Worried about the state of her pregnancy and her overall well-being, her captor suggested making an impromptu check-up with the doctor. Coincidentally, Audrey had missed the previous appointment as the man was not in the country despite notifying her he would be back for it.
Not that she minded. If she could avoid the place, she would, and happily at that! However, now that the man is back to accompany her to the scary place, she was eager to go for one particular reason.
According to the book she read, the gender of the baby can be determined anytime past the eighteenth week. It did not matter if she would have a boy or a girl. It was the element of pleasant surprise she would be getting, as though this would be the first gift she would receive from her unborn child.
With a light heart, the brown-eyed lady slipped into a simple stripe top of dark blue and white with a pair of black pants and excitedly waited for the man in her room.
Ever since hearing her opening up, her captor did not allow her to sleep in the new room alone. Instead, after much persistence on her side, he permitted Audrey to sleep in the current room PROVIDED their one and only door that connected the two rooms remained open for most of the time.
As a result, his housekeepers had to rearrange the layout of both bedrooms so that they each had their own privacy from the blind spot alone. If she had to be honest with herself, she secretly preferred the new arrangement.
It did not matter if she had her own room. She too had her own room back then. The main differences between then and now were the lack of chains and the abundance of adorable objects. With the new changes implemented, now she has a 'roommate'. A companion that she was denied since young. And the person was within reach as well which somehow brightened her day even more.
*Knock knock*
There were a couple of knocks on the door followed by a husky cheery voice that rang through the room, "Ready to go, Princess?"
Before she even lifted her head, a pleasant smile had already spread on her petite face as she looked forward to their activity of the day.
The man looked dashing with his hair neatly combed to the side as his clothing only accentuated his masculine figure. The collars and the cuffs of his dress shirt peeked out of his dark blue jumper, matched with his black jeans giving him a smart look. Even the metal chains hanging on the side of his trousers that he claimed were accessories did not appear cringe-worthy or dampened his look either
With one look, no one would have guessed that this man was the same ruthless mafia leader but a doting husband who came to the clinic to be with his pregnant wife.
Because! Upon their arrival, the pair was almost reprimanded by other patients for simply barging into the doctor's room, essentially cutting queues.
But the rest of the medical staff who were fortunately alerted on time by the security team down below tried to de-escalate before the situation blew out of proportion. At the same time, they had to ensure their utmost VVIP's privacy was kept without any identity leak.
"Mister Mortcombe, what a pleasant surprise! I was not expecting you today," the man in his fifties stood up from his revolving chair to exchange customary pleasantries, failing to hide his surprise expression off his face.
"Cut the crap! I want her checked ASAP. And THOROUGHLY!" Hissed the young lad, wasting no time as he bolted the door behind them. The sudden change of behaviour shocked Audrey a bit as his previous gentle demeanour was gone without a trace.
"Yes, sir. Right away. Uhh- Miss, will you please step behind the curtain?" The doctor assisted the pregnant lady as he drew the curtain, hiding her from the two men.
Audrey laid across the black examination bed that was layered with disposable tissues and lifted her top to expose her cute bump, waiting patiently for the doctor to come.
"Would you like to join us, Mister Mortcombe?" The doctor offered but Audrey heard no reply. Instead, the doctor appeared alone.
Was she disappointed? A bit. Not because she wanted him in her baby's life but because she wanted the man to have a slight interest, just enough to not want to kill the baby.
With her captor not participating in this, though she understood his perspective, she could not help but solidify her assumptions. That he, and rightfully so, could care less of the baby.
She did not mean to be disheartened and she was not aware her face was expressing it, but the doctor patted her shoulder with silent encouragement and a broad smile. It was a weird encounter for her. But the doctor did not stop there.
His wrinkled eyes exuded kindness as he mouthed the word, 'He cared' with a thumbs up. Audrey only managed to return an awkward smile, flustered at being caught with her transparent and unguarded emotion as well as genuine curiosity about why she was treated nicely.
Thankfully, the doctor minded his own business as he began carrying out his task by squirting cold jelly onto her belly and roaming the scanning device on her tummy.
He hummed here and there as he squirted more of the jelly. His complexion grew darker and his lips pursed countless times. Audrey grew anxious and wanted to ask but her voice would not come out
"Hmm... Are you stressed lately, Miss?" The medical officer asked. His eyes were still glued to the ultrasound monitor display and his voice carried an air of false indifference.
How could Audrey tell? Because the old man failed to hide his dark expression as his nose scrunched up, creating ripples on his forehead.
But Audrey did not have a chance to answer because her captor was already questioning the man from behind the curtain on her behalf, "Why? What's wrong with her?"
Again, to her worry, it was never about the baby with the dark-haired man.