Pulling back and sitting up, Daniel tried to listen to the noise from the other side of the wall while Samantha started to panic, not knowing what to say or do at that moment.
Her thoughts have gone wild as she wanted to go to Ashton right away but the man in front of her who was gradually looking bewildered... what was she going to do with him?
Looking back at her, Daniel innocently asked, "Who else is in that room? Do you have other guests?"
Realizing the predicament that she was in, her heart continued to beat extremely fast, making her speechless and sweaty. While Samantha was not able to utter a sound, Daniel began to feel anxious when he saw the panic in her face. 'What are you hiding from me?' he questioned in his thoughts, afraid to even ask it out loud.
The room became silent as Samantha remained tongue-tied yet Hannah's murmurs could still be heard until Ashton's cry became louder. It was already very obvious that the sound of a child's cry came from the room that Hannah was staying.
"Maaaaaaaa!!" Ash wailed, making Samantha's heart ache. 'I need to get in there!'
Left with no choice, Samantha dashed towards the door and opened it in a flash, surprising Hannah. The first thing that she saw was Ashton's tear-stained face and trembling lips while Hannah tried to coax him to calm down.
His little stubby arms reached towards Samantha's direction, asking to be taken away from his aunt who was also frightened because of his outburst.
"It wasn't me, I swear!" Hannah voiced out, worried that Samantha will think she did it on purpose.
"What happened?" Samantha took baby Ash from her and immediately embraced her baby, stroking his back to calm him down.
"I don't know! He was just sleeping and I laid beside him minding my own business until he suddenly woke up and cried like crazy!"
Meanwhile, Daniel who followed Samantha when she ran, stopped by the door and stood there with a confused look on his face. He looked at the two women talking and his eyes darted to the little boy in Samantha's arms who was crying nonstop. "What's going on?" He asked in a soft voice, unsure what the commotion was about.
Reminded that Daniel was there, Samantha slowly turned to him and looked at him in the eye without saying anything. She tried to look for words to say but nothing came up. What was she supposed to tell him? 'Hi there, meet your son!' She said in her thoughts and immediately believed she was being silly.
Hannah felt suffocated inside the room that she wished she could just run wherever; she suddenly missed and wanted to see Seo Joon. Where the hell was he at a time like this? She clearly did not sign up for this.
"Whose baby is that?" He questioned whilst he studied the little boy. However, the more he looked at him, the more that he found him familiar until Ashton looked at Daniel's direction when he heard him speak and he suddenly stopped crying as he studied the grown-up man by the door.
"I-I-I... excuse me," Hannah blurred before she left the room in haste, closing the door behind her.
The father and son looked at each other without talking and all that Samantha could do was call, "Daniel…"
Daniel's gaze averted from Ashton to Samantha then back to Ashton again. He could find similarities between the two of them and his heart started to beat frantically. And then he was suddenly reminded of Philip who was the one he saw with Ash that one time in the hospital. 'Was this the same boy from back then?' He was momentarily confused and did not know what to make up with the situation.
His memory from then played in his mind and he had to look down on the floor to try and concentrate.
"Daniel…" Samantha called again as she walked closer to him.
Lifting his head, he saw her nearing and he blurted out the question in his mind, "I-I-Is that your… baby?"
Even he who asked found the question foolish when he thought about it. 'How the fûck was that even possible? Who is the father?'
But before he could even ask that question out loud, Samantha had already filled their gap, making him stare into her eyes.
Raising her chin, Samantha bravely answered his question, "Yes."
The creases on Daniel's forehead disappeared and was replaced by a dumbstruck expression.
"Yes?" He repeated and his gaze was again drawn towards Ash who was at this point, just calm and looking curiously back at his father Daniel. "Is he…" Daniel could not form the words that were lingering at the tip of his tongue.
Finally letting go of all her worries, Samantha held Ashton's tiny hand and brought it to her lips to give him a small kiss before she smiled at the man in front of her. "Daniel, this is Ash… he's your son."
Daniel's ears rang upon hearing Samantha's announcement. He could not believe what he just heard. Without noticing it, he had brought a hand up to his face and his eyes watered. He did not know how to respond to her.
"What did you say?" His gaze averted to her and he continued, "What do you mean he's my son?" He was so bewildered at that instant. He had mixed emotions inside of him and he did not know which one to acknowledge.
Fear.
Happiness.
Confusion.
"I mean… he is my son but he is also yours. He's our son, Daniel." Samantha broke it down simply for him but it seemed like he was still in shock.
"B-but how?" He stepped back when he lost his balance a little. "How is this possible? When? Wh-"
So many questions appeared in his mind and he was so overwhelmed. Samantha saw the wonder in his eyes and she could not help but feel a little hurt by his reaction.
Samantha decided to tell him what happened when she woke up after being in a coma but because of their situation, she was forced to keep her pregnancy and Ashton a secret. Daniel's expression went from being very confused to a gentle one. The features on his face softened when he finally came with the truth – He was now a father.
Seeing that he did not respond to her confession, Samantha tried to probe to make him talk. "Daniel?"
He did not even look at her and only continued to look at the little creature who laid his head on Samantha's shoulder quietly. He was trying to figure out how everything happened while he and Samantha weren't together. How the little one was already this big and it's the first time that he knew about him. How could he not know?
"Would you like to hold him?" She asked gently, wondering how Daniel would respond but all he did was look at Samantha. His lips parted but no words came out.
Without waiting for his response, Samantha handed little Ash to him carefully in which Daniel gingerly received him in his arms. Although it was not the first time that he held a baby, he found it quite weird that he was holding a little human that was partly him.
Daniel looked at Ash and swallowed before a slight smile appeared on his face, "Is he really my son?"
At last, Samantha found the one thing that she hoped to see from him and so with a sigh, she responded, "Yes, Daniel. He's really yours. His name's Ashton Daniel."
The little boy curiously reached a hand out to touch his father's nose. Another surprise flashed on his face and his smile became wider as he glanced at Samantha. He sniffed and chuckled whilst he held baby Ash in his strong arms. "Hi."
Daniel could not explain the feeling in his heart. It felt like his happiness was going to cause it to explode from his chest.
It was all sweet, warm and comforting.
It was filled with only Samantha and Ashton.
Holding Ashton's little hand with his, Daniel smiled to the boy and said, "Hi, Ash.. I'm your father."