Thor stood frozen for a moment. His gaze, hypnotized, saw everything in her at once: beauty, surrender, challenge.“Holy fuck…” he murmured hoarsely, barely realizing he had spoken.He rose suddenly, the chair spinning behind him. In two strides he was already in front of her, pulling her by the waist and pinning her against his body. His firm hand at the nape of her neck left no room for escape, and the kiss that followed was hungry—intense, charged with pent-up longing and restrained desire.Celina responded, letting herself be taken. When the kiss ended, he pulled back just enough to take her hand.“Turn around for me,” he asked, his gaze ravenous.She obeyed, slowly spinning. He stepped back to take her in completely.“Did you like the present, Thor Miller?” she teased, a defiant smile on her lips.He tilted his head slightly, eyes burning.“I loved it, love… but I warn you—gifts like this always come with consequences. And mine is that I won’t be in any hurry with you tonight.”“

That night, at the Ferraz mansion, Clarisse’s cry echoed through the bedroom—thin and distressed, cutting straight through the heart of anyone who heard it. Arthur sat in his wheelchair, holding his daughter in his arms and rocking her gently from side to side. She was nauseated, suffering from cramps, and refused every attempt at comfort. She didn’t want the nanny’s arms, nor his—she wanted only Zoe.He kept his voice low, trying to convey reassurance even as anxiety tightened his chest.“Don’t be like that, sweetheart… Daddy’s here. Mommy’s coming, love… she’s coming.”Arthur had already tried everything: changing positions, massaging her little belly, even softly humming to her—but nothing worked.In the bathroom, Zoe finished her shower in a hurry. When she heard her daughter’s cries grow louder, her heart raced. She stepped out wrapped only in a towel, her hair dripping, and crossed the room toward the bed.“Give her to me, love,” she asked, already opening her arms.Arthur hande

Arthur stayed by her side the entire time, encouraging her with words and holding her hand tightly.“I’m here, beautiful… we’re in this together.”“Together, my ass!” she shot back, laughing between one contraction and the next. “I’m the one with this huge belly doing all the pushing!”The hours seemed to compress. Between the staff’s encouragement, Maria’s emotional looks, and Arthur’s tender words, Zoe finally felt the moment arrive.“Zoe, I can see Miguel’s little head!” the midwife announced, her voice firm and excited. “With the next contraction, you push… he’s coming now!”Zoe’s eyes widened as the pressure increased, and she blurted out:“Oh my God… I feel like I have to poop! I can’t push anymore! Arthur…” She let out a groan mixed with nervous laughter. “…I’m going to kill you, Arthur! This is all your fault! You’re the one who got me pregnant!”Arthur, his heart racing, tried to keep calm and smile.“Push, beautiful… you can do this… Miguel wants to come into the world, love

The nurse encouraged her patiently.“Celina, you can squat, you can sit on the ball, you can bounce a little. There are lots of things that help Ravi move down.”Thor, nervous, tried to joke to ease his own tension.“Love, bounce on that ball… that’s something you’re really good at.”Celina widened her eyes, incredulous, even in the middle of a contraction.“Thor! My mother is here! I’m going to kill you!” she groaned, holding her belly. “Oh, oh, oh… another contraction!”Emma covered her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter, but couldn’t. Soon everyone in the room was laughing — even the nurse. Celina and Thor’s good humor made the intense moment feel alive and full of warmth.Time moved on. Between tears and smiles, Celina surrendered to the process, while Emma, Thor, and the team gave her constant support. She drank water, sipped juice, and did the recommended exercises.The nurse checked her again and announced:“Celina, you’re almost eight centimeters dilated. Now the rocking

Night fell gently over the mansion, casting delicate shadows along the corridors. Outside, the garden remained bathed in the light of the full moon, which rose majestically in the sky, while the chorus of crickets and the rustling of trees composed the soundtrack of that late hour. Upstairs, everything was already quiet. The children slept in their rooms, wrapped in innocent dreams. Each soft breath Zoe heard as she kissed them goodnight before going downstairs seemed to confirm that the world was at peace.For Zoe, however, rest always felt distant. Since Arthur had accepted the invitation to work at the University, something inside her had changed. On the days he taught, he left early and returned only at night, often tired. But fulfilled. She was proud of him, of the man who refused to let the wheelchair define the limits of his life. And yet, a habit had taken root in her routine: she simply couldn’t fall asleep before seeing him come home.At first, she told herself it was just l