Chapter 400

Chapter 400
Lilian quietly left the room and went to see Théo. To her surprise, as soon as she touched the doorknob, the door opened.
“Good morning, Mom!”
Lilian smiled. Her son was already up, dressed in comfortable clothes and full of energy.
“Good morning, sweetheart. Are you awake already?” She bent down to give him a kiss. “And have you finished your workout?”
“Yes!” Théo nodded proudly. “You know what? Uncle Antonio has already taught me some advanced moves. I can't wait to learn more.”
Lilian raised her eyebrows, impressed. She thought that, at this early stage, Antonio would focus only on basic physical conditioning.
“Wow, so fast?”
“Yes. The teacher said I learn fast and that I'm stronger than other kids my age. He said my progress is incredible!” Théo explained, his eyes shining.
Seeing the enthusiasm and maturity on her son's face, Lilian's heart overflowed. A sudden wave of emotion washed over her. He was growing up so fast. Soon, he would be the big brother, the protector of the twins.
Her eyes filled with involuntary tears. Pregnancy was making her emotions run high.
“Should I tell him now?” she thought, holding his little hand.
But she remembered the promise she had made to Ethan: they would tell him together. She took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears.
“Mommy?” Theo's expression changed from joy to concern. He examined her face. “What happened? Why are you crying?”
Lilian blinked rapidly, looking away to hide her tears.
“What? No... Mommy's fine, sweetheart.” She forced a smile, feeling bad for worrying him. “It's just... pride. Shall we wake Daddy? We have something to tell you.”
She decided she couldn't wait any longer. The news needed to be shared.
When they entered the master bedroom, Ethan was still a motionless mountain under the sheets.
“Huh? Is Dad still asleep?” Theo whispered, surprised. He climbed onto the bed and sat on the edge.
“Daddy worked until dawn,” Lilian opened the curtains, letting the soft morning light in. “You can wake him up, son.”
“Good morning, Daddy...” Theo called, gently shaking Ethan's shoulder.
Ethan grumbled, opening one eye. When he saw his son's face so close, a sleepy smile appeared on his lips.
“Good morning, buddy...” Ethan pulled him into a bear hug, making Théo laugh and struggle to break free.
After the playfulness, Ethan sat up, rubbing his face, and looked at Lilian, who was sitting at the foot of the bed.
“Good morning, beautiful.” His voice was hoarse with sleep. “Why didn't you wake me up earlier?”
“Good morning. I let you rest.” Lilian narrowed her eyes in a loving warning.
“Ethan, can you stop working until dawn? Your health is more important than the company. I don't want you to get sick.”
“Yes, Daddy!” Theo agreed, hands on his hips, imitating his mother's posture. “Please take care of your health. Don't make Mommy angry or cry like she did this morning.”
The room fell silent.
Ethan froze. His sleepiness vanished in an instant.
“Cry?” He turned abruptly to Lilian, concern taking over his face. “Honey, what's wrong? Are you not feeling well? Did something happen with the...?”
He didn't finish the sentence, but his gaze fell to her belly.
The fear that something was wrong with the pregnancy was evident.
Lilian laughed softly, shaking her head to reassure him.
“No, Ethan. I feel fine. It was just... emotion. I was looking at Théo and I got emotional thinking about sharing the news.
She gave him a meaningful look. ”It's time."
Ethan relaxed his shoulders and exhaled.
“Oh... I see.”
“What's the news, Mom? Dad?” Théo looked from one to the other, curiosity piqued. He sat down between them, eager.
Ethan smiled, putting his arm around his son's shoulders.
“Buddy, Mom and Dad have something very special to tell you.” He paused dramatically. “Congratulations, Théo. You've been promoted.”
“Promoted?” Théo frowned.
“Yes. You're going to be a big brother.”
Théo's eyes widened. His mouth formed a perfect “O.”
“Big brother?” He looked at his mother's belly and then at his father. “Really? Mom, Dad, is it true?”
“Yes, sweetheart...” Lilian caressed his face, moved once again. “But the surprise doesn't end there. You're not just going to have one brother or sister.”
Theo tilted his head, confused.
“No?”
“No,” Lilian continued, smiling. “You're going to have two. They're twins.”
“WHAT?!” Théo jumped on the bed. “Two? I'm going to have two babies to take care of?”
Ethan laughed out loud at his son's genuine reaction.
“Yes. Two babies. Double the work for the big brother.”
“Wow...” Théo was stunned, but a huge smile began to spread across his face. “I'm going to teach them both martial arts! I'm going to protect them!”
“Are you happy, son?” Ethan asked.
“Yes! Yes! I'm very happy!” Théo threw himself on top of his parents, hugging them tightly.
The family hug lasted a long moment, filled with laughter and warmth.
“My dear,” said Lilian, stepping back a little to look into her son's eyes. “Mommy and Daddy are very happy, but this is our secret. For now, no one can know.”
“Not even Grandma and Grandpa?” asked Théo.
“No. Let's wait a few more weeks to make sure everything is okay. It's our spy secret. Okay?”
Théo made a gesture of zipping his mouth shut and nodded solemnly.
“Understood. Spy secret.”
At that moment, a knock at the door interrupted the secret meeting.
“Breakfast is served!” Ana's voice announced from the hallway.
Ethan winked at his son.
“Come on, big brother. We have to feed these babies.”