Chapter 1; The First Love Is Back

Anastasia's POV

“Don't fall in love with me. Being Mrs Brooke is the only thing I can give you... don't get greedy.”

Those were my husband, Tristan Brooke's, words on the night of our marriage. And like a lovestruck girl, I accepted them because it was a contract marriage at least on his side. On my side, I agreed because I had been in love with Tristan Brooke since childhood.

I had a crush on him ever since I started visiting the Brooke family as a child. When a lot of people found out about my feelings for him, they thought I was dreaming, because compared to the Brooke family's wealth and influence, my family, the Lancasters, could only be considered average. That was why people called me a Cinderella when Tristan married me.

But what they didn't know was that I became his substitute bride after his first love disappeared without a trace five years ago. That was how I became his contractual wife for five years.

“And in five years, nothing has changed,” I mumbled, staring at the cold, empty space beside me before letting out a heavy sigh.

Even after five years, Tristan's heart hadn't swayed towards me even a little. He never treated me badly, and there were times when we shared moments that felt like those of a real married couple, like last night, when we had reckless sex that made my toes curl with pleasure.

Yet even after that, I became greedy.

I wanted more.

“What a greedy girl you are, Anastasia,” I whispered to myself as I tried to get out of bed.

The moment I stood up, my entire body protested. Every muscle ached from the events of last night. I couldn't believe that man, a complete beast, who hadn't let me sleep a wink all night, had still managed to leave before I woke up.

Maybe that was what it took to be the capable CEO of the Brooke Group.

“Good morning, ma'am,” Nia, my maid, chirped from outside the bedroom.

I let out a sigh of frustration, already knowing she was about to nag me out of bed.

Nia had been my attending maid ever since I married Tristan. We were almost the same age, which made it easy for us to get along.

She walked into the room after I gave her permission, but the moment her eyes landed on the clothes scattered across the floor, her cheeks immediately turned red.

“This... such a wild cat you are!” she teased.

I simply shook my head.

I forced myself to stand, intending to take a shower, but before I could take more than a few steps, my vision swam.

The room tilted.

My legs wobbled beneath me, and I nearly collapsed back onto the bed.

Before I could even complain to Nia, a strange wave of nausea washed over me the moment she came closer. Her perfume suddenly smelled overwhelmingly strong, making my stomach churn.

I frowned, pressing a hand against my stomach as the feeling lingered for a few seconds before slowly fading.

“What's that? Have you changed your perfume?” I asked.

Nia gave me a confused look, but before she could answer, another wave of nausea hit me much stronger this time.

I couldn't hold it back.

I sprinted into the bathroom and threw up, only coming back out after I had emptied my stomach completely.

“Are you alright, ma'am?” Nia asked worriedly.

I nodded.

“Maybe it's because I skipped dinner yesterday,” I muttered, brushing it off as nothing more than an upset stomach.

“But that's not true. You skipped dinner because you couldn't stand any of the food we served you. You've also been more tired than usual. With everything going on, I just blamed it on stress.”

Her words made me stop in my tracks.

“If someone didn't know any better, they'd think you were pregnant.”

My eyes widened. Pregnant?

As soon as the word left her mouth, it hit me. I hadn't had my monthly flow for two months. Judging by the look on Nia's face, she'd realised it too because she rushed out of the room without another word.

She returned moments later with a pregnancy test kit, and I ran into the bathroom. My hands trembled as I stared at it.

A few endless minutes later…

“Two red lines...” I breathed.

I couldn't believe what I was holding. After five years of being married to Tristan Brooke...I was finally pregnant.

I was carrying Tristan Brooke's child. For the first time in years, it felt as though someone had finally painted colour over my dull, grey world. I didn't even realise tears had gathered in my eyes until I blinked.

I had to tell Tristan. I briefly considered going to the Brooke Group headquarters myself, but I knew I'd only interrupt his work. There were days when he didn't even come home because of how busy he was.

So instead, I called him.

“Are you going to come home tonight?” I asked softly, already preparing myself for his usual cold refusal.

“Yes.”

The single word almost made me jump with excitement. Somehow, I managed to hold it in.

“Okay... then I'll wait for you. I have something to tell you.”

After hanging up, I spent the rest of the day eagerly waiting for dinner. I had nothing else to do anyway.

By evening, I personally arranged the dining table, filling it with every dish Tristan liked. But as the hours passed, the night grew colder. And Tristan never came home.

“I think you should go upstairs, ma'am,” one of the maids said gently. “I don't think the young master is coming home tonight.”

I smiled and shook my head.

“You all should retire for the night. I'll wait for him myself.”

The maids exchanged worried glances. “Tristan doesn't break his promises easily,” I said confidently. “I'm sure he'll come home tonight.”

So I waited.. and waited.

Somewhere along the way, while sitting at the dining table, I fell asleep. When I finally opened my eyes..morning sunlight has shone outside, while I was left with a stiff neck from sleeping at the dinner table.

The untouched feast sitting cold on the dining table told me everything I needed to know. Tristan hadn't come home. Disappointment squeezed my heart, but I refused to let it show.

“I must have misheard Tristan yesterday,” I told the maids with a faint smile. “He probably said he wouldn't be coming home. You can clear the table now.”

Then I quietly walked away. The entire day passed without a single phone call. Not even a message. By dinner time, I was in the kitchen when one of the maids suddenly came running towards me.

“The young master is back!”

That was all I heard.

I rushed out of the kitchen without a second thought, my apron still hanging around my neck, my face damp with sweat from cooking.

“Tristan, you're back!”

I beamed, unable to hide my excitement as I looked at my impossibly handsome husband like a teenage girl seeing her childhood crush.

I couldn't wait to tell him we were going to have a baby. But the smile on my face froze. A familiar silhouette stepped out from behind him.

“Anastasia...” she called with a gentle smile. The world around me seemed to collapse as my eyes locked onto hers.

Serena.

What was Tristan's first love doing in my home?

“Why is she here?” I asked, forcing a smile onto my face as I struggled to hide the panic clawing at my chest. My insides burned with anxiety.

Serena was back...since when?