MasukThe woman who crouched slightly with a pale face stiffened and finally raised her head.Lena's suspicion was confirmed. It was indeed Stacy.One hand still protectively covered her stomach. The other clutched medical documents against her chest.For a moment neither of them spoke.Lena's eyes drifted downward. Toward the visible curve beneath Stacy's coat.A pregnant belly.Her blood ran cold.The hospital noises and the crowd faded. Everything blurred except the woman standing before her, and the memory of the divorce papers Rhys refused to sign.Stacy's face turned white. "L-Lena…"Lena's fingers trembled. Her gaze remained fixed on Stacy's stomach.A thousand thoughts crashed into her mind. A thousand possibilities and explanations. Yet only one remained. One terrifying possibility that refused to leave."Stacy..." Her voice came out barely above a whisper. "What are you doing here?"Stacy's lips parted, but no words came.The color drained from Lena's face.Suddenly she wasn’t sur
Neither of them moved for a long moment.The snow fell around them, settling on their shoulders, their hair, and the ground between them. Lena held his gaze, her breath fogging in the cold air.She finally couldn't hold it any longer, when the tremor in her chest became too much. "We should go inside," she whispered, turning her face away. "It's cold out here."Theon's hand curled at his side. He nodded, a faint smile touching his lips."After you then.”Lena glanced at him one last time before turning away.Theon followed behind.The distance between them wasn’t far. But neither of them knew how to cross it.—-The warmth of the hospital greeted them as they entered. The contrast made her skin prickle.Doctors and nurses hurried through the corridors. The waiting area seemed far busier than usual.Lena barely paid attention. She focused on walking.Unfortunately, Theon seemed determined to follow her.After several turns, Lena finally stopped and looked over her shoulder.“You…” her
Lena smiled to cover up her slipped composure. "Well… that took you long enough."Theon's intense gaze stayed on her. "I had good motivation."Lena could feel his gaze burning on her, but she refused to meet his eyes. So she busied herself with the napkins. "Is that so?""Hmm."The silence between them was charged. Heavy with everything unsaid.Leo's voice shattered it."Are you two going to set the table all night, or can we eat?"Lena turned to walk away.Theon's hands tightened on the plate he was holding.—-Dinner was lively and filled with laughter. The house felt warm, in contrast to the cold outside.Mrs. Chen joined them after being forced to sit down by Evelyn.Roman had personally requested an enormous seafood boil because Evelyn had spent the last week craving it.He sat beside her peeling crab shells and shrimp while she happily accepted the food.At some point the baby woke up. Immediately all attention shifted.“There he goes.”Mrs. Chen laughed.The tiny boy stretched
Theon held his breath.The world around him seemed to slow, the sounds of the room fading into a distant hum. He stood frozen, his eyes fixed on the woman in front of him.She was nothing like the person he remembered.Months ago, even though she had been weak and sick, she always had that sharp edge. Always wrapped in baggy clothes and filled with defiance. But now—something had shifted. She stood differently. In a more softer way. Her presence carried a quiet weight he hadn't noticed before.Her hair had grown past her shoulders, falling in soft waves that caught the light. It framed her face, highlighting features he had never taken the time to really see.His heart did something stupid."Hi."Her voice pulled him back. She was smiling.He couldn't speak. His mouth opened, but nothing came out.Roman's elbow dug into his ribs."Say something," Roman muttered.Theon blinked, then forced a smile."Hi." His voice came out rough. He raised his hand for a handshake.‘What am I doing?’H
Theon sat frozen long after Roman ended the call.The phone was still in his hand, the screen dark, but he kept staring at it. If he hadn't heard the cry—that sharp, indignant wail cutting through the speaker—he wouldn't have believed it.Roman Sinclair, delivering his own child. On a living room floor. In the middle of a snowstorm.Theon shook his head. "I have to see this for myself."He had already planned to return to Trevinia because of the outbreak spreading through the hospitals. Patients were increasing and the symptoms were too familiar.But he had delayed, hesitated, and made excuses. Part of him knew why.Trevinia meant facing the same person he had been desperately trying to avoid. It meant fighting feelings he still hadn’t buried.But this time, the hesitation disappeared.The storm outside weakened little by little. Without wasting another second, Theon called the pilot.“Prepare the jet. I’m leaving now.”—-Evelyn’s lashes fluttered open.A dull ache spread through her
Roman lifted the baby from the water. His hands were shaking. His breath caught in his throat.The baby was coated in a thick, white, waxy substance. It clung to the tiny shoulders, the creases of the elbows, the folds of the neck. Roman wiped the baby's face with a clean towel, his movements clumsy, almost reverent.Then he noticed the slightly protruding part of the baby’s sex."A boy." Roman stared. For a second, his mind blanked.Evelyn's head lifted weakly, breathing heavily. "What?""A boy." Roman repeated. Gazing at the tiny face, the clenched fists, and the open mouth wailing at the world. He let out a short laugh in disbelief. "It's a boy."His eyes grew wet.Roman had been so sure. That he turned the whole nursery pink and only bought dresses. The name he had picked was for a daughter. Buy all of it was wrong. Turns out Evelyn won.Staring at the baby, he no longer cared. All he saw was his first child. Born by the woman he loved more than anything. It was like a dream come
“Avery!!” Roman called again, his voice thick with emotions he didn’t even try to hide.Evelyn froze. Forgetting about her phobia for hospitals.This time, she heard it clearly. It wasn’t ‘Evelyn’ slurred. Not ‘Lyn’. It was ‘Avery,’ clear as day. A cold knot formed in her stomach. Her throat tighte
“ROMAN!” Evelyn cried out, her voice cracking with fear.Mrs. Chen and Mrs. Hartwell rushed into the kitchen the moment they heard her scream.“Oh my God!”Mrs. Chen’s face drained of color as she saw Roman on the floor. She spun to Mrs. Hartwell immediately.“Quickly—call an ambulance!”Then she d
Lena was lounging on her bed, munching on a bag of chips, when her phone buzzed. She glanced at the caller ID and frowned. She really didn’t want to answer. But she had no choice."Hi, Dad.""Hey, you little rascal, did you go on that date I arranged with the young man from the Adler family?"Lena
Evelyn blinked hard, swallowing as she slowly shifted to the other side of the bed."Erhm... nothing."Roman dropped the towel he'd been using to dry his hair and immediately caught her ankle, keeping her still. In one swift motion, he yanked her back toward him."Ah—" she let out a soft yelp, feel







