Fate Entwined in a Shadow

Elena remained silent, ignoring the driver’s questions as she wiped tears from her cheeks.A flood of unanswered questions swirled through her mind.So Carlos has been deceiving me all this time? How long has he been involved with Vivian? she wondered, biting her lower lip tightly while sniffling.She glanced down at the pregnancy test results clutched in her hand, then replayed the painful scene she had just witnessed. Words escaped her; only tears fell.What could she do now? Announcing her pregnancy to the family might mean nothing, they would never accept a child born from what they considered a cursed woman from a cursed family.When they arrived at the mansion, Elena went straight to her room and began packing her belongings. There was no reason for her to stay in the house any longer.She was certain Vivian would soon move in, and she could not bear to live under the same roof with a friend who had betrayed her.Meanwhile, at J-tech Group, Rita was leaving the office with her s

“Where is your son? And your sister? Why are you alone in a hotel with your luggage instead of them?” the man demanded, raising his voice.Elena ignored him and started heading toward the hotel exit.Immediately the man’s instincts told him he’d been tricked by this woman, so he ran after her.“Not so fast, miss! You lied, didn’t you? How dare you fool me like this? Because of you, I lost a business deal worth millions!” He grabbed her hand firmly and stared her down.“I’m sorry, sir, but I did not lie. I can even take you to the hospital now to prove I’m really pregnant,” Elena said, trying to defend herself. While her stomach growled loudly from hunger, she had to rub her hand on it as if it would stop the noise.But the man wasn’t ready to let go. He held her hand tightly and looked at her like he might hit her.But a voice interrupted them.“Bryan! So this is it? You left me all alone just to be with her…How dare you disrespect me in such a manner!” A beautiful, fair-skinned woma

Elena looked surprised.“We already talked about this, right?” Bryan said, gently touching her from behind, trying to keep up the act.But Elena was confused. She didn’t know who the old man in the wheelchair was, and she didn’t understand why Bryan was suddenly being so nice to her.“Excuse me, I have to go now!” Elena said sharply and quickly walked away.Grandpa Morris laughed. “She’s such a sweet, shy girl. I already like her!”“Go after her, son!” he told Bryan.Bryan apologized to his grandfather and ran after Elena. He wanted to know why she helped him and to thank her for saving him.“Why are you always in such a hurry?” Bryan asked, pulling Elena back as she walked fast down the hallway.“What was that all about? Who is that old man? And why did you tell him we’re... a thing?” Elena shot back with questions.Bryan took a deep breath. He had a lot to ask Elena, but all he could say was, “Thank you for helping me…” He paused, trying to remember her name.“You’re welcome! I hope

“Her house? I need to call Jack first,” the messenger said, fumbling with the phone in his shaky hand. The messenger felt anxious, worried that the girl had stolen something from the CEO and that they might expect him to refund the money he was being paid or pay for the damage.When they arrived at the old restaurant, Jack brought his grandmother to share what she knew about Elena. Theresa appeared nervous.“I’m not here to hurt anyone. I don’t understand why you’re all acting so strangely,” Bryan tried to clear the air before asking.“Where is Elena? I need to speak with her privately!” he insisted, using her name as if he was familiar with her.“She went to the hospital; she wasn’t feeling well this morning,” Theresa replied.Bryan decided to wait but his patience was wearing thin. He excused himself, took note of the hospital's name, and set off to find her.“Thank you, doctor. I’ll be more careful next time!” Elena said gratefully, relieved that her baby was okay. But she was star

“I’m not embarrassed, just take the ring!” Elena gulped and looked at the guests staring at her. She felt foolish and weak, trying to decide what to do. She thought of leaving Bryan and his ring at that spot but it might send the old man back to the hospital, but it would at least save her from the humiliation she felt right now.“Just take the ring; I’ll tell Grandpa you called it off later,” Bryan whispered, with a reassuring face.Elena scratched her neatly styled hair, her hands trembling, which her heart contemplated on what to do.“Come on, pretty lady, say yes already!” one man shouted,Elena was making them wait for long.Without saying anything, Bryan slid the ring onto her finger. The crowd clapped, but Elena stayed calm, refusing to smile and perplexed.She wondered why she allowed Bryan to do that, she had the whole opportunity to run out but she didn't.She remained quiet throughout the dinner, which felt more like her engagement party. Strange faces congratulated her, a