◽SURPRISE?◽
◽THIRD PERSON'S POV◽
"How are you?" Marco asked the ailing Marian.
"Still not well," she replied weakly. "I feel so nauseous."
Marco left the room and updated the housekeeper on Marian's condition. "She's throwing up again," he said, concern etched on his face. The housekeeper smiled softly; Marco rarely worried about anyone, but his care for Marian was different.
"You're burning up," the housekeeper remarked, handing Marian a cup of water she had requested earlier. As soon as she drank, Marian rushed to the restroom, her nausea overwhelming. She had been feeling unwell for a while, but didn’t expect it to worsen like this.
"Marian, dear," the housekeeper whispered, gently wiping her mouth with a towel. "When was your last period?"
Marian looked puzzled. The housekeeper moved closer, checking her eyes and palms.
"What’s today’s date?" Marian asked, having lost track of time after being confined to the mansion for so long. When had she last been outside?
"February 24th," the housekeeper replied.
Marian gasped. "Oh my God, I'm three weeks late!" Her eyes widened in disbelief. The IVF hadn’t worked, so pregnancy seemed impossible— she couldn't help but wonder if it was the side effect of the procedure.
She desperately prayed it wasn't what she thought it was.
"Maybe that’s why I’ve been so sick," Marian murmured.
realization dawned on her, sensing Marian’s growing panic, "I'll call the family doctor." Mrs Herbert said gently
She went to Marco's room to inform him of the situation but omitted any mention of a possible pregnancy, simply stating that Marian needed a doctor.
When the doctor arrived, Mrs. Herbert’s suspicions were confirmed: Marian was indeed pregnant.
Marco asked the housekeeper to leave so he could speak with Marian alone. He didn’t know where to begin; they both knew this pregnancy was from the night they had spent together.
"Are you feeling okay?" Marco asked cautiously.
Marian rolled her eyes. "Do I look okay?" she replied, her frustration evident. "I'm eighteen, pregnant, and this is my baby. I never imagined it would come to this. This isn’t the surrogacy I planned, this, this just feels wrong." She was sweating, overwhelmed. The last thing she wanted was to bring a child into a world where she was uncertain of her own future. "I can’t knowingly do this."
Marco listened quietly as she expressed her concerns. "I’m sorry about all this," he said softly, reaching for her hand to reassure her.
"I can have an abortion. We can still proceed with the IVF—it just won’t be my baby."
"No, you can’t abort the baby," Marco replied firmly.
For the first time, he saw genuine fear in her eyes.
"You’ll probably kill me if I’m of no use to you," she said, panic rising. "I can’t bring a child into this world without a mother."
"I’m not going to kill you, Marian," he said gently. "Why would I? You’ve been a source of amusement for me."
She wondered if that’s all she was to him, a clown.
"You're not dying, and neither is the baby."
"For now, we’ll make some changes. You should sleep in my room until you give birth. You need to be comfortable," Marco said as he stood up.
"But I am comfortable," she protested.
"You're carrying my baby, Marian. Beside me is the safest place for you," he concluded.
After being treated and prescribed medication for her insomnia, Marian’s belongings were moved to Marco's room—a change she wasn’t eager to accept.
"Do I really have to?" she asked as BJ moved the last rack of her tops.
"You're here to protect me. What could happen that hasn’t already?" she muttered, aware that BJ hadn’t taken kindly to her earlier jokes about her parents' deaths.
"He hasn’t even been around for two days," she added, anxiety creeping in. Moving into Marco’s room felt like a dangerous game she wasn’t ready to play.
"Boss said not to let you overexert yourself," BJ reminded her, though Marian barely listened.
"Screw your boss," she muttered. What was she going to do—run away? Tell another joke.
Everything she needed was upstairs: a living room, a kitchen, a library—everything. More reasons why it felt like a prison.
"This feels like confinement 2.0" she groaned "who am I supposed to complain to?"
It felt like all the progress she thought she had made had completely vanished, the house was becoming more of a prison, all she could do was sit around, following instructions and aimlessly waiting for a change that wasn't in sight
Marco never returned home while she was busy finishing the paperwork for her school registration. It has been extremely boring to do it all by herself, and she felt like she was 'munching' off them
Marco was wealthy, but Marian hated not doing anything, she planned on bringing it up, if there was a way for her to work to pay off everything she had been considering her debt
But no matter how long she waited or whatever she does to keep her self busy, it felt as if Marco was purposefully ignoring her
Her daily schedule consisted of the same things over and over again. One evening, she decided to revisit the library's collection of books because she had already read most of them at least twice.
She still had her doubt, not knowing if she would be allowed to go to school
she was scared but at least the baby guaranteed her life, she was less her self, she listened to instruction without making a fuss like she used to, it has being over two months since Marco had came home last, she was left in the house, only allowed out with her body guard with her, she knew she was in a prison, it never felt like a prison as much as it does right then and there
"Hey," she was brought out of her train of thought by Marco's voice "hey," she never thought she would but she definitely missed him, she longed for that scent, that voice and very much so she wanted to be in his embrace
He would have made a fuss on a normal day if she had being In his office without permission, he didn't say anything he just greeted her "you like sappy romance book?" he joked "yeah I'm a teenager, beats me why I like it." her eyes narrowed, she wasn't in a good mood, she hated being cooped up and ordered around, but she couldn't complain, she just wanted to live
Marco just found it cute, how she always said her mind but this time she was embarrassed after saying it, she was sulking, even ready to beg
She looked up at Marco biting her lips until she drew blood
"Don't do that," he tugged at her bottom lip, kissing her immediately, she stared in shocked wondering what had led there
Her reaction felt greatly exaggerated as she just stopped herself from asking questions, she tried to excuse her self but he wouldn't budge
"You know what?, how about I take you out as a celebration." She rolled her eyes, what celebration?
Getting pregnant for someone she barely knew, she sighed, her life was beginning to look like a bad written book
Marian tried not to get her hopes up, nodding slowly when Marco promised to take her out. She didn't want to be disappointed if he changed his mind. But to her surprise, Marco kept his word. He guided her to the bathroom for a shower, and when she returned, he was already dressed in casual clothes, ready to go.
She touched her cheek, wondering if her excitement had shown on her face, but Marco simply chuckled. "You gonna get dressed, or what?" he asked, teasing her. Marian fumed silently, annoyed by how amused he seemed by her every move.
She marched into the closet, pulling out a sundress. She wasn’t in the mood to get fancy, she threw her hair into a messy ponytail. It took her a few frustrating minutes, but she finally managed to tie it together. Slipping on a pair of casual shoes, she glanced at the pile of clothes in the closet—more than she'd ever had in her life, thanks to Marco's never-ending orders to Martini and BJ.
"I'm ready," she grumbled, expecting Marco to critique her simple outfit. But to her surprise, he just smiled and gestured for her to follow him.
As they drove, Marian struggled to decide where she wanted to go. The second floor of the mansion had felt like a dungeon, and now, out in the world again, everything felt alien. "Wow... the sun," she muttered, sticking her hand out the window to feel the warmth.
Marco glanced at her briefly before returning his focus to the road. "Why did you move me to the second floor?" she asked out of nowhere.
"It’s safer there," he replied, his voice neutral as the car came to a stop.
Marian looked around, expecting to see the café she had asked for, but instead, they were in front of a desolate, eerie building. It looked almost identical to the mansion, but older, abandoned, and more unsettling.
"You’re not planning to kill me, are you?" she joked nervously, though her heart pounded. Thoughts raced through her mind—the school, her missing sister. She eyed Marco, waiting for his response.
He said nothing. Instead, he opened the car door and gestured for her to follow. Marian’s hands trembled as she stepped out. "Are you still afraid of me?" Marco asked, his voice calm.
"Of course not," Marian lied, her hands still shaking.
Marco chuckled, seemingly amused. "Oh, you find this funny?" she snapped before she could stop herself. "I told you before right?... I ramble when I'm nervous," she added apologetically, her words rushing out.
"Oh my God, are you going to rape me and then kill me? Is that why you brought me here?" She ranted unable to stop herself
Marco grabbed her hand gently, trying to soothe her. "I won’t do anything to you," he whispered, holding her close until her shaking subsided.
Marian breathed deeply, trying to regain her composure. "And what do you think of me?" Marco asked, sounding almost hurt. "Rape?"
"Sorry," she mumbled, her eyes dropping to their intertwined hands as he led her inside.
The interior of the house was startlingly clean, a mirror image of the mansion. As Marco led her up the stairs, he pressed a button on a remote, and iron doors slid down, locking them in.
"There’s a lockdown sequence on every second floor of the Angelini buildings," he explained casually. "That’s why it's safer there—meant for the bosses."
Marian tried to process what he was saying, nodding absentmindedly. "Okay," she murmured, though all she wanted was to get out of there as quickly as possible.
"It'll disarm in two hours," Marco added.
Marian glared at him. "Oh my God, I hate you," she seethed.
Realizing there was nothing she could do but wait, if he really wanted to kill her, this was the best time so she forced a smile every time Marco looked at her, determined to stay on his good side in case things took a turn.
"Let me cook for you," he offered, guiding her to the kitchen. Marian followed, watching as he prepared the meal. The house was immaculate, much like the mansion, and she couldn’t help but wonder if anyone actually lived here.
"Does anybody stay here?" she asked.
"I do," Marco replied. "This is the only place not under the Angelini name. It's a hideout of sorts."
Marian raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I won’t run away and tell someone about this place?"
"Because you’re carrying our baby," Marco said simply. "And you wouldn’t want to harm it."
"And you don’t want to die," he added with a casual smile.
"You’re a fucking psychopath," Marian muttered, plopping down in a chair, suddenly drained of energy.
Two hours passed before the lockdown sequence disarmed. By then, Marco had finished cooking, and Marian, who had fallen asleep on the couch, woke up to the smell of food.
She joined him at the table, eyeing the meal hungrily. It had been a long time since she'd felt this kind of excitement over food. "Oh my God, this is so good," she mumbled, digging in with enthusiasm.
"The baby must like me," Marco teased, smiling as he watched her eat.
Marian shot him a glare. "Yeah, right," she muttered, though deep down, she couldn’t deny it. She hadn’t been able to keep anything down recently, but now, the baby seemed perfectly content.
She ate in silence, ignoring Marco as she devoured the meal. Once she was full, she leaned back in her chair. "I’m stuffed," she sighed, rubbing her belly.
"Rest a little, then we’ll go out for some sightseeing," Marco said.
Marian jumped to her feet. "Really? I thought you brought me here to show me another level of my confinement. You’re so nice, Mr. Angelini," she teased, though she couldn’t hide her excitement.
Marco chuckled and cleared his throat, watching as she quickly gathered her things, ready to leave.
After driving her to a boutique and a chocolate store, Marian was exhausted. She didn’t want to go shopping—she wanted to see the world beyond her gilded cage. But Marco had other plans. By the time they got back to the house, it was already evening. Marian, stuffed with cupcakes and sweets, showered and went straight to bed.
As she lay in bed, waiting for Marco to join her, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment when he didn’t show up.
What was she thinking? How could she possibly want him there? At that point, she wasn’t even sure what their relationship was. Sure, he had kissed her, but he was so unpredictable—one moment himself, the next, someone entirely different. It was like he was two people in one.
She chastised her self over and over until she fell asleep
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