POV: LAUREN
In the background, the steady beeping of a heart monitor pulled me back into consciousness. Before I even opened my eyes, I groaned in pain. My body was tense, my chest heaving. I tried to sit up abruptly, but something pulled on my arm, stopping the movement. A sharp sting shot through me, and then a strong contraction tore across my abdomen like a hot blade. I clenched my teeth hard, trembling. My hands gripped the sides of the stretcher in desperation.
My skin was damp, sweat streaming down my temples, sticking my hair to my forehead. I opened my eyes slowly, scared, trying to understand where I was. The room was white, cold, and sterile. The ceiling lights blurred my vision. There was an IV in my arm. I looked down at my belly, bringing my hand to it urgently. It was tight, tense… and my baby wasn’t moving.
“Where am I?” I murmured with a weak, hoarse voice, still gasping. I tried to lift mysel
POV: HENRY“Mental stability?” Lauren stammered, as if each word was hard to process. “That woman has nothing sane about her, Henry! She’s dangerous, sick!”“I know,” I replied firmly, holding her face with both hands. “But someone’s behind this. Violet doesn’t have the power to get a discharge like that on her own.”“Ravi!” Lauren said through gritted teeth, her voice trembling with nerves, her eyes brimming with anger and fear. “Why do they keep doing this to us? Why can’t they just let us live in peace, let us be happy?”“They’re ambitious and despicable, Lauren,” I answered sharply, my voice thick with hatred. I felt the heat rising up my neck, and my fists clenched tightly. “Don’t try to understand their minds. All they care about is power and money. To get what they want, they won’t hesitate to destroy anyone, even the innocent.”Lauren lowered her head, trying to hold back tears, her shoulders trembling under my hands. The anguish on her face hit me like a blow, but I couldn’t
POV: HENRYThe police officers paced back and forth, talking quickly, asking questions that seemed to multiply by the second. The tension in the room was suffocating. I could barely hear them. Their voices blended into an annoying hum that made my blood boil.Lauren approached, her eyes red and watery, her breathing shaky. Her hands trembled as she clutched her phone.“Henry…” Her voice broke as she called my name. She held the phone out toward me, glancing nervously around as if she were on the verge of collapsing. “I just got this message. It’s from an unknown number.”I took the phone firmly, ignoring the curious stares from the officers. My heart raced, and a chill ran down my spine as I read the message:“Bring a bag of cash. One million dollars in unmarked bills. Come to this location. Don’t dare inform the police or your husband, or Theodor will pay with his life.”My jaw clenched. I gripped the phone so tightly that my knuckles turned white. A wave of rage surged up my throat.
POV: HENRY“So, it’s decided,” I said firmly, crossing my arms in front of the glass table. “The Carter Empire will sever all ties with PharmaCare Industries. We won’t hold onto shares in a company built on threats, intellectual property theft, and misappropriation of funds. Ethan Walker sank that ship with his own hands.”A brief silence spread among the shareholders until one of them leaned slightly forward, his eyes tense.“And what about the investment we all made?” he questioned, trying to maintain his composure. “Those were substantial sums. We can’t just walk away at a loss.”I leaned forward, resting my forearms on the table. My tone didn’t rise, but the weight of my words landed heavily.“Would you rather lose money or your credibility in the financial market?” I shot back without hesitation, lifting m
POV: LAURENKate stayed silent for a few seconds, as if she were taking in my words.“No, Lauren…” Kate replied firmly, letting out a sigh before offering a small smile. “This is my family’s problem, and I need to handle it myself.”I noticed the way she spoke. There was conviction, but also exhaustion. That weight she carried on her shoulders wasn’t new.“I know life has something good in store for me. Just like it did for you,” Kate added, glancing briefly at Alice and Noah.I smiled, scooting closer.“It does. And his name is Lucian,” I teased, delivering the line lightly, keeping the tone playful.She let out a soft laugh and gave me a gentle shove on the shoulder.“You’re impossible, Lauren,” she said, still chuckling.“But I’m right. You like him,” I said, watching her closely. “Give it a chance.”Kate bit the corner of her lip, lost in thought. Her smile grew more reserved.“Lucian isn’t the type to wait or beat around the bush,” Kate said, choosing her words carefully. “He kno
POV: LAURENI was in the garden with Noah and Alice, enjoying the warm sunlight. They were sitting on a soft blanket, surrounded by toys and dried leaves that the breeze had scattered around. Both of them explored every object with their curious little fingers. The way their attentive eyes lit up, how they marveled even at a simple bird flying nearby, completely melted my heart. Every sound they made, every little giggle, warmed my chest. I smiled to myself as I watched Alice grab Noah’s tiny foot and babble something, as if they were speaking their own private language.The sun’s warmth was gentle, and the breeze rustling through the trees lightly tousled my hair. I was there, simply present, soaking in the peace of that moment… until I heard quick footsteps on the grass.I looked up and saw Kate running toward me, her hair tied up in a messy bun and a look of alarm on her face.“Lauren, honey, have you seen the news?” she asked, breathless, gripping my arm tightly.My heart skipped
POV: LAURENHere is the translated text into American English, keeping it fluid and easy to understand, with corrected punctuation and verb agreement in the past tense, without reducing the text's length:Before I could say anything, Theo threw himself forward, hugging me tightly. I held him close, feeling his small body tremble in my lap. My hands slid down his back, trying to shield him from everything, even though I knew some pains couldn’t be avoided.“But God gave me a new family,” he whispered, clinging to me. “You and Uncle Henry are amazing parents… and now I have Noah and Alice as my siblings. I’m not alone anymore.”“Hey, what about me?” Kate crossed her arms, feigning indignation with a theatrical look. “Did you forget about super Aunt Kate here?”Theodor burst into laughter, his eyes still slightly wet but now spark