Chapter 62 Chapter 62

Chapter 62 Chapter 62
The next morning happened to be a weekend and the old man insisted they escort him to his private greenhouse on the outskirts of the property.
They had to play along as usual to make the old man happy and at ease. As time passed, they ended up alone in the greenhouse checking the flowers Grandfather planted for their upcoming family event. Darian was unusually relaxed, playing along so real that he was even brushing pollen off Averie’s hair. And for a moment, they felt like a real married couple.

And Averie—vulnerable, and confused.

“Darian,” she began softly, keeping her eyes on the roses, “have you ever thought about… having a big family? Maybe… even a baby?”

Darian blinked, the question had caught him off guard.

“A baby?” he repeated.

“Yes.”

Averie tried to smile though her heart hammered painfully.
“You know… someday.”

He exhaled slowly, there was a thoughtful silence before he said:

“I would love that. A big family… kids running around… a warm home.” He smiled faintly making Averie secure a little bit of hope among hundreds of negative others

“But only with the right person, and at the right time,” he added.

Sadly, those simple words struck her like a dagger.

The right person at the right time.

Her hand instinctively pressed against her stomach, fingers trembling.

She wasn’t the right person, at least not in his eyes  Now when she’s bound to leave in a year as planned. Perhaps Carmine has always been his right person; then and always.

She turned away quickly so he wouldn’t see her tears.

“I… I understand.”

That day, Averie stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and whispered:

“I’ll hide it. I won’t trap him. I’ll leave when the contract ends.”

She placed her palm over her flat stomach, her voice breaking.

“I’ll protect you on my own, little one”

>>>>
Two days later, their empty engagement remained. No closure, no burnout. To take her mind off things, Averie went to visit the charity center she had been supporting quietly since her rebirth. 

She had a fun day and everything was normal until she was returning. A black truck sped toward her car from the side street, its headlights flashing.
Before Averie could brace herself, the impact came hard and fast and the car spun. Glass shattered and Averie’s body slammed against the door. Pain seared through her abdomen.

And then, what came next was darkness.

>>>
When Darian got the call about Averie’s accident, his phone slipped from his hands.

“Accident…? Averie?!! Where?!”

He drove like a madman to the crash site.

What he saw almost killed him: Averie’s handbag on the ground, stained with dust. The truck driver was bleeding but conscious as he gestured toward the destroyed car.

His eyes moved around frantically, searching for Averie but he couldn’t find her. He realized she must have been taken by the ambulance. Ugly thoughts flashed through his mind as he tried to picture how the accident happened… Averie must have been hurt pretty badly, unconscious and pale.
 When he heard what the onlookers were saying, he felt his world spiraling. He immediately rushed to the hospital.
Fortunately, it was that doctor’s hospital. He was about to start asking for his wife when Dr.Levie stepped out.

And his next words crushed Darian’s soul.

“Mr.Graham… Your wife is pregnant.”

He staggered “What…?”

“She’s about six weeks. And because of the crash, she’s under observation. She’s stable for now, but the stress on her body has been severe.”

Darian felt like the ground had disappeared beneath him. His Averie was pregnant, carrying his child and yet she never told him.

Pain tore through his chest, betrayal, fear, and sorrow all at once.

“Why didn’t she… tell me?” he whispered, voice cracking.

“I’ll need you to sign this for us.” Levie handed him a pen and a write-up. That was the only reason he had to tell him about Averie’s condition. He’s her only listed guardian.

When Averie woke up, her body was aching. Darian was sitting beside her bed, eyes red, shirt wrinkled, and hands clenched.

She gasped weakly “Darian…?”

He looked up at her slowly, his voice was low, rough, and hurt.

“You’re pregnant… and you didn’t think I deserved to know?”

Her throat tightened painfully. She looked away, tears filling her eyes.

“You told me you wanted a family only with the ‘right person.’ This isn’t the right time. And I’m not the right person.”
Her voice broke.

“Our contract ends soon. I didn’t want you to think I planned this. I didn’t want to trap you with a baby” she explained.

Darian stood abruptly, heart pounding.

“Trap me? Averie, this is my child! Our child! How could you hide something like that?!”

Averie finally snapped “Because I’m tired, Darian!” she cried.
“Tired of hurting. Tired of pretending I don’t care. Tired of being second to Carmine. Tired of falling in love with a man who may never love me back!”

Darian froze, taken by her sudden outburst. Every word hit him with the force of a storm.

“What… what did you just say?” he whispered.

Averie wiped her tears aggressively.

“This was all a mistake. Mixing business with emotion. I want out. Let’s end the contract.” she said, deadpan.

Darian stared at her in disbelief then he moved, swiftly.

He leaned over her, gripping the rails of her hospital bed, face inches from hers.

His voice was low, dangerous, trembling with emotion:

“You think you can walk away because you’re scared?”

She swallowed.

“You can’t leave,” Darian said, jaw clenched and her breath hitched.

“And why not?” she whispered, with shaky breaths.

Darian’s eyes burned.
“Because you’re carrying my baby. It’s not just any baby”

He lowered his voice even more.
“That means you’re mine. And I’m not letting you escape.”

Averie’s lips parted, stunned.  

Darian cupped her face gently, but possessively and whispered:

“You don’t get to decide this alone anymore. Not when I almost lost both of you.”