Married To A Playgirl

Chapter 22

Asteria Celeste Averix Levington POV

The months flew by, and now my belly is quite large. I'm having a hard time with it. In the past few days, my wife and I have had some arguments, especially since she often comes home late at night, claiming she had to work overtime at the company.

I find it hard to believe she's busy with the company every day. There haven't been any major issues there. I even asked her parents because I was really curious. These days, we rarely spend time together. When I ask her about it, she always denies everything.

I have a strong suspicion she's still seeing that other woman. Why else would she tell the truth about being pregnant with me?

"You're right, Bestie. Let's go and hug," Cyra said, linking her arm with mine and holding onto me.

"You're just excited," I teased her. She laughed and playfully nudged me. She's happy because she's getting married to her girlfriend, Yusei. Today, I'm accompanying her to look for a wedding gown.

"We're here," she said excitedly when we arrived at the shop that one of Yusei's relatives recommended.

She helped me out of the car. I poked her in the side playfully.

"I'm so happy for you, Cyra. Your dream is finally coming true," I said sincerely. Her eyes sparkled.

"Thank you, and I won't poke you back," she replied, trying not to cry because of what I said. We entered the shop and were greeted by a friendly man who was likely the owner.

"You must be Miss Cyra," he said to my friend. Cyra nodded. I sat down while she was taken to choose a gown. They seemed to know which designs would suit her best. After a while, she went into the dressing room, and soon she emerged.

"It's beautiful," I applauded, seeing how well the gown suited her.

"Doesn't it look stunning on her?" the man asked me. I nodded enthusiastically.

"Absolutely," I agreed, giving Cyra a thumbs up.

"You look amazing," I said. They discussed the gown, including the payment and other details.

After that, we decided to head to the mall to buy baby supplies. We recently found out the gender of our baby—it's a boy, and I'm excited.

"Bestie, this is so cute," Cyra said, showing me a baby bottle. It was transparent blue, perfect for my son.

"It's lovely," I agreed. We added it to the cart and headed to the clothing section. Just as I was about to pick something, my phone vibrated. I checked it, thinking it might be my wife or something important.

Sorin: I'm back.

I read the message and felt a sense of unease.

"She's back," I whispered, and Cyra immediately noticed.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"It's Sorin," I replied.

Sorin had told me she needed to leave to take care of someone in the States. But now that she’s back, her message makes me nervous. It's simple enough, but I can't shake the feeling.

"Really? She came back just in time for her sister's wedding," Cyra said. I nodded. We bought what we had selected, and then I spoke up.

"Cyra, let's go home," I suggested. She nodded, understanding that I was tired and needed to rest.

Keith Brillantes P.OV.

I heard that Yusei is about to marry Cyra. I felt a little sad, but it quickly faded away. My feelings have shifted, and so has the person in my heart. Yusei is no longer the one—I’ve replaced her with Kian.

I realized this recently and now I’m determined to win her over. Sorin and I had planned something a while ago, but it didn’t work out because she had to leave. Maybe she realized she couldn't win Asteria. At least, that’s what I thought. There are many misconceptions in our world.

I've been executing my own plan, continuing to pretend. Thankfully, Kian still hasn’t figured me out. She doesn't pay much attention to me, just provides what I need for our supposed future. What if I really got pregnant by her?

Kian is often at my house. I'm lucky to maintain this pretense, even though it hurts. She has no choice but to take care of me. I also know that she and her wife are having some problems, which is good for me. It means I’m succeeding. She gets home late at night, leaving little time for Asteria. I won't deny that I enjoy what’s happening between them. Yes, it makes me seem bad, but I hope their separation happens quickly. It feels like I’m close to winning.

"Does your stomach hurt?" she asked, reaching out to touch me. I immediately avoided her touch and saw her frown.

"My head hurts," I lied, massaging it to make it look genuinely painful. I hoped she believed my lie. She nodded.

"Lie down here," she said, adjusting the pillow and patting it. I lay down and smiled at her. I can't help but have feelings for her because of this. She takes such good care of me.

Sorin Alvarez POV

I am happy that I can see Asteria. I gave up pursuing her because I could see the joy in her eyes with Kian. Isn't that what love is all about? But I won't hesitate to step in if Kian ever hurts her. I don’t care about Kate anymore and told her to stop pretending, though I don’t know if she listened. She’s incredibly stubborn, always resisting and disobeying.

I rang the doorbell at Asteria's house. A maid opened the door. They have a maid now.

"Come in," she said. I nodded and followed her into the living room, where I sat on the sofa.

"I'll just call Ma'am Asteria," she said. Asteria was expecting me. She came downstairs with the maid, her belly noticeably big.

"You're already here," she greeted me before dismissing the maid. She sat in front of me.

"How are you?" she asked with a smile.

"I'm still pretty handsome," I replied, smirking. She laughed and playfully hit me.

"Don't you still have a girlfriend?" she asked. The maid arrived with snacks and placed them on the small table before leaving.

"I'm still waiting for someone—you," I answered. She furrowed her brow.

"Who is it really?" she asked curiously.

"I'll introduce her to you when she answers me," I promised, hoping for a better future. I don’t even know if I can win her heart. She doesn’t know my feelings for her.

"Promise?" she asked, wanting to be sure I was sincere. At least we are friends, and I can talk to her like this.

"Promise," I said, raising my hand as a sign of my promise.

"Eat first," she said, handing me a sandwich. It would have been better if she had given it to me directly. How are you, Sorin? You’re slow. We talked a lot more. She told me about her pregnancy—how hard but fun it is. She also shared that she and Kian are expecting a boy. She couldn’t stop herself from getting emotional when talking about her relationship with Kian.

Seeing her now, I don’t like it. Plans are forming in my mind again. I brushed them aside and just stared at her. I wiped her tears. Once, I made her cry because of my hurtful plans. If they hurt her, I won’t hesitate to take steps to win her over. I could care for her son too, even if he isn’t mine.

Eventually, I realized I needed to leave. I had something to attend to at the office and had to talk to my sister, who is getting married.

"I'm leaving," I said. I didn’t prolong my goodbye to avoid troubling her. I got into my car and drove away.

Tomorrow...

Asteria Celeste Averix Levington POV

I woke up without Kian next to me. How many times has this happened? Where did she go? Is it the company or that girl? Is she avoiding me? Does she not want to see me? I closed my eyes tightly. I need to avoid thinking like this. I must stay away from these negative thoughts. It's not good for me or for our son.

It's clear to me that she has grown distant. I notice it, and I feel it. But what else can I do? Where is the Kian who was so tender and happy when she was with me? She has changed. I just want her to be with me and care for me like she used to. Am I overreacting by thinking like this? But I can’t help it. Anyone would feel this way if their spouse had become so cold.

"Sister, why are you so sad?" Lucian asked me. I'm actually at Mama's house right now, with nothing to do at home. There was no one with us except for one of our maids. The rest are out running errands.

Lucian picked me up earlier because I can’t drive anymore. It's getting too hard. There's no one to talk to at home.

"Sister, don't think too much; it's not good for the baby," she said, sounding like a mother herself.

"Just thinking," I answered and sat next to her.

"Don't worry, Lucian. I'm fine," I reassured her, so she doesn’t have to worry.

"Sister, if there's a problem, I'm here. You can lean on me. You can tell me anything," she said sincerely. My sister is really maturing. She’s so sweet. I leaned my head on her shoulder.

"You are so sweet. The baby is so sweet," she teased.

"Don't call me baby anymore. You're about to have a baby," she said, pointing to my stomach. I just laughed at her reaction. So dramatic. Maybe it's just Aeris who likes to call her Baby. They are really adorable together. I spent some time there before saying goodbye to Mama. I also gave Lucian a hug before I left.

I went to a restaurant to meet Sorin because she invited me. It would be rude not to accept. Kian no longer thinks badly of her. I think she just complains at home. She assured me she would be home tonight, albeit late. Sorin approached me.

"Are you here already?" she asked. I shook my head.

"Not long," I answered.

"What do you want?" The waiter handed us a menu.

"Whatever you're having," I replied, feeling too lazy to choose. While we ate, we talked about various topics. We didn’t have any issues. It was nice that Sorin had time for me. I smiled bitterly. I stopped talking and just took a taxi home. Everything was dark when I arrived. The maid must be asleep, and Kian wasn’t home yet. When I turned on the light.

"Ah!" I screamed, startled by what I saw. For a moment, I thought it was a ghost, but it was just Kian sitting on the sofa.

"Where have you been?" She looked at me sternly.

"J-just eating out," I answered.

"There's plenty of food at home. You could have cooked with the maid," she insisted, her tone serious and unwavering.

"S-sorry. It won't happen again," I said, looking down.

"Absolutely not," she said. I couldn’t tell if she was angry or not.

"At this time, you should be sleeping. Staying awake isn’t good for the baby," she said, clearly upset.

"Let's go to bed," she ordered, holding my hand and supporting me as we went upstairs. Does she really have the right to be angry? I should be the one upset since she comes home in the middle of the night and still treats me like this. I'm constantly annoyed and irritated. But I’m still happy because she still cares about me and our baby.