Chapter 1

LAURA — 01

The man I married isn’t the man I thought I loved.

In the mirror, my hands smoothed his tie, my touch steady, my faith steadier. Just being near my husband melted me.

“I’m going to send a car later today,” Michael said, voice low. His hands slid to my waist, pulling me close.

I gasped as his fingers traced circles around my waist before tipping my chin, our eyes locking as I inhaled his scent. 

“You’ll be late,” I said, breathless. 

“Can’t I kiss my wife?” he asked, his lips turning up in a smile that lit up fireworks in my heart. 

He hooked two fingers in his tie, undoing my work in mere minutes as his other hand pressed me to the mirror, my leg slid around his hip.

My breath stuttered, his hands caressing my cheeks just before his lips touched mine. Then his phone cut through the moment.

A soft growl left his lips as he let me down gently and brought the phone out of his pocket. A frown creased his brows. He muttered an apology and walked away 

from me. 

I pressed my palm to my sternum, willing my pulse to behave. Five years in, Michael was still the man I fell in love with. The same man who had stayed through diagnoses and bad nights, the kind of man who learned my pill schedule by heart and could turn me on in a heartbeat.

His phone to his ear, he mouthed, ‘I’ll be late’, then kissed my neck but my stomach had churned and the room tilted. Nausea hit hard.

He must have noticed because he ended the call abruptly and made a turn to be in front of me. 

“Are you okay? You’re sweating, babe,” he said, voice tight and I managed to suck in a bit of air.

“I’m fine,” I lied, swallowing bile but a frown deepened on his face. He fished for something in his pocket only to bring out my stomach medicine but I shoved past him and dropped to the toilet. My stomach heaved until there was nothing left.

One hand gathered my hair; the other rubbed my back.

“Shit,” Michael’s voice echoed in the room and I pried open my eyes. He was going to be late if he stayed here taking care of me. I knew how important this meeting was. 

I waved a hand, trying to make it seem like I was ok.

“I’d better cancel,” he said and whipped out his phone. My eyes widened in disbelief. I snatched the phone from him immediately.

“Laura, what are you doing?” He asked in confusion as I forced my legs to stand up. 

“You’re going to be late for your meeting, you need to go. I’ll be okay,” I said even as I fought another wave of nausea. 

His frown was deepened. “In case you haven’t noticed, you’re not okay. The meeting can wait,” he said but I shook my head. I knew how much work he put across just to get a shot at Dragon Co. three years of careful preparation. I had waited years for a miracle.I wasn’t going to be the reason why he lost his. 

“No. Go. You’ve chased Dragon Co. for three years. If I’m not okay, I’ll call. You’ll leave.” I said. 

“Laura,” he trailed but I nodded my head in assurance.

He hesitated but kissed my cheek. “Call me. Not a minute too late.”

I watched him walk away, the latch clicked. The nausea surged and I folded to the tile. Seconds later, I walked out of the bathroom to see the white bottle of stomach medication resting on the bedside table. Even shaky, I couldn’t help the small smile.

Six times this month. I’d already booked a consult. 

Michael worried way too much which was why I didn’t tell him. He’d drop everything and later on we’d find out it was just an allergic reaction to the stomach meds. 

It wouldn’t be the first time. 

I got dressed and was well away from the clinic when Michael’s text pinged my phone.

[ This meeting’s boring without you. How are you feeling? Should I still get the car for tonight’s charity ball or should we call it in? How does hot cocoa and your favorite blanket sound? Or would you prefer we finish what we started earlier?;) ] 

His sweetness was enough to pull a big smile on my face. It was crazy how five years ago, people had called him the fallen CEO.

The one broken by Kayla Waters’ death. His first love.

It was one of the many reasons why our families had struck an arrangement. I was only lucky to have had a crush on him for years but everything changed when we met for the first time. It was love at first sight. I had married a man who loved me. Through and through. 

I checked in at our family clinic and took a seat in Dr. Alex’s office and he listened with rapt attention as I told him my symptoms and he frowned.

“Could it be the stomach medications? I want you to take a look at it,” I said with a slight smile even as my hands touched my stomach in an attempt to calm it down. 

“Still nauseous?” He asked and I nodded, placing a handkerchief to my mouth. 

“I see. Let’s run a panel and a quick hCG, just to rule things out.” he said but I felt uneasy, so I rubbed my stomach calmly.

Preparations for the blood sample were being carried out when I remembered that I hadn’t replied to Michael’s text.

[ Still boring? Being tucked under your arms feels just about right but how about after the charity ball as planned? I feel much better already. I’m sure you were right, I just needed the stomach medications. Thanks for leaving them for me. I love you.]

I winced a bit when I realized it’s been nearly an hour after he sent that text. Three dots blinked. Joy flared then vanished as the dots disappeared.

I frowned. Then thought nothing of it. After all, he had said he was in the meeting, although I knew the meeting was supposed to last around an hour. 

He was busy. My blood had been taken into the laboratory and I was scrolling on my phone, looking through my husband’s company “Delta Co”  on social media. He looked even more handsome on camera.

As I scrolled, a familiar face stabbed through the screen. I frowned as I zoomed in at the last entry. Delta Co’s tagged story showed him at L’Ambroisie, shaking hands with a woman whose face tugged at my memory.

Why was he at a restaurant instead of his Dragon Co. meeting? Or did I not hear him correctly? Didn’t he say he was doing a meeting at his office? 

The exam-room door opened and the doctor walked in. His face lifted in a way that showed good news. I put the phone away. 

“Good news,the meds aren’t the cause.” he said but I frowned. If the meds aren’t the reason for the nausea, Doesn’t that mean it was something worse?