Chapter 1 Chapter 1

Prologue

In a small weathered cottage perched near the shore, Sarah Flint gripped the edge of a battered wooden table, her breath coming in quick, ragged gasps.

“David!” she cried, her voice hoarse with both fear and pain as another contraction ripped through her body. Her dark hair clung to her damp forehead, and her wide brown eyes glistened with tears. “David, it’s time! The baby’s coming now!”

David Flint spun around, panic flashing across his face. His hands, roughened by years of hard labor, trembled as he rushed to his wife’s side.

“Now? Sarah, are you sure?” he asked, his voice cracking.

“I’m sure!” Sarah gasped, clutching his arm so tightly her nails dug into his skin. “We need to go to the hospital before it’s too late.”

David’s heart pounded. The local clinic in town was too small and poorly equipped to handle complications, and the nearest proper hospital was far away in the city. They didn’t own a car, and buses weren’t running at this hour. Just as dread began to sink its claws into him, a heavy knock thundered at the door.

“Open up! It’s Harold!”

David nearly sagged with relief as he darted to the door. Standing there was Harold Beckett, their landlord and trusted neighbor, his wool coat crusted with snow and a thick scarf wound around his neck. His face was ruddy from the biting cold.

“I heard Sarah scream all the way down the road,” Harold said, stepping inside and glancing at Sarah, who was doubled over, clutching her swollen belly. “She’s in labor, isn’t she?”

“Yes,” David said, his voice trembling. “But we’ve got no way to get her to the hospital.”

“Well, lucky for you, my truck’s out front,” Harold said briskly. “I’ll drive you to Mercy General. It’s a bit of a haul, but it’s the best hospital around. They treat the wealthy folks there you know, the ones with money. Sarah and the baby deserve the best care possible.”

David hesitated. “Mercy General? That’s over an hour away, Harold. We can’t ask you to….”

“You’re not asking,” Harold interrupted firmly, waving his gloved hand. “You two are good people. You pay your rent on time and you don’t cause trouble. This is the least I can do. Now grab what you need and let’s go before that baby arrives right here on the floor.”

Minutes later, Sarah was bundled into Harold’s truck, lying across the worn backseat while David sat beside her, clutching her hand and whispering words of comfort. Harold drove through the slick, narrow roads with grim determination, the headlights cutting through the falling snow.

“Just hang on, Sarah,” David murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple. “We’re almost there.”

Farther along the coast, another car wound its way toward Mercy General, a sleek black town car gliding silently over the snow-covered roads. Inside, Daniel and Victoria Zanders sat in tense silence.

Victoria shifted uncomfortably in the leather seat, another contraction making her gasp. Even in labor, she radiated elegance, her blonde hair pinned neatly and her designer coat draped over her shoulders. But the pain etched sharp lines across her flawless face.

“Daniel,” she hissed through clenched teeth, her voice laced with both fear and anger, “this baby had better come soon. I can’t…..”

Daniel reached for her hand, his touch steady though his jaw was tight. “Our child will be perfect,” he said with calm authority, the kind of voice that commanded boardrooms and silenced rivals. “An heir to the Zanders name. Nothing less.”

Victoria glared at him, her blue eyes flashing. “Could you at least act like you care about me and not just your precious legacy right now?”

The driver glanced nervously at them in the rearview mirror. “Almost there, Mr. Zanders. Just a few more minutes.”

“Faster,” Daniel barked, his voice sharp with urgency.

The Zanders usually stayed in their grand Boston mansion during the winter, surrounded by staff and every luxury imaginable. But they had decided to spend a few quiet weeks at their coastal vacation estate, hoping for privacy before the baby’s arrival. Now, fate had forced them to seek help at the same hospital as the locals, a coincidence Daniel found unsettling.

By the time they reached Mercy General, a private team of doctors and nurses was already waiting at a separate entrance. Victoria was swept into a lavish private suite with silk sheets and advanced equipment, while Daniel followed closely behind, his tone clipped and commanding.

“Only the best staff for my wife,” he ordered. “No mistakes. Nothing less.”

At the same time, Harold’s truck rumbled to a stop at the emergency entrance. David helped Sarah out, his arm tight around her trembling shoulders. They were quickly ushered into a standard delivery room far removed from the Zanders’ luxurious suite.

Two women, two families, under the same roof but living in entirely different worlds.

Hours passed as the storm raged outside. Victoria’s screams echoed through the pristine hallways as nurses whispered about the importance of the Zanders name.

Across the hospital, Sarah labored quietly, David at her side, while Harold paced the hallway with worry etched deep into his features.

And then, almost as though destiny itself had drawn the moment, two cries pierced the night.

First, Victoria’s baby arrived, a healthy, strong girl with a loud, furious wail.

“She’s beautiful,” Victoria breathed, tears shining in her eyes as the doctor placed the infant in her arms.

Daniel’s chest swelled with pride as he gazed down at the tiny face. “Perfect,” he whispered. “Our Maria.”

Moments later, Sarah clutched her newborn to her chest, her face glowing with awe and exhaustion.

“She’s perfect, David,” Sarah whispered. “Look at our little Chloe.”

David kissed her damp hair, his voice choked with emotion. “She’s our miracle.”

Just beyond those rooms, in a quiet corner of the hospital, a nurse stood alone. Lydia Markham had worked at Mercy General for nearly two decades,

and she knew the Zanders’ type well.