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Scarlett sat up, staring at me. “You’re serious.”
I nodded. “Paris. London. Tokyo. You could take your vision global.”
She exhaled, shaking her head. “That’s… huge.”
I took her hand, rubbing my thumb along her knuckles. “You’ve built something incredible. It’s time the world sees it.”
Her lips parted slightly, her mind already turning over possibilities. And then, after a long pause, she whispered, “Okay.”
I grinned. “Okay?”
Scarlett let out a breathless laugh. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
I pulled her into a slow, lingering kiss, feeling her relax against me. This was what I wanted—Scarlett by my side, fearless, ambitious, unstoppable.
The future had never looked brighter.
17
SCARLETT
Pain.Pressure. The overwhelming sensation of my body stretching, working, fighting to bring life into the world.
I gritted my teeth, squeezing Christian’s hand like it was the only thing keeping me tethered. Maybe it was.
“You’re doing amazing, Scar.” His voice was calm, steady, but I could hear the tension beneath it, the helplessness of watching me struggle.
I panted through another contraction, my body drenched in sweat, every nerve on fire. “Liar,” I gasped, barely able to manage a smirk.
Christian leaned down, pressing a kiss to my forehead, his grip firm, unwavering. “You’re the strongest person I know. I’d never lie about that.”
Tears stung my eyes, but I didn’t have time to respond before another contraction ripped through me. The doctor’s voice was somewhere in the background, telling me to push, that I was so close.
I clenched my jaw and bore down, putting every ounce of strength I had into this final moment?—
And then, suddenly, a new sound filled the room.
A cry. Sharp. Piercing. Alive.
I slumped back against the pillows, exhausted, barely able to comprehend what had just happened. My body trembled as I forced my eyes open, searching?—
And then I saw Christian.
Holding our baby.
His hands, normally so controlled, so confident, were almost trembling. His expression was unlike anything I’d ever seen—raw, emotional, completely undone.
A lump formed in my throat as he turned toward me, his blue eyes shining. “Scarlett,” he breathed, stepping closer.
The nurse helped adjust me so I could take our child into my arms, and the moment I did, everything inside me shattered.
Tiny fingers. Soft skin. The rise and fall of small breaths.
I let out a shaky exhale, my chest tightening with something too big to name. Love. Relief. Wonder.
Christian sat beside me, his arm wrapping around my shoulders, his lips pressing to my temple. “She’s perfect,” he whispered.
I nodded, unable to form words, just staring at the life we’d created together.