Chapter 65

"Morning," Dan said to his mother when we walked inside. Victoria was sitting at the table, sipping her coffee and staring off into space with her hair tied into a neat bun.

I passed her, rushing to get this dress off me and get into the bathtub for some me time. "Where have you been, and why do you smell like blood?" She demanded, softly grabbing my arm to stop me from walking away. I glared at her, not in the mood to explain what I had been through already today.

"Tyson has been shot," Dan sighed, taking a seat at the dining table that was already filled with food. I glared at Victoria and yanked my arm from her, walking towards the table and dishing up for myself.

"Why didn't you tell me this?"She said in a high-pitched voice like she were in disbelief. Well, I expected no less drama; she always thinks the world revolves around her.

"I am telling you now," Dan said in a tired voice. "Here, let me do it. You can go upstairs. I will bring it to you." He said, taking the plate away from me, and I smiled, feeling appreciative.

I may have married him unwillingly, but God really came through for me with this gentleman. He is so kind and caring all the time. I hope he doesn't stop after I give birth, that would really be a bummer.

"Thank you, honey," I said, kissing him on the cheek, and walked up to the bedroom. Victoria was still howling about how Dan was an irresponsible brother. I never thought she actually cared about her stepson.

As soon as I stepped into the bedroom, a wave of exhaustion washed over me, encouraging me to quickly slip off the dress. I made my way to the bathroom, where the inviting steam curled in the air, mixing with the scent of lavender from the candles.

With a sigh of relief, I sank into the bathtub, the warm water surrounding me like a comforting embrace. I felt the tension melt away from my muscles. The water was soothing, cradling me as I closed my eyes, allowing the peaceful stillness to take over my thoughts.

"My mom is biting my head off about being irresponsible, and you don't defend me," Dan said as he walked in with my plate and a small table.

"Anyone with common sense knows not to get between you and your mother," I said, laughing, sitting up to eat. "Thank you for this," I said, my eyes lingering on the plate before me that held crispy bacon, perfectly scrambled eggs lightly seasoned with a touch of salt and pepper, and a slice of golden-brown toasted bread, just the way I love it.

"I made it just the way you like it." I smiled softly as I enjoyed my meal, the warmth contrasting with the cool air around me. Dan dipped his hand into the bath, gently pouring water over my skin to wash away the blood stains. The soothing sound of splashing water brought a sense of relief, as I welcomed the refreshing touch.

"You should be grateful that you still have your mother," I said, feeling my eyes welling up from unshed tears. "I am,"

"I never had a relationship with my mother; she never even made it out of the labor room. I had my father, but he also chose to die; my parents are cowards." I said, letting my tears fall,

"I always get extremely sad when I have to talk about my mother, hence I avoid talking about her," I said. I cleared my throat, getting rid of the shaky voice.

"Tha's okay, Em. I love hearing you talk about your parents. I'm sorry that your mom wasn't there, but you turned out great." I chuckled at his words. I didn't turn out great. I married him for money, didn't I? How is that turning out great?

"I also married you because I wanted an heir, didn't I? So we both didn't turn out so good." He said, chuckling, and I laughed, brushing away the weird feeling that he might be reading my mind.

"Enough tears, please get me out of this bathtub, the water is getting cold," he said. He stood up to fetch a towel and helped me out of the bathtub. "The baby is growing." He said as he kneeled and placed his ear on my bump.

As soon as his hand gently rested on my belly, my baby sprang to life, kicking enthusiastically as if responding to a familiar touch. I could almost imagine him feeling those tiny movements reverberate through his little body.

A wave of laughter bubbled up inside me, mingling with a thrill of excitement. This little one hadn't been quite so active in a while, and the sensation of those energetic flutters brought me tremendous joy, reminding me of the vibrant life growing within me.

"You should dry off before you catch the flu." I finished drying off after my shower and threw on a comfy dress that fit just right. To give it a bit of an attitude, I added my leather jacket, which has just the right amount of warmth I need for my body. I topped off the look with my go-to ankle boots, feeling that perfect mix of chic and edgy.

"We should get to the hospital," Dan said immediately when I walked into the room. He was seated at the edge of the bed scrolling on his phone.

"Why did something happen?"

"No, I just have a bad feeling." I grabbed my bag, and we made our way out of the mansion. Ten minutes later, we made it inside the hospital, and Luca was pacing up and down. My hands started shaking immediately when he looked up at us, taken aback by his reaction. He had this worried look on his face.

"I have been trying to call you for the past twenty minutes." He said as he rushed towards me. "I don't have my phone with me. What's wrong?" I asked, terrified of his answer, please don't let him be dead.

"Did something happen?" Dan pressed the mute button on Luca, who seemed like he couldn't speak, suddenly. "I will call the doctor to explain to you."

"Goddamit, Luca. Just fucking tell us, is he dead?" I seethed, annoyed that he was wasting time, whereas he could just tell us the truth. "What? No. He needs blood, I have already tested, and my blood is not a match with his."

"Seriously? That's what you were going to make us wait for?" Dan angrily said as he pushed past him and went to the receptionist. "Why were you looking so worried?" I asked, eyeing Luca, who was standing against the wall, out of breath.

"Dan..." He said, looking at me, then at Dan, who was patiently waiting for the doctor to come out. "What about Dan?"

"The hospital somehow got his file, and they looked through it to see if he is a match. Dan's blood is 0 positive, and Tyson is B positive. They are not a match, Emerald."