with respectful nods, leaving Elle alone with her parents.
“We’ll give you two some privacy,” Stella said softly, though she seemed reluctant to leave her daughter’s side.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
