LOGIN[Alice’s POV]Today is the day!I’m going home.I was packed and ready when Adam arrived to collect me.“Okay,” he said. “All set? Do we get to take the baby home with us?”I smiled. “Yes! He’s still underweight but steadily putting it on, so Dorothy said since we are both doctors, she can trust him in our care.”Adam’s smile matched mine. “That’s great. Let’s go get him.”He glanced at the wheelchair in the corner of my room. “Are you going to take that with us?”“No. I’m steadier on my feet now and I don’t get as tired as I did when I was pregnant. So, I’ve decided to donate it to the clinic.”We headed down to the NICU to collect our little bundle. He didn’t take up much room in the car.We secured him into his baby capsule and got underway.I was feeling a welling sensation of expectation, having only seen photo snaps of our new house. It was large with well-established gardens. And I knew it was protected by a state-of-the-art security system, and even had its own ‘panic’ room.“
[Lily’s POV]I looked at myself in the dressing room mirror, pressing my dress against my abdomen. My baby bump was really visible now, though it still had a long way to go.While my ‘delicate’ condition was useful for extracting all sorts of concessions, I was not happy with the idea that I would soon look like a bloated walrus.And the thought of a natural birth left my skin crawling. Ugh! Thank heavens there was a better way. It’ll be a booked caesarian for me! I want to be left neat and tidy, thank you very much!I am aware that Alice has delivered a baby boy. A son for David. It was annoying that this meant a lot to him, though he hasn’t been able to meet his son yet.Realizing that he wanted a male heir, I had a scan done and confirmed that our growing fetus was a boy. That also meant a lot to David. I was just happy that it distracted him from his urge to be involved with Alice’s son. At least, for the meantime.I wondered about the implications of him having two sons – mine –
[Adam’s POV]I have an appointment with someone formidable, and I’m looking forward to it being over and done with.I was aware that, in the cutthroat world of very big business, billionaires don’t always get to the top by entirely legal means. Some are ruthless in their rise to the top, treating other people like chess pieces who need manipulating, and can be disposed of if they get in the wayOthers are more humane but can structure deals that may teeter on the edge of legal. These barons of commerce employ very smart people who know their way around what is strictly legal and can sniff out suspect loopholes, ripe for exploitation.Whatever their suspicious path to immense wealth entails, empire builders rely on clever advisers and people who will keep their mouths shut, for the right price. And some even keep the unlisted phone numbers of people with dubious contacts – ruthless operators who are available for ‘contract’ work.When I entered my father’s penthouse office suite, his P
[Alice’s POV]This morning, Adam brought in a small valise for me to pack my belongings – the journals, my clothing and some toiletries. Not a lot, really.At last, I was going to leave my private suite at the Clinic La Prières! I was going home. Well, to my new home. I was looking forward to seeing the new house and spending more time with Camilla.“I’ve just dropped Camilla at school,” he told me when he arrived.He pulled me into a hug that quickly became intimate. I was amazed that my body was now able to respond, as my pulse quickened and I felt stirrings of longing coiling below my belly.And then I burst out crying.“W-what’s wrong? What have I done?” he asked, confusion written all over his face.“No… no, it’s not you. Sorry,” I babbled, as I pulled out of his arms.“Look at this,” I said. I opened the top drawer of the bedside cabinet and showed him a handful of hair.“That’s my hair!” I cried. I pushed back the hair falling over my forehead and showed him the bare patch on m
[Alice’s POV]Sensing my stress Dorothy Baxter quickly said, “No. No need to worry, Alice. It’s just that he’s developed jaundice. I need to let you know he’s been placed under lights and it may take a few days to get past it.”I relaxed a little. Phototherapy was the usual treatment for ‘yellow’ jaundice. I was aware that preterm babies can become jaundiced due to their immature liver at birth. Early detection and intervention is important to prevent complications and while it can occasionally be serious, most often it clears up without further problems.“Ah, okay. Thanks for letting me know, Dorothy. I’ll monitor his progress,” I said.“Sure,” she said as she turned to leave. “We’ll keep you informed.”Endall said, “Alice, do you want to go and see the baby? I can head off now, if you like.”“Thanks. I’ve got a chemotherapy session coming up, so I’ll call in to the NICU on my way back after that.”When I returned to my suite later in the day, I found Adam sitting in a chair, reading
[Alice’s POV]The chemotherapy was rough.I have been warned of possible side effects and I suffered the nausea almost right away. The vomiting soon followed. However, the fatigue was no surprise, I was accustomed to that already.Despite the complications, I made sure I went to the NICU every day, to see the baby. The nurses let me hold him and feed him his bottle. He took a long time to get through his allocated portion but he stuck at it. At least he had a functioning suck response. They gave him human colostrum for his first few days, but now he has graduated to human breast milk from frozen supplies.They even let me bathe him. While he objected to being undressed, as soon as I lowered him into the warm water his agitation disappeared. Those were the precious moments of new motherhood.“How is his weight?” I asked the NICU nurse today. He was four days old.“Now that he’s started on milk, he’s improving in steady little increments,” she said. “He won’t break any records but he’s
[Alice's POV]And David, who was standing next to her, was clearly startled when he heard that paper mentioned. He glanced at Lily, a trace of confusion in his eyes, but was quickly reassured by her next sentence.“Of course, I’m not a researcher.” Lily smiled modestly. “I just happened to encounte
[Alice's POV]This feeling of loss of control rapidly bloomed in the bathroom. His blood-tasting kiss traveled all the way down from my lips, burying itself in the hollow of my neck, nipping sensitive flesh almost vengefully. Searing nerve endings along my skin became reawakened from a too long slu
[Alice’s POV]The Swiss winter wasn't just cold; it had a way of biting through you, a cruel precision that seemed to target the bones. I pulled my wool scarf tighter around my neck, trying to preserve the little heat I had managed to generate. It was a losing battle. My metabolism was burning thro
[Alice’s POV]The air on the terrace was freezing, but the tension radiating from the man approaching us was colder.Adam didn't rush. He moved with a calculated, predatory grace, his tuxedo fitting him like a suit of armor. I gripped the armrests of my wheelchair hard with both hands. My heart was







