"I want everything on those babies," he said quietly. That quiet voice terrified people more than shouting ever could.

"Their mothers. Their records. Where they are right now. Everything."

"Yes, sir." His assistant quickly handed over a folder.

"Here are the nurses on duty that night." Julian opened it carefully. Page after page. Clean records. No complaints. No suspicious history. Too clean. His eyes darkened. He handed the folder back slowly.

"Dig deeper."

"Sir?"

"I want connections," Julian said. "Anything linked to Sebastian Creed or Kalian Vale." The room went still at those names.

"Calls. Payments. Family relations. Social media. Old school records. I don’t care if they once looked at each other across a parking lot. Find it."

"Yes, sir." Julian stood. Every instinct inside him screamed that something was wrong. And his instincts were rarely wrong.

He walked out of the surveillance room, already planning ten moves ahead in his mind. But the moment he stepped outside. He took a few steps. Julian stopped walking when he saw his mother standing there waiting for him.

Madam Vale rarely looked nervous. She was the kind of woman who could destroy billion-dollar companies over breakfast and still ask politely for more tea afterward.

Calmness lived in her bones. Control sat naturally on her shoulders like expensive silk. But now, under the cold hospital lights, there was worry in her eyes. Real worry.

"Son," she said softly, stepping closer. "I saw your text. Are you and Amara okay?" For a second, Julian almost answered automatically.

We’re fine. Because that was what powerful people did. They lied beautifully. But he was tired. Too tired. And this was his mother.

"We will be," he said quietly. The words came out heavier than he intended.

Madam Vale studied his face carefully. She had raised him. She knew every expression, every silence, every dangerous calm he carried.

"And Amara?" she asked gently. Julian exhaled slowly and rubbed a hand over his face.

"She’s not okay." That answer alone made his mother’s expression soften. Julian leaned against the wall briefly, exhaustion finally catching him for a moment.

"She still thinks this is her fault," he said quietly. "She wanted Sebastian gone so badly, and now everything turned into this mess."

His jaw tightened. "She keeps blaming herself for things she didn’t even cause." Madam Vale sighed softly. Poor Amara. That girl carried guilt the way other people carried handbags. Everywhere. Every day. Even when it didn’t belong to her.

"She knows you got her back," Madam Vale murmured. Julian gave a small, bitter smile. "Yeah. That’s the problem." For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The hallway remained quiet except for distant hospital sounds and the soft hum of machines somewhere far away. Then Madam Vale straightened slightly.

"I already asked my assistant to handle Sebastian," she said calmly. Julian’s eyes lifted immediately. And there it was. That dangerous Vale family energy. Cold. Protective. Absolutely ruthless.

Most people feared Julian. The smart ones feared his mother more. "I know, Mother," Julian said carefully. "But I’ll handle Sebastian myself." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Madam Vale crossed her arms slowly. "Julian.."

"No." The single word stopped her. Not disrespectful. Not angry. Just firm. Julian pushed away from the wall fully now, standing tall in front of her.

"You don’t take this from me." His voice remained calm, but underneath it lived something dark. Something personal.

"What kind of man would I be if I can’t protect my wife?" The words hit harder than shouting ever could.

Madam Vale stared at him quietly. And suddenly she didn’t see the powerful businessman the world feared. She saw her son. The little boy who once got into fights because another child pushed a crying girl at school.

The teenager who learned how to hide emotions because he thought protecting everyone meant carrying pain alone. The man who loved one woman so completely that it had become part of his breathing.

And God help anyone who hurts that woman. A slow smile touched Madam Vale’s lips. Not amused. Proud. "Okay, son," she said softly at last. "I’ll leave it to you."

Julian relaxed slightly. Not much. Just enough for her to notice.

Then, like the terrifyingly elegant woman she was, Madam Vale brushed invisible dust off her sleeve and changed the subject completely.

"Now," she said, "shall we go meet the twins?" Julian blinked once. "The twins?"

"Yes," she said confidently. "My grandchildren." Julian stared at her.

"Yes, Mother." Madam Vale smiled as they began walking down the hallway together.

"The baby boy already belongs to Amara entirely. I’m merely accepting reality." Julian actually laughed. A real laugh this time.

"She’s had him wrapped around her finger for exactly six hours."

"And already he’s smarter than most men." Julian shook his head helplessly as they walked toward Amara’s VIP room.

For the first time that morning, the tension eased just slightly. Then Madam Vale glanced sideways at him. "You know," she said casually, "if Amara asks, I was calm, supportive, and emotionally stable during this entire situation."

Julian looked horrified. "Mother."

"What?"

"You threatened a nurse because she adjusted Amara’s blanket too aggressively."

"She deserved fear." Julian groaned under his breath.

"And you told the doctor his degree looked suspicious."

"The stitching on his lab coat was uneven. I notice things." Julian pinched the bridge of his nose.

"She already thinks you’re terrifying." Madam Vale smiled proudly. "Good."

"That is not a normal response."

"Neither is swapping babies in our own hospitals, yet here we are." Julian went quiet again at that. The reminder darkened his expression instantly.

Madam Vale noticed. Her teasing faded as she gently touched his arm. "You’ll find the truth," she said softly.

Julian looked toward the hospital room ahead. Toward Amara. Toward the family waiting inside. And his eyes hardened again with quiet promise.

"Oh, I will until then. Please don’t mention anything to Amara. She’s already under so much strain and really can’t take any more." His plea was filled with an intense sense of protection.

"Of course, my dear. I trust you completely. I can hardly contain my excitement. I can’t wait to hold the baby. It’s wonderful news that they are finally out of the machine," Madam Vale, brimming with enthusiasm, responded with a bright smile