Chapter 49 Chapter 49.

Chapter 49 Chapter 49.

Adrian's POV.

She was so shocked to see me, it was like her soul had come out of her body.

"You..." she finally uttered a word. "What are you doing here?" She gave me a cold look.

"Your appointment card," I answered. "I came to give you your appointment card."

She looked at the card, and back at me. "How come you're with my appointment card?"

"Come on, I'm your husband."

She shot me a cold look, and I rephrased my statement instantly. "Was your husband. I'm your ex-husband."

The nurse took the card from me, and did God knows what with it while I kept my gaze locked on Jane who was in no measure warm with me.

"That's not the answer to my question," she spoke, her tone far different from what I recognize.

"Everything happened so fast between us in just a short time. As much as you think you packed everything, your things are still in the house," I responded. "Your appointment card, your hairpin, a piece of your earring... I found your lingerie too," I added, and her eyes widened in shock.

Her cheeks turned slightly pink in embarrassment and I chuckled.

God, I imagined her in that lingerie I found yesterday while I was packing my things to move out from the Blackwood mansion. A lingerie I didn't give her the chance to wear for me. And even if she did wear it, I never gave her the chance to show it to me... to show me how much she wanted to be mine alone.

"You left traces of yourself everywhere at home. The kitchen, the guestroom, the bedroom, even the living room... your book was on the table. The housekeepers said it was yours..." I trailed off.

She looked away from me but I didn't miss the flicker of emotion in her eyes.

A spark of recognition lit up in her eyes, and she faced me again. "So... how did you find me?" She asked. "Have you been stalking me?" She narrowed her eyes at me.

"As much as I want to, I didn't," I smiled but met up with a poker look. I regained my composure instantly. "After finding the card, I read through and realized your appointment was today. I was about heading to your office at the courthouse but decided to check in at the hospital first, and luckily I found you here," I explained.

She looked at me, from my head to my toes, and I suddenly felt... argghh. What the hell was she doing?

"Fine," she spoke finally. "You've given the card, now leave."

The words rang in my head. Leave... seriously? Not even a thank you?

"You can go in to see your doctor now, ma'am," the nurse handed Jane the card.

"Thank you," Jane received the card with a smile.

I almost scoffed.

Thank you to her, and not to me?

Jane took a step, and that brought me back, reminding me of the second reason I was here.

I stopped her from walking by standing right in front of her. She glared at me but I stayed.

"I'll leave, I wasn't even planning on staying—"

"Good," she cut me off. "Now get going."

She tried to step forward but I blocked her again. "At least listen to what I have to say."

"I don't want to," she tried to move again, and I stopped her still.

"I need to talk to you."

"And I said no!" She snapped at me.

"Jane."

"Adrian Blackwood," she called but her voice was different this time, it was pleading. "Please, leave."

My whole body came to a still, and before I could even fully process it, I stepped aside, giving her room to walk away.

For how long I stood there after she walked away, I didn't know until someone called me. "Mr Blackwood?"

I turned and found the doctor with a bright smile on her face.

"Hey, Doc," I responded.

But isn't she the doctor that was appointed to Jane? Why was she here, and Jane was...

I turned around sharply to go find Jane but I bumped right into her, looking very displeased.

"Does he really have to come to?" Jane asked, her gaze locked on me.

"Yes, he does," the doctor replied.

"I can't stand him," Jane said, her tone carrying so much despise.

"You'll need to bear with him just for the check-up," the doctor answered lightly. Stepping before us, she smiled. "Now you two, come with me."

Jane and I walked side-by-side as we followed the doctor but what looked romantic to the crowd eyeing us, and whispering, was actually a quiet, heated fight.

We reached the office, and we sat before the doctor. Doctor Morgan.

"So let's begin," the doctor smiled.

"Begin what?" I had to ask.

Jane stood up and walked to the high single bed at the extreme of the office.

She tried climbing on to it and before I could even realize, I was already there, assisting her. Of course she refused my assistance but I helped her anyway.

After she had successfully layed on the bed, the doctor finally approached, her hands already worn in new, synthesized gloves. "Please, lift your dress," she instructed as she turned on a monitor just ahead of us.

Lift up dress? What for? I was so genuinely confused.

Jane lifted her dress, revealing her tummy that now had a very slight bump.

I smiled, her bump was beginning to grow even though it was still invisible when she had clothes on.

The doctor sat close to Jane, and applied something that looked like a jelly on Jane's stomach. She grabbed something that looked like a torch, and used it to rub the jelly all over Jane's stomach.

A rough unclear sound echoed in the room first until it became clearer... soft... sounding like a... heartbeat?

I looked at the doctor, my eyes wide. "Is that..."

"Yes," she smiled. "It's your baby's heartbeat."

The minor lit up showing a totally black display, and a grey... something I didn't understand.

"And this is your baby," the doctor added.

I didn't know how it happened but a tear slid down my cheek. "That's the baby?" I couldn't even hear myself properly.

It looked so small, like a bean but bigger than the size of a bean with the upper part slightly larger. It had tiny...

"Those are the hands, and legs," the doctor explained, pointing at them. "It's still developing."

"Is it a son or a daughter?" I asked, my voice almost a whisper.

"We don't know that yet," the doctor answered. "The baby is still developing."

I looked at Jane, and she was crying but with a smile on her lips as her eyes remained glued to the monitor.

Slowly, but hesitantly, I reached for her hand, clasping it with mine. She flinched, finally turning to me. Holding my gaze for what lasted nothing more than a minute, she looked away, unclasping her hand with mine.

I didn't say anything further, nor did I do anything. I simply turned and walked out of the office with my eyes burning up, and a sharp pain gnawing in my chest. My heart shattered into a million pieces, my whole life flashing before my eyes.

What the hell have I done?

The hallway felt longer than it should have been. Each step I took echoed too loudly, like the entire world had gone silent just to amplify the sound of my own retreat.

I stopped midway, my hand pressing against the wall for support.

My chest tightened. That sound… that heartbeat. It replayed in my head over and over again.

Alive.... My child… is alive.

A shaky breath left my lips as I dragged a hand down my face, but it did nothing to steady me. If anything, it made everything worse because now I knew this wasn’t just some distant responsibility or a name on paper.

That was my child.

And she… Jane… she had been carrying this alone, all this time.

My jaw clenched painfully. "What the hell have I done…?" I whispered again, but this time, it sounded more broken.

Memories hit me one after another— her waiting for me, her trying to speak, her looking at me like I was the only person in her world… And me?

I shut my eyes tightly. I had been too blind, too consumed, too… arrogant.

A bitter laugh escaped me.

Adrian Blackwood. The man who could control a billion-dollar empire couldn’t even take care of his own wife. Couldn’t even notice she was breaking. Couldn’t even notice she was carrying his child.

I straightened slowly, forcing myself to breathe properly.

Running away wasn’t going to fix this. But going back in there? Facing her? I didn’t even know if I had the right anymore but still… my feet moved.

By the time I reached the door again, my hand hovered over the handle. I hesitated. Not out of pride or anger, but fear. Fear that I had already lost her completely.

I pushed the door open slowly. Jane was already sitting up, the doctor speaking to her softly, probably giving instructions, but I couldn’t hear anything.

My eyes were only on her. She looked… different. Not physically but there was something in her expression, softness, strength, distance... all at once.

She didn’t look at me, not even once.

"Mr. Blackwood," the doctor’s voice broke through. "You’ll need to be present for future appointments."

I nodded, my voice refusing to come out.

Jane finally spoke, calm but firm. "That won’t be necessary."

My head snapped toward her.

The doctor blinked. "But—"

"I’ll handle it," Jane added, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Silence fell, I swallowed hard. "I’ll be there."

Her gaze shifted to me then, cold, and tired. "That won’t be necessary," she repeated.

Each word landed like a blow.

"I’m the father," I said quietly, not as a command, but as a fact.

"And I’m the one carrying the child," she replied just as quietly. "So I decide what’s necessary."

That shut me up, because she was right. God, she was so right.

The doctor cleared her throat awkwardly. "Let’s… focus on the health plan for now."

The rest of the conversation passed in a blur. Vitamins, next appointment, precautions. I heard it all but none of it stayed, because all I could focus on was the space between us. A space I created. A space I didn’t know how to close.

When it was finally over, Jane got down from the bed. This time, I didn’t move to help her. I didn’t think I deserved to.

She adjusted her dress and walked past me without a word, or even a glance.

My chest tightened again. "Jane," I called, and she stopped but she didn’t turn.

I swallowed. "I..." The words got stuck.

Apologies felt too small. Explanations felt meaningless. Everything I could say… felt useless.

"I’ll take responsibility," I finally said.

She let out a soft, humorless breath. "Responsibility?" she echoed. Then she turned slightly, just enough for me to see the side of her face. "You should have thought about that earlier."

And just like that, she walked away.

This time I didn’t follow, I just stood there watching her leave again.