Chapter 4

The Night She Arrived

The night that changed the De Cruz family forever arrived without warning.

The entire house was asleep.

After months of worry, endless doctor appointments, strange cravings, sleepless nights, and constant monitoring, everyone had finally settled into a fragile sense of peace.

Rose was asleep beside Diego.

For once, there were no cravings.

No nausea.

No complaints.

Nothing.

Until suddenly—

A sharp pain tore through Rose's stomach.

Her eyes flew open.

She immediately clutched her stomach.

Another wave of pain followed.

This one was worse.

Rose clenched her teeth, trying desperately to endure it quietly. She didn't want to wake Diego unnecessarily.

But the pain became unbearable.

Her breathing grew uneven.

She tried to reach for her husband.

"Diego..."

Her voice barely escaped her throat.

Another contraction hit.

Rose squeezed her eyes shut.

"Diego!"

This time, she screamed.

Beside her, Diego shot upright.

Unfortunately, his sudden movement was so dramatic that he lost his balance and fell straight off the bed.

Thud!

"Ow!"

He remained on the floor for a moment, completely disoriented.

His eyes were barely open.

His hair was a mess.

He looked like a man who had been violently dragged out of the deepest sleep of his life.

He blinked at Rose.

"Wifey..."

Rose stared at him in disbelief.

"What happened? Why are you yelling?"

He rubbed his eyes.

"Are you hungry again?"

Silence.

Rose's face changed.

Her usually calm expression was replaced by pure rage.

"Are you serious?"

Diego blinked.

Rose pointed at herself.

"Do I look like I'm yelling because I'm hungry?"

Diego slowly sat up.

"I mean..."

"You idiot!"

Rose grabbed the bedsheet with one hand as another contraction hit.

"You absolute idiot! My water broke!"

Diego froze.

His sleepy brain finally processed the words.

His eyes widened.

"Your..."

He looked at the bed.

Then at Rose.

Then back at the bed.

"Water?"

Rose's expression became murderous.

"Yes!"

Diego's face went completely pale.

"The baby?"

"Yes, Diego!"

"Oh."

He stood up.

Then immediately started panicking.

"What do I do?"

Rose stared at him.

"What?"

"What should I do?"

"You take me to the hospital!"

"Right!"

Diego suddenly sprang into action.

"Hospital!"

He grabbed the emergency bag.

Then his car keys.

Then he ran out of the bedroom.

Rose watched him disappear.

For a few seconds, she simply stood there, too stunned to speak.

Then she heard his voice from downstairs.

"We're ready to leave!"

Rose's mouth dropped open.

She slowly looked down at herself.

Then toward the door.

Then back toward the empty room.

"You idiot!"

Her voice echoed through the house.

"At least take me with you!"

Downstairs, Diego froze.

His eyes widened.

"Oh."

He looked around.

"Rose."

He slapped his forehead.

"Damn it! I forgot Rose!"

By then, the entire household had awakened.

Doors opened.

Footsteps thundered through the corridors.

Diablo was the first to reach the bedroom.

He found Rose standing there, furious, exhausted, and very much in labor.

"What happened?"

"Your brother happened."

Diablo looked toward the hallway.

He immediately understood.

"Diego?"

Rose nodded.

"That idiot ran to the car without me."

Diablo closed his eyes.

Of course.

He had expected nothing less from his twin.

Without wasting another second, Diablo carefully lifted Rose into his arms.

"I've got you."

"Thank you."

Then he carried her downstairs.

Outside, Diego was standing beside his car.

He looked ready to leave.

Diablo stared at him.

"You were seriously going to leave without your wife?"

Diego's face went pale.

"I forgot."

"I know."

Rose glared at her husband.

"Take me to the hospital."

"Yes!"

Diablo carefully placed Rose in the car.

Diego rushed toward them.

"Take me with you!"

Diablo stared at him.

"You?"

"Yes!"

Rose looked at her husband.

She was already exhausted and irritated beyond imagination.

"Throw him in."

Diablo raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Otherwise, I'll have to give birth here because of him."

Diablo didn't waste another second.

He grabbed Diego by the back of his shirt and practically threw him into the car.

"Move!"

The car sped away toward the hospital.

The rest of the family followed behind.

That night, the De Cruz family waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Rose was in labor for eighteen agonizing hours.

Eighteen hours of pain.

Eighteen hours of fear.

Eighteen hours during which Diego watched his wife suffer and felt completely helpless.

The man who could control an empire couldn't control what was happening in that hospital room.

He couldn't bargain with fate.

He couldn't threaten pain into disappearing.

He couldn't take Rose's suffering away.

All he could do was stand there.

Pray.

Wait.

And watch the woman he loved more than his own life fight to bring their child into the world.

Every time Rose cried out, Diego felt as though something inside him was being ripped apart.

At one point, Diablo grabbed his shoulder.

"Brother."

Diego didn't answer.

His eyes remained fixed on the doors.

"I can't do this."

"You can."

"I can't watch her like this."

"You have to."

Diego shook his head.

"I'd rather take her pain myself."

Charles, usually the strongest and most composed of the brothers, remained silent.

Erica held his hand.

Even he couldn't hide the fear in his eyes.

For eighteen hours, the De Cruz family prayed.

Then finally—

The doors opened.

Everyone stood.

A doctor walked out.

And in his arms was a tiny bundle.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

The doctor smiled.

"Congratulations."

Everyone held their breath.

"It's a baby girl."

Silence.

A daughter.

A girl.

Their little miracle.

Diego stared at the tiny bundle as though the world had stopped turning.

The doctor carefully placed the baby in his arms.

Diego looked down.

And something inside him changed.

He didn't know it yet.

He couldn't possibly understand it yet.

But from that moment onward, his world would no longer revolve around himself.

It would revolve around her.

His daughter.

His little girl.

His Bella.

The doctor noticed Diego staring at the baby's unusual hair.

"There's something I should explain."

Diego looked up.

"Because of the baby's low melanin production, her hair may be considerably lighter than usual. It could develop into a silver shade as she grows."

Diego barely heard him.

All he could see was the tiny face sleeping peacefully in his arms.

"Is she healthy?"

"Yes."

"And my wife?"

"She's safe."

Diego's eyes immediately filled with tears.

"Thank you."

He looked down at his daughter.

"Thank you for saving my wife and my daughter."

The doctor smiled.

"It's my job. You can go see your wife now."

Diego nodded.

He walked into the room.

Rose looked exhausted.

Pale.

Weak.

But the moment she saw the tiny bundle in Diego's arms, her tired eyes immediately softened.

Diego carefully walked toward her.

He placed their daughter beside Rose.

Rose's trembling hand reached for the baby.

She touched her tiny cheek.

A tear rolled down her face.

Diego sat beside her.

Neither of them spoke.

They didn't need to.

Rose gently pulled their daughter against her chest.

Diego wrapped an arm around both of them.

For a moment, the world outside that room ceased to exist.

There was no De Cruz empire.

No wealth.

No responsibilities.

No danger.

Only a husband, a wife, and the little girl they had fought so desperately to bring into the world.

Diego lowered his head.

A tear slipped silently down his cheek.

Rose noticed.

She smiled weakly.

Another tear escaped her eyes.

They looked at each other.

Neither said a word.

But both understood the same thing.

They would love this child more than anything in the world.

And outside the room, even Charles De Cruz—the sternest of the brothers—quietly wiped away tears.

Diablo didn't bother hiding his.

Arden and Ardian stood speechless.

Erica smiled through her own tears.

The entire De Cruz family had been waiting for this moment.

Their little miracle had finally arrived.

And none of them knew that the tiny girl sleeping peacefully against her mother's chest would one day become the most precious—and most fiercely protected—person in the entire De Cruz family.

For now, however, she was simply Isabella.

Their Bella.

Their precious daughter.

Their greatest gift.

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