Chapter 250: The Drift Begins

Bella POVI set the phone back on the nightstand, turning over onto my side as the quietness of Sunday night finally closed in around me.The long, quiet night rolled into morning, the dark sky outside my window fading into a pale, watery blue. By eight o'clock, the familiar daytime hum of the high-risk ward started up again. Trays clattered down the hallway, nurses clicked past on the linoleum, and the bright morning sun cut across my white blankets.On Monday morning, a nurse tapped gently on the door frame and stepped inside, carrying a large glass vase filled with fresh white and pale yellow flowers."These just arrived for you at the front desk, Bella," she said, giving me a warm smile as she set the heavy glass down on the wide windowsill."Thank you," I murmured.She checked my IV line quickly and headed back out. I looked over at the windowsill. There was no note, but the simple, clean arrangement was exactly the same as last week.Olivier.Later that afternoon, I opened my m

Chapter 251: Paris

Caleb POVThe rain was coming down hard against the windshield of my SUV. I sat alone in the driver's seat in the hospital parking lot, the engine idling, staring up at the glowing windows of the high-risk ward. I had just walked out of Bella's room, but my feet felt heavy, like they were glued to the floor mats. I didn't want to put the car in drive.My phone buzzed against the center console. I picked it up, saw it was James, and swiped to answer, my voice dropping into a harsh register."James, cancel the flight," I said before he could speak. "I am not going to Paris. Call the Volkova team and tell them we are pushing the closing back a week.""Sir? What is wrong?" James sounded completely caught off guard over the line. "The private jet is fueled, and the gate closes in less than two hours. I have the papers ready. You have spent months on this acquisition, Mr. Black. It has four heritage properties, a private bank, and a fashion house stake. We cannot just push it back.""Bella

Chapter 252: Her Plan

Nadina pov I stumbled back to my seat, my knees shaking so badly I could barely keep my balance in my heels. I pulled at the low collar of my red silk dress, suddenly feeling cold, stripped bare under the harsh light of the room. Caleb did not even look at me. He just stood by the edge of the long table, clicking his pen, his face as hard as a stone wall.I reached for my glass, my fingers trembling so much the wine spilled over the rim and stained the white tablecloth. I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced my breathing to slow down. My mind was spinning, trying to figure out where I had miscalculated.How did he know?The thought beat against my skull. Bella's hospitalization was supposed to be a tight, iron-clad secret. She had vanished from public view, and her medical situation was kept completely under wraps to avoid any eyes on her or her children.But I had my own ways of finding things out. I had spent months tracking every detail of Caleb's life from across the Atla

Chapter 253: Her Flashback

Nadina pov My nipples tightened against my blouse, aching. The scent of his arousal mixed with the cedarwood and leather of the room, making my head spin. My mouth watered at the sight of his powerful body bare chest glistening with a light sheen of sweat, thighs spread wide, that monstrous cock in his grip.Caleb’s head snapped toward the open door. His stormy grey eyes locked onto mine. For a heartbeat he froze, hand still wrapped around his thick, glistening length. His jaw twitched. Another low, dangerous moan slipped out as his grip tightened visibly around his cock, almost defiantly.I backed away on trembling legs, the carpet soft beneath my heels, my soaked panties clinging obscenely to me. “I—I’m sorry,” I whispered, voice hoarse, before pulling the door almost closed behind me. The latch clicked softly.The memory faded, leaving me standing in the present-day hotel corridor, thighs still pressed together, body burning with the same shameful heat.I had spent countless ni

Chapter 254: Emergency

Bella POVIt was four in the morning when the blue light of my phone woke me. I rolled over on the narrow hospital bed, my hand reaching for the nightstand. The screen was flashing with a fresh notification from a celebrity gossip blog.The headline was loud, bold, and ugly.SPOTTED: BILLIONAIRE CALEB BLACK CAUGHT IN PARIS HOTEL ROOM WITH ACQUISITIONS DIRECTOR NADINA VOLKOVA.My fingers went cold as I tapped the link. The video loaded instantly. It was a close-up, shaky recording from inside a hotel suite. Nadina was there, her body pressed tight against his, wearing a thin, flimsy red silk dress. I watched as she wrapped her arms around his waist, pulled his neck down, and kissed him deeply. Caleb was right there, locked in the frame with her.A sharp, violent pain slammed into my lower stomach. I gasped, dropping the phone onto the hard linoleum floor. The device clattered against the ground, the video still looping in the dark room.I clutched my belly, my breath hitching as anothe

Chapter 255: At Last

Bella pov "How long until I can see him?" I asked, my voice trembling as the adrenaline started to drain from my system."Give us about an hour to get him settled in the NICU and get your vitals stable," the nurse by my head replied, gently smoothing my hair back. "The anesthesia is going to make you feel very cold and shaky in a few minutes. That is completely normal. Just close your eyes and let us take care of you."I nodded weakly, my eyelids suddenly feeling like lead. The bright lights overhead blurred into long streaks of white as they moved me from the operating table to a rolling gurney.The transition was a fog of warm blankets, passing hallways, and the rhythmic beeping of a new monitor. True to the nurse's word, a deep, violent shivering took over my body the moment I hit the recovery room. My teeth chattered so hard my jaw ached, and my muscles clamped tight as the surgical drugs began to wear off.A nurse stayed by my side the entire time, checking my blood pressure ev