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h the sterile air of the delivery r
was a physical weight, pressing down on her bones, but the sound of her babies' cries
eight was surprisingly solid. A tiny, thumping heartbeat pulsed against her own exhausted one. A wave of
ou gave birth to a pair of adorable boy
to look at the two babies
ried out, "Where's Chloe Hayes's fam
in and again, but
hloe's face turned eve
n really
l the children's biological father. So befor
ital bed, completel
urse quickly too
VIP ward that Julian had promised her,
were also pregnant women lying in the other three beds.
ribs to watch their children, and there were also new dads holding thei
liation swept throug
er. She was unable to care for the baby on her own, and the nurses
n until she found Julian Sterling's name in the contacts. The sharp-looking bu
aky breath and pres
t was the cacophony of a party-loud music,
and impatient. "Chloe
She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the word
nd. Just long enough for a slive
ed. "Okay. Send the de
odious, echoed close to the receiver. It was a laugh she rec
oliteness that was worse than outright anger. "I hav
ne wen
at felt like it was drilling into her skull. Chloe's hand fell lim
re body. She curled onto her side, facing the wall, pressing her face into the thin pillow to muffl
ed in, their happy chatte
woman said, her voice a stage whisper. "So piti
that Chloe Hayes? The one who m
ing conspiratorially. "The papers are saying Julian is
too," the girl added. "This
Pity and malice, a cruel co
their marriage, as Julian always r
e was. But so what? She smiled bitterly. Even if she became an actress like Amelia and was
she couldn't block them out. She squeezed h
was pushing a clear, plastic bassinet towards her bed, the
e pushed herself up, her sore muscles
row, a serious little frown even in sleep. The girl ha
bitten and short, and gently stroked her dau
steel began to form where only rubble had been. She was no l
as a
ack of her hand. Her gaze, once filled with
ies, she had
sperate search for a friend, a lifeline. Her finger swiped past business contacts for the
le who were not her people. She had spent years trying to fit i
erly, compl
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