Ariana, excited and overwhelmed, caressed her belly, but her thoughts quickly turned serious.

"And what about Jasper?"

“He's been handed over to the authorities," Theodore informed her calmly.

“He killed Darian and Brielle. He won't see the outside of a prison for a long, Long time."

“Brielle too?" Ariana was shocked.

"She's dead?"

He nodded and began to explain the chain of events - Jasper's grand plan, and the tragic consequences that followed, which included multiple deaths. Ariana listened, feeling a profound sadness for the lives lost.

Just then, the doctor walked in, clipboard in hand.

“Your pre-op screening is due shortly," he said before realizing Ariana was awake.

"Oh, you're awake."

Ariana's head shot up in alarm and she turned to Theodore in confusion.

“What's that for?”

Theodore cast a glance at her, his demeanor cool as he elucidated, “Jasper has infiltrated your system with a substance known as GK210. Its removal necessitates surgical intervention."

At the mere mention of GK210, Ariana felt a faint echo of recollection.

That name had emerged from Jasper's Lips on more than one occasion.

With this realization, Ariana found herself haunted by images of Jasper subjecting her to daily injections. Her frame shuddered involuntarily, a storm of anger and fear brewing within her. The ghost of Jasper's words made maintaining her emotional equilibrium an uphill task.

Sensing her turmoil, Theodore instinctively drew her into a comforting embrace, murmuring, "It's going to be okay. Fear not, I'm here."

As Theodore clumsily stroked her back, Ariana's turbulent emotions began to ebb away. She ventured to ask, “Can these foreign elements be completely purged from my system?"

"Indeed, it's feasible. Should the treatment be administered promptly, a complete purge is possible with no risk of dependency,” Theodore assured her in hushed tones.

At his words, Ariana felt a wave of relief, which quickly turned into concern for the unborn babies inside of her. Apprehensive, she sought doctor's gaze and asked, “Could the procedure adversely affect the babies?"