Chapter 1

ARIA

"Congratulations, Ms. Taylor. Who would have thought a routine company physical would reveal such a surprise!"

I sat frozen in the examination room, staring at the report in my hands. Pregnant, 6 weeks. The words blurred as tears filled my eyes.

"Are you sure there's no mistake?" My voice trembled.

Dr. Wright adjusted his glasses. "The blood work is conclusive, Ms. Taylor. You're definitely pregnant."

I stood up, wincing slightly as my old spine injury flared with pain.

"Please," I said, "keep this confidential from Morgan Enterprises. This is personal."

Something flickered across his face—hesitation?

"Of course. Doctor-patient confidentiality is our policy." He paused. "Though as the company doctor, I'm required to file certain reports—"

"This has nothing to do with my work performance," I interrupted, panic rising. "Blake Morgan doesn't need to know about my personal medical information."

Dr. Reed nodded slowly. "I understand. I'll mark this as confidential."

I quickly tucked the report deep into my bag. "No need to schedule prenatal care yet. I'll... I need time to process this."

In the elevator at Morgan Tower, I gently touched my flat stomach, still in disbelief. A child with Blake. The same Blake who made it abundantly clear that our arrangement was temporary. Business, not personal.

Our contract marriage was his solution to a scandal, nothing more.

The elevator doors opened. Jack rushed over, his usually composed face tense with worry.

"Aria, Mr. Morgan has been looking for you for thirty minutes. He's furious."

I took a deep breath and straightened my blazer. "How bad is it?"

"The CFO just left his office in tears," Jack whispered. "And Mr. Morgan canceled his afternoon meetings."

Perfect. Just what I needed today.

I knocked once on Blake's door before entering. He stood at the window, his tall frame silhouetted against the Manhattan skyline, radiating cold fury.

"You're thirty minutes late." His voice was dangerously quiet, not even turning to look at me.

"I apologize, Mr. Morgan. The company physical took longer than expected."

He finally turned, his ice-blue eyes boring into me. "Your job is to manage my schedule, not disrupt it."

I bit back a retort. "It won't happen again."

"The gift for the Redwood family anniversary—is it ready?" he asked, returning to his desk.

"Yes. The limited-edition crystal decanter set has been ordered and gift-wrapped."

"Good. Tonight at seven, we'll attend together."

I hesitated. "Mr. Morgan, could I skip this event? I'm not feeling well today..."

Blake's head snapped up, his expression hardening. "Do you think I'm asking for your opinion or giving you an order?"

Always so cold and heartless.

"An order, Mr. Morgan." I lowered my gaze.

"Aria," he stood slowly, walking toward me, "remember your place. Though you're nominally my wife, we only have a five-year contract marriage. I don't appreciate when you suddenly decide to disobey my instructions."

He stopped inches from me. Close enough that I could smell his expensive cologne, feel the heat radiating from his body.

"Two more years," he said softly, "and we'll both be free of this arrangement. Until then, you'll continue to play your part. Understood?"

I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.

I remember that night three years ago like it was yesterday. I was serving at a Morgan family party - my mother Christine, the Grant family's housekeeper, had arranged the job. Why? Because I'd pissed off her favorite little princess again, even though I hadn't done anything wrong. The next morning, I woke up in Blake's suite. They said I'd drugged him and crawled into his bed.

I knew I hadn't, but nobody believed me.

To protect the Morgan family reputation and address family pressure for the heir to marry, Blake proposed a five-year secret marriage contract. And I, desperate for money for my father Aaron's mounting medical bills after his stroke, accepted.

For three years, I've been Blake's executive assistant by day while secretly fulfilling wife duties behind closed doors. Nobody knows our real relationship except the Morgan family's inner circle.

I'm just a contract. A transaction. A tool.

That night, Redwood family estate was ablaze with lights. I wore a simple black business suit, hoping to blend into the background. But when Blake and I entered the grand hall, conversations hushed as all eyes turned to us.

"Look, isn't that the perpetrator's daughter?"

"How dare she come to a Redwood family event?"

"I heard she's Blake's assistant now. So shameless."

I've grown accustomed to these whispers over the years.

Matthew Redwood, the family patriarch and chief medical officer of Redwood Medical Center, nodded curtly in our direction but made no move to greet us.

Olivia Redwood, Matthew's sister approached in an elegant maternity dress that showcased her growing belly, a practiced social smile on her face. "Blake, it's been a while... though you coming alone would have been enough. Why bring irrelevant people?"

Her eyes flicked dismissively over me.

Blake's hand settled possessively on my lower back. "Olivia, don't pretend you don't know Aria. Didn't you two play together at the Grant estate when you were children?"

Olivia's smile stiffened. "That was long ago. Before the accident."

Before my father was accused of killing Redwood family members in a devastating car crash.

Halfway through the party, Olivia gracefully took the stage. The room quieted as all attention focused on her.

"Esteemed guests, friends and family, thank you for coming to celebrate our anniversary. On this special occasion, I want to share some wonderful news—I'm pregnant."

Gasps and applause erupted throughout the room.

"These miracles didn't come easily," Olivia gently touched her stomach, tears in her eyes. "After so many failed attempts, we had almost given up hope. But God has finally blessed us."

The big screen displayed an ultrasound image, the outline of a tiny life clearly visible. I unconsciously touched my own stomach, imagining the small life forming inside me.

My child... Blake's and mine...

Blake noticed my gesture and raised an eyebrow. "You seem to like children?"

I gathered my courage. "Mr. Morgan, if we had a child too..."

"Impossible." He cut me off, his eyes cold. "Aria, I don't want children with you. Our agreement is clear—in five years, we'll quietly end this marriage."

His words stabbed directly into my heart.

He doesn't know there's already a life growing inside me.

Back at the Hampton estate, I hid in the bathroom where my tears finally broke free. I took the pregnancy report from my pocket, tore it to pieces, and flushed it down the toilet.

He doesn't want this child. He doesn't even want me.

I hugged my knees, sitting on the cold tile floor, crying silently.

"You were in there a long time." When I emerged from the bathroom, Blake sat on the Italian leather sofa in the bedroom, texting with an expression I'd never seen before—tender, almost soft.

"Just took a bath," I said, trying to sound normal.

"Where did you go this afternoon?" he asked casually, still looking at his phone.

"Redwood Medical Center," I lied. "Picked up some nutritional supplements my mother recommended."

Blake glanced up. "Don't take that useless stuff. I don't want to catch you sneaking those medications again like before."

"Yeah, I get it..." I answered briefly, afraid to say more.

Blake put down his phone and walked behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. His lips touched my neck. I felt his fingers run through my black curls.

Just as I thought we were about to get intimate, his phone rang. Blake immediately released me and answered.

"I'll come get you right away," he said, his tone unusually gentle.

After hanging up, he quickly put on his jacket. "Something came up. I gotta go."