Edward just parked his Jeep Mercy G Wagon in the shooting arena’s parking lot at Picadelli Shooting Arena. As he entered, he was greeted by Shawn, Samuel, Kairos, and Raphael, who had arrived earlier and were already playing.
After being away for a while due to his busy schedule, Edward rejoined his friends today for shooting practice. Besides, he also had some matters to discuss with Samuel immediately.
“Goodness, Edward. You took forever. I’ve been bored without a decent opponent all this time.”
Kairos Maxweel grumbled. Among the five of them, they all shared the same hobbies: horseback riding, archery, and shooting. However, it was Kairos and Edward who had above-average skills in using firearms.
Edward himself had a strong interest in shooting sports since he was a child. Moreover, his father, Eduardo Darkwood, fully supported his hobby. He even went as far as enrolling him in Kairos’s father’s shooting school.
“There were many things I had to take care of. Besides, you could spar with Shawn, whose skills are also very good.”
“But none are as crazy as you, Ed.”
Edward squinted his eyes.
“Crazy? That title suits you better, Kairos. I am a respectable and sane man, not a crazy troublemaker like you.”
Kairos chuckled. He wasn’t offended by Edward’s words, which were known to be sharp and blunt. Having been close since childhood, he knew his friend’s habits and personality inside out.
“Oh God, you’re such a Grumpy Master. Come on, grab your gun already. I can’t wait to beat you tonight.”
Edward chuckled softly.
“That will never happen. As usual, you’ll lose tonight.”
Kairos smirked dismissively. He was very confident in his abilities. Somehow, he was sure he could beat Edward tonight.
“If you win tonight, I’ll give you whatever you ask for.”
Edward returned the enthusiastic gaze.
“And if I lose?”
“Then, you have to introduce me to the beautiful woman I met at your house the other day. What’s her name? Bella, right?”
Edward rolled his eyes. He looked at Kairos teasingly.
“Don’t dream that’ll ever happen.”
Edward then hurriedly went to the weapon storage room. He carefully selected the pistol he would use to challenge Kairos tonight.
Meanwhile, Samuel, who had arrived earlier, was seen approaching Edward. Earlier, he had contacted him.
“What exactly do you want to discuss with me?” Samuel asked curiously. He had already asked when Kairos called. But, the burly man requested they talk in person.
“I’ll tell you after we’re done. We can chat casually over coffee.”
Samuel nodded in agreement. He gestured for Edward to start the game.
In the first round, it was clear that Kairos was leading the game. With a high score, he managed to pull ahead, leaving Edward far behind. Kairos was delighted. He was confident that he could beat Edward tonight as usual.
“You’d better surrender, Ed. I told you, no one can beat me.”
Edward just laughed. He didn’t care about Kairos’s recent taunt.
“Don’t celebrate yet. I haven’t unleashed my full potential.”
Then, Edward seemed focused. Trying to catch up, he eventually managed to level the score.
“What did I say!” Edward exclaimed. He looked pleased. “I can catch up, can’t I?”
“You still can’t beat me.”
Edward didn’t care. After 45 minutes of playing, he ended the match with Kairos tied.
“I think this is more than enough.”
Kairos immediately frowned. From his handsome face, he seemed displeased when Edward ended the game. For him, there had to be a winner in tonight’s match.
“You cheater! We should extend the time to determine the real winner.”
“Maybe next time,” Edward replied lazily. He was even ready to return the gun he had used. “I’m tired. Besides, there are important matters I need to discuss with Samuel after this.”
“In that case, I’m coming with you. You owe me a drink for abruptly ending the game.”
Edward couldn’t refuse. He let Kairos join him and Samuel as they moved to a nearby coffee shop.
“So, what do you want to discuss tonight?”
Samuel started the conversation. Since the beginning, he had been curious about what Edward wanted to talk to him about.
Meanwhile, Edward chose to sip his coffee first. From his calm demeanor, Samuel found it difficult to guess what was happening.
“I’m actually confused about where to start, Sam.”
“In that case, get straight to the point, Ed. No need to beat around the bush. Speak briefly, precisely, and clearly.”
Kairos chimed in casually. He ignored Samuel’s annoyed sigh as his chance to respond was hijacked by the undercut-haired man.
“Kairos,” Samuel interjected.
“Why? I’m not wrong, am I? Besides, we all know Edward is the type who’s stingy with words. I’m even wondering if he’s really Uncle Edward’s son or not? Why is he so different from his father? Quite different from his twin sister, Elea, who likes —”
“I cheated on another woman.”
Kairos suddenly fell silent, shocked to hear the words abruptly coming from Edward’s lips. Even Samuel gave the same surprised response. The man stared at Edward in disbelief.
“W-what did you say?”
“Yes. Recently, I slept with another woman.”
Samuel remained motionless for a moment. Making sure of what he heard, he asked again.
“You mean? You slept —”
“Yes, Sam,” Edward nodded. “Do you remember when we were drinking the other day until I got drunk?”
“I certainly do,” Samuel replied.
“When we got home, I stumbled until I fell in front of the room. Half-conscious, I saw Bella helping to carry me into the room.”
“Don’t tell me that night you slept with Bella?”
Edward took a deep breath and nodded. He didn’t deny or confirm Samuel’s guess.
“I know this is stupid and unforgivable.”
“Oh God, Edward. What about Bella?”
Edward shrugged. He looked puzzled.
“I’ve tried to clarify this with Bella. Anyway, even though I was drunk, I remember forcing her to entertain me that night. But strangely, Bella denied that we slept together and did inappropriate things.”
“I’m sure Bella must have felt scared and uncomfortable. If I may guess, she deliberately lied because she didn’t want to get involved in a complicated situation with you.”
Edward agreed with Samuel’s argument. He was also sure that Bella deliberately didn’t admit it because she was afraid or maybe to avoid a big problem. However, Edward felt incredibly guilty.
“Kairos.” Samuel interrupted again when he noticed his friend was silent, not as talkative as before. “Why are you silent?”
Kairos sighed. Leaning against his shoulder, his face looked annoyed.
“And yet, since we first met, I’ve been interested in Bella. Even though I know she’s the woman paid to have Edward’s child, I intended to get close to her later on. But why is it like this now?”
“Do you think I don’t feel guilty? Even if something happens to Bella, how am I going to explain all this to Julia?”
Hearing Julia’s name mentioned, Kairos’s face became more annoyed. From the beginning, he didn’t like that woman.
“Oh God, why bother thinking about Julia? Do you think your beloved wife cares? If she sincerely loves and cares about you, how could she ask another woman to have your child?”
“Enough, Kairos. I’m tired of your accusations.”
“Then, what are you going to do next?” Samuel asked, redirecting Edward’s attention.
“I don’t know, Sam. I can’t think much yet. But one thing for sure, I’ll slowly find a way to apologize to Bella.”
After waiting for so long, it was time for Bella to go for her regular checkup at the obstetrician’s office. Before leaving, as usual, Clara asked Bella to have breakfast first.
“Would you like a filled roll?” Clara offered while pouring a glass of warm milk to give to Bella.
“No,” Bella shook her head. “I don’t feel like eating rolls, Clara. Somehow, these past few days, I’m only interested in having warm soup.”
“Are you feeling unwell?”
Bella shrugged. She was also puzzled by her body condition these past few days.
“I don’t know. I seem to have lost my appetite.”
“In that case, when you see the doctor later, don’t forget to tell him about your condition to Dr. Samuel.”
“True.” Bella agreed. “Maybe my condition is like this because of the side effects of the medication I’ve been taking for the past few days.”
While chatting with Clara, Edward appeared in the dining room. Bella immediately fell silent, bowing her head while waiting for Clara to bring the warm soup she requested.
“Aren’t you eating?”
“I’m still waiting for Clara to bring the cream soup from the kitchen.”
Edward nodded. He himself chose to enjoy the food prepared for him. A few minutes later, Clara entered the dining room with a bowl of cream soup that Bella had requested.
At that moment, Bella immediately took a spoon, preparing to eat her meal. When she tried to pour some pepper, she had difficulty opening the lid.
Edward, seeing this, immediately took over. He helped to open it and then handed the pepper bottle to Bella.
“Thank you so much, Sir.”
Edward just nodded. In their silence, they finished their respective breakfasts. Once done, Edward immediately took Bella to the hospital for her scheduled check-up that Samuel had arranged.
“Nice to meet you again, Miss Bella.”
Samuel greeted warmly. He asked Bella to lie down on the patient bed.
Meanwhile, Edward, who seemed to receive an important call, decided to have a conversation outside the room. He left Bella to consult with Samuel for a while.
“How have you been in the past two weeks? Any complaints?”
Bella shook her head. She hadn’t felt any significant complaints lately.
“None, doctor. But my appetite seems to be erratic these days. Previously, I also experienced cramps in my stomach. But in the past few days, I haven’t felt them anymore.”
Samuel nodded in understanding.
“What about your menstruation? Is it regular?”
Bella shook her head again.
“I haven’t even menstruated since I stopped taking the hormonal medication the doctor prescribed before.”
Samuel was surprised to hear Bella’s confession.
“So, since the last time we met, you still haven’t menstruated?”
“Yes, doctor.”
“In that case, let me examine you first.”
Then Samuel performed an examination on Bella’s uterus using an ultrasound machine. He was surprised himself by the unexpected results.
“What’s wrong, doctor? Did something happen?”
Samuel placed the transducer lever he was holding back to its original position. Looking at Bella, he slowly informed her of what had actually happened.
“Miss Bella…” he called softly, making Bella a little anxious.
“What is it, doctor? What actually happened?”
Samuel remained silent for a moment before finally revealing the truth.
“From the recent examination results, it can be concluded that…”
“What is it, doctor?”
“That you are currently pregnant.”
Bella’s eyes widened. She was extremely shocked to hear the results conveyed by Samuel. Suddenly, memories of the recent events danced in her mind.
Swallowing hard, Bella guessed to herself. Could the fetus in her womb right now be the result of the unintentional encounter she had with Edward?