It was already well past midnight when Greg finally called Andrea and Edward over to take Dylan ho.
The boy, however, stubbornly refused to leave the hospital. His eyes were puffy, his fists clenched, refusing to be dragged away while Duncan was still inside the operating room.
"No! I want to wait for Daddy!" Dylan cried, his voice cracking.
Cammy, heart aching for the child, pulled out her phone and quickly video-called the mansion. When Peter’s face appeared on the screen, seated comfortably and smiling, she turned it toward Dylan.
"Look, sweetheart," Cammy said softly, "Grandpa is ho and waiting for you. He’ll keep you company until your Daddy wakes up."
Dylan’s resistance cracked. His lip trembled before he slowly nodded and allowed Andrea to gently guide him away, Edward following close behind.
Greg turned to Cammy as they watched the boy disappear down the corridor. "Babe... I really think you should go ho, too. You need rest. Randolf and I will stay here and update you the mont there’s news about Duncan."
Cammy looked at him and smirked faintly, trying to hide the dread she still felt in her chest. "Why offer sothing you know I’ll never agree to?"
Greg chuckled lightly, brushing her hair behind her ear. "I’m just testing my luck. You’re pregnant. You need rest, love. Even a couple of hours of sleep would help."
She shook her head, her fingers gently rubbing her belly. "Even if I lie down, my mind won’t let sleep. So I might as well stay."
Before Greg could respond, the doors to the operating room creaked open.
The doctor who had earlier taken their consent stepped out, removing his cap with a weary sigh, just like the two who had delivered the devastating news about Annie.
Cammy’s body stiffened. She instinctively grabbed the front of Greg’s shirt, knuckles white, bracing herself.
Her heart thudded painfully in her chest.
But then the doctor gave them a tired yet reassuring smile.
"Mr. Veston is stable now," he said gently. "We’ve managed to stop the internal bleeding. He’s being cleaned up and will be transferred to the ICU shortly. He won’t wake until tomorrow, once the anesthesia wears off."
Cammy gasped, her knees nearly buckling as relief surged through her.
"He’s alright?" she whispered, as tears spilled down her cheeks. "He made it?"
The doctor nodded. "He’s incredibly strong. He held on through the worst of it. Honestly, he’s a miracle case."
Cammy cried harder, but this ti the tears were of gratitude, flooding from the weight that finally lifted off her shoulders.
"Thank you... Thank you, Doctor. You don’t know what this ans to us."
The doctor smiled and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Get so rest now. He’ll need you when he wakes up." He turned and walked away down the hall.
Greg pulled Cammy into a fierce, grounding hug, holding her tight as if to protect her from every ache in the world. "Hey... that’s enough now," he whispered against her hair. "Duncan’s alive. He made it. Let’s go ho and tell Dylan the good news."
Cammy nodded shakily, her fingers brushing away the tears that refused to stop. "I’m not crying because I’m sad," she muttered, her voice thick. "It’s these damn pregnancy hormones."
Greg chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
Then he turned to Grace. "Where’s Ric?"
Grace looked up from her seat, frowning. "He said he’d go visit Annie’s baby in the NICU. Said he’d be back soon. I should call him."
Greg straightened. His voice dropped, filled with sothing dark and determined. "No, it’s okay. We’ll go to him."
Cammy glanced up. "Why?"
Greg didn’t hesitate. "Because if Annie’s gone... and Duncan is not the father, that baby might be mine. And if that’s true, custody falls on ."
Grace hesitated, lips parting. "About that..." she said slowly. "The results from the DNA test you requested ca in. Greg... you’re not the father."
A stunned silence followed.
Cammy blinked. "Wait, what?"
Greg stiffened. Randolf furrowed his brows in confusion. "If it’s not Duncan or Greg... then who the hell—?"
"I am."
The voice cut through the corridor like a blade.
They all turned sharply. Ric stood there, his face pale and drawn, hands clenched at his sides.
Cammy staggered back, practically dropping into the nearest chair. "Okay, I must be dreaming. Did Ric just say he’s the father?"
Ric let out a slow breath, walking toward them before lowering himself into the seat across from Cammy. His voice cracked. "I know... It’s insane. You probably all think I’m a monster."
Greg and Cammy said nothing—just stared, trying to comprehend.
Ric continued, his voice low and raw. "It was a stupid one-night stand. I was drunk. Heartbroken. Annie knew what she was doing. She had sign an NDA in exchange for her father’s investnt into my restaurants—the ones I now own, under my na, not my family’s. The deal was simple: money, silence, and no involvent."
He shook his head, almost in disbelief at his own words.
"I thought I won. No child support, no responsibility, and a golden ticket to success. Bartolou even gave TV deals, projects, appearances—I beca more famous, sponsors ca pouring in. But now..."
His voice broke, the weight finally crashing down.
"...Now my daughter’s lying in the NICU—tiny, hooked up to wires, struggling to breathe. Her mother’s dead. Her grandfather might not survive the night. And I gave her up before I even laid eyes on her."
Cammy’s hand flew to her mouth. Grace’s eyes welled up. Ric’s voice grew hoarse, but louder.
"I don’t want the deals. Or the fa. I don’t want anything except her. If Bartolou makes it... and if he’ll allow it... I want to raise her. I want to hold her, tell her she’s not alone. That she has a father."
He dropped his face into his hands and finally let go—sobbing like a broken man with nothing left but a wish to do right.
Grace quickly dropped beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Cammy sat on the other side, gently rubbing his back.
"You won’t do this alone," Grace whispered. "We’ll help you through this."
Ric didn’t reply. He just wept.
Then Randolf stepped forward, adjusting his tie. "Ric... if Bartolou pulls through and you still want to pursue your rights, I’ll represent you. I’ll get you back your daughter."
"Excuse ?" Grace snapped, shooting him a glare. "Did I not just say I would help him?"
They both glared at each other like it was a courtroom showdown.
Ric looked up, stunned. "Are you two seriously fighting over who gets to be my lawyer right now?"
Their eyes stayed locked in a codic standoff—until Cammy let out a breathless, emotional laugh. Even Ric couldn’t help but chuckle through his tears.
It was chaos, it was ssy, but it was real. And sohow... it was exactly what they all needed to make it through the night.
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