Chapter 6 You're the most stubborn woman I've ever met!

"I don't know what kind of game you're trying to pull off, lady, but I'll play it anyway."

Lyka swallowed hard, staring at him.

"I'll tell you the most basic thing about me. I'm Aether Damien Darkstorm. The rest you can Google it."

Lyka's face drained of color as her lips quivered, eyes fixed on Damien. This is not happening. This shouldn't be happening.

She could clearly remember how it all started. It began with her waking up in a bed she didn't recognize, naked and alone. Then she got pregnant. Later she discovered that the person she thought was Blake Darklore, the father of her child, was not Blake Darklore at all. She had slept with a stranger out of stupidity. And now, Aether Damien Darkstorm-one of the Princes-of-Hell-was the father of her child?

Was she being played by demons? She felt like she wanted to slip into a coma without ever waking up. But she couldn't. She had a growing child inside her.

"Okay," she forced her voice to remain steady. "At least I now know the name of the person responsible for my misfortune. That's enough."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is whoever you are, it won't change the fact that I don't care because I'm not chasing after you. Thank you for your sperm. I'm going to have a child, and I'll raise it alone without you. Now, if it's not too much, Mr. Darkstorm, we want to go home. We have a life to run, and you cannot detain us here!"

But it seemed like his hands that held onto her had turned to steel. "Unfortunately, Lady, I demand the right to my child. And I will decide when you leave this hospital," his voice took on a dark tone, causing her heart to race.

"No way!"

He just grinned. "You don't have a choice. I'm going to provide you with the best doctors you need. You'll undergo every necessary test. The doctor will give you food, vitamins, and supplements to keep the baby healthy. And you will do all of that."

"This is my body. And this is my baby!"

"Our baby!"

"Fine. Sorry, I lied. I have a boyfriend. We often have unprotected sex. This child is not yours."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? Who is your boyfriend? Where is he from? Does he know you're pregnant?"

Lyka broke into a sweat despite the air-conditioning. "Um... uh... his name is Matthew... uh... he's a seaman! He's on a ship right now, just boarded..."

"What's his last name? What ship? When was the last time he visited your house or your shop?"

"Why do you have so many questions? You're not the father of the child anyway!"

"You want me to believe you, right? Convince me!" he shouted.

Lyka flinched. "Uh... Matthew... Matthew Jankowski is his last name... he works at Archangel Cruises," she boldly said. God, where the hell did she get that last name? From a freaking novel??

"Is that so?" He let go of her to grab his cellphone.

He dialed a number. "Connect me to Archangel Cruises. I want to check a name on their file."

Lyka's eyes widened. Of course, the company denied her claim. She made up Matthew Jankowski. If only she had a boyfriend!

"Negative. Obviously, you're lying. We'll run a paternity test. Prove that the child isn't mine, and I'll let you go. But for the meantime, I won't risk the possibility that I'm the baby's father!"

"You don't have the right to control my life just because you think you had me pregnant! Release us, or I'll sue you. I'll scandalize your name!"

She tried to run for the door. She struggled, but his grip on her hand and arm tightened, as if her bones were about to break.

"Damn you, woman! Someone like you won't defy my wishes!"

"Ouch... It hurts," she whimpered in pain.

"Damien, that's enough," Lina attempted to scold, but Damien shot her a sharp look.

He redirected his piercing gaze at her. "Now, I'm ordering you to take care of your pregnancy! If I prove that it's mine, you will follow all my desires if you don't want to lose everything important to you. Draconia, your shop, the house you stay in, even your beloved friend-I will involve them all! Do we understand each other?"

Lyka grew even paler. Not only because of the pain from his grip but also due to the terrifying threats coming from his mouth.

"Mr. Darkstorm, what are you doing to the patient???"

Her savior arrived in the form of a doctor. Finally, Damien let go of her. The doctor immediately attended to her, checking her vital signs and adjusting the IV in her hand.

"Mr. Darkstorm, she's pregnant. She must not be excessively frightened or stressed. They could cause a miscarriage."

The doctor's words changed Damien's expression. His intimidating demeanor vanished.

The doctor turned to her, seeing her still trembling. "Try to relax, Lyka. It won't do you any good. Calm yourself."

When the doctor left the room, she was still shaking.

"Didn't you hear? The doctor told you to calm down!" he hissed once again.

"She's trying, okay! You're not helping!" her friend bravely spoke up.

He gritted his teeth.

"Li... Let's get out of here. Please."

"Are you crazy? Do you think you can leave in your condition?" Damien interjected.

"I'll only get weaker here!" she retorted. Determined, she yanked out the IV. It bled, but she didn't care. She headed for the door, but after a few steps, her vision started to spin. She almost collapsed onto the floor, but Damien's arms caught her.

"Damn it! You're so stubborn!" he muttered in annoyance while carrying her back to the bed. Lyka felt the strong arms protecting her. She felt the warmth of his breath grazing her neck. It was like an electric current flowing through her body.

He gently laid her back down, firmly holding her bleeding hand to stop the blood from flowing. For a few moments, they remained in that position, silent. His hand was so warm it almost calmed her burning heart. Every time Damien's skin touched hers, it felt like she was transported back to that night they spent together, the night when his touch was so gentle, as if he cherished and protected her. He sighed when his gaze landed on the bulge in her stomach.

He caught her staring at him, so she immediately averted her gaze.

"You're the most stubborn woman I've ever met," he commented.

"Because if nobody stands up to you, you might forget that you're just a human, not a god."

"You've won this time because of what the doctor said. You mustn't be frightened or stressed. So, I'll grant you that. We'll leave this hospital."

"That's good."

"You'll stay at my house until the day you give birth. I don't want you out of my sight."

She hissed angrily. "Do you know why I want to go home? Because of you! I don't want to see you. You stressed me out! And now you're telling me to stay at your house? Do you really want me to have a miscarriage?"

A frown returned to Damien's forehead. He glared at her intensely while taking deep breaths. It was clear that he was making an effort to calm himself and not lash out. "What did you say? I'm stressing you out?"

She wanted to find solace in his undeniably handsome face, even in his anger. She had to admit that his charisma only grew stronger when he was angry, annoyed, and restraining his anger. But she knew she shouldn't let herself be swayed by his outward appearance because he was a fierce beast hiding beneath his beautiful exterior.