Chapter 2
The memory of that drunken night came back to her. Her period was late by a few days… Could she really be pregnant?
Elena's face paled. "Just an upset stomach. I'll go to the hospital."
Maggie asked with concern, "Does Mr. Lancaster know?"
"Don't tell him."
Maggie opened her mouth to protest but eventually nodded. "Okay."
Elena rushed to the hospital. The test results came back quickly—just as she'd feared, she was pregnant.
The doctor hesitated, suggesting she think carefully. Her current physical condition wasn't ideal for pregnancy.
Elena barely heard her. She touched her still-flat stomach, thinking about the tiny life inside—hers and Kian's child—and felt an indescribable joy.
But the happiness didn't last long. The image of Kian moaning Chloe's name last night flooded back.
The joy evaporated, replaced by worry and fear.
Would he even want this baby?
Outside the examination room, Elena hesitated for a long time before sending Kian a message.
[I came to the hospital for a follow-up today. Are you free for lunch? I'd like to eat with you.]
The message sat there unanswered.
She waited ten minutes. Finally, one word appeared: [Busy.]
She gave a self-mocking laugh and put her phone back in her purse.
The elevator doors in front of her were about to close. Elena hurried forward—and was suddenly shoved aside with force.
"Excuse me. Move."
The voice was cold but familiar.
Off-balance, Elena fell to her knees with a thud. Sharp pain shot through her kneecaps.
She looked up with difficulty. Then froze.
Two people stood before her—Kian and Chloe.
They were standing close together. Kian's hand hovered protectively at the small of Chloe's back.
When he saw Elena, Kian's expression changed visibly.
"What are you doing here?"
Elena's gaze dropped to Chloe's slightly rounded belly. Her heart lurched. She looked up at Kian, her voice shaking. "You said you were busy."
Kian frowned. "Elena, go home. We'll talk later."
Elena didn't move. Her knees throbbed, but the real pain was in her chest.
"Are you hurt?"
Kian released Chloe and took half a step forward, reaching out to help her up.
Elena dodged his hand and pushed herself to her feet. "I'm fine."
Chloe walked over as well, her face arranged in polite concern. "Are you sure you're okay? Should we have orthopedics take a look?"
Elena shook her head and struggled to stand, looking at Kian. "Why are you here?"
Kian paused. "Accompanying Chloe for a checkup."
"What kind of checkup?"
Silence filled the air for a few seconds.
Chloe lifted her head, smiling gently. "Just a routine prenatal exam. Kian happened to be free today, so he came with me."
Elena's fingers tightened around the ultrasound report in her purse.
Kian's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but he didn't look at Elena. Instead, he said to Chloe, "Go wait in the car. It's windy out there."
The care in his tone made Elena's eyes sting.
Chloe glanced at Elena, her smile deepening. "Okay. Don't take too long."
Once she was gone, Kian finally turned back to Elena.
"How's your hand?" he asked.
Elena took a deep breath. "The doctor said it's healing well, but I need to keep up with rehabilitation."
"Next week I'll have Dr. Clark come to the house—"
"No need." Elena cut him off.
Kian paused, his gaze dropping to her bleeding knees. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was you."
"Then who did you think it was?" Elena looked at him. "Some stranger you needed to 'move'?"
"Elena, don't be unreasonable." Kian's tone grew sharper.
Elena's laugh was bitter. "What should I do then? Watch you accompany another woman to her prenatal appointment and smile and congratulate you both?"
Kian's lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing.
That was how he always was—forever cold, forever composed, forever letting silence speak for him.
Elena was quiet for a long time before speaking in a hoarse voice. "Kian, if I got pregnant one day, what would you do?"
Kian fell silent. So long that Elena thought he wouldn't answer.
Then he said, "Elena, Chloe's situation is different from yours."
That one light, careless sentence shattered the last trace of hope in her heart.
Elena nodded. She said nothing more and simply turned to leave.
Yes, she and Chloe were different.
Chloe was the woman he loved, the perfect, flawless ideal in his heart. So her baby was the fruit of love, something to be cherished and anticipated.
And Elena? She was just an unwanted burden.
Walking out of the hospital, cold wind hit her face.
Elena stood at the curb, trying to hail a taxi, but her hands shook so badly she couldn't raise her arm.
A moment later, a familiar black sedan pulled up in front of her.
The window rolled down, revealing Ryan's face. "Mrs. Lancaster, Mr. Lancaster asked me to take you home."
Elena shook her head faintly. "No need. I can get back myself."
"Mr. Lancaster insisted I make sure you get home safely." Ryan's tone was firm.
Elena didn't want to make things difficult for him, so she got in the car.
Ryan glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "Mrs. Lancaster, don't take today too hard. Mr. Lancaster actually cares about you a lot."
Elena smiled.
Cares? Caring meant sending her a monthly allowance on time, hiring the best doctors for her hand—and shoving her to the ground for another woman.
The car was silent for a long time.
Just before they reached home, Ryan said quietly, "Mrs. Lancaster, sometimes Mr. Lancaster just doesn't know how to express himself. All these years, aside from you, there really hasn't been anyone else."
Elena stopped in her tracks and said flatly, "Now there's Chloe. And she's carrying his child."
Ryan pressed his lips together. "It's not what you think."
Back in the bedroom, Elena pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face in them. Finally, the tears came.
She didn't know how long she cried before her phone buzzed.
She picked it up. A picture message from an unknown number.
In the photo, Kian and Chloe stood in a baby boutique. Kian held a tiny infant onesie in his hands. Chloe leaned against him, beaming with happiness.
Below the photo was a single line of text: [Kian said he'd love it whether it's a boy or a girl.]
The sender wasn't named. But Elena knew who it was.
She stared at the photo for a long time. Then she pressed delete.
Her phone rang again. This time it was Zoe.
"Elena!" Her best friend's cheerful voice came through. "So? How'd it go last night?"
Elena's voice was ragged. "Zoe… I'm pregnant."
Three seconds of silence on the other end. Then Zoe shrieked, "Are you serious?! Does Kian know? What did he say? Is he over the moon?!"
Elena laughed. Tears streamed down her face.
"He took another woman to her prenatal appointment. Zoe… am I really that stupid?"
"I've loved him for ten years. Been married to him for three. And in the end, I realized I don't even rank as high as a stranger in his heart. Today at the hospital, when he shoved me aside for Chloe's sake, he didn't even blink."
On the other end, Zoe's voice was also choked with tears. "Elena, don't do this. Maybe Kian has his reasons?"
