The Heir Contract

"Please, God, let me live. Let them live." Calla whispered to herself just as the surgical team took over.

They worked carefully while she lay still with her eyes fixed above her. She couldn't feel anything in her lower abdomen, all thanks to the epidural anesthesia. But suddenly, two cries pierced the air.

Tears slipped down her cheeks as her heart swelled with joy and sheer relief. It was successful! The surgery was successful, despite the numbness in her body.

With her chest rising and falling weakly, she watched the nurses tend to the two small bundles lying under the lights. Her babies. Hers. And Norman's. Even in her fatigue, the thought made her lips curve into a tiny smile.

Unfortunately, he hadn't been by her side through the pregnancy, not for a single moment. He hadn't been there during the vomiting, the loneliness, the nights she cried into her pillow. But none of that mattered now.

He would be proud. He'd see them, these perfect, tiny lives and he'd love her. Because this... this was proof she had always belonged to him.

Calla blinked and the lights above her blurred again as exhaustion pulled at her limbs. She turned her face toward the glass incubators, searching for their little faces.

But suddenly... something felt off.

The nurses had grown tense, including their movements which seemed rushed and quickened like they were in the middle of an emergency. Calla's weak smile faded.

One of the nurses reached for an equipment in a flurry and another held something up to the light. A monitor also began to beep frantically and that was when she saw it. One of the babies, her baby, was limp. His tiny body wasn't moving no matter what they did.

Panic gripped her at once.

"W...What's happening?" She asked hoarsely and tried to sit up, but no one responded.

No one even looked her way. They were all bent over the baby, calling names, switching tools, and working as fast as possible.

"What's happening to my baby?!" Calla asked, raising her voice this time.

But still, she got nothing.

Pushing against the bedrails, she forced herself upright as her muscles screamed in protest. The pain in her abdomen was unbearable, but she swung her legs over the side of the bed, determined to get to her baby.

But then, she slipped.

Her knees buckled and her body hit the floor with a thud. That finally caught the nurses' attention as they turned at once. Two of them then rushed over to carry her up.

"No...no! Let me go!" Calla sobbed. "Please...please let me hold them!"

She thrashed as best as her body would allow, reaching for the bassinets, but they held her back. "My baby... please... give him to me!"

"Miss Calla, please lie down..."

"No! I want my baby! I want to hold him... he needs me!"

They didn't respond and refused to let her go, despite her pleas. Just then, she saw one of the nurses approaching with a syringe.

"No," She whimpered, backing against the hospital bed. "Don't. Please... please don't..."

But it fell on deaf ears.

A firm hand pinned her arm down and another one gripped her wrist as the nurse finally got to where she was. "You need to rest now, Miss Calla."

With that, the needle pierced her skin.

"We need to get her stable, she's losing a lot of blood." Dr. Hansen said urgently as the medical team began working frantically around her.

"No... no... my baby..."

Calla's words slurred as the sedative hit her bloodstream. Her vision smeared, turning the fluorescent ceiling into watercolors and her limbs into lead.

Her cries softened into whimpers.

"Norman..."

"Norman, please... help me..."

Everything spun and blurred, then went dark.

****

A FEW HOURS LATER•••

Calla moved like a ghost and settled slowly into the farthest chair, away from the two women who glared at her like she had committed a crime. If eyes could kill, she would've been dead the moment she stepped into the office.

Sensing the tension in the room, the doctor glanced between the women, then at Calla, before clearing his throat.

"Your delivery was... complicated, just as we anticipated" He began gently. "But, physically, you pulled through. However, just as we discussed before the surgery, there were complications. After the twins were delivered, we encountered severe bleeding, which led to hemorrhagic shock."

Calla stared at him in shock, but he continued.

"To control the bleeding, we performed an emergency procedure to remove part of your reproductive system. You're going to be okay, but you'll need some time to recover."

"I can't have children again," Calla said more to herself, but everyone in the room heard it.

"I'm afraid not." The doctor replied with a sigh. "Your body can no longer support a pregnancy in the same way as before."

For a moment, she didn't react. Then she smiled faintly. "That's okay, I did it for Norman. I was prepared."

When she didn't get any response, she wiped the smile off her face and asked. "But they're healthy, right? My babies... Can I hold them now?"

She looked eagerly toward Norman's mother, Mrs Lena, expecting a softening, a kind word, or anything. But instead, there was a pause, followed by cold silence. She was cradling a small bundle in her arms, a sleeping baby wrapped in blue.

Her baby.

One of the twins.

Her smile faltered.

She turned back to the doctor, who was now looking down at his hands. No...no...no. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. Why wasn't anyone answering?

"Doctor...? Where's the other baby?"

"You have one healthy baby" The Doctor replied, his expression turning somber. "Unfortunately, we did everything we could to save both babies, but... I'm sorry."

The words felt like steel through her chest.

"The other twin did not survive." The Doctor continued softly. "He went into cardiac arrest minutes later, and didn't respond to resuscitation."

Calla stared blankly as her heart shattered into a million pieces. Her baby did not survive... "No...no, that's not possible. I heard him... I heard him cry, I heard his little voice. They were both..."

"Don't sit there and act like you didn't have a hand in this." Mrs Lena cut in coldly. "You killed him. You destroyed him before he ever had a chance to see the world his father built for him"

The words hit like a blade and Calla's breath caught in her throat. She opened her mouth to speak, to yell, to defend herself, but no sound came.

"No... no, that's not possible. I would never kill my own child... I did everything..."

"It wasn't enough!" Delaney, Norman's sister spat angrily. "You should've done more than risking your life. You should've protected our family's bloodline, you should've given your worthless life in place of his."

"You should be grateful one lived," Mrs Lena snapped. "But of course, you had to ruin even that."

Calla turned to look at them in disbelief. "I risked my life... I almost died for them..."

"But still, you couldn't even do that properly. You couldn't even do what you were paid to do. You were given everything. A roof, a luxury your miserable life could never afford, a chance, and you ruined it. You couldn't even do this one thing right."

"I didn't do it to get paid," Calla cried out. "I did it for Norman. I did it because I love..."

"Don't you ever speak my son's name again. You think love matters in this world? You think love makes you worthy to bear his child? You were nothing but an orphan, a charity case, a womb to be used and discarded. You destroyed everything! And now you expect what? A sympathy? A fûcking thank you?"

Calla's lips trembled as her heart broke further. Was that all she meant to them? To Norman? Is that why he never showed up during the pregnancy and stayed away?

"I... please, let me see them," Calla pleaded as her voice shook violently. "I... I just want to hold them, just for a moment..."

"No," Both mother and daughter said at once.

"You don't deserve that, you've done enough already." Delaney shot back. "You don't even deserve the one who lives."

"Take her back to her room," Mrs Lena told the Doctor and stood slowly, tightening the blanket around the baby. "She's no longer needed here. We'll handle the rest."

As they began to leave, Calla stood up immediately. "You can't take him from me."

"Oh, sweetheart, he was never yours. You were just a vessel, that's all. And now that you're no longer needed... your job is done."

Hot tears blurred Calla's vision as she stumbled forward, following Mrs Lena and Delaney down the hallway. One child was gone and the other was taken away from her. They wouldn't even let her see him.

And Norman... Where was he?

"Please... please! Let me see him! I need to hold my baby!"

But the women didn't stop. They didn't even look back. When they reached the door, two men in black suits stepped in front of Calla to block her path.

"Stop,"

Calla pulled at their sleeves, still moving forward. "Let me see him! Please, he's my son!"

They tried to hold her back, but she shoved and screamed and cried. Finally, Mrs Lena paused and turned to glare hard at her. The girl was grating on her very last nerve and she wanted nothing more than to get rid of her.

"You want to hold the child so badly?" With a signal, she gestured to the doctor. "I'll give you a minute."

The Doctor stepped forward and everybody followed him into a nearby ward, including Calla. With hope flaring in her chest, she watched as the doctor moved to a small, private nursery room. He lifted a baby wrapped in a blanket and placed him gently in Calla's arms.

"My baby..." Calla half-smiled through her tears as she cradled the infant against her chest and rocked him.

"Everything is alright, you're safe," She whispered, stroking his cheek. But then, she noticed the baby wasn't moving. He was cold and looked pale and... "He...he's not breathing."

Mrs Lena rolled her eyes, "Because he's the dead one, dûmbass. And that's what you get to hold."

A gasp escaped Calla lips as she sank to her knees, clutching his still body to her chest. She sobbed so hard, she couldn't breathe.

"No... my baby... my sweet little boy..." She whispered, rocking him gently. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

She repeated it quietly, again and again, while trembling. Finally, a nurse stepped forward to take the still infant from her arms. Left alone with the two women who did nothing, but glare at her, Calla forced herself to stand.

"Please... please, give me the second child. Please..."

"You really think you deserve that privilege?" Delaney asked, her voice dripping with contempt. "After costing us a future heir?"

Mrs Lena, already fed up with the whole drama, held up an envelope. Calla could only watch with disbelief and grief as she opened the envelope and pulled out a cheque.

"Norman wrote you this. $500,000, half a million dollars..." Mrs Lena said, holding it up between her perfectly manicured fingers. "You don't deserve it."

Before Calla could even speak, she tore the cheque in half. Then in quarters. She then let the pieces fall to the floor, like discarded confetti after a funeral.

"You think just because you survived childbirth, we owe you something?" Mrs Lena asked and stepped closer "You killed one of our heirs. You cost this family more than money can cover."

Calla was speechless. Her hands clenched at her sides as she was suddenly filled with anger. How could they blame her for something that was beyond her control? And how could they be so heartless?

Delaney, standing beside her mother, folded her arms and added coldly, "We should've never trusted someone like you. A nameless orphan. I always knew you were going to ruin something."

"You were nothing before my son gave you a purpose. And now, you're less than nothing." She then turned to the two bodyguards, "Get rid of her. And make sure she's silent forever."

The men in black suits roughly gripped Calla by the arms, dragging her out of the hospital like she was nothing but trash. Her knees scraped the tiled floors as she cried out and pleaded with them to let go of her, but they didn't stop.

One of them yanked the hospital blanket tighter around her thin body to hide her in public, and then they shoved her into the backseat of a black car.

As the car sped off into the night, Calla sat hunched in the corner with her arms wrapped around herself. She was too weak to make a sound and trembled, partly from the cold and mostly from the pain. All she could do was press her forehead to the window as she watched the world blur past.

She could still feel the ghost of her child's weight in her arms, the stillness, lifelessness, and the cold skin. That was the only time she'd ever hold him.

She squeezed her eyes shut as tears poured down. Her heart felt hollow and her chest ached like something had been carved out of it with a jagged knife.

She'll never have another child...

She wasn't even allowed to say goodbye...

After what felt like an hour, the car slowed to a stop in a dark, narrow, and empty street. Before Calla could process where she was or what was happening, one of the men opened the door and yanked her out. Her bare feet hit the cold, wet floor and she stumbled, nearly falling.

"W...wait! Please!" She begged when she realized what they were about to do. "Don't leave me here. I... I can't walk... please..."

But the men only pushed her forward. One of them shoved her hard. "If you know what's best for you, you better disappear and never come back."

Calla tried to fight, but she was too weak. Her body throbbed in protest and she could feel the warmth of her blood leaking again down her legs. The healing stitches had torn too soon.

"Please, I have nowhere to go... I have no one..." But then, they shoved her again and she fell hard.

The impact knocked the breath out of her lungs as pain tore through her side. Her face hit the cold, wet ground and dirty water splashed against her lips. She coughed, gasped for air, and cried out, but the men were already gone. They had returned to the car and sped off without looking back.

Calla lay there, curled up under the dark sky and shivering. Her wet hospital gown clung to her like a second skin and her hair was plastered to her face.

But in her mind... there was only one thing she held on to. That moment, that one, beautiful moment when she held her baby. Even if just for a minute, even if he was already gone.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, my love..." She whispered, choking on the rain and her tears. "I would've given everything to keep you alive."

The rain soaked her thoroughly, turning her skin pale. She had lost a lot of blood and could feel herself slipping away, but then, bright and blinding headlights cut through the rain and shone directly on her.

Had the men returned to finish her off completely? Calla wondered and tried to move her body, but could barely lift her head or open her eyes.

The next thing she heard was footsteps and then, a deep voice. "Miss? Are you alright?"

Calla didn't reply. She couldn't even cry anymore.

The stranger knelt beside her and lifted her gently. He draped his coat over her shoulders and touched her face, trying to keep her awake.

"Stay with me, I've got you."

"Sir..." She heard another voice. "Do you need me to call the ambulance?"

"H...hospital," Calla gasped. "My baby... please, they... they have him..."

"She has a baby," The second voice said again. "What do we do, Sir?"

"We take her home"

That was the last thing Calla heard before everything blurred. She felt strong arms around her, lifting her as if she weighed nothing.

And then... darkness.

****

THE VOSS ESTATE~

Julian Voss hated long dinners.

They were a waste of time with meaningless chatter, fake smiles, and wine that cost more than the monthly rent of some entire neighborhoods. He preferred deals closed in numbers, not over champagne and business cards.

So, tonight, he left early.

It was raining. The kind of heavy rain that blurred everything and made the night feel colder than it actually was. Just as his car glided down the empty road, near the industrial district, he saw them. Two men in suits, stepping out of a black SUV and dragging a figure from the backseat.

A woman.

He immediately ordered his driver, Darryl to stop the car after the men had sped off. He didn't need to chase them. He already had their license plate-ABC-47T6 which he had memorized in seconds.

By the time they arrived at the estate, Calla was still unconscious, but Julian's private physician, Dr. Daines, was already waiting with two nurses. They had converted one of his guest wings into a medical suite.

As they worked, Julian leaned against the wall at the far end of the room, watching carefully. His dark hair was still wet from the rain and the sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up.

After a few tension-filled minutes, the doctor straightened. "She's in postpartum bleed. She just gave birth, but whoever handled it, did it wrong. Also, she's not properly stitched and has lost a lot of blood. Nearly three liters."

Julian remained silent with his arms crossed. He couldn't help, but wonder what she could've done to deserve this-being thrown out like trash and left to die.

"She's lucky you found her when you did. Another hour in the cold and she might not have made it."

One of the nurses turned to Julian. "We need fresh clothes. And she's going to need a transfusion immediately."

Without taking his eyes off Calla's pale form, Julian spoke to Darryl who was standing nearby. "Get her anything she needs. Blankets, clothes, vitamins, everything. No one gets into this room unless I say so."

"Yes, Sir"

Julian walked into his private study on the left wing, where screens lined the walls and computers ran silently. As the founder and owner of one of the world's leading technology conglomerates, he had developed a hacking and tracking system that garnered significant attention and recognition around the world.

"License plate, ABC-47T6." He said to the systems as though he was speaking to another person in the room. "Trace it. I want the car, the ownership history, the driver, and every connection it has. Use the black system."

The 'Black system' was his private network. A highly illegal, custom-designed web of surveillance tools, decryption software, and real-time tracking that could hack into almost anything: city traffic cams, medical records, offshore accounts... anything.

Within seconds, the screens lit up.

The plate belonged to a vehicle registered to a shell company, one that funneled money through a trail of fake addresses and non-existent owners.

Julian smirked.

He had dealt with this type of people in the past and knew all their tactics at the back of his hands. They thought they could cover their tracks? It was high time they learned no one could hide from Julian Voss.

"Find the last ten people who used that car. Match their faces and trace where they came from before tonight."

The system buzzed in response, piecing together security footage, phone logs, traffic feeds, and hotel entries, just as it had been told to do.

*****

Later that night, Darryl entered his office where he stayed up to finish some work. "We tracked the car. It was parked earlier today at a private hospital, Blackthorne Medical."

"And?"

"The owners of the shell company trace back to... King Holdings."

Julian leaned back on his seat and looked up at him. King Holdings was one of the largest old-money conglomerates in the country. Politically protected, ruthless in business, and unshakable. He had never cared about their business, but was familiar with the head of King's empire, Norman King.

That son of a bîtch.

"Pull their board, I want everything," Julian said, returning to his computer. "And find out all the people that were discharged from Blackthorne Medical today."

•••SIX DAYS LATER~

{AT THE GUEST WING}

The room was quiet.

Sunlight spilled in through the curtains and somewhere, far off, a piano played softly. The bed was large and comfortable, the pillows were soft, and the sheets smelled like flowers. But Calla didn't register any of it.

She stared at the ceiling for a long moment, not knowing where she was, but she knew she wasn't in that cage called a room anymore. Her throat was dry, her body ached in different places, and there was a strange emptiness inside her-one she couldn't explain yet.

Until it hit her.

Her babies.

Her eyes widened as she shot up from the bed, only to fall back with a painful cry. Her abdomen felt like it had been ripped open and her arms started to tremble.

"Where... where are they?" She whispered as panic rose in her chest. "My babies..."

A nurse rushed in, followed by another.

"Careful, Miss," One of them said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Calla screamed, slapping the hand away. "Where are my children? Let me see them! Where... where are they?!"

She tried to get up again, ignoring the burning pain in her lower body, but she could barely breathe. What was happening? Who were these people? And where was she? She wondered as her heart started racing.

"I want my babies!" She sobbed, crawling to the edge of the bed. "Give them back to me! Please..."

The nurses gently held her arms. "You need rest. You were very sick, but you're okay and safe now. You've been unconscious for six days..."

Calla froze.

"Six... six days? How? Where am I?"

She noticed how the nurses nervously glanced at the doorway and turned to see a tall, unfamiliar man standing at the far end of the room with both hands in his pockets. He was quiet with an unreadable expression and was dressed in a neatly pressed dark suit.

"Who are you?" Calla finally asked, but he didn't answer right away. Instead, he nodded to the doctor, who stepped forward.

"This is Mr. Julian Voss. He's the one who brought you here. You were found by the roadside, barefoot, bleeding, and in the rain."

Calla blinked, confused.

The roadside? The last thing she remembered was going into labor and... Suddenly, everything came crashing back like shattered glass. The labor, the pain, the operation, the coldness in Mrs Lena's voice, the slap from Delaney, the lifeless baby in her arms, the men, the rain, and then darkness.

She pressed her hand to her mouth as her body shook from the fresh wave of grief that tore through her.

"Where's my baby?" She asked again, but this time her voice was different. Hollow, pained.

No one answered.

She then turned to Julian. "Did you... Did you find a baby with me?"

He shook his head once and that was all it took for her to break down once again. The nurses tried to calm her, but nothing they did could stop the sobs that wracked through her or the pain inside her heart.

"I did everything," She whispered. "I carried them and almost died... for him."

Norman King.

She didn't have to say his name, she didn't want to because his name now burned like poison in her mouth. All the nights she had whispered his name to the babies inside her, all the dreams she had... of him waiting in the hallway, holding flowers, smiling when he saw his children...

Lies. All of it.

She wiped at her tears but they wouldn't stop coming. They had stolen everything. Her body, her child, her worth, everything. They had used her like she was nothing and then left her to die like garbage on the side of the road.

But she wasn't done.

Not even close.

She might be broken now, but she would rise again. And when she did... she would burn every last one of them to ash.

"You thought I was disposable," She whispered in her mind. "But I will haunt you and hunt you. I will make you choke on every lie, every bruise, and every scream you forced into my throat."

They would never see her coming.

And when they did, it would be too late.

"Even if it takes the last breath in my lungs and the last drop of blood in my body... I will make you all pay. I swear it."

****

Mrs Lena stepped out of the quiet nursery where the nurses and maids were tending to the baby. Just outside the door, she paused and looked up at the men who were waiting.

"Well...?" She asked impatiently and walked ahead of them while they followed closely behind her.

The men exchanged a glance, knowing exactly what she meant, including the answers she was expecting. "Still no positive result, Ma'am,"

Once again, her heart started racing.

It had been a full month since they had dumped Calla by the roadside. But, despite that, the girl still lingered in her thoughts like a thorn deep under her skin.

After ordering the men to get rid of her, Mrs Lena had demanded a thorough search to find out what happened next. She was angry at them, furious even, for not completing the job properly. They were supposed to watch and be sure Calla never returned. But instead, they had simply dumped her and left the scene, leaving loose ends.

The very next morning, they checked the area, asked around, and questioned the neighbors. But no one seemed to have seen or heard anything.

Taking a deep breath, Mrs Lena pressed her lips into a thin line. She tried to wrap her mind around it, how Calla could've disappeared so completely without a trace. The girl had no friends, no family, no money, and certainly no place to hide.

Where could she have vanished?

Did someone pick her up? Road services or even a good Samaritan? Mrs Lena had even made a few calls herself, but no one knew a thing. Now, the silence was unsettling.

This wasn't just about Calla disappearing.

It was the risk that she might come back stronger with the right amount of help. She knew too much and could turn their world upside down. That's why Mrs Lena's anger and frustration burned even hotter.

If Calla ever found the right allies, they could destroy everything she had worked for: the family name, Norman's reputation, the control she held over her son's life and legacy...

Mrs Lena suddenly stopped walking and let out a frustrated sigh. She then placed one hand on her forehead, and the other on her waist, trying to steady herself.

"Goddammit," She muttered under her breath. " "That stupid girl continues to drain me."

One of the men cleared his throat and said quietly, "I think she vanished for good."

"Or she probably ended up dead,"

For a moment, Mrs Lena was relieved at those words, but the feeling didn't last long. A knot of unease tightened in her stomach and she wondered. What if she wasn't dead?

"I'm not going to conclude the situation based on what you fools think," She said sharply and waved her hand dismissively. "Get out of my sight. And make sure you return with something useful."

The two men bowed their heads slightly and turned to leave without another word.

Now left alone, Mrs Lena stood for a moment, then, with a deep breath, she turned and headed toward the dining room. Just as she rounded the corner, her steps faltered.

There, standing in front of her, was Norman. She had not expected him to be back so soon and her heart thudded as she looked up at him.

"Mother!" He called out, snapping her from her shocked state.

"Oh... Norman..." She replied, forcing a light smile and smoothing her expression.

"Are you alright?"

She gave a soft chuckle and waved a dismissive hand. "I'm doing just fine."

"But you don't look like it."

She bristled at the look he gave her-the all-knowing look that always revealed he could see straight through her. "What can I say? I'm growing old. But at least, I now have a grandson."

At the mention of her grandson, his attention snapped toward the nearby hallway. He had spotted the men walking away as he entered and now, he was curious.

"Are they alright? Can I see them?"

"Of course," Mrs Lena answered and turned toward the nursery. "This way."

INSIDE THE NURSERY•••

"Here, come look," Mrs Lena said, guiding him to one crib where a baby lay sleeping peacefully. "He looks just like you"

Without a word, he moved closer and studied the child's features. Indeed, he looked just like him. Reaching out, he gently brushed the baby's cheek and smiled.

He then moved on to the next crib, but it was empty. "Where is the other one?"

Mrs Lena paused, steadying herself. Then, she took in a deep breath and clutched her chest. "I didn't want to tell you over the phone... but we lost one of the babies."

Norman immediately turned to face her as different emotions flickered across his face: shock, anger, sorrow. Knowing she had to explain, Mrs Lena began to speak with a trembling voice.

"It was all her fault. That stupid, godforsaken girl. After all we did for her, she couldn't even give us both babies back. She ruined everything, just as I knew she would." Tears welled up in her eyes and she gently dabbed at them with a tissue. "She's so ungrateful. We gave her shelter, a roof over her head, and everything she ever needed, everything. We treated her as family, despite her being an orphan and coming from nowhere. But she failed us."

Norman remained silent, his jaw twitching with restraint. But Mrs Lena wasn't done. She took another deep, dramatic breath and continued.

"She killed your son, she cost us a future heir." She paused and shook her head. "I always knew she was capable of nothing, Norman."

Norman didn't speak for a long moment. He just stood still with his fists clenched at his sides while watching the baby in the crib.

"Where is she?" He finally asked.

Mrs Lena looked up at once, surprised at his demand. She had assumed he would shift focus back to the baby and forget all about that wretched girl.

"She left. She vanished into thin air,"

Norman's eyes narrowed in confusion. "What do you mean she left?"

"Exactly what I said, Norman. She took the $500,000 cheque and disappeared on the same night. Lord knows I've been looking for her ever since."

Norman stared at his mother for a long time, then at the empty crib beside the one holding his newborn son. How dare she? How could she rob them of the child she was paid to deliver safely?

The more he tried to process everything, the angrier he became. He didn't have any idea about the pain Calla went through, the complications, how close she came to death, or what she suffered through alone. All that mattered in that moment was that she had failed him. She had lost his child, his blood.

"She had no fûcking right." He muttered more to himself than anyone else in the room. Even Mrs Lena knew better than to interrupt him when he was angry.

After some time, the door opened and Fiona walked in, smiling brightly. "There you are. We were wondering where you suddenly disappeared to."

Delaney was right behind her, laughing about something unimportant. But the moment they both saw the look on Norman's face, both women froze. His jaw was tight, his eyes were cold, and he was standing still, too still.

The smile on Fiona's face faded immediately as she stepped closer, "Honey? What's wrong? Is everything alright with our baby?"