CHAPTER 412: OUR BABY’S HEARTBEAT

Two months later:

Lucius and Layla arrived at the hospital for her regular check-up and first ultrasound. They sat side by side outside the examination room, watching the other couples as well.

A nurse soon stepped out. "Layla De Salvo may come in now."

Quickly, Layla and Lucius stood up and walked inside.

"Good morning, Doctor," both Lucius and Layla greeted in unison.

"Good morning," the doctor smiled warmly, gesturing toward the examination bed. "Layla, please lie down. We’ll begin shortly."

As Layla settled onto the bed, she got a bit nervous. Her gaze flickered to the monitor beside her. Before she could say anything, Lucius moved to her side and gently took her hand into his.

"You’re okay," he whispered, his voice low and soothing. "I’m right here."

Layla nodded, her lips curving into a faint smile as her heart calmed under his reassuring touch.

The doctor applied a cool gel on her lower belly before grabbing the transducer. "We will now see the embryo’s growth," she said and lightly placed the device over Layla’s belly.

In the beginning, the screen showed blurry images before the picture on the screen got clear.

"These little shapes here—this is the head, and these will gradually form into arms and legs over the coming weeks. Right now, your baby is about the size of a kidney bean," the doctor explained to them while pointing at the screen.

Layla’s eyes turned watery to see the baby’s growth.

"Do you see that small flicker?" the doctor continued, her voice gentle. "That’s the heartbeat of your growing baby."

Both Lucius and Layla turned emotional to hear that. "That’s our baby’s heartbeat," he whispered, squeezing Layla’s hands tightly. For Layla it was a divine experience.

She turned to Lucius with tear-glimmering eyes and whispered, "Yes... our baby is so small..." she looked back at the screen, feeling such a joyous feeling which she couldn’t explain in words.

"Yes," Lucius admitted and lowered himself to kiss Layla’s forehead.

"The baby is healthy, Layla," the doctor said with a warm smile. "But from now on, you must take extra care of yourself. A mother’s well-being directly affects the baby’s development. Eat nourishing meals, do light exercises, and most importantly, avoid stress."

As she spoke, she handed them a small printout of the ultrasound image. Layla took it with trembling fingers, staring at the tiny figure captured on the glossy paper.

The nurse gently wiped away the cool gel from Layla’s belly and helped lower her top. Lucius knelt down without a word and slipped her sandals back on. Once she was ready, he took her hand and led her out of the clinic.

"Thank you, Doctor," he said sincerely before guiding Layla to the car.

Inside the vehicle, as soon as they settled in, Lucius took another look at the ultrasound photo, his eyes soft with wonder. "I can’t believe how tiny the baby is," he whispered. "I can’t wait to hold them... they’ll be so small, so delicate."

He turned to Layla, his gaze filled with admiration and awe. "You’re incredible, Layla. You’re creating life inside you... that’s the most powerful thing I’ve ever witnessed."

Then, unable to hold back his emotions, he leaned over and pressed a tender kiss to her lips.

Layla responded to Lucius’s kiss, her lips soft against his as they both pulled away, smiling softly, their laughter light and filled with warmth.

"Is that Dad?" Layla asked, her voice tinged with surprise as she spotted Alekis stepping out of a car. Her eyes widened slightly as a worry gripped her heart.

Lucius followed her gaze, his heart skipping a beat when he saw his father. "Dad’s sick?" he murmured under his breath, a hint of worry creeping into his voice.

Behind Alekis, Fiona also stepped out of the car. Lucius couldn’t help but feel uneasy as he observed their appearance.

"I think so," Layla said. "Let’s go check on him."

"Yeah." Lucius nodded, already opening the car door. Both he and Layla stepped out, immediately following Alekis and Fiona, who were walking ahead of them. Lucius quickly pulled out his phone, dialing his father’s number, but the call went unanswered. His frown deepened as he noticed how far ahead they were.

"I told you to visit your father more often," Layla scolded gently as she caught up with him.

Lucius sighed. "I did. We both went home last week, remember? But even Fiona didn’t say anything to me."

They found themselves back inside the hospital, just in time to see Alekis and Fiona disappearing into the elevator.

Lucius quickly pulled out his phone and this time, called Fiona. The phone rang only once before she picked up.

"Fiona, where are you?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"I’m out with some friends," she replied in a low voice. "I’ll talk to you later, I’m kind of stuck in traffic." And with that, the call ended abruptly.

Lucius stared at his phone, a deep crease forming between his brows. Something didn’t feel right.

"What happened?" Layla asked, placing a comforting hand on his arm.

He looked at her, eyes narrowed in disbelief. "Fiona just lied to me. She said she’s outside with her friends, stuck in a traffic."

"What?" she gasped in shock.

"Something is off," Lucius murmured, still staring at his phone.

"Then how about you tell her we saw her?" Layla suggested, her brows raised.

Lucius shook his head. "No. I’ll ask at the reception. This hospital belongs to our family—they won’t deny me information about my father."

"You’re right," Layla nodded in agreement, and the two of them turned and walked toward the reception desk.

Upon arriving, Lucius stepped forward, his tone calm but firm. "Could you please search for the name Alekis De Salvo? I’m his son, Lucius De Salvo. I’d like to know the reason behind his visits here."

The receptionist, startled but respectful, quickly straightened up and offered a polite smile. She recognized the name immediately and typed swiftly into the system.

After a moment, she glanced at the screen, hesitated briefly, then looked up.

"Mr. Alekis De Salvo has been visiting the oncology department," she said carefully. "His records show regular appointments for over three months now."

Lucius’s breath caught in his throat. Layla turned to him, her expression shifting instantly to concern.

"Oncology..." he echoed under his breath.