Chapter 2

Sabrina's POV

This unexpected child was initially meant to be a surprise for Axel. But on the very night before I planned to share this news with him, I discovered the truth.

…

During the wedding dress fitting, I was in low spirits the entire time. Thinking I was just nervous, Axel personally fastened the gown for me. He circled behind me, his fingertips brushing along my spine, making my heart shiver.

"Bri, have you put on a little weight? The zipper won't go up all the way."

I froze.

Axel let out a soft chuckle, leaning next to my ear and whispering, "Just kidding."

It was clearly meant as a joke, but I couldn't even manage a smile.

At that moment, a thought suddenly struck me—if everything went to plan, and Axel saw me breaking down from grief over my mother's death, and I lost the baby as a result, would he regret it? Even for a second?

My guess was that he wouldn't.

Because not too long after, I overheard him making another call while I was in the fitting room.

"You didn't want to see her in a wedding dress, right? How about I send you the one she chose—her favorite one—and you can cut it up for fun?

"When the time comes, I'll just make up some excuse, saying the dress is too eye-catching and that any white dress will do.

"Mad? Sabrina wouldn't dare be mad at me. She should be overflowing with gratitude that she even gets to marry me. This whole ceremony is already a charity.

I heard Raven chuckle lightly on the other end. "You're so good to me, Axel."

Axel's gaze softened. "Of course. It's only fair since you told me the truth about my mother's death. If it weren't for you, I might've been kept in the dark by that bitch my whole life."

Through the crack in the door, I watched him hand the wedding dress I had chosen to the shop assistant.

But Axel, you were wrong. That gown wasn't my favorite. I hadn't bothered to choose properly… because I no longer wanted to wear a wedding dress for you.

When I stepped out of the fitting room, Axel reverted to his gentle facade.

"The gown will be delivered to our house. Let's go home first."

I smiled and nodded.

On the way back, neither of us spoke. He was probably plotting how to kill my mom, while my own mind was filled with the words he had said earlier.

Once we were home, I had someone look into Raven immediately. As it turned out, she was the daughter of one of the former maids who had worked at the Callahan residence. I'd never met Raven back then because Dorian had already kicked her mother, Robyn Fallon, out of the house before I came along.

Overwhelmed with thoughts, I called Mom. When I mentioned them, she sighed.

"That maid was always trying to seduce him. Once, she even slipped an aphrodisiac into Dorian's drink. That was why he kicked her out.

"Robyn was relentless. She came to the house several times afterward, screaming that she was the true lady of the house. Once, she even threw boiling water at me. It was terrifying."

I finally grasped what was going on.

While I was deep in thought, Axel opened the door and came in. He was holding a garment bag, but the gorgeous wedding dress inside had been shredded.

Sounding a little regretful, he said, "The person who delivered this accidentally ruined the dress. Bri, maybe you could—"

"No need," I interjected, not even looking up. "I've been thinking—it's still not the best idea to go public with our relationship. Let's just keep the wedding simple."

Axel froze. He hadn't expected me to say the lines he'd prepared for himself. But two seconds later, he snapped back to his senses and gently caressed my face.

"Bri, you're just so understanding. It's my fault that you have to keep living in the shadows. But don't worry, I'll definitely make it up to you with a grand wedding later. I'll let the whole world know that I love you."

He hugged me tightly, and because of that, he missed the humorless expression on my ashen face.

Soon, Axel… Soon, our paths would never cross again.

…

The next day, I headed to the office to hand in my resignation letter. When I came out, I saw a lavishly dressed woman arguing with the receptionist, Betty Lichston.

"I'm sorry, miss. We operate by appointment only. We really can't let you in."

A loud smack echoed as the woman slapped Betty across the face.

"Do you know who I am?"

Betty shook her head, looking wronged.

The woman scoffed coldly. "You've at least heard of Axel Callahan, right? The richest man in Atlusia? Well, let me tell you—he's my husband!

"Just you wait! My husband's on the way here. When he arrives, forget about appointments. Even your boss will have to come crawling on his knees to greet him!"

Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd at her words, and the moment I saw her face—the same one from the reports I received while looking into her—I knew exactly who she was.

Raven Winslow.

"Axel Callahan? That young CEO of Callahan Group? Goodness! He's already married?"

"Look at the bag she's holding. It looks like a global limited edition. Rich men sure are generous."

"Betty is in hot water now. If Mr. Callahan gets angry, he might even shut this whole company down."

Suddenly, Raven waved toward the entrance as she exclaimed, "Oh, darling! I'm over here!"

Axel strode in wearing a sharp suit, his expression icy enough to send shivers down everyone's spines. Yet, the moment our eyes met, his expression faltered.

Panic flickered across his face. "Bri, what are you doing here? Didn't I say you didn't need to come in to work for the next few days?"

Hearing the nickname, Raven—who was still looking very arrogant—immediately froze.

I smiled. "I came to take care of a few things. As for you, Axel… What are you doing here?"

Before Axel could answer, Raven walked over and linked her arm through mine.

"You must be Axel's little sister. You're every bit as pretty as he said."

"And you are?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

Raven replied smoothly, "I'm Axel's good friend, Raven Winslow."

The onlookers exchanged confused glances, but I didn't expose her. Instead, I turned to Axel.

"Axel, I still have some matters to attend to, so I won't keep you and your friend from catching up."

Then I turned and strode off.

Axel instinctively wanted to follow me, but he stopped himself. On my way home, I received a message from him.

"I came to help a friend settle a dispute today. Don't read too much into things. There's nothing going on between us. By the way, I have some stuff to take care of tonight, so you should sleep first. Don't wait up for me."

I almost laughed as I stared at those words. He and I were the only people reading this chat, so who was he putting on a show for?

"Got it."

After sending the reply, I turned off the screen.

Outside, a plane slowly cut across the sunset sky.

The corners of my lips lifted slightly. Just three more days, and Mom and I would be free.