Chapter 71: The Secret

Harper was released from the hospital with strict orders: complete bed rest until further notice.

"No stairs. No stress. No physical exertion of any kind," the doctor had said. "Your only job is to keep that baby inside as long as possible."

Sebastian had converted their bedroom into a command center. Laptop within reach. Snacks on the nightstand. Books stacked on the dresser. Everything Harper might need so she wouldn't have to move.

But he couldn't eliminate the one thing causing the most stress: the secret she'd been keeping.

Harper lay in bed, her hand on her stomach, trying to find the courage to tell him.

The pregnancy test she'd taken two days before the contractions started. The one that had shown something unexpected. Something the hospital had confirmed during her overnight stay but that she'd asked them not to tell Sebastian.

Not one baby. Two.

Twins.

The ultrasound technician had been surprised the earlier scans missed it. "Sometimes one baby hides behind the other in early ultrasounds. But there are definitely two heartbeats. Two babies. Congratulations."

Harper had smiled and nodded and waited until the tech left to quietly panic.

Two babies. Two reasons for the placenta previa. Two reasons her body was struggling. Two lives depending on her staying calm and horizontal for the next three months.

And she hadn't told Sebastian.

He appeared in the doorway now carrying soup. "Tomato basil. Your favorite. You need to eat something."

"I'm not hungry."

"Harper, you've barely eaten in two days. The babies need—" He stopped. "The baby. Sorry. The baby needs nutrition."

Harper caught the slip. The plural that suggested maybe Sebastian already knew.

"Babies," she said quietly. "You said babies."

Sebastian set down the soup carefully. "I misspoke. I meant…"

"Sebastian, do you know?"

He was quiet for a long moment. Then he sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "The hospital billed our insurance. Twins pregnancy. I saw it this morning when I was handling the medical claims."

Harper felt relief and frustration in equal measure. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because you clearly weren't ready to tell me yet. And I figured you had your reasons." Sebastian took her hand. "Do you want to talk about why you kept it secret?"

Harper felt tears threaten. "Because I'm terrified. One baby already feels overwhelmed. Two babies? Sebastian, I don't know how to be a mother to one child. How am I supposed to handle two?"

"The same way we handle everything else. Together. Imperfectly. Making it up as we go."

"But what if I can't do it? What if I'm like my aunt,well-meaning but completely unprepared? What if I damage them the way she sometimes damages me?"

Sebastian pulled her close carefully, mindful of her restricted movement. "Your aunt loved you. That's what you remember most, right? Not the mistakes but the love. Our kids will remember the same thing."

"Kids. Plural. God, Sebastian, we're having twins."

"We're having twins," he echoed, and Harper heard wonder in his voice beneath the fear. "Two babies. Two tiny humans who'll probably gang up on us and make our lives chaotic."

Harper laughed despite her tears. "We can't even handle one crisis at a time. How are we going to handle two infants simultaneously?"

"Very badly. With lots of help. And probably significant sleep deprivation." Sebastian pulled back to look at her. "But Harper, we'll figure it out. And hey, at least we're getting the twin chaos over with all at once instead of having to go through pregnancy twice."

"That's a terrible silver lining."

"I'm working with what I have here."

They sat together, both processing the magnitude of what twins meant. Two cribs. Two car seats. Double everything they'd barely started preparing for.

"We need to tell people," Harper said. "Jessie. Claire. The trial team. Everyone's planning around one baby but this changes things."

"How does it change the trial?"

"I don't know. But two babies means more medical risk. More chances of complications. More reasons I might not be able to testify at all." Harper's hand went to her stomach. "Sebastian, what if the trial happens and I'm still on bed rest? What if I deliver early and I'm recovering with two newborns?"

"Then we adjust. Use your deposition. Have you testified remotely? Whatever we need to do."

"Claire's lawyer will use it. Claim I'm avoiding cross-examination. Make it seem like I'm hiding something."

"Let him try. Any jury will sympathize with a woman on bed rest with twins. It actually might work in our favor."

Harper wanted to believe him. But she'd learned that nothing ever worked in their favor. Every advantage became a disadvantage. Every solution created new problems.

"I need to tell Jessie," Harper said, reaching for her phone. "She's been asking when she can visit."

Jessie answered on the first ring. "How are you feeling? Is the bed rest awful?"

"Boring. Frustrating. But necessary." Harper took a breath. "Jess, I need to tell you something. The reason the contractions started. The reason I'm high risk."

"Okay?"

"I'm having twins. Two babies. The placenta previa is worse because of the twins. Everything is more complicated because of the twins."

Silence. Then Jessie screamed so loudly Harper had to pull the phone away.

"TWINS! Harper! Oh my God! That's amazing and terrifying and have you told Sebastian and do you know the genders and…"

"Breathe, Jess. Yes, Sebastian knows. No, we don't know genders yet. Yes, I'm completely overwhelmed."

"I'm coming over. Right now. You need supplies. And support. And someone to talk sense into you before you spiral."

"I can't have visitors. Doctor's orders. Too stimulating."

"I'm not a visitor. I'm family. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

After hanging up, Harper looked at Sebastian. "She's coming over despite medical orders."

"Of course she is. That's what Jessie does." Sebastian stood. "I'll go pick up more groceries. If Jessie's coming, she'll expect to be fed. And we need to start stocking up anyway. Twin infants go through supplies fast."

"How do you know that?"

"I've been reading. A lot. Ever since I saw the insurance bill." Sebastian kissed her forehead. "Get some rest. I'll be back before Jessie arrives."

After he left, Harper lay in bed feeling the babies move. Two distinct patterns of kicks now that she knew what to look for. Two lives depending on her staying calm.

Her phone buzzed. A text from Claire's lawyer.

"Mrs. Colton, I've been informed of your hospitalization. I'm requesting a medical examination to verify your claimed bed rest restriction. We have reason to believe this is a ploy to avoid testimony. Expect a court order for independent medical evaluation within the week."

Harper felt rage replace anxiety. Claire's lawyer thought she was faking bed rest. Thought the twins were a convenient excuse.

She forwarded the text to Thomas, their lawyer, with a note: "Handle this. I'm not subjecting myself or my babies to harassment."

Thomas called immediately. "This is outrageous. I'll fight the medical examination request. But Harper, you need to be prepared. Claire's team is going to scrutinize every aspect of your pregnancy. They'll claim you're exaggerating symptoms to avoid cross-examination."

"I'm on bed rest with twins. How is that exaggeration?"

"They'll find a way to spin it. That's what defense lawyers do." Thomas paused. "Harper, I know this is difficult, but we might need to consider alternative testimony arrangements. Deposition under oath that can be played at trial. Remote video testimony if the judge allows it. We need options."

"Fine. Set it up. But I'm not leaving this bed for anyone except my doctor."

After hanging up, Harper felt the babies kick in synchronized protest. As if they knew their mother was stressed despite orders to remain calm.

Jessie arrived exactly twenty minutes later, armed with magazines, snacks, and a determination to distract Harper from everything.

"Okay, new rule," Jessie announced, settling into the chair beside Harper's bed. "For the next hour, we don't talk about Claire, trials, lawyers, or stress. We only talk about baby stuff. Names. Nursery colors. Whether you're going to let Sebastian buy those ridiculous designer baby clothes he's probably already researching."

"How do you know he's researching designer baby clothes?"

"Because he's Sebastian Colton and that's what billionaires do. They can't just buy normal onesies from Target. It has to be organic cotton hand-stitched by Italian craftspeople."

Harper laughed despite herself. "You're probably right."

They spent an hour discussing baby names, nursery themes, and the logistics of managing twins. Jessie was practical and funny and exactly what Harper needed.

But when Jessie left, the anxiety returned. Because in four and a half months, Harper would give birth to twins while Claire's trial was ongoing.

She'd be recovering from delivery, learning to care for two infants, and trying to help Sebastian fight for his freedom.

All while confined to bed, unable to control anything.

Harper felt the babies move again, a reminder of what mattered most.

Not the trial. Not Claire. Not even Sebastian's freedom.

These two lives. These two tiny humans depend on her to keep them safe.

Everything else would have to wait.

Even justice.

Even the truth.

Even the desperate need to see Claire held accountable.

Because some things mattered more than revenge.

And Harper was literally carrying them inside her.

Two beating hearts that deserved a chance to be born healthy.

Even if it meant Claire might win.

Even if it meant sacrificing everything they'd fought for.

The babies came first.

Always.

No matter what it cost.