Episode 5

Back in the Hospital Hallway – Doctor’s POV

The air outside the operating room was thick with tension as the doctor stepped out, peeling off her mask slowly. Before her stood two men—polar opposites in power, yet identical in fear. The Duke of Westminster. The Russian Crown Prince.

“I need to speak with both of you,” she said calmly, her voice that of someone trained to manage life and death with precision. “Please follow me.”

Neither of them moved at first—then Liam stepped forward, jaw clenched, wet hair slicked to his forehead. Lorenzo followed, his entire posture screaming that if anything had happened to Ella, someone would pay.

She led them into a quiet consultation room just across the hall, shutting the door softly behind them.

“She made it through the surgery,” she began, watching the tension flicker—but not fall—on both their faces.

Liam sat. Lorenzo didn’t.

“She suffered a ruptured spleen, severe internal bleeding, and significant trauma to the abdomen. The baby…” Her voice caught slightly, professional tone thinning for just a second. “We had to act fast. She’s stable, for now.”

Liam’s hand gripped the edge of the chair.

Lorenzo’s voice was a low growl. “the baby?”

As if Lorenzo was stabbed in the back. He thought he might have heard her wrong.

The doctor looked at him with quiet compassion

“Yes, Her Highness was seven weeks into her pregnancy. I am sorry.”

The doctor looked at them, then down at the folder in her hands.

“There were complications,” she said carefully. “But before I say anything more, I want to wait until she wakes up. We need to assess further. There are… unknowns.”

Liam stood. “Unknowns?”

“Yes.” She met his gaze. “She was in a very fragile state before the accident. There are signs that some of her internal injuries might have been older. It’s possible this trauma was not just from today.”

Liam blinked, something sharp flashing through his eyes. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying she needs rest. A lot of it. We’ll monitor her around the clock. Once she wakes, we’ll have a better idea of the extent of the loss… and the damage.”

Lorenzo stepped forward now, voice cold and clipped. “Are you saying my sister might never—”

Once again Lorenzo was filled with worry and fear. For a second he had forgotten about the existence of a baby he was not aware of.

“I’m saying it’s too early to confirm anything,” she interrupted gently. “But I’ll be honest with you—what happened today will leave consequences. The question is how permanent they’ll be.”

Liam’s entire body felt like it was closing in on itself. The blood drained from his face. His child. Ella. His silence. His choices.

He had protected the crown.

Protected the alliance.

But he hadn’t protected her.

Not enough.

The doctor paused, her voice softer now. “We’ll let you know the moment she wakes.”

And with that, she left.

Lorenzo didn’t speak. He just stood there, unmoving, like a statue carved in fury.

Liam sat back down, the silence eating away at him.

He could feel it. The shift. The line he had crossed.

This wasn’t just a political marriage anymore.

This was something else.

Something breaking.

Something real.

Lorenzo’s POV

Everything stopped.

Lorenzo turned toward Liam.

Pregnant?

His sister had been pregnant? And no one told him?

He stared at Liam, disbelief quickly curling into fury. “She was what?”

Liam didn’t answer. He couldn’t. His mouth opened, then closed.

“You knew,” Lorenzo growled, stepping forward. “You knew she was carrying a child—my niece or nephew—and you didn’t think I deserved to know?”

Still, Liam remained silent, his jaw locked, shoulders taut.

And that silence was the last straw.

With a roar of betrayal, Lorenzo lunged forward and punched Liam straight in the jaw.

The force sent Liam stumbling back into the chair, blood running from his lip.

In an instant, the hospital corridor outside erupted—men from both the Collins and Sullivans stormed in, suits splitting open to reveal weapons. Guns were drawn, safeties clicked off.

A standoff.

Tyrone was the first to react, drawing his weapon instinctively, positioning himself in front of Liam. On the other side, Lorenzo’s second-in-command, Ryan, shouted, “Step aside!”

Security alarms hadn’t even caught up yet.

“Lord Lorenzo—!” one of his men warned, trying to pull him back.

“You kept her pregnancy a secret?” Lorenzo shouted, seething. “Do you even care what she meant to us? She’s all I have!”

Liam didn’t speak. Blood trickled down his chin. He stood slowly, raising a hand—not to defend himself, but to signal his men.

“Stand down,” Liam said quietly, eyes still on Lorenzo. “All of you.”

Tyrone hesitated. “Your Highness—”

“Put the weapons down.”

One by one, the Sullivans obeyed. The Collins did too, but their hands remained twitchy—ready.

Liam turned toward Lorenzo, the bruise already darkening on his jaw.

“I didn’t tell you,” he admitted, voice low and hollow. “Because I failed her. I didn’t protect her. Not from the world. Not from me.”

The tension in the room didn’t vanish—it just twisted into something heavier. Grief. Guilt. The storm was no longer outside the hospital walls.

It was here.