Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Katherine's eyes fluttered open, greeted by a bright, sterile light overhead. Her gaze slowly focused, and she recognized the smiling face of Dr. Philly, one of the family doctors who had tended to Massimo during his coma.

"Ma'am Katherine, can you hear me?" His voice was gentle.

"What... what happened?" She asked, trying to sit up.

"Easy now," Dr. Philly’s hand pressed lightly on her shoulder. "You fainted. But don’t worry. I’ve some news for you."

"News?" A chill threaded through her veins. "What news?"

"Congratulations," he announced, his warm smile unwavering. "You’re two weeks pregnant."

The words slammed into her. Pregnant?

No. This couldn’t be happening.

A child? Now?

Her chest tightened as a whirlwind of thoughts crashed over her. How was she supposed to handle this? With how cold Massimo had been toward her since waking up, his hateful gaze, his cruel words... How was she supposed to bring a child into this chaos?

Yes, she’d consented to this, she understood how it was supposed to be from the start, but now, in the face of it, everything felt overwhelming.

No! She couldn’t let anyone know yet. Not until she figured this out. Or, maybe she could terminate it before anyone would know?

Dr. Philly’s smile wavered ever so slightly, a flicker of concern crossing his face. "Ma’am, are you alright? You don’t seem... pleased with the news."

Katherine forced herself to breathe. "Doctor... may I ask a favor?"

"Of course," he replied.

"You haven’t told anyone, have you? Not a soul?”

"Not at all. I came straight to you."

Relief mingled with terror. "Good. Please, keep this between us. No one from the Hollingsworth family must know—not yet. I will tell them... when the time is right."

Dr. Philly’s eyes softened, but he still hesitated. He knew the history of how the lady had came to be in the Hollingsworth family and he understood her fears.

Yet, he knew the weight of the name "Hollingsworth", a family of influence, power. Keeping this from them was a gamble, one that could shatter his career or worse.

But the desperation in Katherine’s gaze was unmistakable.

"Very well, ma’am," he agreed. "This stays between us."

Katherine’s tension didn’t ease, but she masked it with a smile. "Thank you, Doctor. May I see my father now?"

Her father was in the VIP ward of the exclusive Hollingsworth Private Hospital, receiving the best care. Madam Elizabeth had transferred him here.

Her sister was still missing, though. Each moment of silence gnawed at her, with a dread of what the kidnapper could be doing to her. Was she suffering? Crying out for help?

And then there were the messages. The cryptic, threatening texts that arrived at odd hours.

Could it be James? She didn’t want to believe it, but the suspicion festered.

“Have my daughter been seen?" Her father asked the moment she got to his ward.

She gulped. “No."

Her father only nodded.

“I'm so sorry for all you're going through because of me, Katherine. I'm so sorry, I've not been a good father." He broke into tears.

"It's okay dad, I'll be fine. You've been the best father anyone could wish for. All of these isn't your fault.”

After ensuring her father was stable, she made a brief stop at the police station, pressing the officers for any updates. But nothing so far.

Returning to the mansion, her mind asn't settled. But all thoughts screeched to a halt the moment she stepped into the living room.

Her breath caught.

Massimo, once comatose, sat in a wheelchair, smoking a cigarette.

Around him stood several men dressed in dark suits.

But it wasn’t just Massimo who left her stunned.

On the polished marble floor was a trembling and weeping James. His designer shirt clung to him, stained with sweat and streaks of blood. He knelt before Massimo, sobbing like a lost child.

"Brother, please… I was only looking out for you… I-I prayed for your recovery. Ask Aunt Elizabeth!"

Massimo took a slow drag of his cigarette. "Prayed?" He laughed, a low, dangerous sound. "You mean you prayed I’d never wake up. Didn’t you, James? You saw an opportunity… thought you could seize my inheritance. Pathetic."

Massimo eaned back. "And now you kneel, sniveling like a worm. Tell me, little brother, how does it feel?"

A cruel silence followed, broken only by James’s choked sobs. His fingers clutched at Massimo’s leg desperately.

But in his eyes, beneath the tears, Katherine saw a flicker of rage. Hatred. Even in humiliation, he was plotting.

Katherine instinctively stepped back. Whatever this was, it was a war of brothers. She needed to leave.

But before she could retreat, a deep voice cut through the air.

"Leaving so soon? Or are you a thief now too?"

Katherine froze, turning like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Every gaze locked onto her, including Jame’s.

Massimo gestured for everyone to go out.

James glared at Katherine before going with a grunt of pain. He would have Massimo humiliated soon as he'd did him.

Within seconds, it was only two of them left.

"I heard my aunt has chosen you to be my wife. And the whispers say might be carrying my child already." Massimo spoke.

A chill ran through her body. "Ye…Yes. But I’m not… I’m not pregnant."

"And if you were," he said, his tone deathly calm, "I’d have it aborted. No child will be used as a pawn against me. Not even from your worthless family will my child come from."

Her face drained of color, her heart pounding. A shadow crossed the doorway, and Mrs. Rachael, the head maid, stepped in.

"Master Massimo, if I may," Mrs. Rachael spoke. "Madam Elizabeth proposed this idea herself. Ma'am Katherine was given no choice in the matter."

Massimo's gaze snapped to her, cold. "And who gave you the right to barge into my conversation?"

Mrs. Racheal’s lowered her head. "I'm sorry, Master.”

Katherine stepped forward. "Massimo, I…"

"Massimo? That filthy mouth of yours dares speak my name?" His voice was venomous.

Her pulse raced. "I’m sorry, then… baby." The sarcasm slipped before she could stop it.

A shadow darkened Massimo’s gaze, his jaw tightening.

“I’m not pregnant!” Katherine’s said before he could lose his temper, her fingers knotting together. “I swear!”

Massimo’s silence was a slow suffocation. His piercing eyes swept over her, calculating.

Finally, he nodded.

“Pack your things. You’ll move to the maid’s quarters,” he commanded.“Until I decide what to do with you, you’re nothing more than a maid.”

Her heart plummeted.

“I suggested it to your father before he tried to kill me. He owes me, and so do you. Living under my roof, eating my food—you’ll work for every bite. And you’ll help pay his debts. You’re no wife of mine.”

Katherine’s eyes darted to Mrs. Rachael, whose face was a mask of pity.

“Is that clear?” His demanded, smoke curling from the cigarette clutched between his fingers.

“Y-yes.”

“It’s yes, master. Because from now on, I’m your boss.”

A shudder ran through her as she nodded, her throat tight. No escape. No mercy.

*****

Two days later, the dining hall hummed with the subdued chatter of the Hollingsworth family over breakfast. Katherine sat at the far end, her fingers trembling faintly around her fork. Every bite felt like swallowing glass.

She’d helped set the table with the other maids, had even tried slipping into the kitchen to eat, but then Massimo’s voice had called her back. She’d been frozen, stunned, as he ordered her to take a seat at the table.

Mocking whispers had followed her in the last two days she started working with the maid. The other staff snickers, and even some of Massimo’s relatives would cast derisive glances her way.

Only Mrs. Racheal showed her kindness.

Katherine hadn’t seen Madam Elizabeth since the night she fainted. Later, she learned the woman had fallen ill and gone to visit her mother, leaving only Katherine to fend for herself in the cold.

Even James had disappeared since the day Massimo punished him, but she didn't care.

Across the table, Uncle Dan was glaring at her.

Her gaze shifted instinctively and it went straight into the storm of Massimo’s eyes. He watched her like a hunter.

A whisper brushed Katherine’s ear. "You should speak with him more, Ma’am Katherine. He might end up liking you." Mrs. Racheal said.

"I don’t want to," she whispered back. "He made it clear two days ago. And let’s not forget I’m the daughter of the man who put him in that wheelchair. A maid too."

"Hey, Katherine." Amy, Massimo's sister, called out to her. "Pass me the drink."

The drink was within Amy’s reach, but Katherine passed it to her. She knew Amy was only trying to mock her.

"When will you be sending her away, brother?" Sienna, another of Massimo's cousins, suddenly asked.

The air thickened. Eyes darted between Katherine and Massimo.

Uncle Dan leaned forward, sneering. "Massimo, or have you forgotten who she is? The daughter of the man who destroyed you. You've reduced her to a maid, but what if she poisons us all? I still don’t understand what Aunt sees in her or what she's still doing in this home”.

Katherine’s spoon slipped from her grasp. "I… I need to use the restroom," she stammered, pushing back her chair.

But she barely took a step when Massimo’s voice lashed out. "I’m getting a divorce. I'll have my lawyer prepare the documents. And the debt your father owes me, ensure it’s payable immediately. Your presence irks me too much already."

The room was a frozen tableau of cruel satisfaction. Uncle Dan’s lips curled in a satisfied sneer.

Katherine’s throat tightened, but she met Massimo’s gaze without flinching. "Fine. Let me know when you’re ready."

But then his demand clawed at her. Where would she find that kind of money?

Massimo leaned back, a cold smile tracing his lips. "Seven days. Once Aunt is fully recovered."

Her hands trembled, but she didn’t dare let them see her fear. Seven days. Seven days to save herself. She placed her hand on her tummy, a ritual she've found herself doing unconsciously since she got pregnant.

Massimo's eyes snapped to the hand and she quickly removed it.

"Perfect," she said.

She turned to leave, but Massimo’s voice stopped her cold.

"Oh, and before you leave… everyone, I’d like to introduce my real family. My wife and daughter. They’re right outside."

Gasps rippled around the room, followed by a stunned silence.

“What!"

“But you've never been seen with a woman, let alone having a child."

Questions erupted.

"Come in," Massimo said, not even giving his relatives attention.

The door creaked open, and the room seemed to inhale as one. Katherine staggered slightly.

Standing at the entrance was a woman who looked almost identical to Katherine. Same striking features, same slender frame. Only her hair differed which was cascade of blonde unlike her red's.

But it wasn’t the doppelgänger that left Katherine so breathless.

Clinging to the woman’s hand was Thelma, her sister, the sister who’d been missing for days.

Uncle Dan voice rose in disbelief. "What? How? You never had a woman, let alone a daughter! Who the hell is this?!”

Some were still looking at Katherine and the new lady at the same time, stunned.

"Meet my hidden wife, Kassandra Hollingsworth." Massimo voice was calm, cold. "And my little adorable daughter, Myra Hollingsworth."