"What the hell? It’s already two in the morning, man!" Carlos said as he got up from his soft bed and sat on the edge of the bed.
Frustrated, he pinched his suddenly throbbing forehead. "Don’t compare me to you, Tristan. I’m an active doctor with several surgery appointments tomorrow. And I need enough sleep to perform well, or I could hurt my patients," Carlos continued.
Tristan didn’t feel rushed to respond to Carlos’s words. He gazed at the moon in the dark sky, took a deep breath, and realized it was now two in the morning. He couldn’t sleep at all, especially when he yearned to make love to his wife but couldn’t.
He felt angry but didn’t know how to express his frustration.
He recalls Carlos warning him not to have sex with his wife until they have thoroughly checked her pregnancy condition. Given her history of vulnerable pregnancies and multiple miscarriages in their first couple of years of marriage, he worries that her current pregnancy could also be at risk.
Tristan felt very stressed when he heard Carlos’ warning. As a result, he’s trying to control himself and avoid intimacy with his wife tonight. His priority now is to schedule a visit to an obstetrician to ensure the health of her pregnancy. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚
"What’s up? Why did you call me so late?" Carlos asked impatiently, wanting to go back to sleep while still feeling drowsy.
Tristan was still in a trance, gazing at the moon, ignoring Carlos’s annoyance.
"Damn it, Tristan Sinclair! Don’t tell me you called me just to hear my voice?" Carlos said curtly. Still not hearing any response, he continued calmly, "Boss, I’ll hang up if you don’t talk in ten...minutes!" he said and started counting in his heart.
After a few moments, when Carlos was about to end the call and didn’t care that his boss would cut his bonus, Tristan finally spoke.
"Carlos, how’s my brother-in-law?" He asked calmly, but his eyes flashed with anger.
Carlos immediately explained Henry’s health condition in detail. He described the successful surgery their hospital’s number-one orthopedic surgeon performed. Also, he reported on the length of recovery time needed until Henry could return to his usual activity.
Tristan was taken aback hearing all that; he commented, "Oh, it’s that bad?"
"Yes, that’s why the doctors need to operate because there is bleeding inside. They need to bleed out the chest cavity and also install a pen so the bones heal quickly."
"I see. When will he recover?"
"I told you earlier that he may fully recover in three to six weeks. Your brother-in-law should be able to walk, perform daily activities, and engage in light exercise, as long as he avoids lifting heavy objects or doing anything that could strain his chest."
"Okay, I understand," Tristan responded, nodding slowly as if Carlos were standing before him.
"Boss, if I may ask?"
"Yes?"
"What kind of accident caused such severe injuries to your brother-in-law?" Carlos asked curiously. When he met Bryan in the hospital, Bryan didn’t provide any details about the cause of the injuries. Instead, he asked him to direct the question to Tristan.
Tristan took a deep breath before answering, "My wife kicked her brother too hard."
Carlos’s jaw drops to hear that. Bella, the petite woman, could do such a powerful kick? Were a massive man’s ribs broken?
***
The Next morning.
When Bella wakes up in the morning, she smiles happily at seeing Tristan sleeping beside her. Looking at his sharp nose is enough to make her pinch it. However, her hand stops in the air when she notices him wearing only a bathrobe.
Bella silently swallows when her eyes are fixed on his bare chest. She lowers her eyes, looking at his perfect six-pack. Her heart starts to race.
She feels amused by herself because she still feels excited looking at her husband even though she sees him like this almost daily.
Trying not to wake him, her hand slowly moves, trying to touch his alluring six-pack, yet before she touches it, something crosses her mind, and her hand freezes again in the air.
’Huh!? Why is he sleeping in just a bathrobe?’ Bella wonders, confused; she remembers he didn’t wear this last night. But a moment later, she laughs at her own silly thoughts. ’Did he take a bath while sleeping? Not possible...Tristan isn’t a sleepwalker!’ She stifled a giggle and tried to push aside her curiosity.
Bella turns to glance out the window to check the sun. The sky appears cloudy, hinting at rain soon. She looks at the bedside table and is surprised it’s not even seven in the morning.
Worried about disturbing Tristan, Bella slowly tries to get out of bed. But before she can, Tristan’s hand stops her.
"Where do you think you’re going, my dear?" Tristan says, pulling her back into his arms. "It’s too early for us to get up. Let’s sleep a little longer."
Bella holds her breath as she feels something hard against her lower abdomen.

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