Chapter 10

Ava

“So, Ava,” the doctor said gently, adjusting his glasses as he looked at me over the file. “You mentioned you’ve been feeling nauseous, yes? And you said your breasts feel sore?”

I nodded quickly, my hands gripping the edge of the chair. “Yes. And I… I vomited last night. Twice.” My voice cracked on the last word, and I hated how small it sounded.

He scribbled something down, then glanced up again. “Alright. Let’s go through a few questions before we do anything. When was your last period?”

I swallowed hard, eyes darting to the floor. “Almost two months ago.”

His brows lifted slightly, but he just nodded. “And your last sexual intercourse? When was that?”

Heat crawled up my neck. My throat tightened. “Um… it was… a few weeks ago. With my husband.” The lie slipped out automatically. I couldn’t say Julian. I couldn’t breathe his name in this room.

The doctor hummed softly, still writing. “Any unusual bleeding? Cramps?”

“No,” I whispered. My stomach twisted as I sat there, fidgeting with the strap of my bag.

He leaned back in his chair, studying me with calm, clinical eyes. “Well, Ava, from what you’re describing, pregnancy is a strong possibility. But of course,”—he offered a small, reassuring smile—“we’ll run a test first. We don’t assume.”

I nodded, my chest tightening.

“Alright,” he continued, rising to his feet. “The nurse will take a sample. We’ll have the results in just a few minutes. Try to relax.”

Relax. The word sounded like a cruel joke.

I followed the nurse numbly, gave what they needed, then returned to the waiting area. My legs bounced restlessly as I sat, my hands clasped together so tight my knuckles ached. Every tick of the clock on the wall sounded louder, sharper, digging into my head.

Minutes crawled by until the doctor finally returned, a sheet of paper in his hands. He sat across from me, his expression gentle, careful.

“Ava,” he said softly, “the results are positive. You are pregnant.”

The words slammed into me, and for a moment, the room tilted. My breath caught in my throat, my vision blurring.

Positive.

It wasn’t just the little plastic sticks anymore. It was real. It was written down. It was official.

And it was the last thing I wanted to hear.

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I sat at the edge of my mom’s bed, spooning soup slowly to her lips. She looked so fragile lying there, her skin pale, her hands trembling each time she reached for the bowl. I steadied her hand with mine, forcing a smile even though my chest was still heavy from what the doctor had told me.

“Eat a little more, Mom,” I whispered. “You’ll get stronger.”

She nodded but studied my face carefully. “Ava… what’s wrong?” Her voice was soft but sharp, cutting through me like she could see straight into my chest. “Is Roman treating you right?”

I shook my head quickly. “No, no, it’s not that.”

Her brows furrowed. “I heard from your father that you moved out… into Roman’s house. Has it settled down out there? I’ve been stuck here a whole month, after the shock of everything—the media, the press. Are they still trying to roast you for marrying your father’s enemy? For… for running away from Julian the way you did?”

The words hit me like tiny knives. The memory of that night, the chaos, the whispers, the headlines—it all still stung. I looked down, stirring the soup absentmindedly.

Then Mom’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry, Ava. For everything.” Her voice cracked as she reached for my hand. “For forcing you to marry Julian. For not protecting you. And your father…” Her face twisted in pain. “What he did with your charity, how he seized everything—I’ll never forgive him for that.”

“Mom,” I whispered, squeezing her hand. My own tears blurred my vision. “It’s fine. I’m fine. Don’t cry. Please.”

But we both broke anyway, tears streaming down our cheeks as we held each other. I buried my face into her shoulder like I was a child again. For a moment, the weight of everything lifted—because at least I still had her.

After a while, I tried to lighten the mood. “You know, I was supposed to be this brilliant charity founder, the one helping everyone. Now look at me. Bankrupt. Scandal everywhere. My father turned me into his enemy overnight.”

Mom let out a watery laugh through her tears. “You inherited that stubborn streak from me, you know.”

We both laughed then, shaky but real, holding onto each other like laughter was the only thing keeping us from breaking again.

Eventually, I wiped her tears and kissed her forehead. “I should go, Mom. I can’t be here when Dad comes to discharge you. But I promise—I’ll come by the house whenever I can. Whether he likes it or not.”

She nodded, smiling faintly, and I kissed her again before slipping out.

When I got home, Roman was in the bedroom, buttoning his crisp white shirt in front of the mirror. He looked every bit the man in control, perfectly composed.

He glanced at me briefly. “Good. You’re here. Get dressed.”

I frowned. “For what?”

He didn’t even pause, just adjusted his cufflinks. “You’ll be working at King Holdings starting today.”

My eyes widened. “What? No. Absolutely not. I already have work. My charity—I’m trying to keep it alive after everything that’s happened. After you…” My voice rose, my throat tightening. “After you caused that scandal!”

Roman finally turned to me, his gaze sharp, steady. “My decision is final.”

I stared at him, heat rushing to my face, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. “You can’t just decide that for me!”

He stepped closer, lowering his voice, every word deliberate. “I can. And I have. You’re my wife, Ava. And I’m waiting for you in the car.”

He turned away, leaving me standing there, my chest rising and falling, fury and panic tangling in my veins.

I stood there for a long moment after Roman left the room, staring at the door like maybe if I wished hard enough, it wouldn’t be real. But it was. Living under his roof meant living under his rules. Contract or not, I wasn’t free.

With a heavy sigh, I opened the wardrobe and pulled out a cream blouse and black skirt. My hands moved mechanically, buttoning, zipping, smoothing down fabric, but my mind was racing.

It’s just a year, Ava. Just a year, and you’ll be out of here. You and your baby.

The thought made my throat close up. No matter how hard I tried to push it down, the truth kept crawling back. Roman would find out eventually about the pregnancy. There was no way to hide something like this forever. But for now… for now, I had to keep it buried.

I slipped on my shoes, grabbed my bag, and headed for the door. Then my eyes caught something—just there, on the bed.

I froze.

A ring.