Chapter 2 - The Choice of a Lifetime

Three weeks passed. My daughter, whom I had named Hope, was finally transferred out of the NICU. She was breathing on her own, a tiny, perfect miracle wrapped in a pink blanket. I held her against my chest every hour of the day, sitting in the plush chair next to Elena’s bed.

The doctors said Elena's heart was healing, but the coma was a mystery. She had to choose to wake up.

"Please, Elena," I whispered one rainy Tuesday afternoon, holding Hope in one arm and tracing the back of Elena's pale hand with my other. "The monsters are gone. I took care of them. Madison can never hurt you again. I know I was a fool. I know I let the world get between us. But I am begging you... come back to me. Come back to our little girl."

Suddenly, the heart monitor beside the bed spiked. The rhythmic beep-beep accelerated.

Elena's hand twitched beneath mine.

I held my breath, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Elena?"

Her eyelids fluttered. Slowly, painfully, they opened. Her beautiful brown eyes were hazy, blinking against the soft light of the room. She looked confused, disoriented, and then, as memory rushed back, absolute panic set in.

She gasped, trying to sit up, her eyes wide with terror. "My baby! Where is my baby?!"

"Hey, hey, look at me," I said, moving into her line of sight, gently resting my hand on her shoulder.

Elena froze. The sight of me seemed to terrify her even more. She shrank back against the pillows, tears instantly spilling down her cheeks. "Alexander... please. Please don't take her. Madison said you would take her. I'll sign whatever you want, just let me keep my baby."

It broke me. Hearing the absolute terror in her voice, caused by my name, shattered the last remaining pieces of my ego.

I didn't argue. I didn't give a speech.

Instead, I gently lowered my arms, bringing the small, pink bundle directly into Elena's line of sight.

Elena stopped breathing. Her trembling hands reached out, moving with an agonizing slowness, as if she feared the baby was a mirage.

I placed Hope into Elena's arms.

"She's ours, Elena," I choked out, tears openly streaming down my face. I dropped to my knees beside the hospital bed, resting my forehead against the mattress, completely surrendering to the woman I loved. "She is perfectly healthy. Her name is Hope. And I will never, ever take her from you."

Elena held the baby to her chest, sobbing uncontrollably, burying her face in the infant's dark hair. For a long time, the only sound in the room was the crying of a mother holding her child for the very first time.

Slowly, Elena reached out her hand. Her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling my head up so she could look into my eyes.

"Madison?" she whispered, her voice hoarse.

"Gone," I promised, pressing a kiss to her palm. "Her family is ruined. They can never touch us again. I know I failed you in our marriage, Elena. I let you feel alone. But I swear on my life, I will spend every second of my remaining days proving that you and Hope are the only empire I care about. Let me protect you. Let me bring you home."

Elena looked at me, searching my eyes for the ruthless, cold CEO she had divorced. But he wasn't there anymore. He had died in the waiting room a month ago.

A soft, broken smile touched her lips. "She has your nose," Elena whispered.