Chapter 230 EATING OUR FEELINGS.

Chapter 230 EATING OUR FEELINGS.
\~~~SERENA.

My mother stood at the edge of the kitchen, her eyes instantly filling with tears as she looked at me.

For a second, neither of us moved. The noise from the living room seemed to fade away entirely, leaving just the heavy silence between the two of us. All the anger I thought I was holding onto, all the confusion from the weeks of manipulation, suddenly felt so small compared to the raw, aching fear on her face.

She took a hesitant step forward, her hands trembling slightly.

“Serena…” she choked out, her voice breaking. “Oh, my sweet girl.”

I didn't wait anymore. I closed the distance between us, stepping across the kitchen floor and throwing my arms around her neck.

My mother gasped, her arms wrapping tightly around my waist as she buried her face in my shoulder. She sobbed softly, holding onto me as if she were afraid I would vanish into thin air. I closed my eyes, letting my own tears fall, holding onto the mother I had always loved before the nightmares tore us apart.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered fiercely against my skin. “I am so, so sorry for everything.”

“I know, Mom,” I breathed, pulling back just enough to look at her, a small, watery smile on my face. “I know.”

By the time we walked into the living room together, hand in hand, the mood shifted completely. Damien stood by the kitchen counter, watching us with a quiet, approving look in his dark eyes that made my heart melt.

Ethan, Maya, and Melissa were sitting comfortably on the couches, plates of pizza balanced on their laps.

“Well, look who decided to join the party,” Ethan joked, raising a slice of pizza in greeting. “Glad to see we aren't the only ones eating our feelings tonight.”

My mother offered a shy, polite smile, taking a seat nearby as Damien walked over and pulled me close to his side, his arm wrapping securely around my waist.

“Before everyone gets too comfortable,” I said, my voice carrying across the room, “we actually have an announcement to make.”

Ethan stopped mid-chew, setting his plate down. Maya looked up with instant curiosity, and Melissa narrowed her eyes playfully.

“Oh god, did you guys hack another database?” Melissa asked. “Because I officially quit if I have to stare at code again tonight.”

I laughed, looking up at Damien, who smiled down at me before looking at our small, chosen family.

“No database hacking,” Damien said smoothly. He gently placed his hand flat over my lower stomach, right where our secret had been resting all week. “We are pregnant.”

For three seconds, absolute silence filled the room.

Then, chaos erupted.

Maya let out a loud squeal, jumping off the couch and rushing over to pull me into a tight, breathless hug. “Are you serious?! Oh my god, Serena, congratulations!”

“An heir… or heiress!” Ethan shouted, a massive grin spreading across his face as he stood up and walked straight over to Damien, clapping him hard on the shoulder. “Boss! That’s incredible! Holy hell, congratulations!”

Melissa threw her hands up in the air. “I knew it! I literally knew something was up when you banned wine! We are going to spoil this kid rotten, I swear to god.”

Even my mother gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in pure shock before a radiant, tearful smile broke across her face. She stood up and pulled me into another fierce hug, kissing my cheek over and over again.

Laughter and overlapping congratulations filled the house, warm and bright and completely alive. For the first time in months, the air felt entirely clear. We were laughing, eating, and celebrating a brand-new future together.

The night stretched on in a haze of happy noise, music playing softly from the speakers, and easy conversation bouncing around the room.

Until the doorbell rang.

The sound cut sharply through the laughter.

Ethan, who was closest to the hallway, paused mid-sentence. He frowned, glancing toward the front door before walking over to answer it.

The rest of us kept talking for a second, waiting for Ethan to greet whoever was there. But the conversation slowly died down.

Ethan opened the heavy door and then he fell into absolute silence.

The living room was entirely still.

Ethan frowned, his brow furrowing deep as he looked from the man standing outside the threshold and then slowly back toward us. His expression shifted into something between heavy confusion and absolute disbelief, as if his brain was struggling to process the math of who was standing on the porch.

He didn't look scared. Just entirely thrown off.

Damien’s posture went completely rigid beside me, his hand dropping away from my stomach as his fingers curled into a tight fist at his side. The dark, dangerous commander was back, his eyes narrowing as he stared down the hallway toward the open door.

Maya tilted her head, looking between Ethan’s back and Damien’s tense shoulders. Melissa quietly put her half-eaten slice of pizza back onto the plate, the playful mood evaporating in a single heartbeat.

My mother looked around the room, sensing the sudden drop in temperature, her hands nervously twisting the hem of her blouse.

“Who is it, Ethan?” Damien asked, his voice dropping into a low, lethal tone.

Ethan swallowed, his eyes darting across the room before landing straight on me.

“Boss…” Ethan muttered, his voice tight.

“…it’s Ryan.”