CHAPTER 9: REVELATIONS AND RENEGADES

CHAPTER 9:

Waking up the next morning in James’s master suite left a strange, quiet warmth in my chest. James’s restraint during my heat the previous night and his fierce protectiveness in the garden had shattered whatever doubts I still held about him.

After he left early for a high-level executive briefing, I decided to walk through the estate to clear my head and double-check my legal strategy for the Mercer land deeds.

As I crossed into the sunlit corridor of the guest wing, hushed voices drifted out from an open suite door.

I stopped, stepping softly behind a heavy marble pillar.

Inside, Tyla was sitting casually on Matthew’s lap, one arm draped possessively over Matthew’s shoulder while Matthew held him around the waist. Tyla’s usual innocent act was completely gone. He laughed softly, running a slender hand through Matthew’s hair as they discussed the Vance family holdings.

"Are you certain your father's lawyers can pull this off?" Tyla purred, his voice laced with spite. "I want Soren out of this house for good, Matthew."

"Don't worry," Matthew sneered, tightening his grip on Tyla’s waist. "My father's legal team found a dormant clause in the original Mercer land contract. At the High Council assembly tomorrow, we’ll claim the estate failed financial clearance. We'll strip Soren's name off those deeds completely and freeze his access. Without that land, he has zero leverage."

Standing in the cold shadow of the hallway, a quiet, bitter realization washed over me.

It wasn't just anger at their corporate plot—it was the pathetic reality of what Matthew and I had actually been. We had been engaged for years, yet here he was, effortlessly lounging with my stepbrother, tossing away our past without a single second thought or ounce of remorse.

I was never important to him, I thought, a cold, ruthless calm settling over my chest. Our entire relationship was nothing more than a stepping stone.

Any lingering trace of hurt vanished, replaced by sharp, blinding focus. I quietly backed away from the pillar and slipped down the corridor without making a sound.

Back in my private study, I opened my laptop to build an ironclad counter-attack. I pulled up the Mercer estate ledgers, diving deep into the transaction records to prepare a full financial breakdown for the High Council meeting tomorrow.

Halfway through the audit, a sudden, violent wave of nausea slammed into my stomach.

I gasped, dropping my pen as my vision swam. I barely made it to the adjoining bathroom before my stomach turned completely inside out. Cold sweat broke out across my forehead as I leaned heavily over the porcelain sink, dry-heaving violently.

When the wave passed, I wiped my face with cool water, staring at my pale reflection in the mirror. Exhaustion from the corporate war was one thing, but this intense sensory shift felt entirely different.

Needing clear answers away from the Vance estate's private medical team, I called a discreet personal driver and slipped out through the side gates to visit an independent clinic downtown.

The private consulting room was quiet and sterile. Dr. Aris, a seasoned Omegaverse specialist, reviewed my blood panels and diagnostic scans on his tablet with a serious expression.

"Mr. Mercer," Dr. Aris began, setting the tablet down on his desk. "When was the last time you were intimate with an Alpha?"

My breath hitched slightly. My mind flashed back to that wild night in the VIP lounge—the dark heat, the silver-gray eyes, and the intense Prime Alpha pheromones of the man who turned out to be James Vance.

"About three weeks ago," I answered quietly.

Dr. Aris nodded slowly. "That explains your symptoms. The bloodwork is absolute, Mr. Mercer. You are pregnant."

The words hit the room like a thunderclap.

Pregnant.

I stared at the doctor in stunned silence, my hand moving instinctively to rest flat over my lower stomach under my coat. A flood of conflicting emotions hit me all at once—shock, fear, and a fierce, immediate urge to protect what was growing inside me.

We are only under a contract.

The reality hit me with icy clarity. James and I were bound by a revenge arrangement,a calculated business deal to crush Matthew and reclaim my heritage. James had treated me with immense care and respect, but a child was never part of our deal. What if he thought I was using this to trap him? What if it ruined our leverage at the High Council tomorrow?

No, I thought, a firm resolve solidifying in my mind. I won't let anyone use this against me, and I won't burden him with it.

I pressed my hand harder against my stomach. The baby was mine. I was going to keep this child, no matter what.

"How long do I have before... before it becomes obvious?" I asked Dr. Aris, my voice completely steady.

"In early pregnancy, especially with a slim build like yours, physical changes won't be noticeable for three to four months," Dr. Aris replied smoothly.

Four months. The exact time remaining on my contract with James.

My baby bump wouldn't even show before the contract expired and the Mercer land titles were safely transferred back into my name. If I wore structured suits and kept my posture controlled, no one on the board would ever suspect a thing.

The only real threat was James's razor-sharp Prime Alpha instincts. An Alpha of his level could sniff out the subtle change in my aura within seconds—the faint, blended mark of his child in my scent glands.

"I need something to completely mask the pheromones," I insisted. "No lingering shifts. It has to look like my aura hasn't changed at all."

Dr. Aris reached into his cabinet and pulled out a box of specialized, medical-grade scent-blocking patches. "These will lock down your scent glands completely. Apply one to the nape of your neck daily. It will neutralize any pregnancy pheromones without harming the fetus."

"Give them to me," I said without hesitation.

I took the box, peeling off the backing of the first patch and pressing it firmly behind my neck before I even left the office. Instantly, the sweet, blended warmth in my aura locked down, leaving behind only my crisp, isolated scent of rain and ozone.

I stepped back out into the cool city air, looking toward the high-rise towers of Vance Enterprises in the distance. My jaw set, and my hands clenched into tight fists.

No one would know. Not Matthew, not Tyla, and especially not James. I would play my part in this corporate war to the very end, secure my family's legacy, and protect my child on my own terms.

Tomorrow, Matthew, Tyla, and Victor were going to bring everything they had to the High Council assembly—and I was going to tear their entire world down.