Chapter 8 - The Emergency Delivery
Three weeks after the collapse of the firm, Celeste was resting at her family's historic estate in Lake Forest. The peaceful gardens, heavy snow falling over evergreen trees, provided a sanctuary she hadn't experienced in years. Harrison Vance had successfully restructured the receivership: OmniHealth had acquired Whitfield Capital's performing assets for pennies on the dollar, rebranding the entire enterprise into Barrow Capital Management, with Celeste serving as Chairwoman.
Suddenly, a sharp, searing pain tore through her abdomen.
Celeste gasped, gripping the edge of the kitchen counter. Her water had broken. She was only thirty-four weeks along—the intense stress of the past month had triggered premature labor.
Her housekeeper rushed in, immediately calling an ambulance. Within twenty minutes, Celeste was being wheeled into the labor and delivery ward at Northwestern Memorial Hospital—the very hospital where she had spent twelve years saving other people's lives.
"Blood pressure is spiking to 160 over 100," the triage nurse yelled as they rushed her toward the operating room. "Signs of early placental abruption! We need Dr. Lim right now!"
Dr. Andrea Lim, Celeste's longtime obstetrician and close friend, squeezed Celeste's hand through the sterile gloves. "Hang in there, Celeste. We're doing an emergency C-section. Your little girl is strong, but we need to move now."
"Save my baby," Celeste whispered through tears, the monitor beep accelerating into a frantic rhythm. "Just save my baby."
As the anesthesia took hold, Celeste’s vision slipped into darkness.
Two hours later, she awoke in a quiet, sunlit recovery room. The rhythmic hum of medical equipment soothed her racing heart. Sitting beside her bed was Harrison Vance, looking weary but smiling gently.
"How is she?" Celeste rasped, her throat dry.
"She's in the neonatal ICU, but she’s breathing on her own," Harrison said softly, handing her a cup of water. "Six pounds, two ounces. She has your dark eyes and a remarkably strong set of lungs. Dr. Lim says she's going to make a full, beautiful recovery."
Tears of profound relief slipped down Celeste's cheeks. "Thank God."
May you like
Harrison’s smile faded slightly. "There's one more thing. Someone has been waiting in the hallway for four hours. Security detained him at the front desk, but he refused to leave until he knew you were alive."
Celeste closed her eyes for a brief second. "Declan."
