The Faceless Billionaire Celebrity Wife-Chapter 355: Sapphire and Sophia DeLoach

Two Weeks Later,

Ethan paced the room with one of the twins in his arms, her tiny fists waving in the air as she let out a piercing wail. Her sister, nestled in the cot nearby, added her own cries to the chaos. He groaned softly, his patience fraying.

"Alright, alright," he muttered, swaying the baby in his arms. "You’ve been fed, I’ve checked your diaper twice, and you’re still screaming. What do you want from me, sweetheart?"

He glanced over at the other twin, who was just as inconsolable. He had promised he wouldn’t bring them to Shikera’s side until she woke up, but there was no one else to help. Hazel was still away, Mignon and Raine who usually assisted were swamped with work, planning an event. None of the nurses were also available. It was like the universe were up against him today.

"Girls, you’re ganging up on me here," he sighed, running a hand through his already disheveled hair.

And then a weak voice, soft but unmistakable, cut through the noise.

"Looks like the one in the cot has pooped, and the one in your arm? She’s not hungry or in pain... just sleepy. It seems."

"I don’t think that’s the case. I changed her diapers just few minutes ago," Ethan replied absentmindedly.

The voice came again, weak but laced with humor, "I’ve got a nose for these things, you know. Small, but effective. Please check, the smell is damning."

Ethan clutched the baby in his arms tighter, a mixture of disbelief and hope flooding him. He hurried to the cot and checked the other twin’s diaper. Sure enough, the person was right.

He laughed in amazement, the first time in months, his voice shaky. "How on earth did you know that? I sure as hell couldn’t smell anything."

The voice seemed to get louder, though it was still heavy with exhaustion. "Mother’s intuition, maybe? Or just plain skill."

Ethan froze immediately, his body going rigid as his head snapped toward the hospital bed. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Shikera, her eyes half-open, her lips curling into a faint smile.

"Princess," he breathed, his voice barely audible.

Ethan turned his back to her, his protective instincts kicking in hard as he quickly laid the babies down in their crib. He crossed the room in two long strides, his hands trembling as he gently cupped her small face.

"Fuck, Princess, are you awake or am I just hallucinating?" he whispered, his voice filled with emotion.

Shikera’s gaze softened as she looked up at him. "Seems like the former. Did you miss me?"

"Don’t even joke about it," Ethan said, his voice breaking. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. "You have no idea how much."

Shikera’s hand weakly reached for his, squeezing it lightly. "I can guess."

Ethan pulled back, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I’m getting the doctors right now. Don’t move, don’t try to talk too much, just... stay. And don’t fucking fall asleep!"

Shikera chuckled softly. "Not going anywhere, Ethan. Promise."

As Ethan moved to call the doctors, his heart felt lighter than it had in months. His was awake. She was back. And suddenly, everything felt like it was going to be okay.

~

Night fell in the twinkling of an eye; the room was quiet except for the soft hum of the machines monitoring Shikera and the occasional whimper from the twins. They slept soundly in their cot, tiny bundles of peace that filled the room with warmth. Esther, curled up on a sofa bed nearby, dozed off with her head tilted to the side.

After the doctors came in hours ago to check on Shikera and declared her alright, a call was placed through to everyone and they all—including those at work and Noah who had been preparing for a mission—abandoned whatever they were doing and rushed to the hospital. But Shikera had fallen asleep again by the time they arrived, and for hours after that, so they were forced to get back home except Esther who had refused to leave and had fallen asleep by the bedside.

Ethan sat on the edge of Shikera’s bed, holding her hand while she rested against the pillows. The weight of the day had left him exhausted, but the relief of having her awake overpowered everything else.

"They’re beautiful, aren’t they?" Shikera murmured, her voice still soft but filled with affection as she stared into the cot. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Ethan nodded, his eyes drifting to the twins. "More than beautiful. Perfect."

She smiled, a teary eyed one. "We should finally name them. Can’t keep calling them ’the twins’ forever."

He chuckled lightly, brushing her knuckles with his thumb. "Alright, hit me with your picks."

"Sapphire, for the one who has your eyes, and Sophia, for the one who has mine. I’ve had the names in mind for years to call my first two daughters, if I ever got the opportunity, and now that I have two at the same time, I get to use the names at once," she said without hesitation. "Do you have any ideas?"

Ethan tilted his head, considering. "Sapphire... like a gem. And Sophia, wise and elegant." He looked at her, his smile tender. "Perfect, just like their mom. I think we should go with those."

Shikera laughed softly. "You’re biased."

"Always," he admitted.

For a while, they simply sat in silence, savoring the moment.

"I’ve missed you," Shikera whispered, her voice tinged with emotion. "More than you’ll ever know."

"Not more than I’ve missed you," Ethan replied, his voice raw.

She tilted her head, studying him. "Everyone came earlier today, didn’t they?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but they were all ushered out after an hour. I wanted you to rest. Only Esther’s still here. She missed her mummy."

Shikera’s gaze softened as it fell on the sleeping girl. "She looks like she’s grown so much in just two months."

Ethan smiled. "I think she did. Everyone had to grow. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a number of gray hairs in my head right now."

"Who cares?" Shikera laughed. "I bet you’ll look hotter with gray hair."

"Same," Ethan breathed, leaning down to capture her lips in a demanding kiss. He shouldn’t be straining her now; she should still be resting, but he couldn’t hold back. He missed this.

He missed her.

Shikera’s eyes was sparkling with unshed tears when he pulled away.

"When can we go home? I want to be alone with my husband and our three daughters. I’m tired of seeing these white walls," she pouted playfully.

"I want the same thing. And I’m more desperate than you are to leave. But we need the doctor’s permission among other things."

"Other things like?"

"The villa. Since my mask has been taken off, we no longer need to stay in the middle of the woods. I’m guessing you might want us to stay somewhere nearer to the city?"

"I don’t think I want..." Shikera started, but Ethan cut her off.

"We’ll leave if you want," he interrupted gently.

Shikera shook her head. "No, I want to stay. It’s our home."

"Then we stay," Ethan said firmly.

She nodded, leaning back against the pillows as a peaceful silence settled over them. Within minutes, Ethan’s exhaustion caught up with him. He laid his head down by her side, his hand still holding hers, and drifted off.

Shikera smiled softly when she heard his breathing even out, her fingers brushing through his hair. "I’m sorry," she whispered. "I’m really sorry, Honey."

Ethan stirred, his eyes fluttering open. "For what?"

"For giving up," she said, her voice breaking. "After I saw the twins and the look in your eyes when you saw them... I knew you’d do an amazing job as a father, even if I wasn’t here. I thought it was okay to let go."

Ethan sat up, his gaze sharp. "No. Don’t say that. I would’ve been a terrible father if you left. I barely made it through today."

Her brow furrowed. "You handled it. You have been handling it for the past few months."

"And I’ve almost gone insane. I can’t do this alone. Not without you," he said firmly. "Do you know what I did earlier? I thought Sapphire was crying because she was hungry. Turns out she was just sleepy as you said. And Sophia? I didn’t even realize she needed a diaper change until you said it. I would’ve been a dumb father without you, Kera."

Shikera laughed softly, her eyes glistening. "I’m sorry. I should have apologized when I’m sure you were truly asleep. Why aren’t you?"

Ethan hesitated for a few seconds, lowering his head to rest against her chest, before admitting, "I’m scared."

Her expression softened. "Of what?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "That this is a dream. I’ve been hallucinating so much lately, I’m scared you’re not really awake."

Shikera cupped his cheek, her thumb brushing against his skin. "I promise I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere again."

He searched her face, still unsure.

"But if anything had happened," she added softly, "I just wanted you to know that, though the time was short, I received more than enough love from you."

Ethan shook his head, as he lifted it to stare into her eyes, his voice firm. "No. That’s not enough. I find myself growing more obsessed with you every second that passes. It’ll never be enough."

Her eyes sparkled with amusement. "Obsessed, huh?"

"Completely," he said with a smirk.

Shikera snuggled closer, resting her head against his chest. "You’re my comfort place, Ethan. My favorite person. You’ve given me more sweetness than ice cream ever could."

He laughed lightly. "The contract we signed... It was best decision of my life."

She smiled, her voice barely above a whisper. "Mine too."

"And I’d let myself be manipulated a thousand times over if it meant signing that contract again," Ethan continued, his voice steady with conviction.

Shikera closed her eyes, her heart full as she drifted into the safest sleep she’d ever had, wrapped in the arms of the man she loved.

Later in the night, when both of them thought the other was finally asleep, they snuggled against each other, their noses and forehead touching as they spoke.

"Ethan Vincent DeLoach, I used to think life was about the number of days we get to live, but you taught me it’s about the love we give and receive in those days. If my time ever comes, know this... every moment with you was worth more than a lifetime without," Shikera whispered.

"Shikera Eleanor Anderson, I don’t care about time or fate. You’ve made me selfish. I want every second, every heartbeat, every breath with you. And if I have to fight destiny itself to keep you, I will. Because you’re not just the cure to my nightmares, you’re my everything," Ethan whispered back.

Their eyes opened at the same time, brimming with love and appreciation for each other. Ethan started to lean forward, and Shikera met him halfway, their lips colliding into a breathless kiss.

The End.