Liana's hospital room was filled with the delicate scent of fresh flowers the nurse had just placed there. Liana lay with a pale but blissfully happy smile on her face, while the baby boy in her arms appeared to be sleeping soundly.
The baby Liana was holding right now—she had no idea that he was not her biological child. But Liana held him with the same love as if she had been waiting for him all her life.
Aries stood beside the bed with his hands in his pockets, trying to calm his guilt-ridden heartbeat.
The door suddenly flew open, and Liana and Aries immediately smiled when they saw the visitors who had come to see Liana and the baby. Both of Aries's parents were there, along with his younger siblings, and even his two little nieces and nephews came running over. Their faces shone with happiness.
“Assalamualaikum!” Aries's father's booming voice echoed through the room.
Aries's mother hurried over to the patient's bed. “Oh, Allah… Liana, sweetheart, you were amazing!” Aries's mother carefully hugged Liana. “At last, we have a grandson.”
Liana smiled widely, her eyes glistening with tears. “Mom… look, isn't he so handsome?”
Aries's mother touched the baby's cheek, tears streaming down her face despite her efforts to hold them back. “Subhanallah, I've been waiting for this moment for so long. Congratulations, sweetheart.”
Liana nodded slowly and gave her mother-in-law a gentle smile. Meanwhile, Aries's father slapped his son's shoulder hard, making the man jolt in surprise.
“Good job, son! At last, our family has another male heir!” he said proudly.
Aries forced a smile onto his face. “Thank you, Dad,” Aries murmured.
Aries's father took the baby from Liana's arms and proudly rocked his precious grandson—the baby boy who would one day carry on the family name.
“Look at this. His little hands are so strong. He'll definitely become a great leader someday,” the middle-aged man said with a quiet laugh.
Liana gazed at her baby with boundless love. She was happy to see the people around her so joyful. Liana was deeply moved because at last, she could bring happiness to her extended family.
“What is his name, son?” Aries's mother asked gently.
Liana gave a small smile, as though waiting for Aries to announce the name. Aries met Liana's gaze as she smiled happily, then slowly shook his head. He truly hadn't thought of a suitable name for his son yet.
“I want to name him Arkan… Arkan Alfarez,” Aries declared proudly.
Everyone nodded and smiled happily. They all approved of the name Aries had chosen.
“What a beautiful name,” Aries's mother said.
“It suits our family's first grandson perfectly,” Aries's father added proudly.
Aries responded with only a faint smile, his chest feeling tight. His hands clenched inside his trouser pockets. He felt guilty for lying to his extended family. His family was celebrating a happiness he had built on the biggest lie he had ever told.
Liana gazed at Aries with shining eyes. “Babe… thank you. I'm so happy.”
Aries could only nod, swallowing all that guilt behind a faint, guilt-laden smile.
Meanwhile, in another room…
Reina's mother sat in a chair right beside her daughter. She cried with a pale face, still waiting for news about her child, who remained in a coma.
Reina's hospital room was silent, save for the beeping machines and the hiss of oxygen being forced into her daughter's lungs. The dim light made the lines of Reina's face look even paler.
The door creaked. Someone entered slowly, but their steps halted when they saw the middle-aged woman already staring at them sharply, like an eagle watching its prey.