Chapter 4

Serena’s pov

Things felt different after the dinner with Liliana.

I noticed how Damian became quieter around me afterward.

He still kissed my forehead before leaving for work every morning.

He still asked if I had eaten.

He still made sure the drivers moved carefully whenever I sat inside the car.

But something felt missing now and every time Liliana’s name appeared on his phone screen, my chest tightened.

Three days passed like that.

Three uncomfortable days.

That morning, I stood in front of the mirror while adjusting my loose blue dress carefully over my stomach.

Today was my antenatal appointment.

Usually Damian attended every appointment with me.

He always cleared his schedule for it.

I walked downstairs slowly and found him already seated at the dining table with his laptop open in front of him.

Several papers lay beside his coffee cup while one of his assistants stood nearby discussing something quietly.

He looked up when he noticed me approaching.

His eyes softened slightly at my stomach before returning to normal again.

“Morning,” he said.

“Morning.”

I sat beside him carefully while the maid poured juice into my glass.

“Your appointment is today, right?” he asked without looking away from the document in his hand.

“Yes.”

He nodded once.

I waited a few seconds before speaking again.

“Will you come with me?”

For a moment, silence filled the dining room.

“I can’t today.”

Something inside me sank slightly even though I already expected the answer.

“I have meetings all day,” he continued. “The Tokyo investors arrived this morning.”

I forced a small smile. “Okay.”

His eyes remained on me for a second longer like he wanted to say something else.

But then his phone rang and the moment broke instantly.

Damian picked up the call immediately and switched into business mode again.

“Yes. Move the meeting to noon.”

I quietly ate breakfast after that.

Half an hour later, I left for the hospital alone.

The private hospital belonged to one of Damian’s business partners, so the nurses treated me carefully the second I arrived.

“Good morning, Mrs. Cole.”

“Please come this way.”

The doctor smiled warmly during the appointment.

“The baby looks healthy,” she said after the scan. “Very active too.”

I smiled softly while staring at the blurry image on the screen.

My baby moved again.

For a moment, happiness pushed everything else away.

After the appointment, the driver took me home.

By the time I arrived at the mansion, the sky had already turned orange with evening light.

I changed into comfortable clothes and sat in the living room while waiting for Damian.

Seven o’clock passed.

Then eight.

I finally picked up my phone and texted him.

Are you still at work?

A few minutes later, his reply came.

Busy. I’ll spend the night at the office.

I stared at the message quietly before  placing  the phone down slowly.

This was not completely unusual.

Even before Liliana returned, Damian sometimes stayed overnight at work during major projects.

Still, something about tonight felt wrong.

I leaned back against the couch and tried calming myself.

You’re overthinking.

He’s working.

That’s all.

The baby kicked softly again.

I rubbed my stomach absentmindedly while staring at the chandelier above me.

Knock. Knock.

I frowned slightly.

I pushed myself up from the couch and walked toward the entrance myself.

When I opened the door, I blinked in surprise.

A man stood there holding several black folders.

Ethan Cole, Damian’s younger brother.

Unlike Damian, Ethan smiled easily. He dressed less formally too. Tonight he wore dark jeans and a gray sweater instead of a suit.

“Hey, Serena,” he greeted warmly.

“Ethan. Come in.”

He stepped inside while lifting the folders slightly. “I came to drop these files for Damian.”

I frowned. “Files?”

“Yeah. He left work early, so he asked me to bring these by.”

The moment the words left his mouth, my body stiffened.

“What?”

He blinked. “The files.”

“No,” I said slowly. “You said Damian left work early?”

“Yeah.” Ethan nodded casually. “Around four, I think.”

My stomach dropped immediately.

“But…” I looked toward my phone instinctively. “He told me he was still at work.”

Ethan’s expression changed slightly.

“Oh.”

Silence filled the entrance for a second.

I forced myself to take the files from him calmly even though my chest had started pounding.

“Maybe he went somewhere else for a meeting,” Ethan said quickly.

Maybe.

But deep inside, I already knew where my mind had gone.

Liliana.

I swallowed hard.

“Thank you for bringing these,” I said quietly.

Ethan studied my face for a second before nodding slowly. “No problem.”

A few minutes later, he left.

The moment the front door closed, I grabbed my phone immediately.

Where are you?

I sent the message quickly.

A minute later, Damian replied.

I told you already. I’m at work. Stop texting me.

I stared at the message in disbelief.

My hands started shaking.

He lied to me?

Anger suddenly exploded inside my chest so fast that it scared even me.

I started typing immediately.

That’s a lie.

I hit send.

Your brother just came here.

Send.

He said you left work early.

Send.

Where are you?

Send.

My breathing turned uneven.

I paced across the living room while texting furiously.

Are you with her?

Are you with Liliana?

Why are you lying to me?

Why are you doing this to me?

Tears burned my eyes as I kept typing.

I could barely think straight anymore.

I loved this man and I am carrying his child,  now he lied to me while spending nights away from home.

My chest hurt so badly.

I typed another message quickly.

You abandoned me at the mall for her.

You yelled at me for her.

Now you’re lying because of her too—

The message failed.

I froze. I frowned and sent it again.

Failed.

Confusion filled me immediately.

I quickly typed another one.

Damian answer me right now.

Failed.

My heart started pounding harder now.

I opened our chat slowly and I saw the notification;  

Message not delivered.

I tried calling him immediately.

The call ended before it even rang.

I tried again.

Same thing.

My hands started trembling harder.

“No,” I whispered.

I opened another app and typed quickly again.

But every single message failed instantly.

All energy left me when the truth hit me fully.

My husband has blocked me.