Chapter 32%
5 months later.”
I was in a private wing of Arrows Hospital, where the marble floors gleamed and shadows of nurses and doctors passed beneath the dim chandelier lights. A storm raged outside, rain lashing against the glass windows but all I could hear was the racing beat of my own heart. and the rhythmic scream of contractions.
Sweat soaked my hair, my breath came in ragged gasps as I clutched Killian’s hand like it was my lifeline. My other arm gripped the cool metal bed rail.
“You are doing so well darling just relax.” Killian whispered again and again, pressing kisses to my temple, brushing back strands of damp hair. His voice trembled, jaw clenched, but his eyes remained on me like I was his entire world.
A blinding surge of pain made me cry out, my voice raw, Nurses rushed to the bed. My doctor guided me through it.
“One more push. Athena! You are so close!”
I screamed again, my body arching, tears spilling down my cheeks not just from agony but something deeper. From all that i had endured. All that I had become.
And then it happened.
A sweet cry that was even better than not mine.”
The piercing, beautiful sound of life.
The room shifted. The world tilted. I collapsed back on the pillows, sobbing as they placed the baby in my arms.
fle was tiny, warm, wrapped in soft white cloth, his skin flushed pink. He blinked up at me with unfocused eyes. A wail left his lips again and I smiled through my tears.
Killian knelt at my bedside, brushing a kiss to both our foreheads.
“A son” he said, awe in his voice. “He is perfect.”
For a moment, everything else faded. The past, the pain, the betrayals. They did not matter. Because in that hospital room, with rain falling beyond the glass, I held my future
Hours later, the storm passed and dawn filtered into the room.
Our son lay swaddled in a sea of white, tucked safely beside me in a bassinet designed by one of Italy’s top artisans. Killian sat at the edge of the bed, his fingers stroking mine.
“He looks like you.” I whispered.8
Killian smiled softly. “No. He has your stubborn chin.”8
There was laughter. Soft, disbelieving laughter. My lips brushed our child’s tiny hand, and he curled his fingers around mine.
A nurse stepped in, bowing slightly. “Mr. Arrows, the media is outside. They have caught wind of the birth. Should I release the official statement?”
Killian glanced at me.
I nodded. “Tell them, the Arrows heir is born healthy. But no photos. Not yet i
He squeezed my hand. “Thank you for giving me a family, Athena”
i turned to him, resting my forehead against his. “Thank you… for giving me a life worth living.
The child stimed, letting dut a soft sound that made both of us lean closer, instinctively protective.
“Can we name hirm?” Killian asked, brushing a kiss along my jaw.
“Yes.” I smiled. “We name him Michael:
Killian’s breath hitched. “Michael… a name fit for an angel.”K
He bent forward, resting a hand gently on our son’s head.
“I swear, little one, nothing in this world will ever touch you, I will burn the world to keep you safe.”!! And I believed him.
Because we were no longer just Athena and Killian.
We were a family.
And the war had only just begun.
