"She's going to be fine," Doctor Nadine said with a gentle smile. "Everything looks good. Just keep her hydrated. She and the baby are both in stable condition."
She looked around the room, but was met with silence. No one smiled back.
Kieran stood frozen, expressionless. His father, Donald Blackwood, was a few feet away, his face twisted like he'd just bitten into a lemon.
Doctor Nadine's eyes flicked from one face to the other, uncertain of what to say next.
It was Eliana, standing near the door, who finally broke the tension. She stepped forward with an awkward smile.
"Thank you so much, Doctor. Come—let me walk you out."
Doctor Nadine nodded, grabbed her bag, and followed Eliana toward the door. But as they opened it, they were met with a pale and trembling Genesis, who had clearly been standing just outside.
Eliana immediately noticed her trembling and knew the girl needed Kieran. It had been a struggle getting her to entangle from Kieran to leave for class earlier. Now, she couldn't let Genesis back into the room, not yet.
"Come on, honey. Let me make you some hot chocolate," Eliana said, gently placing a hand on her waist.
Genesis didn't answer. She didn't even look at Eliana. She tried to push past her, toward the room.
But Eliana blocked her and closed the door firmly.
"Come on, sweetheart," she said again, this time with a bit more pressure on her back.
Doctor Nadine looked between the two, confused but said nothing.
Genesis finally turned away from the door and began walking down the stairs. Her hand clutched her chest. Her heart was racing, thudding so hard it felt painful. She didn't know why—but something inside her said something terrible was coming.
Inside the room, Donald turned from the sleeping Amelia to face his son.
"Are you the father?"
Kieran slowly turned to him. The words were on the tip of his tongue—No—but they wouldn't come out.
"I… I don't know," he stammered. For the first time in his life, Kieran Blackwood was unsure of himself.
Donald shook his head in disbelief. "Why are you such a disappointment? Do you know what this will do to—"
"Your reputation does…" Kieran started.
Donald cut him off with a yell. "Who cares about my damn reputation?! It's your wife I'm worried about!"
Kieran turned sharply, eyes burning, but Donald went on.
"I'm sure the baby is yours. So how do you plan to explain this to my goddaughter? That you got another woman pregnant while married to her?"
Kieran raked both hands through his hair. "I… I didn't sleep with anyone when I g—" He stopped. Even he couldn't finish the lie.
Donald's voice dropped, sharp as ice. "So you did cheat."
Kieran turned his back, staring at the wall, heart pounding. "No—well, yes. I slept with someone, but it wasn't Amelia. She was my ex. I broke up with her two months before you forced me to marry Genesis."
Donald let out a dry, humorless laugh. "How was I supposed to know she was your ex? You ran around like a damn playboy. Different girl every month."
Kieran's fists clenched. "She was my ex. We ended it. Two months before the wedding."
Donald narrowed his eyes. "So you're saying the child might not be yours?"
He stepped closer. "Because it better not be. If you hurt Genesis… No. I know it'll hurt her. And if you do that, Kieran, I'll never forgive you."
Kieran shook his head slowly. "It can't be mine… It just can't be."
A soft voice broke through the tension.
"It is."
They both turned.
Amelia was sitting up in bed, wincing slightly as she moved.
Donald was the first to speak. "How can you be so sure?"
She held his gaze for a second, then reached beside her, picked up her purse, opened it slowly, and pulled out a sealed envelope. She tossed it to the edge of the bed.
Donald picked it up and opened it, eyes scanning the single sheet inside. His brows furrowed.
"A DNA test?" he asked.
Amelia nodded, voice soft but steady. "It's Kieran's baby."
Donald's jaw tightened. "How did you even get his DNA?"
She met his eyes. "There was hair on one of his jackets. I took it after our last time together. Had it tested against the baby's blood from a prenatal screening."
Kieran swore under his breath, dragging his hands down his face.
Donald gave a cold, dry laugh. "So you stole his hair and did a secret test? That's bold."
"I had to be sure," Amelia said quietly. "But I'm willing to do it again. You can draw my blood, take his DNA—whatever it takes to prove it."
Donald stared at the paper, then tossed it back on the bed like it was poison.
"We'll do another one," he said flatly. "A proper one. With our doctors. Until then, this means nothing."
Amelia didn't argue. She just nodded and placed a hand over her belly.
Donald crossed his arms. "So what do you want?"
She blinked. "What?"
"Money?" he asked bluntly. "We'll give you whatever you need—prenatal care, a house, support. But when the baby is born, you hand him over and walk away. Quietly."
"Dad—" Kieran began.
Donald didn't glance at him.
Amelia shook her head, pale. "It's not about money."
"Then what is it?"
She hesitated, then said, "In my family… if a man gets a woman pregnant, he has to marry her."
Donald blinked. "Excuse me?"
She took a breath. "My family is very traditional. We're from a small town in upstate New York. Our community has rules. If a woman has a child out of wedlock, it's considered shameful. I'll be disowned if I don't marry the father."
Donald stared at her for a beat, then gave a low, bitter laugh.
"So let me get this straight. You expect my son to marry you… because your uncle will be upset?"
She nodded slowly. "It's not just him. It's all of them. I'll be cast out."
Donald's face hardened. "So that's what this is. Trap him with a baby and a guilt trip wrapped in some old-fashioned fairy tale."
"It's not a fairy tale!" Amelia snapped, clutching the blanket tighter around her trembling body. "You don't know my people. You don't know what they'll do—"
"Oh, I don't care what they'll do," Donald interrupted, his voice sharp as a blade. "You want a father for your baby? Fine. You've got one. But don't stand here demanding marriage like it's some kind of reward for getting pregnant."
Across the room, Kieran stood rigid by the window, his back to them. "I'm not marrying her," he gritted out.
Donald didn't so much as glance at his son. His gaze stayed locked on Amelia. "And let's get one thing straight. Kieran broke up with you before he married Genesis. So don't stand there like some betrayed lover. He didn't cheat."
Amelia flinched, but stayed quiet. Her lip trembled slightly, but she held it in.
Donald took a slow step forward, his tone now low but laced with disdain. "You say your people live by honor? Purity? Tradition?" He raised a brow. "Then let me ask you something, sweetheart. If they're so righteous… why were you sleeping with a man you weren't married to in the first place?"
Amelia opened her mouth—but no words came.
Donald leaned in just slightly, his stare cold and unrelenting. "Thought so."