Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 109716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Huh? That was news. Since when?
I looked at him, confused, as another pain crashed through me. This time I bit my lips and tried the hardest to breathe through my nose.
“Alessio bought the hospital a few weeks ago. To make sure it was safe and all for you and Princess. He was quite obsessive about it,” Maddie explained in my ear.
Wow. Just wow.
But I didn’t have a chance to be thoroughly wowed because Alessio was still screaming at Ivy. He looked like he wanted to shoot the woman. Or maybe he was plotting her murder in many different ways.
Oh dear. Not good.
“Natural birth is like this, Mr. Ivanshov. Please be patient. One more push and your daughter will be here,” she said calmly.
His gaze turned to mine. “You should have accepted the drugs for the pain, Angel.”
His eyes were begging me. Just like they did when a nurse came and asked if I wanted the drugs. I screamed a no, and they scurried out of the room.
Alessio was hot on their tails, trying to bring them back to put the drugs in me. He almost forced them and dragged one of the women inside.
I refused yet again.
I regretted my decisions some hours later, but it was too late by then.
Another contraction was making its way to my belly. At the same time, Ivy yelled for me to push.
With Alessio’s lips next to my temple, the words I love you ringing through my ears, I pushed with a shout.
We kept going back and forth like this. An urge to push, a wail of agony, another push. Finally, I felt a hard pressure in my lower region, then something—someone—slid out. It felt weird, but I didn’t have a chance to think through the pain.
The pressure finally alleviated and then…silence. For about two seconds.
Because when my screaming ended, my daughter’s wails were heard.
“It’s a girl!” Ivy announced proudly, holding my baby girl in her arms.
A daughter. A princess. A tiny little baby girl to call our own. Someone who we would shower with so much love and care.
“Mr. Ivanshov, do you want to cut the cord?” Ivy asked.
She moved closer and brought our daughter next to Alessio. He looked completely in shock and lost as he followed Ivy’s instruction and cut our baby’s cord, while still holding my hand in one of his.
Ivy placed Princess on my bare stomach while she continued to wail.
A mighty loud wail. One that everyone heard because I heard a shout of victory coming from outside my room.
My baby girl was still wet and gooey with blood, but I didn’t mind. Having her against my skin, actually holding her, it made my eyes blur with tears as I cried.
I was holding my daughter.
Months ago, I thought I would never get a chance. But now, she was here.
I pressed my palm against her bloody rump as her cries slowly started to calm.
Faintly, I noticed Alessio kissing my face. Peppering my face with kisses, his lips never left my skin. He trembled against me as I cried softly.
“I love you,” he whispered over and over again. With each kiss, those words were whispered against my skin. “Angel.”
My daughter was taken out of my grasp. I watched them clean her as she started crying again. So grumpy. So loud. So lovely.
“Alessio…” I whispered, my voice hoarse and soft.
“You were so strong,” he said against my forehead.
“Thank you, my love.”
“I love you.”
“I know.”
I heard quiet sniffling beside me and saw Maddie crying softly. “She’s here.” I nodded toward the baby.
Maddie nodded. “I’m so proud of you, babe.”
“Thank you for being here with me. I needed you,” I replied, holding her hand tight.
When my baby girl was cleaned and her crying had stopped again, I smiled at Maddie. “Why don’t you go see her?”
She scurried from my side and made her way to my daughter. The little princess was placed in her crib.
Maddie peeked at the princess and be beamed happily. “Aww…she is the cutest!”
Did my heart just accelerate a little bit?
Of course, she was the cutest! After all, she was mine and Alessio’s baby.
I turned my head to the side and faced Alessio. “You have to go see her, Alessio,” I muttered against his lips.
He kissed me soundly, breaking my words. He kissed me until I was breathless.
Alessio still hadn’t seen our daughter yet. What was he waiting for?
“I’m scared, Angel,” he murmured.
“Of what? The man I know is not scared of anything.”
“I don’t know. It’s just that my chest feels a little weird and too tight,” he replied. His gaze was still on mine.
Blue eyes bored into my green ones. Both stared intently, showing the same love.
“She needs you.”
Alessio swallowed hard and nodded. He stood up straight just in time for Ivy to bring our daughter to him.
One second his hands were empty, and the next he was holding our princess.