All Chapters of ONE WILD NIGHT : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Alex’s POVThe deal with Sandra Liu felt like victory. Not the kind built on old money or my father’s shadow, but one made with my own hands. She smiled as she signed the papers and told me my father would have ignored a small client like her. I told her that was why we were different. Walking out, I felt light for the first time in months. Then my phone rang, and everything heavy in my life rushed back in.Caroline did not waste time. She said she found Marcus Brennan. Alive. Hiding in Vermont with a fake identity. He worked with Michael Collins years ago. He knew Maya as a kid. She said maybe he would talk, but maybe only to Maya. I told her Maya was on bed rest. She said then I needed to go. She also warned me that people had been hunting Marcus for fifteen years. The call ended and pride faded into worry.When I got home, Maya sat on the couch with Jake. They were looking at old pictures her mom sent. Jake suddenly remembered a secret spot in their old garage. A hidden space in a

Alex’s POVThe business was growing faster than I expected.Word of mouth spread quietly at first — a bakery squeezed by chain stores, a small family law firm losing clients to corporate giants, a tiny tech startup drowning in “consultant” fees they couldn’t afford.Not big players. Not yet. But hungry. Desperate for someone who believed in them.Each contract brought in five hundred to two thousand dollars. Modest numbers. But together?Fifteen thousand dollars by the end of the third week.Maya stared at the spreadsheet from her fortress of medically-mandated bed rest, one hand absently rubbing her belly.“Fifteen thousand,” she breathed. “That’s nearly two months of rent. We’re actually doing this.”“Slowly,” I said. “But yes. It’s real.”I closed my laptop and sat beside her.“Martinez referred three new construction companies today. Sandra Liu’s firm wants an extended contract. If this keeps up, we’ll have a real pipeline.”“How long until we’re not just surviving?” Maya asked so

Maya’s POVThe morning after my blood pressure scare, I woke to Alex already dressed, laptop open at the kitchen table, phone pressed to his ear.“Yes, I understand the timeline,” he said quietly. “Two weeks for the initial assessment, then we can discuss ongoing support.” He paused, listening. “Perfect. I’ll send the contract today.”He hung up and noticed me standing in the doorway, one hand supporting my enormous belly.“New client?” I asked, settling carefully into a chair.“Roberto referred his cousin. Small landscaping company getting squeezed by corporate chains.” Alex smiled, but exhaustion lived behind his eyes. “Three hundred dollar consultation fee. Not much, but it adds up.”“How many clients now?”“Thirty-two. If we can hit forty by month’s end, we’ll be comfortable. Not thriving, but breathing.” He closed the laptop. “How are you feeling?”“Heavy. Tired. This baby needs to come out already.” I rubbed my belly where feet or elbows pressed uncomfortably against my ribs. “B

Maya’s POVThe contractions started at two AM, irregular but persistent enough to wake me.I lay still, timing them. Eight minutes apart. Then twelve. Then six. My body apparently couldn’t decide if it was ready or just practicing.“Not yet,” I whispered to my belly. “We need the insurance to clear first. We need money in the account. We need—”Another contraction cut off my thoughts. Stronger this time.By three AM, they were five minutes apart. I finally woke Alex.“Hospital or wait?” he asked immediately, already reaching for his phone.“I don’t know. They’re regular but not overwhelming.” I breathed through another one. “Maybe we wait an hour? See if they stop like last time?”“Your call. But if they get worse—”“Then we go. I know.”We sat in the dark, timing contractions, both of us silently calculating what another hospital visit would cost. Dr. Chen’s office visits were covered by insurance, but emergency room visits had a fifteen hundred dollar deductible we couldn’t afford.

​Maya’s POVMidnight.Ninety minutes after we agreed to release my father’s evidence to the Attorney General, it began.A sharp pain hit my lower belly, then another a few minutes later. Tight, strong, real.Not like the false alarms.Not like the practice contractions.Real.I grabbed the sheets and breathed hard.“Not now,” I whispered. “Please not now.”Alex sat up instantly. “What is it? Contractions?”I nodded, teeth clenched as another hit.Three minutes apart. Fast. Too fast.He didn’t hesitate.“Hospital. Now.”“We can’t,” I gasped. “Walsh is still sending the files. We have to—”Another wave of pain bent me in half. Breath gone. Words gone.Alex grabbed my shoes, my bag, his keys.“I don’t care if the world collapses tonight. We are going.”Walsh followed us in her car, laptop open on her knees even at red lights. Every second felt like fire inside my body. My vision blurred. My breathing turned to tiny gasps.When we reached Hartford General, nurses rushed us through the do