?Chapter 314:


    Using reverse psychology, Rylie easily tricked Ruby, who was somewhat naive.


    “Of course not! I’m all in for what’s best for Eileen and the baby!” Ruby dered proudly. “Besides, there’s no need for you to spend your money. We have our own.”


    With that, Ruby rose and fetched the card Eileen had entrusted to her — a card she had never used before. It contained all of Eileen’s savings.


    She seemed resolute about going with Rylie, while Eileen remained silent, allowing them to make the decisions.


    Eileen nced at the options in the pamphlets. The postpartum care centers were all international, eliminating any concerns aboutnguage barriers or differences in regional care practices.


    However, due to their remote locations, they could likely only visit two of them today.


    With more than ten days left until her due date, Eileen felt confident they would have enough time to visit each one.


    No sooner had this thought crossed her mind than she decided to take a short nap.


    But her rest was brief.


    She jolted awake, startled by a warm sensation.


    Her senses sharpened instantly as she sat up, only to feel more fluid escaping.


    It was a clear liquid. At first, she thought it might be the incontinencemon inte pregnancy.


    But as the flow continued, a realization struck her.


    Her water had broken.


    Panic surged through her. She reached for her phone, only to hear it ringing in the living room.


    Ruby had dashed off so quickly that she had left her phone behind.


    With no way to contact Rylie and no idea where Ruby had gone, Eileen decided to call Josue.


    He picked up immediately, answering in the middle of his ride to the airport.


    When he heard what had happened, his tone changed instantly. “Hang tight! I’m on my way. Don’t move. I’ll be there in no time.”


    He turned to the driver and barked, “Change of ns! Take me to Eileen’s house first, then head to the airport to fetch Bryan. My godchild’s on the way!”


    In less than twenty minutes, Josue arrived at Eileen’s door, just as an ambnce pulled up.


    The paramedics moved quickly, escorting Eileen to the ambnce. Josue stayed close, helping her inside as she tried to steady her breathing.


    At the hospital, Eileen was swiftly taken in for an examination.


    A nurse approached Josue with a clipboard. “You’re the father-to-be, correct? Please fill out the maternal information here. I’ll be back shortly with the exam results.”


    Her words momentarily stunned Josue.


    “Father-to-be?” he mumbled under his breath. But the nurse was already gone, leaving him with the form.


    ncing at it, he saw it required the mother’s name, age, and pregnancy details.


    Caught up in the moment and still jittery from the rush, Josue began filling it out. But in his distracted state, he mistakenly entered his own information in the maternal section.


    Name: Josue Payne


    Age: 35


    Pregnancy: 38 weeks, 2 days


    He had memorized Eileen’s pregnancy details, having heard them often enough from her updates. But his nerves got the best of him, and he didn’t even notice his mistake.


    The nurse returned, took a quick nce at the form, and raised an eyebrow. “The mother has lost a significant amount of amniotic fluid. We need to perform an emergency cesarean section immediately. Please sign here.”


    She handed Josue another form and pointed at the signature line.


    His eyes widened in shock. “I… I don’t think I can sign that,” he stammered. “I’m not her husband. I have no legal ties to her. I’m just the baby’s godfather.”


    Hearing this, the nurse nodded in understanding and took the form back. “Then we’ll have the mother sign it herself.”


    Momentster, Eileen, though pale and clearly in pain, signed her name on the document with a steady hand.


    The nurses then wheeled her into the operating room for the emergency procedure.


    Josue watched her disappear behind the double doors.


    He stood in the hallway, stunned. His heart was racing. His hands were mmy.


    He had never felt so helpless before.


    Disoriented and anxious, he nced around but found no familiar faces. He realized he hadn’t even called Rylie.


    Pacing back and forth, he tried to steady his breathing. His gaze darted toward the double doors of the operating room, the weight of uncertainty pressing on his chest.


    He wanted to talk to someone — anyone — but the nurses were too busy moving back and forth, paying him no attention.


    His thoughts raced wildly. What if something goes wrong? What if…?


    He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at it slightly as his nerves peaked.


    Clenching his fists, he muttered to himself, “Come on, Eileen. You’ve been through worse. You can do this. You’ll be fine. The baby will be fine.”


    But the anxiety gnawed at him, unrelenting.


    Time passed slowly, every second dragging on like an eternity.


    For the first time, Josue, a man who had always prided himself on keeping his cool, feltpletely powerless.


    Spotting a man smoking at the end of the corridor, Josue’s spirits lifted. He approached briskly.


    “Bryan, what brought you straight to the hospital?” he asked, his tone a mix of surprise and excitement.


    “The driver did,” Bryan replied dryly, his mood visibly sour.


    He hadn’t expected that simply asking about Josue’s whereabouts would lead him to the hospital — only to discover that Josue was about to be a godfather.


    “Put out the cigarette,” Josue instructed firmly, pulling a smoke removal spray from his pocket.


    Although Josue was a smoker himself, he had stopped smoking around Eileen for the baby’s health. Carrying the spray had be a habit — one that proved useful now.


    After ensuring Bryan was free from the smell of smoke, Josue guided him to sit outside the delivery room. Both men waited anxiously.


    “Do you think it’ll be a boy or a girl?” Josue asked, ncing at Bryan with a grin.


    Bryan, however, wasn’t in the mood to share Josue’s excitement. He remained quiet, his gaze fixed on the numbers disyed on his phone screen.


    His mind was elsewhere.


    A nurse called out, her voice carrying through the corridor. “Who here is rted to Josue?”


    Josue blinked in confusion, then remembered something important — he had identally registered Eileen’s details under his own name.


    “That would be me,” he said, standing up quickly.


    “Please hurry and settle the bill,” the nurse instructed, her tone brisk but not unkind. “The cesarean is almostplete. In about ten minutes, you’ll be able to meet the baby outside the delivery room. Go left, take the elevator to the third floor, and head to the billing department.”


    Her instructions came fast and firm. Josue nodded but only retained the part about taking the elevator to the third floor.


    “I’ll be right back!” he called over his shoulder, already rushing toward the elevator.


    Time ticked by. Ten minutes passed. Then fifteen.


    Bryan nced at the clock on the wall. Josue still hadn’t returned.


    The door to the delivery room swung open. A nurse stepped out, her arms cradling a small bundle wrapped snugly in a soft nket.


    “Where is the family member of Josue?” she called out, ncing around.


    Bryan’s eyes shifted to the nurse, but he stayed silent, his arms crossed.


    The nurse looked around again, her eyesnding on Bryan. “You’re here with someone from Josue’s family, right? You must be a rtive,” she said confidently.


    Bryan remained quiet, his gaze flickering from the nurse to the bundle she held.


    Noticing his hesitation, the nurse approached him. “Hold the baby for now,” she said, her tone leaving no room for refusal. “We need to return to the operating room toplete Josue’s cesarean stitches. Once the fees are settled, you’ll know which ward to go to. For now, take the baby and wait. Josue will be under observation for two hours after the procedure.”


    Before Bryan could process what she had said, she was already cing the baby into his arms.


    His body stiffened, but his arms instinctively moved to support the tiny, fragile weight.


    The warmth seeped through the soft fabric, and Bryan found himself staring at the baby’s face — round, pink, and delicate.


    Tiny breaths brushed against his chest as the baby snuggled deeper into the nket.


    His heart skipped a beat.


    The nurse turned back just before heading inside. “Oh, one more thing,” she said, her eyes softening as she nced at the baby. “It’s a girl. A very healthy baby girl. Six pounds, eight ounces.”


    Her words echoed in Bryan’s mind as he gazed down at the baby in his arms.


    A girl.


    A small, peaceful girl with soft, rosy cheeks.


    His grip on the baby tightened ever so slightly, as if afraid she might slip away.


    For a moment, the world around him faded. The footsteps of nurses, the hum of the hospital’s venttion system, and the distant sound of a baby crying from another room — all of it faded away.


    All that remained was the small life in his arms, breathing softly against his chest.


    And for the first time in a long while, Bryan didn’t think about Apex Group, Z, or his crumbling business.


    For the first time, his thoughts werepletely silent.


    Just him.


    And her.


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