The Devil's Contractual Bride-Chapter 18: A New Dawn

Aria’s POV

I stared at the doctor, then at Lucian, then back at the doctor.

"You’re pregnant," he repeated, still smiling that gentle, professional smile that made me want to scream.

Pregnant.

The word didn’t fit. It didn’t belong in this room, in this marriage or in this mess of a life I’d stumbled into.

"No." My voice cracked on the single syllable. "That’s impossible. We used protection. He—he made me take pills. I took them. I—"

The doctor’s smile softened into something closer to sympathy. "Tests don’t lie, Mrs. Voss. You’re approximately six weeks along. The dizziness and collapse were likely due to low blood pressure, dehydration, and stress. But the pregnancy is viable. Congratulations."

I made a short, broken, hysterical sound that was supposed to be laughter. "Congratulations?"

Lucian hadn’t moved. His hand was still wrapped around mine, but his grip had gone slack. His face was pale and for the first time since I’d known him, he looked lost.

"Six weeks," he repeated, voice barely above a whisper. "The wedding night."

The doctor nodded. "Likely, yes."

I yanked my hand out of his. "Get out."

The doctor blinked. "Mrs. Voss—"

"Both of you," I said, louder. "Get out. Now."

Lucian stood slowly, like the movement cost him something. He looked at the doctor. "Give us a minute."

The doctor hesitated, then nodded and stepped out, closing the door softly behind him.

Silence fell, thick and suffocating.

Lucian didn’t move closer. He stayed by the bed, hands loose at his sides with eyes fixed on me like I might disappear if he blinked.

"Say something," I demanded. My voice trembled. "Say anything."

He swallowed. "I... didn’t expect this."

"That’s all you have?" I laughed again"You didn’t expect this? You forced me into a contract marriage. You made me take those pills every single day like clockwork. You told me I was a whore who shouldn’t carry your children. And now—now you didn’t expect this?"

He flinched. Just a tiny jerk of his shoulders, but I saw it.

"I was angry," he said quietly. "When I said those things. I was trying to keep my distance and to keep control. I thought if I reminded myself and you that this was just a transaction, it would stay that way."

"It didn’t," I snapped. "Obviously."

He looked down at the floor. "No. It didn’t."

I stared at him.

"You’re happy," I said. It wasn’t a question.

Lucian lifted his eyes. "I don’t know what I am."

"Don’t lie to me."

He exhaled slowly. "I’m... terrified. And relieved. And angry at myself. And—" He stopped. Swallowed. "And I don’t know if I want this baby but I surely don’t want to lose it."

The confession hit me like a physical blow.

I pressed a hand to my stomach. There was no sign of life yet but it was there. A tiny, impossible thing growing inside me.

I closed my eyes. "I can’t do this."

Lucian stepped forward. "Aria—"

"I can’t bring a child into this," I said. My voice cracked. "This is a marriage built on revenge, debt and lies. I won’t raise a child in a house where the father hits the mother. A life where the mother is nothing but a contract clause."

He flinched again.

"I won’t hit you again.I haven’t done that again since the first time.Have I?," he asked .

"Stop," I whispered. "Just stop."

He stopped.

I looked down at my stomach and pressed my hand there again.

"I don’t know what I’m going to do," I said. "I don’t know if I can keep it or even bring myself to trust with my life and that of an unborn child"

Lucian nodded once. "I understand."

He stepped back. Gave me space.

"I’ll be outside," he said. "When you’re ready to talk, I’ll be here. Whatever you decide.You mustn’t decide now. Give it time."

"Get the doctor, I’d like to get home first if that’s okay"I replied without looking at him.

He looked at me,a smile almost appearing on his face. "Alright".Then he left and closed the door behind him.

I stared at the closed door,tears slipping down my cheeks.

I pressed both hands to my stomach.A baby.

I didn’t know what I was going to do but I knew one thing;if I keep the baby ,I sure as hell won’t go through this journey alone.

The doctor returned a few minutes later with discharge papers. "Do take enough rest.Rest. And don’t forget that prenatal vitamins. Your follow-up is in two weeks."

I nodded numbly.

Lucian helped me into a wheelchair even though I insisted I could walk. He pushed me through the corridors, past staring nurses and whispering patients, until we reached the private exit.

Security was waiting. So were the reporters.

They surged forward the moment the doors opened.

"Mrs. Voss! Is the pregnancy real?"

"Is that why Voss was released on bail?"

"Sources say the baby is Ethan’s— do you have any comment on that?"

"Will you keep it after everything?"

Lucian’s arm tightened around my shoulders. "No comment."

The flashes were relentless. Questions kept coming.

"Did Lucian force the pregnancy?"

"Are you staying with him for the money?"

"Is the baby a trap to keep him out of jail?"

I kept my head down, but the words sank in like knives.

Lucian’s security pushed through the crowd, got us into the waiting SUV. The door slammed and the driver sped away.

Inside the car, I stared out the window in silence, my hand resting on my stomach without thinking.

Lucian’s voice was low. "Who leaked it?"

I turned to him. "What?"

"The pregnancy. Someone talked to the press. The story broke before we even left the building."

I shook my head. "I didn’t tell anyone."

His jaw clenched. "Then someone in the hospital did. Or someone on my security team. Or—" He stopped. "Ethan."

My stomach twisted. "He knows?"

Lucian pulled out his phone. Dialed. Put it on speaker.

His lawyer answered on the second ring.

"Sir?"

"Whats going on ? Do we know who leaked the pregnancy?" Lucian asked, voice like ice.

A pause. "We’re investigating. But... Ethan’s team is already spinning it. They’re saying the baby is his. That Aria was pregnant before the marriage. That she’s using it to trap you."

Lucian’s free hand curled into a fist. "Get ahead of it. Issue a statement. The child is mine. We’ll do a paternity test if necessary besides the scan results will sure the baby was conceived on our wedding night.Just find out who leaked it.I want to know if there is a snitch in my team"

He hung up.

The car was silent again.

I looked at him. "What if it’s true? What if—"

"It’s mine," he said, voice low and fierce. "I know it is.The doctor said so, remember?"

I swallowed. "And if the world doesn’t believe that?"

"Then we make them believe it," he said.

The SUV pulled into the penthouse garage.

Lucian helped me out and into the house.

He turned to me. "You should rest."

I shook my head. "I need to know what happens next."

He nodded. "We wait for the lawyers and Ethan’s next move."

My phone buzzed. And as I expected it was Ethan’s.This has become his pattern now.

Lucian’s expression became stern when he saw the caller ID.I motioned him to be calm.

I answered the phone and put it on loud speaker. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"Congratulations on the baby, Aria."

My blood ran cold.

"Stay away from my child," I whispered.

He laughed softly. "Your child? That’s cute. But here’s the thing Aria love. I’m going to challenge the paternity of that child publicly on live TV tomorrow. And if the test says what I think it will... I’ll take that baby from both of you whenever it’s born."