Epilogue
Dominic:
Nine months later:
I built an empire before I met her. I made billions, shaped skylines, and crushed anyone who got in my way. But none of it has ever mattered to me the way she does.
And now she’s in pain, and I can’t fucking stand it.
Evie grips my hand like a vice as another contraction tears through her. Her face twists, her breaths come sharp and uneven, and I swear I feel every ounce of her agony like it’s my own.
“Make it stop,” I growl at the doctor, barely keeping my fury in check. “She’s in pain. Do something.”
The doctor doesn’t even look fazed by my demand. “She’s progressing well, Mr. Vance. This is entirely normal.”
Normal? Watching my wife suffer is not normal. I’ve achieved everything I’ve ever set my mind to in life, and yet I’m powerless to do anything but hold her hand while she’s in excruciating pain.
Evie turns her head, her sweat-dampened hair clinging to her forehead, and gives me the softest smile. It guts me. Even now, she’s the one trying to reassure me.
“I’m okay,” she whispers, squeezing my hand. “I promise.”
I shake my head, pressing my lips to her knuckles. No, she won’t be okay until our baby is in her arms and this is over.
I’ve never been the kind of man to wait for something I want.
That’s why I married her just weeks after I met her.
The moment she let me claim her, I knew I’d never let her go.
We built a life together, an empire together - one that has grown far beyond what I ever envisioned, all because she’s by my side.
But none of it means shit if she’s hurting.
Another contraction hits, and Evie cries out, her nails digging into my skin. I bite back a curse and glare at the doctor. “Fix this.”
The nurse murmurs something reassuring, but I don’t hear it. All I can focus on is Evie. Her strength, her determination, the way she fights through the pain with nothing but raw courage. She’s always been the strongest person I’ve ever known.
And now, she’s giving me the greatest gift of my life.
A sudden flurry of activity pulls me from my thoughts. The doctor’s voice sharpens. “It’s time to push.”
I tighten my grip on Evie’s hand. “You can do this, doll. I’m right here.”
She nods, eyes locked onto mine as she bears down, her body trembling. Minutes stretch into eternity as I watch her fight, my fierce beautiful wife giving everything she has.
And then finally, a cry pierces the air.
My chest clenches as I stare at the tiny, wriggling miracle in the doctor’s hands.
A daughter. Our daughter.
I don’t realize I’m shaking until the doctor places her in Evie’s arms, and she lets out a soft, exhausted laugh. “Dominic,” she whispers. “Look.”
I do. And I’m ruined.
Our little girl is perfect. Tiny fingers, a rosebud mouth, soft blonde hair like her mother’s. She lets out another wail, and something inside me shatters completely.
Evie watches me, a knowing look in her tired, beautiful eyes. “She’s got you wrapped around her finger already.”
She has no idea.
I reach out, running a reverent fingertip over our daughter’s impossibly soft cheek. “You’ll never want for anything,” I murmur, my voice thick. “No one will ever hurt you. I swear it.”
Evie smiles through her exhaustion, looking at the little bundle in her arms with pure love. “She’s lucky to have you.”
I shake my head, pressing a kiss to my wife’s damp forehead. “No, I’m the lucky one.”
Because I’ve spent my entire life building things, but nothing I’ve created will ever compare to this.
My wife. My daughter. My entire world.
Thank you for reading!