PRESSURE FROM LUCIENNE

A week after the first injection, Bella began to experience strange symptoms, her body tired more quickly, her breasts ached, and her emotions fluctuated like the never-calm waves of the Texas Gulf.

However, the most surprising thing was not the effects of the drug, it was Aaron's change.

That night, as usual, Aaron came to Bella's room. But this time, he didn't immediately touch her or talk about sex activitiy. He just sat on the sofa in the corner of the room. Silent. His eyes stared out the window.

Bella, who was sitting on the side of the bed, waited. But there were no chatter, no orders, andn no nagging as usual. No signals. Only silence.

Five minutes.

Ten minutes.

Finally Bella asked, softly, “Is there something wrong?”

Aaron turned his head. His face looked... tired?

"No," he replied briefly. “I just wanted to sit for a while.”

That wasn't his usual answer.

And it happened again the next night.

Aaron came in. He was carrying a cup of tea.

“My mother told me to drink this when I was little when I had a headache. She said it was good for calming me down,” he said as he placed the cup on the table.

Bella didn't touch the tea. She just stared at Aaron, cautiously.

**********************

The following week, Bella noticed other small things:

Aaron came into the room without his shoes on and said, “Your feet must be cold tonight.”

He also brought an extra thin blanket and placed it at the end of the bed, without saying much.

One night, when Bella was crying quietly because her stomach hurt due to hormones, Aaron sat on the bathroom floor with her, just silently waiting for her crying to subside.

But the strangest thing was: he started staring at Bella.

A gaze that lasted longer than five seconds. A gaze that... seemed to want to understand.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Bella asked one night, after they lay apart on the big bed.

Aaron replied in a low, almost quiet voice, “I'm trying to remember the last time I really looked at someone.”

Bella turned her head, staring at the ceiling. “Maybe you’ve been looking at numbers and graphs for too long,” she murmured.

Aaron chuckled—the first time in two months.

Bella didn’t know whether to be happy... or scared. Because attention, in their world..., could be a more complicated weapon than hatred.

***********************

That morning, Bella had just left the doctor's office after another pregnancy test that came back negative. Her stomach still felt cold from the ultrasound gel, and her heart felt even colder. Aaron didn't look at her as the doctor explained the results. He just stood stiffly by the window, his hands clenched, his jaw tense.

When they left the clinic, a woman was waiting in front of Aaron's car—standing in a gray wool coat, bright red lipstick, and a sharp gaze that could cut through steel.

Lucienne.

Bella gasped softly. This was unusual—Lucienne almost never showed up for checkups. She was too arrogant to wait for someone like Bella. But today? The woman stood as if she owned the entire parking lot.

She walked slowly closer, her stiletto heels tapping on the dry Texas asphalt.

“So…” she said, scanning Bella from head to toe, “still empty?”

Her tone was flat, but it contained venom.

“Lucie, don’t rant here,” Aaron warned.

But Lucienne ignored him. Her head tilted sharply, her eyes locking onto Bella like a predator spotting an opening.

“You’ve been living in that house for two months. Two months sleeping in my husband’s bed. Two months living off all the amenities I paid for out of my own pocket. But still…” she shrugged her slender shoulders. “…your stomach is as flat as a floorboard.”

Bella swallowed hard. “I’ve been trying.”

“Trying?” Lucienne chuckled coldly. “Darling, even a cow could get pregnant faster with enough attention.”

Aaron growled softly, “Lucie, don't be so harsh. We're paying her, not to put excessive pressure on her!”

But Lucienne stepped closer instead, her face just inches from Bella's.

“I don't have time to wait. You know the rules of the contract, right?” she said, her voice lowering to a sharp whisper. “If you fail three months in a row... I can file for penalties. The amount would be enough to make you sell the rest of your life.”

Bella paled. She knew the threat was not a bluff. The contract was cruel—and very profitable for Aaron's family.

Lucienne grabbed Bella's arm and squeezed it gently but firmly.

“You have to get pregnant this month, Bella,” she insisted. “I don't care how. No matter what time, no matter how often Aaron has to do his duty—that's not my concern.”

She smiled cynically. “Just this month. POINT it ....”

Aaron pulled Lucienne's hand away, his voice rising. “Lucie, that's enough.”

Lucienne released her grip as if it were nothing. Her gaze returned to being sharp, but this time it was directed at Aaron.

“You'd better try harder too, Dear,” she said softly. “I don't want to hear any more excuses.”

Lucienne glanced at Bella once, her gaze even more cruel. Then she walked away, getting into her black car without looking back.

The sound of the car engine faded away, leaving the air feeling heavier than before.

Bella hugged her arms, trying to stop herself from shaking.

Aaron rubbed his face, looking frustrated too. “Don't listen to her.”

Bella stared at him blankly. “I... I have no other choice, Mr. Aaron.”

She wanted to hold back her tears, but her voice broke anyway.

Aaron stared at her for a long time—and for the first time, Bella saw something in his eyes: fear.

Not for Bella, but for himself. For the future of his marriage. For his inheritance. For the contract that would backfire if Bella didn't get pregnant.

Aaron finally said softly, almost like a command:

“Starting tonight... we have to be more serious.”

Bella was silent. She knew what that meant. And Bella's chest felt even emptier.