After Divorce Billionaire Ex Found Me Pregnant (Leonica and Gabriel)

Doctor Kareem's words sent a wave of silent shivers down Owen's spine, pinning his foot rooted to the floor and his mouth glued tight, unable to speak. Behind him, Cassandra threw herself into her husband's arms and quietly wept and Benjamin lowered his head in guilt.

"W-when, when would that be?" Owen finally found his voice.

"We don't know, it could take a day, a week, a month, even years." The doctor sighed. "For now, I think we should all be glad that she made it out safely."

Yes, he should have been glad. Glancing behind Doctor Kareem as the door to the emergency room once again opened, this time around, Leonica being rolled out on a metallic bed, hair damp, eyes closed and skin beautifully pale, Owen felt a bitter taste explode in his mouth.

Yes, he was glad that she was alive, but He wanted his Leonica, awake, smiling happily at him like she had done back at the ice rink. He wanted to see her skin shinning with its lively color and her eyes glistening with happiness each time she talked about Ashley or her favorite book. But unfortunately, he couldn't have that

"Owen," Cassandra's voice called out from the pitch darkness that his thoughts had created around him. He felt her hand on his shoulder and turned to look at her, only then realizing that the doctor had excused himself. "Don't have that look on your face, Son. Don't blame yourself."

As if trying to soothe his thoughts before they got anymore darkened, Benjamin added. "You tried your best, Owen, it's not your fault that she's in this state."

No, he refused to believe that. It was his fault that she was in this state. He knew what had occurred less than a week ago, yet left her side. He let his guard down and she was nearly killed.

If she did not wake up, he would never forgive himself.

"Come," Benjamin gently nudged Owen, snapping him out of his thoughts. "She needs you by her side at this moment."

Owen forced himself out of his thoughts and nodded.

While Cassandra offered to go home and get a few things that might be needed in taking car of Leonica until whenever she woke up, Owen went into her hospital room.

The room was silent, except for the quiet beeping coming from the monitor. Owen walked to the chair placed beside the bed and took a seat.

Leonica was lying peacefully on the bed, her face relaxed and her eyes closed. Owen would have thought she was simply taking a nap, if not for the bandage around her head.

He reached out and took her hand into his, holding it and feeling how cold and frail it had become.

"Leonica," He whispered her name, hoping she could hear him. "Leonica, I'm so sorry. I should have protected you. I should have been more alert. You almost died and that would have been on me. But please, I'm begging you, don't leave me alone for too long. Don't leave Ashley for too long." He placed her hand against his forehead and sighed. "Please."

The beeping of the machine was his only reply and it was a reply Owen did not like, because it only reminded him of how his beloved was in a deep sleep.

A few hours passed, and the only time Owen had left her side was to use the restroom, and during the time he was away, the thought that she might not wake up, that he might lose her, had been so strong, that he had rushed back, afraid that the moment he turned his back, she'd be gone.

He didn't want to lose her, not when their story had just started, and there were so many things left unsaid and undone.

"Luce mia," He whispered once more, gently holding her hand in between his, rubbing his thumb against the empty spot on her ring finger. "I'm not going to rush you anymore. Take your time and wake up when you feel like. I'm going to be here, I'm not leaving your side until you open your eyes."

He placed a soft kiss against her knuckle, and then one against her forehead, before he said. "I promise, Luce mia, I won't leave your side. So please, wake up soon, okay?"

One year; that has been the amount of time that has passed since Owen had made that promise. He stayed true to his word, visiting the hospital every single day and bringing her fresh sets of flowers every week.

Cassandra had visited too and even though her visit lasted long enough for him to take a break, Owen didn't leave her side, not wanting to miss the chance of her waking up.

Ashley had also visited, and although his visit was very brief, it had been filled with tears. The poor child was devastated by the news of his mother's current state.

"It's okay, Mommy. I won't be angry with you if you take a little more time to wake up, but please don't leave me alone." He had sobbed, clutching onto his mother's frail looking hand.

Owen could only but watch the child at that time, comforting him subtly each time he came and was disappointed to see his mother asleep.

Arvan, Anastasia, Leonardo, Melvin and Megan, all equally came to visit, but unlike Owen, they all ended up leaving and only coming back once in a few months, all hoping that Leonica would some day wake up.

Now, a year had passed, and still, no changes, but that didn't stop Owen from coming and staying by her side, talking to her and reading to her, because he was sure she could hear him and some day, when she grew tired of sleeping, she'd wake up, flash her bright smile again him and the two would begin a whole new chapter in their life.

"Good morning Mr. Lee," Kelly, the nurse who had been assigned to watch Leonica, greeted Owen as he walked into the hospital, wrapped from head to toe with seasonal clothes befitting Winter and a bouquet of Dahlias resting in his hand. "Hello Kelly. How's work today?"

"Peachy."

Owen chuckled at her reply, but it sounded humorless. When was the last time he had truly laughed?NôvelDrama.Org (C) content.

"How's Leonica?" He asked as she pushed the usual visitor's form towards him.

While he signed she cheerfully answered. "Ms. Romero's condition improved once again! Today might be the lucky day."

"Yeah," That was the exact same thing he had been hearing over the past one year. "Here." He passed the clipboard back to her and was about to leave when she informed.

"Ah, before it skips my mind, Ms. Romero received a visitor as well today."

"Who was it?" Owen asked, expecting to hear the familiar name of one of her family members or close friends, but instead, Kelly simply replied with.

"Gabriel Bryce."

Owen frowned. "Gabriel Bryce?" He questioned earning a nod from Kelly.

What the hell was Gabriel doing here now? As a matter of fact, why did he only visit Leonica now after an entire year of she being asleep?

Owen didn't really care about the answer to those question. What he did care about was Gabriel being Around Leonica when she wakes up. If his face was the first thing she saw, he was sure that Leonica would completely go back to sleep. She hated the man that much and the overprotective side of Owen that had manifested over the period of one year did not like the idea of someone, who hurt her, being around her.

"Do you know if he left already?" He

asked and Kelly shook her head. "As a matter of fact, some of the nurses

were just talking about him. 'That one handsome guy on the rooftop'." She quoted the words of her fellow nurses. "If you want to see him, your best bet would be the rooftop."

No shit Sherlock, Owen thought at the obvious answer but politely thanked Kelly and made his way towards the rooftop.

When he pushed the door open and stepped out into the chilling winter atmosphere, he wasn't surprised to find Gabriel, leaning against the rails, staring out into the busy streets below. "What are you doing here?"

Gabriel didn't flinch at Owen's sudden appearance, but from the look on his face, it was clear that he had not expected to see him.

He thought of giving a snarky response, but that side of him seemed to have completely disappeared after Leonica cut ties with him a year ago.

Now he didn't even have the strength for a normal reply and from his appearance, Owen could tell that.

His hair which had always been kept at a proper length and well combed back had grown out, nearly reaching his shoulder. His beard chin also had visible signs of beard growth, something Gabriel never entertained in the past. In other words, he looked like shit, but the good, hot kind of shit.

"I...came to see her." Gabriel answered after a while. "I heard what happened, and I..." He trailed off, not sure how to explain himself.

"So you come now?" Owen scoffed, a slight bitterness in his tone. "It's been an entire year."

"I wasn't sure if should have visited her-"

"You should have kept it that way." Owen interjected while staring him straight in the eyes. "When are you going to let her go, huh?"

Gabriel didn't reply. His gaze drifted to the ground and he pondered Owen's words. Letting Leonica go, he had tried doing that once, the end result, booze, bar fight and a few women.

But could he really do it, again?

"Letting her go..." He repeated, a faint smile creeping on his lips. "I could never do that."

Owen sighed.

"You've silently loved her once, so you must understand what it means to watch her fall in love with someone else. Someone else gets to make her smile and laugh and kiss her and tell her how beautiful she is." Gabriel's fists tightened, and Owen could see that each word he spoke was causing the other man pain, and he was aware of that. But he continued anyway.

"But even with how painful it all seems, you can't let her go, even the thought of that is torturous." He looked at Owen and chuckled. "It's like she's a fucking drug."

Owen silently watched him and

Gabriel realized he wasn't going to

be like Lloyd.or Christian and engage in this conversation, he pushed himself off the railing. "But don't worry, this would be the last time you'll ever see me around her. I'll

step out of her life, for good."

He was already walking away when he added. "You take care of her, else I won't hesitate to snatch her away."

And just like that, he was gone. Owen too, retreated from the rooftop, heading straight for Leonica's room.

Outside was quite cold, he thought, choosing to occupy his mind with things other than Gabriel's words. Not that they mattered to him.

He glanced down at the Dahlias, trying to remember if they fared well during the winter in a jog of water, after all, he didn't want Leonica waking up to the sight of withered flowers.

But even at that, he wondered when she'd actually wake up. It had already been a year.

'It's it time for you to wake up, Leonica.' He thought as he pulled the door to her hospital room open and froze.

On the bed, sat Leonica, her body turned towards the view of the window, making her back face the door where he stood. But at the sound of it opening, she was snapped out of whatever trance she had been in and turned to look at him, a small smile playing on her lips. "Hey Owen."