Chapter 2

Oliva;

My eyes snap open, and for one terrifying heartbeat, I don’t know where I am. Then I feel it; the heavy, possessive weight of a muscular arm draped across my waist, the heat of a large male body pressed against my back. My stomach drops like a stone.

Caspian Fender.

He is still asleep beside me, his long jet-black hair fanned across the pillow, dark lashes resting against sharp cheekbones. His breathing is deep and even. The sheets have slipped low, revealing the hard planes of his tattooed chest and abs. He looks almost peaceful. Beautiful, even.

Disgust and horror slam into me so hard I struggle to breathe.

What have I done?

I slap a hand over my mouth to choke back the sob rising in my throat, then slap my own cheek hard. The sting buds across my skin, but it’s nothing compared to the embarrassment boiling through my veins. How could I? How could I have given my body to this bastard? The man I have hated with every fiber of my being for five years. The rude, prideful, insufferable CEO who has made my life a living hell.

Tears blur my vision as I carefully slide out from under his arm, my heart beating wildly against my ribs. My hypertrophic cardiomyopathy makes every spike of panic fatal. I can’t afford an episode right now.

I drag my wrinkled emerald gown down over my hips with shaking fingers, smoothing it as best I can. My torn panties lie crumpled on the floor like a dirty mystery. I snatch it and stuff it deep into my coat pocket.

I don’t look at him again. I can’t. If I do, I might break completely.

The cab ride back to my tiny apartment in Mexico City fades into streetlights and regret. The moment I step inside, I rip the gown off my body and leave it in a pathetic heap on the floor. I rush straight into the bathroom and turn the shower on cold. The chill water wrecks over my skin, but it does nothing to cool the fire of guilt and fear raging inside me.

I’m going to lose everything.

When Caspian wakes up and remembers what we did last night, he will fire me without hesitation. I know him too well. That cold, cutting voice will dismiss me like I’m nothing; just another disposable employee who dared to cross a line.

How will I survive? The bills are already piling up like mountains. Rent, utilities, my heart medication that I cannot miss even for a single day. Without this job, I have nothing. No savings left, Nox took it all.

The memories of last night smash over me without mercy. Caspian’s massive cock stretching me so deep I saw stars. The way his strong hands gripped my hips, guiding me as I rode him, controlling every movement with dominance. How his dark eyes had studied my body with something almost like reverence, his long hair falling around us like a curtain as he drove into me again and again. My core clenches traitorously at the recollection. Heat flushes between my thighs even now.

I slap the wet tile wall hard, the sound echoing. “Stop it,” I whisper to myself, forcing my mind back to Nox. To the betrayal that still feels like a knife twisting in my chest. How he used me for three years. How I gave him almost everything: my money, my mother’s jewelry, my trust, thinking I was helping his sick mother. Thinking I was building a future.

Was there even a mother? Or was that just another lie in their sick game?

Reeves’ mocking voice echoes in my head: “Are you stupid?”

Yes, I was. But not anymore.

Anger rises, hot and purifying. I will make them pay. Every single peso they stole from me. I will gather evidence, expose them, and ensure I am the last woman they ever prey on. Nox will regret wasting my time, using my vulnerability, and breaking me when I was already fighting to survive with a failing heart. They will both suffer for what they did.

I stay under the cold spray until my skin feels numb. My phone starts ringing from the bedroom, once, twice, then nonstop. I shut off the water as I curse under my breath. Wrap a towel tightly around my chest, and pad into the room, water dripping onto the floor.

The screen shows his name—Caspian Fender.

My soul almost leaves my body. Fear grips me so tightly I feel dizzy. Why is he calling? To scream insults at me? To fire me over the phone like the heartless bastard he is? Caspian almost never calls me directly. My hands shake as I stare at the screen. The ringing continues, relentless. Finally, I swipe to answer.

“Miss Olivia,” his voice is deep, brutal with irritation. “I think you’re ready to get a new job if you don’t meet me at the airport in ten minutes.”

Airport? My heart stutters painfully. The Tokyo trip.

I open my mouth, desperate to ask if he remembers last night, but the line goes dead. Typical Caspian. Rude. Abrupt. Treating everyone like they exist only to serve him.

I breathe in deeply, trying to steady myself. If he remembered, he would have fired me already. Thank God he was drunk. It was a one-time mistake. It has to stay buried.

Like a woman possessed, I throw the towel aside and rush around the room, grabbing clothes; a simple blouse and skirt that I know he’ll hate, and stuffing essentials into a bag. I race to the airport in another cab, heart pounding the entire way.

Caspian is already waiting, checking his watch with clear impatience, his driver standing silently behind him with the luggage. The moment I rush up, breathless and disheveled, his dark eyes rake over me from my messy curls down to my flats. Disgust twists his ‘whatever’ handsome features.

“Do you have a problem with good taste, Miss Bash?” he asks, his voice dripping with disdain as he stares pointedly at my shoes. “Or is embarrassing the Fender Empire simply your life’s mission?”

My lips part to respond, but he slips his hands into his pockets and turns away, heading toward the plane without another word. Arrogant bastard. I curse him viciously under my breath as I follow, fists clenched at my sides.

The two-hour flight gives me blessed time to sleep. In Tokyo, the days blur into the usual grueling routine; separate hotel rooms, endless meetings, his pompous commands and rude dismissals. He treats me with the same cold arrogance as always. No lingering looks. No mention of that night. He truly doesn’t remember. Relief floods me and it was perfect.

Back in Mexico City, I throw myself into my plan.

Nox keeps calling. I never answer, sending every call to voicemail. After work, I lurk near his apartment building, taking photos, digging through some of his records, printing messages, and bank transfers I did. Gradually, but painfully, I build my case. One month passes, and there is enough evidence to destroy the gay fraudsters.

On the morning I plan to visit my lawyer, a smile of relief graces my lips after what feels like forever. Caspian is away on one of his personal trips. The office feels lighter, freer. For once, I can breathe without his oppressive presence looming over me.

I’m standing in front of my mirror, buttoning my blouse, when a wave of nausea hits me hard. It’s been happening every morning for days. I try to ignore it, but then my breasts feel heavy and painfully sore. Before, I thought it was my menstrual cycle, but this soreness is different.

I drop my bag, kick off my shoes, and rush to the drawer where I keep the pregnancy tests. I always had them because Nox and I never used protection. I thought I was safe. I thought he was mine alone.

Running the test, I wait for a while, breathing hard as I mutter prayers. I always wanted kids with Nox, but not anymore. So this shouldn’t… my thought halts in my head as I stare at the two pink lines staring back at me. Positive.

My heart begins to race faster. I shut my eyes and then open them; the lines are the same. Two. The pink, glowing. It can’t be. How is this possible? When was my last period? It has been over three, almost four months since I last slept with Nox. I’ve had my periods since then. My last sex… my birthday night… with Caspian.

My hand flies to my mouth as my eyes widen, the truth ripping over me.

I’m pregnant… with Caspian Fender’s child.