The twins were restless.
Inside the large, secured hospital wing, Nora gripped her stomach, her face tightening in pain as her babies kicked fiercely. Then suddenly—her water broke.
"They're coming," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Doctors rushed in, and the entire family gathered outside the delivery room. Zayan stood among them, tense, anxious—his heart pounding like a war drum. Asher stayed near the window, unable to tear his eyes away from Nora's suffering form.
Inside, chaos swirled around her. Aaila held her hand tightly, her voice firm but gentle.
"Just hold on, okay? You need to push now, love. One… two… three—PUSH!"
Nora screamed, her body trembling with agony. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her cries echoed in the room. Her pain shattered Zayan from the inside out. His hands shook uncontrollably. He couldn't bear watching her suffer.
Two grueling hours passed.
Nora was still in heavy labor, her nose bleeding from the intensity. Aaila dabbed it gently, her voice trembling.
"Mama Nora… come on, love. You can do this. Just one more push, okay?"
Nora nodded weakly, her eyes glossy with tears.
Arion and Royce stepped out of the room. Royce looked grim.
"She's still in a lot of pain… and her brain activity is off the charts."
Arion added, "It's getting dangerous. The levels are too strong."
Zayan's face paled. His knees weakened, hands clenched into fists. Zira paced nearby while Shaw turned toward him.
"Are you… crying, mate?" Shaw asked, voice soft.
Zayan gave a shaky chuckle, wiping his eyes. "Yeah… yeah, I am. I'm scared, man. She's still in so much pain."
Back inside, Dr. Maia, Imara, Kyomi, Aaila, and Kasir surrounded Nora, doing everything they could to help her. But she was fading, her strength slipping.
From the hallway, Aveline watched it all unfold, her heart pounding. "She needs me… I can't just watch my child like this." Without waiting, she stormed into the delivery room.
"Aveline!" Catalina called after her.
Zayan saw her push past everyone and walk straight to Nora. He didn't stop her.
Aaila moved aside as Aveline knelt by her daughter, holding her trembling hand.
"Nora, darling… you need to push now, okay? Your babies want to meet their mommy."
Nora blinked slowly, her lips trembling. "B-but it hurts… mommy," she whispered.
"I know, baby. I know. But that's how we bring them into this world. Look—Zayan's right outside. He's so worried about you, love. You're not alone. So now, deep breath… on the count of three, you push. Got it?"
Nora gave the tiniest nod.
Dr. Maia positioned herself at the end of the bed, ready. "Okay. One… two… THREE!"
Nora gritted her teeth and pushed with everything she had, clenching Aveline's hand. Her scream was deafening.
"I see a head!" Maia shouted.
"One more, Nora! PUSH!"
Another push, a heart-wrenching cry—and then, the first baby arrived.
"A girl!" Maia declared.
The tiny infant wailed, her cries strong and sharp. Outside, Zayan froze when he heard it. His eyes widened with relief. His daughter had arrived.
Inside, Aveline kissed Nora's forehead. "You did it, sweetheart. One down, one more to go."
Nora was panting, drenched in sweat. "Y-yay," she whispered, tears on her cheeks.
The nurses cleaned the baby girl while Maia called out again.
"Ready for the second? Let's go! One… two… THREE!"
Nora screamed louder than ever—so loud that glass in the hallway shattered. Zayan jumped. His body felt like it had been sliced open.
"She's killing herself…" he whispered.
Then, another cry filled the room. A boy.
The second twin was here.
Nora gave one last, broken cry—and collapsed.
"She passed out!" Maia shouted. "Keep her stable!"
Minutes later, Maia stepped out, gloves covered in blood but a smile on her face.
"Congratulations, Mr. Zayan. You have two healthy babies… a boy and a girl."
The hall erupted in cheers. Catalina screamed with joy. The men hugged and high-fived each other.
"What about Nora?" Zayan asked, voice trembling.
"She passed out. But we're examining her now. She'll be okay."
Relief washed over him.
Later, Zayan and Aveline entered the nursery. His heart melted when he saw them—two tiny miracles wrapped in blankets.
He held them gently, tears falling as they blinked up at him.
"Tears of joy?" Aveline asked softly.
He nodded, smiling.
Once the babies were dressed, Zayan went to Nora's room. She was still unconscious. Sitting beside her, he stroked her hair, voice soft and reverent.
"Thank you, my darling… I love you so much," he whispered and kissed her forehead.
The others entered, cooing over the babies. The girls were emotional; the boys were proudly snapping photos. Asher smirked.
"Looks like we got a 50/50."
Everyone laughed.
Five hours later, Nora stirred. Her legs ached, her head was heavy. She blinked, the light stinging her eyes.
"Z… Zayan?" she whispered.
He rushed to her side, the baby girl in his arms.
"Hey, Mama Nora," he said gently.
"B… babies?" she asked weakly, her arms stretching out.
Zayan chuckled softly and laid both twins on her chest. Nora smiled, tears in her eyes, gently stroking their heads.
They were here. Her babies.
After a while, she fell asleep again, arms protectively wrapped around them.
The others returned to the mansion to prepare everything for her homecoming.
Zayan came back to the room alone, lifting the twins and placing them carefully in the crib beside her. He sat on the bed, watching her sleep.
He leaned down, his lips brushing her forehead.
"Now love… it's time to bring you back completely. And I will—I promise."