Chapter 29
Camilla sat beside Don Colen‘ s bed, carefully scooping broth from a bowl and holding it to his lips. “Slowly,” she said, her tone firm but gentle. “Don’t move too much. You‘ re still recovering.
Don Colen gave her a weak but amused smile as he accepted the spoonful.
“You‘ re bossier than usual.”
She rolled her eyes, setting the bowl down for a moment. “If I don‘ t boss you around, you’ll end up tearing your stitches or trying to handle business from your sickbed. Someone has to keep you in line.”
Don Colen chuckled softly, though the effort made him wince.
“I’d say you’re doing a fine job of it.” His hand weakly reached out to touch hers.
“But you’ve been running yourself
ragged. When’s the last time you
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rested?”
Camilla hesitated, then sighed. “I’ll rest when you‘ re back on your feet. Right now, you‘ re my priority.”
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Don Colen glanced at her, his brow furrowing slightly. “What‘ s been on your mind? You‘ ve been unusually quiet today.”
Camilla bit her lip, debating how to start. Her hand tightened slightly around his, and she took a deep breath.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning
to tell you.”
Colen’s eyes softened, his thumb
brushing against her fingers. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
She hesitated a moment longer, then met his gaze. “I’m pregnant.”
For a second, the words hung in the air. Don Colen stared at her, his expression
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))
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unreadable. Then, slowly, his face broke into a wide smile, and his eyes sparkled with emotion. “A baby?” he repeated, his voice filled with awe.
Camilla nodded, tears pricking her eyes. “Yes. I found out a few weeks ago, but with everything happening, I didn’t know how to tell you.”
Don Colen’s hand tightened around hers as he struggled to sit up straighter.
“You’ve made me the happiest man alive,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “You and our child… I swear to protect you both with everything I have. No one will ever hurt you again, Camilla. I‘ 11 make sure all our enemies are wiped out.”
His words, though fierce, carried a warmth that made her feel safe. Camilla leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “I know you will. But first, focus on getting better, okay?”
Don Colen nodded, “Of course, my love. I love you.”
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Camilla’s heart melted, “I love you, too.”
A delivery arrived for Camilla. A large bouquet of congratulatory flowers sat on the table, a note attached with Jackson and Ridge‘ s names scrawled at the bottom. Camilla stared at it for a moment, her expression hardening. Without a word, she picked up the vase and walked to the
window.
She opened it and threw the flowers outside, letting them fall into the garden below. “I don’t want anything from them,” she muttered, brushing her hands. off as if discarding the bouquet physically rid her of lingering emotions.
When Don Colen entered the room and noticed the empty vase on the table, he raised a brow. “Trouble?”
“Nothing I can’t handle,” Camilla said,
her tone curt.
Meanwhile, back at the Silver Bullets‘
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territory, Jackson and Ridge were trying to rebuild their group. They worked tirelessly, hoping that one day Camilla would see their efforts and forgive them.
“We need to prove to her that we’ve changed,” Jackson said as he examined plans for recruiting new members.
“She’s not going to forgive us
overnight,” Ridge replied, his tone weary. “But if we keep pushing forward, maybe we’ll earn back her trust.”
Their determination was clear, but the rift between them and Camilla was far from healing.
For the past nine months, Camilla and Don Colen had been living in a whirlwind of excitement and joy. Don Colen had been by her side through every milestone— laughing as she devoured pickles and ice cream at midnight, holding her hand during ultrasounds, and spending hours
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painting the nursery walls the perfect shade of soft yellow. Camilla had teased him endlessly about how serious he was about learning to swaddle, and he’d only smiled, saying he wanted to be ready for their baby.
That night, everything felt perfect–until Camilla woke up to a sharp jolt in her abdomen. She blinked, disoriented, before realizing what it was.
“Colen,” she said, nudging him awake. Her voice was calm but filled with urgency.
“It’s time.”
Don Colen shot upright in his chair, his eyes widening. “Time? You mean…?”
“Yes,” Camilla replied with a small, nervous laugh, clutching her stomach as another contraction hit. “The baby‘ s coming.”