~~ Alex ~~It had been four days since I put someone on Jay’s trail, and still nothing. No updates, no slip‑ups, not even a blurry picture. All I knew was what his oh‑so‑beloved sister and his father told me: that he’d left the country.Maybe I should just book a flight and show up at his so‑called destination. Catch him off‑guard. Look him in the eye and get my answers.My phone buzzed. Caller ID lit up with the investigator’s number. Finally.I answered before the second ring. “Talk to me.”His voice was low, careful. “Sir… things are… different now.”I frowned. “Different how?”“The security around him is extremely tight. I mean tighter than I’ve ever seen. Like… presidential‑level tight. Cameras, guards, shadows everywhere. You’d think he was some kind of national treasure.”That made no sense, isn’t he out of the country. “So he is out of the country?”A pause. “No. He’s here. Same city. Same air. Just… untouchable.”Untouchable… huh?I leaned back in my chair, irritation prickli
~~Lena~~The moment I told Jay I’m the pregnant one, the decision stopped being a bluff. It became a war strategy.By evening , I had already pulled strings. I called in favors. My trusted OB-GYN someone who owed me more than they could ever repaywas briefed. New medical records were being fabricated under my name, complete with sonograms, appointment logs, and lab results. The files would be impossible to dispute. Anyone who tried to dig would hit a wall thick enough to break their nose.Jay watched me from the couch, his arms folded tight across his middle.“You’re really going all in with this,” he murmured.I met his gaze. “We don’t have the luxury of half-measures, little brother.”His lips pressed into a thin line. “How long do you think we can keep it up?”“As long as we have to.” My voice was firm, leaving no space for doubt. “We control the narrative, we control the timeline. No one gets close enough to question it.”He glanced down at his stomach, his hand drifting over the
~~Jay~~ Lena’s voice was steady, almost too calm, as she stepped deeper into the room. “Don’t worry. Whoever that is, my men outside will take care of it.” My throat tightened. “And the two doctors who knows?” Her gaze cut to me, cool and deliberate. “The first one’s been handled. The second won’t be a problem.” I hesitated. “And this new doctor?” Her lips curved not into a smile, but something sharper. “He’s mine. Works for me. One wrong word from him, and he’s gone.” The matter‑of‑fact way she said it made my stomach knot. She never bluffed. Not Lena. She pulled out her phone, typed something quick, then slid it back into her jacket. Decisions made. Lines drawn. “You focus on staying alive and keeping those babies safe,” she said. “The rest? That’s on me.” I wanted to ask what “handled” really meant, but the look in her eyes told me I wouldn’t like the answer. So I just nodded, Lena became another person any time it comes to protecting me, which makes me feel less of a m
~~Lena ~~The moment the door shut behind the doctor, the air in the room felt heavier, like the walls themselves were leaning in, listening. Jay was still sitting there on the examination bed, shoulders rounded, head bowed, like someone had pulled the plug on his entire will to stand. This solution is the only one and that’s exactly what we are going to do because it is more believable.I moved closer, leaning against the counter, arms crossed tight. “Jay… listen to me carefully.”He lifted his head, his eyes glazed and uncertain. “What are we going to do?”I took a slow breath. “We’re going to do what we’ve always done. Survive. But this time, we do it smart.”He gave a hollow laugh. “Smart? I’m pregnant, Lena. I’m a man. There’s nothing smart about this. There’s nothing normal about this.”I stepped forward until I was right in front of him. “That’s why starting now you’re not pregnant anymore.”His brow furrowed. “What?”“I am,” I said flatly. “To the outside world, I’m the one ha
~~Jay ~~I drew in a shaky breath, the weight of the doctor’s words pressing against my ribs. Lena’s hand brushed my arm not forceful, but grounding.“Okay,” I murmured, surprising even myself. “Let’s… hear them.”The doctor gave a small nod and wheeled the Doppler machine closer. “Lie back for me, please.”I obeyed stiffly, my eyes fixed on the sterile white ceiling tiles as I reclined on the narrow examination bed. The room smelled faintly of disinfectant, sharp and cold, but my palms were sweating.He lifted my shirt, applied a thin layer of warm gel to my lower abdomen, and positioned the transducer against my skin. The sound of static filled the air a soft, searching hum that made my pulse quicken.Then it happened.A rapid, rhythmic thump‑thump‑thump broke through the static, so quick it almost didn’t sound real. My breath caught.“That’s the first one,” the doctor said gently, adjusting the device. The sound was strong, insistent, alive.Before I could process it, another beat
~~Jay~~Lena was pacing again. Back and forth across the cramped hospital office, her heels clicking against the linoleum like a metronome for my growing dread. She hadn’t stopped since the nurse told us the doctor would be “just a few minutes.”Her arms were folded tight across her chest, head bent, lips pressed into a line so thin it almost disappeared. She was trying to look composed, but her eyes betrayed her darting to the door every other second like she could will the doctor to appear faster. The way she showed up for me yesterday made me remember when we are younger. Lena always shows up every fucking time I need her, which made me feel like am not alone in this mess.I sat in the stiff leather chair by the desk, hands clasped loosely between my knees. I wanted to tell her to sit, to breathe, to stop wearing a hole in the floor. But my own chest felt too heavy to push the words out.This… this wasn’t one of those moments where you tell someone everything’s going to be fine. Be