Selena's eyes widened in shock as she stared at the pregnancy test in her hand. She had been so careful, or so she thought. Liam had been intimate with her, but he had switched back to using condoms after their first time without protection. Maybe it was just an accident, she thought, trying to reassure herself.
But as she sat there, her mind racing with thoughts of the future, she couldn't shake off the feeling that her life was about to change in ways she never could have imagined.
She thought back to her previous relationship with Josiah, wondering if he had been infertile or if he had passed on an infection to her. She had always suspected that something was off, but she had never pursued it further.
Now, as she sat in the bathroom, the pharmacy bag still clutched in her hand, she felt a sense of trepidation. What will the future hold? Would she be able to keep her baby safe?
Just as she was about to take a deep breath and calm herself down, Liam walked into the bathroom. "Get out!" Selena yelled, trying to cover herself up.
Liam looked puzzled, then his eyes took in the outfit and the contents of the counter. "Shit, sorry. Oh?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. Was it positive? His heart beat faster.
Selena hollered, "Fine. Stay." She walked to the sink and picked up the test strip. Her heart pounded. "I told you to pull out, asshole."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at the test strip. It was positive. She was pregnant.
Liam's face registered shock, then happiness. "It's positive. You are really pregnant! Isn't this a good thing? " he asked, his voice filled with excitement.
Selena looked at him, her eyes narrowed. "You're happy about it? Someone keeps shooting at us, Liam. I'm going to have to hide to keep them safe. They will have to live the same life too. My dad's going to kill you."
Liam's face fell, but he quickly regained his composure. "We'll just get married right away. I'm sure that your parents can arrange it, or we can have a small ceremony."
Selena's eyes widened in exasperation. "You know that isn't what he's going to kill you for," she said, her voice laced with concern. "He was fine with Jonah and Claire. If it's a stronger heir and the veil drops, we will be blind, Liam."
Liam tried to console her, his voice filled with reassurance. "We know the timeline and geopolitical events. Amelia can see, Eun Ho and Rose will both see, plus there's Jo and Monty."
But Selena's worries ran deeper. Tears dripped from her eyes as she thought about the other prophecies, the ones that spoke of death and destruction. "But the other prophecies, people might die," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Liam's expression turned serious, and he reached out to take her hand. "Monty once told me something that helped with the weight of burden when we couldn't save people," he said, his voice filled with wisdom. "People die in accidents, hunger, gunfire, and disease. Changing too much could cause later suffering. It's a heavyweight, that is why when you change things, sometimes there's a toll. So focus on what you can do now."
Selena thought about her 16-year-old cousin, Monty, and his wise words. He had always been so calm and collected, even in the face of danger. She smiled, feeling a sense of gratitude towards him. "Wise words from D.J. Mo," she said, her voice filled with affection.
Liam laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Yeah, D.J Mo's always been the voice of reason in our cra-cra-crazy world." He really couldn't wait for dubstep to stop being hip.
Selena's tears slowed, and she looked at Liam, her eyes searching for reassurance. "We'll figure it out, together," Liam said, his voice filled with conviction. "We'll keep you and the baby safe, no matter what."
Selena nodded, she looked at Liam, "I know. Claire went nuts when Eun Ho found out. Jonah was kind of almost dead at that point. Did they ever connect before he died in his last life?"
Liam thought back many decades ago, "No, he was a lone wolf and big into cars. I think he gave up hope. He started to drink a lot, it started to be a summer thing, and grew to be an everyday thing." Liam thought he remembered the wild ride that took his lower leg in his past life.
Selena looked up, "What if it was an accident? Do you remember him losing all control of the vehicle, the steering wheel, or the brakes?"
Liam shook his head, "I thought he was flooring it. We were all drunk and lost back then. The police closed the case as an accident. I had lost my leg from the calf down and was feeling bad for myself."
Selena looked at him, "So that is why you had that gait, I thought you were making fun of James. I feel so bad for shouting at you for making fun of him." Liam smiled and pecked her on the lips.
Liam looked down at her with love. He plucked the test from her hands. "It's more than forgiven. I didn't want people to know I was self-conscious about it, but as soon as I looked into it, I knew it was because of your father."
"Plus, I could frame this test. It is the second best thing that happened to me," he continued. He handled it like an award.
Selena looked at the very satisfied Liam. "That is soaked in my piss," she looked at the incredibly pleased germophobic person on the planet.
"Don't care," Liam said. He tucked it into his pocket happily.
Selena grumbled, "I'll call my Mother, she can handle my dad. Grandma Jin-ae is not going to be happy. Grandpa Gulduk might want your head." She sighed, already imagining the fallout from her family.
Liam paused, his expression thoughtful. "I only ever met Park Jun Pyo; he was always McKenna's biggest supporter."
Selena's brow furrowed, her eyes clouding over with memories. "He never really talks to us now, however, he was a major dick to me when 'Jack' died."
Liam's eyes narrowed, his confusion evident. "Jack, there wasn't ever a Jack on your file," he said, his voice laced with curiosity.
Selena sighed, her shoulders sagging under the weight of her memories. "Someone McKenna sent to fuck me over. I met the fucker in my first year back. He works for Park Pharmaceuticals...Christopher Jackson."
Liam's eyes widened as the familiar name of the neuroscientist and employee flashed through his mind. His AI assistant brought up the tagged file, and Liam's expression turned from surprise to horror.
"I know, huh? She never gave me a break." Selena said. Liam was still processing this. He felt a wave of rage wash over him as he read through the file. He wanted to scream, to lash out at the person who had hurt Selena so deeply. He wanted Christopher's blood.
Liam took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He couldn't let his emotions get the better of him, not now. He had to be there for Selena, to support her through this difficult time.
"Call your mom," Liam said, his voice tight with emotion. "I have to pee, unless you're into that?"
Selena rolled her eyes and left the room, giving Liam the space he needed to process his emotions. Liam went to pee and to work reading.
He watched the video log entries done on project EIEI-0, which was conducted on employee #3131000, Selena MacDonald. Then there was a staged explosive accident for his extraction. "Jack Christos," who had emotionally manipulated her, dug into her heart and broke it.
Next, the recorded reprimand of Selena MacDonald, her frailness and brokenness broke him. She ended up bawling, curled into a ball and blamed by Park Jun Pyo for an accident she did not cause; she was not even near the explosion, she would have been blown apart like the others. "Damn it, McKenna." Liam thought.
His former wife was a psychopath. This was misery pornography for McKenna. She had everything, she took her family, the world, and it wasn't enough. Liam wanted to smash things. How hurt was she when she looked at his young face and pieced it together and watched this?
Liam stood in the bathroom, his tears rolling down his face. He saved the man's life and called Jonathan. "Jonathan, I need a favor. I need Christopher Jackson investigated, and I need him dead or put in a hole somewhere. It is a quality of life improvement for the world and your daughter type of favor one that she should not know about."
Jonathan responded, "I understand." Jonathan typed on his keyboard, "He's an employee. Eun Ho banned him from all of our estates. Did he hurt Selena?"
Liam hesitated and formed a partial truth: "He will try to in the future." He could hear Jonathan's hackles rising.
Jonathan calmed himself down, "We also should talk. Eun Ho told me."
Liam felt the pressure on the other side of the line, "Selena seems happier than she has been for years. She's looking forward to it."
Jonathan again said into the speaker phone curtly, "We need to talk, in person."
Liam felt like he was going to get his ass kicked by Jonathan and possibly Jonah. "I understand, after the wedding and honeymoon?" Liam dry swallowed. This was going to hurt. Jonathan was so pissed off. He wondered why Amelia had not said anything to him. She had been there for days.
Jonathan grumbled, "Today, son." his voice was low and gravelly. Liam could feel his anger beyond the receiver.
"You got it, we will see you for lunch then." Liam broke out into a cold sweat.
Jonathan hung up the phone, and he immediately dialed a subordinate. "I want Doctor Christopher Jackson thrown to the sharks in the middle of the ocean in a net full of cinderblocks. Choose whether he goes in alive or dead. Choose wisely." Jonathan hung up; he did not need to explain more. He did not care if the man suffered.
Eun Ho's heel clicked as she walked to her husband. She ran her hand through his red locks. "Jonathan, be nice to Liam. Moon has had such a hard life, and he helped with Jonah." She stroked his hair and kissed his neck. "Jonathan, you were not hard on Claire. Selena is 24 years old, you should be happy for her too."
Eun Ho was excited. She was going to be a grandmother again, she would be able to bond with her daughter, maybe her daughter would slow down, become a full-time Seer and rule by her side. "The same age we were when we got pregnant." Eun Ho's lips grazed his ears.
Jonathan trembled. She sounded okay with it. Why was he not? He was not some sort of traditionalist; he was only worried about what his father-in-law would do if he went too easy on the boy. "They are coming by for lunch, I am sure I just need some comforting and I will be right as rain," Jonathan said
Jonathan heard his belt rattling and quickly tugged off his belt. It was freed from his pants. He felt a wave of exhilaration. His body screamed "yes" to the onslaught of Eun Ho's actions. He heard the belt crack.
"Is that so?" Eun Ho's voice sounded low and sultry. Jonathan felt her slowly undid his pants. They fell to the ground. Eun Ho whipped the belt against his backside. "You're going to be a well-behaved gentleman at lunch and apologize for intimidating him?"Eun Ho said,
She ran the belt loop up to his chin and tapped it. "Well?"
He nodded and let out a happy sigh. "Good. Hands," Eun Ho demanded.
Jonathan offered his wrists together with his palms together, just the way both of them liked it. Eun Ho stared into his eyes and looped the belt around his wrists and cinching it mercilessly. "On your knees," she demanded as she tugged.
Jonathan eagerly obeyed. She was in a fantastic mood. He could feel the sting radiating from behind and the red heat of trickling blood. The minx. He wet his lips. Her heels clicked as he eagerly watched her, captivated by the dominant queen before him.
Her stiletto-clad foot raised as she gave him a kick. Eun Ho pulled Jonathan closer; he clamored on his knees. Eun Ho bent and laid the belt on the ground and stepped on it to keep him where he was. She hooked her leg over his neck and raised her skirt and grabbed Jonathan's head. Jonathan's head lurched towards her body, ready to please her. She smacked his cheek.
She mentally recalculated. He was much too eager. She unhooked her leg and pulled his hair. Her heels clicked, and her hips swayed as she sauntered to the desk. She picked up her cigarettes, her lighter and ashtray. Jonathan groaned as he watched her.
Jonathan groaned as she teased him. "Please."
Eun Ho looked at him, "Should a throne talk?" Eun Ho popped a cigarette in her mouth and lit it. Her heels clicked as she walked with her burden towards him. "Assume the throne position." Eun Ho said.
Jonathan moved, now that she had permitted him to. He eagerly lay down, and she nudged his underwear with her heel. She pressed down as she removed the heel. She slipped the other one off, and it ricocheted off of his head in such a pleasant way. She grinned.
"Eager little beaver, huh?" Eun Ho said. There was something delightfully wrong with his brain. She hooked her mouth in a smile, she shifted her skirt and plopped herself down on his head.
"You cannot answer me, hmm." Eun Ho smoked as she held his russet locks in place. He diligently worshipped from below, Eun Ho's eyes closed as she gasped. "Okay, now you can use your hands." The belt rattled from behind her fervently.