Chapter 2

"Clara, right?

"Congratulations! They're twins. Both gestational sacs look great, heartbeats are strong. You're at about six weeks."

Two tiny dots rested safely on the monitor, looking like tiny beans. I stared at the screen, my head buzzing as every last shred of doubt vanished.

The floating text kept flashing with absolute excitement as users debated the upcoming plot, completely clueless that I was reading every single word.

[Told you she was having twins! These two are pure gold! They’re stepping straight into the Brock family’s trillion-dollar empire!]

[Old Lady Brock has been desperate for a grandkid until her hair turned white! If she knew about these two, she’d lose her mind with joy! Aborting right now would be the biggest mistake of her life!]

A laugh escaped my lips. I traced my flat stomach, my mind completely made up.

Abort? Not a chance.

These were my two little cash cows.

I thought three years as a body double for $50 million was a steal. Turns out I just hit the double jackpot.

I walked out of the clinic holding the fresh ultrasound scan and pulled out my phone. I sent a text to a contact named Marcus Sterling.

Marcus owed me big time. I had secretly covered his wife’s medical bills after a brutal car crash last year.

He was discreet, incredibly capable, and had never let me down.

[I need a background check on Dr. Meyers. Get me his bank statements, phone records, and any suspicious contacts. ]

[Check specifically around November 20th of last year for massive wire transfers in or out of his accounts.]

I flagged down a taxi outside.

"Where to?" the driver asked.

I didn’t hesitate.

"Maple Crest Estates."

That was Julian's private property. He bought it after college, to get away from the main Brock family estate.

As the cab pulled away, I leaned back against the seat. My heart pounded against my ribs while the chat kept racing across my eyes.

[Wait, what?! She didn’t go through with the abortion?]

[Is she going to confront Julian right now?]

[Julian can’t stand the sight of her right now! He’s never going to believe she’s pregnant!]

An hour later, the car pulled up to the security gate. The guard recognized me immediately as I had lived here for three full years.

I walked up to the familiar front door and rang the bell.

Martha, the housekeeper, opened it. Her jaw dropped, her face instant worry.

"Ms. Reed... what are you doing back here?"

"Is Julian home?" I asked smoothly.

Martha lowered her voice to a whisper.

"He is, but Ms. Cross is with him. Maybe you should come back another day?"

"No. Right now is fine."

I brushed past her and walked straight into the main living room.

Julian was sitting on the leather sofa, a laptop resting on his knees.

Vivienne leaned close beside him, holding a delicate cup of herbal tea.

Her long hair draped over her shoulders.

She looked pale and frail from her hospital stay, but perfectly gorgeous all the same.

Both of them froze when they saw me.

Julian was the first to snap. His dark brows pulled together into a hard scowl.

"Clara? What are you doing here?"

His voice dripped with irritation and immediate suspicion. He clearly thought I was here to throw a jealous scene.

Vivienne set her teacup down and put on a soft, angelic smile.

"Clara, did you forget something? I can help you pack your things if…"

"I didn’t leave anything behind," I cut in, stepping right into the middle of the room. My eyes locked onto Julian's face.

"I came to tell you I'm pregnant."

The room went dead silent.

The color drained from Julian's face for a split second before his features hardened into pure ice.