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Chapter 56 – The Reunion
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2025-01-15 09:01:37
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Ties of a Contract Chapter 57 – A New Chance to Start Over
AlexanderHer voice catches again, and I realize she feels guilty that the birth happened too soon, as if she had failed somehow. I tighten my hold on her hand.“They’re fine, my love,” I say firmly, trying to dispel any insecurities she might have. “They’re both fighters. Of course they’re still in the incubator, but the doctors are optimistic.”“I need to see them,” she murmurs, tears threatening to reappear. “I need to hold them in my arms, to take in their scent…”“You will, my love. As soon as you’re stronger, I’ll personally take you to the neonatal ICU. I promise.”“Can you tell them apart?” she asks, struggling to control her emotions. “Do you know which one is Noah and which is Oliver?”I let out a soft laugh.“Well, it’s hard. I only know who’s who because I know which incubator they’re in. But we’ll have to put bracelets on them, because they really are completely identical. But they’re perfect. Even being so small, it’s amazing how we can already see certain resemblances, n
Last Updated : 2025-01-15Ties of a Contract Chapter 58: Learning to Wait Again
AlexanderThe tick-tock of the hallway clock seems louder than ever. I’m seated on a metal chair, watching nurses in light-colored uniforms come and go. They move with calm and focus, carrying clipboards, IV bags, and instruments I barely understand. I wish I had half their composure. I’ve lost track of how many days we’ve been here; everything’s blended together since the premature birth, Sophia’s hemorrhage, and the ongoing anxiety over the babies’ condition.I’ve taken leave from the company, leaving everything to the directors and Dominic. I hope they’re doing a good job, because I can’t think about anything beyond my little family right now.At this very moment, Sophia is undergoing a new post-op exam, and I’m stuck in the corridor, tapping my foot on the cold floor. With every tap, my anxiety mounts. I would prefer to be at her side, but I understand it’s a procedure requiring a sterile environment, and the team asked me to wait outside. I close my eyes, trying to recall the smi
Last Updated : 2025-01-15Ties of a Contract Chapter 59 – Skin to Skin
AlexanderHours later, I leave her to rest because the doctor insists I shouldn’t exhaust her too much. I step out of the room, my chest tight with guilt. The thought of leaving her there, even for a short time, unsettles me. But I also have two little boys waiting in the neonatal ICU, and I can’t ignore my responsibility to them.I walk down the now-familiar hallway, passing glass doors and walls painted in pastel tones. The antiseptic smell envelops me once again. Upon arriving, I immediately spot the two incubators housing Oliver and Noah. The hum of machinery is constant, and despite myself, the steady beeping makes my heart race.“Hello, Mr. Hawthorne,” the nurse greets me with a warm smile. She jots something down on her clipboard and moves closer. “Your boys are doing well. Oliver spent a few minutes breathing on his own earlier, and Noah is also responding well to stimuli.”I smile, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. I approach the incubators, examining every detail of
Last Updated : 2025-01-15Ties of a Contract Chapter 60 – Planning for the Future and Heading Home
AlexanderTime inside a hospital seems to flow differently. I’m constantly with Sophia during every appointment, every exam, every gentle physical therapy session she begins to restore safe movements. She complains about the slow pace of recovery yet celebrates each small improvement in the babies with a renewed smile.We start talking about the future, especially about going home. The medical team itself encourages these discussions, saying that having goals and perspectives helps psychologically during recovery.“I can’t wait to see both of them in the cribs we prepared,” Sophia says, fiddling with the sheet’s hem, her head supported by a tall pillow. “And to think, last time I was there, those cribs were empty…”“And they’ll still be empty for a little while,” I remark, holding back a sigh. “But now we know they’re not empty of hope. Oliver and Noah will arrive, even if a bit later than we expected.”She laughs and simultaneously releases an emotional sob.“Do you think we’ll manag
Last Updated : 2025-01-15Ties of a Contract Chapter 61 – Shadows of the Past
SophiaI watch Alexander check the babies’ monitors one last time before we leave the neonatal ICU. The way he cares for our children fills me with love and pride. Even tired, he keeps that attentive, watchful gaze, as though nothing in the world could slip past his protection.“We can go,” he says, coming over to push my wheelchair.On our way back to my room, I notice a different commotion in the hallway. An elegant woman is talking to one of the nurses, gesturing with authority. There’s something familiar about her that makes me frown, trying to recall where I’ve seen her before.It’s then that Alexander abruptly stops my chair. I feel his fingers tense on the handlebars and tilt my head to look at him. All the color seems to have drained from his face.“Victoria,” he murmurs, so quietly I barely catch it.The woman turns in our direction, and in that moment, my heart pounds. I recognize her from the photographs I found hidden in Alexander’s office months ago. She’s older now, but
Last Updated : 2025-01-15Ties of a Contract Chapter 62 – Subtle Poison
AlexanderThe hospital office is my temporary refuge. I need a few minutes to pull myself together, to push away the memories Victoria’s presence has stirred up. I rub my hands over my face, trying to organize my thoughts, when my phone vibrates. It’s Dominic.“Sir, sorry to bother you, but I thought you should know. Victoria Hawthorne checked into the Four Seasons this morning.”My stomach twists.“She intends to stay,” I murmur, more to myself than to Dominic.“Would you like me to keep an eye on her?”“Yes. Every step. And Dominic… strengthen security at the neonatal ICU. No one enters without express authorization from me or Sophia.”I hang up the phone and walk over to the window. Outside, the city carries on at its frantic pace, oblivious to the storm raging inside me. The sound of heels in the corridor alerts me, and I don’t have to turn around to know who it is.“You’re still hiding in dark corners when you’re upset,” Victoria’s voice is soft, almost motherly, yet it carries t
Last Updated : 2025-01-15Ties of a Contract Chapter 63 – Nighttime Shadows
SophiaA soft sound of footsteps in the hallway rouses me. The night is silent except for the constant beeping of monitors, and Alexander has finally fallen asleep on the sofa after hours of restlessness. I check the clock: 3:15 a.m.Something feels off. A premonition, perhaps. Or maybe it’s just the maternal instinct that’s grown since Oliver and Noah were born.“Nurse?” I call softly, but there’s no reply.Carefully, I set my feet on the cold floor. I still feel pain from the birth and surgery, but the physical therapy is helping. I take a few tentative steps toward the door, gripping my IV stand. Through the glass, I see a figure moving toward the neonatal ICU.My heart races.“Alexander,” I whisper, going over to the sofa. “Alexander, wake up.”He opens his eyes immediately, always on alert.“What is it? Are you okay?”“There’s someone walking toward the ICU,” I say, my voice trembling. “It’s not the on-duty nurse.”He jumps up, fully awake.“Get back in bed,” he orders, already s
Last Updated : 2025-01-15Ties of a Contract Chapter 64 – Open Scars
AlexanderDr. Stevens’s office feels smaller than I remember, even with its bright walls and bookshelves packed with volumes. Maybe the sense of being closed in comes from the weight of everything that’s happened. Last time, I was just a shattered teenager, trying to pick up the pieces Victoria left scattered. The armchairs and the faint scent of chamomile tea remain the same, but my anxiety keeps me from sitting down. I pace back and forth, as if I need to burn off the tension that seizes me.“How long has it been, Alexander?” Dr. Stevens asks, adjusting his glasses.He sits in the chair beside a small table with notes and pens. His voice is calm and reminds me of when I believed that talking could be enough to cure my torment.“Fifteen years,” I answer, unable to hide my nervousness. My hands are sweating, and I need to keep pacing to clear my mind. “Maybe I just pretended to be okay.”“And what brought you back?” he continues, watching me intently.I stop by the window, gazing at t
Last Updated : 2025-01-15
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NoahGiulia's reflection in my office window distracts me while I try to explain the situation to the board. She sits discreetly in the corner of the room, pretending to examine her tablet, but I can notice how her eyes occasionally meet mine in the reflection."Let me see if I understand," Marcus massages his temples. "You're getting married. In a week.""Tomorrow," Giulia softly corrects, without raising her eyes from the screen. "The trust has a temporal clause."Something about the way she pronounces each word with precision fascinates me. It's the same care she showed when debugging the app - methodical, precise, surprising."Tomorrow?" Marcus's voice rises an octave. "This is...""Necessary," Oliver interrupts, entering the room. He carries a folder I recognize: our parents' marriage documents. "And it wouldn't be the first time a Hawthorne marries for convenience."Giulia raises her eyes, finally. The blue of her iris captures the evening light in a way that makes me lose my tr
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Ties of a Contract The Algorithm of Destiny
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AlexanderThe house is quiet. The twins are sleeping soundly after a busy day at the park, and Claire took all the case documents to her office. For the first time in months, it's just Sophia and me.The night is especially beautiful, with a gentle breeze swaying the porch curtains. It's almost surreal to think about how we got here, after everything we've faced. Sophia is on the porch, wrapped in a light blanket, watching the moon. I approach quietly, offering a glass of red wine - the same label we drank the night we made our agreement."What are you thinking about?" I ask, sitting beside her."About how everything has changed," she responds, snuggling into my chest. "Who would have thought that meeting about my father's debts would bring us here?"I smile at the memory. "You walked into my office determined to negotiate. I never imagined you'd leave with a marriage proposal.""An arrangement," she laughs softly, her fingers playing with the wine glass. "You needed to improve your i
Ties of a Contract Chapter 106 - The Price of Truth
"UNMASKED EDITORIAL EMPIRE: Decades-Long Manipulation and Crime Scheme Exposed"• The New York Times"Matthew Morrison and James Cooper Arrested in Federal Police Operation"• Washington Post"Richard Bennett, Editorial Magnate, Found Dead in Bangkok: Suicide or File Destruction?"• The GuardianSophiaThe morning sun streams through the windows of our new home. It has been three months since that night at Sarah’s farm, and I’m still learning not to look over my shoulder every five minutes.Oliver and Noah are playing in the backyard—a fenced and monitored space, but still a place where they can just be children. Alex watches them from the balcony while working on his laptop, occasionally looking up to smile at me.My phone vibrates with a message from Claire:"It’s on TV. Do you want me to record it?"I turn on the television in time to see James being led into court. His last words before accepting the plea deal echo in the headlines: “I was just following orders, but that’s no excu
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Chapter 103 - Last RefugeSophiaThe rain lessens as I drive down the dirt road. In the back seat, the twins have finally fallen asleep, Noah still clinging to the rain-soaked dinosaur. Through the rearview mirror, I confirm that Alex and Claire are still following us.The headlights illuminate an old building. A farmhouse, isolated and apparently abandoned, except for the small beam of light escaping from one of the windows."This is it, my loves," I whisper, although the boys continue sleeping.Alex parks alongside, and Claire exits first, typing something on her phone."Security system deactivated," she informs. "You can come in."We carry the boys inside. The house is surprisingly cozy inside, with furniture covered by white sheets and an old fireplace."No one knows this place," Claire explains, closing the curtains. "It was my sister's refuge. Where she kept her discoveries.""And where she died," Alex softly completes.Claire nods. "Morrison found her here. Or rather, my father
