Chapter 2

Back from the immigration office, Zoe locked herself in the bedroom and dragged an old wooden chest out from under the bed. Inside were keepsakes from ten years of loving Sebastian: the star necklace he'd given her when he first told her how he felt, her first pair of red-soled heels, a graduation gift from him, and even the wedding dress he'd designed and sketched himself.

Every memory cut into her, until it felt as though her heart were being carved apart. She ran her fingers over each keepsake, tears streaming down her face.

Was loving just one woman really so hard, Sebastian?

"Zo, I canceled my business trip."

His voice reached her from downstairs. Hastily wiping her tears away, she got up to push the chest back under the bed, but a vicious pain tore through her lower abdomen. Her legs buckled, and she fell to her knees.

"Zo! Why are you so pale?"

Sebastian scooped her into his arms as wave after wave of pain left her drenched in cold sweat.

"It hurts..."

With one last cry, she lost consciousness.

When she finally began to come around, Sebastian immediately took her hand. His voice shook.

"Zo, you're finally awake. Does anything still hurt?"

"Sebastian, what's wrong with me? Am I sick?"

"No, Zo. You're... pregnant. The doctor said you fainted because of severe emotional stress. It's my fault. I wasn't paying attention. I should have noticed the changes in your body."

Her hand trembled as she brought it to her lower abdomen. She was carrying Sebastian's child, now, of all times.

He gave a soft chuckle at her stunned expression and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"There'll be three of us now, Zo. A family. I promise I'll take good care of you and the baby."

Tears filled her eyes. She'd imagined this moment countless times, but now she couldn't smile. Her child might spend a lifetime branded illegitimate.

"I know carrying this baby won't be easy on you, Zo. Nothing will ever matter more to us than this child."

His eyes were full of love as he rested his large hand over her abdomen, its warmth seeping through to her.

Throughout her five days in the hospital, Sebastian cared for her tirelessly. Every day, he asked the doctors about pregnancy precautions, learning their advice so thoroughly that he could recite it by heart. Patients and nurses alike envied her such an attentive husband, but Zoe couldn't stop wondering whom he'd really learned all this for. Did he have such an extraordinary memory, or was he already familiar with everything from caring for another woman?

On the day of her discharge, he'd cleared his work schedule so they could go home together. Then a phone call changed his plans, and he hailed her a cab instead.

"Something urgent's come up at the company. I'll be home as soon as I've dealt with it."

After a light kiss on her forehead, he hurried away. Zoe rested a hand on her abdomen and smiled bitterly. The sun was shining, but she couldn't feel any warmth.

She'd seen who was calling. It was Yvonne.

For the first time, Zoe didn't want to hurry back to the home she shared with Sebastian. She asked the driver to let her out at an intersection so she could walk the rest of the way slowly.

With three seconds left on the red light, a powerful shove hit her from behind. The world spun and went black. All she could hear was the shriek of brakes, followed by the sensation of her body being thrown high into the air.

...

Agonizing pain brought Zoe back to consciousness. It felt as though her internal organs had been smashed, and every breath tasted of blood.

"Yvonne is my legal wife. Any children I have must be hers. We can't give anyone anything to use against the Lawson family. Wipe all the traffic camera footage and make sure everyone who needs to keep quiet does. Remember, Zo's crash was just an accident."

She knew that voice, but every word struck her heart like a crushing weight. Trembling uncontrollably, she stared in disbelief at Sebastian, who stood with his back to her, talking on the phone.

To protect his wife and the Lawson family, he'd actually arranged an accident to kill their child.

Heartbreak overwhelmed the pain in her body. As she stared at the back of the man she'd loved for so many years, a chill spread through her entire body.

Sebastian ended the call with a soft sigh. When he turned and met her cool, distant gaze, alarm jolted through him. His fingers involuntarily tightened around his phone.

"Zo, you... When did you wake up?"