It had been a month since the twins were born, and Nora had devoted herself completely to them. Every moment of her day revolved around feeding, changing, and comforting them. Her laughter echoed through the mansion as she played with the babies, making them giggle with funny faces and soft songs.
But one night was different.
The twins wouldn't stop crying—no matter what Nora did. She fed them, rocked them, held them close, but their wails only grew louder. Overwhelmed and exhausted, tears welled up in Nora's eyes, and she sat on the nursery floor clutching the babies, crying along with them.
Asher woke up to the sound and hurried into the room, alarmed. He stood in the doorway, seeing Nora and the twins in tears.
"Hey… what's wrong, Mama Nora?" he asked softly.
Nora looked up, her childlike voice trembling.
"T-they… they won't stop crying… I tried feeding them, I tried cuddling them… but nothing works…"
Asher immediately called Aaila, and together they picked up the twins, gently soothing them until the cries faded into tiny yawns. Soon, both babies were fast asleep in their arms.
Nora, still shaking, slowly backed into the corner of the room. Her breathing quickened, tears pouring down her face. Without a word, she jumped to her feet and bolted from the room.
"NORA!" Asher shouted.
Aaila and Nathaira ran after her, but Nora was already gone—running towards the garden in the dead of night. She stumbled across a hidden path she hadn't noticed before, leading into a thicket of flowers and wild bushes. She crawled into one of them and hid there, curling up, sobbing silently.
Back in the mansion, Zayan was in a meeting with foreign representatives when Maverick called.
"She ran, Zayan. Nora. Into the garden. We can't find her."
Zayan's heart dropped.
"My mate…" he whispered, rising abruptly. The stunned representatives watched him rush out, just as they arrived at the mansion themselves.
Inside, Mrs. Esther, the elegant and warm-hearted CEO from Sweden, cooed at the sight of the sleeping twins.
"Awww, they're so cute!" she said with a smile, gently brushing their soft hair.
Zayan entered moments later, barely pausing to kiss both twins before sprinting out toward the garden.
"Did you find her?!" he asked the group searching the grounds.
Everyone shook their heads.
Zayan's voice broke. "Nora, love… come out, okay? Please… what's wrong?"
Zira joined in, calling gently. "Nora, sweetheart, talk to us."
A faint sob responded from deep within the bushes. They turned, eyes wide, trying to locate her.
Mrs. Esther stepped forward calmly.
"Let me try," she said. "Nora, darling, it's me—Esther. Remember me, love?"
A muffled, tearful voice replied,
"Y-y-yeah…"
"Good, sweetheart. Now, can you tell me where you're hiding? Why are you hiding?"
Nora cried harder.
"Because… because I'm a very, very, very bad mommy! They kept crying and crying! My head hurts so much, and now there's blood… it's all over my clothes…"
Zayan's heart shattered. "Nora, please come out, love. Let's clean you up. The blood—it's not good. Come here, please."
Slowly, Nora stepped out from behind a bush. Damian nearly jumped back in shock.
"Oh my god," he gasped.
Blood was gushing from Nora's nose, staining her clothes and hands. Zayan rushed forward, pressing tissues to her face, holding her gently.
An emergency medical meeting was called immediately. Doctors examined her and discussed urgent plans for surgery.
Nora kept whispering through tears,
"I'm a really bad mommy…"
Zayan pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair.
"No, my Nora… you are a really, really, really good mommy. The kids love you so much. I love you so much."
Nora leaned into his chest, eyes closing. Safe in his arms, she finally drifted to sleep.
Zayan carried her to the bed and tucked her in gently. He then joined the representatives downstairs to continue the meeting, leaving Esther to quietly check on the sleeping mother.
Later that evening, Arion returned from the hospital. His face was pale. He approached Zayan, clutching a report.
"We need to begin her operation immediately."
Everyone fell silent.
"What? What's going on?" Zayan asked, tightening his grip on baby Lysander.
Arion's voice was grim.
"Her trauma wounds are spreading. The damage… it's affecting her brain. If we don't act soon, she might never recover."
Zayan's expression hardened.
"When is the operation?"
Aaila quickly typed on her phone and showed him: "Next week."
"Prepare everything," Zayan said coldly.
Everyone began packing. Nora's clothes, the twins' essentials, their documents—everything was arranged for a trip to Switzerland, where her surgery would take place.
That night, Zayan sat beside his wife and their twins, placing gentle kisses on their heads. His heart was breaking, but his resolve was firm.
"I swear to you, Nora. You will be fine. I promise."
The next morning, Nora awoke to see her twins sleeping beside her. She kissed them both and walked downstairs, her steps slow but steady.
Aaila approached gently.
"Nora, love… we need to shave your hair before the operation. It's to help you get better."
Nora looked around at everyone watching her. Her lips trembled, then she nodded.
"O-Okie… Nora will cut her hair now," she whispered, sitting down on the floor.
Asher was crying, trying to hide it. Zayan sat silently, hands clenched.
Strand by strand, her hair fell to the ground. And with it, pieces of her pain seemed to scatter. When they finished, she stood, bald and pale—but smiling.
She walked over to each person, ticking them gently.
"Stop crying now… Nora will be fine. I promise."
She held her babies close, kissed their foreheads, and rocked them gently as if nothing had happened.
Zayan stood behind her, silently watching, a promise echoing in his heart:
"You will be fine, Nora. I swear it."