Mr. Kane Got Blacklisted

Keegan paused his writing and asked in a calm voice, “Do you want her to come?”

Aurora hesitated before softly replying, “I don’t want her to, but if she insists, we can’t really stop her.”

Keegan looked up, “If you don’t want her there, she won’t be. Just focus on your engagement with Aldor. I’ll handle her calls and anything else.”

Aurora wanted to ask how he planned to handle it but decided to stay quiet and just nodded in agreement.

After Aldor left, Stella washed up, lay on the bed, and browsed her phone. Bored, she moved over to Keegan’s side to look at the books he had been reading lately.

Since Stella got pregnant, Keegan’s bedside reading had shifted from his usual professional materials to popular science books about motherhood and babies.

Keegan was the type who, when he committed to something, did it thoroughly. He read books, researched online, and even took notes. He often shared what he learned with Stella, who appreciated his dedication. She knew the bond between a mother and child is natural, but a father’s connection takes time to develop. Keegan, however, was already proving to be more involved than she had expected, which made her happy.

She reached into the drawer to grab a pen to correct a note Keegan had made.

Inside, she found a notepad with a pen clipped to it. As she took the pen, she glanced at the notebook and paused when she read the entries.

[131 days: Same as yesterday. No vomiting. Morning sickness has eased, but she cried after dreaming the baby was ugly. Luckily, it wasn’t a nightmare about me being unfaithful or violent, or I’d be kicked out of the bedroom again. Frequent bathroom trips; blood sugar normal. The doctor said it’s likely due to the uterus pressing on the bladder, and it’ll get worse later.]

The comma was dark, as if Keegan had paused there before writing the next sentence: [It’s tough—need to get her more exercise.]

Stella bit her lip and turned back a few pages.

long time in front of the mirror with her favorite clothes. I told her she still looks good even if she’s gained weight. She ignored me all night and spent hours watching videos of pregnancy transformations. She’s anxious, and that makes me anxious too—I

fetal

night and muttered in her sleep. The fever broke at dawn. She was weak and

appetite but still

Still

I wanted a boy or a girl. How could I choose? I just want her to suffer less. Her belly’s growing,

changes in

[81 days: Vomiting heavily.]

Baby’s the size of a soybean and growing

[77 days: Hahahahahaha, twins!]

but laugh. It was rare for Keegan to express his emotions

were written in

baby’s progress during each prenatal checkup but ended up recording more about Stella’s experiences.

was far more

closed the

his hair. Seeing her leaning against the headboard, he walked

was waiting for you,” Stella

“I’ll be right back after

“Okay.”

leaned into his arms,

only cause trouble,” Keegan said, gently stroking her shoulder. “She’s always tried to control Aurora. Even though Aurora seems spoiled, she’s actually quite timid and indecisive. If my mother shows up, she might say something that could push Aurora to do something she’d