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h the sterile air of the delivery r
was a physical weight, pressing down on her bones, but the sound of her babies' cries
eight was surprisingly solid. A tiny, thumping heartbeat pulsed against her own exhausted one. A wave of
ou gave birth to a pair of adorable boy
to look at the two babies
e baby and cried out, "Where's Chloe Hayes
in and again, but
hloe's face turned eve
n really
l the child's biological father. So before
ital bed, completel
urse quickly too
VIP ward that Julian had promised her,
were also pregnant women lying in the other three beds.
ribs to watch their children, and there were also new dads holding thei
has he ever thought about the children at all? A se
her. She's unable to care for the baby on her own, and the nurse
n until she found Julian Sterling's name in the contacts. The sharp-looking bu
aky breath and pres
t was the cacophony of a party-loud music,
and impatient. "Chloe
She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the word
nd. Just long enough for a slive
ed. "Okay. Send the de
odious, echoed close to the receiver. It was a laugh she rec
oliteness that was worse than outright anger. "I hav
ne wen
at felt like it was drilling into her skull. Chloe's hand fell lim
re body. She curled onto her side, facing the wall, pressing her face into the thin pillow to muffl
A boisterous family spilled in, their happy chatter filling the small space
voices
woman said, her voice a stage whisper. "So piti
that Chloe Hayes? The one who m
conspiratorially. "The papers are saying Julian Sterling
too," the girl added. "This
ers. Chloe clamped her hands over her ears, but she couldn't block them out.
was pushing a clear, plastic bassinet towards her bed, the
e pushed herself up, her sore muscles
row, a serious little frown even in sleep. The girl ha
bitten and short, and gently stroked her dau
steel began to form where only rubble had been. She was no l
as a
ze, once filled with despair, now held a new, hard-edged resolve. F
sperate search for a friend, a lifeline. Her finger swiped past business contacts for the
le who were not her people. She had spent years trying to fit i
erly, compl
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