Kate touched her belly and looked at Arthur.—Did you bring my purse?—Yes, boss —Arthur handed it over. Kate searched through it and pulled out a small rectangle, showing it to Bastien, who looked confused.—What’s this?—That little bean you see there, can you make it out? —Bastien frowned, trying to understand the image.—I think so… What is it?—That little bean is your child —Kate smiled, her eyes full of tears. Bastien’s eyes widened, and he looked at her.—What!? Kate, say it again.—It’s your child. I’m pregnant.—WHAT?! —Bastien hugged her, crying like a child in her arms—. Tell me this isn’t a dream. Tell me it’s true.—It’s true. I’m nearly three months along. The device I had implanted to prevent pregnancy didn’t stand a chance against your super sperm. I got pregnant anyway. —Bastien smiled through his tears and looked at the little photo, trying to make sense of it.—I can’t believe it. Kate, a baby. A child. Yours and mine. —Bastien kept hugging her and showering her wi

The next morning, Kate slept wrapped around Bastien, who held her tightly against his chest. A throat clear woke them.— I hope I’m not disturbing you —said the doctor with a smile.Bastien stretched and rubbed his eyes while Kate remained asleep.— Doctor, tell me, how did the patient sleep?— Well, she slept through the night.— Excellent —the doctor said as he checked the IV drip—. This is the last one. I’ll send a nurse to remove the line. Once the drip finishes, you can leave.— Thank you, doctor. And the payment?— Oh, that’s done when you sign the discharge form.— Doctor, I’d like to make a donation to the hospital. How do I do that?— Just email the hospital's address. Here’s a card —the doctor handed him one—. Send your request there. You can donate starting from 100 dollars.— I’d like to donate obstetric equipment… and create an oncology ward.The doctor’s eyes widened.— That’s a substantial donation.— Nothing is enough to thank the team for caring for my wife. And you’v

Kate was having tea and cake while talking with Ara."Those days, I spent most of my time locked in my room," Ara said. "Lucca would wake up early and come back late, exhausted. The day you left, Bastien arrived the next morning. He destroyed his entire room. There were screams, things breaking... but what happened after was even more terrifying. His gaze was blank, only hatred in his eyes. It was as if they had replaced the loving Bastien I knew. He looked insane. Every day, they went out and came back covered in blood. Bastien would shower and then lock himself in the study. Every time I looked, the light was on. One day, curiosity got the best of me, and I went to the patio to peek through the window... I saw him. He had a bottle of whiskey in one hand and your necklace in the other. He was crying uncontrollably. It broke my heart to see him like that. He knelt down three times in front of Cristy, crying like a child, begging her to tell him where you were. But Cristy never gave in

Bastien pulled out of her and went to the bathroom to get some wipes to clean her up. Kate had already surrendered, even if she always felt a little embarrassed. Bastien cleaned her carefully, then washed his hands and returned to bed. He pulled her into his chest and covered her with a sheet. The tip of his fingers traced the soft skin of her back while Kate stroked his sculpted abdomen.—I missed you so much —she whispered, breaking the silence.Bastien hugged her tighter as he listened.—I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t eat. That image kept replaying in my head over and over again… the words too. I didn’t understand what I had done wrong, what had happened. That night, I was going to tell you that you were going to be a father. I imagined a thousand happy scenarios, but reality hit me hard. I never thought something like that would happen. Bastien, I…—Shhh… it’s over now. We’re together.—I need to let it out… talking about what we lived helps ease the pain.Bastien felt his chest g

After that request, Bastien looked noticeably tense.“My love, it’s still dangerous,” Bastien whispered, not taking his eyes off the water as he washed a plate that had long been clean.“I know. But once I graduate, I want to open my own shop. The girls and I always dreamed of being partners. I don’t want to sacrifice years of study just to stay at home.”Bastien turned off the tap, sighed, and turned to look at her. Kate’s eyes were full of determination. He walked to her and knelt down in front of her.“Love… what if something happens while you’re working? What if something happens to our baby?”Kate wrapped her arms around his neck.“I know you're scared, but promise me you’ll support me. I don’t want to fight. My decision is made.”“And the baby?”“I’ll take care of it. Designing doesn’t take that much effort. I have so many ideas, especially for wedding dresses. I want to be recognized… like Moira.”“And you will be.”“But I want to be recognized for my work, not for being Bastie