Chapter 81 Two Heartbeats
When Henry arrived at the hospital, his legs nearly buckled beneath him. The sterile white walls closed in around him, the scent of antiseptic stinging his nostrils. The hurried footsteps of nurses, the distant murmur of voices, the sharp fluorescent lights—it was all too much. But nothing, nothing compared to the moment he saw her.
Emilia lay there, small and impossibly still, her skin pale against the stark white sheets. Wires and tubes tethered her to life, the rhythmic beep of the monitors the only reassurance that she was still here, still fighting. But for how long?
His body gave out, collapsing into the chair beside her bed. He reached for her hand, cool and delicate in his grasp, and clutched it like a drowning man. His head bowed, forehead pressing against her knuckles, and the dam broke.
Apologies spilled from his lips, mingling with prayers, with desperate confessions he'd never dared say aloud. Hours stretched into eternity, his grip on her hand never loosening, his heart pounding in sync with the monitors keeping her alive.
Then... she stirred.
At first, it was just the faintest shift of fingers against his palm. A barely-there movement. But it was enough.
A haze of pain and exhaustion pressed down on Emilia, but through it, there was warmth. [This book is available exclusively and for free on Wattpad. If you find it anywhere else, it has been stolen. Please report any unauthorized copies.] A touch—familiar, desperate, and so heartbreakingly gentle. A hand wrapped around hers, trembling.
Henry.
Her lashes fluttered, the bright lights above her searing her vision. It took effort—so much effort—but she turned her head, her gaze finding him. And the sight of him nearly undid her.
Henry, always strong, always unshakable, was wrecked. His dark hair was a disheveled mess, his face gaunt, and his eyes—God, his eyes—were red-rimmed, filled with a depth of anguish that shattered her. He looked like a man who had fought a war and barely survived.
A ragged breath left him, his throat working as he tried to speak. "Em..." His voice was raw, shaking. "God, Em, you scared the hell out of me."
Tears welled in her eyes at the pain in his voice. She wanted to reach for him, to take away the torment carved into his features, but even the smallest movement drained her. Instead, she forced out a whisper. "Sorry."
A choked sound tore from his throat, half a laugh, half a sob. His grip on her hand tightened as he brought it to his lips, pressing frantic, trembling kisses against her bruised skin.
She swallowed past the lump in her throat, feeling the weight of everything unspoken between them. Henry had always protected her, always put himself between her and the dangers of the world. But this time, he hadn't been able to. And it was breaking him.
His shoulders shook, a deep, ragged breath tearing from him. "I love you," he choked out. "I love you so damn much, Emilia."
The words struck her like a tidal wave. She had always known, in the way he looked at her, in the way he shielded her without question. But hearing them now, in this moment, when everything felt so fragile—
A soft knock sounded, and the door creaked open. A doctor entered, her expression warm, reassuring.
Henry let out a shaky breath, nodding, but his fingers never left Emilia's, as if letting go would mean losing her all over again.
The doctor glanced between them with a kind smile. "That's especially good news for the baby—" She stopped abruptly, her eyes widening as the silence in the room became suffocating. Her hand lifted slightly as if she could catch the words and pull them back.
Henry's entire body tensed. "The—what?" His voice cracked on the word, eyes snapping up to meet the doctor's. His grip on Emilia's hand tightened as if needing to ground himself.
The doctor swallowed hard. "Oh... you didn't know."
Emilia's breath hitched, a flicker of something sharp twisting inside her. The room tilted, and suddenly, everything made sense—why she had felt so exhausted lately, why certain smells had turned her stomach, why there had been an unfamiliar heaviness settling deep in her bones.
Pregnant.
A strange mix of awe and fear surged through her, crashing over her like a tidal wave. She had thought she knew her body, had thought she understood every inch of herself. But all this time, she had been carrying something so precious, so fragile.
Her fingers trembled as they drifted toward her abdomen. "I... I didn't know," she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks.
Henry's breath came in sharp, uneven bursts. His free hand scrubbed down his face, chest rising and falling as if he were trying to pull air into lungs that wouldn't cooperate. "You mean—she's—" His voice failed him, breaking into stunned silence before a breathless, disbelieving laugh escaped him. "We're... having a baby?"
The way he said it—like the words were both the most terrifying and most precious thing he had ever spoken—sent a fresh wave of emotion crashing through Emilia.
Henry exhaled shakily before pressing a hand over hers, resting over the place where their child now grew. Slowly, his lips curled into something between a sob and the most beautiful smile she had ever seen.
Tears welled in Emilia's eyes as a sob wracked through her. Henry leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers, their tears mingling in the space between them.
And in that moment, as the reality of their future settled around them, the world tilted on its axis. It wasn't just the two of them anymore.
A new heartbeat joined theirs—a fragile, beautiful promise of everything yet to come.
Henry took a shaky breath and pulled back slightly, his eyes never leaving Emilia's. "We're going to do this together. Every step of the way."
Emilia let out a watery laugh, her fingers lacing with his. "Together."
But just beyond that fragile hope, a storm loomed.
Because Zoey was still out there.
And Henry knew, with bone-deep certainty, that she wouldn't stop until she finished what she had started.
He pressed one more kiss to Emilia's forehead before stepping away. "I need to talk to my family," he said, his voice steadier now. "I'll send my mom in."
Emilia nodded, but something flickered in her expression—something wary, something afraid. And Henry understood why.
Because now, more than ever, they had everything to lose.
As he left the room, his mind was already turning. They needed to act. Now.
Zoey had almost taken Emilia from him. Had almost taken their child.
He clenched his jaw, a slow-burning resolve settling in his chest.
She wouldn't get another chance.
As Henry stepped into the hallway, his mother's worried gaze met his, but before he could say a word, something darker pressed at the edges of his thoughts. Vincent's findings. The things he had learned, the pieces of a puzzle that painted a far more dangerous picture than he'd realized.
His jaw tightened. Not now. Right now, Emilia—and their child—came first. He forced himself to take a steady breath, shoving the weight of the truth to the back of his mind. There would be time to deal with it. But not much.
With one last glance at the door, he braced himself and turned to his parents.