Chapter 4 The Worst Surprise

Andrew's POV

I was in a good mood during the business trip. Since I found out that Aria was pregnant again, I felt relieved. Initially, when she told me she was expecting our heir, I had mixed feelings because we had lost two babies already. However, I tried to keep those feelings hidden. I asked the Moon Goddess to bless us with a healthy baby, and as time passed without any complications for Aria, I grew hopeful, even certain, that this time the Moon Goddess truly wanted to gift us with an heir. 

As we travelled back, I could hardly wait to see Aria again. The only downside of these business trips was being away from my Luna. I knew she feared losing the baby, and I completely understood her anxiety. That made it even harder for me to leave her this time. My heart felt heavy as I entered our house, and my chest tightened when I saw Hilda's expression.

She lowered her head, and I asked, "Hilda, what is wrong?" She merely shook her head. My heart raced as I closed my eyes in disbelief. It hurt. 

"Where is she?" I asked Hilda, although it felt like a stupid question. 

"She is upstairs in the bedroom, Alpha," she replied. I sighed, nodded, and rushed up the stairs. It was heartbreaking to see Aria in such a state. She blamed herself, and the unstable mobile service between countries had prevented me from receiving her message, only adding to her distress. 

Even though losing the baby was hard for me, I understood that she suffered not only emotionally but also physically. So, I tried my best to comfort her.

I wanted to stay with her all day, but work had piled up, and I needed to focus on my responsibilities. My heart was still heavy when I entered the office. As soon as I sat down at my desk, Seraphina walked in.

"Good morning, Andrew," she greeted me, placing the folders onto my desk. "I'm sorry, but things look worse than I thought."

"Well, we knew that," I replied, which made Seraphina smile. 

"Sean and I have already gone through a lot, but these require your attention," she said. "Would you like some coffee?" 

I shook my head. "I already had one. I had breakfast with my Luna," I said with a smile.

"Oh, I hope Aria is doing well," she said, and for a moment, concern appeared on her face. I did my best to smile reassuringly.

"Yes, she's well," I replied, and her smile returned. 

"Thanks to the Moon Goddess," she sighed. "You looked like something was bothering you," she added, but I shook my head.

"No, everything is fine," I assured her. 

"Are you going home for lunch?" she asked, probably trying to figure out

if she needed to organise lunch for us.

I nodded. "Yes," I replied. She made a note and then nodded at me before leaving the office.

I had a good relationship with my Betas. My first Beta was Sean, who had been my friend since childhood. Seraphina was supposed to assist Aria; however, I didn't want my Luna working in the office. I preferred her to be the heart of the pack, where she organised charity events and often visited places such as schools, daycares, the warrior school, and the orphanage. Seraphina only needed her on those occasions, so I borrowed her when Aria didn't need her, and she proved to be a great help to me.

I was in the middle of organising a folder when my phone rang. I quickly grabbed it, worried that something had happened to Aria, but I felt relieved when I saw it was my mum calling.

"Mum?" I answered.

"Andrew, darling, I just wanted to check on you. Have you made it back safely?" she asked.

"Yes, Mum, I'm in the office right now," I said, hoping to convey that she was interrupting me.

"Oh, I know you’re busy, and I won’t keep you long. I wanted to let you know that your father and I will be joining you for supper tonight," she said. For a moment, I didn’t know what to say.

"Supper tonight?" I repeated, buying some time.

"Yes, darling. It's been a long time since we saw each other, so we’ll be there at six," she said, not allowing me to find a reason to refuse their visit.

"Mum, I was away for days, and I wanted to have dinner with Aria…" 

"No problem, darling. Aria will be there as well, so you can have dinner with her. We’ll be at your house at six," she said. "Love you, darling," then she hung up.

I closed my eyes for a minute. I hated this. When I announced my intention to marry Aria, my parents were happy, but not because they liked her. They were moved by Aria's origins and her pack's influence, which made our marriage desirable for them. They never truly liked her, only pretended to, and even though Aria tried to hide it, I knew she sensed my parents' dislike.

The fact that we had been married for almost four years without a child only intensified their dislike for Aria. They believed it was her fault we had not become parents yet and blamed her for losing our first baby. I never shared this with Aria, but my mum was convinced it was because Aria didn’t take proper care of herself that led to the miscarriage. This was why I decided not to tell them about the subsequent two pregnancies.

I knew I would ruin Aria's mood if I shared this with her, so I took my phone and texted her only that I wouldn’t be home for lunch. I needed to work so I could be home by six. I called Aria, and I didn't like her voice at all; therefore, I chose not to tell her that we would eat supper with my parents.

The day passed quickly, and at four o'clock, I decided to leave so Aria would have time to get ready for dinner.

"Andrew? Are you leaving already?" Seraphina asked as both she and Sean looked at me in surprise.

"Yes, I must go. My parents want to have dinner with us," I replied.

"Oh, I see," Seraphina said.

"I'm sorry. You don't need to finish everything today, guys," I added.

"I hoped you would say that," Sean grinned. "Good luck with the family dinner," he wished me.

"Thanks," I answered before leaving the office.

After entering the house, I found no one on my way to the bedroom. As I opened the door, it seemed like I startled Aria, as she jumped.

"Did you expect someone else?" I joked. Her lips curled into a smile as she got off the bed and rushed to hug me.

"Of course not," she said, wrapping her arms around me.

"How was your day?" she asked.

"Long, but it still hasn't ended."

"What? Why?" She looked at me in confusion.

"We need to get ready. My parents are coming over for dinner," I said, watching Aria's smile fade.