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00:03One, two, three, four, five.
00:10I lay completely still, staring at the ceiling, my mind going blanker with every number.
00:15He finally set down the probe.
00:18Mrs. Shaw? Eight! Eight embryo sacs, all developing normally.
00:24My hand slowly drifted to my stomach, still flat, but somehow, eight lives were already there.
00:30The Shaw women had always been famously fertile.
00:32My mother delivered twins. My aunt had triplets in one go.
00:36But no one could have predicted that when it came to me, I'd skip straight to eight.
00:41The clinic was warm, but I felt only a cold gray settling over everything ahead of me.
00:46Would Lucian even want these children?
00:48He could barely stand to look at me on a normal day.
00:52And the Ford family? Would they ever acknowledge children I carried?
00:56Eight children.
00:58Formula, diapers, nannies, school fees.
01:02Every single item on that list was an astronomical figure.
01:07My own family was ordinary.
01:09I had no allies.
01:11What did I have to raise them with?
01:12The more I thought, the heavier it got.
01:15I walked back through the doors of the Ford estate.
01:18Then Leo appeared, Lucian's assistant.
01:20The CEO has spoken.
01:23Give you $200 million.
01:24Sign, and never return.
01:32$200 million.
01:34I could raise eight children in luxury, send every one of them to private school, and still have plenty left
01:41over.
01:41What did I care about the title of Mrs. Ford?
01:44What did I care whether Lucian liked me?
01:47I had Leo arrange the transfer right then and there.
01:50And right in front of him, I signed the divorce papers, without a single moment of hesitation.
01:56I went back upstairs, packed only what was mine.
01:58The couture gowns, jewelry, and designer bags from the Fords.
02:02I left every piece untouched, right where it was in the dressing room.
02:07What wasn't mine, I didn't want.
02:09I collected the check and the divorce papers, wheeled my suitcase to the door,
02:14walked out of the Ford estate with my head held high.
02:17That wealthy world I once thought so far beyond my reach.
02:21Looking back, it was all just a passing illusion.
02:24From this moment on, there was no more Mrs. Ford.
02:27There was only Aria Shaw and the eight little lives she was carrying.
02:32Later, word spread across the entire city.
02:35Lucian Ford, the man who never hesitated, never wavered, had suddenly lost his mind.
02:44Immediately mobilize all lemping and resources.
02:46Find her for me.
02:47You find her, don't expect any of you to be okay.
02:50He was hell-bent on finding her, his ex-wife.
02:54The one who'd taken his money, run off carrying eight of his children, and never once looked back.
03:00I walked out of the Ford estate and flagged down a car straight to the private bank.
03:05I converted Lucian's check into a card I could access anytime.
03:09With that done, I booked a first-class flight to Savannah.
03:12Then I stopped at a luxury car rental and got their best vehicle.
03:17Once I was in the car, I went straight to my parents' place.
03:22Then they noticed I was alone with a suitcase, and the smiles froze.
03:26They knew immediately that something was wrong.
03:29When I told them Lucian and I were divorced, Mother teared up at once.
03:32She took my hands and couldn't stop crying.
03:36Father slammed his hand on his knee, grabbed his cane by the door, and headed for the Ford estate,
03:41his whole body shaking with fury.
03:43That heartless man.
03:45Even if he didn't care for you, he had no right to treat you this way.
03:51I'm going over there right now. This is outrageous.
03:56Dad, Mom, don't.
03:58Leaving him is a relief for me, not a loss.
04:02He gave me $200 million.
04:04That's more than enough for all of us, for the rest of our lives.
04:08I'm carrying eight children.
04:12I can't put them at risk.
04:16Besides, Lucian's been overseas on business.
04:19He's not even in the city.
04:21If we go over there now, we'll only make a scene for nothing.
04:25Hearing the octuplets, they stood there stunned for a long moment, not quite able to process it.
04:30But their love for me, and for the children I was carrying, won out over their anger.
04:35My parents had spent their whole lives running a small diner.
04:38They asked for nothing more than peace and quiet.
04:42Now I had money, and a family on the way.
04:44Leaving this city that had drained me so much was the best thing for all of us.
04:48We packed the few belongings, got into the rented car, and drove to the airport.
04:53The city's glitter and its games had nothing to do with me anymore.
04:57Back at the Ford estate, a very different scene was playing out.
05:01The divorce papers and the check had never come from Lucian.
05:05They had come from Camille Sutton.
05:08Camille shared no blood with Lucian.
05:11She had been taken in by Eleanor as a child and raised in their home.
05:15She had loved Lucian for as long as she could remember,
05:18and she had always seen me as a thorn in her side.
05:22She knew Lucian was away on an overseas project.
05:25She knew Eleanor was the one running the estate in his absence.
05:28She knew I was just a girl from an ordinary family.
05:32She convinced herself I'd clung to Lucian by any means necessary.
05:37To her, our marriage was nothing but a face-saving arrangement for both families.
05:42So she had made her move.
05:44She had someone mimic Lucian's tone and send me the message.
05:48She had paid off Leo to deliver the divorce papers.
05:52She was certain I had married into the Ford family only for money and status.
05:57She was sure that once I got divorce papers, I would fall apart, cry, beg, refuse to leave.
06:05Then she would step in and play the gracious peacemaker to show everyone how generous she was
06:12and turn the whole family against me for good.
06:15But she had calculated wrong.
06:17At that moment, she was drinking tea with Eleanor in the garden.
06:21Don't worry, Mrs. Ford.
06:22Aria fought so hard to marry into this family.
06:26She's probably in her room, throwing a fit and refusing to leave.
06:32I'll go calm her down later.
06:35It'll show everyone how gracious the Fords are.
06:40A nobody from a nobody family, and she thought she deserved to be Mrs. Ford.
06:46Getting thrown out is exactly what she brought on herself.
06:50Just then, the housekeeper Martha hurried across the garden.
06:54Mrs. Ford.
06:54Miss Camille.
06:56Miss Camille.
06:57Miss Shaw is gone.
06:59She packed only a few of her belongings.
07:01She didn't take a single piece of jewelry or designer clothing she just left.
07:05Camille's hand paused on her teacup.
07:07Her lips curved into a faint smirk.
07:10She told herself I was playing hard to get.
07:13Running away to make Lucian chase.
07:15But Eleanor's face drained of color.
07:17The crystal teacup slipped from her hand.
07:20What did you say?
07:21She just left?
07:23All those valuables in this house, and she didn't take a single thing?
07:27It's true, Mrs. Ford.
07:29We all saw it clearly.
07:31Miss Aria only took her own luggage.
07:33She didn't touch a thing that belonged to the family.
07:35Eleanor stood up abruptly.
07:37She hurried straight to the master bedroom I'd been staying in.
07:41Camille followed close behind.
07:43Composed on the surface.
07:44Something uneasy stirring underneath.
07:47My room had always been simple and tidy.
07:50Now, it was just empty.
07:52Every item that built only my few casual clothes and a small stack of old books were gone.
07:59Eleanor had the rest of the estate checked immediately.
08:02The staff came back with the same answer.
08:05Miss Aria had taken only what belonged to her.
08:08Not a single item from the Ford family had been touched.
08:12Eleanor stood in the middle of the empty room.
08:14Her face paled, then turned ashen.
08:17Rage and something unnameable churned inside her.
08:22Ungrateful girl.
08:23Fine!
08:24She left!
08:25What's she proving putting on such a holiest-than-though act?
08:29But she knew better than anyone what she thought of me.
08:32That I had stayed for the money.
08:34That I had clung to the Ford name because I had nowhere else to go.
08:38And now, I had walked away without taking a thing.
08:42It felt like a slap across the face.
08:44The household staff stood with their heads down, not daring to breathe.
08:49No one had expected that kind of dignity from me.
08:52They had all quietly looked down on.
08:55Camille moved quickly to Eleanor's side.
08:58Mrs. Ford, please don't upset yourself.
09:02Aria's leaving just shows she didn't belong in this family.
09:05I'm here.
09:06I'll always be here for you.
09:17You're the thoughtful one.
09:19A hundred times better than that Aria ever was.
09:22She made a pretty speech about not wanting anything from us.
09:25But didn't she walk out with 200 million dollars of Lucian's money?
09:28Deep down, she's just as greedy as everyone else.
09:32Two hundred million dollars?
09:35She stood frozen where she was, the blood draining from her face.
09:39She had only paid off Leo.
09:41She had only mimicked Lucian's tone.
09:44Sent the message.
09:45Had the papers delivered.
09:47She had never had any access to Lucian's accounts.
09:51Two hundred million dollars was something she couldn't have touched if she'd tried.
09:56So who had sent that money?
09:58A terrible thought detonated somewhere deep in her chest.
10:02A wave of cold dread swept through her entire body.
10:06Her plan had been simple.
10:08Make me fall apart after the divorce.
10:11Make everyone despise me.
10:13Clear the path for herself.
10:15But instead, I had walked out clean and calm, carrying the money, and vanished completely.
10:22None of this was what she had planned.
10:24Camille kept the smile on her face.
10:27But her fingertips were ice cold, and her heart had dropped.
10:31By then, I had already arrived in Savannah with my parents.
10:35Warm.
10:36Unhurried.
10:36No pressure.
10:38No scheming.
10:39Nothing that seeped into New York's walls.
10:41It was exactly the kind of place I had been longing for.
10:45I bought a penthouse right in the heart of the city.
10:48Generous light.
10:49Open space.
10:50More than enough room for eight children to grow and run and make noise.
10:54The interiors were warm and comfortable.
10:57Heated floors.
10:59The whole place breathing ease.
11:06Outside, the city moved.
11:09Inside, my parents' voices were low and easy.
11:12No cold rules.
11:14No judgment.
11:15Just warmth and calm.
11:19My mind clear.
11:21I would be here.
11:22I would watch them grow.
11:24I would take them everywhere and give them everything.
11:28I would never have to answer to anyone again.
11:31I would never have to shrink myself to survive in someone else's home.
11:36A life like this was worth more than the Ford name could ever have been.
11:41Six months passed.
11:42I settled quietly in Savannah, my belly growing rounder each week as all eight babies thrived.
11:49Every day, I walked, read, and picked out tiny outfits and little shoes.
11:54The days were simple yet full.
11:57Back in New York, Lucian had finally returned after six months abroad.
12:01Sharp eyes.
12:02Not a single wasted movement.
12:05Mr. Ford, welcome back.
12:08Lucian got into the car and spoke without looking up.
12:11Six months.
12:13Tell me what happened at home.
12:15Leo stiffened head to toe.
12:17Mr. Ford, your wife, she...
12:21Speak.
12:23She...
12:24Drive.
12:25Faster.
12:26He went straight to the study.
12:27On the desk, folded neatly, was the divorce agreement.
12:31Lucian looked down at it.
12:32At the bottom of the page, the signature was clean and certain.
12:36Aria Shaw.
12:38Someone explain to me what happened.
12:40Mr. Ford, it was Miss Kimiel.
12:43She used your name to send Mrs. Ford the message.
12:46She used your identity to trick her into leaving.
12:49I had no choice!
12:52The temperature in the room dropped another degree.
12:56Lucian hurled the divorce agreement to the floor.
13:00The pages landed at Leo's feet with a sharp crack.
13:04Get out.
13:06Go to HR and submit a written statement.
13:09Your annual bonus is gone.
13:11You're on warehouse duty until I say otherwise.
13:15Leo fled.
13:16The room went silent.
13:19Lucian stood alone, surrounded by the weight of it all.
13:23Camille's scheming.
13:24Eleanor's blind favoritism.
13:27Eleanor's blind favoritism.
13:28Leo's betrayal.
13:29All of it made his blood run cold.
13:31But none of it was what was pressing against his chest right now.
13:36That was Aria.
13:38The fact that she was gone.
13:41Three years ago, at a charity gala,
13:44he'd walked into the wrong hotel room.
13:47Spent the night with her.
13:53By morning, she stared at him.
13:56Panic in her eyes.
13:57But her chin held high.
13:59He'd been caught in a scandal at the time.
14:02A rival had paid someone to photograph him
14:04and spread rumors about his private life.
14:09Marrying her had put an end to it.
14:12After the wedding, she never demanded anything.
14:15Never competed for his attention.
14:16She simply took care of everything, quietly.
14:20Never making him feel she wanted anything in return.
14:24Before every business trip,
14:27she packed his bags overnight,
14:28tucked his antacids,
14:30and reminded him to take care of himself.
14:35Her eyes always gave away more than her words.
14:40At the annual gala, he hadn't been drunk.
14:43He had used it as an excuse to do what he'd wanted to do
14:46for a long time.
14:49To get closer to her.
14:51To break through the wall between them.
14:56And now she was gone.
14:58Carrying his children.
15:00Taking the money he had set aside for her.
15:05That $200 million had been sitting in a private name
15:09once things between them warmed up.
15:11Something to make her feel secure.
15:13Camille had turned it into a weapon.
15:15It had become the reason Arya left.
15:19Lucian pressed his hand to his chest.
15:21Something ached there.
15:22Heavy and hollow at the same time.
15:25He understood it now.
15:27What he felt for her hadn't been cold civility for a long time.
15:31He had fallen for her.
15:33Slowly.
15:34Without realizing it.
15:35And by the time he understood that,
15:37she was already gone.
15:40Camille.
15:40Dawn had barely broken
15:42when the mood inside the Ford estate
15:44hit rock bottom.
15:46Eleanor sat at the head of the main hall.
15:48Both hands wrapped around her string of pearls.
15:51Camille stood nearby.
15:53Fingers twisted in her skirt.
15:57Eyes full of panic.
15:59She was working hard to hide.
16:01Lucian sat across from them in a black suit.
16:04Cold-eyed.
16:05Still.
16:06Grandmother.
16:08She schemed against your grandson's wife.
16:11Against my children.
16:13This needs to be settled today.
16:15Eleanor looked at his face and said nothing.
16:18She had watched this boy grow up.
16:20He'd run Ford Group for years with precision.
16:23No room for sentiment.
16:25When he was angry,
16:26he didn't spare anyone.
16:28Not even family.
16:30Lucian, I know I was wrong.
16:32I lost my mind.
16:33I just...
16:36I love you so much.
16:38Watching Aria take the place
16:40that should have been mine,
16:41I couldn't stand it.
16:43Please.
16:44Just this once.
16:46I swear I'll never do it again.
16:48Lucian looked at her from his chair.
16:52You love me?
16:53Not a flicker of feeling in his eyes.
16:56Then why'd you impersonate me?
17:00You took the money I put aside for my wife.
17:04Just to trick her into leaving.
17:09Camille, that's not love.
17:10That's cheap.
17:12Vicious, even.
17:14You spent years
17:15throwing your weight around in this house
17:17because my grandmother dulled you.
17:20Belittling the staff.
17:22Making Aria's life difficult.
17:30Did you think I didn't notice?
17:34He paused.
17:35His voice dropped another degree.
17:37I let it go because you were raised here.
17:40I gave you that much.
17:42But you took it too far.
17:44You went after my wife.
17:46You went after my children.
17:48Camille's crying stopped.
17:49She thought Lucian was only playing around with Aria
17:52or putting up a front because of the rumors.
17:56But from his words,
17:57she heard something different.
17:59He'd actually fallen for her.
18:01For real.
18:03No!
18:04That's not possible!
18:08Lucian!
18:09How could you love someone so, so ordinary?
18:12She doesn't deserve you.
18:14She never did.
18:16Whether she deserves me
18:18is not your call to make.
18:20I am revoking every position you hold at Ford Group.
18:24Freezing every asset tied to this family.
18:27And sending you back to your hometown.
18:30You will not set foot in this house again.
18:33Not once.
18:34Not ever.
18:36Camille completely fell apart.
18:38I don't want to go back.
18:40I'll do anything.
18:41Please!
18:42Lucian shook her off.
18:43Hard.
18:44She hit the floor.
18:45Her forehead caught the edge of the table.
18:48A thin line of blood appeared at her hairline.
18:51Remove her.
18:52He didn't look at her again.
18:54The security moved in at once,
18:56lifted her off the floor,
18:57and dragged her out of the parlor.
18:59Her cries faded down the hallway
19:01and disappeared.
19:02Lucian,
19:03I should never have taken Camille's side.
19:06I should never have treated Aria the way I did.
19:09Grandmother,
19:10what's done is done.
19:11The frost in his expression eased,
19:13just barely.
19:14But the warmth didn't follow.
19:16There's no point in saying this now.
19:19Aria is gone.
19:21She took my children.
19:24What I need to do is find her
19:26and bring her home.
19:29Put out the word.
19:31Use every resource the Ford family has.
19:33Find Aria Shaw.
19:34Aria Shaw.
19:35Wherever she is,
19:38bring her back.
19:39Yes, Mr. Ford.
19:40The six months after I left New York
19:42were the most peaceful of my life.
19:45My father spent his free afternoons
19:47fishing by the lake.
19:49My mother tended to the flowers
19:51she'd planted around the house.
19:53The days were quiet and good.
19:55I thought it would stay that way forever,
19:57that I'd simply wait for the babies to arrive,
20:00watch them grow,
20:01and build a small, steady life.
20:03I wasn't expecting what came next.
20:06One afternoon,
20:07I took my parents to a fine restaurant
20:09by the waterfront.
20:10My mother's bracelet shifted
20:12as she reached for her glass.
20:14The restaurant owner stopped mid-sentence.
20:17Ma'am, that bracelet.
20:19Is that a Marley family heirloom?
20:21My mother's face changed instantly.
20:23She pulled her sleeve down and looked away.
20:25That bracelet had been with her
20:27as long as I could remember.
20:29She wore it every day,
20:30close to her skin.
20:32She had never once explained
20:33where it came from.
20:34I pressed her until she finally spoke,
20:37eyes red from Uli daughter of Charles Marlow.
20:41The Marlow family was old money in Savannah.
20:43Deep roots, considerable wealth.
20:47Years ago,
20:47she had been visiting New York
20:49when she met my father.
20:51They fell in love immediately,
20:52but the Marlowe's refused.
20:55My father was ordinary.
20:56The gap between their families was too wide.
21:00They would not allow it.
21:01My mother chose my father anyway.
21:04She cut ties with her family,
21:05left Savannah,
21:06and spent the next decade
21:08living under a different name.
21:10She never went back.
21:11She never told anyone who she was.
21:14She had missed home every day,
21:16but she was afraid her family was still angry,
21:19afraid of walking back
21:20into the same walls of judgment,
21:22so she kept it buried.
21:24The restaurant owner
21:25was a distant relative of the Marlowe's.
21:27He had seen the heirloom years ago
21:29and recognized it immediately.
21:31He told us that Charles Marlow
21:33had never stopped looking for his daughter.
21:36Every year, he sent people to search.
21:38He was nearly 70 now,
21:40his health declining,
21:40and his own loss.
21:42It's my fault.
21:43You gave up everything for me.
21:46Your family, your name, your home,
21:48all these years carrying it alone.
21:51I'm so sorry.
21:53Mom, Dad, let's go see him.
21:56Whatever he feels,
21:58he's still family.
21:59Blood is blood.
22:00You've both carried this too long.
22:02It's time to go home.
22:03They nodded.
22:04The restaurant owner guided us
22:05to the Marlowe estate.
22:07My grandpa was nearly 70,
22:09white-haired,
22:10but still sharp,
22:11still present.
22:12The moment he saw my mother,
22:14the man who'd held himself together
22:16for half his life,
22:18finally broke.
22:19My, my girl.
22:21Dad!
22:23My mother ran to him
22:25and cried like a child.
22:27My girl.
22:28I'm sorry all this time.
22:30I'm so sorry.
22:32He looked at my father.
22:34The resentment was there,
22:35but so was the evidence
22:37of 30 years of care.
22:39Eight, eight babies!
22:42My granddaughter!
22:44You don't have to worry
22:45about a single thing.
22:47Your grandfather
22:47has more than enough.
22:49You and the babies
22:50will want for nothing.
22:52He bought the surrounding properties
22:54and merged them
22:55into his estate.
22:56He assigned the Marlowe's
22:57private doctor
22:58to check on me every day.
23:00He brought my father
23:01into the family business.
23:03My father had good instincts for it.
23:05With grandpa's guidance,
23:06he found his footing quickly.
23:08He soon became
23:09one of the family's
23:10most trusted advisors.
23:11And I,
23:13as Charles Marlowe's
23:14only grandchild,
23:15his most treasured person,
23:17became the natural heir
23:19to the Marlowe name.
23:20Half the family's holdings
23:22passed into my hands.
23:23The girl who once lay awake
23:25worrying about raising
23:26eight children
23:27was now one of the wealthiest
23:29women in Savannah.
23:30A family at my back.
23:32My parents beside me.
23:34Eight lives growing inside me.
23:37I had everything.
23:39I thought I would simply stay here.
23:42Grow old in this warm city
23:43with my children
23:44and my family.
23:46But this would be the end
23:47of the story.
23:48I didn't expect Lucian to find me.
23:51Savannah was softly raining
23:52the day Lucian found me.
23:53Nothing like the cold nights
23:55I remembered from New York.
23:56I was lying on the sofa.
23:58It was peaceful.
23:59Then,
23:59I heard noise
24:00from outside the gate.
24:01A familiar figure stood in the rain.
24:04Black suit.
24:05Straight posture.
24:07The same sharp edges in his face.
24:09But his eyes held something different now.
24:12Exhaustion.
24:13Something I couldn't quite name.
24:15He stood in the rain
24:16with his hair wet
24:17against his forehead.
24:19Lucian.
24:19I felt nothing stir in my chest.
24:22Not even surprise.
24:23With the Ford's power
24:25and connections,
24:26finding someone
24:27wasn't a question of if.
24:29Only when.
24:30He walked toward me.
24:31Each step a little too quick.
24:33A little too deliberate.
24:35His suit was soaked.
24:37Fabric pressed against him
24:38by the rain.
24:39He stopped in front of me.
24:40His eyes dropped to my stomach.
24:42The visible swell of it.
24:44Eight lives inside.
24:46A flicker of tenderness,
24:48pain,
24:48and regret
24:49crossed his eyes
24:50before they went still.
24:52Aria.
24:52It was the first time
24:53he had ever said my name like that.
24:56I didn't answer.
24:57I signaled the housekeeper
24:58for a shawl.
24:59Mr. Ford,
25:00this is unexpected.
25:01What brings you
25:02all the way out here?
25:03Aria, I-
25:04He opened his mouth,
25:05closed it,
25:05opened it again.
25:06This man who'd run boardrooms
25:08and moved markets
25:09stood before me,
25:11speechless.
25:12Home.
25:13Mr. Ford,
25:13I think you're confused.
25:15I'm not Mrs. Ford anymore.
25:19We're divorced.
25:20We're nothing to each other.
25:21I'm doing well here.
25:23I don't need your concern.
25:25And I'd like you
25:26to stop coming here.
25:26The divorce wasn't real.
25:29Camille sent that message
25:29pretending to be me.
25:30She forged my signature
25:31on the papers.
25:32None of it came from me.
25:33I never wanted to divorce you.
25:34Not once.
25:35And the 200 million,
25:36that wasn't Camille's money to give.
25:37It was already yours.
25:38I had this set aside
25:39calmed down months ago.
25:40I was just waiting for things
25:41between us to calm down
25:41before putting it in your name.
25:42Camille told you
25:43it was a settlement.
25:44She used it to get rid of you.
25:44She's been dealt with.
25:45All her positions are gone.
25:46Her assets are frozen.
25:47She'll never set foot
25:47in New York again.
25:48The staff who made your life
25:49Marable are gone too.
25:52My grandmother
25:52knows she was wrong.
25:53She's been waiting
25:54to apologize to you in person.
25:56He reached toward my face.
25:58His hand stopped
26:00in the air between us.
26:01It has nothing to do with me.
26:03What Camille did,
26:05how she was punished,
26:06that's Ford family business.
26:10It stopped being mine
26:11the day I walked out.
26:12I didn't leave New York
26:14because of Camille.
26:15I didn't leave
26:16because of your grandmother
26:17or the staff.
26:19I left because of you, Lucian.
26:23It was your three years
26:25of coldness.
26:26It was the warmth
26:27you never gave me.
26:29It was you who made me feel
26:31like I wasn't in a home,
26:32but a cage.
26:34I could barely breathe
26:35inside it.
26:36I watched every word.
26:39I weighed every step.
26:42And now I'm out,
26:43and you want me to go back?
26:47Aria, I know.
26:48I know I was wrong.
26:50For three years,
26:51I just refused to see
26:52what was right in front of me.
26:53I told myself
26:54I didn't know how to reach you,
26:55that I needed more time.
26:57At the gala that night,
26:58I wasn't even drunk.
27:02I used that as an excuse
27:03to get close to you.
27:05I thought I'd have more time.
27:06I thought you'd still be there
27:08when I finally worked up
27:09the courage to say it.
27:12The guilt in his eyes was real.
27:14I could see that.
27:15Had I ever felt something for him?
27:17Maybe.
27:18The time he stepped between me
27:20and the rude housekeeper.
27:21The morning he quietly took
27:22the antacids I'd left for his trip.
27:25The way he looked at me
27:26at the gala.
27:27Just a moment.
27:28Before things got complicated.
27:30Maybe there had been
27:31something there.
27:32But three years of cold
27:34had worn it down to nothing.
27:36Lucien,
27:38it's too late.
27:39I have everything I need right here.
27:41My parents,
27:42my grandfather,
27:43more money than I could ever spend.
27:47And eight children on the way.
27:50I'm not missing anything.
27:52Please leave.
27:54Don't come back.
27:56Don't disturb my life
27:58or my children's lives.
28:03On the other side of it,
28:05Lucien stood in the rain
28:06and looked at a closed door.
28:09He didn't leave.
28:10He just stood there,
28:11still,
28:12getting soaked.
28:14After that day,
28:15Lucien bought a house near mine.
28:17He didn't try to force his way back in.
28:19But he didn't disappear either.
28:21He simply stayed close
28:23in his own quiet way.
28:27Every morning at dawn,
28:29fresh white peonies
28:30were delivered to my door.
28:31I'd once mentioned in passing
28:32that they were my favorite flower
28:34in New York,
28:35never thinking he'd heard.
28:37The dew-covered blooms
28:38filled the house
28:39with a soft,
28:40clean fragrance.
28:41Every afternoon,
28:42a prenatal tonic
28:44made by his own hands arrived.
28:46I heard he'd hired a nutritionist
28:48and spent days perfecting it.
28:50Temperature,
28:51taste,
28:52balance,
28:53all tailored just for me.
28:55Every bottle came with a short,
28:56handwritten note,
28:57firm yet gentle,
28:59always telling me to eat well,
29:01rest,
29:02and not overwork.
29:04Every evening,
29:05he stood outside my gate,
29:07staring at the window lights
29:09for hours.
29:10He only left
29:10once my bedroom lamp went out.
29:12He never entered,
29:14just watched quietly
29:15from afar,
29:16asking for nothing in return.
29:18Word spread through Savannah.
29:20The CEO of Ford Group
29:22had come all the way
29:23from New York
29:24to wait outside
29:25his ex-wife's house
29:26every night.
29:27The woman who had
29:28taken his money,
29:29run off with eight of his children,
29:31and shut the door in his face.
29:33Some people called it devotion.
29:35Some people said he had it coming.
29:37He didn't seem to care
29:38what anyone thought.
29:40I heard everything they said.
29:42I still wasn't ready to move.
29:44I could see what Lucian was doing.
29:46I could feel it,
29:48even when I didn't want to.
29:50But seeing it
29:51and being healed by it
29:52were different things.
29:53The hurt hadn't gone anywhere.
29:55It was just quieter now.
29:57Then,
29:58one morning,
29:59I went to the small chapel
30:00near the Marlow estate
30:01to light a candle.
30:03Three men blocked our path.
30:05They saw I was heavily pregnant,
30:06with only a few servants beside me.
30:09Their intentions were obvious.
30:10I had no time to react.
30:13The staff tried to intervene
30:14and couldn't.
30:16Then,
30:16Lucian was there.
30:17He moved fast.
30:27He dealt with them
30:28in under a minute.
30:29When it was over,
30:31he smelled faintly of blood.
30:34Anyone who touches my wife,
30:36anyone who comes near my children,
30:38they will pay for it.
30:39The men were gone
30:40before he finished the sentence.
30:43The hardness in his face
30:45fell away immediately.
30:46What replaced it was concern,
30:49pure and unguarded.
31:00I looked at him.
31:03I felt something shift.
31:04Just slightly.
31:05A hairline crack
31:07in something I had kept sealed
31:08for a long time.
31:10That day,
31:10I didn't tell him to go.
31:12He walked behind me to the chapel,
31:14walked behind me back to the house.
31:16He didn't say much.
31:17He just stayed close,
31:19like a guard
31:20who had chosen his post
31:22and wasn't leaving it.
31:23Weeks later,
31:24the babies shifted abruptly one night,
31:27jolting me awake
31:28with a sharp pain.
31:29The doctor said
31:30it was probably just pressure,
31:31but someone had to stay
31:32and keep watch.
31:34Lucian arrived within the hour.
31:35He sat beside my bed
31:37through the whole night
31:38without sleeping.
31:39He held my hand,
31:40careful,
31:41unhurried,
31:42like nothing else existed.
31:45Don't be afraid.
31:46I'm here.
31:48The babies will be fine.
31:51You'll be fine.
31:52He held my hand
31:53through the entire night,
31:55never once let go.
31:56In the morning,
31:57I looked at his face,
31:58the red in his eyes,
32:00the exhaustion he hadn't hidden.
32:02Something in the wall around me
32:04cracked a little more.
32:06The days kept moving
32:08and my stomach kept growing,
32:10round and heavy,
32:12like I was carrying a small world.
32:14Walking had become slow work,
32:16possible only with help.
32:18Rolling over in bed
32:19needed assistance.
32:21Every little movement ached.
32:23Grandfather had brought in
32:24the best obstetric team
32:26in Savannah.
32:27They stayed at the estate
32:28around the clock,
32:29ready for whenever
32:30the time came.
32:32Everything that could be prepared
32:33had been prepared.
32:35Lucian kept his post nearby,
32:37daily deliveries of supplements
32:39and whatever the doctors recommended.
32:41He still didn't come inside.
32:43He checked in through the staff,
32:45made sure I was alright,
32:46then kept his distance.
32:48Then, one morning,
32:50the pain came.
32:51Wave after wave,
32:53harder each time.
32:55Within an hour,
32:56I was shaking all over,
32:58drenched in sweat,
32:59hair stuck to my face,
33:01my vision fading at the edges.
33:03The medical team moved immediately.
33:05The estate shifted
33:07into a different gear.
33:08Everyone at their station,
33:10no hesitation.
33:16Mrs. Shaw, push!
33:18Keep pushing!
33:19Almost there!
33:20Mrs. Shaw, hold on.
33:21The babies are coming.
33:23Stay with us.
33:23I lay there and used
33:25everything I had,
33:26over and over,
33:28until there was nothing left to use.
33:30Eight babies,
33:32one by one.
33:33Each birth drained me
33:34more than I thought
33:35I had left to give.
33:37Then the first cry
33:38cut through the room,
33:39sharp, clear,
33:41breaking all the tension.
33:42It's a boy.
33:43Then the second,
33:44the third,
33:45the fourth.
33:46Each cry joined the last,
33:48layering together,
33:50filling the house with sound.
33:51But there were still two left,
33:53and I had nothing.
33:55My eyelids were stone.
33:57My arms wouldn't respond.
33:59Every part of me
34:00wanted to simply stop.
34:04Mrs. Shaw, stay awake.
34:06Two more.
34:08Your babies need you.
34:10Stay with us.
34:12Then the door burst open.
34:17Arya, look at me.
34:20Stay awake.
34:21I'm here.
34:22The children need you.
34:24I need you.
34:25Just a little longer.
34:27His hand was warm.
34:28I looked at him.
34:29I saw it all at once on his face.
34:32Fear.
34:33Agony.
34:34None of his usual composure.
34:36He didn't care what anyone thought.
34:38About rules or how he looked.
34:40Something in me that had been holding tight for a very long time.
34:44Finally let go.
34:46I used what was left.
34:48The last two babies were born.
34:50Four boys.
34:51Four girls.
34:52Every one of them crying strong and clear.
34:56Every one of them healthy.
34:58Tiny and perfect.
35:00And overwhelming.
35:05The head nurse cleaned them.
35:06Wrapped them gently.
35:10Congratulations Mrs. Shaw.
35:11Congratulations Mr. Ford.
35:13Four boys.
35:14Four girls.
35:14All healthy.
35:16Quite a blessing.
35:18I looked at the eight of them.
35:20Arya.
35:21Then the room went dark.
35:23In the moment before it did, I saw Lucian's eyes fill.
35:26Arya.
35:29Thank you for all eight of them.
35:31Thank you for giving me a family.
35:32His tears landed on the back of my hand.
35:35Warm and real.
35:36I had never seen him cry before.
35:38This man who had never seemed to need anything.
35:40Who had run a corporation with ice in his veins.
35:44Was crying.
35:45For me.
35:45For our children.
35:47Outside the room, my parents and grandfather watched through the window.
35:51Eyes glistening.
35:53When I came around, Lucian was still there.
35:57He hadn't left my side.
35:59He wiped my face.
36:02Helped me drink.
36:04And stayed by my side all night with a clumsy, focused tenderness.
36:08It was nothing like the detached man I had spent three years waiting on.
36:14He stood over the bassinet and looked at the eight of them.
36:18There was something in his eyes I had no word for, except completely undone.
36:22He held each of them as if they were made of something that could break with a breath.
36:27They had his sharpness in their features, and something of mine in the softness around it.
36:32He gave them names.
36:34For the boys.
36:35Liam Aria Ford.
36:37Noah Aria Ford.
36:39Eli Aria Ford.
36:41And Cole Aria Ford.
36:43For the girls.
36:44Stella Aria Ford.
36:46Luna Aria Ford.
36:48Lily Aria Ford.
36:50And Ivy Aria Ford.
36:52Every name held mine inside it.
36:54Every name was a quiet promise.
36:57After the birth, my recovery began, and Lucien took over.
37:01He canceled everything he had in New York.
37:04Every meeting.
37:05Every obligation.
37:06Everything.
37:07He stayed in Savannah and didn't leave.
37:10He followed the postpartum nurse around and learned to make recovery broths.
37:14He practiced changing diapers.
37:17He learned how to feed the babies.
37:19How to settle them.
37:20How to get them back to sleep.
37:22His technique was rough at first.
37:23He fumbled.
37:25He looked completely out of his depth.
37:27But he never complained.
37:28And he never showed the slightest impatience.
37:32Eight babies crying at once is not a quiet experience.
37:36I couldn't get real sleep.
37:38So Lucien took the nights.
37:40Every time a baby cried, he was up.
37:43He handled them with the utmost care.
37:45Holding them until they settled.
37:47Then returned to sit beside me.
37:49My body recovered faster than anyone expected.
37:52When I was ready to move again, the Savannah Business Association held its annual gala.
37:58I was invited as the Marlowe heir.
38:01Lucien came with me.
38:02Most of the room treated us well.
38:04Word had spread about the octuplets, and people were respectful.
38:08The vice president of the business association, Douglas Price, had never liked the Marlowe family's standing.
38:14Mrs. Shaw, congratulations on the octoputs.
38:17Truly a miracle.
38:18So young, already the Marlowe ear.
38:21Mother to eight children with Mr. Ford by your side.
38:24You're the envy of this entire room.
38:26Though I do wonder, how long can luck like this last?
38:29I felt my expression shift.
38:31I opened my mouth.
38:33Lucien moved first.
38:35He pulled me to his side and stared at Douglas Price.
38:38Mr. Price.
38:39Aria is my wife.
38:41The mother of my eight children.
38:44Ah, she endured more than you'll ever know to bring them into this world.
38:55My protection, my love, none of it is remarkable.
38:59It's the least she deserved.
39:01And you just insulted her in front of everyone here!
39:06Was that a calculated move, or just a careless mistake?
39:10Douglas Price went pale.
39:12Then his knees buckled.
39:14He dropped to the floor before the entire gala, voice trembling.
39:20Mr. Ford!
39:21I'm so sorry!
39:23I miss...
39:24...membership frees all his business interests in Savannah.
39:28He is never to set foot in this city again.
39:31The security team moved before Price finished his sentence.
39:35His voice echoed down the corridor and then disappeared.
39:40Lucien turned to me.
39:41The cold was gone from his face the moment his eyes met mine.
39:46He reached up and touched the corner of my eye gently.
39:51Are you alright?
39:52Did that upset you?
39:54I stood there, held against his side,
39:56and felt the last threat of resistance inside me finally break.
40:01Yes.
40:08Arya, thank you.
40:10Thank you for giving me.
40:12Thank you for giving me one more chance.
40:14Thank you for giving me a home again.
40:16Lucien held my hand as we walked along the path through the Marlow Estate.
40:20The breeze off the water moved through the trees.
40:22The low, golden light of Savannah's sunset surrounded us.
40:26Arya, from now on, I'll never make you feel unimportant.
40:31I'll never let you leave my side.
40:33I'll never overlook what you need.
40:36Every bit of warmth I have belongs to you and our children.
40:40The New York Estate has been renovated just how you'd like it.
40:43White panties in the garden, a full playroom for the kids,
40:46and that library you always wanted,
40:48with shelves full of books you'd actually pick.
40:52And if you don't want to go back to New York, we won't.
40:56Savannah can be home.
40:57I'll stay here with you, with all of them,
40:59for as long as you'll have me.
41:03Anywhere is fine, as long as you're there.
41:05As long as they're there.
41:08That's all home has ever meant to me.
41:10He bent forward and pressed his lips to my forehead.
41:13Slow.
41:14Careful.
41:16We stayed in Savannah a long time after that.
41:19Long enough for the babies to walk and talk.
41:22To call us mom and dad in eight different voices.
41:26Each unique, yet somehow the sound.
41:30We went back to New York sometimes.
41:32Eleanor would see the children and light up in a way I had never seen from her before.
41:37The Ford Estate, once heavy with quiet unease,
41:41filled with noise, warmth, and the wonderful mess only eight children could make.
41:46Lucian returned to running the Ford Group on his own terms.
41:50Not consumed by it, but present in it.
41:53He made real time every day for us.
41:56From a cold estate in New York, to the warm for the rest of my life.
42:01Every year.
42:02Every season.
42:04All of it with him.
42:07All of it warm.
42:09All of it ours.
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