Page 202 of Malicious Claim

Time stopped for a few seconds.

"Leila?" Makros' voice cracked, panicked, as he dropped to his knees beside her. Blood trickled from her temple and she wasn't moving.

No. No, no, no.

"Estela!" he roared into the hallway, pulse quickening. "Estela!"

Footsteps echoed hurriedly in the distance before Estela appeared in the hallway. The shock only registered for a second before Estela led them to the treatment room.

Once Leila was settled, Estela told him to wait outside. He nodded absently, still reeling from the shock, then turned to leave.

Makros sat on the edge of one of the living room couches. Leila's blood had dried up in his hand. He felt a light headache from all the thoughts swirling in his head too loudly.

A few minutes later Estela came in and he sprang up to his feet immediately.

"How's she?"

"She's stable," Estela said carefully. "She's going to be okay."

Makros heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank God."

That might be one of the few times he had given gratitude to a supreme being.

"You're lucky," Estela added.

His brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"She's pregnant," Estela said. "One month."

The words hit him like a slap. Pregnant? How can she be pregnant? Wasn't she on contraception? The meaning of it hit him for a second and he didn't know whether to feel angry or... something else. Delighted?

"One month?" Makros muttered unbelievably.

Estela didn't soften her tone. "Yes signor. Are you going to see her now?"

"Yes, take me to her."

They move past the blah blah corridors. Estela stops at a particular room and points there before turning to leave. Makros hesitated for a fraction of a second before stepping into the room.

Leila was propped up against a pillow, her head wrapped with gauze pad. She glared daggers at him when he entered.

"You're awake," Makros said, his voice barely above a whisper.

She tried to sit up, but he reached to steady her. "Slowly."

She winced as the pressure in her head throbbed. "You could've killed me..."

"Us," Makros muttered. "I could've killed both of you."

Her gaze sharpened. "What?"

He stepped closer, unsure of how it would land. "You're pregnant. Estela told me. One month."

Leila waited for the part where he'd laugh out loud and tell him he was joking. He didn't.

"I don't believe it," she whispered, more to herself. "I always took precautions..."

"Did you?" he asked, his voice tight.

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