Kaira Yaren wakes up with no memory of the man who left her pregnant. Just a pounding headache. She's mocked and shamed by people she called her family. She refuses to endanger her child's life even if it means continuously stepping on her. Meanwhile, Damian James, the cold-hearted billionaire heir, retrieves his lost memories of that one steamy night, after a discussion with his sick father about an arranged marriage, which he despised. He hates staying under the same roof with someone he barely knows except it's business related. But since the chairman made it clear that it would be someone he knows, someone he took as his sister, with no romantic feelings attached, can never be his wife. Hence, to satisfy his father about the marriage issues and ease his concerns. He planned to find the woman he had spent a night with. To him, he hates romantic feelings. He was going to find her only to offer a contract marriage. Just a business. As she's the perfect fit— Vulnerable, quiet, at least that he remembered. What he doesn't know is that she's carrying his child. And by the time Damian discovers the truth, it's already late.. His younger brother, Oliver is already in love with her. Now, Kairan became the only thing Damian has ever wanted after falling in love with her. So was Kaira's favorite cousin, Tony. Whom she thought only cared for her because they were family, but it turned out he had always harbored romantic feelings for her. Three men love a woman, each with a special story and bond with her. With whom do you think she would go? The cold-hearted billionaire with whom they had a night together? Or the others whom she cares dearly for. A must-read!
View MoreI lost everything when I was ten. My parents, my home, my sense of safety, and whatever was left of my childhood.
But then again... life was never fair.
Not to people like me.* * *
The atmosphere in the restroom was tense and it felt like the air in my chest was punched out as I stared at the pink lines in the pregnancy test strip in my hands.
"How did... how did this happen?"
I asked myself, but no answer came. My legs gave way, and I sank onto the closed toilet seat, the pregnancy test still clutched in my fingers.
I'd convinced myself before that it was just stress. The late shifts at the grocery store, the constant worry about tuition fees.. all of it could explain a missed period.
But deep down, I knew.
The nausea that hit me every morning, the exhaustion that sleep couldn't cure, and the way my body felt different. It was something I did not want to just speak of..
"Think, Kaira. Think." I tried to recall how it happened but couldn't get anything.
Everything blurred together.
After trying harder, searching deeply, fragments of that night came at the edges of my memory.
A deep voice, the scent of expensive cologne, soothe hands that knew exactly how to touch me...
But his face... his face remained frustratingly out of reach, lost in a haze I couldn't penetrate.The pregnancy test slipped from my numb fingers, clattering against the bathroom tiles. The sound seemed to echo through the thin walls, and I held my breath, waiting to see if anyone had heard.
The last thing I needed was questions I couldn't answer.
* * *
A week later, the morning sickness hit hard. I was scrubbing the kitchen floor when my stomach lurched violently. The smell of the cleaning solution, which had never bothered me before, suddenly became overwhelming.
I pressed my hand to my mouth, fighting the wave of nausea, but it was useless. My stomach contracted painfully."Kaira? What's wrong with you?"
Tonia's voice cut through my misery. My cousin stood in the kitchen doorway, her dark eyes were sharp with curiosity. She'd been watching me all week, waiting for something like this...
I tried to speak, to deflect with some excuse about bad food and a stomach ache, but another wave hit me harder. I clamped my hand over my mouth and rushed toward the restroom, my bare feet slipping on the wet floor.
Behind me, I heard Tonia's delighted gasp.
The restroom door slammed shut just as my stomach emptied itself into the toilet bowl. Each throw felt like my body was betraying me, confirming what I'd been desperately trying to deny.
When I finally emerged, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, Tonia was waiting. Her lips curved in a knowing smirk that made my blood run cold.
"You're pregnant, aren't you?" She said, curtly.
"Oh my God, Kaira, you're really pregnant!" She chortled.
"I'm not.." I started, but the lie died on my lips as another wave of nausea threatened.
"When was your last period?" Tonia's voice grew louder, more excited.
"Come on, tell me! How long have you been hiding this?"
"Tonia, please, I.."
"MOM!" Tonia's voice rang through the house.
"MOM. COME QUICKLY!"
My heart sank as footsteps emerged from different parts of the house. Tony emerged from his study, book still in hand. Aunt Martha rushed from the bedroom, her hair still in curlers.
"What the hell is all this noise about?" Aunt Martha demanded, her sharp eyes taking in my pale face and Tonia's gleeful expression.
"Kaira's pregnant!" Tonia announced.
"She's been throwing up, and I bet she's missed her period too. Right, Kaira?"
The silence that followed was deafening.
I watched my aunt's face transform from confusion to rage in the span of seconds.
Tony's book crumpled in his grip.
"Is this true?" Aunt Martha's voice was quiet.
I opened my mouth, but no words came. The weight of their stares crushed down on me.
"Answer me!"
The slap came so fast I didn't see it coming. Pain exploded across my cheek, and the force sent me stumbling backward. My hip hit the edge of the kitchen counter, and I crumpled to the floor, my hand pressed to my burning face.
"How dare you!" Aunt Martha loomed over me, her face filled with fury.
"How dare you bring this shame into our house! After everything we've done for you, this is how you repay us?"
"I'm sorry, I..." I started, but she cut me off.
The tears I had been holding back threatened to fall.
"Get up. We're going to go confirm this. Now!"
* * *
Damien James stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse, thirty stories above the city. The morning sun cast long shadows across the floor. His reflection stared back at him—cold, distant, untouchable.
"You asked for me, sir."
His secretary's voice barely penetrated his thoughts."Get the car ready." He said, without turning around.
"Yes, sir." His secretary replied.
The soft click of expensive shoes retreated across the marble floor, leaving Damien alone. He pressed his palm against the cool glass, watching the tiny figures move like ants on the streets below.
Then a flash of memory hit him so suddenly that it made him inhale sharply. A woman's laugh, soft and genuine. Warm brown eyes looked up at him. The taste of her lips...
"Who is she?" He said in a whisper.
The memory vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving him with nothing but questions.
Damien straightened his tie and turned away from the window.But as he walked toward the elevator, her laugh echoed in his mind once more.
* * *
The hospital's fluorescent lights were harsh. I sat on the examination table, my legs dangling like a child's, while Dr. Martinez reviewed my test results.
"Congratulations," she said with warmth.
"You're approximately four weeks pregnant. Everything looks normal so far." She added.
Tonia, sitting beside me, glared at me, let out a smirk, and then cursed under her breath.
"She's doomed," Tonia said.
"Four weeks ago, as a bartender, I..I.." I tried to think.
The rest was still a blur.
Outside in the hospital corridor, Aunt Martha's voice was heard despite the closed door. She was already on the phone with someone, and her tone was sharp with anger.
Soon, we went to her after she was done making her calls.
She was waiting with her arms crossed and rage full in her eyes."Who is responsible for this?" The words came out curtly.
I stared at the floor, my hands trembling.
"I... I... I don't know who..." I stuttered.
"What?" Tonia's voice was shrill with disbelief.
"You do not know?" Tonia asked.
The shame burned hotter than the slap had.
"I do not remember..."
"You're pregnant," Aunt Martha said, in a cold voice.
"And you do not even remember who is responsible?"
* * *# Kaira's POVWe arrived shortly at the supposed clinic."I thought it was supposed to be a hospital?" Camille said, gesturing toward the name displayed across the entrance."Hmm. It is... a pharmacy." Jason said, nonchalantly.My head tilted upward, "BARI Pharmacy." I read the displayed name.Tony slightly raised his head to also look, his face twisted in discomfort."Let's get inside," I said, and we proceeded to the door.Camille pushed open the heavy door for us to enter."Thank you," Tony said, his voice hoarse.A security man sat on a chair at the doorstep. He stood immediately as he saw us; it was as if he was dozing off while on duty.And started gesturing quickly, "Good day sir/ma. This way, if you are here for a medicine prescription." He pointed toward a room, on the door 'Your trusted pharmacist D' was placed on display.He turned toward us now. "And if you are,..." "Holly... shit." He paused mid-talking, surprised as he saw Tony's cut and the blood dripping to the floor.
# Kaira's POV The silence stretched between us and then..."She's telling the truth," The other officer stepped forward, blocking our path."It was self-defense. And we were supposed to help, not add to the fire," he added in a calm voice."Out of my way." "Sir,..." "Move!" He retorted, his face was overwhelmed with fury.His glare felt sharp enough to cut through my ribs, but I didn’t care. I shot mine back at him, unable to hold in the anger any longer; it was already brewing across my features."He’s losing blood, sir," the other officer said, glancing at Tony’s bleeding arm.He was ignored, "Sir..." He added, eagerly.I wouldn't call him sir anymore if I were me; he doesn't deserve it.The officer shut his eyes and rubbed at his temple with a slow, weary motion."I will... take the responsibility." He said in a low tone, like someone unsure of his decision.Jason's brows rose in mild amusement."What? Are you..." "I said, I. Would. Take. The. Full. Responsibility!" he snapped,
# Kaira's POVWhen I was in middle school, it was yet another sad day after enduring Tonia’s bullying and the constant taunts from the other kids. I walked home alone that evening, denied a place on the school bus by Tonia and her friends, and with no money to take any other ride.So I stayed for the extra classes with the hope that I could join the second round of the bus.By the time class ended, it was already 4 PM. I should have left at 1 PM with the first bus. Normally, I would have walked home instead, but I wasn’t feeling well and felt like I could collapse at any moment.Unfortunately, I had also missed the second bus, leaving me with no choice but to walk home.That day, the walk felt like an eternity. Each step was heavier than the last, and I kept crying, wishing for a secret helper.Suddenly, I heard an eerie sound, as if someone were following me. My skin prickled, and my heart skipped a beat.I froze and spun around, only to find a tiny kitten darting across the path.I
# Kaira's POVEach step was heavier than the next. Their gazes were all directed at me."Miss, please stop!" One of the officers pleaded. Worry etched on his face.Someone needs to stop them, and it has to be me. "Kaira..."I'm sorry Tony. The woman's brows rise in confusion, surprised by how bold I suddenly become. "Are you armed?" She asked.Her body was tensed even though she had the upper hand.I shot a glare at her that could slice through her heart, anger boiling inside me, and I gritted my teeth. She cracked the gun and strengthened her grip on Tony after observing my expression."No, I'm unharmed." I forced myself to say."Then why are you looking at me like you have got something?" "Nothing" Tony's intense gaze at me was screaming a warning even without him saying the word again, and I knew it, but still ignored it.The other two men that was holding onto the officer looked at each other at once."It's an opportunity right? We could still have her. She came on her free
# Kaira's POVAs soon as I stepped out, I heard a loud sound, like someone had been knocked to the ground, a clattering of items, followed by a gunshot. My breath caught. "Tony?" I froze, my heart racing.I was about to go back inside to check on Tony, as fear crept in, but the weight of his word earlier, and his eyes...I took a deep breath and decided to follow Tony's wish.I kept running fast. This part of the market was quiet; most shops were locked, and the ones still around locked themselves in as though it had been planned. No wonder, no one came to our rescue. Or could it be that it was her doing? I pondered as I ran.The police sirens became louder, and I could now see their vehicle.Some of the vendors were slowly emerging from their hidden spots. Some peeped through the windows, and others even came out, standing in front of their doors. Their faces were filled with a mix of curiosity and concern.I rushed to the front of the vehicle, and waved my arms widely, hoping to
# Kaira's POVI felt like my world had come to a standstill as I stared at Tony, my mind racing with fear and panic. "Tony!""I'm fine Kaira." He said, struggling to get up. His hand held pressed tightly on the cut.How could you possibly be fine when you got stabbed in your arm?I rushed to Tony's side, tears streaming down my face as I applied pressure to the wound, trying to stem the bleeding."You are not okay. You got hurt because of me, you shouldn't have come for me." I said, rabidly."Hey, hey, calm down Kaira." He said, trying to ease me. "Look at me," he said as he placed his arm on my shoulder."Breath in and out." I was quiet, my expression was feeble as though I could break at any moment.Tony nodded, his eyes locked with mine like he was communicating with me.I breathed in and out."It's not your fault, and I do not want you to beat yourself to it." "This is just... " He paused, staring at his cut. "It's not a deep cut. It will heal quickly, even without checking a
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