Chapter 4 : The Truth She Couldn’t Escape

Lena told herself it was nothing.

Just exhaustion.

Just stress.

Just hunger from skipping meals too often.

That was all.

It had to be.

She sat on the edge of her bed that night, pressing a hand lightly against her stomach, trying to ignore the strange discomfort that had started becoming more frequent over the past days.

Mia noticed immediately.

“You’ve been like this for a while now,” Mia said gently. “Dizzy. Tired. You barely eat.”

“I’m fine,” Lena replied quickly.

But her voice didn’t sound convincing even to herself.

Mia crossed her arms. “You’re not fine. And I’m not going to let you pretend you are.”

Lena sighed.

“I said I’m okay.”

A pause.

Then Mia softened her tone.

“…Lena. When was your last period?”

The question landed heavily.

Lena froze.

Her fingers stopped moving.

Her mind went quiet for a second too long.

Then she blinked.

“I… I don’t remember.”

That was the moment everything shifted.

Not loudly.

Not dramatically.

But quietly.

Like a door closing somewhere deep inside her life.

The next morning, Lena stood in front of a small pharmacy shop.

She stared at the entrance for a long time.

Too long.

People passed her.

Cars moved.

Life continued.

But she couldn’t.

Her heart beat unevenly.

“No,” she whispered to herself. “It’s just stress.”

She turned slightly, as if to leave.

But her feet didn’t move.

Mia’s voice echoed in her head:

When was your last period?

Lena exhaled shakily.

Then walked in.

Minutes later, she stood inside a small restroom stall, staring down at a small white stick in her trembling hands.

Two lines.

Clear.

Unmistakable.

Real.

For a few seconds… she didn’t breathe.

The world didn’t make sound.

Didn’t move.

Didn’t exist.

Then her knees weakened slightly.

“No…” she whispered.

Her hand pressed against the wall for support.

“No, no, no…”

But the result didn’t change.

It stayed the same.

Relentless.

Final.

She was pregnant.

Lena walked home like a stranger inside her own body.

Every step felt heavier than the last.

The city looked different now.

Louder.

Brighter.

More cruel.

By the time she reached the apartment, Mia already knew something was wrong.

“Lena?” she called immediately. “What happened?”

Lena didn’t answer at first.

She just stood in the doorway.

Silent.

Then slowly… she raised her hand.

And showed the test.

Mia’s eyes widened instantly.

“Oh my”

“No,” Lena interrupted quickly, voice shaking. “Don’t say anything yet.”

Mia stepped forward. “Lena… are you sure?”

Lena laughed weakly.

A broken sound.

“I’m very sure.”

Silence filled the room.

Heavy.

Unforgiving.

Mia sat down slowly. “Is it… someone from before?”

Lena didn’t answer immediately.

Her throat tightened.

Because she already knew the truth.

There was only one possibility.

One night.

One room.

One man.

Zayden Vale.

Across the city, Zayden stood in his private office, staring at multiple screens.

Lena Moore.

Still nothing.

No social media.

No background.

No connections.

It frustrated him more than it should have.

His assistant knocked and entered cautiously.

“Sir… you’ve been searching for her for days.”

Zayden didn’t look away from the screen.

“I know.”

“May I ask why?”

That question made him pause slightly.

Why?

He didn’t have a logical answer.

So instead, he said, “She was fired unfairly.”

The assistant blinked. “That’s it?”

Zayden finally turned.

And his voice dropped slightly colder.

“Is that not enough?”

The assistant immediately lowered his head. “I’ll continue the search.”

When the door closed again, silence returned.

Zayden leaned back in his chair.

But his mind wasn’t calm.

Because something was missing.

Still missing.

And now… he was starting to feel it.

Like a gap in a story he couldn’t read properly.

That night, Lena sat alone in the dark.

Mia had gone out to buy food, but Lena hadn’t moved.

Her hand rested over her stomach again.

But this time… differently.

Not confusion.

Not fear.

Something else.

Reality.

“It’s you,” she whispered shakily.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

“I don’t even know your father properly… but it’s you.”

Her voice broke slightly.

Because this wasn’t just her life anymore.

It was two lives now.

And she had no idea how she would survive this.

No job.

No support.

No safety.

Only uncertainty.

And a man who didn’t even remember clearly what had happened.

Or maybe… couldn’t.

That same night, Zayden woke up suddenly.

Breathing hard.

Sweat at his temple.

A dream.

No.

A memory.

Fragmented.

Sharp.

Lena standing in the room.

Her voice saying “stop” or “don’t”—

No.

It wasn’t clear.

He sat up immediately, rubbing his face.

“What the hell is wrong with me?” he muttered.

But something deeper than confusion stirred in his chest.

Because for the first time…

He wasn’t sure his memory could be trusted.

And that scared him more than anything else ever had.

Morning came.

Lena stood outside a clinic, holding the test results tightly in her hand.

Her heart pounded.

She had made a decision.

She needed confirmation.

Official confirmation.

No more denial.

No more escape.

She stepped forward

But froze instantly.

Because standing at the clinic entrance…

Was a man stepping out of a black car.

Tall.

Familiar.

Dangerously familiar.

Zayden Vale.

Their eyes met.

And for the first time…

The world stopped completely.

Neither of them moved.

Neither of them spoke.

Because something neither of them was ready for…

Had just begun.