CHAPTER 69: REVELATIONS AND CONFRONTATIONS

Silent hung in the ward, thick and heavy.

Stephene was the first to speak, his tone sharp with disbelief. "How can it be your baby? You’re an Omega, right? How could you possibly make an Alpha pregnant?"

Ash remained still for a moment, his expression unreadable. He knew Stephene only saw him as a normal Omega; unaware of what truly set him apart, of what he was capable of.

Stephene’s voice rose, pointing toward Lucien’s abdomen. "This bastard can only be from Adrian! It needs to be dealt with"

Ash stepped forward, his calm voice cutting through Stephene’s words. "You’re a doctor, aren’t you? Then you should know, not every pairing follows the rules written in textbooks. Dominance and conception don’t always obey logic, but compatibility at the molecular level."

Stephene’s faltered, his jaw tightening, unable to find a rebuttal.

Before he could continue, Lucien spoke softly, his voice strained. "Senior...can you give me and my fiance a moment alone?"

Stephene hesitated, irritation flickering his face. Ash met his gaze with a quiet, mocking smile. With a reluctant huff, Stephene turned and walked out, shutting the door behind him.

Ash crossed the room and sat beside Lucien, gently taking his hand. His voice softened. "Don’t do it, Lucien. Let’s keep our baby."

Lucien stared at him, confusion flickering in his eyes. Our baby? He didn’t understand why Ash kept saying that...perhaps it was just an emotional slip.

"But if I can’t dominate..." Lucien started hesitantly.

Ash cut in quickly, his voice trembling with regret. "I’m sorry. I was selfish, I pushed you too hard, made you feel trapped. I never meant to pressure you into something like this just to satisfy me."

He looked down, voice barely above a whisper. "I was desperate because...I’m pregnant too."

Lucien’s eyes widened. "Pregnant?"

Ash nodded slowly. "Yes. The doctor said I’ll need a lot of my Alpha dominance to stabilize it. I thought..." His voice faltered, trailing off as a faint tremor crept in.

Silence settled between them, heavy but not uncomfortable. Ash leaned closer, offering a small, reassuring smile. "Don’t worry. I’ll figure it out. The most important thing is keeping both our children safe."

Lucien stared at him for a long moment, absorbing the weight of his words, before letting out a soft, measured exhale. "So...you’ve decided to be the father of my child, huh?"

Ash’s lips curved into gentle smile, a quiet affirmation. "Yes."

Lucien shook his head slightly, a mixture of disbelief and warmth flickering across his features. "You’re so full of yourself," he murmured, his tone carrying no anger; only quiet exhaustion and a fragile, tender vulnerability.

Ash climbed onto bed and lay down beside him. Lucien wrapped his arms around Ash, holding him close. After a few moments, they both drifted off to sleep.

The next day, after Lucien was discharged from the hospital, he sat beside Ash drove.

"I’ll be okay," Lucien said softly. "You should head to school."

Ash shook his head. "No. Today, I’ll spend the day with you."

Lucien was quiet for a moment, then asked, "What will we do?"

Ash smiled, glancing at him. "I’ll take you somewhere."

"Where?" Lucien asked, curiosity piqued.

Ash’s smiled widened. "It’ll be a surprise."

...

Adrian woke up in his penthouse, his head pounding from last night’s excess drink. Feeling irritable and unmotivated to go to work, an idea struck him.

He grabbed his phone and dialed Ash’s grandmother. After a long ring, she finally answered.

"Hello, my grandson," her warm voice greeted him.

"Hello, Granny," Adrian replied. "I want to come around and spend some time with you. What should I bring?"

"Mmmh...some mangoes, papayas, and oranges would be good," she suggested, thinking of fruits that help regulate blood sugar.

"Okay...I’m on my way," Adrian said, hanging up the phone.

When Adrian arrived at Ash’s grandmother’s homestead, she welcomed him warmly, her smile lighting up the yard. The aroma of freshly prepared ugali with sukuma wiki and nyama choma filled the air.

Adrian grinned at the sight of the food. "I think I should seriously marry you, Granny...just so you can keep feeding me meals like this," he teased. They both laughed as they sat down to eat.

Between bites, she smiled. "Grandson, guess what? My goat, Matata, has already given birth to triplets. One of them, I’ll name after you. Can you remind me of your name again?"

Adrian chuckled, shaking his head. "You must be joking, Granny."

She grew serious. "I’m not joking."

Adrian laughed again. "Fine...name it Adrian, then."

Curious, he asked, "And the others?"

She paused thoughtfully. "The second one...I will name Ash. The third will stay nameless for now, I’m still thinking of a fitting name."

Adrian froze mid-bite at the name Ash, his gaze falling, a shadow of sadness crossing his face.

Noticing his change in mood, Ash’s grandmother leaned closer. "What is it, grandson?"

Adrian remained silent for a moment, then murmured, "That name...it just reminded me of my mate."

Surprised, she asked, "He’s called the same name as my grandson?"

Looking up, Adrian’s eyes widened. "Bunny...he’s called Ash too?"

She nodded gently, a knowing smile on her face.

Then she tilted her head, her eyes narrowing softly. "Eeh, but why did your face change when I mentioned that name? Are you two okay-you and your mate?"

As if something suddenly clicked, she added, "Wait a minute! Didn’t you promise that this time you’d come with him? Where is he, eh? You’ve come alone again?"

Adrian leaned back, feeling full, and wiped his mouth with a serviette. "It’s...a long story, Granny."

She called out to the house help to clear the table, then slowly made her way to the couch. "Come, my boy," she said, lowering herself with a sigh. "Even if it’s long, these ears of mine have retired from work, they’ve got all the time in the world to listen."

Adrian followed, sat beside her, and began to talk. The story poured out of him, everything from the betrayal to the confusion, his voice growing heavier as he went on.

By the time he finished, tears were already rolling down his cheeks.

The old woman frowned, gently wiping his tears with her wrinkled fingers before pulling his head to rest on her lap. Her tone turned sharp.

"Ah! That Ash boy, may thunder follow his shadow if I meet him!" she hissed, waving her hand dramatically. "Imagine hurting my sweet boy like this. I’ll chase him with my slipper until he confesses every sin!"

Adrian couldn’t help but let out a weak laugh, his tears mixing with a smile.

She patted his head affectionately. "Don’t worry, my son. The world can be cruel, but you still have me. This old woman’s love is stronger than that silly Omega of yours."

Then Ash’s voice called out, teasing, "Grandma, why so much cursing?"

The grandmother’s face lit up instantly. "My bunny!"

Adrian moved off her lap, turning toward the sound. His eyes landed on Ash and Lucien, both of them frozen in place. Adrian froze as well, the three of them standing there silently, staring at one another.