SILENT VOWS

A few weeks later, that morning, the sound of vomiting echoed softly from the bathroom—it was Celestine.

She held onto the sink, staring at herself in the mirror. Her face was pale, her hair slightly messy, and her breath came in short, shaky bursts.

"What is this...?" she murmured to herself, trying to stay calm.

Moments later, the housemaid entered with a worried look.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" she asked, approaching quickly.

Celestine slowly shook her head and sat down at the edge of the bathtub. "I don't know... maybe just something I ate."

But deep down, she knew it wasn't just that. There was a strong feeling in her chest—a mix of confusion, fear, and... maybe hope?

Then Yeager appeared at the bathroom door, half-dressed in his suit, tie hanging loosely around his neck. He looked at Celestine, concern written all over his face.

"Are you sick?"

Celestine glanced at him, pausing before speaking in a near whisper,

"I think... I need to see a doctor."

Yeager sat beside Celestine in the clinic's waiting room, his hand tightly holding hers. Their eyes met occasionally—calm on the outside, but tension was clear beneath the surface.

A few moments later, the doctor stepped out, holding a file.

"Celestine Aveline Moore?" she called.

Celestine and Yeager both stood at once and followed her into the room. The doctor smiled warmly, handing over the test results.

"Congratulations, Miss Celestine... you're pregnant."

Celestine froze for a moment, eyes wide and lips slightly parted. Slowly, she turned to look at Yeager.

He was silent too, stunned—but then a soft smile spread across his face. He looked into her eyes, gently cupping her cheek.

"So... we're going to be parents?" he whispered.

Celestine didn't say anything at first. Tears welled up in her eyes. Then she gave a small nod. "Yes…"

Yeager pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly. The moment was silent but filled with emotion. Outside, the world kept turning. But inside that small room—everything changed.

That night, Celestine sat at the edge of the bed, gently brushing her fingers over her still-flat stomach, staring at the ultrasound photo they had gotten earlier that day. A soft smile played on her lips... until a notification popped up on her phone.

A message from an unknown number.

"You think being pregnant makes you safe?"

"Just wait... I'll take everything from you, including that child."

Celestine's face went pale. The phone nearly slipped from her hand. Her heart pounded, breath catching in her throat.

She quickly stood up, locked the bedroom door, then peeked through the window—searching for someone, anyone outside. But it was dark. Quiet.

Another message followed.

"You can hide behind Yeager's name... but I know who you really are, and I know exactly how to make you suffer."

Celestine scrambled to call Yeager, but he didn't pick up. Her hands shook as she sat down again, hugging her knees tightly while staring at the screen—unsure who to trust anymore.

Softly, almost like a whisper, she muttered to herself,

"What's really going on… and who is this person?"

Yeager had just finished a long meeting and returned home. As he walked in, he immediately sensed something was off. There was a tension in the air. Without saying much, he placed his jacket down and picked up his phone, which was vibrating on the table.

A new message from Celestine.

He opened it carefully:

"Do you think being pregnant will keep you safe?"

"Just wait... I'll take everything from you, including that child."

The second message was even more threatening. Yeager read it twice, his eyes narrowing as his expression turned sharp. The phone in his hand suddenly felt heavy.

"What is this?" he muttered, quickly dialing Celestine's number.

No answer. The silence on the other end only heightened his concern. Something was wrong—something bigger than he could have imagined.

He hurried to their room, knocking lightly on the door.

"Celestine?" His voice was serious, but there was no response.

The door was slightly ajar. Yeager pushed it open and stepped inside, seeing Celestine sitting on the edge of the bed, looking pale and frightened. He quickly approached, placing his hand on her shoulder, his eyes locking with hers.

"Who sent this message?" Yeager asked, his tone unusually firm and threatening.

Celestine looked up at him, her face full of worry. "I... I don't know. I don't know who they are, Yeager... but they're threatening us... they know everything."

Yeager took a deep breath, his eyes flickering with anger—no one would threaten his family like this. Not this way.

"Stay here," he said, before quickly leaving the room and heading to his office. His mind was racing, searching for a solution.

Celestine hugged herself, the sense of danger tightening around her. She could feel something bad coming, and she had no idea what would happen next.

Outside, a figure stood behind a large tree, holding a phone, seemingly watching Yeager's house with intense focus. Before the person could do anything further, Jamie, who had just arrived at Yeager's house, suddenly appeared from behind and swiftly struck the individual with a hard blow. The person collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

Jamie glanced at the fallen figure for a moment before casually walking up to the front door and knocking loudly.

The door opened, and Yeager stood there, looking confused. "Who is this? What's going on, Jamie?" he asked, his eyes shifting to the unconscious person in front of the house.

Jamie glanced out the door, then turned his attention back to Yeager. "I just got here and saw this guy spying from behind the tree. I'm not sure what he wanted, but I'm pretty sure he's not just a regular visitor," he said, nodding toward the person on the ground.

Yeager stared at Jamie for a moment before his gaze moved to the unconscious figure. "Thanks, Jamie," he said, his tone serious but grateful. "You're right. We need to be careful. If he was spying, there's something more going on here."

Jamie shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm just doing what I had to do. You've got to be careful, Yeager. This guy might be more than just a casual stalker."

Yeager nodded, realizing that this was likely the beginning of something bigger. "Take him to the basement. I'll need to ask him a few questions," he ordered, his voice firm.

Jamie nodded and moved to drag the person away. Yeager glanced at his phone for a moment, recalling the strange message Celestine had received earlier. His mind quickly pieced the events together.

"Keep him secure," Yeager added before Jamie left. "I'll handle the rest."

With swift steps, Yeager made his way to his office, while Jamie took the unconscious man to the basement for interrogation.

Jamie started his motorcycle with a casual hum, the sound of the engine echoing in the quiet morning air. He chuckled to himself, remembering the events of the night before. "Haha, a high school kid like me can still catch a creepy peeper," he muttered with a mischievous grin.

Satisfied with his thoughts, Jamie guided his bike out of Yeager's driveway and headed toward school. As usual, he didn't care much about anything except his playful mood and the lighthearted antics he was ready to pull off. With his slightly messy hair and a face full of mischief, Jamie cruised down the road at a relaxed pace, enjoying the freedom of the morning.

Upon arriving at school, he hopped off his bike and walked casually through the school gates. Inside, the usual noise greeted him—friends chatting and joking. They were all used to Jamie's antics, and many of them were already guessing what prank or joke he'd be pulling today.

"Bro, I just saw the news, someone dropped a watermelon from the third floor!" one of his friends laughed.

Jamie shrugged and grinned. "Yeah, who knows, maybe it's time for a watermelon party. Come on, smile a bit! Life isn't all serious," he replied, glancing at the clock on the wall.

Sitting down at his desk, Jamie pulled out his phone and checked his messages. "Tch, he's still persistent," he muttered under his breath, glancing at the group chat with his classmates. His attention briefly wandered, but behind his carefree attitude, something still gnawed at him about the person they'd caught last night.

As he gazed out the classroom window, Jamie started planning what he would do next. At school, he might have appeared cheerful, but deep down, he knew there was something bigger to face.