The hospital corridor was cleared as the nurses inside made way for the stretcher to pass.
With expressions of astonishment, they couldn't help but gaze in wonder as Tryson Bliss hurried through the hallway.
Angel lay on the stretcher, unconscious, as Tryson clung tightly to her hand, his face a canvas of panic.
Before they arrived at their destination, Moore, a seasoned doctor at the hospital, approached with his team of nurses, swiftly guiding Angel into the operating room.
"Don't worry, Tryson. She'll be okay," Moore reassured him. Tryson gave a slight nod, but as Moore turned to go, he noticed the panic etched on Tryson's face.
Tryson paced back and forth for several minutes, though it didn't extend to an hour, as he anxiously awaited Moore's emergence from the theater.
As he lingered, he couldn't shake the thoughts of what he had witnessed months earlier.
Could it really be true?
He couldn't shake the thoughts of those papers he found in his room—the pregnancy papers.
He lowered his head, gazing at his hands, questioning if the pregnancy papers were truly for the person he suspected—Angel.
Almost as if his thoughts were overheard, the door of the ward swung open. Moore entered with a smile and cheerfully said, "Congratulations."
Tryson wore a frown as he struggled to grasp the implications of the news.
"Congratulations, Tryson. She's expecting," Moore announced with excitement, but the revelation left Tryson feeling as if his feet were glued to the floor.
"She's expecting," Tryson repeated, unable to muster a smile, clearly taken aback by the surprising news.
Angel was expecting a child, which confirmed that the documents indeed belonged to her.
He couldn't help but be taken aback by the news, yet simultaneously, he felt a sense of excitement and perhaps even relief.
Deep down, he was thankful that he had made every effort to reconnect with Angel after everything that had transpired between them.
However, the persistent question that his subconscious couldn't help but ponder was—who could possibly be the father?
After the conversation, Tryson entered the room, observing Angel as she lay quietly on the bed. She appeared to be deep in thought and didn't seem to notice Tryson's presence as he entered.
"Angel," Tryson called to her softly. She turned her head slightly, glancing towards him as he approached her.
With a nonchalant air, she turned her gaze back towards the ceiling, her hands now resting gently on her belly.
Tryson observed her actions closely, noting every subtle movement she made, and then he spoke up; "You're pregnant," he stated with remarkable calmness.
Angel shifted her head towards him and responded; "Glad you figured it out," she replied with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
Tryson found himself at a loss for words, yet his mind was flooded with an array of thoughts that he couldn't ignore.
"Who's the father?" Tryson asked, almost involuntarily, as those persistent thoughts began to claw their way into his consciousness.
Just then, he caught the sound of a mocking laugh escaping from Angel's mouth.
In the following moment, she turned her head to meet his gaze directly, and her eyes locked onto Tryson's with an unwavering intensity.
"What exactly is your concern with identifying the father of this child?" Angel shot back at him pointedly.
"Angel, please hear me out. I just want to find out—" Tryson started to explain, but Angel cut him off abruptly.
"Tryson, can we just put an end to this?" Angel said, her tone filled with irritation. "We're only ACTING like a couple because of your contract, and as you mentioned, nothing should interfere with our personal lives."
"Angel, but I deserve to know."
"No, you don't. You don't have any rights over this baby," Angel said with a pained voice.
She couldn't help but bite her lip inwardly. Sitting up in bed, she watched Tryson approach.
He leaned forward slightly to gently place his hands on her cheeks.
He gazed deeply into her eyes.
"Please, Angel. We have a year, and before that year ends—"
Angel placed her hands on his hands before gently removing them.
"My baby doesn't deserve you. You're just using me, so why don't we leave it at that? You keep using me for whatever you're doing, and meanwhile, I'll keep doing my best not to get tangled up in a lawsuit with you. Deal?"
"Really, Angel?"
"Can't you understand? The instant Riley finds out you're here with me, she'll be furious. Her blood will practically boil in her veins. So, why not just go?"
"I'm not going anywhere, Angel—I'm staying until you tell me, Angel. Who's the father?"
"Alright then, since you're so eager to know who the father of my child is—" Angel lowered her head, gazing at her flat belly.
She couldn't resist the urge to place her hand on her stomach, and with dwindling courage, she bit her lip softly.
However, she reminded herself that this was the best decision—no matter what, whether she told Tryson the truth or not, she was certain he wouldn't accept this child.
Regarding his parents, she was convinced they were plotting something, so her actions were aimed at safeguarding her child from their influence.
"The father of my child is Arthur Lamar," Angel declared with unwavering confidence, her gaze steady.
The words caught Tryson off guard, leaving him momentarily stunned. Despite this, he couldn't stop pondering them.
Soon after, he remembered spotting those documents the week following Angel's departure from his family's home.
That event occurred two months prior.
"You're lying, Angel. He isn't the father of this baby."
"Really? And you think you should be the father of my child?" Angel laughed incredulously. "Keep dreaming," she replied sharply.
"I don't believe I'm dreaming since I found the pregnancy documents in my room, and the doctor confirmed you've been pregnant for two months. I doubt Arthur is the father; you're not being honest, Angel."
At that moment, Angel was stunned, unable to say anything.
She really hadn't wanted him to discover the truth, but it seemed inevitable that he would eventually find out.