All Chapters of The Price Of Us: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

ANNA POV.The day before we left for New Zealand, the house was abuzz with preparations. Jace was finalizing everything, ensuring our move was as smooth as possible. I was still in my cozy corner of the estate, feeling more and more overwhelmed by how everything was changing. Teresa had insisted on spending some time with me before we left. So, there I was, sitting in the living room with her, both of us in comfy chairs, knitting. Teresa was surprisingly skilled, and I’d started to enjoy these little sessions with her. She had a way of making me feel like everything was going to be okay, even when it felt like the world was spinning.“Miss Anna,” Teresa began, her needles clicking together with rhythm as she worked on a small baby sweater. “Knitting is like life, you know. You start with a knot, and it may not look like much at first, but with patience, it becomes something beautiful.”I raised an eyebrow, watching her expertly navigate the yarn. “You make it sound so philosophical

ANNA POV.There was a quiet kind of joy in waking up each morning to birdsong and the soft rustle of leaves outside our window. The kind of joy that settled deep into your bones, steady and calm. I hadn’t known I could feel this way again.Some mornings, I’d lie still in bed with my hands cradling the gentle curve of my belly, just listening—to the wind, to the distant hum of life beginning outside, to Jace’s steady breathing beside me.This was the life I’d once dreamed of, back when everything felt impossible. Back when loving Jace had meant choosing pain.But now? Now, loving him meant choosing peace.The sunlight through the kitchen window made everything glow golden as I moved around barefoot, still in my robe, brewing tea. My fingers grazed over the counter Jace had insisted we get—wide, smooth wood that smelled faintly of pine. Everything in this house had been chosen with care. For me. For us.He hadn’t just brought me to New Zealand—he’d brought me to safety.As I sat by th

ANNA POV.The pain was a constant, unbearable presence, but it wasn’t the physical agony that was the worst. It was the fear. The terror of the unknown. The feeling that, even though we were finally here, on the edge of everything I had ever dreamed of, I might not be able to make it. I was aware of Jace beside me, holding my hand with a grip so tight that it hurt, but it was a comfort too. His presence grounded me. He’d been here every step of the way, loving me, supporting me, even when I hadn’t known how to love myself. And now, as I lay in that sterile hospital bed, the reality of what was happening, of what was about to happen, sank in.We were having a baby.But it didn’t feel real. It felt like a dream, like something that was too big for me to fully grasp. The contractions came so fast, so hard, my body shaking with each wave of pain, and I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t focus, couldn’t stop feeling like I was drowning.And Jace. He was right there beside me, whispering words

JACE POV.The baby was asleep, nestled safely in the bassinet beside me. Anna had finally succumbed to the weight of exhaustion, her breathing slow and steady as she rested. And for the first time in what felt like ages, I let myself relax. But the tension that had been simmering beneath the surface all day hadn’t dissipated. The call I was about to make still lingered in my mind.I reached for my phone, my fingers lingering over the screen for a moment longer than I intended. I didn’t want to make this call. Not because I wasn’t proud of Nathan, not because I didn’t want to share the joy of his birth, but because I knew how it would go.And Teresa insisted. “Master Jace, you should at least tell them about Nathan.” It was the only reason I was calling. The call rang a few times before my mother answered, her voice clipped as always.“So you've decided to call after all these days Jace?”“Mom,” I said, trying to keep the bitterness from creeping into my voice. “Anna delivered yest

ANNA POV.Weeks later, Teresa came.I hadn’t realized how much I missed her until I saw her standing at the doorway of our little home in New Zealand, clutching a suitcase in one hand and a bag of groceries in the other, as if she'd stepped straight out of one of my memories. She looked around with curious eyes, then smiled like she’d just found her way back to something important. “You weren’t kidding about the view,” she said, stepping inside. “Mountains and sheep and fresh air—I think I’m going to start writing poetry.”I laughed, taking the groceries from her as Jace stepped in from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. “You say that every time you visit somewhere rural,” I teased.She shrugged, dropping her suitcase with a dramatic sigh. “One of these days, I’ll mean it.”Nathan let out a sleepy coo from the bassinet beside the couch. Teresa’s whole face softened as she walked over, crouching beside him like she was afraid he’d disappear if she blinked.“He’s even cuter tha