Lahat ng Kabanata ng Beneath the Surface : Kabanata 151 - Kabanata 160

Lila's POV The next few days passed quietly. Almost too quietly like Max had not sent that text and Drew, he was around most of the time, though sometimes he would leave for a few hours to attend to business, meetings, or whatever new plans he was making to make sure Max never got close again.Then came the day of my next doctor’s appointment. It was sunny that morning, the kind of bright that made everything outside look softer. Drew drove, as usual and the ride was mostly silent, except for the soft hum of the radio and the sound of the tires on the road.I watched the world blur past the window, trees, street signs, flashes of people going about their day. For a while, it felt like things were almost normal.Then, out of nowhere, Drew broke the silence.“Have you thought about doing a gender reveal? Or a baby shower?”I blinked, turning to him. “A baby shower?”He glanced at me briefly, one hand still on the steering wheel. “Yeah. You know, balloons, cake, everyone pretending not

Lila's POV The night had softened into a tender hush. The backyard, once filled with laughter and chatter, now glowed faintly under the fairy lights Drew had strung across the trees. The soft hum of crickets filled the air, and every now and then, the faint echo of laughter drifted from the last guests making their way out through the front gate. I stood there for a moment, watching as Mrs. Dalia helped her little boy gather the remaining balloons. She caught my eye and smiled warmly before waving goodnight. “Take care dear,” she said, her voice fading as she left with her children. “You’ve had quite the evening.” I smiled and waved back, my chest still full from everything that had happened. My parents had already left a few minutes earlier with my mom hugging me so tightly that I thought she would never let go and my dad squeezed my shoulder with that rare proud smile he wore when words failed him. Ethan had fallen asleep halfway through dessert, so Drew helped in carrying hi

Lila's POV For a second, I could only stare at him. The words had just come out of his mouth, simple, clear and completely unexpected.Honestly I blinked at first, certain I had misheard him. Everything spiralled real quick and I asked him again if he was joking. Drew’s lips curved slightly, but his gaze didn’t waver. “You heard me.” A shocked laugh slipped from me before I could stop it. “You are not serious.” But he didn’t even flinch. His eyes stayed on mine, steady, warm, unwavering. That look told me everything I needed to know which was he actually meant it. My laugh faded, replaced by a nervous flutter in my stomach. “Oh my God, you are actually serious.” He nodded once. “Completely.” I took a shaky breath, feeling the air grow heavier around us. “You just… you can’t just say something like that after all this.” He raised a brow, stepping closer, his voice soft. “After I told you I love you? Or after I kissed you?” My cheeks flushed instantly, heat crawling up my ne

Drew’s POV At first, I didn’t think much of it. Lila had only gone to the restroom a few minutes ago. She has been excusing herself frequently these days, and the doctor said it was normal. Still, as the minutes stretched, I found myself glancing toward the hallway more often than I wanted to admit. Ten minutes. Then fifteen. And my chest began to tighten. I told myself that probably line was long or she was fixing her hair but something felt wrong and I couldn't shake it off. The air in the restaurant had shifted, it felt heavy and too quiet. My hand clenched around the edge of the table as unease started to coil low in my stomach. I tried to laugh it off, to convince myself I was overreacting, but Lila had been glowing just moments ago, laughing, teasing me, her hand resting gently on her bump like she always did when she felt the baby move. The memory now burned behind my eyelids. “Excuse me,” I muttered, already pushing my chair back. The waiter looked startled, b

Drew's POV I was still on my knees outside the operating theatre when one of my people slipped into the corridor and the look on his face showed that something was wrong. “Sir,” he said, voice low, no preamble. He didn’t look at me like someone offering condolence or small talk. He looked at me like a soldier reporting a hit “We pulled the restaurant CCTV and I thought you would want to see it.” There was a small monitor mounted to his tablet. He set it down on the bench beside me, fingers already working the play controls. His movements were mechanical, calm like he done this before. I told him to play it and what I saw sent shivers down my spine. The grainy footage filled the small screen. The camera was mounted high, catching the restaurant’s back corridor and the door to the ladies’ room. For a beat it was the ordinary hum of a place winding down, chairs pushed back, a server sweeping, two women who looked like tourists laughing at the bar. Then Lila appeared in fr