chapter 18: Took away everything

Archie's POV

"Gia, stopping running around. You could get lost." I warn her with a stern voice as she keeps leaving my hand and running off.

This market place is so huge and she's just a small child. Without any doubt she'll get lost if I don't keep an eye on her. That's why I insist her to hold my hand but she doesn't listen. She's so stubborn and I have to literally beg her for many things, just like her father. Her father, that thought reminds me Kian and the little time we spent together.

Shaking my head, I try not to remember anything about him. Now, he must already be happy with his family. He would have a child, wouldn't he?

Even though it was shocking, after running away from him I came to know I'm pregnant. I didn't believe in the beginning because it's so clear that I'm a man and a man can't get pregnant nor birth a child. However, I couldn't help but believe when I started having weird cravings and growing if my tummy. I was utterly happy at the new revelation and couldn't help but cry happy tears. I thought of going back to Kian and announce to everyone that I'm pregnant and that I can give the heir my mother-in-law ever longed for.

However, as soon as that thought came, I brushed it off immediately. Because by then Kian would already be married and I didn't want to ruin someone's life.

When I ran away, I didn't stop anywhere and ran for so long until my legs gave out. I was so desparate to leave Kian and not get caught by him for when he finds out about my missing and comes chasing after me. At a point, I lost my consciousness. I woke up in a physician's lab and saw Dean. I was so surprised seeing him and he told me how he found me.

He said he saw me in the woods, lying unconscious when he was visiting the neighborhood kingdom. Not knowing why and how I was there without Kian and in such bad condition, he decided to first take me to his place. He brought me to the physician who checked me. He said my condition confused the physician to the point where he had to bring another physician to assist himself and to confirm whether what he found out was true or not, that I'm pregnant or not.

When I woke up two days after, the physician revealed that I was expecting. I didn't believe him. How could I? It's not possible for a male to get pregnant, that never happened before. I was no fool to believe such untruthful words. But all the changes in my body made me believe there's a human in me.

It was hard, those nine months were so hard that at some point of times, I just wanted to end my life. Carrying a child was hard but going through everything without the father was even more harder. If it wasn't for Dean, I would have already be dead by now. He was there at every step and took care of me like an elder brother. He gave me shelter and assigned a person who would stay with me and look after me every second. He made sure no one knew who I'm. I lived like invisible person.

I only agreed to stay here after taking a promise from him that he's never going to tell Kian about me and anything that happens there to me. If Kian knows about me and that I'm carrying his child, he for no doubt will come and get me, even if it means to abend his now wife. And I didn't want that. I asked him not to inform anything happening in there because as much as I like Kian to be with his wife, I don't want to hear their happy stories. And Dean understood me and agreed to all my conditions.

He hide me from everyone, even from his parents. But after his marriage with Winny and his father's changed behaviour, he let them know about me. They all understood my situation and just like him they agreed to my requests.

Once I gave birth, my baby became my whole world. She's the only reason I'm still living. When she was born, I named her as Gia because she's a blessing in my life, the life which I almost gave up. She brought colors into my dark life and made me smile after so many months. When I first touched her, I felt unspeakable emotions and I got attached to her to the point that I can't live without her even for a second.

"Sorry." My train of thoughts are put to a stop when someone bumps into me and apologises.

"It's okay." I reply with a smile and look ahead for Gia.

To my utter shock, I don't find her. I can't even see her shadow. All the covers that I'm carrying I drop them immediately and search around the place for her. I told her not to leave me and she didn't listen to me, now see what happened. This girl!!

"Gia. Gia." I shout her name so that she could hear my voice in this crowded place.

I continue to call her and search her but to no vail. It's like she disappeared suddenly. My heart beats rapidly at the thought of something happening to her or someone taking her away. No! That shouldn't happen. I can't let anything happen to her. But me alone searching for her seems no use. So, I decided I'll go and ask Dean for the help.

I run towards the palace and the guards open the gates as soon as they see me. Nobody here knows who I'm or where I came from, they just know me as Dean's ally. So they let me in immediately. Sprinting into his room, I stop infront of him who looks at me surprised but walks up to me in an instant.

"Archie, what's wrong?" He asks slowly examining my shaking form.

"G-Gia is missing." I tell him as my tears pour out of my eyes.

"What? What do you mean she's missing? How did it happen?" He queries shooting one question after another.

"We went to market because she said she want to celebrate her birthday. I told her you would arrange everything if we asked you but she wouldn't listen. She said she want to buy everything on her own. And I couldn't say no when she was almost crying. So I took her to market and s-she got lost." I explain as my whole body trembles.

"God!! Archie, how many times I told you to take guards along with you when you go out." He half yells at me at my carelessness.

"Dean, don't shout at him. He's already worrying about Gia, don't scare him more." Winny, who is in the room comes to me while scolding Dean.

"Don't worry, I'll send my men and bring her to you." Dean says after a sigh, trying to assure me.

"How can I not worry? She's all I have, I can't live if anything happens to her."  I cry out helplessly.

"Please, calm down." Dean tries to calm me, "let's go now. I'll start the seach immediately."

He says and we hurriedly move to the door. Opening it, I freeze seeing the person who I never again wanted to see. Kian stands there, infront of us with Gia in his hands. He looks shocked, resembling my own surprise seeing him. He stares at me, his eyes fixed on me with an emotion I've never seen on him before.

"Mama." Gia calls me out but I keep my eyes on Kian who's eyes follow that of Gia's.

When he finds she's calling me as mama, he turns on his heels and immediately walks away from us with Gia. I take a moment to take in everything that happened here before I come back to my senses. I then run behind Kian, Dean and Winny following me.

"Why didn't you tell me he's coming here?" I question Dean stopping in our track.

"Because you said you don't want to know anything about him." He replies.

"God! Dean, you should have told me about his arrival for me to keep myself and Gia from him. Now see, he knows I'm here. He must be confused as why Gia called me mama. What should I tell him if he asks me anything?" I frown at the possibile questions that I might receive from Kian.

"He's here for work. He'll leave early. I didn't think you guys would meet in such a way. Amongst all the people, how come he's the one that found Gia?" He mumbles glancing at me.

I sigh at situation in hand. It's not his fault that we went to market and Gia got to meet her father she so longed for. My only concern is how and what I explain when Kian asks me about Gia or why I left him. Palming my face, I clean the tears and decide to meet Kian.

"You guys wait here, I'm going to talk to him alone." I stop them from following me and alone I walk to the room which Kian entered.

The room isn't locked, it's not even closed. The doors are open for any person to enter. Slowly I get into the room and see Kian sitting on the bed with Gia in his hands, he's holding her securely. The scene breaks my heart. If isn't for me running away from him, Gia wouldn't be without a father or Kian wouldn't have to live without knowing the existence of his daughter. He held her to him like she's so precious to him. And I feel bad for taking her away from him for past three years.

He didn't know about her. He wasn't there when she first kicked me, he wasn't there when I gave birth to her, he couldn't hold his baby after the birth. He couldn't see her first cry or during her first walk. He wasn't there to listen to her first time talking. He wasn't there in her first three years of life and didn't see her growing up. And it's all my fault. I took away all that from him. I made him loose the most precious moments of his life as a father to Gia. He might have experienced all those with his other children but with Gia he didn't.

A fresh set of tears fall from my eyes knowing his other children got to experience everything which my baby couldn't. My little princess didn't deserve this. She always asked me for her papa when she saw other children being happy with their fathers. She cried many times saying her papa didn't want her. All she ever asked me was for her papa but I couldn't fulfill her wish. Now that her papa is finally here, I can't even tell her he's her papa that she always asked for.

Shaking my head at unnecessary thoughts, I wipe my tears and take my steps towards them. Gia is sleeping in Kian's arms as he's gently soothing her back.

"Kian." I call him out when I stand in front of him.

He looks up at me, those eyes which once held so much love for me are now void. Before I could say anything, he utters the words which took my breath away.

"I know she's mine, I'm taking her with me."