__________________ LOVERS ♧ ANNA NORTH ____________________

Pregnancy was a scam. A literal, organized crime-level scam.

Six months in, and my body was no longer my own. My boobs were massive (not complaining), my ass was even bigger (also not complaining), but my stomach? Huge. I felt like I was smuggling a fucking bowling ball. And don't even get me started on the cravings, the hormones, or the way Antonio looked at me like I was some delicate flower about to break.

Which brought me to this moment—six months pregnant, power-walking on a treadmill in our home gym, a burrito in one hand and pure spite in my heart.

"You're not even trying," Antonio drawled from where he was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching me with that insufferable smirk.

I took a massive bite of my burrito and chewed aggressively before responding. "I am trying. I'm multitasking. Health is about balance, Papi."

"You're literally eating carbs while pretending to work out."

I gasped dramatically, clutching my chest. "Carbs are life, Antonio. Don't you dare disrespect my burrito."

He just shook his head, trying to fight his amusement. But I saw it. That little twitch in his lips. He was obsessed with me, even pregnant and round. Maybe especially now.

Six months in, and we had settled into a chaotic, slightly unhinged, very married rhythm. Antonio had somehow gotten worse with the protectiveness—watching my every move like I was going to trip and fall on my face at any second. Meanwhile, I was thriving in my pregnant wife villain era, using my pregnancy to get whatever I wanted.

"Antonio, get me a milkshake." "Antonio, I need a foot rub." "Antonio, your son is kicking me in the ribs—do something."

And the man? He did all of it. No hesitation. My husband, the lethal, terrifying, big bad mafia prince, had been fully broken down into my personal errand boy.

I licked some burrito sauce off my thumb as I kept walking. "I feel like I should be glowing," I complained, glancing down at my stomach. "Instead, I just look... pregnant."

Antonio finally pushed off the doorframe and walked toward me, his hands sliding onto the treadmill's handles as he leaned in. "You are glowing," he said smoothly, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "You just can't see it."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're so whipped."

He smirked. "For you? Always."

Damn him. Damn this man and his perfect fucking face and the way he knew exactly how to make me melt.

Before I could respond, my phone started blowing up with texts. I groaned, balancing the burrito in my other hand as I picked it up. CRO4L had been on my ass all morning, demanding that I stop being a recluse and come see them.

Koko: Hoe why are you ignoring us Val: If you don't FaceTime in the next five minutes I'm legally declaring you dead Malakai: I'm starting to think this baby doesn't exist. It's a government op.

I snorted, shaking my head. These were my people.

Antonio eyed my phone, reading the messages over my shoulder. "They're going to drag you out of here soon, you know that, right?"

I let out a long sigh, taking another bite of my burrito. "Yeah, yeah. Give me, like, two more hours to be dramatic and then I'll call them."

Antonio just laughed, stepping back. "You're impossible."

I grinned, because duh. "And yet, you love me."

"More than anything," he said, before turning toward the door. "Just don't fall off the treadmill trying to eat that burrito."

I flipped him off as he left, then kept eating. Balance, like I said.

Celine's POV – The Scam That Is Pregnancy Continues

Two minutes. That's all it took. Not two hours. Not even twenty minutes. Two fucking minutes before I realized I was over this treadmill nonsense.

My back hurt, my feet hurt, and this burrito was getting too good to waste calories on fake exercise. I had nothing to prove. The treadmill could choke.

I let out a long, dramatic sigh, throwing my head back like some Victorian-era woman about to faint. "Antonioooooo," I called, dragging out his name. "Come back."

Silence.

I huffed, stabbing at the treadmill's stop button and stepping off like I'd just survived a war. "Antonio!"

Footsteps. Then my husband reappeared in the doorway, one eyebrow raised like he was already unimpressed. "I literally just left."

I reached for him like some helpless damsel, bottom lip jutted out. "I'm tired."

"You were tired before you got on the treadmill."

"Yeah, well, now I'm extra tired."

Antonio let out the slowest, longest exhale of his life, like he was contemplating all his past choices. But then he walked forward, sliding his arms around me and pulling me in like he always did. "You're a menace," he muttered against my temple.

I grinned, snuggling into his chest. "And you love me."

He kissed the top of my head. "More than I should."

"Facts," I agreed, before looking up at him with my best, most innocent expression. "Carry me."

Antonio blinked. "Celine."

I just blinked back.

A long pause. Then, without another word, he scooped me up bridal style, arms locking under my legs and back like I wasn't carrying an extra six months of baby weight.

I gasped. "I was kidding!"

"Too late," he said, already walking us out of the gym. "Now you're stuck with me."

I melted, draping my arms around his neck. "God, I really did something right in my past life to land you."

Antonio smirked. "Yeah, you did."

"Or maybe you did something wrong and now you're paying for it."

"Definitely that," he deadpanned.

I cackled, fully content in my husband's arms, ready to demand he put me on the couch and feed me something unhealthy. This was exactly how pregnancy was meant to be experienced.

Balance.

Being pregnant was like starring in a scam I hadn't agreed to. Every day, my body decided to do some new weird shit, and I was just supposed to accept it.

Like right now.

Antonio had me laid out on the couch, a pillow under my feet, a blanket over me, and a plate of cut-up fruit on the coffee table because apparently, I "needed more nutrients." Meanwhile, I was side-eyeing the unopened bag of hot Cheetos sitting on the kitchen counter like it had personally betrayed me.

"I feel like a fucking whale," I groaned, dramatically draping an arm over my face. "And I think my boobs are getting bigger."

Antonio, who was scrolling on his phone like he hadn't just heard the most important statement of the day, looked up at me with zero hesitation. "They are."

I blinked. "Damn. That was fast."

He smirked. "Not complaining."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop the grin pulling at my lips. "I'm serious, though. I swear they're huge. Like, look—" I pulled my top down slightly, looking at them in wonder. "These are not the same tits I started with."

Antonio dragged a hand down his face like he was physically restraining himself. "Celine."

I turned to him, dead serious. "I feel like I should be getting paid for this."

His jaw ticked. "Paid?"

"Yeah. This is, like, premium content."

Antonio exhaled through his nose, setting his phone down and leaning in, voice low and dark. "You wanna talk about premium content?" His hands slid up my thighs, gripping just enough to make my breath hitch. "Because I think—"

"Oh my god, I need to pee again," I interrupted, groaning as I pushed him away.

Antonio's entire soul left his body.

I cackled, throwing the blanket off and waddling toward the bathroom like this was just another day in my scammed pregnancy life.

Behind me, Antonio sighed, probably questioning every decision that led him to this moment.

"Still love me?" I called over my shoulder.

His voice was gruff, but the warmth was undeniable. "More than I should."

Damn right.

The scene shifted quickly as the doorbell rang, snapping both of us out of our little bubble. Antonio was still lounging on the couch, but I could tell he was mentally preparing himself for the chaos that was about to unfold.

I pushed myself off the couch, waddling my way toward the door with a sigh. "Can't even pee in peace around here."

Antonio chuckled from the couch. "Better get used to it."

Opening the door, I was greeted by Malakai, Val, and Koko, who immediately breezed in like they owned the place. Koko, being her usual, bold self, immediately reached for my belly, rubbing it in gentle circles as though it were some kind of magic crystal. "How's the little bean doing today?"

I looked down at her hand, then back at her. "Surprisingly active. Apparently, this kid's got more energy than I do." I patted my belly, and the little squatter inside me kicked back in response.

Malakai raised an eyebrow. "I think you should start a vlog. You've got the 'scammed pregnancy' content down."

"I've thought about it," I muttered, sinking back into the couch with a dramatic sigh. "I might even charge for it."

Val came over with a smirk, sitting next to me and poking my stomach. "This little one's gonna be spoiled, huh?"

"Don't jinx it." I slouched, trying to get comfortable, but my body was at war with itself. "I still feel like I'm in a hostage situation."

Antonio moved from the kitchen, having set down the fruit plate. His hands reached for my belly, massaging gently, his fingers pressing into the areas that had been sore for the last hour. "You're doing fine," he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek. "It's just temporary, Celine."

Koko chuckled softly. "You two are sickeningly cute, you know that?"

"Shut up," I grumbled, leaning into Antonio's touch. But as much as I hated to admit it, the feeling of his hands on me was the only thing keeping me grounded right now.

Malakai glanced at the two of us, his smirk widening. "You sure you don't want to take a break from the PDA, guys?"

I shot him a look that was as threatening as it could be with the way my body was currently rebelling against me. "Why don't you come help, then?"

That made everyone burst into laughter, and for a moment, I forgot how much I hated being pregnant. How much my body was constantly betraying me, how uncomfortable and weird everything felt.

In that moment, I felt like maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay.

That was before I had to puke.

The moment hit me out of nowhere, my stomach churning violently. I shot up from the couch, pushing past Antonio with surprising urgency. "I'm gonna—" I didn't even finish the sentence before I was stumbling toward the bathroom.

"Celine?" Antonio called after me, his voice laced with concern, but I didn't have time to answer. I barely made it to the toilet before the contents of my stomach decided it was time for an encore. The gagging started immediately, and I gripped the edge of the sink, trying not to collapse onto the floor.

From the hallway, I heard the faint sound of footsteps, and Koko appeared in the doorway, a sympathetic frown on her face. "Shit, that fast?" she asked, her voice soft.

"I swear to god, I didn't even eat anything weird," I muttered, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, still dizzy from the ordeal.

"Pregnancy's a bitch," Malakai's voice came from behind her, sounding a little too entertained for my liking. "One minute you're glowing, the next you're an actual disaster."

"I was glowing," I muttered, swaying slightly as I flushed the toilet. "Until this kid turned me into a walking gag reflex."

Antonio, who had appeared in the doorway by then, was watching me with a mix of worry and amusement, his arms crossed over his chest. "You good?"

"Just peachy," I said, forcing a smile, though I felt anything but.

He walked up to me, his hand reaching out to steady me as I swayed again. "You sure? Because you look like you're about to pass out."

"I'm fine. Just need a minute," I said, leaning into his touch, trying to catch my breath.

Koko shot Antonio a look, her expression a mix of teasing and concern. "She's gonna need more than a minute. I'll grab some ginger ale, maybe that'll help."

Val, who had been leaning in the hallway, raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, you should just start documenting this. Think of the content, Celine. Premium."

I rolled my eyes, but there was no denying the urge to laugh bubbling up in me. "I swear, if you all keep talking about 'premium content,' I'm gonna punch someone."

Antonio chuckled, guiding me back to the couch, his hands still gently brushing my back. "You're alright, Celine. I've got you."

The warmth of his touch felt comforting, and for a second, the chaos of it all settled. Koko disappeared to grab the ginger ale, and Malakai followed her, still shaking his head, probably with some sarcastic remark to drop. Val stayed behind, sitting on the armrest beside me with a playful grin.

"I'll take you up on that vlog idea if you need a cameraman," she teased.

"Maybe if you get your own damn content, I won't have to," I retorted, my breath finally steadying as I let myself relax against Antonio.

As ridiculous as the whole situation was, I couldn't help but smile. Despite the vomit, the exhaustion, and the constant weirdness of pregnancy, there was something strangely comforting about this weird little family I had.