Chapter 133

“Yo, Gracie, it’s lunch time,” a coworker said, knocking lightly before sticking his head into her office. “Rosaria said that good-looking lunch container on the counter is yours. Do you think I could have it?”

Autumn glanced up from her desk, her mind entirely detached from the office around her. “Sure,” she replied quietly.

The coworker offered a quick word of thanks and left, leaving her alone with her thoughts. For the rest of the afternoon, she was trapped in a cycle of overthinking, mentally preparing for what she would do when she went home. When the workday finally ended, she walked out of the department, responding to her colleagues' halfhearted waves with a distant nod.

She climbed into the awaiting car, leaning her head against the cool glass of the window as the driver pulled out into traffic. The news of the impending divorce still weighed heavily on her chest. As the city lights blurred past, her thoughts swam with the legal realities of what a separation from Eric Kingston would actually look like.

Financially, she would gain immensely. The settlement from Eric would include properties and enough capital to secure her future permanently. She would likely sell the estate back to him immediately, knowing how desperately he valued his family's legacy. She would walk out of the marriage a multimillionaire—perhaps even a billionaire—but she would lose the one thing that actually mattered to her: Fin.

The initial contract she had signed handed Eric full custody in the event of a divorce. If it came to a legal battle, she would be forced to watch her son be raised by another woman. Even if she attempted to sue for custody, how could she possibly prove she had been coerced into signing the original paperwork? Eric was filthy rich; he wouldn't just fight her in court—he would hire the most ruthless attorneys in the city to destroy her before she could even secure more visitation time.

‘I’ll just have to make do with what I have,’ she thought, letting out a soft, melancholic sigh against the glass.

Her hand moved downward, gently tracing the subtle curve of her stomach. ‘I still have you...’ she whispered to herself. The original contract had specified Fin, but it hadn't accounted for the new baby growing inside her. If the worst happened, she would at least leave with one child, visiting her firstborn only when Eric permitted it.

The car finally pulled into the mansion's compound, steering into the garage. The moment Autumn stepped out, a small blur of energy rushed toward her.

“Mommy!” Fin’s excited voice echoed through the space as he threw his arms around her legs. “I’ve been waiting for you all day!”

He pulled back, his cheeks puffing out in an adorable pout. The sight instantly melted the ice around her heart. ‘I don’t think I could ever part from you,’ she thought, her expression softening with deep affection as she knelt to gently massage his plump cheeks.

Hours later, the bedroom was cast in darkness apart from a nightlight. Autumn lay in bed, hugging a sleeping Fin tightly to her chest. The little boy had refused to sleep alone tonight, and she had been entirely unwilling to part from him, letting him drift off in the safety of her arms.

‘Knock.

The soft sound on the other side of the door broke the silence. Autumn carefully slipped out from under Fin, tucking the blankets around him before walking over to answer it. When she cracked the door open, she was met with the one person she wasn't ready to face.

“Hey. You still awake?” Eric asked, an easygoing smile instantly plastering over his face.

“Yeah, I was about to be,” Autumn said, trying to keep her tone completely neutral despite the storm brewing inside her. “I haven’t taken my prenatal pills yet, and my feet are absolutely killing me.”

Eric’s easy smile faltered, his brow furrowing as he studied the strained expression on her face. “You know,” he said flatly. It wasn't a question. He stepped past her into the room, shutting the door firmly behind him.

He turned to face her, his gaze intense. “How much do you know?”

“If you’re asking about the news articles detailing our divorce, I know everything already,” Autumn said, folding her arms over her chest and staring right back at him.

Eric winced slightly at her bluntness, the composure he usually held so easily cracking for a fraction of a second. Instead of arguing, he gently guided her to sit on the edge of the bed. He moved around the room with quiet efficiency, pouring her a fresh glass of water and retrieving her container of pregnancy vitamins.

Kneeling on the floor directly in front of her, he placed the water glass in her hands and held out the necessary pills. Once she swallowed them, his hand moved to unscrew the cap of a special soothing balm. Lathering his palms, he began to firmly massage her aching feet.

“It was entirely fake news,” Eric said, his fingers pressing into her soles to release the built-up tension from the day. “It was spread by someone intentionally trying to cause a division between us.”

“So, you aren't planning on divorcing me?” Autumn asked out of nowhere.

Eric instinctively snapped his head up to look at her. For less than a nanosecond, a flash of genuine, deep-seated hurt crossed his eyes, vanishing before she could properly register it.

“No. Absolutely not,” he said, his voice ringing with absolute certainty.

Autumn studied his face, pressing for more. “Then who is responsible for the leak? Was it Eleanor?”

Eric paused, his hands freezing on her skin for a single heartbeat. “What?”

“Who did it, Eric? Was it Eleanor?” she asked directly.

“No, it wasn't Eleanor,” he answered, his voice dropping into a guarded, flat tone.

“Then who was it?”

“It was an old business rival,” Eric replied smoothly, his expression closing off. He capped the balm and stood up, clearly using the explanation as his cue to exit the room before she could dig any deeper into the corporate crossfire.

Before he could take a step toward the door, Autumn intercepted his path, her eyes locking onto his. “Eric, promise me you will never hide anything from me again.”

She waited, her breath hitched, searching his dark eyes for an honest response.

Eric looked down at her, his features softening just enough to look convincing. “I promise I never will,” he murmured.

With that final word, he turned and walked out, disappearing into the dim hallway of the estate. Autumn remained standing by the bed, staring blankly at the empty doorway, a lingering sense of unease settling deep in her gut.