Chapter 30
Eight Months Later
Y ulianna
It had been the longest eight months of my life, but the first three weeks were the worst. Every time Christov had touched me, I wanted to recoil in disgust. Keeping my hatred at bay was hard to conceal, but I’d never been so happy that Christov had a mistress. We got back from the worst honeymoon I ever could’ve had a nightmare about, and Christov announced that Alina was moving in with us. Thank God . I’d almost cheered.
Not that I’d wanted the conniving pair who wanted to kill me so close, but this meant he didn’t touch me after I confirmed I was having a baby. Apparently, Alina and I had a similar thought because she was pregnant as well. It had to have happened around the same time because she was due in a week or two. We’d managed to stay in separate wings of the house, and Vlad and Mylo took turns standing vigil at my door, but there was no escaping him being at the hospital with me today.
Luckily, my mother forced him out of the delivery room, and only she and Frida were allowed in with me.
“Ahhh,” I screamed as the doctor told me to push.
Flopping back against the bed, I was panting hard and dripping sweat. I was so tired. I didn’t even know there was this level of exhaustion.
“I can’t…I can’t push anymore,” I said as my head lolled to the side.
“You’re almost there. The baby is crowning,” the doctor said, and I whimpered. If Eddie was in the room right now, I might have punched him in the face. “As soon as you feel the contraction start, push as hard as you can.”
“You’ve got this, darling. Think of how strong you’ve been. This is nothing in comparison.”
“Mom…I can’t.”
She squeezed my hand tighter. “You can and you will. Your baby is coming, now get ready. Look into my eyes.”
I nodded at her firm tone.
I can do this. I can do this.
“Now push,” the doctor said.
I gripped my mother and Frida’s hands as a blood-curdling scream left my mouth. Only God knew where I got the strength, but a moment later, the pressure eased, and a loud cry filled the room.
“You did it,” Mom said, hugging me before letting Frida have her turn.
Smiling, I looked up at the two women with me, both of them bawling like it had been them on the bed.
“It’s a girl,” the doctor said.
He walked over and placed the baby on my chest. I’d never thought I could love someone as much as Eddie, but from one beat of my heart to the next, I loved this little soul we’d made with every fiber of my being.
“Oh my god, she’s beautiful,” I whispered, gently running my fingers over her coal-black hair, just like her father’s.
“Do you want me to tell Christov,” mother asked.
I really didn’t want him in here, but I nodded. She stepped out the door, and I prepared myself to face him.
“I’m so happy for you,” Frida said, smiling from ear to ear even as she cried. “What are you going to name her?”
“Lilya,” I said, kissing the top of her head.
Mom was back a minute later and Christov wasn’t with her.
“What happened?”
Mom shrugged. “He is a male without morals,” she said flatly, the disdain thick on her tongue. I just stared at her, and she sighed. “He said, ‘Figures that it would be a girl,’ and then he left.”
The nurses in the room tried to hide their disgust but failed miserably as they looked at one another.
“It’s fine, Mom.”
“It’s really not. He probably ran off to be with that slut he moved into your house. I cannot with him anymore,” she growled and paced from one side of the room to the other, swearing under her breath. “I’m speaking to your father.”
“Mom, we both know it won’t do any good. Come over here,” I said and held out my hand. Then I looked at the snoopy nurses. “Can we have some privacy, please? Just five minutes, and then you can do whatever you need.”
They scurried out the door, and I turned my attention to my mother, who was still visibly fuming.
“Look at your granddaughter,” I said softly, and as soon as her eyes fell on Lilya’s face, she smiled. “Her name is Lilya Ren Genovese.” I gave my mom’s hand a squeeze. “It’s just as well that he’s not here. I need you to get a hold of her birth certificate and make sure that Christov gets one with his last name, but her real one has Eddie’s last name. Then please keep it safe until I can give it to him. She can never legally bear that monster’s name, not ever.”
My mom leaned over and kissed my forehead.
“Consider it done. I’ll be back in a while, and in the meantime, I’m going to have you two moved to my retreat.”
“You have a retreat?”
“Please…how do you think I’ve managed to stand being married to your father for so long?”
I laughed as she left the room.
“Is there anything I can do,” Frida asked.
“Yes. I need you to keep a close eye on the nurses or anyone new who comes around.”
Frida’s eyes went wide. “Do you think they’ll hurt a baby?”
“I don’t trust anyone outside of my small inner circle, Frida, and you’re on that list. Please, I’m too exhausted to look out for Lilya right now. When they take her, don’t let her out of your sight. Take Mylo with you.”
“You have my word. We’ll keep her safe,” Frida said, just before the nurses came back in to take Lilya.
I wanted to call Eddie so badly. Let him know that we were alright and send him photos of our little girl. He’d been right about Lilya. Now, we just needed to hope that everything else went according to plan.
Edmundo
“Are you sure this is the right spot,” Marcus asked as he pulled onto the very off-the-beaten-path driveway.
The trees were thick, and the house sat half a mile off the road and right on the water. I had to admit that it was beautiful, but unlike my home, it didn’t have the same welcoming feel.
“We followed the directions, so it has to be,” I answered, looking at the small boat tied to a dock on the water.
“Feels like a setup to me.”
My two guards in the back seat sat up straighter with that comment.
“It’s not a setup. Everyone just stay calm.”
Vlad stepped outside when we neared the house and lifted his hand in greeting. He wasn’t the type to say much, but it was good to see his serious expression. It meant my girls were inside, and it was all clear.
“This is definitely the right spot,” I said and jumped out before the SUV stopped moving.
“Hold up….” Marcus started to say, but I slammed the door and was off, jogging for the house.
“Where are they,” I asked, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice.
“Follow me,” he said and motioned for me to step inside.
This was not what I expected. It was warm and inviting, with notes of stone and dark hardwoods that gave it a country cottage vibe despite the large size. I followed Vlad up the wooden stairs to a bedroom at the end of the hall. He knocked softly and waited for Ana to reply.
I grabbed his shoulder as he opened the door.
“Thank you for taking such good care of them.”
“It’s my honor,” Vlad said and then stepped aside.
Ana was sitting in a rocking chair, and her face lit up as soon as she saw me. My heart sputtered all over the place. I needed to grab the wall and take a moment to just soak in the sight of the two most gorgeous girls I’d ever seen.
“Come here, your daughter has been trying to stay awake to meet her papa.” Ana held out her hand.
My legs shook as I stripped my jacket and tossed it on an empty chair as I closed the distance. I was incapable of looking away from the little bundle in Ana’s arms. When I reached them, I kissed Ana’s forehead and stared down into the sweet face of my baby girl. Her eyes were barely open, but I could see the same grey that was a prominent color in my family.
“I…I…I can’t get the words out,” I said, my heart filling with so much love and happiness that the moment was consuming me. I was nothing special, and yet Ana and I had created this perfect little person together.
“Help me stand,” Ana said.
I slipped my hands under her arms and lifted her to her feet. She turned to look at me and I was lost, a complete deer-in-the-headlights.
“Sit down, and I’ll hand her to you,” Ana instructed and thank God she was able to think straight because my mind was blank.
Following her directions, I parked myself in the comfortable rocking chair.
“I’m scared I’ll hurt her.”
“Trust me, you’ll be fine. You’re a natural,” she said, giving me a reassuring smile. “Just make sure you hold her like this so you can support her head.” With that, Ana placed Lilya in my arms.
She was so small and fragile. Yet, even at five days old, I could see wisdom and strength in her stare. Lilya looked me in the eyes, and I was done. I’d die for her. If Vadin and Christov thought I was a thorn in their sides before, they hadn’t seen anything yet, because I needed to bring my real wife and my reginette home.
“Hi there, baby girl, I’m your papa. You’re so beautiful, just like your mother,” I whispered and touched her little hands in amazement. She opened her fist and gripped my finger. My body shuddered as tears I didn’t know I needed to shed slid down my cheeks.
Ana placed her hand on my shoulder. “We did it, Eddie. We really did it.”
“No, you did it. I hate that I couldn’t be here for you. It tears me up inside,” I said, looking up at my goddess as I held my little angel.
Ana cupped my face and kissed me, and it was like no time had passed as our lips touched. It was always like this between us.
“No, Eddie, we are a team no matter what.”
“No matter what,” I echoed against her lips.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I called her Lilya Ren Genovese. Ren is after my mother, Renata. Her name means reborn…I felt it was fitting.”
“It’s perfect. I love you, Ana, more than my next breath,” I said, and I loved how she smiled, lighting up the whole room.
“I love you more.”
I smirked.
“Impossible.”