~Juliana~
...
Juliana stepped out of her sleek black Mustang and onto the driveway of her luxurious mansion. The grand entrance, with its sweeping staircase and crystal chandelier, welcomed her home. She walked into the house, her heels clicking on the marble floor.
As she entered the living room, she was greeted by the warm smile of her long-time friend, Nicolas. He was playing with her children, Ethan and Lucas, who were laughing and chasing each other around the room.
Juliana's heart swelled with love as she watched her children. She walked over to them, and they immediately ran to her, shouting "Mommy!" in unison.
Juliana knelt down, hugging her children tightly. "Hey, babies," she said, kissing them both on the forehead.
Nicolas followed her to the kitchen, where they sat down at the counter. "Are you guys hungry?" Juliana asked, looking at her children.
Lucas nodded, and Ethan exclaimed, "Mommy, I wanted to see you before we went to bed!" Juliana smiled, ruffling Lucas's black hair, which was identical to her own.
As she made them peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Juliana couldn't help but think of Aiden Blackwood. She had sent the DNA test, and now all she could do was wait for the results.
After they finished eating, Juliana bathed the children, playing with them and laughing as they splashed around in the tub. She dressed them in matching black and white pyjamas, which Lucas initially resisted, but eventually agreed to wear after Ethan made puppy dog eyes at him.
As they settled down for their bedtime story, Juliana began to tell them a modified version of Snow White, with the prince as the one who was poisoned. The children listened intently, their eyes wide with wonder.
But as Juliana continued the story, she noticed that both Ethan and Lucas were starting to drift off to sleep. She smiled, whispering, "They must have been really tired."
Juliana gently tucked them in, kissing them goodnight before walking downstairs, her mind still reeling with thoughts of Aiden Blackwood and the possibility that he might be the father of her children.
Juliana turned off the lamp lights and replaced them with a fluorescent light, ensuring the children wouldn't be afraid if they woke up. She slowly closed the door and walked downstairs to her room, changing into a cozy cashmere sweater and shorts.
She then walked to the sitting room, where Nicolas was waiting for her. "Do you want anything to drink?" she asked, settling into the couch beside him.
"Maybe some orange juice," Nicolas replied.
Juliana got up and headed to the kitchen, returning with two glasses of orange juice. As they sipped their drinks, Nicolas asked, "So, how was Aiden Blackwood? Is he...the father?"
Juliana hesitated, unsure of how to answer. "I'm not sure, but Ethan resembles him, and Lucas's behavior is similar to his. I've already taken a DNA sample and sent it to the lab."
Nicolas's expression turned serious. "Juliana, you don't have to do this. We can find an identical bone marrow match for Lucas. There are doctors who specialize in bone marrow transplants..."
Juliana interrupted him, her voice firm. "I've already spoken to a an oncologist, Nicolas. They told me that even if we find a match, if the bone marrow is slightly different, it could lead to life-threatening complications for Lucas. The only solution is for me to have another child with the same father, so we can safely and carefully extract stem cells from the newborn to save Lucas."
Nicolas's eyes widened "Does that mean you are going to tell Aiden Blackwood those are his children if the DNA test comes out positive."
Juliana replies. "I'm not going to tell him about the children...at least, not yet. I heard his grandfather, Damian Blackwood, telling him that he needs to get married within two months, or he'll give over him shares. I think this could be an opportunity for me to propose a deal to Aiden. We can both get what we want."
Nicolas's expression turned thoughtful. "You're a brilliant businesswoman, Juliana. But are you prepared for the risks involved?"
Juliana replies"Nicolas I would do anything for my kids I can't just stand by and see Lucas trying to hold the pain in you of all people should know what I had to go through to reach this point I would do anything to save my babies you know that."
Nicolas sighs and says " I know Jules and I am not stopping you but I want you to think this through at least for the sake of your kids they think their father left because you never approached the matter what would they think about you just saying you are getting married and all that."
Juliana replies"I know Nico but I will figure it out when I get there I just have to convince him to get married to me or at least get intimate with me."
Nico expression turns dark but Juliana fails to see it as she goes to drop the glasses in the sink, she rinses the glasses keep them on a stand and says "hey Nico I have to go out early and you know how long it takes for me to wake up so could you come early or maybe sleep the night so I can't miss my appointment." She cleans her hand on a dish wash and turns front resting her back in the sink
Nicolas smiles and says "yeah sure but are you going to find a school for the kids here and have you told them that they might be permanently staying in Los Angeles or would stay here for a while till Lucas transfusion is given and results are seen okay."
Juliana nods and moves to the couch and sits down saying" you are right and I came here also to actually get the video my mum's Attorney Andrew is with, I have waited a long time to see the video my mom left." Juliana thinks of what content it held and thinking about it she gets lost in thought and decides to stop thinking so she says
"Nico are you staying over or not." Asked Juliana
Nicolas replies " hmmm I might so I could get the boys ready when you go to your appointment so I will stay over."
Juliana smiles and replies " okay I would get the guest room ready and place a new toothbrush in the sink so wash up once I am done and see you in the morning."
Juliana rushed up the stairs to the guest room, but was stopped in her tracks by a cough coming from the kids' room. She saw Ethan crying and saying, "Mum, Lucas keeps coughing."
Juliana's heart skipped a beat as she rushed to Lucas's side. She saw that he was holding his hand to his mouth, and there was blood on his hand. Juliana's eyes widened in alarm as she picked up Lucas, who had fainted.
"Ethan, baby, can you get mummy's phone and call Nico?" Juliana asked, trying to keep her voice calm.
Ethan nodded and started dialing. Juliana rushed down the stairs with Lucas in her arms, seeing Nico waiting by the car. The engine was already running, and the door was open. Juliana slid in with Ethan beside her, and Nico slammed the door shut before speeding off to the hospital.
At the hospital, Juliana was frantic with worry. She could barely answer Ethan's questions, repeatedly reassuring him that Lucas would be okay.
Ethan had been crying a lot, and Juliana asked, "Baby, do you want your favorite apple drink?"
But Ethan just shook his head. "I don't want to."
Juliana's concern deepened. "Why don't you want any? You need to drink something; your voice sounds hoarse."
Ethan's shoulders began to shake, and he muttered something that Juliana could barely hear.
She bent down and asked, "Hey baby, what's wrong? You can tell me."
Ethan looked up at her, his eyes welling up with tears. "What if...he doesn't get better, Mum? I don't want to be far from him. What if something happens, and he asks for me, and I'm not there?"
Juliana's heart went out to her son. She hugged him tightly and said, "Don't worry, baby. Nothing's going to happen to Lucas. The Knights are made of tough stuff, so he'll get better. And just to make sure, you can stay with Nico while I get you a drink, okay?"
Juliana pulled back from Ethan and signaled to Nico to watch him. She walked down the hallway, seeing a vending machine. She put in a coin, selected a drink, and picked it out. Resting her head against the vending machine, she felt tears flowing from her eyes.
Lucas's condition was getting worse, and she felt so helpless, just like she did five years ago when her mother passed away. That's why she was determined to find the one-night stranger, no matter what.
Lost in thought, Juliana didn't hear her name being called until she was tapped on the shoulder. She turned around to see Dr. Brad, the oncologist she had sent the DNA test to.
"Hello, Brad. I didn't know you worked here," Juliana said, wiping away her tears.
Dr. Brad looked at her with concern. "Miss Knight, are you okay? You don't seem fine."
Juliana took a deep breath. "My son got admitted to the hospital tonight, so I'm waiting for a response."
Dr. Brad's expression turned sympathetic. "I'm so sorry to hear that. But on that note, the test results are out. Due to the urgency of the matter, we expedited the process."
Juliana's face brightened with hope. "Can I follow you to your office to see the results?"
Dr. Brad nodded. "Yes, Miss Knight."
They walked down the hall to his office, where Juliana saw the document on the table. Dr. Brad left her alone to read the results.
Juliana's hands trembled as she opened the document. Her eyes scanned the page, and then she saw it: 99.9% match. Juliana felt a surge of joy and relief. Aiden Blackwood was the one-night stranger.