The Quiet Crown

Katherine. Term. Pregnant. She slit the neck of a traitor. Her purse blade. Wet with blood. A streak of blood on her cheek. She wiped it away with a baby wipe.

“Oooh…” She said. Her henchmen noticed her bend forward.

Suddenly there was a rush of water between her legs.

“My water broke,” Katherine said. The guards panicked.

Lucky. Steven was close by. A good husband. Never far. He called the ambulance.

Katherine was in the ambulance. Rushing. The contractions starting. She called one person. Nadia. She had been thinking about her since their fight.

“No, I’m not on my own… I have friends…” Nadia had said.

Further research had shown that Xiao Mei’s parents dealt with the Volkov. They would have disposed of that girl. The Moorfield had become more vicious in the past 2 years. Katherine realized that they had become soft since her father died. That softness was their demise. Too many Moorfield killed. No more.

Katherine became ruthless. But she couldn't bear to hunt them down.

“Nadia?” Katherine said, “Ooooo…” She groaned at a contraction.

“Katherine? A-Are you okay?” Nadia said, not sure what to expect from her once friend.

“I am giving birth… Can you come… I want you to see little Alice…” She said.

Nadia. Eyes wide. Little Alice?

Nadia took an Uber to Clinique du Lys d’Or – a private hospital. Luckily they took her more seriously wearing her bougie graduation outfit. Looking like an elite.

Nadia waited outside. Steven was stiff. Red. He made nervous small talk with Nadia.

“I hope they are okay,” He said.

“They will be,” Nadia - she put her hand on his shoulder.

Three hours later they were brought in. Nadia wondered why she was here. Katherine had said, “You are on your own now…”

But here Nadia was. Standing by Katherine. Not a question.

Baby Alice in tears. She had blonde wispy hair. Blue eyes. And freckles. Nadia held Katherine’s hand. Katherine, tired and pink. Sunken. Flattened and skinny again. Like a deflated balloon.

“Hello darling, little Alice,” Nadia said, stroking her wispy head.

Steven was in tears. Weeping by Katherine's side. It was love at first sight.

“You must be thinking… Why am I here?” Katherine said.

Nadia nodded, "Why?"

“Alice once pulled a gun on me too… When I didn’t take no for an answer… She left the world of crime for a humble life at The Pony and I abandoned her. I've always done my duty. What was expected of me... Alice stood by her values and the life she wanted.

"You had the courage to do the same… I’m sorry I did that to your friend… I’m sorry Nadia really,” Katherine squeezed her hand.

“Katherine –”

“Little Alice… She's going to be born into this cruel harsh world… But I want her to have what you and Alice have. Courage to face it. I would be a fool to lose you as a friend…” Katherine said.

“I don’t know what to say…” Nadia said, “I accept your apology…”

CRACK! Lighting struck. Nadia looked out the window into the grey abyss.

There was a thunder storm brewing. Lighting strikes. Fear. Evil brewing.

Xiao Mei. Looking out the window of an expensive hotel suite. Nadia…

“You will return to China to work,” Father said.

“No… But I like it here in Paris,” She said.

“It’s no longer safe here…” her father sighed, “Listen to me child. Your friend Nadia is on a bloody hit list. My associates want her dead.”

Xiao Mei tensed up, “Why Nadia? She did nothing wrong!"

“She was meant to be theirs. But she became her own."

END OF PART III...

[Note: All Chapters in Epilogue/Side-Stories after Part 3 are retconned. The real canon continuation is the second novel “Netorase Wife: Pirate. Now releasing on my free-patreon.]

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