Chapter 4 - The Birth of VictoriaAt 4:12 AM the following morning, inside the private medical suite of the Vane Estate, the quiet night was broken by the sharp, beautiful, triumphant cry of a newborn baby girl.
Dr. Elizabeth Reed gently wrapped the tiny six-pound infant in a warm organic cotton blanket, setting her gently onto my bare chest.
I burst into tears of pure, weightless, overwhelming joy, wrapping my arms tightly around my newborn daughter, pressing a hundred warm kisses into her soft dark hair.
"She's perfect, Eleanor," Dr. Reed whispered softly, checking the baby's vital signs. "A healthy, strong, resilient baby girl."
I looked down into my daughter's bright hazel eyes—eyes that held the exact same fierce, unyielding fire that my father had carried his entire life.
"Her name is Victoria," I whispered, tears of pure love spilling over my lashes onto her rosy cheeks. "Victoria Arthur Vane."
Sitting near the window, Arthur Sterling (my senior trustee) and Mr. Harlan watched with deep, quiet pride, holding a silver frame containing my father's portrait.
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"Your father would be so proud of you, Chairwoman," Mr. Harlan said softly, his voice thick with emotion.
"He is here with us, Mr. Harlan," I smiled through my tears, holding tiny Victoria against my beating heart. "She will never know a single day of fear. She will never have to shrink herself for a man. She is a Vane."
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