Chapter 28

• As the child Astoriaella carried was a treasured gift, regardless of whether it turn out to be a boy or a girl…
• ‘You do not know me well yet, Astoriaella,’ he told her quietly, and he stood up to move around the table to her side, gently pulling her to her feet so that she stood only inches away from him. ‘But never doubt that this child—’ he reached out and placed a hand possessively on the flatness of her stomach ‘—our child,’ he emphasised, ‘will be loved and wanted no matter what its gender.’
• Astoria’s breath caught in her throat, her vision misting with sudden tears. She knew he meant what he said, and that he would indeed love their child—perhaps even already loved their child—whether it was a boy or a girl. She was grateful for that—knew that it could have turned out very differently.