Chapter 54 I’m Pregnant
“Athena, go! The car’s about to explode!” Gabe shouted urgently, his voice frantic.
Athena tried to respond, but her voice was barely a whisper. The thick smoke filled the car, and she could feel the world slipping away from her. Her vision blurred, her body growing heavier, until finally, the darkness claimed her.
When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer in the car. The air was cooler now, the sky tinged with the fading light of dusk. She was in Gabe’s arms, his strong hold keeping her steady.
Around them, a group of police officers was pushing Arlan and his gang into a patrol car, their faces full of defeat.
“Finally! Athena, you’re awake!” Gabe’s voice trembled with relief, but there was a raw edge to it. His face, usually so clean and composed, was now streaked with smoke, his eyes red from exhaustion or perhaps from tears. “How do you feel? The ambulance is on the way. Just hang in there, okay?”
Athena weakly shook her head, still dazed but trying to focus. “Why are you here?” she murmured. “Didn’t you already go back?”
Gabe’s expression faltered, his eyes turning down in frustration. “No… I bought the same flight as you. I didn’t leave. I couldn’t leave you like that.”
Athena’s lips parted in apology. “I’m sorry about what happened yesterday,” she said softly.
Gabe’s eyes darkened, but his tone softened as he leaned in closer. “It’s not your fault. Byron is the bastard here. He couldn’t protect you at all. You almost died because of his business.”
Athena closed her eyes briefly, the weight of Gabe’s words sinking deep. She remembered the desperation in her own voice when she’d called Byron for help, and the way everything had spiraled from there. She couldn’t help but feel how ridiculous and helpless it all seemed now.
“This will never happen again,” she said quietly. Then, her curiosity got the better of her. “By the way, how did you find me?”
Gabe’s gaze softened. “I saw you get into the car, so I followed. But after a while, your car took a sudden turn, going in the opposite direction. Something didn’t feel right, so I had the driver turn around and called the police. When I gave them the license plate number, they said it had been reported stolen…”
Athena listened, surprised by Gabe’s quick thinking. “The suburbs around Salin City are so deserted. No one would hear you scream,” she murmured, feeling a chill at the thought of being so alone in such a place. “Arlan chose the location on purpose.”
Gabe squeezed her hand, relief flooding his features. “Thank God I found you,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
As the ambulance arrived, Athena was carefully placed on a stretcher, and Gabe guided the nurses as they loaded her into the vehicle. Her body felt heavy, but her mind was still racing.
The doctor arrived quickly to examine her. “There’s no major issue. But we should give her an anti-inflammatory injection,” the doctor said, glancing at Athena’s wounds.
Athena immediately shook her head. “If it’s nothing serious, I’d rather not have the injection. Just disinfect the wounds and bandage them up, please.”
Gabe shot her a look of concern. “Athena, listen to the doctor,” he said softly, but Athena was determined.
“No,” she repeated, her voice firm despite her weakness.
The doctor raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”
Athena hesitated, then whispered, “I’m pregnant.”
The words hung in the air like a bombshell.
Gabe froze. He couldn’t speak, his face draining of color. The doctor’s gaze flickered between them, disbelief spreading across his features.
“You don’t know?” the doctor asked, his voice tinged with shock. “You’re her husband, aren’t you? How could you not know she’s pregnant? She hasn’t been pregnant long, has she? My God… Hurry up and see a doctor, get her checked. You can’t be this careless!”
Gabe barely registered the doctor’s words. Pregnant. Athena was pregnant.
The weight of the realization hit him like a punch to the gut. His mind reeled, and he found himself at a loss for words.
Athena, meanwhile, was too exhausted to process much more. Her body was fragile, her heart aching from the pain, both physical and emotional. Gabe’s silence spoke volumes, but she didn’t have the strength to speak any more. Not now.
The drive to the hospital felt like an eternity. When they arrived, Athena was rushed into the emergency room for a series of tests.
After what felt like hours, the doctor returned with the results. “You’re lucky. The baby is still alive, but there’s a risk of miscarriage. We need to be careful. She has to rest and avoid stress. This cannot happen again,” the doctor said, handing Gabe a stack of prescriptions.
Athena felt a mixture of relief and fear. The doctor’s words lingered in her mind, but for now, at least she knew the baby was still alive. That was enough to keep her grounded for the moment.
“Thank you, doctor,” she whispered, her voice faint but sincere.
That night, Athena was kept under observation at the hospital. Gabe stayed by her side, silent except when communicating with the nurses. Athena looked at him, her gaze tired but full of a question she couldn’t quite voice. She wanted to ask him everything, to understand where they stood now, but she didn’t know how to begin.
Gabe, too, seemed lost in thought, his brow furrowed with worry. Neither of them spoke, but their shared silence said everything.