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