Unexpected Blessings  

Veronica stumbled into her cramped rental and slammed the door shut, her heart racing. Her thoughts replayed Damien's words with a terrible clarity. "We all understand the terms of our affiliation," he'd said, his tone casual, as if he was discussing a corporate merger rather than her heart. "If both parties document for divorce before the year is up, my father will hand control of the enterprise in your family."

Veronica collapsed onto her ancient couch, wrapping her fingers around her swollen stomach. The newborn had once been her light of hope, promising a life built on love and faith. Now it seemed like a harsh reminder of her mistakes, the consequences of trusting him.

"What have I achieved?" She whispered into the empty room, the quiet looming over her. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks. She had believed Damien, that his love had become real. But all he saw was her family's commercial company, a stepping stone toward his own goals. She was now on her own, carrying his kid, and everything around her had shifted into the oppressive silence of her tiny apartment.

She gazed at the clock, watching the minutes pass, each one bringing a new wave of regret. Damien's contact, which had once been reassuring, now felt like a manipulation, a betrayal of the destiny they had planned together. She could practically feel Sienna's bloodless stare and contemptuous grin, as if she had predicted this outcome from the beginning. Sienna, who was typically soaring and softly undermining, appeared to have known all along that Veronica may emerge deserted and broken.

The darkness grew, and shadows filled her room. Veronica tossed on her bed, plagued by fragmentary memories, a swirl of what had seemed true. She eventually went into a fitful sleep, only to be startled up by a searing pain that tore through her abdomen.

She blinked at her smartphone, the time sparkling: 3:17 a.m.

Every other wave of pain hit stronger this time, ripping through her. She clutched her gut, terror rising in her throat. "No... please, no longer yet," she whispered, panic coursing through her words. "it is too early."

Her palms fumbled as she dialed 911, and her voice shook as she dealt with the situation. The operator's soothing voice tried to soothe her. "Ma'am, an ambulance is on the way. "Stay calm," they said, but calm became impossible. Veronica felt as if she was losing control of time.

She forced herself up, grabbed her medical institution bag, and stumbled towards the door. Every step felt heavy, and each breath was a battle. She barely got to the street before hailing a cab. Collapsing into the backseat, she blurted out her holiday destination: "Please... the health facility. Hurry."

The driving force, staring at her faded face, nodded before pressing the gas and darting through the vacant streets. Veronica held the bench with one hand, the other urgently protecting her stomach. "Hold on, toddler," she muttered, the anguish intensifying. "We're nearly there."

The clinic loomed ahead, providing a dramatic contrast to the early morning gloom. Because the vehicle slid to a stop, she lurched out, barely making it to the welcome table before another contraction took her.

"Please, my child," she said with a determined rasp.

Nurses rushed to her side, lowering her into a wheelchair as she was bombarded with questions about how she had gotten there and whether there had been any complications. Her mind is clouded by pain and terror, and she may only be able to respond briefly.

The transport room became a whirlwind of hobby activity, with voices overlapping and machines beeping. Veronica cried out, her body wracked with pain, her heart torn between hope and worry. The physician's voice could be heard somewhere in the chaos.

"Push, Veronica! "You're almost there!"

With one last scream, she felt the release, and a piercing and firm baby cry echoed throughout the room. "It's a woman!" the doctor exclaimed, holding up a small, purple form.

A tidal wave of emotion crashed over her, but before she could care for her daughter, another contraction tore through her body.

The nurse's face turned pale. "Wait… there's some other one!"

Veronica's eyes widened with shock. Any others? How?

Minutes later, a second cry filled the room, and another small form appeared gently in her fingers. Veronica stared down at her newborn daughters, their tiny faces marked with traces of Damien's featuresthe form of their noses, the slope in their brows. She felt a fierce, protective love swell inside her, eclipsing the whole thing else.

"Tracy," she whispered, kissing the brow of the firstborn. "And Tiffany," she murmured to the second.

Exhausted but resolute, she held them near, her fingers curling protectively round them. no matter what, she could guard them. She would pass mountains, conquer any obstacle to hold them secure.

As sunrise crept into the room, casting a smooth glow over the three of them, Veronica felt a fragile peace settle over her. The past, Damien's betrayal, it all dwindled on this second. Her daughters were her international now, her reason to combat.

just as her eyelids grew heavy, a nurse slipped quietly out of the room, her face faded. She tapped speedy on her smartphone, hands trembling as she pressed "ship."

"Mr. Castlerock? I assume you will want to know this."

Veronica slept, blissfully ignorant of the message that had already set activities into movement, forces she had desperately attempted to depart in the back of now drawn returned to her. but the peace might be fleeting. She might quickly study that Damien, her beyond, and the existence she'd tried so difficult to escape might quickly collide with the delicate global she'd just started to construct.

Veronica woke to find her daughters sleeping beside her, the tender upward thrust and fall in their tiny chests soothing her frayed nerves. but the gnawing worry remained, lurking just below her pleasure. What could she inform them once they requested about their father? might she be able to maintain Damien out in their lives forever?

She brushed her quit her daughters' tiny fists, silent vows running via her mind. but the worry stayed, developing stronger. should she without a doubt do this on my own?

the first knocks on her door came three days later, interrupting her first moment of calm. She recognized the voicea man she had as soon as depended on together with her secrets and techniques, now right here on behalf of Damien's father.

"We've come to peer pass over Veronica Shaw," the voice echoed thru her rental, too loud within the quiet hallway.

Veronica's breath tightened. they'd observed her. She pulled her daughters closer, her thoughts racing. What if they attempted to take them from her? She bit her lip, heart hammering as she leaned towards the door, willing herself to stay silent.

"omit Shaw?" The voice grew louder, persistent.

Veronica swallowed, squeezing her eyes close, and waited for the footsteps to recede. She knew, as they subsequently faded, that this will be the first of many. Damien could come for them ultimately, and he or she couldn't hide forever.

With trembling fingers, she opened her laptop, her palms hovering over the search bar. She typed within the call of an attorney she'd as soon as heard of, someone who specialised in cases like hers, a person who could assist her if it got here to that.

Veronica took a deep breath, her fingers shaking as she pressed "ship" on the e-mail, praying that it'd be sufficient.

however deep down, she knew the reality: Damien wouldn't prevent till he had the whole lot he wanted, and this time, it blanketed her daughters.

In a far off skyscraper workplace, Damien study the message forwarded from the nurse. His jaw tightened, a complex blend of feelings flashing throughout his face as he absorbed the phrases.

He glanced up on the view, the city sprawled beneath him, but his thoughts become on Veronica. And the two daughters he'd never regarded approximately until now.

A small smile performed at the edge of his lips. He hadn't predicted this twist, however it modified the whole lot. He would should manage this cautiously, skillfully. in spite of everything, he had two daughters nowan inheritance well worth more than any enterprise, a connection he hadn't foreseen.

And Veronica? She'd haven't any desire but to come lower back.