001: The press conference

Adriana's POV 

  My husband had just made the biggest comeback in NHL history, and all I could think about was the secret growing inside me.

  The press conference room buzzed with a lot of excitement as reporters leaned forward in their seats and their cameras flashed nonstop. I sat in the front row, right where I belonged as Ethan Blake's wife. My hands rested in my lap, trying to hide the slight jitters of nerves as I watched the man I loved take the podium.

  Ethan looked perfect up there; tall, broad-shouldered, every inch the NHL star he was born to be. His golden brown eyes sparkled under the bright lights as he grinned at the crowd. After three years of uncertainty, he was finally back where he belonged.

  "Thank you all for coming today," Ethan said, his voice carrying that confidence that made me fall in love with him six years ago. "Three years ago, doctors told me I may never walk again. They said my hockey career was finished."

  The room was now silent, even I held my breath, though I lived through every second of those dark days with him. I was there when he cried out of frustration, when he wanted to give up, when he thought his life was over. I held his hand through it all.

  "But I'm here to prove that miracles do happen." Ethan's smile widened, and my heart swelled with pride. "I'm officially back on the ice and the New York Rangers have renewed my contract for another season."

  Applause erupted in the room around me but I clapped harder than anyone as tears were stinging my eyes. 

  We did it. 

  We made it through the darkest time of our lives, and now everything was going to be perfect. Especially once I told him about my pregnancy tonight.

  A reporter raised her hand. "Ethan, what kept you going during those difficult months in rehabilitation?"

  This was the part where he talked about us, about our love, about how we fought this battle together. My chest filled with warmth as I waited to hear him acknowledge our journey.

  "I had an incredible support system," Ethan began, and I straightened in my seat with anticipation. "But one person stands out above everyone else."

  I smoothed my dress, preparing for the cameras that would surely turn toward me when he mentioned his devoted wife.

  "Dr. Vivienne Laurent." Ethan's voice turned soft and almost reverent. "She refused to give up on me when every other doctor had written me off. This woman sacrificed everything to help me walk again."

  My smile faltered just slightly. Of course he mentioned his doctor first, she did amazing work. But surely he would talk about his wife next, about the woman who never left his side.

  Vivienne stepped forward from the side of the stage, her perfect dark brown hair catching the light. She was beautiful in that effortless way in her sleek black dress. I always liked her professional approach to Ethan's care.

  "Dr. Laurent spent countless hours researching experimental treatments," Ethan continued, his eyes fixed on her face with something that looked almost like... admiration? "She worked nights, weekends, holidays. She turned her entire life upside down for me."

  Those countless hours, I was the one who made those sacrifices, wasn't I? I made all the research and contacts with all those doctors and flew them from all over the world to New York to help Ethan. I held ice packs to his swollen joints. I helped him relearn how to use his legs. I drove him to every appointment, spending money to get him the best care possible. But I stayed quiet about the expenses, letting him believe we were just getting lucky with insurance coverage.

  He would mention me next. He had to.

  "Vivienne is the reason I'm standing here today," Ethan said, reaching for her hand. "She's my personal miracle worker."

  My heart stuttered. The cameras went crazy as she blushed and squeezed his fingers. They looked comfortable together. 

  When was the last time Ethan looked at me like that? Like I was something precious?

  No, I needed to stop it. He loved me. We were having a baby together. This was just professional gratitude.

  Ethan chuckled, but he didn't let go of Vivienne's hand. The sight made something twist in my stomach. "Vivienne and I have worked very closely together. She knows me better than almost anyone."

  "We've developed a deep friendship through this process," Vivienne added, her voice smooth and professional. But there was something in her tone, something warm. "Ethan's recovery required complete trust and communication. We've shared so many late nights in the clinic, celebrating small victories and pushing through setbacks together."

  My hand moved instinctively to my stomach. Still flat, but carrying the most important secret of my life. Once I told Ethan tonight, everything would make sense. He would remember why he married me, remember the love that had carried us through everything. And maybe my father would finally see what I saw in this man when he learned he was going to be a grandfather.

  "Dr. Laurent," another reporter called out. "How did you balance your regular patients with Ethan's intensive care?"

  "I made sacrifices," she said simply, and the way she looked at my husband made my chest tighten. "But when you care about someone, you do whatever it takes."

  Care about someone. The words hung in the air like a challenge.

  "Vivienne turned down several job offers from other hospitals," Ethan added, his voice full of genuine gratitude. "She put her entire career on hold for me."

  He looked at her like she was the most incredible woman he ever met. Like she was everything good in his world.

  When was the last time he looked at me that way?

  "That's true dedication," the first reporter said. "Not many doctors would make those kinds of personal sacrifices."

  "Well," Vivienne smiled, glancing at Ethan in a loving manner, "some things are worth sacrificing for."

  The room erupted in appreciative murmurs and camera flashes. I forced myself to keep smiling, to keep clapping, to keep being the supportive wife. But inside me, I was very very uncomfortable.

  They were just... grateful to each other. Professional. That's all this was. Right?

  "What's next for you both?" another reporter asked.

  "The team's medical staff has offered Vivienne a permanent position," Ethan announced, and his excitement was obvious. "She'll be handling all the players' rehabilitation needs."

  "I'm excited for the opportunity," Vivienne said, her smile radiant. "Ethan and I work so well together. We understand each other perfectly."

  My vision blurred slightly. The applause around me now sounded distant and muffled. They understood each other perfectly. They worked so well together. They shared late nights and deep conversations and meaningful looks.

  And I was just... here. The wife who waited at home.

  But that would change. Tonight, when I told him about our baby, everything would change. He would realize that what we had was deeper than any professional relationship. He would remember that I was the woman he chose to spend his life with.

  My phone buzzed in my purse. Normally I would have ignored it during such an important moment, but I needed something to focus on besides the way my husband's hand was still holding another woman's own.

  The text was from Nicholas, my brother: "Dad's decision. Need to talk NOW."

  My father's decision. My heart pounded harder. Nicholas had been trying to convince Dad to accept Ethan into the Montgomery family for years. Maybe this was it. Maybe Dad had finally agreed to meet with him, to see what I saw in the man I eloped and married.

  I glanced back at the stage where Ethan was still praising Vivienne's dedication, still looking at her like she was the best thing to happen to him.

  Tonight. 

  Tonight I will tell him about the baby, and everything will be perfect again.