Chapter 10 - Shadows of Como
The private diagnostic center in Manhattan was quiet the following morning. Dr. Robert Lin, a renowned maternal-fetal medicine specialist, reviewed the detailed volumetric ultrasounds on a massive three-dimensional projector.
Clara lay on the comfortable padded table, wearing a soft hospital gown. Beside her, Ethan sat on a stool, his cuts cleanly bandaged, wearing a plain gray sweater. His fingers rested lightly on the edge of the examination bed, inches from hers, never daring to bridge the gap without her consent.
"Everything looks remarkable, Mrs. Mitchell," Dr. Lin smiled, pointing to the screens. "Twin A, the boy, is measuring perfectly at fifty-four percentiles. Twin B, your girl, is just slightly smaller but exceptionally active. Both heartbeats are strong and regular."
A boy and a girl.
Clara’s hand instinctively tightened. Without thinking, she reached out, and her fingers curled around Ethan’s hand.
Ethan froze, his breath catching in his throat. He wrapped his fingers around hers with reverent gentleness, tears welling silently in his eyes. He bowed his head, pressing his forehead against the back of her knuckles. "A boy and a girl," he whispered, his voice thick with raw devotion.
"Their development confirms the exact window of conception to the mid-October mark," Dr. Lin continued, printing the high-resolution images. "There is zero clinical ambiguity."
When they left the clinic, the sidewalk was swarming with paparazzi. The news of Beatrice's arrest and Harold's failed coup had broken across the financial columns. Microphones were thrust toward them the moment they stepped past the glass revolving doors.
"Mr. Mitchell! Did your wife commit financial embezzlement?"
"Clara, are the pregnancy rumors true?"
"Is the divorce still going forward?"
Ethan immediately shifted his body, shielding Clara from the flashing cameras and encroaching bodies. He raised his arm, his authoritative aura returning instantly.
"Listen to me carefully," Ethan announced, his voice carrying over the shouting crowd with chilling authority. "Every accusation against my wife was the fabricated result of corporate conspiracy led by Harold Mitchell and Beatrice Mitchell, who are both currently facing federal indictment. Clara is entirely innocent. She is carrying our twins, and any outlet printing defamatory lies against her or my family will be sued into bankruptcy by nightfall."
He guided Clara gently into the waiting vehicle, closing the door against the chaos.
Inside the quiet cabin, Clara looked at him. "You defended me publicly."
"I should have defended you privately when it mattered most," Ethan replied, looking down at his hands. "A public press conference doesn't erase my failure, Clara. It’s just the bare minimum."
May you like
Clara leaned back against the headrest, feeling the soft kick of Twin B against her ribs. "We need to talk about the penthouse. And about our marriage."
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