CHAPTER FOUR: A FAMILY

Damien's POV

“She's always liked the color pink. She'll want a feminine room,” I say to Gabriel, the interior designer I hired to redesign Heaven's bedroom.

“Feminine, you say. I have just the colour. Oh, she's going to looove it,” he singsonged and walked to the other room in search of something.

Even though I didn't like the gay designer, he was crowned the best in the whole of Paris and Heaven deserved only the best so I'd been working with him for hours.

He came back with three shades of pink and I had to restrain myself from rolling my eyes. Did he expect me to choose one? They were practically the same thing.

“Well? What do you think?” he asked.

“I think they're pink,” I replied with a snort.

With an offended gasp, Gabriel said adamantly. “They are not just pink. This is coral pink, rose pink, and baby pink.” He gestured to each shade.

“Make me a room my wife will adore, I don't care about what you call the color.” Then, I left the room.

I instructed Mariam, my head of staff, to keep an eye on Gabriel while I go to the hospital to check on Heaven. She was more than happy to do so.

Mariam had always disapproved of the way I treated Heaven. She's hopeful for our marriage to work. I understood her. I now wanted the same thing. A happy marriage with Heaven and our child.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

As I drove to the hospital, I thought of names. I want something beautiful like Heaven. Maybe Angel for a girl and Eden for a boy.

I was in such a happy mood, it seemed like I was floating on clouds. Until I stepped into the hospital and my heart sank, my smile wiped from my face.

Lilian was seated by the receptionist table in her signature red dress, her legs crossed. She looked like a doll. I used to think that meant perfect but suddenly I felt it looked so fake. Pretentious.

Once she noticed me, she approached me with a blinding smile.

“Damien, I've been trying to reach you. I've been worried about you,” she smiled at me. I could only stare at her blankly.

I didn't know what to say or do. This was the woman I cared about for such a long time but suddenly my skin crawled at her presence.

Why was I just noticing how blank her eyes always were? Her smile never reached them. Not like Heaven's.

Lilian's eyebrows scrunched in confusion at my reaction and she reached out to touch me but I evaded her hand before she could place it on my face.

“Damien, what's wrong? Did I do something?” she asked. She was getting worried. I didn't want to cause a scene.

Snapping out of whatever trance I was in, I cleared my throat and faked a smile.

“Nothing's the matter. Follow me.” I said, and began to walk upstairs. I needed to end this once and for all, I wouldn't want to embarrass her so the least I can do is take her somewhere private.

I stopped at the end of the long hall and turned to Lilian. I could see her calculating mind racing. I knew she'd always been like that. Sly, cunning, somewhat manipulative.

I thought that meant she was reliable. She'd help me fight battles, she wouldn't be a liability.

But I was so wrong. When things got scary, she ran off. And the woman I pushed away, the woman I betrayed, stayed.

“Lilian, it's over,’’ I had no time to play games. I was done with whatever this was. I'd made a mistake from the very beginning.

“What?” Lilian gasped. Surprise and disbelief was edged on her face. “You don't really mean that,” she said.

“Yes, I do. I was wrong to ever be with you. I'm a married man,” I responded.

She scoffed, “You didn't know that when you were fucking me?”

I took a deep breath knowing I brought this up on myself. “We were both after our own goals, Lilian. We should just be civil about this. Goodbye.”

She held on to my arm as I turned to leave. I'd never seen that look in Lilian's eyes. She looked crazed.

“You're not leaving me. I won't allow you to. I'll tell every news outlet that you cheated on your wife with me. You'll be ruined.”

I didn't feel fear. I was amused.

Lilian's confusion grew as I coldly chuckled. When I laughed my ass out, I smiled sinisterly.

“I don't think you know who I am, Miss Croft,” Lilian started looking scared.

“If you so much as breathe what happened between us, I'll get rid of the news, trust me on that. And then, I'll get rid of you. Do not mess with me, Lilian.” I ordered coldly.

I left without a glance. I paid no mind to Lilian's scream and sobs. Leaving her was like taking a boulder off my heart. I feel so free.

Maybe now, I could finally be an honest man. I could change. I would change.

I would be the husband that Heaven needed, a good father to our child, if she'd let me.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

I couldn't stop looking at Heaven. Watching her sleep on my bed made me feel so many things. I didn't mind that we had to turn my room into a mini-hospital with the monitors and all, or that I couldn't sleep on my bed. I just cared about her well-being.

Unable to resist, I sat on the bed and raised my arm to her belly. I hesitated for a second but then slowly placed my palm on Heaven's slowly protruding belly.

I couldn't feel it move but I could feel it. Our child. My eyebrows furrowed at the sensations in my chest. My emotions have been all over the place lately. With these strange feelings came a sense of calm and peace, it was almost overwhelming.

'Heaven, I swear to you today. I will be a man worthy of you. Of our child. I promise.’