Chapter 108 Temptation
Chapter 108 Temptation
Agatha lay on the examination bed covered in a clean white cloth. The medical pavilion at the Volskey estate felt cool. Pierre applied a transparent gel that felt cold across the surface of Agatha’s abdomen, which was beginning to swell.
"Ugh, it is so cold," Agatha murmured, flinching slightly.
Xavier, standing beside her, immediately gripped Agatha’s hand. "Hold on. This will only take a moment."
Pierre began to move the transducer over Agatha’s stomach. His eyes were focused on the black and white monitor beside the bed. The sound of a rapid heartbeat began to fill the room. Thump, thump, thump, thump. Agatha turned toward the screen. She saw a white blur that seemed to move slowly. Pierre remained silent for a long time. He narrowed his eyes while pressing several buttons on the ultrasound machine.
"Is there a problem, Pierre?" Xavier asked. His voice sounded anxious.
Pierre did not answer immediately. Instead, he enlarged the display on the screen. Three small letters appeared, blinking in the upper corner of the monitor. A. B. C.
"Pierre, explain it to me. Why are there the letters A, B, and C there?" Agatha asked. She pointed at the screen with a trembling finger.
Pierre released the device and took a tissue to wipe the gel from Agatha’s stomach. He took a long breath and then looked at the couple in front of him with a wide smile. "Mrs. Agatha, that is not a medical error code. It is a marker for each fetus."
Agatha froze. "Each fetus? What do you mean?"
"Congratulations, Mr. Xavier. Mrs. Agatha is carrying triplets," Pierre said with a steady voice.
Bang!
The door to the room swung open hard. Frans walked in with wide strides. Behind him, Melynda followed with a face full of curiosity. Frans had just returned after overseeing the renovations at the Vaois residence for the past few days.
"What did I just hear? Three? Is it really three?" Frans asked. His voice boomed through the room.
Melynda immediately rushed toward Agatha. She looked at the monitor screen, which was still glowing. "Oh, my goodness! Three little ones at once! Look at that, Frans! There are three little dots there!"
Agatha was still gaping. She looked at Xavier, who now looked like a wax statue. Xavier did not move. His eyes were fixed straight on the monitor without blinking. His hand, which was holding Agatha’s, felt very stiff.
"Xavier? Are you still breathing?" Frans asked, slapping his friend’s shoulder hard.
"Akh," Xavier gasped, startled. He looked toward his friend and then back at Pierre. "Are you sure, Pierre? Three? Not two that split?"
"Very sure, sir. Three different gestational sacs. All of them have strong heartbeats," Pierre answered.
Frans laughed out loud until his voice bounced off the walls of the room. He shook his head while pointing at Xavier. "Wow, Xavier! I did not think my son was this great. You are truly impressive! One shot and you got three!"
"Frans! Watch your language in front of my daughter in law!" Melynda scolded, though she herself could not hold back a small giggle.
"But it is the truth, Madam. Look at Xavier, he looks shocked by his own ability," Frans teased again. He nudged Xavier’s arm. "How does it feel, huh? Knowing that you will immediately have a small army?"
Xavier rubbed his face roughly. "I am just thinking about how to carry them all at once later."
"Use a baby stroller that is linked together like a train," Frans suggested randomly. "Maybe we need to expand the east wing of the Vaois residence again. Three babies mean three playrooms, three nannies, and thousands of diapers every week."
Melynda kissed Agatha’s cheek repeatedly. "Thank you, dear. You have given this family a wonderful surprise. I am so happy."
"I still cannot believe this is real," Agatha whispered. She touched her stomach with both hands. "Three people in here? How is it possible?"
"Mmh," Cardios grumbled, having stood in the doorway silently the entire time.
Everyone turned toward the old man. Cardios stepped inside slowly. He stood at the foot of Agatha’s bed. His eyes stared at the monitor for a long time. No harsh words came out. He remained silent, but the corners of his lips lifted into a thin smile that was very rarely seen.
"The Volskey family is about to get very crowded," Cardios said shortly.
"Right, Father? Xavier is truly productive," Frans quipped with a grin.
Cardios only glanced at Frans for a moment before looking back at Agatha. "Make sure you eat more. Do not let them lack space in there. Pierre, prepare the best nursing team to accompany Agatha twenty four hours a day."
"Yes, Don Cardios," Pierre answered promptly.
The atmosphere in the room turned very warm. There was no more talk of enemies or security threats. Melynda began to busily list baby names that might be suitable, while Frans continued to tease Xavier about the mental preparation for becoming a father of three children at once.
"You need to start weight training, Xavier. Your arms will often be sore from carrying those babies in turns," Frans said.
"I can handle it," Xavier answered briefly, though his face still looked pale.
Agatha felt a different kind of warmth creeping into her heart. This was the first time she felt truly accepted in the midst of this large family without the baggage of business tension. She saw Cardios still standing there, looking at her stomach with a proud gaze.
"Melynda, prepare a special dinner banquet. We must celebrate this news," Cardios ordered.
"Of course, Father. I will contact the head chef immediately," Melynda replied with great enthusiasm.
They all walked out of the medical pavilion toward the main building. Frans wrapped his arm around Xavier’s shoulder while continuing to chatter about his own experiences long ago when Xavier was a baby. Agatha walked beside Melynda, feeling very protected. There was no longer a sense of hiding or fear of a sudden attack. Everything felt so peaceful under the afternoon sky of the Volskey estate.
Upon arriving in the main hall, Agatha stopped for a moment. She saw Xavier, who was listening to his friend’s rambling with a resigned face. Xavier turned and gave a thin, reassuring smile to Agatha.
"Are you hungry?" Xavier asked as he approached Agatha.
"A little," Agatha answered.
"Let’s go to the dining room. Mother must have prepared a lot of things," Xavier invited.
Dinner proceeded with plenty of laughter. Frans truly became the center of attention with his humorous stories about the Vaois residence renovations, which had momentarily turned chaotic because he had chosen the wrong paint color. Cardios occasionally responded with light sarcasm that only made the atmosphere more relaxed.
After dinner was over, Xavier invited Agatha back to their room. He helped Agatha sit on the balcony to breathe in the fresh night air.
"Xavier," Agatha called out softly.
"Yes?"
"Are you truly happy about these three babies?" Agatha asked hesitantly.
Xavier knelt in front of Agatha. He rested his head on Agatha’s lap. "I am very happy, though I am also very afraid. I am afraid of not being a fair father to the three of them, and I am also afraid of losing you when you give birth to them."
"We will learn together, and having you here to always strengthen me is enough," Agatha said while stroking her husband’s head.
"Of course. I will give everything for all of you," Xavier promised.
Suddenly, Xavier stood up and took a small box from the vanity drawer. He returned to Agatha and opened it. Inside was a gold key with a pendant shaped like the modified Volskey family crest.