Dave’s POVThe world stopped spinning when the doctor finally walked out, mask pulled down, exhaustion written all over his face. My legs nearly gave way, but his words caught me before I crumbled.“Sir,” he said, and I braced for the worst. “Congratulations. You’re the father of twins.”Twins.The word echoed in my skull like fireworks. Relief flooded my body so hard I laughed and cried at the same time. I grabbed the doctor’s hands, thanking him over and over until he slipped away, leaving me trembling with gratitude.I didn’t wait. I ran straight into the ward.Rachel lay there, pale but glowing, her chest rising gently as she slept. My heart ached at the sight of he my warrior, my wife, my miracle. I bent down, pressed my lips to her forehead, and whispered against her skin, “Thank you, baby. You did it.”My eyes shifted to the two tiny bundles in their cribs. My chest swelled. Two little angels, two pride.I swallowed hard, forcing myself to breathe normally, and stepped back. “S
Nathan’s POVMorning light poured into my office, but nothing about it felt warm. My head was pounding from the night before, restless with thoughts I couldn’t silence. I was still staring at the stack of files when my PA barged in, breathless.“Sir—” he stammered, his voice shaking. “It’s Dave. He’s filed a court case. I… I looked at the documents, and from the evidence he has, even if you call the best lawyers in the country… you’re going to jail.”My throat tightened. I gripped the edge of my desk as though it could steady the storm in my chest.“Jail?” The word scraped out of me.The PA swallowed hard, lowering his voice as if whispering would soften the blow. “Life imprisonment, sir. And that’s not all… some of the staff are already talking. They said Melissa was the cause of the accident. They’re preparing to sue you for that, too.”For a second, the ground shifted beneath me. My knees gave way, and I fell back into my chair. I couldn’t breathe.Just then, the door swung open, a
I lit my third cigarette in twenty minutes and waited for the boardroom to fill. I summoned them, every senior manager, every head of department. Ten a.m., I said. Sharp suits. Sharp faces. Answers.An hour passed. The chairs stayed empty, the sunlight cut across my desk, and a dull panic started to seep in like cold water through cracked concrete.My PA, Emmanuel, finally wandered in, breathless. “Sir… you called for me?”What the hell?” I slashed the air with my hand. “Where is everyone? They never miss a meeting.”His mouth trembled. “Sir, I’m… I’m sorry. It seem there’ve been offers. Dave Collins bought over a number of our suppliers and resources. Some of the board were approached. He’s been aggressive in acquisitions. We’re… we’re near bankruptcy, sir.” His voice dropped like a stone.Twenty billion. Twenty billion profit last year. I felt the number as a physical thing heavy, metallic, impossible to lose. “How? Where is that profit? We didn’t invest in new plants. We didn’t buy
Rachel’s POVThe hospital smelled like bleach and despair. I hated that smell it crawled into my chest and made it hard to breathe. Dave had insisted we come first thing in the morning, even when I told him I felt fine.“You’re not fine,” he had said, his jaw tight, his hand firm around mine as though I’d shatter if he let go.Now the doctor sat across from me, his glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose. “You need rest, Rachel. Real rest. No stress, no heavy work. If you push yourself, you’ll risk more than exhaustion.”I swallowed the lump in my throat, my gaze flicking to Dave. His expression softened, but his voice came out firm. “Then she’ll rest. I’ll make sure of it.”He said it like a vow, like a promise carved in stone.When we stepped out of the consultation room, his hand brushed the small of my back. Protective. Possessive. Warm. My chest tightened in ways I couldn’t put words to.We hadn’t walked two steps when I saw him.Mr. Ramsey.He was leaning against the wall of t
Rachel’s POVThe hospital smelled like bleach and despair. I hated that smell. It crawled into my chest and made it hard to breathe. Dave had insisted we come first thing in the morning, even when I told him I felt fine.“You’re not fine,” he had said, his jaw tight, his hand firm around mine as though I’d shatter if he let go.Now the doctor sat across from me, his glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose. “You need rest, Rachel, like real rest, no stress, no heavy work. If you push yourself, you’ll risk more than exhaustion.”I swallowed the lump in my throat, my gaze flicking to Dave. His expression softened, but his voice came out firm. “Then she’ll rest. I’ll make sure of it.”He said it like a vow, like a promise carved in stone.When we stepped out of the consultation room, his hand brushed the small of my back. Protective. Possessive. Warm. My chest tightened in ways I couldn’t put words to.We hadn’t walked two steps when I saw him.Mr. Ramsey. He was leaning against the wa
Nathan’s POV“What are you talking about?” My voice thundered across the hall, the kind of voice that once shut investors up with a single word. “This is my project. My creation. There is no default.”I jabbed my finger toward the device glowing on the stand. My palms were hot, but my face had to stay carved in marble. “How can I not know what I built?”Then she laughed. Rachel. That laugh that used to slice my pride clean in half. She stepped forward, eyes glinting, and for a second, the whole hall bent toward her.“You’re a terrible liar, Nathan.” Her lips curved into something dangerous. She turned to the crowd, voice strong. “This project is called Drole. It’s not just a data collector, it’s an assistant. An observer. A truth mirror.”A murmur rippled through the audience. Investors leaned forward. Journalists poised their pens like knives.Fine,” she said, pulling the prototype into her hands. “Let’s test it out.”Rachel’s POVThe weight of the prototype was familiar—like holding a