Tangled Temptations

A jolt of intense shock sent Eloise reeling. Once she recovered, she felt a pain so intense that it seemed to consume her.

The baby stirred within her incessantly, as if sensing the impending danger. Eloise could feel the sensation of her baby dropping. The child was coming prematurely! "Mom!... Vera!" Eloise called out, mustering all the strength she could.

"Eloise!"

Michelle and Vera were both injured to varying degrees, their bodies smeared with blood. Vera had fallen unconscious. Michelle had a deep, 8-inch gash on her leg that wouldn't stop bleeding. Pinned under a heavy plank, she couldn't move. She lay on the ground, helplessly looking at Eloise. Her voice was hoarse as she called out for help, "Anyone... anyone... help save my child!"

But no one heard her pleas. An explosion had hit the entire area. Everyone was trapped and out of contact.

Despair began to consume Eloise. She knew that if she couldn't get to a hospital in time, she wouldn't be able to save her baby.

Her phone, where was it? Despite her excruciating pain, she started to fumble around, hoping to call Harvey, whose flight hadn't taken off yet.

Her phone was five steps away. Those few steps seemed to separate life from death. The pain intensified with every movement. Eloise couldn't stand. She was forced to crawl, supporting herself on her palms, inching towards her phone.

As she descended the steps, the sharp edges grazed her belly, causing immense pain.

Eloise was drenched in sweat, dust clinging to her wet hair and face. She was unrecognizable, but she continued crawling towards her phone. Finally, when she reached it, she was out of breath, turning herself so that the baby was facing upwards.

With her trembling hands, Eloise dialed the emergency number. The first number was Harvey's.noveldrama

The robotic, dispassionate voice of the automated service answered, "Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off!"

All Eloise could hear was the incessant voice echoing around her.

"Sorry, switched off..."

She hung up mechanically.

She didn't have time to mourn. She wanted to survive, she wanted her baby to survive. There was nothing more important than that.

The second emergency contact was Brett, her uncle. She managed to get through

to him. Brett was in a meeting, oblivious to the situation in Peterborough.

Shaking uncontrollably, Eloise mustered all her strength to shout, "Uncle, save me!"

On the other end, Brett paused for a moment. Then he replied, his voice filled with worry, "Eloise, don't panic. Tell me what happened."

Eloise, her mind starting to unravel, whispered, "Explosion... uncle..." Her phone slipped from her hand.

Brett sat in the conference room, tears streaming down his face. His secretary, a close confidant, had managed to find out what had happened. He whispered, "There's been a gas explosion in a high-end residential area in Peterborough. All the roads are sealed off. The situation's critical."

Brett clutched his phone, giving his instructions calmly, "Prepare a private jet. I need to go to Peterborough immediately. Also, arrange for a helicopter to enter the residential area. I need this done as quickly as possible. Did you get that? I can't afford to waste a second!"

His sister Louise was already gone. The Noland family couldn't afford to lose another child.

Brett left the conference room, his eyes red and watery. No one had ever seen him this distraught.

When he arrived in Peterborough, his team had already joined forces with Parker's team to get Eloise to the hospital as quickly as possible. Inside the delivery room, the doctors and nurses were bustling about.

Eloise was seven months pregnant. The baby was coming prematurely. Given her condition, a C-section was not an option. It had to be a natural birth. The doctors were uncertain about the baby's chances. They warned that even if the child survived the birth, the chances of survival were low. There was also a risk to Eloise's life.

The doctors' words suggested that if they decided not to go ahead with the birt Eloise would suffer less. Given her injuries, the additional pain of childbirth seemed unimaginable.

When Brett arrived, he heard the doctors' words. Parker, who had been looking for someone to discuss the situation with, agreed with his wife. They wanted to prioritize Eloise's life. They loved the unborn child, but Eloise was alive! They couldn't allow her to make such a huge sacrifice for the Horigan family.

Parker explained the situation to Brett, his voice barely above a whisper. Brett's face twitched as he surveyed the room. "Where's Harvey? His wife is in the hospital giving birth. Where is he?"

Parker pounded the wall in frustration! He wasn't aware of the situation until Denise had informed him. He wished he could atone for his ignorance with his life!

Brett didn't ask further. He had a hunch about what had happened. He didn't dwell on who to prioritize. He went straight into the delivery room, against hospital protocol. He had to see Eloise. She needed him, her uncle, by her side.

Eloise was awake, lying on the delivery bed, enduring the labor pains. Her clothes were soaked through. She looked as if she'd been pulled out of a body of water.

Brett approached her, leaning in to touch her face. The familial comfort he offered was something no one else could provide. Tears rolled down Eloise's cheeks. "Uncle!"

Brett, struggling to contain his emotions, softly relayed the doctors' words to her.

Eloise stared at the bright white light above her. She placed her slender fingers on her belly. The child she had carried for seven months, whom she had already named Linda, deserved to live, didn't she?

"Uncle, I want her!" She wanted to give birth to her child.

Brett knew what her decision would be. She was so much like Louise. Brett, usually composed, sounded shaky. "I'll be right outside, Eloise. You can do this!"

He pet her head, then straightened up and left the room. He was confident that Eloise would bring their child safely into the world.

Eloise didn't want anyone else in the delivery room. The person who should have been there with her wasn't. When she was eight centimeters dilated, the pain became unbearable. She thought she saw Harvey's face appear before her. Harvey... Harvey...

She whispered his name in her mind, each utterance causing a pang of pain. Between each painful throb, she thought of their first encounter, of him whispering her name in the dawn light, of him cradling her as he played the piano in the snowy nights, of the earnest words he had once uttered, "Eloise, I want to spend my life with you."

Harvey... Harvey...

With each silent call, her feelings for him faded a bit more.

...

A weak cry echoed in the room; a new life was born. It was Linda. Eloise lay still

on the bed, a faint smile on her lips. In her mind, she replayed the last

conversation she had with Harvey.

"I really don't feel well. The baby is kicking hard in my belly."

"Is she misbehaving?"

"She's never like this! Can you please not go? I'm afraid something will happen."

"If I don't leave now, I'll miss my flight. Be good and listen, okay?"

He gently pried her fingers away, one by one, with a soft smile. "You're just like a

child. I promise I'll be back in three days."

...

Eloise gently closed her eyes.