Chapter 461 - 464: (Grand Finale) A Sweet Surprise, Proof of a Passionate Love

Warm sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a gentle golden glow upon the soft cashmere carpet.

The room was kept at a comfortable, constant temperature. The air was filled with the faint fragrance of white tea, mingled with the sweet, milky scent of infants—a serene and soothing atmosphere.

Owen and Nina had just celebrated their first birthday. They could already crawl and were now trying to learn how to stand and walk.

With nothing to do on this leisurely afternoon, Adrian Lancaster set aside his work and leaned back lazily on the soft sofa, pulling Wren Sutton into his arms.

The two of them watched a show together.

Adrian lowered his head, resting his chin gently on the crown of Wren’s hair. The sweet scent of her shampoo filled his senses, and his breaths were soft and tender.

His hand rested gently on her slender waist. Through the fabric of her loungewear, his palm lightly caressed her delicate skin in a gesture that was intimate yet restrained.

Wren leaned against him, feeling completely safe and utterly happy.

Their fingers were intertwined, their hearts beating as one. They were like a couple in the throes of new love, teasing each other playfully. The air was thick with sweetness.

A moment later, a sudden, violent wave of nausea churned in Wren’s stomach, rising swift and fierce.

"Mmph..."

She instinctively slapped a hand over her mouth, a short, pained groan escaping her lips. A shiver ran down her spine, and the corners of her eyes reddened from the sheer physical discomfort.

The lazy, tender mood was instantly shattered by her sudden bout of sickness.

As Wren pulled away, the warmth vanished from Adrian’s arms. The gentle smile in his eyes disappeared, replaced by sheer panic and concern.

He shot upright, one large hand steadying Wren’s trembling back. His movements were both gentle and urgent as his other hand snatched a glass of warm water and some tissues from the side table, holding them out to her.

"What is it, darling? Why do you feel so sick all of a sudden?"

Wren hunched over, taking a long moment to suppress the overwhelming wave of nausea.

Her breathing was shallow and erratic as she gasped softly, leaning weakly against Adrian. She felt completely drained.

She knitted her delicate brows, mentally retracing everything she had eaten and done all day.

’The millet porridge for breakfast was easy on the stomach... some light pastries... a balanced home-cooked lunch with meat and vegetables... It was all clean and gentle on the stomach, nothing greasy or cold.’

’The only thing I can think of is that I had a couple of bites of chilled fruit from the fridge this morning.’

"I don’t know what’s wrong. My stomach just suddenly started hurting. It’s acid reflux and nausea... I must have caught a chill or eaten something bad. Maybe it’s gastroenteritis."

Wren simply chalked it up to an upset stomach. It was common to get a chill during the transition from spring to summer when the temperature fluctuated so much. She didn’t give it another thought.

After all, Adrian had a vasectomy. It was impossible for her to be pregnant.

Seeing the pale, drawn look on his wife’s face, Adrian didn’t hesitate. His heart aching for her, he scooped her into his arms and headed for the door.

"Gastroenteritis can be nasty; we shouldn’t take it lightly. Let’s go to the hospital for a check-up. They can give you some medicine, and you can recover properly. We don’t want to let it get worse."

On the way to the hospital, Wren leaned back in the passenger seat with her eyes lightly closed. Faint waves of nausea washed over her from time to time, and she remained quiet and listless for the entire drive, barely saying a word.

Adrian drove at a smooth, steady pace, frequently glancing over to check on her, his expression a mixture of heartache and anxiety.

The check-up at the hospital was quick. After the blood test, the ten-minute wait was nothing out of the ordinary for Adrian. For an unsuspecting Wren, however, it was the prelude to a quiet rewriting of her destiny.

The doctor returned with the lab results, speaking in a cheerful tone.

"Mrs. Lancaster, you don’t have gastroenteritis. All your vitals are perfectly healthy. The dry heaves and nausea are classic symptoms of early pregnancy. You’re about four weeks along."

Those few simple words struck Adrian and Wren like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky.

The doctor’s office fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Wren’s entire body went rigid. Her mind went blank. She just stood there, stunned, unable to process what she had just heard.

’Pregnant?’

’How could I possibly be pregnant?’

After the initial shock, a torrent of complex emotions surged through her, twisting and pulling her in every direction.

The shock and confusion were quickly followed by an overwhelming sense of injustice and resentment.

This sudden, unexpected turn of events completely upended her life plans.

She cherished the sweet, carefree life she had now. She dreaded the thought of going through another ten months of pregnancy—the morning sickness, the insomnia, the way it would change her body, the excruciating pain of childbirth. More than anything, she was terrified that the relaxed lifestyle she had fought so hard for would once again be consumed by the endless minutiae of raising a child.

Her heart was a maelstrom of conflicting emotions—she was torn, frustrated, and trapped.

Beside her, Adrian emerged from his own brief, stunned silence, only to be completely engulfed by a profound and contradictory storm of emotion.

Deep in his heart, an irrepressible, searing joy bloomed.

This little life was a surprise, a secret gift from fate—an unexpected bond forged from the blood of two people in love.

This new life, sprouting quietly at a time when their love was at its deepest and their days at their most tender, was a form of completion that belonged to them and them alone.

The thought of a tiny new life quietly growing inside his wife’s belly made his heart melt completely, and a secret joy began to spread through him.

But that joy lasted only for an instant before it was utterly drowned and crushed by an overwhelming wave of heartache and bone-deep self-blame.

He, more than anyone, knew the reason for the vasectomy.

And yet, the unexpected had happened.

He had failed to ensure it was foolproof. He had broken his promise to protect her from the hardships of childbirth for the rest of her life. He had let the woman he loved, who should have been enjoying a sweet and peaceful life, be thrown back into this impossible situation, forced to once again face unknown hardships and torment.

A crushing guilt weighed down on his heart, so heavy that he didn’t dare let even a flicker of his joy show.

They walked out of the quiet doctor’s office, and the cool light of the hallway fell upon them.

Adrian stopped and carefully took Wren’s cold hand in his. His eyes were a mixture of hidden joy, intense heartache, and heavy self-reproach.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice was low and hoarse, thick with guilt. "Darling, I’m so sorry."

"I’m the one who failed. I broke my promise. I was supposed to protect you, to make sure you’d never have to go through this pain again. It was my failure that put you in this difficult position."

He didn’t make any excuses about statistical probabilities; he took all the blame on himself.

After a moment of silence, he met her gaze, seeing the panic and resentment in her eyes. He placed the decision entirely in her hands, his voice gentle but laced with trepidation as he asked...

"Whether we keep this baby or not... it’s completely up to you. Whatever you decide, I will support you, unconditionally."

Wren kept her head down, her fingers clutched in Adrian’s hand. A tightness swelled in her chest, and a suffocating frustration pressed down on her, making it hard to breathe.

She was silent for a long, long time, so long that the only sounds were the muffled voices from another doctor’s office down the hall and the sound of her own ragged breathing.

Adrian’s entire body was tense. His normally calm and sharp features were now etched with self-reproach.

He didn’t dare rush her or pressure her in any way.

Wren let out a long sigh and instinctively rested a hand on her stomach.

’I really don’t want to go through the pain of childbirth again,’ she thought. ’But I also can’t bear to let this go.’

’This isn’t some troublesome accident. This is my child with Adrian.’

’This baby is a gift of fate, arriving quietly when our relationship is at its best, when we’re more in love than ever. It’s a blood connection, proof of our passionate love for each other.’

On one hand, there was the stable, free life she had fought so hard for and didn’t want to give up.

On the other, there was this bond of blood, this tiny life she couldn’t bear to lose.

The two feelings warred within her, tearing her apart until her eyes grew red with unshed tears.

Her eyelashes fluttered. Her voice was soft and hoarse, thick with a suppressed, plaintive feeling.

"Darling, I’m really a little angry."

Adrian’s heart clenched. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he rasped, "I know. I’m the one who’s wronged you. Whatever you choose, I’ll accept it."

He had already braced himself for the worst, prepared to be by his wife’s side through the procedure.

Then, in the next moment, Wren spoke softly, her voice filled with a gentle resignation and a tender heart.

"But..."

Her voice was choked with a helpless sob.

"This baby... it came to us now, when things are at their best. It’s our child. I can’t bear to let it go."

Adrian froze, a sudden light flaring in his eyes.

"Darling, does that mean..."

Wren looked up at him, her eyes still a mixture of frustration and helplessness, but she spoke with absolute clarity, word by word. "I’m keeping it."

"I’m keeping this baby."

Adrian’s throat tightened, and his eyes grew red. He pulled Wren into a tight embrace.

Immense surprise, relief, heartache, and gratitude flooded his chest, and he was so overwhelmed with emotion he didn’t know what to say.

"Darling, thank you. Thank you. I love you, I love you, I love you..."

"When you were pregnant with Owen and Nina, I wasn’t there for you. I failed my duty. I wasn’t even there waiting outside the delivery room. You went through that entire difficult time all on your own."

"This little life, this unexpected arrival... maybe it’s heaven giving me a chance to make up for everything I missed."

"Darling, you just focus on taking care of yourself and the baby. Leave everything else to me."

"This time, I won’t let you face it alone. I’ll be by your side every single day, to make you feel safe, to make you happy."

"Darling, I love you. I love you so, so much..."

Hearing Adrian’s solemn promise, Wren felt a warmth spread through her heart, and she snuggled closer into his embrace."

"Darling, I believe you."

(The End)