Chapter 121
~121
Elara’s POV
Once we were ready, we headed to the dining room. The moment we entered, the maids bowed. The table was already set, and I noticed something different immediately. There was no heavy food. No spicy dishes. No complicated meals. Everything looked light: porridge, fresh fruit, warm bread, a mild soup, and tea.
“What is all this?” I asked, looking between the plates.
Before the maids could answer, Darlon did. “I asked them to prepare food that is good for you. Something you can keep down, something the baby likes p>
I sat slowly, touched in a place I didn’t know existed. “You think the baby likes soup p>
“I think the baby likes comfort,” he said, sitting beside me. “Just like you p>
“You cannot keep treating me like I might fall apart,” I whispered.
He turned to me, eyes steady. “I’m not treating you like you will fall apart. I’m treating you like you matter p>
Something about those words went straight to my heart. I didn’t know what to say. I only smiled softly and picked up my spoon. He watched me like he needed confirmation that I was fine. I took a bite, swallowed, and nodded.
“It’s good,” I said.
He exhaled like he had been holding his breath. “Good p>
We finished breakfast slowly, almost too slowly, like neither of us wanted the moment to end. Darlon watched every spoonful I took like it was part of some medical assessment. Eventually, after another few minutes of quiet eating and occasional eye contact, he set his spoon down and wiped his mouth gently with a napkin. He looked too serious for so early in the morning.
“Sweetheart,” he said, his voice calm, “promise me something p>
I raised a brow because that tone always meant trouble. “What is it p>
“Promise me you will not overwork yourself,” he said, and his eyes held onto mine like he wanted the promise to settle into my bones. “I know you love your work and I know you want to do well at the fashion week, but I need to know that you will not push yourself to the point where it harms you or the baby, and I am not asking because I am trying to control you, I am asking because I am afraid of losing what we are just starting to have p>
There was something in his voice, something vulnerable, something I had not heard before. I sat back and exhaled quietly, feeling the weight of his worry and my own fear sitting side by side like strangers forced to share a seat.
“I won’t overwork myself,” I said softly, nodding. “I promise p>
His shoulders relaxed a little, not completely, but enough to show that the words meant something to him.
When we finally stood up, I reached for my keys on the table. Before my fingers could close around them, his hand appeared out of nowhere and lifted them away from me.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Removing temptation,” he said calmly.
“Temptation p>
“Yes. The temptation to drive yourself to the hospital by accident when you try to multitask and drink tea p>
I stared at him. “I am pregnant, I am not a toddler p>
“And I am your husband,” he replied, slipping the keys into his pocket. “And I am telling you, Fridolf will continue driving you p>
I opened my mouth to argue, but his expression was the kind that didn’t bend, so instead, I only sighed and adjusted my purse on my shoulder.
“Fine,” I said. “But only because I do not have the strength to fight you this morning p>
He smiled then, satisfied. “I will take that as a victory p>
Before I could leave, he pulled me into his arms, and I instinctively rose on my toes and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. He held me there for a moment longer than usual, like the world might run away if he let go too fast. Then he bent down slightly and placed a warm kiss on my stomach, like he was speaking to something that had not even formed into a heartbeat yet.
“Goodbye, little one,” he whispered. “Take care of your mother for me p>
I felt my throat tighten. I placed a hand on his hair gently and smiled, even though my chest felt heavy with new emotions I did not know how to name.
Fridolf appeared near the door, waiting respectfully. I left with him, climbing into the car. From the window, I saw Darlon standing at the entrance like a guardian made of worry and love, and I wondered when that started feeling like home.
The drive to the office was calm. I stared out the window the entire ride, touching my stomach once, twice… ten times maybe. It still didn’t feel real. Pregnant. Me. That word didn’t feel like mine yet, but maybe it would soon.
When we arrived at the company, employees bowed as usual. I walked in, letting my heels click across the floor like nothing had changed, even though everything had.
The moment I stepped into my office, Janae rushed in with sketches in her arms.
“Elara,” she said, almost breathless, “the new designs are ready. The team worked through the night, and I think you’re going to love this p>
She placed them on my desk and spread the sheets out like a deck of cards. My eyes widened. The designs were elegant, bold, expressive, but still soft enough to show femininity without losing power. They looked like something that should be on a runway already.
“These are beautiful,” I said quietly, tracing a line on one of the designs. “Who came up with these concepts? This just needs a little editing, that is all p>
Janae’s smile grew slowly. “Me p>
I blinked and looked at her fully. “You p>
She nodded, and her eyes glimmered with something proud, something shy. “I had a few ideas, and I mixed them with what we talked about before, and it just… happened p>
I stared at her like I was seeing something I had missed before. “I knew you had it in you,” I said. “I knew bringing you into the company was one of the best decisions I made. I could feel it the first day you walked in here. You just needed someone to believe in you p>
Janae covered her face with her hands for a moment, almost like she needed to hide her emotions before they spilled out. “David stayed with me last night,” she admitted. “He kept giving ideas and pushing me to try new things and maybe argue with myself a little p>
“Oh,” I said, dragging the word out slowly, a teasing smile spreading across my lips. “So he stayed at your place overnight p>
Her eyes widened immediately. “Elara, wait, it is not p>
“You better not get pregnant like me,” I interrupted, laughing quietly.
Her mouth fell open. “Pregnant? You are p>
“Yes,” I said, touching my stomach. “I am p>
She gasped before her face broke into the biggest smile I had ever seen on her. “Elara, are you serious? You are actually oh my goodness, I am going to be a godmother, I am calling it now, I am claiming the title, I am not sharing it with anyone p>