Page 67 of He Doesn't Deserve You

“Any word?” he asked gently.

She shook her head, her gaze flicking to the clock on the wall. “Not yet,” she murmured. “He should be out of surgery any time now.”

Martin took the seat beside her, “And the baby?” he asked, his tone softening.

A faint, weary smile appeared on her lips. “It’s a boy,” she announced,“weighing five pounds, seven ounces. He’ll need to spend some time in the NICU because he was born prematurely, but the doctor assured us he’ll be just fine.”

“That’s good,” he replied, a hint of relief.

Emily nodded.

“Maggie’s neighbor positively identified Lily as the woman she saw running out of Maggie’s apartment. It appears your scarf was planted. We’re going to be dropping the charges against you.”

Emily let out a sigh and then started to cry. “Thank God.”

Detective Martin wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder, “It’s over.”

At that moment, a surgeon walked into the waiting room. Recognizing him as a Roman surgeon, Emily sprang to her feet and hurried over to him, her eyes scanning his face for any hint of the news he was about to deliver. Detective Martin followed behind.

The surgeon removed his surgical cap and said, “He’s out of surgery. It went well. He did lose a significant amount of blood, so we had to administer a transfusion. Assuming there are no complications, I expect him to make a full recovery.”

Emily’s shoulders relaxed as she let out a long breath, her eyes glistening with relief. “Thank you,” she murmured. “When can I see him?”

“He’s just starting to wake up,” the surgeon replied, a reassuring smile crossing his face. “He’ll need to stay in the recovery room for about an hour or so. Why don’t you take a break and get a coffee or something to eat? I’ll find you when he’s in his room and can have visitors.”

“Okay, thank you, doctor.”

The doctor smiled warmly and said, “You’re welcome,” before leaving.

“Come on, I’ll buy you a cup of coffee,” Detective Martin said, leading Emily out of the waiting room.

35

Gabriel gazed through the nursery window at the baby boy, the weight of guilt pressing heavily on him. The child was yet another innocent victim scarred by his reckless behavior. Thanks to him, the baby would have to grow up without a mother.

Hearing footsteps approaching, he turned to see Emily coming down the corridor. She stopped beside him, and her eyes traveled to the baby’s cradle. “He’s beautiful.”

Gabriel could only nod, his attempts to speak hindered by an emotional choke that left him in tears.

When he could pull himself together, he asked, “How will I ever explain to him what I’ve done?”

“You’ll find a way. You have years to figure it out,” she replied softly.

He shook his head, his voice quivering. “I don’t think I can do it.”

Emily’s tone turned firm. “You have to. He needs you.”

Gabriel reached out to embrace Emily, but she stepped back beyond his grasp. The message was clear—she was still mad at him.

He nodded, quietly wiping the tears from his cheeks. “How’s Roman?” he asked softly.

“He’s out of surgery. I haven’t seen him yet. I’m going to see if I can see him now.”

After Emily left, Gabriel tapped on the nursery window, catching the nurse’s attention. He gestured toward the baby, and the nurse acknowledged him with a wave and signaled for him to come in. Moments later, the door buzzed, and he pushed it open.

Once inside, the nurse asked, “Would you like to hold your son?”

“Yes.”

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