MAFIA LOVE SCANDAL

“Hey… wake up…” Anne whispered. The woman seemed restless. She had been trying to change her sleeping position for a while now. But still, her eyes wouldn’t close. In fact, it was getting even harder to fall asleep.

“What’s up?” Kaivan replied as he opened his eyes. Gathering all his awareness, he adjusted his position. He glanced briefly at the corner of the wall to check the time displayed there. “Why aren’t you sleeping yet?” he asked.

“My stomach is hurting. Our baby has been so active in there for a while now. I don’t know how many times they’ve been kicking and moving around,” Anne complained.

Seeing his wife in pain, Kaivan immediately reached out his right hand. He gently stroked the surface of her stomach with deep emotion.

At nine months pregnant, Kaivan often found Anne struggling to sleep. She always had some kind of discomfort every night – whether it was stomach pain, back pain, or difficulty sleeping like now.

“Snow White… why are you being so naughty tonight?” Kaivan whispered right in front of Anna Maria’s belly. He had given the nickname Snow White to their unborn child. “Are you excited to meet Mommy and Daddy?” Kaivan spoke as if he were talking to a real person. His hand continued to softly caress Anne’s exposed stomach. “Don’t be naughty, sweetheart. It’s late at night. Poor Mommy hasn’t rested yet.”

After saying that sentence, Kaivan felt a gentle kick on the left side of his wife’s belly. Quickly, he moved his hand to gently stroke that area as he spoke again.

“Come on, Baby girl. Go to sleep quickly. We’ll play again tomorrow.”

Miraculously, the baby in Anne’s belly gradually became calmer. It was as if she understood what Kaivan was asking.

“Now it’s your turn to rest. Our baby seems to have fallen asleep in there.”

Kaivan pulled the blanket back up. But before he actually let his wife sleep, he lowered his face. He gave a brief kiss to Anne’s stomach and spoke there again.

“Sleep well, Snow White. Please cooperate with Daddy and Mommy. Or if you’re eager to meet us, come out from there soon. Daddy promises to play with you all day. Teaching you shooting, horseback riding, or whatever it is to make you a strong woman.”

Anne immediately pulled Kaivan’s body closer. Instead of being pleased, she was preparing to protest.

“How could you promise to teach all sorts of dangerous things even before our child is born? Do you want our child to engage in risky activities?”

“Of course not, darling,” Kaivan defended. “I just want to teach them to defend themselves as early as possible. Besides, you yourself are skilled in many things. So, why shouldn’t our child be allowed to do them?”

While grimacing in pain, Anne shook her head. “It’s up to you. Now, let’s get some sleep before our child starts acting up again. Plus, you have to go meet a client early in the morning.”

Kaivan nodded in agreement. He lay back down in his original position. He hugged Anne tightly and closed his eyes as well.

*****

“Mike, please reschedule this meeting. Apologize for me. Seriously, I really have to leave right now.”

Mike nodded understandingly, then watched his boss leave the meeting building just like that.

Kaivan then drove his car at an above-average speed. He abruptly ended the meeting on his own after receiving a call from Meggy, his assistant. Anne, who was already nine months pregnant, was reported to be experiencing intense contractions and was rushed to the hospital in the heart of London.

After parking his car, Kaivan strode into the hospital with large steps. He immediately approached Meggy, who seemed to be pacing in front of the room.

“Where’s my wife?” Kaivan asked anxiously. His facial expression showed a great deal of tension and concern.

“Madam is being attended to by the doctor, Sir. I was quite shocked when your wife suddenly screamed in pain.”

Before Meggy could finish her story, Luna and Ferdy Maximilian arrived from another direction and joined in. Kaivan’s parents had intentionally been contacted to come to the hospital as well.

“How’s it going, Kai?” Luna asked. “Is Mama’s future daughter-in-law okay?”

Kaivan took several deep breaths. Of course, he was extremely worried. Not a single doctor or medical staff had come out of the delivery room to give news about his wife’s condition.

“I don’t know, Ma. I hope Anne and our baby are okay. Maybe the doctors are still taking action.”

It seemed like God had heard the prayers that Kaivan had been silently reciting all this time. A few minutes later, a female doctor emerged from the delivery room and greeted them. She provided the latest update on Anne’s condition inside.

“Husband of Mrs. Maximilian? Are you here?”

Kaivan stepped forward, approaching the doctor.

“I’m her husband, Doc. How’s my wife? Is she okay?”

The doctor nodded, a faint smile clearly visible on her face.

“Don’t worry, sir. Your wife is doing well. I just wanted to make sure if you wanted to accompany Mrs. Maximilian inside?”

Kaivan immediately nodded in agreement. From the beginning, he had been determined to support his wife through the difficult times of pregnancy, including the delivery process today.

After entering the room, Kaivan could see Anne lying weakly. Sweat was dripping from her smooth forehead.

“Darling…” Kaivan called and then kissed both of his wife’s cheeks without hesitation. He didn’t care about the presence of doctors and nurses in the delivery room. “I’m here with you. You’re going to be okay.”

Anne nodded, squeezing Kaivan’s wrist tightly as contractions hit her. She repeatedly took deep breaths, exhaling slowly to ease the pain.

“I have to be okay,” Anne whispered. “I want to take care of our child together with you. I won’t let you replace me with another woman!”

Kaivan burst into laughter, and so did the doctor and nurses who were there upon hearing Anne’s words. Amidst the intensity, she managed to issue a warning.

As the doctor assessed that Anne’s dilation was complete, the woman was given the signal to start the delivery procedure. Anne was instructed to remain focused on following the doctor’s directions.

“Just a little more, Madam. With one more deep breath, your baby will come out. Follow the cues I’m giving you. On the count of three, push as hard as you can,” the doctor instructed.

So, on the count of three, with the remaining strength Anne had, she pushed. Then, in the next moment, the room was filled with the cry of a baby. Its arrival left Kaivan and Anne speechless. They were overwhelmed with happiness, unable to find words to describe their feelings.

****

“Oh my goodness, it seems like so much fun seeing you two have a child like this,” Edward joked.

That guy Edward was indeed the loudest one when they had the chance to visit Anne, who had been transferred to one of the recovery rooms. Kenzi, Richard, and Hans were there too, but for some reason, Edward seemed to be the most enthusiastic.

“I’ve told you countless times. You better get married soon, Ed. So you can know how touching it is to accompany your wife during childbirth,” Richard retorted. He appeared rather annoyed by Edward’s constant antics throughout.

“Tsk…” A loud scoff effortlessly escaped Edward’s lips. Compared to Kaivan, Richard’s words were often sharp and lacking compassion. Quite different from Kenzi, who mostly stayed quiet and didn’t enjoy mocking others. “Do you think I don’t want to get married? Don’t forget, I’ll be engaged the day after tomorrow. Soon enough, I might experience the same things you guys have.”

Richard laughed. It seemed like he never ran out of material to keep teasing.

“I’ll pray that Naomi is willing to bear your child, Ed. Honestly, it seems like she’s being forced to marry you.”

“I don’t care,” Edward replied. “Whether that woman loves me or not. That’s not a problem now. Sooner or later, she’ll warm up as well. After all, even a playboy like Kaivan was won over by Anne after they lived together and shared a bed.” He immediately glanced at Anne, a guilt-free smile gracing his lips. “Isn’t that right, Mrs. Maximilian?”

Anne, still looking weak, nodded. She gently pulled her lips into a smile.

“You’re right. There used to be someone boasting that he would never fall in love. But look at him now—”

“Yeahh…” Kaivan chimed in. “No need to make it any clearer that now I’m head over heels for you, my lady.”

Everyone burst into laughter. Upon reflection, Kaivan’s love story might have been complicated, but who would have thought it would end up so happily?

Anne was right, perhaps she had once been boastful. Too confident that she wouldn’t fall in love, even openly stating that Anne wasn’t his type. But now? Look at him, he was bending over backward and even afraid of losing his wife. He was willing to do anything to ensure the woman he loved was always happy by his side.