CHAPTER 413
“Are you… pregnant?” His gaze dropped briefly to her hands as if they held the answer.
She didn’t answer right away, but the silence said enough. Her hand stayed on her belly, and tears welled in her eyes—not out of fear, but because the moment felt terrifyingly real.
She had meant to wait—after Harmony was exposed, after everything came to light. But the words were already hanging in the air, unspoken, too loud to ignore.
Her heart thudded in her chest, each beat seeming too loud in the silence. She swallowed, trying to push past the lump in her throat, struggling to find the strength to say it.
"Arianna...."
Finally, her breath shaking, she met his gaze, her hands trembling slightly as she whispered,
“Yes.”
The moment the words left her lips, the tension between them dissolved, replaced by an overwhelming wave of emotion.
Xander’s eyes widened, and without thinking, he pulled her into his arms, his excitement bubbling up uncontrollably.
“You’re pregnant?”
His voice was filled with disbelief and joy as he pulled back just enough to look at her, his hands resting gently on her face as if he were making sure this wasn’t a dream.
A grin spread across his face, so wide it was almost impossible to contain.
“When did you find out? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” His tone was full of excitement, and the joy in his eyes was unmistakable.
“This is amazing, Arianna. I can’t believe it.”
He pulled her into another hug, this one even tighter, as if holding onto the news itself. His chest swelled with happiness, and his heart raced with the realization that they were about to embark on this incredible journey together.
Sitting beside her, he laughed, a sound filled with genuine joy, still in disbelief.
“A baby... we’re having a baby,” he murmured as if saying it aloud made it even more real.
“I was going to tell you more romantically,” she admitted, eyes shining.
“Something just for us. But then Harmony showed up… and it felt like you couldn’t see anyone else. So I kept it to myself. Thought maybe it didn’t matter.”
Xander stared at her like the ground had shifted beneath him. Emotion flooded his face—shock, disbelief, regret—and then love, so raw and intense it almost undid her.
“Ari…” he whispered, leaning closer, his hands reaching out to gently cradle her face.
“God, I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry,” Xander whispered, his voice breaking with emotion.
“This… this is the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he said, his voice thick with emotion as he stood up, pacing back and forth with excitement.
“Besides you, of course.” He paused, turning to face her, a bright smile tugging at his lips, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of awe and joy.
His knees hit the floor as if they’d given out beneath the weight of his feelings. Gently, reverently, he pressed his lips to her belly, his hands trembling as they rested on her hips.
“You’re carrying our baby,” he breathed, as though saying it out loud made it real.
“Our baby…”
Arianna’s laughter was soft and unsteady, choked with tears as she looked down at him, her fingers brushing through his hair.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I am.”
Xander rose slowly like he was afraid he’d wake from a dream. But the moment he gathered her into his arms, he knew it was real—every trembling heartbeat, every breathless second.
He held her like he never wanted to let go, his face buried in the curve of her neck as he whispered against her skin, “I love you, Ari… more than life. I’ll spend the rest of mine proving it to you—and to our baby. You’re everything to me.”
“I love you, Ari. I love you so damn much. I’ll spend every day making this up to you. You and our baby—you’re my whole world now. I swear.”
She held him just as tightly, her fingers curling into his shirt, grounding herself in him. When their eyes met again, there were matching smiles stretched wide across their faces.
Laughter bubbled up between them—relieved, giddy, and full of something they hadn’t felt in days: joy.
And then, suddenly, Xander scooped her up into his arms with a grin that was all boyish charm and reckless delight. He twirled her in a circle, their laughter rising in the air like music.
“Xander!” Arianna giggled breathlessly.
“Stop—you’re making me dizzy!”
He froze instantly, eyes wide with panic as he gently placed her back on the bed.
“Shit—did I hurt you? I didn’t, did I? Fuck… I’m always hurting you, aren’t I? I’m such a moron…”
Arianna laughed, reaching up to cradle his face in her hands.
“You didn’t hurt me, you idiot,” she whispered warmly.
“You just reminded me how much I love you.”
Relief flooded his features, and he bent down to kiss her, slow and tender. When they pulled back, they were both laughing again, arms wrapped around each other like they never wanted to let go.
And for that moment, nothing else existed—just the two of them, wrapped in love, laughter, and the promise of something new.
......
Outside their bedroom door, Harmony stood frozen, her breath shallow, her pulse thundering in her ears.
She had heard every word—every intimate exchange, every affectionate promise. It felt like a punch to the gut, a cruel reminder of everything she couldn’t have.
Her fingers twitched, curling into fists, nails biting into her palms as fury bubbled inside her, threatening to spill over.
She pressed herself harder against the wall, her chest rising and falling in uneven breaths. The world around her seemed to narrow, her vision blurring with a mixture of rage and desperation.
How could he say that? How could he speak about Arianna like that, as if she wasn’t even a factor? As if everything he had ever promised her meant nothing?
Her body trembled, not from fear but from the growing obsession, the hunger to tear apart everything they had. She doesn’t deserve him, Harmony thought, her teeth gritting. I do.
The thought of the pregnancy—Arianna’s pregnancy—sent a fresh wave of bile rising in her throat. How dare she? Harmony's mind spun with a sickening jealousy. Arianna was pregnant, and that meant Xander would be tied to her forever. A child... Their child. Harmony could feel the edge of panic creeping in, sharp and insistent. The thought of losing him to that... to her... was more than she could bear.
Her heart hammered violently in her chest, the weight of her obsession suffocating. She could feel her mind cracking, splintering under the pressure. Arianna doesn’t deserve that child. She doesn’t deserve anything, especially him.
She had to make him see. She had to make him realize what he was losing before it was too late. How can I compete with that? The question clawed at her sanity. Her body jerked as she backed away from the door, her eyes dark with obsession and the twisted need to destroy. I will make him see... I will make him understand...
Her chest tightened, each breath more laboured than the last. She couldn’t let this happen. She couldn’t let him slip away. She would find a way to pull him back—no matter the cost. And she would make sure Arianna understood exactly who was always meant to be by his side.
Harmony’s eyes gleamed with madness, her voice barely a whisper as she muttered to herself, “He’s mine. I’ll make sure of it.”
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