Reborn Heiress: Taking Back What Is Rightfully Hers!
Chapter 554: Anticipating the little princess

Chapter 554: Anticipating the little princess

eric lowered his head and gently took her soft, porcelain-like hand. "ella, i’m sorry... i’ve been such a coward these past few days. i left you alone..."

ella shook her head, cutting him off. "everyone has moments of confusion and despair. it’s okay. as long as you’re better now, that’s all that matters. but this time, we really have to thank dorian. if he hadn’t gotten sick... the four of us might have..."

she couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. her eyes reddened.

she remembered the mother and son she had seen at the airport while waiting for the flight. the woman had been stunning, and her little boy, around four or five years old, had looked just like a tiny prince—so adorable. but after the crash... they were gone in an instant.

it felt as if something had hollowed out her heart. even though they weren’t her friends or family, they had been real, living people, with loved ones waiting for them.

"thank you, ella," eric whispered, hugging dorian tightly, his emotions overflowing.

"mommy, i... i need to go again..." dorian suddenly squirmed, his small face contorted in discomfort.

"i’ll take you!" without hesitation, eric scooped him up and dashed toward the nearest restroom at lightning speed.

ella held elias in her arms, watching eric’s retreating figure. she felt a deep sense of relief. it seemed that eric was truly beginning to heal.

without complaint, eric made several more restroom runs with dorian. finally, by the afternoon, the little one’s condition had stabilized.

but dorian was still weak, so ella called the bodyguard again and asked him to postpone their flight by five days.

dorian wasn’t in the right state to travel yet. it was better to wait until he recovered before heading to country w.

in the hospital room.

amelia arrived with her little daughter to visit dorian. the two-year-old princess had big, beautiful eyes, looking like a miniature version of amelia—lively and adorable. even dorian, who had been sluggish all day, perked up a little at her presence.

when the conversation turned to the plane crash, amelia still felt a lingering fear. she had only found out that ella hadn’t boarded the flight through john.

"they say fortune favors the lucky, and i guess this proves it. eric, you better start treating ella better from now on. no woman would tolerate a man like this forever. and don’t forget, she’s pregnant! you disappeared for days—do you have any idea how much stress that put her under?" amelia scolded, clearly displeased.

she knew what eric had been going through, but as a friend, she hadn’t been able to help him. at the same time, she felt bad for ella, who had been left to bear everything on her own.

"it’s over now. let’s not bring it up again," ella quickly interjected.

amelia huffed and rolled her eyes at eric. "you don’t need me to remind you, do you? i’m sure you know what you should be doing."

eric shot her a glare but didn’t argue.

amelia’s little daughter was truly adorable—not overly spoiled, but just the right amount of playful. jokingly, ella suggested that one day, when they were older, the little princess could marry either elias or dorian.

amelia readily agreed, though everyone knew these kinds of childhood "engagements" weren’t set in stone. when the kids grew up, if they found someone they truly loved, no one would force them to honor an old promise.

after a day in the hospital, dorian’s condition improved significantly. by noon the next day, he was back on his feet, bouncing around with energy.

eric handled his discharge paperwork, deciding that a few more days of rest at home would be best. after that, they would finally be able to head to country w for aiden’s wedding.

that evening, eric personally took over the kitchen, giving the chef a half-day off. it had been a long time since he had cooked, and he quickly realized how out of practice he was. but with ella by his side, he soon managed to whip up a few of his signature dishes.

dorian was utterly gluttonous, and ella constantly reminded him not to eat too much, fearing he might upset his stomach again.

at the same time, she kept a quiet watch on eric.

since their reunion at the hospital, it seemed like he had returned to his old self. the shadow of depression that once clouded his face had vanished, and his smile now felt natural again.

at last, it wasn’t just an act. ella secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

after lunch, eric had liam’s painting sent back.

ella was surprised—she had thought he would hold onto it a little longer.

that night, after the two little ones had fallen asleep, eric held ella close as they left the boys’ room.

guiding her to sit on the bed, he knelt beside her and gently pressed his ear against her belly. inside, their baby girl was lively, kicking excitedly. ella felt a few sharp nudges of pain.

"she’s going to be a little troublemaker, listen—she won’t stop kicking you," eric said with a chuckle.

ella smiled. "she just wants to play with her daddy."

eric’s gaze softened, his handsome features glowing with a warmth of fatherly love. ella’s heart melted at the sight. back when depression weighed on him, he had rarely shown such an expression.

the baby was already seven months along—just over two more months before she arrived. even though ella had been through childbirth before, she still felt a little nervous.

"let’s pick a name for our daughter," ella suggested, her bright eyes shimmering like stars in the night sky.

"hmm, i’ll look through a dictionary over the next few days," eric mused, raising an eyebrow. he was confident in many things, but naming a child... that was a challenge.

because he was a perfectionist.

"if you can’t decide, i’ll discuss it with my dad. we’ll pick a few names and let you choose from them," ella offered, a little worried he might stress himself out.

what if it triggered his depression again?

"don’t worry, your husband is completely healed. nothing’s going to happen," eric assured her calmly.

ella covered her mouth, giggling. when he returned liam’s painting, she had known then—his resentment and depression had lifted. he had finally let go.

after his shower, eric even helped ella wash her back, then carefully dried her hair by hand.

the air between them was filled with warmth and tenderness.

ella lay on the bed, her damp hair cascading over the edge. eric sat on the floor, diligently drying her long locks with a towel.

"why not use a blow dryer? aren’t your hands tired?" ella mumbled sleepily. she just wanted to go to bed.

but drying by hand would take at least half an hour.

"blow dryers emit radiation—it’s not good for the baby."

ella was speechless. when she was pregnant with twins, he hadn’t been this cautious. clearly, he favored daughters over sons—what a ridiculous man.

eric took a small section of her hair, wrapped it in the towel, and gently rubbed it dry before moving on to another section.

half an hour later, ella had already fallen asleep. eric finally set the towel aside. her hair was dry, and though his hands were a little sore, he didn’t mind.

he carefully lifted her, adjusting her sleeping position. just as he did, ella’s drowsy eyes fluttered open.

"mm... is my hair dry now?" she murmured.

"yeah, you can sleep now."

"mm... thank you... hubby," ella whispered, shifting into a more comfortable position before closing her eyes again.

eric sat beside her, watching her slightly exhausted face. guilt swelled in his chest.

during the days he was gone, how had she endured it all? she had suffered through loneliness in silence, never questioning or blaming him.

he had been a fool. but now, he was back by her side—it wasn’t too late. eric let out a quiet breath, a gentle light settling in his eyes.

from now on, the nightmares that had haunted him for over a decade would no longer dictate his emotions. the knots in his heart had finally untangled.

he would cherish his wife and children and eagerly await the arrival of their little princess.