Forbiddenly Bound To You
Chapter 93: Check up

Chapter 93: Check up

John was speechless. He hadn’t expected Zamian to say that, although he knew it wasn’t the lady’s fault. Just before he could respond, Zamian continued, his voice even colder than before.

"Does she not know my wife is married to me?" The only part of Zamian’s statement that sounded less icy was when he said "wife."

How could John possibly answer that question? It wasn’t as if he could read the lady’s mind. Even if he could, he had never seen her before; this was just a report. Oh, if only he had gone through it beforehand.

"Umm... I don’t know, uh..." John stammered, carefully choosing his words, not wanting to anger Zamian further. He could feel the tension in the air, and it made him anxious. It was never easy dealing with Zamian when he was in this mood.

"How about you get some rest? If you keep this up, you might end up with permanent eye bags."

Zamian stilled. John began to rethink his decision. Would calling his boss’s wife by name be overstepping? But he needed to do it.

"That wouldn’t be good, you know. It might make you less handsome. What would your wife think?"

Zamian stood, his body tense, and for a moment, John thought he had pushed too far. However, just the mention of Mira’s name seemed to change Zamian’s demeanor. John almost smiled at the thought; it was as if Zamian’s mood was directly tied to his wife.

As Zamian began walking toward the door, John felt a wave of relief wash over him. Maybe they could put this conversation behind them. Just as he was about to sigh in relief, Zamian turned.

"Have I changed?" Zamian asked, curiosity evident in his tone.

"Um..." John didn’t understand the question. Was Zamian actually seeking reassurance about his looks?

"Do I look less handsome? If she sees me, will she think that?"

Oh no, not again. John didn’t want to think about when this would end. Oh boss, please stop asking me that. You simply miss your wife—go see her, John thought to himself.

"I... think you look great," John finally said, unsure of what else to say. What was wrong with his boss? And why was he asking him such questions?

Just as John turned to his boss, his eyes nearly bulged at the sight in front of him—Zamian was smiling. Not just any smile, either; it stretched from ear to ear.

"Of course, I’m always handsome," Zamian laughed.

John blinked in confusion. Was his boss sick? Why was he acting so different? It was a genuine laugh, a stark contrast to his usual cold, dangerous demeanor. John was trying to make sense of the situation.

With that, Zamian left the room, leaving John standing there, lips parted in shock.

"What was that?" he muttered to himself.

***

The next day

Mira sat in the car, eagerly heading to the hospital for her baby’s gender checkup. Today was also the day of the baby shower, and she felt a wave of excitement wash over her, making it hard to suppress her smile. The thought of celebrating it filled her with joy, but the anticipation of finding out whether she was having a boy or a girl made her heart race even faster.

After what felt like a long drive, the car came to a stop in front of the hospital building. The chauffeur opened the door for Mira, who stepped out. James, who had been quiet in the front seat, stepped out as well, and they both entered the hospital together.

They headed to the hospital elevator, and as the doors closed, Mira and James stood in silence, waiting for their destination. Just then, James broke the silence.

"Just a reminder, the doctor won’t reveal the baby’s gender to you yet. It’ll be revealed at the shower," he said. Mira nodded, though in truth, she was eager to know. Perhaps she could start thinking of names for their son or daughter with... Zamian.

The elevator doors opened, and they both stepped out. The doctor arrived shortly after, a warm smile on her face.

"Good morning, Mrs. Mira. Please, this way," she said, leading Mira into the room for her checkup. Before turning to leave, she also greeted, "Good morning, Mr. James."

James nodded and waited outside as the doctor led Mira into the examination room. Inside, Mira was asked to lie down on the examination bed. The doctor applied a cool gel to her abdomen, explaining that it would help create a clearer image during the scan. She then used a handheld device to begin the ultrasound.

On the screen, Mira could see the faint outline of her baby, moving gently. The doctor pointed out the baby’s tiny limbs and heartbeat, making sure to check that everything was progressing well.

"The baby looks healthy," the doctor said, reassuring her as the scan continued. Mira felt a sense of relief wash over her. She was excited to learn the gender at the baby shower later that day.

After the scan, the doctor looked at Mira with a smile.

"Regarding the baby’s gender, typically we would check around the 20-week mark, but since you’re at 28 weeks now, it can sometimes be a bit harder to get a clear reading because the baby is more developed and might not be as active during the scan. However, your little one seems to be quite cooperative today, and we were able to determine the gender!"

Mira realized she had been holding her breath, unsure of what to expect. She hadn’t known about the 20-week timeframe for gender checks and felt slightly embarrassed for not being aware of this earlier.

Noticing the worried expression on Mira’s face, the doctor reassured her. "You don’t have to worry about anything. Even if we hadn’t been able to see the baby’s gender today, your previous checkups would have given us the necessary information."

"I’ll inform Mr. James of the baby’s gender," the doctor said. Mira nodded with a smile, feeling a rush of excitement and anticipation.

As the car drove back to the mansion, the silence felt comforting. Mira thanked her lucky stars that her little one had been so cooperative today—otherwise, who knows what could have happened? Her mind wandered back to Zamian. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness that he was not yet aware of the news. Little did she know that her husband was fully aware, watching over her every step.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her phone. Seeing Lily’s name on the screen, she quickly picked it up.

"Hello, Mira! I’m at your house now," Lily’s voice chirped, filled with enthusiasm.

"Oh, Lily, I’m not home," Mira replied, slightly surprised.

"Yeah, I know! I came to help with the decorations," Lily said, her voice upbeat.

Mira smiled, her heart warming at the thought of her friend’s support. "Are you done with the checkup?" Lily asked, sounding curious.

"Yes, I’m done. Now we just have to wait for the gender reveal," Mira answered, feeling a rush of excitement.

"Our baby shower is tonight!" Lily squealed excitedly, her joy infectious.

Mira felt a surge of happiness, but again, a part of her was sad that Zamian was unaware of the news. Little did she know that her husband was fully aware.

"Bye, Mira," Lily said through the phone. Mira smiled again, her hand resting gently on her belly before she spoke softly.

"Bye," she replied, ending the call.

The car became silent as they continued their drive. James, who had overheard the entire conversation, had a small smile on his lips. He was pleased with how excited Mira sounded, though he kept his thoughts to himself. After some time, the car came to a smooth halt in front of their mansion. James stepped out first and opened the door for Mira.

Mira entered the mansion, her steps light and graceful. Her mind was still swirling with thoughts of the baby and tonight’s big reveal. James, however, knew the baby’s gender already, a secret he held close since he would be the one to announce it during the baby shower later.

As Mira walked into the grand living room, she paused to take in the sight before her. The space was buzzing with activity as decorators rushed about, setting up for the baby shower. There, standing in the middle of it all, was Lily, looking as serious as ever as she gave out instructions. Her hair was neatly pulled back and secured with a claw clip, and her long sleeves were rolled up, giving her the appearance of a professional at work.

Lily was clearly in her element, her sharp eyes inspecting every detail. The team followed her lead, moving swiftly to get everything perfect. It was obvious from the way she commanded the room that she wanted nothing to go wrong.

Lily finally turned, her serious expression softening into a bright smile when she spotted Mira standing by the entrance.

"There you are!" she said, walking over quickly. Without hesitation, she gently pulled Mira by the arm. "Nope, you can’t see the decorations yet! Go have some rest, but first, eat something," Lily insisted, her tone playful but firm.

Mira smiled, feeling a little amused by her friend’s determined attitude. Normally, she would have playfully argued, telling Lily to stop treating her like a child, but today she was too excited to put up much of a fight. The anticipation of the baby shower filled her with joy. She simply nodded, agreeing to Lily’s suggestion.

As she made her way to the dining room for lunch, Mira’s mind drifted again to the baby. Her excitement bubbled up every time she thought about finding out the gender later that evening. Once at the table, she enjoyed a light meal, savoring the delicious flavors but eager to finish so she could finally get some rest. After eating, she headed upstairs to her bedroom.

Mira sighed in relief as she entered her cozy room. The soft light streaming in from the windows created a calm and peaceful atmosphere. She carefully laid down on the bed, making sure to position herself in a way that was comfortable for both her and the baby. As she settled in, she felt a gentle fluttering inside her belly—the baby was moving. A tender smile spread across her face, and she placed a hand on her stomach, feeling the little kicks. This moment was everything to her.

Soon, her eyes grew heavy, and with one last contented sigh, she allowed herself to drift off to sleep.

A few hours later, a soft knocking on the door stirred Mira from her slumber. She blinked her eyes open, momentarily confused, before she heard the door creak open. Nana, one of the maids, stepped into the room, bowing apologetically.

"I’m so sorry, Mrs. Mira, but the baby shower will be starting soon," Nana said, her voice gentle.