Selene's POV
A continuous yelling downstairs woke me before I even realized I'd fallen asleep.
It started as a muffled verbal exchange between two male voices rising from somewhere downstairs.
Then came the crash that sounded like something heavy hitting wood.
My eyes snapped open. Carlos was no longer laying beside me although the sheets were still warm where he'd been.
I sat up fast, heart already racing.
The voices grew louder,I faintly recognized the voices,it was that of Carlos and Alejandro. They were fighting.
"You think you can just punch your way out of this, weakling?"
"Try anything stupid again and I'll do more than punch you."
I threw the covers off and not stopping to grab a robe or slippers, I ran out of the master suite, down the hallway to the wide staircase.
The noise was coming from the kitchen.
I burst through the doorway just as Carlos shoved Alejandro hard against the wall . Alejandro laughed,blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Carlos's fist was raised again, knuckles already split and red.
"Stop!"
My voice cracked through the room like a whip.
Both men froze.
Alejandro's head turned first. His smirk returned instantly, even with blood on his teeth. "Morning, sweetheart. Sleep well?"
Carlos's eyes found mine. His fist lowered slowly as he gently let go of Alejandro's shirt
I rushed between them.
"Enough," I snapped. "Both of you."
Alejandro laughed again "Look at that,the little breeder playing peacemaker."
"Shut up," I hissed at him. "Just… shut up and get out."
He raised both hands in mock surrender, still grinning. "Fine. I'll leave you two lovebirds to your morning-after bliss." He glanced at Carlos. "But don't think this is over, brother. The clock's still ticking."
He sauntered out, wiping blood from his lip with the back of his hand.
The kitchen fell silent except for our breathing.
Carlos stared at the doorway long after Alejandro was gone. Then he looked down at his broken knuckles,the blood smeared across his skin. He tried to wipe it off on his shirt but I stopped hom
I grabbed a clean dish towel from the counter, wet it under the faucet and stepped in front of him.
"Sit," I said.
He pulled out a stool and sat. I stood between his knees, gently pressing the damp towel to his knuckles.
He hissed through his teeth.
"Hold still."
I dabbed carefully. Luckily,the cuts weren't deep, but they were red and swollen. I could see the imprint of Alejandro's cheekbone on Carlos's skin.
"Why?" I asked quietly.
Carlos's jaw tightened. "He crossed a line."
"He always crosses lines. You can't just punch him every time."
"I can when he talks about you like that."
I paused and looked up at him.
"Like what?"
"Like you're disposable and a piece of trash."
My throat closed. "And you think punching him changes that?"
"It changes how he thinks twice before doing it again."
I shook my head. "You're bleeding for nothing."
He went silent.
I finished cleaning the cuts,found a small first-aid kit under the sink and with some bandages plus antiseptic, I wrapped his knuckles carefully.
When I was done, I stepped back.
He caught my wrist before I could pull away,his thumb brushing the inside of my wrist.
"I'm sorry," he said.
I blinked. "For what?"
"For tonight." He replied with a low and almost pleading tone.
I ignored him and made my way to the guest room. I was tired of him apologizing like it meant something.
***
The butler appeared silently in the doorway with a tray of breakfast in his hands. He looked from Carlos's bloody knuckles to my face and back again.
Carlos waved him off. "Drop that and get out dude."
The butler hurriedly dropped the tray,bowed and vanished.
We sat in silence for a long moment,then Carlos spoke. "The follow-up appointment is at ten. We should get ready."
I nodded.
Ignoring breakfast,we went upstairs separately.
After a rather long bath,I got ready and went downstairs,Carlos was already in the foyer when I came down. He'd changed into a dark button-down and trousers.
The drive to the clinic was quiet but not the suffocating silence from yesterday. This time it felt… different. Like we were both carrying something heavier now.
The same female doctor greeted us with the same familiar professional warmth when we arrived at the hospital.
"Mr. Rodriguez,Ms. Hayes. Right this way please."
It was another full episode of clinical drama,blood draws followed by an ultrasound.
The doctor studied the screen for a long time.
I felt Carlos's hand tighten on mine under the table.
The doctor finally turned to us,her expression careful and unreadable
"Everything looks healthy so far," she said calmly.
Carlos exhaled.
"But…" She hesitated. "We've detected something in the womb."
My stomach dropped.
"What?" Carlos asked as he sprang up from where he was sitting.
The doctor turned the screen toward us.
There in my womb was a tiny, flickering small sac.
"You might still get pregnant," she said. "But the embryo is implanted high so there's a risk of placenta previa or other complications—pre-delivery bleeding, possible preterm labor and a higher chance of C-section if you get pregnant."
I stared at the screen,Carlos's grip on my hand turned almost painful.
The doctor continued. "It's not uncommon, especially this early. We'll monitor closely and bed rest may be recommended later. But right now let's just hope for the best."
I couldn't speak.
Carlos's voice was harsh,it was as if he was angry at the doctor and blamed her for what was happening. "What are the odds?"
"Fifty-fifty for a smooth pregnancy," she said. "But we can manage most complications with early intervention.There is nothing to worry about"
She printed a few images and handed them to Carlos who stared at the tiny black-and-white picture like it was a bomb.
We left the clinic in silence and in the car, I finally found my voice.
"I'm scared."
He ignored me
"It might kill me Carlos."
He flinched. "It won't,get yourself together. We have no choice but to see this to the end"