A scream tore through the air.
Alexander Sterling nearly crashed into the car ahead.
Then he heard Chloe Ward’s panicked cry.
“Mr. Sterling, it’s bad! Mrs. Sterling is bleeding heavily!”
Alexander spun around and shouted at Liam Brooks.
“Call an ambulance. Now. Head to Sterling Mansion immediately. Prepare for O-negative blood.”
Liam Brooks, who had followed him into the car, grabbed his phone.
He dialed for an ambulance.
Then he contacted the hospital.
Almost at the same moment, Alexander rushed back to Sterling Mansion.
The ambulance arrived right behind him.
Earlier, when Evelyn Vance heard the phone call, she suddenly felt liquid gushing out of her like water.
Then her abdomen began to ache.
She hadn’t had time to go downstairs and tell Lily Thompson that she might be going into labor.
She hadn’t asked her to call an ambulance.
Her mind went blank.
She slipped on the stairs and fell.
Then she fainted.
Evelyn was rushed to the hospital.
At the same time, the Vance family received the news.
They rushed to the hospital too.
Both families waited anxiously outside the operating room.
“What happened?” Amelia Vance asked, her voice trembling. “She was fine this morning. How could this happen now?”
“Mom, didn’t you hear the doctor?” Victoria Vance said, trying to calm her mother. “Evelyn went into premature labor.”
“It’s only seven months,” Amelia cried. “How can she have the baby now?”
“That’s why they call it premature labor,” Victoria snapped, rolling her eyes at her mother’s panic.
Nurses rushed in and out.
They gave no updates on what was happening inside.
Half an hour later, a nurse came out.
“It’s a boy,” she announced. “But because of the premature birth, he’s very weak. He’s been placed in an incubator to keep warm.”
“How is my wife?” Alexander demanded.
“She’s still in surgery,” the nurse replied. “We won’t know more until it’s over.”
She turned and went back into the operating room.
“William, how is Evelyn?” Amelia asked, her voice shaking.
No one cared about the baby now.
They just wanted the mother to be safe.
“Don’t say that,” William Vance scolded his wife. “Our family has always been lucky. Nothing bad will happen.”
“Amelia, don’t worry,” Eleanor Sterling said gently. “We’ve hired the best doctors. Evelyn will be fine.”
“That’s good,” Amelia nodded, her eyes still wet. “That’s good.”
Alexander stood facing the wall.
He leaned one hand against it.
He didn’t say a word.
His face was pale and grim.
The surgery lasted more than two hours.
Finally, the light went out.
The doctor came out.
“The surgery was a success,” Dr. Michael Stone said. “Her life is no longer in danger. But she lost a lot of blood. It will be very difficult for her to conceive again in the future.”
Amelia nearly collapsed.
Alexander let out a breath of relief when he heard that Evelyn’s life was safe.
“That’s all that matters,” Eleanor Sterling said firmly. “We’ll deal with everything else later.”
“Yes,” Amelia echoed, her voice weak. “Evelyn is safe. Evelyn is safe.”
After the surgery, Evelyn was moved to the ICU for 24-hour observation.
She was still asleep.
The anesthesia hadn’t worn off yet.
Alexander changed into sterile clothes and went in to see her.
She was still sleeping.
Her face was peaceful.
She looked just like she did when she was sleeping normally.
Alexander held her hand.
He brought it to his lips.
After a long moment, he whispered.
“Evelyn, I’m so glad you didn’t leave me.”
Evelyn couldn’t hear him.
She didn’t respond.
She just lay there, motionless.
During the entire visit, Alexander didn’t say another word.
He just stared at her.
He held her hand.
He was afraid this was all just a dream.
The visiting time passed quickly.
Alexander walked out of the ICU.
Evelyn continued to sleep.
It was as if she was Sleeping Beauty.
Sleeping until the end of time.
Waiting for her prince to wake her up.
After confirming that Evelyn’s life was no longer in danger, and that she probably wouldn’t wake up until dawn, the Vance family and Eleanor Sterling went to see the baby.
The baby was very small.
He was lying in the incubator.
His eyes were still closed.
“He looks exactly like Alexander did when he was little,” Eleanor Sterling said, her voice full of wonder. “They’re like two peas in a pod.”
“Really?” Amelia blurted out. “My Evelyn was beautiful when she was born. He doesn’t look like that at all.”
A second later, her husband tugged on her sleeve.
“Alexander and Evelyn’s child will be very beautiful,” Eleanor Sterling said with a smile, ignoring Amelia’s comment.
After Alexander left the ICU, he went to the doctor’s office.
He wanted to learn more about Evelyn and the baby.
His phone rang.
He looked at the caller ID.
He pressed the button to reject the call.
Then he turned off his phone.
“Because the baby was born prematurely, his constitution will be weaker than a full-term baby,” Dr. Stone explained. “Postnatal care is very important. As for the mother, she lost a lot of blood. She’ll need a lot of rest after she’s discharged. She can’t do any physical work. And although it may be difficult for her to conceive again, it’s not impossible. With proper care, there’s still hope. Don’t worry too much.”
“Thank you, Dr. Stone,” Alexander said.
“You’re welcome, Alexander,” the doctor said, patting him on the shoulder. “You’re still young. You have a long life ahead of you.”
“I understand,” Alexander nodded.
“Also,” Dr. Stone added, “psychological care for the mother is sometimes more important than physical care. You need to pay close attention to your wife in the coming days.”
“I will,” Alexander said.
When Evelyn woke up, it was already dawn.
Her whole body ached.
It felt like she had been crushed.
She tried to turn over.
The pain shot through her like a knife.
It felt like her bones were breaking apart.
“Don’t move,” a nurse said, pressing her gently back down. “You’ll pull your stitches.”
Evelyn opened her eyes.
She saw the blinding white light.
She saw the nurse standing beside her.
“Where am I?” she asked, her voice hoarse.
“You’re in the ICU,” the nurse explained. “You just had surgery last night. You need to be observed for 24 hours.”
“Surgery?” Evelyn’s hand flew to her abdomen.
“You’ve already given birth,” the nurse said quickly. “It’s a boy. Because he was premature, he’s very light. He’s in an incubator now. Don’t worry.”
“I had the baby?” Evelyn repeated, her mind blank. “How is he? Is he healthy?”
“He’s very healthy,” the nurse assured her. “Just a little weak from the premature birth. He needs to stay warm.”
“Oh,” Evelyn said after a long pause. She let out a breath of relief.
“Mr. Sterling is watching you from outside,” the nurse said with a smile. “Do you want to say hello to him? He’s been here all night.”
Evelyn followed the nurse’s gaze.
She saw Alexander standing outside the window.
He was staring at her.
In that moment, everything came flooding back.
The conversation between Alexander and Nathan Cole.
The words she had overheard.
They echoed in her mind.