The Ring between us

chapter 47

After Mira told me, everything shifted. There's this feeling this deep weight in my chest like suddenly everything matters more. I've been running my empire for years, but I've never felt anything like this. Responsibility. Protection. The overwhelming need to make sure that everything in my world is secure. Not just for me, but for her. For us.

I couldn't stop looking at her when she handed me the test. Her eyes were full of anticipation, but it was more than that. She looked at me like I was her world, like she was trusting me with something bigger than anything I'd ever built. That's what made my heart stop for a second. That trust. The sheer magnitude of it.

Since then, my mind hasn't been able to quiet. I walk into the office, the boardroom buzzing with the latest reports on our international expansion. But all I can think about is Mira.

I sit through a few meetings, but it's a struggle to focus. People are talking, presenting numbers, asking for my approval, but I can barely hear them. I keep thinking about her about the baby wondering how the hell we're going to do this. How I'm going to protect them both.

By evening, I'm back at the penthouse. The cold, polished surfaces of my office feel sterile compared to the warmth of home. When I walk through the door, I see her sitting at the kitchen counter, her hair messily pulled back into a ponytail, a cup of tea in front of her. She's looking down at her phone, the soft glow from the screen illuminating her face.

I can't help myself. I cross the room and wrap my arms around her from behind, resting my chin on her shoulder. She's wearing a soft sweater, and the moment I touch her, it's like the world calms down a little. I breathe her in.

"Hey," I murmur, my voice low.

She turns her head, offering me a small, sleepy smile. "Hiii," she replies softly, leaning into me. "How's your day going?"

I sigh, not even pretending I'm okay. "I can't stop thinking about it. About everything." I take her hand and place it over my chest, where my heart is beating way too fast for how calm I'm trying to act. "About you. About the baby."

Her hand rests on me, the warmth of her skin somehow making everything feel more real.

"You've got a lot on your plate," she says, her voice quiet but steady. She knows how I work, how my mind never stops, how I'm always calculating, always strategizing. But this? This is different.

I kiss her forehead, feeling her lean into me as if the weight of it all is something we share now. "I'm just scared. I don't know how I'm going to protect you both."

She looks up at me, her eyes warm with understanding. "You don't have to do it alone, Aaron. We've got this."

I don't answer, but I kiss her then. A long, deep kiss that says everything I can't quite say yet. The kiss lingers, the kind that makes the rest of the world fall away.

Later, after a quiet dinner together, we step outside for a walk. It's a beautiful night—cool enough for a jacket but warm enough to enjoy the stillness. I hold her hand, the simple act of touching her grounding me. There's something comforting about it, the rhythm of our footsteps together, the way her laughter fills the space between us.

"I don't want you to go to work tomorrow," I tell her suddenly, almost without thinking.

She looks at me, a little surprised, but smiles softly. "I have to, Aaron. There's stuff to do at the office."

I nod, but I don't want to let go of the feeling of her close to me. "I know," I murmur, squeezing her hand. "But I'll miss you. I just... I want you to stay. Stay here with me, with the baby."

Her hand rests on her stomach then, a gesture so simple, so intimate, that it makes my chest tighten. I can't stop watching her fingers gently trace the outline of her belly, as if she's already talking to our child in some quiet, secret language that only they share.

"I'll be back soon," she says, looking up at me, her voice soft and filled with the kind of warmth that makes me want to pull her into my arms and never let go. "And besides, I don't think I'm ready to sit in the office all day. I want to be here with you. With the baby. I want to enjoy this time."

I smile, leaning in to kiss her again. "Good. Because I don't want to let you out of my sight."

The next morning, the world feels a little lighter. I wake up next to Mira, her soft breath against my chest as I lie awake, tangled in the sheets. My arm is draped over her, and her fingers are resting gently on her stomach, like she's holding onto something more precious than anything else in the world. And I feel it, too. I feel that weight in my chest again, but this time, it's not just about protection it's about love.

I can't stop thinking about how everything is changing. How this life I've built, this world of power and danger, is all for her. For us.

She stirs a little beside me, and I feel her shift to look up at me. Her eyes meet mine, and for a moment, the whole world falls away.

"Good morning," she whispers, her voice husky with sleep.

I brush a strand of hair from her face, kissing her forehead. "Morning, beautiful."

Her smile is soft, but it feels like everything. I kiss her again, and for a second, I forget the empire. I forget everything except her and the life we're starting to build together.

"I love you," I murmur against her lips, the words tumbling out before I can stop them.

She smiles again, that smile that drives me insane, and whispers back, "I love you, too."

And as she slowly gets up to start her day, my hand instinctively finds its way to her stomach again. The baby. Our baby.

"Be careful out there," I tell her quietly, my voice thick with the emotion I don't know how to fully express.

She looks back at me, a playful twinkle in her eye. "I'll be fine. But you don't get to miss me too much."

I chuckle, watching her slip into her clothes, and I find myself thinking, God, how did I get so lucky? She's my everything.

Later that evening, when she walks back through that door, I'm still thinking about her about the future. And I'm already planning my next move. I won't let anything happen to her. Not while I'm breathing.

I can feel the weight of it all, but in the quiet, it doesn't feel as heavy.

Just us. Together.