Chapter 603 What a Tenacious Little Life
Alaric was freaked out when he found out Joe wanted to scare Stellan into early labor. Honestly, it was a miracle thanks to Cormac; without him, Stellan might not have made it.
"Thanks, thanks..." Alaric was still shaken but knew he had to leave. He struggled to his feet and quickly ran out.
He needed to see Stellan to check on his wife.
After the harrowing childbirth, Stellan was completely exhausted, utterly drained of energy.
Her legs were trembling from the effort of giving birth, but her upper body was so tired she couldn't move at all, not even a finger.
Though her body was limp, her mind was still clear. She was worried and scared. Alaric was still in danger, and she had no news about him. What if something happened to him? If he died, what would she and their four children do?
"Galatea."
Hearing Alaric call her name as he rushed in, Stellan finally felt a wave of relief. She tried to sit up but couldn't muster the strength.
"Alaric," she called out, her voice breaking into sobs. This reunion felt like a miracle after everything they'd been through.
Seeing that video, Stellan had thought Alaric was going to die. She had been in so much pain, giving birth prematurely, isolated in the delivery room by that assassin. She thought she was going to die, too.
Facing death, her mind had been flooded with thoughts, mostly regrets. Regret that she might die without knowing if Alaric was still alive. Regret that she couldn't be by his side to say one last word. So many regrets.
"Galatea," Alaric rushed to her bedside. Seeing her so weak, his heart ached with guilt and sorrow.
"Are you hurt?" she asked, noticing the bullet graze on his arm. To Alaric, it was a minor injury.
"I'm fine, don't worry about me," he said, his concern evident. "How are you? Are you still in pain? Is there anything else bothering you?"
Stellan shook her head. Seeing him safe, she felt at peace. She felt fine, everything was fine.
"I'm sorry, Galatea, I'm so sorry," Alaric said, leaning down to hug her, kissing her face gently as he apologized over and over. "It's all my fault. You were amazing, so strong. It's over now, I'm here, you don't have to be afraid anymore."
He kept repeating these words, holding her tightly until he couldn't speak anymore. Stellan could feel his tears soaking her shoulder.
Was he crying?
In all the time she'd known him, she'd never seen him cry. Now, with his face buried in her shoulder, she couldn't see his face, but could feel his emotions.
Stellan slowly reached out to hold his hand, and Alaric grasped hers in return. Their fingers intertwined, holding tightly, saying more than words ever could.
Later, when the doctors came in to check on her, Alaric composed himself and stood up. Stellan quickly said, "Alaric, I'm fine now. Go check on our daughter. She was taken to the incubator right after birth, and I haven't seen her yet. I'm worried."
"Okay."
Because Evelyn was born prematurely, not even eight months along, she was at higher risk for infections compared to a full-term baby.
With doctors taking care of Stellan, Alaric left to see Evelyn. She was in an incubator, and he couldn't go in, so he watched her through the glass.
Seeing Alaric outside, a nurse inside picked up Evelyn and brought her closer to the glass for him to see. The moment he saw her, he was overwhelmed with emotion, tears streaming down his face.
All the years and experiences he'd been through, nothing compared to the impact of seeing his child.
Such a tiny baby. Evelyn, being premature, weighed less than four pounds. She looked so small in the nurse's arms, yet she was such a strong little life.
From the moment Stellan found out she was pregnant, the doctors had warned that the baby might have deformities. Stellan had gone through all the check-ups, and now, despite everything, this tiny baby had such a strong will to live.
Alaric stood there, touching the glass as if he could touch her. It was so miraculous, so overwhelming.
"Evelyn, thank you for being so strong. Thank you for surviving."
He choked up, unable to describe his feelings. Even though his eyes were filled with tears, they were tears of happiness.
After seeing his daughter, Alaric returned to Stellan's room to take care of her. He hadn't been there for the birth, and she had suffered so much. He was determined to be there for her recovery, to take care of her himself.
As he approached the room, he saw Neil coming towards him.
"How's Stellan?" Neil asked urgently.
"Thankfully, both mother and daughter are safe."
"That's good to hear," Neil said, relieved.
"How are things on your end? Is Tommy badly hurt? Have you found Josep?" Alaric asked.
"Luckily, Tommy was wearing a bulletproof vest, or he'd be dead. But the shot was powerful; his sternum is fractured, and his internal organs are damaged."
A fractured sternum and damaged organs? That was serious enough.
"As for Josep, we're searching everywhere. We interrogated Joe, but he's not talking. He won't say where Josep is."
Joe had been captured, and he knew he was facing death. Whether he revealed Josep's location or not, his fate was sealed, so he refused to talk.
Hearing this, Alaric was deeply worried and felt a pang of guilt.
"Neil, no matter what, we have to find Josep."
Josep was innocent. If he died because of this, Alaric would be haunted by guilt for the rest of his life.
"Don't worry, even if we have to search all of Arizona City, we'll find him," Neil promised.
Just as Neil said, the police deployed all their forces, with military assistance, to search the entire city for Josep, working tirelessly.
Finally, they were blessed with a stroke of luck. Josep was found, though he was severely dehydrated after being held captive for two or three days. He was rushed to the hospital.
It seemed like everyone was in the hospital. Cormac had his wounds treated and stayed to take care of Rowena and their child.
Alaric did the same, staying by Stellan's side 24/7, attending to her every need.
Tommy was seriously injured and was in a different hospital, so Gillian still didn't know his condition.
A few days later, Stellan was feeling better. With doctors, servants, and a nutritionist taking care of her, Alaric left the hospital.
He had some unresolved questions that only Tommy could answer. Tommy, still a prisoner, was in a secure hospital room, guarded by police, with no visitors allowed.
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