chapter 125: I've never felt so helpless in my life

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Chapter 125:– Damon's POV

"I've never felt so helpless in my life."

I always thought I could handle anything.

I've negotiated million-dollar deals. Sat through brutal boardroom arguments. Even pulled Arya out of my life once because I thought it was the right thing to do—because I thought I was protecting her.

But sitting in that hospital delivery room, watching her writhe in pain, sweat clinging to her forehead, her hand squeezing mine like a lifeline…

I was falling apart.

"Okay, Arya," the nurse said, voice calm and firm. "You're fully dilated. It's time to push."

My stomach dropped.

I looked at Arya. Her lips were trembling, her eyes filled with a thousand emotions—fear, pain, strength, and exhaustion. She looked like a goddess and a warrior and a broken flower all at once.

She nodded, biting down hard on her bottom lip. "I'm ready."

No. She wasn't. I wasn't. None of us were ready for this.

But time didn't care.

Another contraction hit, and Arya screamed. A sound so raw and primal it carved a hollow in my chest.

"I'm here, baby," I whispered, wiping the sweat off her brow. "I'm here."

She looked at me then—really looked at me—with those mismatched eyes. And in that moment, I saw everything. The years we lost. The pain. The love. The trust she'd given me back even when I didn't deserve it.

"I hate you," she groaned as another contraction built. "You did this to me."

"I know," I said seriously. "I take full responsibility."

Her breath came in short, sharp gasps. "Don't you ever touch me again."

"Too late for that, sweetheart," I murmured, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

The doctor entered, gloved and ready. "Alright, Arya. Let's do this. With the next contraction, I want you to give me a strong push."

The nurse moved to her side, guiding her gently. "Remember your breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth. You've got this, Arya."

She nodded again, though her whole body trembled. I could see the doubt in her eyes, the fear. I leaned close, tightening my hold on her hand.

"Look at me," I said.

She did.

"You've already survived the hardest parts of life. This? This is just one more mountain. And you're going to conquer it like you always do."

Another scream tore from her lips as she pushed with everything in her. My hand was crushed in hers, but I didn't care. Let it break. I would've let every bone snap if it meant taking away even a sliver of her pain.

She slumped back after the first try, panting hard. "Is she out?"

"Not yet," the nurse said gently. "But you're doing amazing. One more big push and she'll be here."

Arya closed her eyes. Her body shook. Her face was red, soaked in sweat and tears.

I kissed her forehead. "You can do this, Arya. You're almost there."

She nodded again, even though she didn't speak. She looked like she was running on fumes—no, on sheer determination.

The next contraction came, and she pushed harder than before. Her cry this time wasn't just pain—it was fury, power, life itself.

Then—

A silence.

A breath.

And then… a sound that shattered me.

A tiny, high-pitched cry.

Our baby girl's first cry.

"Oh my God," Arya whispered, collapsing back against the bed. Her eyes were glassy. Her chest rose and fell rapidly.

"She's here," I choked, brushing Arya's hair back as emotion clogged my throat. "Baby, you did it. You brought her into the world."

The nurse held up a tiny, squirming body and quickly wrapped her in a pink blanket.

"She's beautiful," the nurse said softly, placing the crying bundle into Arya's arms.

I don't think I breathed until that moment. Not really.

When I looked at Arya cradling our daughter… it hit me.

This was real.

This was our little girl.

Tiny, red-faced, crying at the top of her lungs—but perfect.

Arya cried as she stared down at her, her finger brushing gently over our daughter's cheek. "Hi, baby girl," she whispered. "Hi…"

I blinked fast, trying to keep it together. But I was gone.

There was nothing on Earth that could've prepared me for this moment.

Arya looked up at me with tears in her eyes and the softest smile on her lips. "Do you want to hold her?"

I didn't speak. I just nodded.

She passed our daughter into my arms, and I swear I forgot how to breathe all over again.

She was so small.

So light.

So warm.

Her face scrunched up, her lips forming a pout as she made a soft hiccuping noise.

And suddenly, I wasn't Damon the CEO. I wasn't the man with a broken past or complicated regrets.

I was a father.

To a little girl.

A little girl that looked exactly like Arya.

"She's beautiful," I whispered, rocking her gently. "She looks just like her mom."

Arya chuckled, tired but glowing. "I hope she has your strength."

I looked up, meeting her gaze. "She already does."

The nurse quietly gave Arya something for the after-pains and began checking vitals, giving us space but remaining nearby. I sat on the edge of the bed, still holding our daughter, completely lost in her.

"I was so scared," Arya said softly. "But now…"

"You're safe," I whispered. "You both are."

She reached out and touched our daughter's tiny hand. "Have you picked a name?"

I looked at the two of them—my whole world wrapped in one hospital bed.

"Hope Liora Blackwood," I said without hesitation.

Arya blinked. "Hope?"

I smiled. "Because that's what she is. What we are. She's proof that even after all the pain… something beautiful can grow."

Arya's eyes filled again. "Hope," she whispered. "Hope Liora Blackwood."

Our little girl stirred in my arms, like she already knew her name.

Hope.

And just like that, I realized I'd never let either of them go.

Not in this life.

Not in any.

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End of Chapter 125 – Damon's POV