Tangled Temptations novel Chapter 215

A jolt of intense shock sent Eloise reeling. Once she recovered, she felt a pain so intense that it seemed to consume her.

The baby stirred within her incessantly, as if sensing the impending danger. Eloise could feel the sensation of her baby dropping. The child was coming prematurely!

"Mom!… Vera!" Eloise called out, mustering all the strength she could.

"Eloise!"

Michelle and Vera were both injured to varying degrees, their bodies smeared with blood. Vera had fallen unconscious. Michelle had a deep, 8-inch gash on her leg that wouldn't stop bleeding. Pinned under a heavy plank, she couldn't move. She lay on the ground, helplessly looking at Eloise. Her voice was hoarse as she called out for help, “Anyone… anyone… help save my child!”

But no one heard her pleas. An explosion had hit the entire area. Everyone was trapped and out of contact.

Despair began to consume Eloise. She knew that if she couldn't get to a hospital in time, she wouldn't be able to save her baby.

Her phone, where was it? Despite her excruciating pain, she started to fumble around, hoping to call Harvey, whose flight hadn't taken off yet.

Her phone was five steps away. Those few steps seemed to separate life from death. The pain intensified with every movement. Eloise couldn't stand. She was forced to crawl, supporting herself on her palms, inching towards her phone.

As she descended the steps, the sharp edges grazed her belly, causing immense pain.

Eloise was drenched in sweat, dust clinging to her wet hair and face. She was unrecognizable, but she continued crawling towards her phone. Finally, when she reached it, she was out of breath, turning herself so that the baby was facing upwards.

With her trembling hands, Eloise dialed the emergency number. The first number was Harvey's.

The robotic, dispassionate voice of the automated service answered, "Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off!"

All Eloise could hear was the incessant voice echoing around her.

"Sorry, switched off…"

She hung up mechanically.

She didn't have time to mourn. She wanted to survive, she wanted her baby to survive. There was nothing more important than that.

The second emergency contact was Brett, her uncle. She managed to get through to him. Brett was in a meeting, oblivious to the situation in Peterborough.

Shaking uncontrollably, Eloise mustered all her strength to shout, "Uncle, save me!"

On the other end, Brett paused for a moment. Then he replied, his voice filled with worry, "Eloise, don't panic. Tell me what happened."

Eloise, her mind starting to unravel, whispered, "Explosion… uncle…" Her phone slipped from her hand.

Brett sat in the conference room, tears streaming down his face. His secretary, a close confidant, had managed to find out what had happened. He whispered, "There's been a gas explosion in a high-end residential area in Peterborough. All the roads are sealed off. The situation's critical."

Brett clutched his phone, giving his instructions calmly, "Prepare a private jet. I need to go to Peterborough immediately. Also, arrange for a helicopter to enter the residential area. I need this done as quickly as possible. Did you get that? I can't afford to waste a second!"

His sister Louise was already gone. The Noland family couldn't afford to lose another child.

Brett left the conference room, his eyes red and watery. No one had ever seen him this distraught.

When he arrived in Peterborough, his team had already joined forces with Parker's team to get Eloise to the hospital as quickly as possible. Inside the delivery room, the doctors and nurses were bustling about.

Harvey... Harvey...

She whispered his name in her mind, each utterance causing a pang of pain. Between each painful throb, she thought of their first encounter, of him whispering her name in the dawn light, of him cradling her as he played the piano in the snowy nights, of the earnest words he had once uttered, "Eloise, I want to spend my life with you."

Harvey... Harvey...

With each silent call, her feelings for him faded a bit more.

...

A weak cry echoed in the room; a new life was born. It was Linda. Eloise lay still on the bed, a faint smile on her lips. In her mind, she replayed the last conversation she had with Harvey.

"I really don't feel well. The baby is kicking hard in my belly."

"Is she misbehaving?"

"She's never like this! Can you please not go? I'm afraid something will happen."

"If I don't leave now, I'll miss my flight. Be good and listen, okay?"

He gently pried her fingers away, one by one, with a soft smile. "You're just like a child. I promise I'll be back in three days."

...

Eloise gently closed her eyes.