Il Suo Zaffario (His Sapphire)

Chapter 20

The moment Logan and Christy left, I didn't waste a second. Grabbing my things, I headed out the door with a nervous flutter in my stomach. I knew I was taking a risk, but I needed to see the doctor. Sara had made the appointment for me, and I wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by, no matter how terrified I was of getting caught.

When I reached the car, I paused for a moment to look at myself in the rearview mirror. The reflection staring back at me looked pale and tired, with dark circles under my eyes. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I look like s**t," I muttered, starting the car and pulling out of the driveway.

As I drove, my thoughts drifted to the life growing inside me. I always dreamt of having kids—getting married first, settling down—but that dream seemed so far away now. Who was I kidding? That was a fantasy from a different time, a different me. Those dreams had been shattered when I ended up on the streets, fighting for survival. Now, I was about to become a mother in a situation I never imagined.

When I finally arrived at the hospital, I parked and took a deep breath before getting out of the car. The sterile scent of the hospital hit me as soon as I walked through the doors, and I couldn't help but feel the weight of everyone's stares. I hurried over to the front desk, playing nervously with my fingers.

"Name?" the woman behind the desk asked without looking up.

"Sapphire. I have an appointment with Doctor Cooper," I whispered.

She nodded, barely acknowledging me, and pointed toward a door. "Room 4."

I quickly made my way to the room, feeling a sense of relief wash over me when I saw Doctor Cooper sitting at his desk. He looked up and smiled as I entered.

"Good afternoon, Sapphire. Please have a seat on the bed; I'll be with you in just a moment," he said warmly.

I followed his instructions, lying down on the bed as he finished up whatever he was working on. When he finally came over, he smiled again, but there was a hint of concern in his eyes.

"Is this your first time getting pregnant?" he asked, and I nodded. "Do you feel nauseous in the mornings?"

"Yeah, but it's not as bad as it was before," I replied, and he nodded, jotting something down in his notes.

"Alright, I'm going to check your weight, blood pressure, heart rate, and a few other things. I'll also do a pelvic exam and a few other checks," he explained, and I raised my eyebrows, nodding slowly.

"Okay, let's get started," he said, and I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves.

The next few minutes were a blur of medical jargon and routine checks. I felt detached from the whole process, my mind drifting as he worked. But when he rubbed the cold gel on my belly and began the ultrasound, I snapped back to reality. I stared at the screen, expecting to see something small and indistinct. But what I saw instead was... bigger than I expected.

"Huh?" I whispered, glancing at the doctor, who had a serious expression on his face as he moved the wand around. "What's wrong, doctor?"

"Hold on," he said, focusing intently on the screen. Then, suddenly, his face broke into a smile. "Oh, I see. Sapphire, you're having twins."

My eyes widened in shock. "Oh my God, no," I whispered, feeling a wave of panic rise up in my chest. Twins? How could this be happening? My mind raced as I tried to process the news. This couldn't be real—Logan would definitely notice, and I couldn't let that happen.

"We're done here," Doctor Cooper said as I wiped the gel off my belly. "You're almost four months pregnant. Congratulations on having twins."

I forced a smile, but inside, I was a wreck. How was I going to manage this? I needed to leave Logan's place as soon as possible, before he found out. The weight of the situation pressed down on me as I left the hospital and headed back to the car.

"I swear I'm not going to cry," I whispered to myself, taking a deep breath before starting the engine. I needed to get back before Logan did. The last thing I wanted was for him to find out I'd left without telling him.

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LOGANS POV

I watched Christy wave as she got into the car, a perfect smile plastered on her face as she drove off. As soon as she was out of sight, I let out a deep breath. Today had been exhausting, and the last thing I needed was more drama. But something gnawed at the back of my mind, a sense that something was off.

I had barely seen Sapphire today, and when I did, she looked pale, her usual spark dulled. She didn't meet my eyes when I left, and that unsettled me more than I wanted to admit.

"Where the hell is she?" I muttered to myself, glancing around the living room, expecting to see her curled up on the couch or maybe in the kitchen.

The house felt too empty, too quiet. My chest tightened with a mix of anger and worry as I realized she wasn't anywhere in sight. I headed upstairs, checking her room, but the door was wide open, and the room was empty. The bed was unmade, and her things were scattered around as if she'd left in a hurry.

"She wouldn't..." I said to myself, trying to shake off the rising anxiety. But I knew better. She would.

I grabbed my phone and dialed the guard who was supposed to be watching the house. He picked up after the first ring.

"Boss?"

"Where is she?" I barked.

There was a brief pause before he answered. "She left about an hour ago. I thought she was heading to meet you and Miss Christy—"

"i***t," I snapped, hanging up before he could say another word. Rage boiled in my veins. I couldn't believe she'd actually gone out without telling me. After everything I'd said, after all the warnings, she still went behind my back.

I paced the room, trying to think where she could've gone. It wasn't hard to figure out—she'd been sick for weeks, and the only logical place she'd go was the doctor. I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to punch something. She was putting herself at risk, and for what? Because she couldn't wait a damn minute for me to make the arrangements? Eventually I would.

An hour passed, each minute feeling like a lifetime. Finally, I heard the garage door open. I moved quickly, standing by the front entrance, waiting for her to walk in. When she finally appeared, her face was pale, eyes wide with surprise and a touch of fear.

"What do we have here?" I said, my voice dripping with controlled anger as I stepped in front of her. Her eyes flicked to the side, as if she was considering running, but she knew better.

"Where have you been, Sapphire?" I asked, keeping my tone even, but inside I was burning. She didn't answer, just stared at me like a deer caught in headlights.

"Playing stubborn, are we?" I pressed, narrowing my eyes at her.

She straightened up, crossing her arms over her chest, and for a second, I saw the old fire in her eyes. "Why do you want to know? It's none of your business, Logan."

The dismissive tone in her voice was like a slap in the face. I took a step closer, looming over her. "Of course, it's my business. You shouldn't be leaving the house. I told you what it's like out there."

She rolled her eyes, a move that only stoked my anger further. "You don't own me," she retorted, her voice laced with frustration. "If you could please excuse me, I'm tired, and I've been through a lot today."

"Sapphire," I said, softening my tone slightly. I need to know what was going on. "Just tell me where you went. It's pretty simple."

She hesitated, her gaze dropping to the floor. Finally, she sighed, as if giving up. "I went to see the doctor," she admitted, and I could see the tension in her body as she waited for my reaction.

My jaw clenched. "And you snuck out like a damn thief?"

She looked up at me, her eyes shining with tears. "Even if I asked you, no would be the answer, so I had to sneak out," she said quietly, her voice tinged with bitterness.

"Fine," I said, trying to rein in my anger. "But I could've arranged for someone to take you." I didn't miss the way she rolled her eyes again, clearly not believing a word I said.

"Right now, I feel like a prisoner in your home," she whispered, and those words hit me harder than any insult she could've thrown at me.

"Sapphire—" I began, but she cut me off.

"I want to leave here and live with one of my friends," she said, her voice breaking slightly.

"You don't have any friends, Sapphire. You only have me," I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them. She looked at me like I'd just slapped her.

"I do have friends," she whispered, and I could see the tears starting to spill over. "I'm sick and tired of the way you're treating me, Logan. You weren't like this before. If you're going to continue shouting at me, I'm going to leave this place. Let me go live with someone else, or let me stay with Serena!" she shouted, her voice cracking as the tears flowed freely.

"You're just as bad as Roman," she sniffed, and those words cut deeper than any knife.

"I'm nothing like Roman," I roared, the anger surging to the surface. "He's a sneaky man. He blamed everything on me. I f*****g hate him!" I grabbed her arm in my rage, and she whimpered, shrinking back.

"Logan, you're hurting me," she cried, and the sound of her fear snapped me out of my anger. But it was too late—I'd already dragged her up the stairs, her sobs echoing in my ears.

I shoved her into her room, breathing hard as I tried to regain control. "You are going to stay in here until I say it's okay to leave," I commanded, but the words felt hollow, even to me.

She curled up on the bed, and for a moment, I stood there, watching her with a mix of anger and regret. She looked so small, so fragile, and the realization that I'd put her in this state made me feel sick.

I turned and walked out, slamming the door behind me. But the image of her tear-streaked face stayed with me, haunting me as I walked down the hall. I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd just made the biggest mistake of my life, and I didn't know how to make it right.

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