Chapter 84
The first thing Jace heard was the rhythmic beep of a heart monitor.
The second was Elias’s voice.
“Jace… baby, come on. Open your eyes.”
Jace blinked slowly, his lashes fluttering against the harsh fluorescent light above him. His body felt heavy, like every muscle had forgotten how to move. When his vision cleared, Elias’s face came into focus. It was pale, worried, and utterly exhausted. His dark hair was messy, his usually composed expression stripped raw.
“Elias?” Jace’s voice came out as a weak whisper, his throat dry and scratchy. “What… what happened?”
Elias exhaled shakily, relief flooding his features. “You fainted. Scared the hell out of me.” His hand tightened around Jace’s. “You have been unconscious for a few hours. The doctor just finished running tests.”
Before Jace could respond, the door opened, and a doctor in a white coat entered with a warm but professional smile. “Mr. Rivera, I see you’re finally awake.”
“Yeah…” Jace croaked, shifting slightly on the bed. “Is everything okay?”
The doctor’s smile widened, and she looked at the chart in her hand. “Everything is more than okay. Congratulations, Mr. Rivera you’re pregnant.”
For a heartbeat, the words didn’t make sense. The room seemed to still, and then… Jace’s breath caught. “I’m… what?”
Elias froze beside him. His lips parted, eyes wide with disbelief.
The doctor chuckled softly, clearly used to stunned reactions. “It’s early, only about a month in, but the test results are conclusive. You will need rest, proper nutrition, and regular checkups. I will leave you both to process the news.”
She placed the chart on the counter and exited the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
Jace stared at the ceiling for a moment, completely blank. Then he turned his head slowly toward Elias, who still had not moved. “Elias…”
That seemed to break him. Elias’s face softened, emotion flashing through his eyes as he reached out, cupping Jace’s face. “You’re pregnant?” His voice trembled, caught between awe and fear.
Jace nodded slowly, tears gathering in his eyes. “I guess… we are.”
For a second, neither of them spoke, just breathing, the realization settling between them. And then Elias laughed— a raw, unrestrained sound that filled the room. He leaned down and kissed Jace deeply, his hands trembling against Jace’s cheeks.
“I can’t believe it,” Elias murmured against his lips. “After everything we went through… after all that pain… this is our little miracle.”
Jace smiled through his tears, resting his hand against Elias’s chest. “I didn’t think I would ever get to be this happy again.”
Elias brushed his thumb over Jace’s knuckles, reverent. “You deserve it.... we both do.” He pressed another kiss to Jace’s forehead, his eyes glistening. “We’re going to be parents.”
For a long while, they stayed like that... tangled fingers, whispered promises, laughter muffled by tears. It felt unreal, as if the universe had finally chosen to reward them after years of torment.
When the nurses finally cleared Jace for discharge, Elias insisted on handling everything himself. He guided Jace gently out of the hospital, one arm protectively around his waist.
“I’ll make sure you rest, okay?” Elias said as they reached the car. “You’re not lifting a finger. Not even to get a cup of water.”
Jace chuckled softly, shaking his head. “I’m pregnant, Elias, not disabled.”
“Doesn't matter,” Elias countered, eyes soft but firm. “You fainted at our wedding. You scared me half to death. I’m not taking any chances.”
Jace rolled his eyes fondly, too tired to argue. “Fine, but you’re going to drive me crazy if you keep hovering.”
“That’s the plan,” Elias said with a grin, and Jace couldn’t help but laugh.
\~~~
Back home, the house felt unusually quiet, warm sunlight spilling through the tall windows, the faint scent of lilies from the wedding bouquet still lingering in the air. Jace sighed in relief as Elias helped him to the couch.
“Do you need anything?” Elias asked, crouching beside him.
“Just you,” Jace murmured, smiling faintly.
Elias’s expression softened. “You’ll have me.... Always.”
But before Jace could pull him down for another kiss, Elias’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen his jaw tightened.
“Work?” Jace guessed, his heart sinking a little.
“Yeah. It’s the board. Something about the merger proposal. I’ll only be gone for a few minutes, I swear.” He leaned forward, pressing a quick kiss to Jace’s temple. “Don’t move from that spot. I will pick up dinner on my way back.”
Jace smiled, trying to hide the disappointment tugging at his chest. “I’ll be right here.”
Elias hesitated for a second, studying his face. “You sure you’re okay?”
“I am fine. Go, before they start a mutiny without you.”
Elias finally nodded and slipped out the door, the sound of the car fading moments later.
Jace leaned back into the cushions, exhaling deeply. The silence of the house wrapped around him, peaceful but strangely heavy. He ran a hand over his stomach, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
Pregnant. The word still felt foreign, surreal. A tiny life, his and Elias’s growing inside him. The thought filled him with awe.
He stood slowly, deciding to grab some water, and that was when he saw it.
A small, neatly wrapped box sat on the dining table with elegant white wrapping, tied with a black ribbon.
Jace frowned. Did Elias…?
He walked closer, curiosity tugging at him. The box was simple, with no label or note, but it had Elias’s neat style written all over it. Maybe he had planned a surprise, a little gift before the work call had interrupted him.
Jace smiled to himself. “You really didn’t waste time, huh?” he murmured under his breath. He sat down and gently lifted the lid.
And then he froze.
Inside was a finger.
A human finger severed cleanly, pale and bloodied, resting on a piece of velvet.
For a moment, Jace could not move. His brain refused to process what his eyes were seeing. Then, like a switch flipping, horror crashed into him.
He screamed. The sound tore through the house, raw and guttural, as he stumbled backwards, knocking over the chair. The box fell from the table, the finger rolling onto the floor with a dull thud.
Jace’s breath came in frantic gasps. His entire body trembled. “Oh my God… oh my God— ”
He clutched the edge of the table, his stomach twisting violently, nausea clawing up his throat. For a moment, all he could hear was the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears.
Then his eyes caught something else inside the box, a photograph.
His hands shook as he reached for it, dread clawing at him. The picture showed a man tied to a chair, beaten and bloodied, his face almost unrecognizable. But Jace knew those features. The dark hair, the jawline…
“Lorenzo,” Jace whispered in horror, his voice breaking.
His vision blurred with tears. He turned the picture over, and that was when he saw it, the red scrawl on the back, written in streaks that looked disturbingly like dried blood.
~ Hope you liked my little gift, Jace... YOU'RE NEXT — Justin.