Lucia lay motionless on the hospital bed.
Adrian's words still echoed in her head.
"I'm going to propose something to you... a fake marriage."
For a few seconds, she thought she had heard him wrong.
Maybe she was tired.
Maybe the medication was playing tricks on her.
But no.
He was still there.
Serious.
Waiting for an answer.
"A fake marriage?" she repeated slowly.
Adrian nodded.
"Only temporary."
Lucia gave a small, nervous laugh.
"I don't even know you."
"I know."
"And you're still asking me to marry you."
"Not exactly."
"Then what exactly?"
Adrian ran a hand through his hair.
It was clear he wasn't comfortable with the situation either.
"The press thinks we're a couple."
"You already said that."
"And the photographs are everywhere."
Lucia frowned.
"Is it really that serious?"
Adrian pulled out his phone.
He showed her several news stories.
Lucia's eyes went wide.
Every headline was about them.
"MILLIONAIRE BUSINESSMAN SAVES HIS PREGNANT WIFE."
"THE MYSTERIOUS MARRIAGE OF ADRIAN VALCARCEL."
"QUADRUPLETS JOIN THE VALCARCEL FAMILY."
Lucia felt her head begin to spin.
"Oh my God."
"Exactly."
"But we can clear it up."
"It's not that simple."
She watched him.
"Why?"
Adrian was silent for a few seconds.
"Because my life is constantly in the public eye."
"And what does that have to do with me?"
"Now it has to do with you."
Those words sent a chill through Lucia.
Because it was true.
From the moment he had carried her in front of the cameras, their lives had become connected.
Even though neither of them had planned it.
"I don't know what to say."
She murmured.
"You don't have to answer now."
Lucia lowered her gaze.
Her body was still weak after giving birth.
Her heart was too.
It still hurt to remember the man who had abandoned her.
It still hurt to think that she was alone.
Completely alone.
Then she remembered something important.
"My babies."
Adrian looked up.
"What about them?"
"I want to see them."
Adrian's expression softened.
"The doctor said you can tomorrow."
Tears immediately appeared in Lucia's eyes.
"I'm scared."
She confessed.
For the first time.
Without hiding it.
Without pretending to be strong.
"I'm scared of losing them."
Silence filled the room.
Adrian wasn't used to comforting people.
He didn't know what to say.
But still, he came closer.
"They're strong."
Lucia smiled sadly.
"They're so little."
"But they're still fighting."
She closed her eyes.
Trying to hold on to those words.
Because she needed hope.
And at that moment, it was all she had.
The next morning.
Lucia woke early.
She had barely slept.
The nurses came and went constantly.
But none of it mattered.
She only wanted to see her children.
Finally, a nurse appeared.
"Ready to meet your babies?"
Tears appeared immediately.
"Yes."
They slowly took her to the neonatal unit.
Her heart beat so hard she thought it might break.
When she reached the incubators, she couldn't breathe.
There they were.
Her four little ones.
So tiny.
So fragile.
So beautiful.
Lucia began to cry.
"My babies..."
She whispered.
A nurse smiled.
"They're fighters."
Lucia gently pressed her hand against the glass.
"Mommy's here."
One of the babies moved a tiny hand.
And that was enough to break her heart completely.
Because she understood something.
No matter how hard the future would be.
No matter how afraid she was.
She had to keep going.
For them.
Always for them.
From the doorway, Adrian watched the scene.
He didn't know why he had come.
He didn't even know why he was still there.
But something kept him from leaving.
Something about that woman.
Something about those babies.
Something he couldn't explain.
Then a nurse approached.
"Are you the father?"
Adrian was about to correct her.
But he stopped.
He looked at Lucia.
He looked at the quadruplets.
And for some reason, he answered:
"Yes."
The nurse smiled.
"They're beautiful."
Adrian looked at the four little ones.
And for the first time in many years, he felt something strange.
Something like tenderness.
Something like belonging to a family.
And that frightened him more than any multimillion-dollar deal.
Hours later.
When Lucia returned to her room, she found several bouquets of flowers.
And also a magazine.
She was on the cover.
Next to Adrian.
The headline took up half the page.
"THE NEW VALCARCEL FAMILY."
Lucia closed the magazine immediately.
"This is crazy."
She murmured.
But deep down, she knew Adrian was right.
The problem was much bigger than she had imagined.
And it was only just beginning.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the city...
a man stared at the same cover.
His eyes were full of surprise.
And anger.
Because he recognized the woman in the photograph perfectly.
Lucia.
The woman he had abandoned.
The mother of his children.
He clenched his fists.
"So you found someone rich."
He muttered.
Not knowing that fate was about to put him face to face with her again.
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