Chapter 12: The Hospital Vigil
In the quiet middle of the rainy night, the fragile peace of Vance Manor was shattered once again, but this time, it was not by human violence. Clara woke up with a sharp, agonizing pain radiating through her abdomen. She gasped, clutching her pregnant stomach tightly as another intense wave of pain washed over her. Her water had broken, nearly two months ahead of schedule, triggered by the intense emotional trauma of the past week.
"Arthur!" she cried out, her voice echoing down the quiet hallway.
Within seconds, the security guards alerted Arthur, who rushed into her room, his dark blue suit jacket missing, his white linen shirt sleeves rolled up in haste. Seeing Clara in obvious pain, his paternal instincts kicked in instantly. He lifted her gently into his strong arms, completely ignoring her weak protests that she could walk, and carried her carefully down the grand white staircase
