The Essence Of The Darkness
EOTL eps 71: Unexpected
“What are you guys doing here?” Xavier put on his gentle smile to Elana, but the man blatantly looked coldly at Credence behind Elana's body.
“I want to shop for baby gear too, did you forget? Yesterday at dinner, Credence said he would take the time to drop me off.” Elana returned Xavier's smile as if he was innocent.
“I didn't think that Credence was that late so he could walk around and not work. Usually, he will be very busy with his work, so even to eat he does not have time,” said Xavier with a cynical tone.
Credence who had stepped up to stand side by side with Elana put a smile on her lips.
“It just so happens that I really want to take some time off for myself. I'm thinking of relaxing a little in a few days. Sometimes, even a hard worker needs time to straighten his legs and stretch his hands.” Credence nodded politely towards Sera to greet her. “Again, isn't seeing two moms-to-be shopping for baby clothes, a fun pastime for a boy?” he added later, smiling gently at Sera with her incredible charm.
No one could resist Credence's charm when the man was intending to pour it out wholeheartedly. Although for Sera he did not have the slightest feelings for Credence, still he appreciated Credence's good looks combined with his elegant attitude and respectful polite treatment of women.
Therefore, Sera returned Credence's smile with the same gentle demeanor. The woman nodded her head to approve Credence's opinion. However, it was not the same with Xavier. His heart heated when he saw the bashful smile Sera addressed to Credence, the man thinned his lips, preparing to start the fight in a very possessive manner.
“A man will be entertained to see prospective mothers shopping for baby equipment, if the prospective mother is pregnant with a child from the seeds. As for you who did not contribute anything to these two future mothers, I doubt you will get any entertainment by accompanying them shopping. Would it not be better for you to just go and do your job and let me take care of these two women?” throw Xavier out in a blatant tone.
Sera looked up at Xavier, her gaze clearly full of warning. After all, Xavier's attitude towards Credence that was so friendly, really felt rude. Unfortunately, Xavier shrugged instead, as if feeling no guilt at all in response to the warning gaze Sera threw at him.
Credence himself knew for sure the meaning of Xavier's words to him. Xavier was giving a blatant warning to him to retreat. The man seemed to be announcing that Sera was pregnant with Xavier's child, so there was no chance for Credence to slip in and look for a gap approaching Sera.
However, it was not Credence's name that he could be directly repulsed by such verbal warnings. Xavier's strange attitude that is like holding back jealousy, even makes Credence tickled to continue to tease and burn so that it gets hotter.
“Although when I was single I chose to be busy with my work, but deep in my heart, I was a man who greatly appreciated family life. It would certainly be nice to be a man who has a place to go home warm with a wife who is waiting and ready to hug to unravel fatigue at night. Regarding a baby, I really like children, no matter who the child is. No one can resist cute baby charm with innocent look and adorable attitude, right?” Credence blinked one eye, looked at Sera and flirted blatantly to make Sera's cheek slightly blush. “Because of that, I like to see moms-to-be shopping for baby needs. Who knew that it could also be an exercise for me when I became a father-to-be?”
Xavier's hand immediately moved and grabbed Sera's shoulder, possessively tightening his grip on Sera's shoulder, forcing Sera to cling more and more to her embrace.
“Because there is already Elana here, so we can start shopping.” Xavier ignores Credence completely and forces Sera's attention to focus on him. “Let's choose the goods,” take him in a soft tone.
Then, before Sera could resist, Xavier deliberately sighed Sera's body to turn her back on Credence and Elana. The man then let go of his embrace and glanced towards Credence in a meaningful tone. When he saw Credence still did not understand, Xavier swept his fingers gently at the nape of Sera and glanced back at Credence sharply.
Credence's own eyes were very careful and he was quite an expert at reading the cue, his lips instantly thinning when he saw the marks of kisses and Xavier's bite that left a trace on the surface of Sera's pale nape.
Gosh darn. Xavier has never shown any jealousy about any woman before. Jealousy to Akram was terrible in the past was not a form of jealousy but just an attitude of excessive possessive protection to the sister. But now, when Xavier really showed his jealousy to a woman, the man was actually acting like a child desperately fighting so that his favorite toy would not be snatched away.
Xavier completely ignored Credence this time, the man took Sera a step away and headed straight for one of the shelves where the tiny, soft-colored clothes neatly arranged there. Elana herself turned to Credence as if asking for permission, then the woman moved following closer towards Xavier and Sera.
Credence decided not to rush in, the man chose to take a slow step as the overtake approached, giving his own mind time to strategize. Credence's eyes glanced silently at the clumsy Sera within Xavier's embrace.
This woman must be special enough to make Xavier subjugated like this. It seemed that, although Credence had no intention of actually tempting Sera into turning to him, it did nothing to lose getting to know this woman any closer.
“You want to start from which one?” Elana smiled as she looked around. “I like to shop here because of the color feel of the items provided here. All the colors of baby clothes and supplies here are soft pastel shades, so we can shop freely, because the color is not striking in one gender only. You know, there is usually a separation of baby gender based on color that makes it difficult for us to shop when the sex of our baby has not been discovered?” ask Elana later.
Sera smile. “You mean, blue for baby boys and pink for baby girls?” guess quickly.
Elana laughs. “Well, that's right. Here, gender segregation based on color does not apply. You can wear your daughter soft blue, and there are also many other colors to choose from, such as cream, pastel green, even soft orange is here.” Elana rubbed her hands excitedly, looking like a child about to enter a playful room. “So where will we start? Daily clothing, toiletries, or bedding? Ah, there are also cutlery, but our baby can not eat until the age of six months.” Elana turned her head and looked at Sera curiously. “Are you planning to breastfeed your own baby?”
That question made Sera's cheeks flushed. He was certainly aware that there was Xavier nearby who was embracing him. Xavier of course heard Elana's question, and it made Sera feel awkward. Xavier's sudden attitude changed of course made Sera wonder. Xavier was so relaxed nearby that the man could even laugh loosely, something Xavier had never shown him before. But after Elana and Credence had come, Xavier was acting so tense, as if his chain of patience was stretching so tense that it would break up and just explode.
What cause? Judging from Xavier's gentle attitude when facing Elana, it was definitely not Elana that made Xavier so negative. Sera glanced at Credence who stepped closer slowly and she immediately came to the conclusion that it was Credence who made Xavier behave like this.
Butwhy? Wasn't Xavier and Credence close friends and the two of them even forged alliances in both personal and business relationships long ago without any problems?
Sera's view towards Credence was of course realized by Xavier. The man tightened his finger grip to squeeze Sera's shoulder and again tried to divert Sera's attention back towards him.
“What's your plan? Are you planning to breastfeed your own baby?” Xavier asked the vulgar question without blinking, no matter if Sera's cheeks turned red.
Jesus, even if Xavier is the father of the baby, but their personal relationship is not as intimate as it is to talk about the issue of breastfeeding the baby in public, with Elana included in their conversation as well. However, despite feeling very embarrassed and clumsy, the question had already been asked, and Elana seemed to be waiting for her answer as well. In the end, Sera knew that she had to answer him.
“I... if possible, I want to breastfeed my own child.” Sera answered slowly, clearing a moment to smooth her blocked voice.
Elana's eyes widened with pleasure, the woman clearly seemed to agree with Sera's decision.
“Wah, great once Sera. You won't regret breastfeeding your baby yourself. You know, I also decided to breastfeed Zac myself until two years of her golden age, but now, I have to stop doing it because of this pregnancy.” Elana stroked her stomach softly, the woman seemed to harbor mixed emotions within her, as if her regrets were blending with happiness over the presence of Zac's future sister in her stomach. “But, at least I was pregnant when Zac was able to get food intake other than ASI, so I could be calmer,” continued Elana then with a bright smile.
The woman's eyes then pointed at Sera's stomach and her forehead slightly furrowed as she turned her eyes towards Xavier. “But, Doctor Nathan said that Sera is most likely pregnant with twins, right?” ask again.
It was Xavier who was now nodding his head. “Yes. Most likely Sera is pregnant with twins.” Xavier answered quickly, agreeing to Elana's question beforehand.
“Then, the settings might be a little different from mine. I had no significant problems in breastfeeding Zac, because it just so happened that my milk flowed very fast, well even though there were times when I was completely overwhelmed because Zac was very active in breastfeeding. People say, baby boys are more greedy in breastfeeding than baby girls.” Elana whispered in a low tone that was only addressed to Sera. The woman then looked towards Sera's stomach again with a gentle look. “But, if you're pregnant with twins, the problem may be different. I think you should buy an ASI pump to accommodate your ASI while provoking greater ASI production.”
“ASI Pump? So I'm not breastfeeding directly?” Sera frowned, looking clueless.
“For twins, I think you should be more flexible and not force yourself to breastfeed directly. There are times when you should focus on one baby who is crying for example, while the other one is hungry and needs to drink breast milk immediately. At that time, the stock of breast milk in the cooler provided with the bottle will be very helpful. Xavier might be able to help breastfeed one of your babies with a bottle while you take care of the other. That arrangement will be so important that your baby's needs are met in the process of its growth.” Elana smiled towards Xavier, once again speaking in an innocent tone.
The two couples in front of him instantly turned awkward. Sera was at a loss for words because she knew that after she gave birth to this child, she would likely not be related to Xavier. Even with Xavier himself, he even thought that he might have been dying to face his death when his son was growing up.
“I don't..” Xavier spontaneously issued a rebuttal, but Elana seemed to be unwilling to listen to him because the woman suddenly pulled Sera's hand and made her detach from Xavier's embrace.
Lightly, Elana invites Sera to follow in her footsteps and leads them both towards one of the shelves near them.
“Then, in addition to the electric MILK pump, we have to buy milk bottles, bottle sterilizers and also electric milk warmers, do not forget the special supplements of nursing mothers who can maximize milk production. Which brand do you prefer?”
Ignoring Xavier's existence, Elana takes Sera away from him. The two women then cheerfully conversed with each other, hand-picking things as if forgetting the existence of others in the room.
***
Credence stepped closer and stopped next to Xavier. Just like Xavier, his eyes were fixed on the two pregnant women.
“Are you really going to leave her after she gives birth to her child?” Credence started the conversation in a slow voice, keeping the conversation only to be heard by their ears.
Xavier gritted his teeth. “What's the deal with you?” he then growled without hiding the unpleasant tone in his voice.
Credence glanced slightly towards Xavier's defensive manner, he then shrugged his shoulders.
“I mean, your behavior that intends to let go and not fight for it, makes me feel as if it is not you.” Credence replied in a calm tone. “If the Xavier I used to know wanted something, wouldn't he fight for it with all his might until he could have it?”
Silence stretched between them as Xavier chose to ponder first before sorting out a word to answer.
the “Xavier you know no longer exists. He has already lost and succumbed to his illness.” When answering later, Xavier's voice was heard harboring a very deep bitterness.
Credence frowned and turned his head towards Xavier.
“I have no intention of taking stem cells from my children. I'll keep it in the placenta bank so it can someday be used by them if my kids need it. You know, this disease did happen to me because of an accident that left me exposed to toxic chemicals and damaged my system. However, it is not impossible that my disease is an inherited disease stored in my genetics, is not it? I could have passed this disease on to my descendants, my children could have the same disease as I suffered. I think they're gonna need those stem cells more than I do.”
Xavier's eyes followed Sera who looked happy laughing with Elana. His dark expression softened slightly when he saw both Elana and Sera suddenly turning their heads to him. Elana herself directly waved at Xavier as their gaze turned.
“We will go to the toilet over there,” Elana said. His hands pointed towards the customer-only toilet located at the end of the room of the vast boutique area.
Xavier nodded his head. His eyes met with Sera's eyes that looked timid, before then the woman turned her back, walking side by side with Elana towards the toilet.
Xavier himself continued to watch until Elana and Sera disappeared into the toilet area, before then he turned his attention back to Credence, resuming their discussion that was cut off earlier.
“Even if I decide to take the stem cells to save myself, the risk is quite great, I could just fail through the transition stage and just die.” Xavier took a long breath. “So, wouldn't I rather not cultivate high expectations about forming a family and so on, then instead smash it to pieces later? Sera will be better this way. If he is not bound by my feelings, then it will be easier for him to accept my death later.”
“Your mouth did say that, but I saw for myself how possessive you are over Sera. You might say you don't want to have Sera, but you can't stand the thought of her being owned by someone else, right?” Credence spoke with a tone of blame. When he turned his body and faced Xavier then, his tone sounded solemn. “I disagree with this path you chose. It was as if you had already determined the entire scenario based on your own volition without considering Sera's feelings and will. You have to remember, Xavier. You are not the owner of Sera's soul who has the right to determine where he will go, you also cannot manage what decision Sera will choose in the future. Sera has the right to decide everything for herself. If he chooses to take the risk with you, shouldn't you have no right to set it up?”
Xavier gritted his teeth. “Why did you interfere so much? Don't you realize that Sera and I's affairs are our internal affairs? You're just an outsider,” growled then in a reminiscent tone.
The harsh warnings from Xavier are usually frightening. But, once again it does not make Credence want to retreat just like that.
“If you don't want to accept Sera, I'm willing to accept it.” With a serious tone Credence spoke. “I meant it when I said that I was a man who missed coming home into a happy warm family. Isn't getting an instant package of a beautiful wife and two twins who definitely have amazing looks, is a pretty practical and profitable thing for me?”
Xavier clenched his hand. “Do not try to do it, Credence.” Xavier's voice actually sounded full of threats and was filled with anger that was ready to explode. The man might start a fistfight with Credence if his phone didn't ring.
Xavier forgot for a moment to argue with Credence. The man took his phone and his forehead wrinkled when he saw Dimitri's name there. His expression immediately stiffened.
When Dimitri called, it was arguably always synonymous with bad news. What's up this time?
With a cold attitude Xavier held up his phone, while Credence waited and kept his curiosity in curious eyes when he saw Xavier's mood swings when picking up the phone.
“What's up, Dimitri?” Xavier's voice immediately answered, sounding impatient to receive any bad news that would be thrown by Dimitri.
***
“I'm sorry, Sera. This pregnancy made me often go back and forth to the bathroom,” Elana smiled shyly, the woman walked in a hurry to enter the toilet room and left her handbag to Sera. “Wait a minute, I'll be back soon when I have cleared up this urination business," whispered Elana half-laughing before then slowly stepping into the available toilet cubicle.
Sera smiled gently when she saw Elana's tiny body disappear behind the toilet cubicle. He then stepped into a large mirror that covered almost the entire side of the lavish large toilet wall on the side of the sink. He placed their bags on a sofa on the side of the wall nearest to him, and stood him in front of a sink made entirely of white marble.
When he looked at the reflection of his reflection in the mirror that Sera only realized that his face looked haggard, there were even faint black pockets that began to form under his eyes that contrasted with the pale skin of his body.
Xavier barely let him sleep last night. When they had finished satisfying themselves, Xavier seemed to burn again before then bringing Sera to follow the burn with him.
Given it all, making Sera's cheeks feel hot from embarrassment. Soon Sera lit a water faucet, intending to splash a little water on her face so that her face looked a little fresher. At that moment his attention was distracted by the open door of the room. The toilet room was located next to the closed door that was being used by Elana and a beautiful woman with short hair and neat black clothes looked out from there.
Sera's eyes followed the female figure from the reflection of the mirror image in front of her. But he then turned his gaze in favor of modesty as the beautiful woman smiled at him, then stepped beside him and turned on the water tap in the sink next to her. The woman washed her hands, placed her handbag in the white marble sink, and opened the bag, perhaps taking cosmetics for dressing up.
Sera distracts her by slightly bending over the water tap and starts splashing water that feels refreshing when it touches her face. At that moment his mind turned, probing the awkwardness that had been missed.
The woman was dressed in a fairly neat and masculine plain outfit, similar to a three-piece men's suit, but this one seemed to be stitched specifically for a woman's body. However, the clothes worn by the woman were clearly not the uniform of the employees in this baby boutique. All employees of this boutique wear clothes with soft cream shades, after all there is no identity mark on his chest as worn by boutique managers to this baby boutique salesman.
Is this woman one of the customers of this baby boutique? However, Xavier said that the entire boutique was booked and only opened for them as VIP customers, right? Then who is this woman? Why are you in this boutique toilet?
The soft clicking sound made Sera's attention distracted, the excitable bad premonition made her immediately straighten her back and turn her head cautiously towards the woman next to her.
But, it's too late. The mysterious woman next to him had cocked her weapon and pointed a small, muffled pistol in her hand towards Sera.
Sera's body froze unable to move for a moment because it was shaken by an unexpected incident, her eyes were glued towards the muzzle of the gun that was stuck very close to her.
“Do not shout. Or I will also kill your friend who is in the bathroom,” hiss the woman with a cold voice thick with cruelty.
Then, the woman lowered her gun and aimed towards Sera's stomach.
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The hello.
The author thanks for the likes of each part, comments, favorites, five-star rate and also VOTE RANKING given by the reader so that the author novel always goes to the rank.
Ebook Essence Of The Darkness/EOTD is available and can be purchased in the G00gle play book.
EOTD / Essence of The Darkness --> Story of Akram and ELana
EOTL / Essence of The Light --> Story of Xavier and Sera (Ebook NOT YET available)
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Go to playstore ---> select BOOK --> enter keyword: Anonymous Yoghurt
IF YOU GET THIS EBOOK NOT FROM THE GOOGLE PLAYBOOK, IT MEANS YOU HAVE COMMITTED A CRIMINAL ACT OF THEFT AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE MURDER OF THE AUTHOR'S CREATIVITY.
Yours Sincerely
AY
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