Chapter 67
Yuna
“Signed Without Love”
Six months. I kept saying it in my head like I didn’t believe it. Six months clean.
No drugs.
No alcohol.
No slipping. No spiraling. No waking up not knowing what I did the night before.
Just… me.
And that still felt strange.
I was sitting at my vanity, getting ready for my first doctor’s office appointment, when Tommy knocked lightly.
“Ares wants you in his study.”
I stood, smoothing down my dress, and walked out of the room.
The study doors were already open.
I stepped in and paused.
Ares wasn’t alone.
Vivi sat across from him, legs crossed, posture perfect.
Her eyes lifted to me first.
“Good afternoon, Yuna,” she greeted smoothly.
I walked in, glancing at Ares.
“Good afternoon, what’s going on?”
He didn’t answer.
Vivi did.
“It’s time.”
I already knew what she meant.
Still didn’t make it feel normal.
She slid the paperwork across the desk.
Marriage license.
“This locks the arrangement legally,” she said, calm, composed. “Before the public ceremony, before the announcement… this comes first.”
I looked down at it.
Then at Ares.
He didn’t hesitate.
Didn’t question it.
He just picked up the pen.
“Certain things need to happen in order,” Vivi continued. “The families are watching. The transition is already in motion. This keeps everything aligned.”
Aligned.
That was her favorite word.
“No announcement,” she added. “Not yet.”
Ares signed first.
No pause.
No emotion.
Just done.
I stared at my name for a second.
Yuna Laveau.
Soon to be Delacroix.
I signed it.
Vivi collected the papers like it was just another task checked off her to-do list.
But something about her energy felt… different.
Not wrong.
Just…
She had her own agenda, kind of energy.
She stood. “That’s all for now. Enjoy your day, newlyweds.”
Her eyes flicked between us one last time before she left.
I looked at Ares. “We just got married?”
He smirked slightly. “Legally.”
I shook my head. “This life is crazy.”
He didn’t disagree.
“Well, I am headed to my appointment,” I said after a second.
He nodded. “Be careful.”
Always.
The Maybach was already waiting in the driveway. I sat in the back alone as we moved through the city.
Monaco passed by in soft blurs.
When we arrived twenty minutes later, the Delacroix OBGYN office was private.
Discreet entrance. No waiting room crowd. No cameras.
Inside, it was quiet.
Clean.
Soft lighting.
The nurse was kind.
Like she already knew who I was without asking.
We did:
Tests.
Bloodwork.
Routine questions.
Pap smear.
STD panel.
Everything.
“You’ve been clean six months?” the doctor asked, flipping through my chart.
I nodded.
She looked up at me, impressed. “That’s not easy.”
“No,” I said softly. “It’s not.”
She smiled. “Well… your body is responding beautifully to sobriety.”
I frowned slightly. “What does that mean?
She turned the screen toward her again, scanning the results.
“It means the drugs didn’t do the long-term damage we were concerned about,” she explained. “Your levels are stable. Your system looks… healthy.”
Healthy.
That word felt strange on me.
She looked at something on the screen again.
“And… you’re pregnant.”
I blinked once. “Pregnant?” I repeated.
She nodded gently. “Yes.”
I looked down at my hands, then slowly at my stomach.
There was that one feeling I’d been ignoring.
Real now.
My fingers brushed lightly over my abdomen.
Barely touching.
Like, I didn’t want to disturb it.
Ares crossed my mind instantly.
His world.
My past.
The timing.
The family drama.
I didn’t say anything else.
The appointment finished on a good note.
No extra questions.
No panic.
Just… information and prenatal pills.
I walked out the same way I came in.
Veil down.
Head clear.
But my thoughts?
Loud.
$$$$$
The ride home felt longer.
By the time I got back to the house, I felt… disconnected and tired.
Like I was moving, but not really inside my body.
I went straight to my room.
Laid down.
And let sleep take me.
I don’t know how long I was out, but when I woke up, the sun was setting.
“Wake up, ma belle.” I heard Ares’ voice.
Soft.
Close.
My eyes opened slowly.
He stood over me, already dressed, looking like he had somewhere to be but chose to get me first.
“What?” I murmured, still half asleep.
He smirked slightly.
“Come on, follow me.”
I let him pull me up.
Still foggy.
Still quiet.
He led me downstairs.
Out back.
There were warm colored string lights. Soft R&B music. A small setup in the backyard.
Nothing big.
Just… intentional.
There was a cake on the table.
Simple.
White.
Hot pink writing.
Congratulations. Six Months Clean
My heart fluttered instantly.
Emily was there.
Zay.
Lil Zay running around.
Vivi was there too, smiling brightly like she was proud.
Even a few of the staff were smiling like they were part of it, and they were. They had seen me at my lowest more than anyone.
I froze.
“Who did this?” I asked quietly.
Emily smiled.
“We all did.”
Emotion hit me fast.
I laughed a little, shaking my head.
“Y’all… this is—”
I couldn’t even finish.
Ares stepped behind me.
Arms wrapping around my waist.
His voice dropped low in my ear. “Soak it in.”
I leaned back into him slightly.
Letting myself feel it.
All of it.
“We are married now,” he said lowly, like nobody else was supposed to hear it.
My heart skipped.
“That mean you really mine, and I’m taking you seriously.”
His hand moved.
Slow.
Subtle.
Resting against my stomach.
Not intentional.
Not knowing.
Just… There.
I didn’t move or react. I just placed my hand over his for a second.
I kept it to myself.
I’ll tell him soon.
But not today.