Chapter 187 Pregnant Twins.
Chloe pulled Arabella down onto the sofa, then hauled out a cooler from the refrigerator, setting it in front of her like she was presenting a treasure chest. When she popped it open, inside were bottles of milky-white liquid—the same ones Alexander had shown her that morning.
"I've been raising a few calves," Chloe said proudly. "They just had their babies , so I had all the colostrum collected and sent over for you. I heard colostrum is incredibly nourishing—boosts your immune system and everything. It was all shipped cold-chain, so the good bacteria are still super active. Just heat it up and drink one bottle a day. It'll do wonders for your health."
What Chloe didn't mention was why she wanted to help rebuild Arabella's health. She'd heard from Alexander about the previous marriage—how Arabella had been pressured to have children, enduring multiple IVF that had nearly destroyed her body. Her heart had broken for the girl. How could anyone treat such a wonderful young woman so inhumanely? That family's conscience must have rotted clean through.
Arabella stared at the box of colostrum, deeply moved. Chloe had always looked after her—even thinking ahead about restoring her health.
Once Alexander disappeared into the kitchen, Chloe pulled Arabella closer and whispered, "I really messed things up, didn't I? Please tell me it didn't affect your relationship with Alex?" She'd been on edge for days, terrified she'd ruined her grandson's chances. She hadn't even dared ask him how things were going. Today's invitation to bring Arabella over was her way of testing the waters. So when Arabella arrived with Alex, half her anxiety had already melted away. Now she finally had the courage to ask.
Arabella paused, then shook her head with a smile. "No, Grandma, don't worry."
The other half of Chloe's worry dissapeared.
Before they'd arrived, Chloe had personally prepared dinner. Alexander carried the dishes out, glancing at the two women huddled together. "Let's eat first."
Arabella helped Chloe pull out her chair before sitting down herself. Chloe speared a piece of meat and placed it on Arabella's plate. She picked it up right away, but the moment she brought it to her lips, the savory aroma made her stomach turn. Not wanting to hurt Chloe's feelings, she forced it down, fighting the nausea. She drank most of the water in the glass, barely managing to suppress the sick feeling.
Alexander noticed something was off. "Are you feeling okay?"
Arabella shook her head.
Then Chloe offered her another piece of meat. Her stomach revolted instantly, and this time she couldn't hold it back. Without caring about manners, she covered her mouth and bolted for the bathroom, retching violently.
Alexander rushed after her, voice tight with worry. "Arabella, are you alright?"
Arabella waved him back frantically. "I'm... fine. Don't come in."
Alexander stopped at the doorway, anxiety written all over his face, but he respected her wishes. "Okay."
After Arabella finished throwing up, her stomach settled slightly. She flushed the toilet, then turned on the faucet to wash her face and rinse her mouth. The moment she emerged from the bathroom, Alexander handed her a glass of warm water. "Drink this."
Her voice came out hoarse. The vomiting had left her weak and shaky. She gave him a tired smile. "Thank you."
Chloe stood nearby, drowning in guilt. "It must have been bad meat I bought. That's what made you sick. I should have gone to the market myself instead of sending someone. You just can't trust people to be as careful as you'd be yourself. This is all my fault."
"Grandma, I wasn't feeling well to begin with," Arabella assured her quickly. "This has nothing to do with you. Please don't think that. And look—I'm fine now!"
Alexander had already changed his clothes. "Come on, I'm taking you to the hospital for a checkup."
"Yes, yes, go to the hospital," Chloe urged. "Food poisoning is serious. Sometimes you need IV fluids."
Arabella blinked at them. "What? No, that's really not necessary. I feel perfectly fine now."
"You need to get checked out," Alexander said gently, though his tone left no room for argument. "So Grandma won't worry."
His voice stayed soft, but that underlying steel was pure Alexander—a man used to getting his way. Not wanting to add to Chloe's concerns, Arabella relented. "Alright."
Alexander had already retrieved her coat and purse. After saying goodbye to Chloe, they headed downstairs together.
Once in the car, shame washed over her. "Grandma probably spent all afternoon cooking that meal, and we didn't eat a single bite. She must feel awful."
"Nothing matters more than your health," Alexander said firmly. "If that food was spoiled, eating it would only make you sicker."
Arabella nodded slowly. He had a point, she supposed.
Alexander glanced at her, his look weighted with meaning. "Were you already feeling sick today?"
She shook her head. "I just said that so Grandma wouldn't blame herself."
Alexander nodded without responding further, but his knuckles went white against the steering wheel—a clear sign of tension.
They arrived at the hospital quickly. Alexander had invested in this facility, so he led Arabella straight to gastroenterology, where she had blood drawn. While they waited for results in a quiet room, a doctor soon entered, holding her test results.
"No inflammation in the GI tract, no intestinal viruses detected. However, several markers are elevated—typically indicators of possible pregnancy. I haven't prescribed any medication. You should follow up with OB-GYN for further testing."
The doctor looked up, puzzled by their complete lack of reaction.
It wasn't that Arabella and Alexander had no reaction. They were stunned. 'Possible pregnancy.' Those two words detonated like a bomb in both their heads. Alexander would admit—on the drive over, he'd wondered. But the thought had barely surfaced before he'd dismissed it as impossible. Except... maybe it wasn't?
Alexander recovered first. He took Arabella's hand, accepted the results from the doctor with thanks, and led her out.
Arabella moved in a daze, her mind completely blank. She couldn't get pregnant. Everyone knew that. One night with Alexander, and now... pregnant? Was that even possible? The doctor must have made a mistake. After all, he was a gastroenterologist, not an OB-GYN. And hadn't he said those elevated markers only 'suggested' pregnancy? It wasn't definitive. Maybe something else was wrong with her body, causing a false positive. That had to be it.
She drifted along in a fog, unaware that the man holding her hand was floating even higher.
Alexander had never waited in a hospital line in his life. This was a first. When they reached the OB-GYN department, he discovered it was packed—pregnant women with swollen bellies everywhere, their attentive husbands hovering nearby. Busy. Crowded. After registering, he found a quiet corner and settled Arabella into a chair, treating her like she might shatter at any moment.
She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Trying to bring him back to earth, she said, "Don't get excited yet. I've had tests before—I'm not supposed to be able to conceive easily. A doctor told me that barring a miracle, I couldn't have children. This is probably a false positive. We'll know for sure when the results come back."
Alexander nodded seriously. "Could be false."
But every movement remained careful, gentle, protective—like she was made of glass.
Arabella sighed and stopped arguing. The test results would snap him back to reality soon enough.
After waiting over half an hour, their turn finally came. The doctor glanced at Arabella. "Pregnant?"
"No—no, I'm not," Arabella said quickly. "I was feeling sick to my stomach today and threw up. The gastroenterologist said some markers were elevated and suggested possible pregnancy. He sent me here for testing." She handed over the previous results.
The doctor scanned them. "When was your last period?"
Arabella froze. After thinking for a moment, she answered uncertainly, "I think... about three weeks ago?"
Alexander's steady voice came from beside her. "The second of last month. It's been thirty-four days."
Arabella stared at him in shock. How did he know when her period was due? That was... that was insane.
The doctor gave him an approving look, made a note, then wrote out an order. "Let's draw some blood and run a pregnancy test."
Alexander guided Arabella out of the consultation room. The blood draw area had a long line too. Alexander stayed by Arabella's side the entire time. Tall, handsome, and radiating quiet authority, he drew curious stares from every direction. Today, Alexander's patience seemed limitless. He ignored the attention completely, making sure Arabella was comfortable before getting in line himself.
After waiting another half hour, Arabella's turn came. As the needle approached, Alexander—worried she might be scared—gently covered her eyes with his hand.
Her heart stuttered, pounding so hard she could hear it. She wasn't actually afraid of needles. Maybe when she was little, but she'd grown stronger over the years. She could handle most things life threw at her now. Still, his instinctive gesture of protection moved her deeply.
After the blood draw, they sat in silence, waiting. Alexander checked the results kiosk every ten minutes, watching for her report to print.
Two long hours later, he finally held the paper in his hands. He couldn't interpret the technical data, but the final diagnosis was crystal clear: Early pregnancy. Arabella was pregnant. She was carrying their child.
Pure joy exploded from somewhere deep in his chest. This report felt like a lifeline thrown to a drowning man. The timing couldn't be more perfect—just when Arabella was about to leave him, this baby had arrived. Their smart, perfectly-timed little miracle.
When Arabella saw Alexander grinning like an idiot, alarm bells went off in her head. She snatched the report from his hands, then stared at those three words—'early pregnancy'—in stunned silence.
Seeing her expression darken, Alexander rushed to say, "We're keeping this baby." Worried that wouldn't be enough, he played his trump card. "You were diagnosed infertile before, but now you're pregnant. This baby is a gift from God. If you lose this chance, you might never have another child."
Arabella clutched the report, her mind reeling with disbelief. "How... how is this even possible?" She had the body of an infertile woman. During those two years with Anthony, she'd suffered through hell trying to conceive. How could one night with Alexander result in pregnancy?
They returned to the doctor with the results. Her first question: "Confirmed pregnancy. Are you planning to keep it?"
While Arabella was still processing, Alexander answered instantly. "Yes!"
The doctor regarded him with increased approval and wrote out another order. "Go get an ultrasound to rule out ectopic pregnancy and check on the embryo."
For the first time, Alexander realized how complicated the normal hospital process was. But he ran each errand tirelessly. During the ultrasound, he stared intently at the screen. After watching for several minutes without seeing anything, he asked, "Where's the baby?"
The technician actually laughed. "It's only a few weeks old—just a fertilized egg about the size of a peanut. Look, there."
Alexander squinted at the screen, unable to locate the 'thing' the technician described in that chaotic mess of shadows and light. Arabella thought he looked adorably clueless—nothing like his usual composed, sophisticated self. Even his questions sounded childish.
The technician smiled warmly. "Both embryos look very healthy. Congratulations! First-time parents, right? First pregnancies are always more exciting. By the second one, you're old pros."
Alexander started to protest automatically. "It doesn't matter if it's the first or—" He choked on his words. Wait. Had the doctor just said...
"Both embryos?"
Arabella and Alexander asked in perfect unison, voices thick with disbelief.
The technician put away her equipment and wiped the gel from Arabella's stomach with paper towels. "Yes, you're having twins. Mom will have a harder time later in the pregnancy, so Dad needs to be extra supportive."
Arabella's legs felt like jelly as Alexander helped her off the table and out of the room.
Back in the consultation room, the doctor reviewed the ultrasound report, offered more congratulations, went over precautions and scheduled the next checkup. Arabella floated out of the hospital in a daze, following Alexander mechanically.
She stopped walking suddenly, the words difficult to form. "Alex, about this baby... I need time to think."
Alexander pushed down his rising panic and nodded. "Okay. The decision about whether to continue the pregnancy... is yours." He pressed his lips together, but couldn't quite stop himself from adding, "Of course, I hope you'll have them. I'll do whatever it takes to make that possible."
Arabella was quiet for a long moment. "If I have them and we get divorced, I wouldn't be able to take either child with me, would I?" She understood how obsessed wealthy families were with bloodlines. Alexander was the FitzRoy heir. His children wouldn't be allowed to live anywhere but within the family's reach.
Faced with her question, Alexander went uncharacteristically still. After a long pause, he finally answered. "Yes. If we divorce, the FitzRoy family wouldn't let you take these children. But—I would fight that pressure for you. These lives came from your body. They should belong to you."
Something shifted in Arabella's chest. "Then... I'll give you my answer tomorrow."
She turned to leave. Alexander couldn't possibly let her go alone—he grabbed her arm quickly. "Where are you going? I'll drive you."
In his mind, Arabella was now carrying live explosives. She needed to be handled with the utmost care, protected like the most fragile treasure. He couldn't risk a single thing going wrong. Not when she was carrying two.