My Boss's Hidden Heir (Elara and Marcus) novel Chapter 167

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Three days in the NICU had given Elara a new appreciation for the passage of time. Hours felt like days when you were watching monitors track every heartbeat and breath. Days felt like weeks when you were waiting for tiny lungs to grow stronger and fragile hearts to stabilize.

But they were getting there. Slowly, painfully slowly, but getting there.

Baby A had been moved to a regular incubator yesterday, no longer needing the intensive monitoring. She was breathing completely on his own now, gaining weight steadily, and the nurses said she was already trying to root when they touched his cheek. Looking for food, looking for his mother, already so determined to

survive.

Baby B was still in intensive care but the improvement was undeniable. His oxygen levels had stabilized post- surgery, his heart rhythm was stronger, and this morning he’d opened his eyes for the first time. Just for a few seconds, just long enough for Elara to see that they were blue like Marcus’s, and then he’d drifted back to sleep.

But those few seconds had been everything.

Elara sat in the rocking chair between the incubators, her body still sore from the C-section but healing. She’d been released from the recovery wing yesterday but had refused to go home. The nurses had set up a small room for her near the NICU where she could rest between feedings and monitoring sessions.

Marcus hadn’t left the hospital at all. He’d been sleeping on a cot in Elara’s room, wearing the same clothes for three days until Mimi had finally brought him fresh ones. He showed up for every feeding, every doctor’s round, every moment when the nurses said it was okay to hold the babies for a few minutes of skin-to-skin

contact.

Right now he was down in the cafeteria getting food that Elara had promised to actually eat this time. She’d barely managed more than a few bites here and there, too anxious and exhausted to care about eating.

Her phone buzzed with a text from Mimi.

Mimi: How are the babies today?

Elara: Better. Baby B opened his eyes this morning.

Mimi: That’s wonderful! And how are you?

Elara: Tired. Sore. Terrified. The usual.

Mimi: Marcus still refusing to leave?

Elara: He went to get food but he’ll be back in five minutes guaranteed.

Mimi: That man is completely gone for you and those babies. It’s actually disgusting how sweet it is.

Elara smiled at her phone. A month ago she’d been convinced her marriage was falling apart, that Marcus still

17:04 Mon, May 11 M…

Chapter 167

had feelings for Aurora, that she was fighting a losing battle for his heart. Now she couldn’t imagine him anywhere but right here beside her, fighting for their family with everything he had.

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The door opened and Marcus walked in carrying a tray loaded with soup, sandwiches, fruit, and what looked like three different kinds of juice.

“I didn’t know what you’d want so I got everything,” he said, setting the tray down on the small table beside her chair.

“Marcus, Jesus this is enough food for five people.”

“Then you can pick what you want and I’ll eat the rest. But you’re eating something, El. You can’t survive on vending machine crackers and anxiety.”

“I’m eating.” Elara picked up the fruit cup and took a bite to prove it. “See? Nutritious and delicious.”

Marcus sat down in the other chair and watched her eat with an intensity that should have been annoying but somehow wasn’t. Like he needed visual confirmation that she was taking care of herself.

“The board called,” he said after a moment. “They want to schedule a meeting to discuss transition plans.”

“Transition plans for what?”

“For when I step back from the CEO position. I told them I want Dante to take over day-to-day operations while I move into more of an advisory role.”

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