Chapter 14 Chapter 14
~FOURTEEN~
I woke up to the sound of machines beeping steadily beside me. The hospital room was dimly lit, and for a moment, I couldn't remember where I was or why I was there.
Then it all came rushing back—the blood, the pain, the paramedic's frantic voice saying they were losing the heartbeat.
My hands flew to my stomach, and I felt the panic rising in my chest like a tidal wave.
"The babies," I croaked, my throat dry and raw.
A hand gently pressed mine down. "Don't move too fast," Declan's voice said softly. "You're okay. Just breathe."
I turned my head to see him sitting beside the bed, his eyes red-rimmed and exhausted. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.
"The babies?" I asked again, tears already streaming down my face. "Declan, are they—"
"They're alive," he said quickly, and I felt like I could breathe again. "Both of them. But Anita, there were complications."
"What kind of complications?"
A doctor entered before he could answer—a woman in her fifties with kind eyes and graying hair pulled back in a bun.
"Miss Blake, I'm Dr. Sarah Chen. I performed your emergency surgery last night," she said, pulling up a chair beside my bed. "You had what we call a placental abruption. Part of your placenta detached from your uterine wall, which caused the bleeding."
"But the babies are okay?" I asked desperately.
"For now, yes," Dr. Chen said carefully. "We managed to stop the bleeding and stabilize your pregnancy. However, I need to be honest with you about the risks going forward."
My heart sank. "What risks?"
"The abruption was significant. While we've repaired what we could, there's a high likelihood of preterm labor. Your babies are currently nineteen weeks along. Full term is forty weeks. If you go into labor now, the babies wouldn't survive."
I felt Declan's hand tighten around mine.
"What can we do?" he asked.
"Complete bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy," Dr. Chen said. "No stress, no physical activity beyond what's absolutely necessary. We'll monitor you closely with weekly ultrasounds. Even with all precautions, there's about a sixty percent chance of premature delivery."
"And if they're born premature?" I whispered.
"It depends on how premature," Dr. Chen said gently. "If we can keep them in until week thirty-two or later, their chances of survival are very good. Before that, especially before week twenty-eight, the risks increase significantly."
I closed my eyes, trying to process this information. Thirteen more weeks. I needed to keep these babies safe for at least thirteen more weeks.
"Can she go home?" Declan asked.
"Not yet. We want to keep her here for observation for at least another week to make sure there's no further bleeding," Dr. Chen said. "After that, if everything looks stable, she can go home with strict bed rest orders."
After the doctor left, I finally let myself break down completely.
"I'm so scared," I sobbed. "What if I lose them? What if I can't keep them safe?"
"You will," Declan said fiercely, climbing onto the hospital bed beside me and pulling me gently into his arms. "We will. Whatever it takes, Anita. I'll hire the best specialists, we'll follow every order, I'll take care of you every single day."
"This is all too much," I said. "The murder investigation, losing your company, now this—"
"None of that matters," he interrupted. "The company is just a job. But you and these babies? You're my whole world. I'd give up everything else a thousand times over if it meant you three would be safe."
I looked down at the engagement ring still on my finger. "I don't even know if I can be the wife you deserve. I can't even keep myself healthy."
"Don't say that," he said softly, tilting my chin up to look at him. "You're exactly the wife I want. Strong, brave, beautiful. And we're going to get through this together."
Over the next few days, a parade of visitors came through my hospital room. Rick brought flowers and gossip from the office—apparently, the board was in complete chaos with both Richard and Declan gone. Sarah from work sent a care package full of romance novels and magazines. Even Amanda, Declan's lawyer, stopped by with legal documents for me to sign making Declan my medical power of attorney.
But the visit that surprised me most came on my fourth day in the hospital.
There was a knock on the door, and when I called out for them to enter, Jake walked in.
He looked different—thinner, older somehow, like the past few weeks had aged him years.
"I'm sorry," he said immediately, staying near the door. "I know you probably don't want to see me. But I heard about what happened, and I needed to check if you were okay."
Declan tensed beside me, but I put my hand on his arm. "It's fine," I said quietly. "Come in, Jake."
Jake approached slowly, like he was afraid I might throw something at him. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I got hit by a truck," I admitted. "But the babies are okay, and that's what matters."
"I'm glad," he said, and he actually sounded sincere. "Anita, I know I have no right to ask for your forgiveness. The things I did, the way I treated you—there's no excuse."
"You're right," I said. "There isn't."
He flinched but nodded. "I turned myself in to the police like I said I would. They've cleared me of my mother's murder charges. The evidence against Richard and Victoria was pretty damning."
"I heard," I said. "What happens now for you?"
"I'm leaving the city," Jake said. "Starting over somewhere new. Maybe figure out who I am without my mother's influence or my family's money." He paused. "I wanted to say goodbye. And to tell you that I'm sorry for everything. You deserved so much better than how I treated you."
"Yes, I did," I agreed. "But Jake, I hope you find what you're looking for. I hope you become the person you're capable of being."
He smiled sadly. "Take care of yourself, Anita. And take care of those babies." He looked at Declan. "Take care of her."
"Always," Declan said firmly.
After Jake left, I felt something shift inside me. Closure, maybe. The final chapter of my old life ending so the new one could truly begin.
"Are you okay?" Declan asked.
"Yeah," I said, surprised to realize I meant it. "I think I am."
The next three days passed relatively peacefully. My bleeding had stopped, and the ultrasounds showed both babies were growing well despite the scare. Dr. Chen was cautiously optimistic about releasing me.
On the morning of my eighth day in the hospital, I woke to find Declan wasn't in his usual chair beside my bed. Instead, Rick was sitting there, looking nervous.
"Where's Declan?" I asked immediately.
"He had to run an errand," Rick said vaguely. "He'll be back soon."
"What kind of errand?" I pressed. "Rick, what's going on?"
"Nothing bad, I promise," Rick said. "Just trust him, okay?"
Before I could interrogate him further, Dr. Chen entered with my discharge papers.
"Everything looks good, Miss Blake. You're cleared to go home with strict bed rest orders," she said, handing me a stack of papers. "No stairs if possible, no lifting anything heavier than a phone, no stress. Your body's job is to grow those babies. Everything else can wait."
"I understand," I said. "When do I need to come back?"
"One week for your first follow-up ultrasound, then weekly after that until delivery," Dr. Chen said. "And if you experience any bleeding, cramping, or unusual symptoms, you come straight to the emergency room. Don't wait."
After she left, I looked at Rick expectantly. "Okay, so where's Declan? And what's he planning?"
"You'll see," Rick said with a mysterious smile. "Get dressed. I'm taking you to him."
Twenty minutes later, I was dressed in comfortable clothes that Sarah had brought me and sitting in Rick's car.
"At least tell me where we're going," I begged.
"We're almost there," Rick said.
We drove through the city and then out toward the suburbs. Finally, we pulled up in front of a beautiful single-story house with a wrap-around porch and a large yard.
"What is this?" I asked.
"Your new home," Declan's voice said.
I turned to see him walking down the porch steps toward us, a huge smile on his face.
"What are you talking about?" I asked as he helped me out of the car.
"You can't climb stairs, and my apartment is on the twentieth floor," he explained. "So I bought us a house. Single level, five bedrooms, three bathrooms, huge backyard for when the twins are old enough to play."
"You bought a house?" I repeated, stunned. "In one week?"
"Technically four days," he corrected. "I may have paid extra to expedite the process."
He led me up to the porch and opened the front door.
The house was beautiful—hardwood floors, large windows letting in natural light, an open floor plan that made the whole space feel airy and welcoming.
"The master bedroom is over here," Declan said, guiding me through the house. "It has an attached bathroom so you don't have to walk far. And look—"
He opened a door to reveal a room that had been set up as the perfect bedroom for me. A hospital-grade bed, a television, a mini-fridge, bookshelves already stocked with books, and a comfortable recliner by the window.
"Declan, this is too much," I whispered.
"It's not enough," he said. "I want you to be comfortable while you're on bed rest. I want you to have everything you need."
"But a whole house—"
"Is an investment in our future," he finished. "This is where we're going to raise our children, Anita. Where we're going to build our life together."
Tears filled my eyes. "I don't deserve you."
"You deserve the world," he said, kissing my forehead. "And I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to give it to you."
He showed me the rest of the house—the two nurseries he'd already started setting up, the office where he'd work from home so he could be near me, the kitchen stocked with healthy food.
"When did you have time to do all this?" I asked, overwhelmed.
"I haven't slept much," he admitted. "But it was worth it to see your face right now."
Rick popped his head in. "Hate to interrupt, but Declan, you have that call in ten minutes."
"What call?" I asked.
"Business stuff," Declan said. "Nothing for you to worry about. Rick, can you help Anita get settled while I take this?"
After Declan left, Rick helped me into the comfortable bed.
"He really loves you, you know," Rick said. "I've known Declan for fifteen years, and I've never seen him like this with anyone."
"Even Victoria?" I asked.
Rick snorted. "Especially not Victoria. That relationship was toxic from day one. But you? You make him happy. You make him want to be better."
"I'm glad," I said softly.
Rick's phone buzzed. He looked at it and frowned.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Probably nothing," he said, but he looked concerned. "I need to make a quick call. You good here for a minute?"
"I'm fine," I assured him.
After he left, I lay back against the pillows, looking around my new room. This was really happening. I was engaged, pregnant with twins, living in a beautiful house with a man who loved me.
After everything that had gone wrong, maybe things were finally going right.
My phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number.
Curious, I opened it.
It was a photo—a surveillance picture of Declan taken just hours ago, meeting with someone in what looked like a parking garage.
The person he was meeting was Victoria Laurence.
The caption read: Your fiancé has been visiting me in jail every day. Want to know what we talk about?
My heart stopped.
Before I could process this, another text came through.
This one was a video.
With shaking hands, I pressed play.
The video showed Declan and Victoria in what looked like a jail visiting room. The audio was muffled, but I could make out some of what Victoria was saying.
"—together, Declan. We always were. This girl is just—"
"—need more time—" Declan's voice.
"—get rid of her and those babies, then—"
The video cut off.
I stared at the screen, my mind reeling.
It had to be edited. Taken out of context. There was no way Declan was actually conspiring with Victoria.
Was there?
My door opened, and Declan walked in, smiling.
"Sorry about that. The call took longer than expected," he said. Then he saw my face. "Anita? What's wrong?"
I held up my phone, showing him the video.
"Want to explain what this is?"