Valerie's POV
Ares' gaze locked onto mine, his eyes revealing nothing. I swallowed hard, my throat constricting with anxiety. "What does it say?" I asked, struggling to maintain a calm tone despite my inner turmoil. His response was swift and direct. "You're pregnant, Valerie." The words hit me like a ton of bricks, leaving me winded. My hands instinctively flew to my stomach, as if to protect the tiny life growing within. Ares' voice cracked as he thanked the doctor, a stutter I'd never heard before. "Th-thank you, doctor." It was a fleeting moment of vulnerability, a glimpse of fear or uncertainty, perhaps. I couldn't quite decipher it, but it only added to my own trepidation. The room seemed to spin around me, the news sinking in like a weight. Pregnant. The word echoed in my mind, fi
