006

If a pin dropped at that moment, it would have been heard loud and clear.

Lovett was stunned.

She was pregnant?

*She* was pregnant?

Two years of marriage… and nothing to show for it. How was that even possible?

Two weeks.

She and Kennedy hadn’t been intimate at all in the past couple of months, so how—?

Then it hit her.

That night.

Lovett’s eyes widened, nearly popping out of their sockets.

Tears welled up instantly as her hand subconsciously drifted to her belly.

Over the years, she had been called many things—*barren* always topping the list.

Who could she blame but herself? She was the only one who knew that her husband always wore protection whenever they were together. He had claimed he wanted to be financially stable before trying for a child, and she had believed him. Trusted him. So she swallowed the insults, ignored the malice, and endured the ridicule in silence.

How pathetic she must have looked to Kennedy back then.

How gullible.

Hot tears slid down Lovett’s cheeks as she gently caressed her belly.

No matter the circumstances that led to this pregnancy, she would keep this baby.

This child was hers.

Now, she finally had a reason to live. A reason to fight.

Her baby. Her miracle baby.

That miracle had breathed new life into her hollow existence.

A broken, hearty laugh escaped her lips, mingling with her tears.

Lucas watched her quietly, a warm smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

---

A few days later.

Lucas had just returned from a meeting when he spotted Lovett sitting on the sofa, a single tear sliding down her cheek.

Alarmed, he rushed to her side.

“What’s the matter?”

With a heavy, grief-laden sigh, Lovett handed him her phone.

Lucas scanned the screen and froze.

A wedding invitation.

The ceremony was scheduled for the weekend.

Frowning, he looked up at her.

“That’s my husband… and my sister,” Lovett muttered softly, her gaze vacant. “She sent me the invitation herself.”

Her lips curved into a hollow smile.

“It still feels unreal.”

Lucas fell silent, the words sinking in slowly.

*Husband and sister.*

Betrayal didn’t get worse than that.

He pressed his lips into a thin line and sighed deeply. He wanted to say something—anything—but no words seemed appropriate. Perhaps giving her space would be better.

He gave her lap a gentle squeeze and turned toward his room.

But barely two steps in, he halted.

The passport in his hand caught his attention.

His passport.

Lucas turned back.

“I’ll be leaving for the States in a couple of days,” he said carefully. “Would you mind coming with me? A change of environment might be exactly what you need. You can come back whenever you want. Just… think about it.”

Lovett didn’t hesitate. She didn’t need to do any thinking.

If she stayed here, she might try to take her life again—and this time, she might succeed.

“I’ll go with you,” she said firmly.

Lucas blinked, stunned by her immediate response.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded.

Warmth bloomed in his chest as he nodded in return. Her quick acceptance meant she trusted him now.

And how could she not?

Lucas had taken meticulous care of her ever since she regained consciousness. He truly embodied everything a medical doctor should be. He never once asked her to leave. He had saved her life.

If that didn’t make him a good man, what did?

“I’ll sort everything out,” Lucas said gently.

With that, he headed into the kitchen to prepare lunch.

***

It had been nearly a month since that night.

And in that entire month, Alexander Hudson had turned the city upside down searching for the woman.

All to no avail.

He had personally reviewed every piece of footage from the hotel. Yet her identity remained a mystery. In every recording, her hair had been disheveled, cascading messily over her face and obscuring her features.

Nothing.

No face. No name.

Now, Alexander was left with only a single clue.

The mole.

The mole on her breast.

He hadn’t imagined it. He was certain of what he had touched that night. But was he supposed to strip every woman in the city bare just to find the one with a mole on her bosom?

Ridiculous.

And impossible.

Yet his desperation only grew.

She had been his first… in all his life.

Because of her, his illness... Even his chronic insomnia had vanished temporarily. That night, with her beside him, he had slept like a baby.

“Boss!” Gerald Cole burst into the office without knocking.

It was the first time the CEO’s executive assistant had ever dared to do something so reckless.

Alexander didn’t look up. His slender fingers tapped rhythmically against the spider-gray marble desk.

“This had better be worth it,” he drawled coolly.

“We found her!” Gerald blurted out, chest heaving “Well—not with absolute certainty, but this woman’s profile matches hers. Height, hair color, body structure—”

“Where?” The question cut Gerald off.

By the time the word left his mouth, Alexander had already yanked his overcoat from the rack and was striding toward the door.

“She’s at the airport,” Gerald said quickly as he followed. “Looks like she’s leaving the city. It could be her.”

Alexander’s jaw tightened as he chewed on his lower lip.

“And you thought it fit to tell me only now?” he growled hoarsely.

Gerald’s face twisted in brief distress.

“If she leaves the city before I get there,” The CEO added coldly, “you’re finished.”

They exited the elevator onto the ground floor and headed straight out of Rykard Industries’ headquarters.

Alexander slid into the waiting black limousine without breaking stride.

“Step on it.”

On cue, Gerald slammed the accelerator.