Chapter 3
The autumn rain pelted against the windows of Kingsley Tower as I stood in the elevator, my heart hammering against my ribs. Two months pregnant now, the subtle swell of my stomach hidden beneath a loose blouse. I clutched the ultrasound appointment card in my trembling hand—my last hope of proving to Nathan that this child was his.
When the elevator doors opened to the executive floor, Isabella was already there, perched on the edge of Nathan's assistant's desk like she belonged there. Her elegant fingers played with a strand of her perfect hair as she laughed at something the assistant said.
"Oh, Sophia," she called, her voice dripping with false concern. "Nathan mentioned you'd be coming by. He's in a meeting, but he asked me to keep you company until he's finished."
The assistant's eyes flicked between us, curiosity and pity mingling in her gaze. Once, I had been in her position, working tirelessly for Nathan, falling deeper in love with him each day. Now I was just a cautionary tale.
"I need to speak with him alone," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.
Isabella's smile never wavered. "He specifically asked me to join your little... appointment today. After all, someone needs to make sure you're being honest about the baby's paternity."
The words sliced through me like a blade. Before I could respond, Nathan's office door opened, and there he stood—powerful, untouchable, a stranger wearing my husband's face.
"You're here," he said flatly, his eyes never quite meeting mine. "Let's make this quick. I have a board meeting at eleven."
Inside his office, I stood before his massive desk while he remained standing, maintaining the power dynamic. Isabella hovered nearby, a victorious smirk playing at her lips.
"Nathan, please," I began, my prepared speech crumbling under his cold stare. "This is your child. You have to believe me."
"I don't have to do anything," he replied. "Except ensure that Kingsley Corporation isn't tainted by scandal."
"Scandal?" The word caught in my throat. "Our baby isn't a scandal!"
Isabella stepped forward, placing a possessive hand on Nathan's arm. "Nathan, darling, she's clearly unstable. Remember what Dr. Richards said about stress during pregnancy? Perhaps we should postpone this conversation."
"Dr. Richards?" I echoed, confusion washing over me. "My obstetrician?"
Nathan's jaw tightened. "Isabella kindly accompanied me to speak with him yesterday. About your... condition."
The betrayal stole my breath. They had gone behind my back to discuss my pregnancy with my doctor. The walls of Nathan's office seemed to close in around me, trapping me in this nightmare.
"You had no right," I whispered, backing toward the door. "Either of you."
"I had every right," Nathan countered, his voice rising. "If you're carrying a child and claiming it's mine, I have every right to know the truth."
Something inside me snapped. Eight years of love. Eight years of devotion. And this was what it had come to.
Before I could stop myself, I was on my knees in the middle of his office, right there on the cold marble floor where I had once set up a surprise birthday lunch for him when I was his assistant.
"Nathan, please," I begged, tears blurring my vision. "This is our child. I've never been with anyone else. I've loved you for eight years. Please trust me."
The silence stretched between us, thick with tension. For a moment—just a moment—I thought I saw a flicker of the old Nathan in his eyes. But then Isabella's subtle cough shattered the illusion.
"Get up," he said, his voice like ice. "You're embarrassing yourself."
I remained frozen, unable to process the coldness of his rejection.
"You know," he continued, stepping closer, looming over me, "you're not even worth one strand of her hair."
The words hit like physical blows. I looked up at Isabella, her perfect hair, her perfect face, her perfectly crafted lies. And I knew then that I had lost him completely.
Somehow, I found my feet, dignity crumbling as I stumbled toward the door. The last thing I heard was Isabella's soft voice: "We'll see you at the ultrasound tomorrow, Sophia. Don't be late."
As the elevator doors closed on the sight of them standing together, I placed my hand over my stomach and whispered a promise to my unborn child: "No matter what happens, I will protect you."
I didn't yet know how impossible that promise would be to keep.
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