Chapter 11 Premature Labor
Inside the Wonder Group’s car, Tom sat next to Dina, his eyes filled with worry as they fixed on the wound on her wrist. “Ms. Gardner, you’re injured?”
Dina said, “It’s just a minor cut, nothing to worry about.”
He said, “The boss made it clear: You’re the group’s prized asset, and your health and safety are top priority. We can push back the signing.”
He turned to the driver without hesitation. “Turn around immediately. Head to the city center hospital.”
Dina stared out the window as the route changed in a flash, a rueful smile pulling at her lips. She thought, ‘Third hospital visit in a week… This has to be the cost of picking the wrong marriage.‘
Meanwhile, Blair got a call from his assistant. “Mr. Woodward, Ms. Gardner’s car just did a U–turn. Doesn’t look like they’re going to the signing location anymore.”
“Seriously?” The knot of tension in Blair’s chest loosened all at once, replaced by a flood of relief.
He thought, ‘There it is. Deep down, Dina still cares about me. She can’t bring herself to actually give away Wonder Group’s partnership to outsiders. She is waiting for me. Waiting for me to cave, to go and smooth things over.‘
A gentle smile crept onto his face without him realizing it. He ducked into the nearest flower shop and picked out the
- biggest, most stunning bouquet of roses.
He set the flowers carefully on the passenger seat, already imagining Dina cradling them, giving him that smile he hadn’t seen in ages.
“Beep beep beep…” His phone buzzed suddenly, snapping him out of his reverie.
Blair picked up, and Eileen’s frantic voice came blasting through. “Blair, disaster struck. It’s bad! Belinda’s in premature labor!”
“What?” Blair went pale. “Which hospital? I’m coming right now.”
He yanked the wheel into a hard U–turn and floored it toward the city center hospital.
The swerve was too sharp. The bouquet on the passenger seat tumbled over, petals crushing and fluttering loose…
Blair glimpsed it from the corner of his eye, and his heart skipped a beat. A strange wave of panic hit him out of nowhere.
It felt like some inner voice was whispering a warning: If you don’t chase after Dina now, you might lose her for good… He thought, ‘No way, that is impossible.’
He shoved the absurd idea aside. He thought Dina loved him too much to ever really walk away. She’d even held back on the Wonder Group deal just for him. She was just having a little temper tantrum, waiting for him to sweet–talk her back.
Once he handled this crisis with Belinda, he’d go make things right with her. There was plenty of time.
At the hospital, Blair raced in at full speed, striding quickly to the VIP ward where he found his mother, Eileen.
He blurted out, “How’s the baby? And Belinda?”
Eileen’s eyes were puffy and red from tears, her voice thick with emotion. “Belinda suffered so much to deliver him, but… my poor little grandson is so weak from being premature. He needs an incubator.”
Blair’s heart twisted. His face turned somber. “… Let me see the baby.”
But just as he moved forward, Belinda’s brother, Rodrick Hobbs, stepped out of the ward and blocked him. Rodrick’s expression was furious as he snarled, “Blair, you’ve got some nerve showing up here. You ditched Belinda at that press conference while she was carrying your child. If you won’t look after her and the baby, then stay out of it from here on out. I’ll bring them back to the Hobbs family. They’ll have nothing to do with you or the Woodward family anymore.”
Guilt surged through Blair, his fists tightening. “It was my mistake. I swear it won’t happen again…”
“You swear?” Rodrick let out a cold, mocking laugh. “What’s your word worth? You ditched Belinda for Dina this time. Next time, you could do the same to her and the baby for the exact same reason. After all, Dina’s your wife, isn’t she? “Status–wise, Belinda’s nothing but a widow, and the kid’s fatherless. In the Woodward family, they’ve got no real backing, how well they fare is entirely up to your sense of decency.
“Mr. Woodward, I’m not willing to gamble on your decency anymore. Once we’re back with the Hobbs family, I’ll handle finding Belinda a suitable match myself, some
and a proper father for the child.”
Successfully unlocked!
Blair’s face clouded over instantly. “Over my de.!
“Mr. Woodward, let’s not forget: Belinda’s a widow now, with no connection to the Woodward family. A mother remarrying
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Chapter 11 Premature Labor
and taking her kid along? That’s all above board. You can’t stand in the way.”
Rodrick didn’t budge an inch.
Blair’s expression was dark enough to storm. That was his son. No chance in hell he’d let Rodrick whisk him away.
After a heavy pause, he laid it out. “As soon as the baby’s stable enough to leave the incubator, I’ll throw a formal
recognition party. I’ll claim him as my son, hand over 20% of the shares, and make it clear the Woodward family inheritance is his and his alone going forward.”
Rodrick was a businessman through and through. What he was after was solid, tangible benefits.
He nodded in satisfaction, his attitude thawing. “Belinda had you pegged right. You’re a stand–up guy, Mr. Woodward.”
Blair had no patience for further small talk and rushed into the ward.
The instant he saw that tiny baby in the incubator, his heart melted into a puddle.
This was the son he’d longed for in his dreams. If only Dina could come around to accepting the kid, it’d be ideal…
Blair lingered with Belinda and the baby for ages, only tearing himself away when a work call demanded it.
He was down in the inpatient lobby, still on the phone, when he spotted Dina out of the corner of his eye.
She had a pharmacy bag in hand.
“Dina.” Blair hurried over, concern all over his face. “You okay? Your waist acting up again? Look at you, without me around, you can’t even take care of yourself.”
Dina was already at her wit’s end after her third hospital run in a week, and running into Blair just amplified the annoyance, like he was a walking jinx.
She ignored him completely and kept walking.
But Blair caught up, gently taking her arm with a soft look as he sighed in mild frustration. “Alright, drop the kid stuff, will you? I came to you first. It’s awkward handling your waist injury solo. Come home with me, and I’ll apply the cream.”
Dina had caught wind of Belinda’s delivery while getting her meds.
She glanced mockingly toward the inpatient wing and shot back, “You’ve got the time? Doesn’t your little bundle of joy need you glued to his side?”
Blair hesitated, caught off guard.
The baby was brand new. He could’ve stared at him forever and had planned to head straight back up after the call.
After a beat, he replied, “I’il pop back after I help you with the meds. Dina, get this: You’ll always be number one to me. A son doesn’t change that.”
Dina was speechless.
She said, “My mistake, after all this time, I’m just now seeing how messed up you are. Not just in the head, but seriously deluded.”
Dina flung his hand away in revulsion and strode off like he was the plague.
“Dina!” Blair’s brow furrowed in regret, itching to follow, but then a thought hit him, and he held back. Instead, he raised his voice.
He said, “I get it. You’re jealous, and it’s my feelings and approach that bother you. I can assure you: Even with the kid in the picture, your ernotions will always come first from here on out.
“This month on the 28th, I’m hosting a recognition party for the child and making him officially mine. Dina, show up. Then he’ll be ours together. I know you’ll do the sensible thing. I’ll see you there, Dina.”
Dina thought, ‘A recognition party?‘ Her mouth curved into a wry smirk. She thought, ‘Perfect timing, the 28th is also my wedding day with Hank!
