18 She is pregnant

After his stutter, Dante's body was frozen like a statue. His gaze never left Annalise's belly, even when she started advancing to his frozen self.

When she got to him, she stretched out her hand to bring his hand to her belly. Now Dante could feel the unborn child.

''I can raise the child in the countryside. At least I won't give you more issues in the capital than I already have. But Dante...please don't forget to see us when you have time.'' Her eyes were teary, and her words were like a waking call for him.

Dante continued to look at her as his hand began to move around her bulging belly. He still could not believe that he had a child with Annalise.

He had a child with the woman he loved more than his life, and that brought pure happiness to every cell in his body.

''My child, this is my child?'' asked the disbelieving Dante.

''Yes,'' Annalise nodded with a sob.

Upon seeing her crying, he held her body gently. He soothes her by patting softly on her back, as if she was a baby, even though she had one in her belly.

''Hush now. Don't cry, annalise.'' Dante felt his heart breaking at the sight of her tears. His soft patting did not stop. ''Hush now, dear. It's okay.''

''I thought you wouldn't want the baby. After all, the child is a piece of you and me. You suffered because of me and now the child..''Annalise did not complete it, but Dante understood what she was trying to convey to him.

Who would accept his child from her? No one as she is a villain in people's eyes for being a third party in his marriage.

''No, I love our child,'' He shook his head and put his hand back on her belly, ''You gave me this baby, a testimony of our love for each other.''

He then smiled, ''Why wouldn't I love the child that you will bear for me?''

''Really?'' Annalise sobbed.

''Yes,'' Duke Hayes replied and wiped her tears with his thumb, ''So there's no need for you to leave me. This baby…our baby...Both of you will be coming with me to the duchy soon.''

He kissed her forehead like he was sealing his promise to her. ''Just wait for me.''

—--

After the teary and touching reunion, annalise slept deeply, probably due to the pregnancy, and Dante held her hand until he got ready to leave her in the bedroom.

Closing the door, he noticed the maid behind him and asked, ''How long is the pregnancy?''

''It should be almost five months,'' was her immediate reply.

The maid heard a sharp intake of breath from him.

''That means she had been pregnant since then,'' Dante murmured.

''Miss might have been afraid of troubling you more than she already has,'' added the maid.

''Was that why you called for me?'' Dante began to walk to the carriage that waited for him outside and the maid followed as well.

''Yes,'' She answered his question. The maid looked as if there was more to say and added, ''Actually, Miss got back yesterday, but I was not around. When I came, I met her crying, and I noticed her pregnancy.''

''So you did not know what to do and called for me,'' Dante completed her words.

''Yes.'' the maid nodded.

''...That's fine. You did well. Just watch over her, and I will be back soon.''

After giving a few other instructions, Dante boarded the carriage and left the mansion.

Upon getting to the duchy and stepping down from the carriage, Dante did not look at Spencer or the servants and walked straight to the pavilion.

For some reason, he needed to see his wife. After all, he had another child on the way, which he did not expect at all.

Though he cheated on his wife, he knew what to do and what not to do, like having a child with Annalise. Yes, he is excited and happy over beyond, to have a child with her, but he wanted that to happen after divorcing his wife, not when he is still married to her.

The other issue is that she is pregnant already, meaning he would have two children at the same time in the future.

One with his lover and the other with his wife, whom he did not love.

Already in his heart, he knew the child that he would love most, and that was annalise's child, yet he felt that something was wrong with the whole situation.

Was it the anxiety? Or the worry that multiplied in his heart with every step he took to meet his wife?

Dante did not know, as his steps became faster.

The familiar entrance, the familiar path, the familiar closed red petals, and finally the scene that always took his breath away.

''She's asleep.'' He looked down at his sleeping wife's profile after walking into the pavilion.

Today, she wore another simple gown and no jewelry, unlike the luxurious dresses and jewelry that she wore in the past every time he saw her. Even without anyone telling him, he knew he was the reason for her change in style.

''Oh,'' He noticed the loose strand disturbing her nose and stretched his hand to put it back in place.

It was also the same moment that his wife had decided to open her eyes. His fingers froze immediately.

Her long silver lashes fluttered like feathers, a few times as though she was driving the dizziness away, and then her unfocused blue eyes zoned directly at the frozen fingers. She then looked up at him, and for the first time, he saw his former wife, the one who did not have those empty eyes that made him feel unbearable guilt at the bottom of his heart.

Though those innocent eyes did not last long, they instantly hardened as if she realized his presence in the pavilion.

''What is the duke doing here?''

A straightforward question.

No greetings. No smile. Nothing from her that welcomed his presence.

Her voice was groggy, which was normal as she had woken up from her nap just now. But, at the same time, it was soft. His wife's voice had always been soft, and that was the only thing that did not change about her. However, that soft but groggy voice held vigilance and aloofness.

Her oceanic blue eyes and her soft voice always become frigid at the sight of him.

''I-,'' He withdrew his fingers and clutched them together by his side.

'I am having another child on the way.' Those were supposed to be his words, but he couldn't break the news to his wife at all.

If it were before when his wife still had those eyes that stared at him, he would have done it without thinking, but now...he felt the second he exposed his annalise's pregnancy to her...he will lose her forever.

And somewhere in the corner of his heart, he did not want that...at all.

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