C362 A New Life

At the Gupta Family outside the city, the atmosphere was tense. Long before Angus the Hammer and his team arrived, Victor had already made preparations. A family doctor had been summoned. Two experienced female nurses had also been called. All three waited anxiously inside Victor's villa. No one sat down. No one relaxed. Victor paced back and forth in the living room. Every few seconds he glanced toward the entrance. His hands trembled slightly. The powerful old man looked completely helpless.

The moment the sound of approaching vehicles echoed through the estate, Victor rushed outside. Several black vehicles entered through the gates and drove directly toward the villa. Before the engines had even stopped, Angus the Hammer jumped out. The rear door opened. Alicia was carried out carefully. Her clothes were stained with blood. Her face was pale. Her eyes remained closed. Victor's heart nearly stopped. "My granddaughter!" He rushed forward. "Alicia!" Tears immediately rolled down his face.

For a moment he looked like an ordinary grandfather rather than the feared leader of one of the most powerful families in the world. "Quickly!" the doctor shouted. "Bring her inside!" The guards carefully carried Alicia into the villa and laid her on a prepared bed. Victor followed closely behind. His eyes never left her face. Angus stepped forward. "Boss." Victor turned toward him. Angus immediately explained. "We arrived in time." "Jack was eliminated." "Madam only suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder." "After we rescued her, she fainted." "We believe it was from blood loss and shock."

Victor's shoulders finally relaxed slightly. At least she was alive. That was all that mattered. Just then, the villa doors opened again. Miller was pushed inside in his wheelchair. Behind him walked Darry and Samson. The two older brothers looked calm compared to Victor. Neither showed much emotion. Samson glanced toward Alicia. "Is she dead?" Victor immediately shot him a sharp glare. The room turned cold. Samson shrugged but said nothing more. Miller, however, ignored the brothers completely. He rolled closer to Alicia's bedside.

His old eyes were filled with worry. "Victor..." "What happened?" "Is she badly hurt?" "What about the baby?" Victor looked toward the doctor. The doctor immediately stepped forward and began checking Alicia's condition. The room fell silent. Several minutes passed. Every second felt like an hour. Finally, the doctor looked up. "Her pulse is stable." Everyone released a small breath. "But..." The room immediately became tense again. The doctor continued. "I'm worried about the amount of blood she lost."

Victor frowned. "The baby?" The doctor placed a hand on Alicia's stomach. "For now the baby is stable." Victor's expression softened slightly. However, the doctor wasn't finished. "If she doesn't regain consciousness within the next two hours, we may have to perform an emergency procedure." Everyone froze. Victor's face changed. "What procedure?" The doctor answered honestly. "We may have to deliver the baby immediately." Silence. Nobody spoke. Finally Victor asked quietly, "The baby would survive?" The doctor nodded. "There is a good chance."

The room became silent once again. Then suddenly.. Alicia's fingers moved. One of the nurses gasped. "Doctor!" The doctor immediately leaned forward. "She's waking up!" Victor rushed to the bedside. "Alicia!" "My child!" Slowly, Alicia opened her eyes. The bright lights above her made her blink several times. She looked confused. Disoriented. For a moment she didn't know where she was. "Where..." Her voice was weak. "Where am I?" Victor quickly took her hand. "Alicia." "It's Grandpa Victor." "You're safe."

The moment Alicia tried to move, a sharp pain shot through her shoulder. "Ahhh!" She cried out immediately. Her face twisted in agony. Victor panicked. "Doctor!" But before anyone could react, Alicia suddenly grabbed her stomach. Her expression changed. A different pain had appeared. Much stronger. Much deeper. Another cry escaped her lips. "Ahhhh!" The doctor immediately realized what was happening. Her eyes widened. "No." "Not now." She quickly checked Alicia. Then she looked at Victor. "The baby is coming." Everyone froze. "What?"

Victor stared blankly. "The baby is coming now?" The doctor nodded urgently. "Immediately." "Move!" "Take her to the private room!" Everything became chaotic. The guards carefully lifted Alicia. The nurses rushed ahead. The doctor barked instructions. Within moments Alicia disappeared into one of the villa's private medical rooms. The doors closed behind them. And everyone outside was left waiting. Inside the room, Alicia was drenched in sweat. Pain came in waves. Each one stronger than the last.

The doctor remained beside her. "Alicia." "Listen to me." "How many months?" Alicia struggled to answer. "Ahhh..." "Almost..." "Eight months..." The doctor nodded. "Good." "Stay focused." "You need to help us." Another contraction hit. Alicia screamed. The nurses quickly held her hands. The doctor remained calm. "Alicia." "Push." "Push with all your strength." Minutes passed. Then more minutes. Outside the room, Victor paced endlessly. Miller sat quietly. Even Darry and Samson had stopped talking. Everyone listened.

Every cry from inside made Victor's heart ache. Then... A new sound appeared. A baby's cry. Loud. Strong. Healthy. The entire villa froze. Nobody moved. Nobody breathed. The cry echoed through the room again. Victor's eyes widened. Miller smiled. Even Angus looked relieved. Inside the room, Alicia heard it too. The baby's cry. Her baby. A small smile appeared on her exhausted face. Her lips moved weakly. "Mike..." Then darkness claimed her once more.

A few minutes later, the doors opened. One of the nurses stepped out carefully carrying a tiny bundle. Everyone immediately gathered around. Victor's eyes became moist. Inside the blanket was a tiny baby boy. Small. Fragile. Yet alive. The baby yawned softly. Victor's hands trembled. "My great-grandchild..." The nurse smiled. "It's a boy." Miller's eyes also became red. "A boy..." The old man whispered. The doctor stepped out shortly afterward. "Mother and child survived." The entire room relaxed instantly.

Victor felt his legs almost give way. He sat down heavily. Finally he could breathe properly. The doctor continued. "The baby appears healthy despite arriving early." "However, I strongly recommend a hospital examination." Victor nodded immediately. "Of course." The doctor sighed. "The nearest hospital is far away." "And it's already late." "If you choose to keep them here tonight, monitor them closely." "I'll leave both nurses with them." Victor nodded again. "Thank you." The doctor smiled. Then Victor suddenly remembered something. "Alicia?" The nurse answered. "She's asleep." "The gunshot wound was cleaned and treated." "She's exhausted." "But she'll recover."

The relief in the room became even stronger. Victor looked toward the closed bedroom door. His granddaughter had survived. His great-grandson had survived. For one night, that was enough. Then suddenly another thought struck him. The baby had nothing. No clothes. No blankets. Nothing prepared. Victor immediately stood up. "Angus!" Angus stepped forward. "Boss." Victor pointed toward the door. "Take one of the helpers." "Find the nearest open store." "Buy everything." "Baby clothes." "Blankets." "Bottles." "Diapers." "Everything." "If the store is closed, wake the owner." "I don't care how much money it costs."

The nurse beside him laughed softly. "I'll go with him." Angus nodded. "Let's move." The two immediately left the villa. Behind them, Victor slowly approached the sleeping baby once more. His old eyes softened. For years he had thought the third family line would end with him. Yet now... A tiny boy slept peacefully in front of him. A faint smile appeared in Victor's face.