The peace was shattered when a sharp contraction gripped Elliana. Her hands clenched, and she bit down hard, fighting through the pain. “It’s time,” she gasped. “Take me to the operating room.”
The medical team rushed into motion, wheeling her away in a blur of urgency.
The operating room sat on the third floor. The hospital was locked down tight, guarded by dozens of bodyguards on every level, with patrols circling the grounds outside.
Jason and Matthew stayed on alert, their attention unwavering. Outside, the storm had turned wild again. Rain hammered against the glass, thunder roared overhead, and lightning split the sky. The noise was deafening, drowning the world in chaos. Each flash of lightning lit the dark hillside in a cold, ghostly glow, sending chills through everyone who saw it.
The storm hammered down through the dead of night, turning the guards’ task into something nearly impossible. Rain blurred every surveillance camera scattered across the hospital grounds. Even the courtyard feeds showed nothing but ghostly, distorted shapes moving through the deluge.
If danger approached, they would have no warning. Their only option was to fortify the building where Elliana rested, waiting for a threat they couldn’t see until it reached their doorstep.
After a sharp, urgent discussion, Jason and Matthew chose to fortify from within. Matthew claimed the first floor as his domain. Jason stationed himself on the third.
Both understood what the night would bring. Their enemies were coming, and they would arrive in numbers. Whether Maxine’s forces or Miguel’s, the assault would test them brutally.
Outside, the guards sharpened their vigilance. Inside the delivery room, Elliana channeled every ounce of her strength into preparing for a safe birth. Paulina stayed close, a steady and reassuring presence at her side.
Elliana’s water had broken, but labor hadn’t begun. Now came the waiting.
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Elliana refused a cesarean section unless absolutely unavoidable. Anesthesia meant surrendering consciousness. If something went wrong while she lay unconscious, she would be defenseless. She couldn’t protect herself. She couldn’t protect her babies.
She committed herself to a natural delivery instead. That way, she would stay awake. Even if her body couldn’t move freely, if danger breached the room, she could still guide those around her and fight with her mind.
Once they settled Elliana in the operating room, she worked to steady her racing pulse and swallowed a specialized pill she had formulated herself. She hoped the medication would ease any signs of difficult labor and smooth the path for delivery. Her pharmaceutical knowledge was unmatched. After she took the pill, her condition began to stabilize. The medical staff exhaled in collective relief as they watched her vital signs level out across the monitors.
The delivery room had been soundproofed, transformed into a quiet refuge. Aside from the occasional distant growl of thunder, no other noise penetrated the space. As they waited in that hushed stillness, the medical team began to shed their earlier tension.
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