Chapter 3: A Lie That Changed Everything

Damian stared at the brown envelope lying on his desk.

The elegant handwriting across the front read:

For Damian.

His fingers hovered over it for a moment before he finally broke the seal.

"What are you doing?" Vanessa asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Damian ignored her.

He unfolded the first sheet.

His eyes widened.

It was a medical report from St. Mary's Hospital.

The patient's name read:

Aurora Bennett Blackwood.

Below it was another line that caught his attention.

Reason for Visit: Prenatal Examination.

His heartbeat slowed.

"Prenatal?"

He turned the page, but before he could read another word, Vanessa snatched the report from his hands.

"Enough!" she snapped.

Damian frowned.

"Give it back."

Vanessa forced a laugh, but her hands trembled.

"It's obviously fake."

"She probably made it to manipulate you."

Damian held out his hand.

"I said... give it back."

Reluctantly, Vanessa returned the papers.

He continued reading.

His breathing became uneven.

Pregnancy Confirmed: Six Weeks.

His eyes froze on the words.

Pregnant?

Aurora was carrying his child?

His mind raced.

No...

That couldn't be possible.

If she had known...

Why hadn't she told him?

Then another memory surfaced.

Aurora's tear-filled eyes.

"I never betrayed you."

For the first time since the divorce, doubt crept into his heart.

He looked up.

"Did you know about this?"

Vanessa quickly shook her head.

"Of course not."

"She's lying."

Damian studied her face.

She avoided his eyes.

It was only for a second.

But he noticed.

"Vanessa."

Her smile disappeared.

"What?"

"Look at me."

She slowly lifted her head.

"If she's pregnant..."

He paused.

"...then why would she leave without saying anything?"

Vanessa folded her arms.

"Because she's trying to make you feel guilty."

Damian wasn't convinced.

Aurora had many flaws.

Manipulation had never been one of them.

He picked up his phone.

"I'm calling the hospital."

Vanessa's heart skipped a beat.

"No!"

The word escaped before she could stop herself.

Damian narrowed his eyes.

"Why are you panicking?"

"I'm not."

"You are."

Silence filled the office.

Vanessa quickly regained her composure.

"You'll embarrass yourself if you chase after her."

"You've already divorced her."

"Just let it go."

Damian slipped the report back into the envelope.

"No."

"I need the truth."

---

Across the city...

Aurora sat quietly in the back seat of the taxi.

The driver glanced at her through the mirror.

"We're almost there."

She nodded.

The familiar streets brought back childhood memories.

Simple memories.

Happy memories.

Nothing like the luxurious but lonely life she had lived inside Blackwood Manor.

The taxi stopped in front of a modest white house.

Before Aurora could pay, the front door burst open.

Her mother ran outside.

"Aurora!"

Within seconds, she was wrapped in her mother's warm embrace.

"What happened?"

"Why are you soaked?"

Aurora couldn't answer.

She simply broke down.

Her father hurried outside, his face filled with worry.

"Sweetheart..."

The sight of her luggage and tear-stained face told him everything.

Without asking a single question, he hugged his daughter.

"You don't have to explain tonight."

"You're home."

Aurora closed her eyes.

For the first time in hours...

She felt safe.

---

Back at Blackwood Holdings...

Damian arrived early the next morning.

He walked straight into the security department.

"I need every surveillance recording from the last three months."

The head of security looked confused.

"Sir?"

"Now."

Minutes later, the footage began playing.

Damian watched silently.

Meeting after meeting.

Hallway after hallway.

Nothing unusual.

Then one clip caught his attention.

Aurora entered his office carrying a small gift box and a brown envelope.

She smiled as she placed both on his desk.

Just moments later, Damian received an urgent phone call and rushed out.

A few minutes after that...

Vanessa entered the office.

She looked around carefully.

Then she picked up the gift box.

She opened it.

Her expression changed.

Next, she picked up the brown envelope.

She stared at it for several seconds before slipping it into a drawer.

Damian leaned forward.

"What happened after that?"

The technician fast-forwarded the footage.

Hours later, Vanessa removed the envelope from the drawer and placed it beneath a stack of contracts.

His face darkened.

"Zoom in."

The technician enlarged the video.

There was no mistake.

Vanessa had hidden Aurora's envelope.

Damian's fists clenched.

"What else has she hidden from me?"

His phone vibrated.

The caller ID displayed one name.

Vanessa Sterling.

He stared at it for a long moment.

Then...

He declined the call.

For the first time, Damian Blackwood realized the woman he trusted most might be the one who had destroyed his marriage.

End of Chapter 3

Cliffhanger: Damian orders a full investigation into every piece of evidence that accused Aurora of betrayal, unaware that Vanessa has already begun destroying anything that could expose her lies.