LOGINIsabella’s POVOnly a few days after that scare, I was standing in the living room folding a stack of tiny baby clothes when I felt something warm run down my legs. I froze, staring down at the floor, and it took me a second to understand what was actually happening.“Damien,” I called out, my voice shaking. “Damien, I think my water just broke.”He came rushing in from the hallway so fast he nearly slipped on the rug. “Wait, what? Right now?”“Yes, right now,” I said, gripping the back of the couch as the first real contraction hit me like a wave. “Damien, it hurts.”“Okay. Okay, we’re going. Right now.” His voice was steady, but I could see his hands trembling as he grabbed my bag from beside the door, the one we had packed weeks ago just in case. “Can you walk, or do you need me to carry you?”“I can walk,” I said through gritted teeth, “just stay close to me.”“I’m right here,” he said, wrapping an arm around my waist. “I’m not going anywhere.”The drive to the hospital felt like
Isabella’s PovThe pain hit me so suddenly that I dropped the glass I was holding, and it shattered on the kitchen floor. I gripped the counter and called out for Damien, my voice breaking in a way that scared even me.He came running from the other room, and the moment he saw my face, he knew something was wrong. “Isabella, what’s happening? Talk to me.”“It hurts,” I managed to say, pressing a hand to my stomach. “Damien, it really hurts.”“Okay, okay, I’ve got you.” He wrapped an arm around me and started walking me toward the door before I could even argue. “We’re going to the hospital right now.”“Maybe it’s nothing,” I said, even though I didn’t believe it myself.“I don’t care if it’s nothing,” he said, grabbing his keys with a shaking hand. “I’m not taking that chance with you or the baby.”In the car, he kept glancing over at me every few seconds, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. “Just breathe, sweetheart. We’re almost there. Stay with me.”“I’m scared,” I whispered.
Isabella’s POVThe laughter from the baby shower still echoed in my ears as Damien helped me into the car. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much, and my heart felt lighter than it had in months. For the first time since this pregnancy began, I had spent an entire afternoon surrounded by people who loved me without worrying about cameras, gossip, or the next scandal waiting around the corner.I rested one hand on my stomach and smiled.“I think our little one enjoyed today.”Damien glanced at me as he started the engine.“I think so too. I’ve never seen you laugh that much.”“I almost cried when Grandfather tried to guess the baby food flavors.”He chuckled.“I’ve never seen him lose a game so dramatically.”We both laughed again before silence settled comfortably between us. Damien reached across the center console and intertwined his fingers with mine.“You deserved today,” he said softly. “You’ve been through so much.”I turned to look at him.“So have you.”He simply smiled and brou
Isabella’s POVThe first thing I noticed when I stepped out of the elevator was the sound of laughter.It wasn’t loud enough to be overwhelming, but it echoed softly through the hallway of Blackwood Tower’s private event floor. I frowned and looked at Damien, who had insisted we come to the building after lunch even though he refused to tell me why.“You’ve been acting suspicious all morning,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him.He smiled innocently, though the amusement in his eyes immediately gave him away.“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”“You’ve checked your phone every five minutes.”“I’ve had work to do.”“You never smile at work messages.”He laughed quietly and slipped his fingers through mine.“I guess you’ll find out soon enough.”I shook my head.“If this is another business event, I’m going home.”“It isn’t.”“You promise?”“I promise.”There was something about the way he looked at me that made my curiosity grow. For the last week he had been making mysterious ph
Isabella’s PovEthan's request stayed in my mind every single day. I woke up thinking about it. I went to bed thinking about it. He wanted to be there when the baby was born. Not in the delivery room maybe, but nearby. Just there for the moment his child came into the world. It seemed simple. A father wanting to be present. But it felt impossible to me. I was torn in a way I had never been before.Ethan was the baby's biological father. That truth lived inside me. The baby was part of him. He had a right to want to be there. But Damien had held my hand through everything. Every craving. Every sleepless night. Every doctor's visit. Damien rubbed my swollen feet. He made me tea at three in the morning. He rearranged his entire life to stay close these final weeks. How could I say yes to Ethan without hurting him?I spent two full days thinking about it. I walked slowly through the garden. I felt the baby move with every step. I sat in the nursery and touched the soft blankets we had bou
Isabella’s PovI entered the final weeks of my pregnancy feeling like a balloon ready to pop. Everything felt heavier. My back ached all the time, my feet were swollen, and even simple walks left me tired. The baby moved constantly now, big kicks and rolls that reminded me every minute that our little one was almost here. Everyone around me became so protective. The guards at the gate checked every visitor twice. The house staff made sure I had fresh fruit and pillows everywhere. Even the doctor called more often to check on me.Damien was the most protective of all. He refused to let me attend any stressful events. When a family friend invited us to a small dinner, he politely said no. “You need calm, not small talk,” he told me gently. I tried to argue at first, but he was right. My body felt too worn out for anything extra. He rearranged his whole schedule to be home every evening. No more late nights at the office or long video calls. He came back by six o’clock, kicked off his
Isabella's Pov I don’t know why I kept talking to him. Maybe it was because he didn’t look at me with pity. For the first time in hours, someone saw me as a real person instead of a problem.We talked for almost two hours. I didn’t go deep into my mess or say Ethan’s name. We just talked about sma
Isabella's POV“You really think this baby is going to change anything, Isabella?” Ethan’s voice was cold and sharp. He stood in the middle of his fancy Manhattan penthouse office, the one I had helped design with the expensive walnut floors and big windows looking out over the city. “I’m engaged,
Isabella’s PovI opened the door with shaking hands. Ethan stood there under the porch light, looking just as tired as he had in the news clips. His eyes met mine first, soft and full of something I couldn’t quite read. Then Damien’s footsteps reached us, and the air changed in an instant.“Ethan,”
Isabella’s Pov The media frenzy grew worse with every passing day. Cameras flashed no matter where I went. Reporters shouted questions the second I stepped outside. My phone buzzed constantly with new headlines: “Blackwood Baby Drama!” and “Who’s the Real Father?” I couldn’t even look out a windo







