The Spiteful Bride, Marry to Rival's Son-Chapter 143

WHERE’S ELENA?"

When Stefan pushed open the door to Mia’s hospital room, the sight that greeted him broke something inside his chest. She lay there on the huge bed, looking so small and fragile against the stark white sheets.

Her skin was still pale, almost translucent, and there were dark circles under her eyes that hadn’t been there this morning when they were laughing over breakfast.

The hospital gown made her look even tinier than usual, and Stefan could see the IV line snaking from her arm to the bag hanging beside the bed. The steady beep of the heart monitor filled the quiet room, a reminder that just hours ago, he had been terrified of losing her.

But as soon as Mia saw him standing in the doorway, a bright smile broke across her face like sunrise after the longest night. It was the same smile that had made him fall in love with her, the one that could light up entire rooms and make his worst days feel manageable.

She extended her hands toward him, her fingers reaching out like she was trying to bridge the distance between them.

"Why are you standing there staring at me like that?" she asked, her voice still weak but tinged with that familiar teasing tone. "Won’t you come and sit with your wife?"

The sound of her joking, of her trying to make him feel better even when she was the one lying in a hospital bed, made Stefan’s chest tight with emotion. He let out a light laugh, the first genuine one he’d had since walking into that nightmare back at the house.

He took long strides across the small room and sat down gently beside her bed, careful not to jostle the mattress. His hands immediately went to hers, intertwining their fingers like they had done thousands of times before.

"The doctor said you’re expecting a baby," Stefan said, his voice still carrying traces of disbelief. "How is that possible? I thought you were still..." He trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

Mia had insisted they wait a bit longer before trying for children. Stefan had respected her decision completely, even though part of him had been ready to start a family.

Mia squeezed his hands and gave him a sheepish look.

"I honestly don’t know how it happened," she said. "I think I might have taken something that interfered with my birth control. Maybe that antibiotic I was on last month for that sinus infection? The doctor said some medications can make the pill less effective."

Stefan nodded, remembering how sick she had been. He had taken care of her for days, bringing her soup and making sure she took her medicine on time.

"How do you feel about it?" he asked, searching her face thoroughly. "About the baby, I mean. I know this isn’t how we planned it."

Mia took a deep breath, her hand moving instinctively to her still-flat stomach.

"Scared," she admitted. "But also... happy? Is that crazy? I mean, I know the timing isn’t perfect, but when I thought I might be losing the baby..." Her voice cracked slightly. "I realized how much I already love this little person we made."

Stefan felt his heart swell with so much love he thought it might burst. This woman, this incredible woman who had nearly died today, was already thinking about their child with such tenderness.

"I love you so much," he whispered, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing her knuckles.

But then Mia’s expression grew serious, and Stefan felt his stomach drop.

"How is Elena?" she asked.

The name hit Stefan like a physical blow. His face changed immediately, all the warmth draining from his features and being replaced by something harder and colder. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Baby, you don’t need to worry about that right now," he said, trying to keep his voice gentle.

"Stefan, we both know she’s been through so much these past few months," Mia continued, her voice growing stronger despite her exhaustion. "I’m sure she’s eating herself up inside right now. She probably thinks this is all her fault."

Stefan stared at his wife in amazement. She had nearly lost their child just hours ago, had bled and collapsed and been rushed to the hospital, and she was thinking about someone else entirely. Someone who had caused all of this pain with her thoughtless, cruel words.

But even as anger flashed through him, Stefan knew Mia was right. Over the past months, he had watched Elena change from the strong, sharp-tongued woman they all knew and loved into someone he barely recognized.

The transformation had been gradual but devastating, like watching someone slowly disappear from the inside out.

"She’s been different," he admitted. "Ever since everything happened with Mose. It’s like she lost herself along with him."

"Please," Mia said, her grip on his hand tightening. "I need you to understand her. She didn’t mean what she said. She’s just broken and scared and..."

"I’ve heard you, Mia," Stefan interrupted gently but firmly. "But the doctor said you don’t need any stress right now. You need to focus on taking care of yourself and our baby. Please, just try to rest and not think about all of this."

Mia nodded reluctantly, though Stefan could see in her eyes that she wasn’t going to stop worrying about Elena anytime soon.

"Do you want to see Ethan?" Stefan asked, changing the subject. "He’s been pacing around out there like a caged animal. He’ll be worried sick until he sees for himself that you’re okay."

"Of course I want to see him," Mia said with a smile. "He’s my brother. I need to tell him he’s going to be an uncle, even though the doctor already did."

Stefan stood up slowly, but then he leaned down and kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger there for a long moment. Then he kissed her cheek, soft and tender.

Then her lips, tasting the salt of tears she had shed earlier. And finally, almost reverently, he placed a gentle kiss on her stomach where their child was growing.

"I’ll go get Ethan," he said, starting toward the door.

But when he reached the doorway, he stopped and turned around. Mia raised an eyebrow, confused by his behavior.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a little laugh. "Why are you coming back?"

Stefan crossed the room again and stood beside her bed. He cupped her face in his hands and looked directly into her eyes, as if he was trying to memorize every detail of this moment.

"I love you, Mia," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I really, truly love you. More than I ever thought it was possible to love another person."

Mia’s cheeks flushed pink, and she smiled up at him with eyes that were bright with unshed tears.

"I love you too, Stefan," she whispered back.

He squeezed her hands one more time before finally forcing himself to leave the room.

When Stefan stepped back into the hallway, he found Ethan and James waiting for him. Ethan immediately started firing questions at him, his worry evident in every word.

"How is she? She’s okay, right? The baby too? Can I see her? Is she in pain? Does she need anything?"

Stefan held up a hand to slow down the barrage of questions.

"She’s fine," he said. "Tired, but fine. And yes, she wants to see you."

Then Stefan looked around the waiting area, his brow furrowing.

"Where’s Elena?"