One night with the Mafia King

The question hung in the air, and Lucas exhaled deeply. "No," he admitted. "I haven't told them yet." Her eyes flicked up to meet his, a mixture of surprise and uncertainty. "Why not?"

"It's not something I wanted to tell them over the phone," he explained. "And… I wanted to make sure you were ready first. This is your story as much as it is mine, Bella. I didn't want to make that decision without you."

Bella blinked, taken aback by the thoughtfulness of his response. "That's… kind of you," she said quietly. "But don't you think they'll be shocked? Meeting me for the first time and then finding out I'm… we're…"

Lucas leaned back slightly, his expression calm yet serious. "My parents are good people, Bella. They won't judge you. They've always supported me, no matter what. I know they'll welcome you with open arms."

Bella felt her chest relax at his words, but Lucas continued, his tone shifting to something more cautious. "But… if other people find out about this, they'll jump to conclusions. They'll think we got married because of the pregnancy or, worse, that you used the pregnancy to trap me."

Her eyes widened, the weight of his words sinking in. "I'd never do that," she said quickly, her voice tinged with hurt.

"I know," Lucas said, his voice softening as he reached out to take her hand. "And I don't care what anyone else thinks. But I don't want you to face that kind of judgment or risk. It's not fair to you, to us, or even to the baby."

Bella bit her lip, considering his words. He didn't want her to face such negative situation. She appreciated his careful thoughtfulness. "So… you're saying we don't tell anyone yet? Not even your parents?"

He nodded. "Not yet. At least, not until we're ready. We'll tell them when the time is right, when we can explain everything properly without it feeling rushed or forced. For now, this is just between us."

She hesitated, a part of her unsure about keeping such a big secret, but she also understood his reasoning. "Okay," she said finally, her voice quiet but resolute. "We'll wait."

Lucas gave her hand a gentle squeeze, a small smile playing on his lips. "Thank you. I promise, when we do tell them, it'll be worth it."

Bella nodded, feeling a strange mixture of relief and trepidation. While she wasn't thrilled about the secrecy, she trusted Lucas's judgment. For now, this would remain their little secret, a fragile truth tucked safely between them.

His phone pinged with a notification. As he looked at the message , she saw his jaw clenching. Is he angry? The question ran in her mind before she saw him sighing. He is probably just frustrated with his office work. She nodded at the possibility.

"The dinner is already ready, should I heat it?" She asked him diverting his attention from the matter that stressed him out. "Did you eat your dinner?" He asked calmly, but one can hear his concern from his voice.

"I was not hungry at that time." She answered, looking everywhere but his face. Her reply made him more frustrated than he already was. He knew it was just an excuse. Whenever someone is lying they cannot look straight into others eyes. But what matters now is that she has not eaten her meal on time.

"Bella you need to take the medicines on time and for that you need to have your meals on time. Am I right?" He talked to her gently and calmly, with the same tone he uses with Rachel.

She nodded, looking at the floor instead. He sighed and continued, "Alright, let's eat the dinner now." She looked up at him with her sparkling eyes and nodded. She successfully diverted his attention from his work and lead his mind elsewhere. "Yes. Let's go. I will set up the table."

The dinner was so serene that the only sound was the gentle clinking of silverware. One thing that Bella noticed about Lucas is that, he preferred to eat in silence, but he never hindered her or Rachel to chatter between their meal, instead he chose to listen to them and also give responses.

As Lucas prepared to leave, Bella walked him to the door. The weight of the day seemed to press on her shoulders, but Lucas's presence had a way of lightening the load.

"Tomorrow's a big day," she said, her voice tinged with nervousness. He nodded, his hand lingering on the doorknob. "It'll be fine. Trust me."

"I do," she said, surprising herself with the honesty of her words.

Lucas hesitated for a moment, his eyes scanning her face. He wanted to stay with her here, away from all the stress which he is going to face tomorrow.

One thing that Lucas noticed about Bella is that he find peace when he is with her. He don't remember when it started but he feels comfortable with her, feeling all his worries fading away one by one, as if they never existed.

He wanted to talk to her more but seeing the weariness in her eyes the only thing he said was, "Get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow. And don't forget to eat your medicine on time."

She nodded, watching as he stepped outside and disappeared into the night.