Chapter Nine
1115 Words
Chapter Nine
(Adrian’s POV)
“I want the real truth, Nia.”
The words had barely left my mouth when her expression changed.
Not with guilt.
With hurt.
She stood across from me, pale and exhausted, the report trembling in her hands. Her eyes shone, but she refused to let the tears fall.
“You want the truth?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Fine.” She placed the report on the coffee table. “I hid the pregnancy because I knew you would believe absolutely anything before you believed me.”
“That is not fair.”
“No?” Her voice sharpened. “Think about it Adrian. When have you ever taken my side? When have you ever believed my words over another’s? Have you ever thought about how I feel knowing my husband doesn’t trust me.”
“The timeline doesn’t make sense.” I replied.
“So, this report can’t be wrong, but I can?” She asked.
I stared at her.
Nia usually went quiet when we argued. She looked away, softened her words, and let it go.
Not tonight.
“You’ve spent our entire marriage showing me where I stand,” she continued. “You stay close to Sienna. You defend her. You brought her into our home, then demanded I apologize after she insulted me.”
“Nia.”
“No. You wanted the truth, so listen.” She drew a shaky breath. “You have time for Sienna whenever she calls, but you barely look at me unless you’re angry. When was the last time you asked how I was? When was the last time you chose me while she stood there?”
I had no answer.
Her face tightened, like she had expected that.
“You told me you didn’t want children with me.” Her hand moved to her stomach. “What was I supposed to do? Walk into your office and tell you I was carrying twins when you could barely stand to be in the same room as me?”
“I didn’t mean it that way.”
“It’s what you said.” Her voice broke.
The anger in me faltered.
I remembered that argument. I had been irritated, distracted by Sienna, and careless with words that Nia had carried alone.
“That doesn’t explain the report,” I said, but the certainty was gone from my voice.
“I can’t explain why it is wrong.” She lifted her chin. “But I know when I found out. The babies are yours, Adrian. There is no one else. There’s never been anyone else.”
My gaze dropped to her stomach.
Twins.
The word settled heavily in my chest.
The thought should have made me feel trapped. Instead, hope rose beneath the fear.
If the report was wrong, the babies were mine.
Nia was carrying my children.
I had told myself I did not want a family with her. I had treated the idea like something that would complicate my life and bind me to a marriage I had not chosen.
But I pictured a child with Nia’s eyes. I pictured her holding our baby, smiling at someone without waiting for them to disappoint her.
The image made my chest ache.
I wanted the babies to be mine.
She opened her purse and took out her phone.
“Arrange a DNA test,” she said.
I looked at her in surprise.
“What?”
“A prenatal paternity test. Do it tonight. Do whatever you need to do.” Her voice was steady now. “I’ll prove I didn’t betray you.”
There was no hesitation.
My suspicion began to c***k.
I took the phone from her and called Daniel.
“Arrange an expedited prenatal paternity test for Mrs. Blackwood,” I said. “Have them here in an hour.”
“Yes, sir.”
After I ended the call, Nia shifts and walks towards the arched window.
“Go rest, I’ll let you know when Daniel arrives.”” I said.
She looked at me for a long moment and then turned to look out the window again.
There was pain behind her eyes. And it gutted me.
I sat across from her.
She didn’t look at me again.
For several minutes, neither of us spoke.
I wanted to tell her I was sorry for accusing her. I wanted to tell her that it was anger and jealousy.
But an apology without the truth would mean nothing.
An hour later a doctor walked into the family room with a nurse trailing behind him.
The test didn’t take long. A doctor explained the procedure, took the samples, and assured us the clinic would handle the results discreetly. Nia answered every question calmly, even when I could see the strain in her face.
She was braver than I had ever given her credit for.
Afterward, the doctor promised the expedited report in a few hours.
Nia stood up and walked up the stairs.
“Nia,” I called.
She stopped near the top but didn’t turn around.
“I ...” My thoughts trailed off. I didn’t know what to say.
Nia looked at me like I had broken her.
“Do… you need anything?” I asked.
Her shoulders tightened.
“I’ve been alone for most of this marriage, Adrian. I know how to manage my needs.”
Then she walked up the stairs and disappeared.
I stood there, alone, taking in her words before walking into my office and dropping into my chair.
But nothing held my attention.
I opened contracts and read the same lines twice. Every time my phone lit up, my pulse jumped.
I kept thinking about the possible result. I was starting to think I had made a terrible mistake.
If the babies were mine, I had accused my wife of something unforgivable. I had taken a mistake in a report and used it as proof that she was capable of betraying me.
But I couldn’t stop the thoughts from bleeding into my mind.
If they weren’t mine, I didn’t know what would be left of our marriage.
But beneath both fears was the same hope.
I wanted them to be mine.
I wanted Nia to be telling the truth.
After sunset, Daniel entered my office holding a sealed envelope.
“The results are here, Mr. Blackwood.”
My pulse pounded as I took it from him.
For a moment, I wanted to rip up the report and tell Nia I believed her words.
But then the dark thoughts won over.
I tore it open.
My eyes moved across the page.
Everything inside me went still.
- Writer
