Chapter 3: The Revelation

Cher rarely saw Allie look so distant, and it made her nervous. Her voice turned sharper. “So, you’re really not going to forgive me? You already have everything, Allie. Why are you still trying to take Nick from me? Do you just hate seeing me happy?”

Allie stared at her in disbelief. Was Cher serious? She was the one who’d come between Allie and Nick, and now she was acting like she was the one who’d been wronged.

With a calm tone, Allie replied, “Cher, there’s nothing left to say. I need to get back to work, so please, leave.”

As Allie turned to go, Cher grabbed her arm. “Wait, there’s one more thing you should know…”

“Cher, what are you doing here?”

A tall figure appeared at the door.

It was Nick, his expression clouded with irritation. He walked over quickly, clearly frustrated. “Cher, I’ve told you not to come to Allie like this.”

Cher immediately shifted her tone, looking pitiful and helpless. “I only wanted to apologize to Allie. This was my fault, not yours. I’m just here to ask for her forgiveness.”

Allie couldn’t believe the show Cher was putting on. And by the look in Nick’s eyes, it was working.

Nick’s gaze softened as he turned to Allie. “Allie, my dad’s coming home from the hospital today. Can you come to dinner with us tonight? I know you’re mad at me, but please don’t hold it against my family.”

The Nick and Brooks families had been close for years. Allie had spent countless hours at the Nick family home growing up, and Nick’s parents had always treated her like their own.

“When was your dad in the hospital?” Allie asked, taken aback.

Seeing her interest, Nick’s eyes lit up with hope. “It’s his heart. He had a bypass surgery. He’s been asking about you—said he hasn’t seen you in forever.”

Allie hesitated, weighing her decision. But before she could answer, Cher jumped in.

“What about me, Nick? What am I supposed to do if she goes?” Cher snapped.

She knew that if Allie went to that dinner, Nick’s parents would surely welcome her back with open arms. Cher couldn’t let that happen.

Nick’s expression darkened, and he turned to Cher coldly. “This has nothing to do with you. Stop causing trouble.”

The meaning behind his words was clear.

But Cher didn’t back down. Instead, she threw out the words she knew would change everything. “I didn’t want to make a scene, but… I’m pregnant.”

It was as if a lightning bolt had struck.

Cher, now a picture of calm confidence, pulled a stack of documents from her bag and held them up. “Here’s the ultrasound report.”

Allie took a quick glance. It was dated six weeks along.

She did the math in her head. “Six weeks? But… that would be about forty days ago. And that night was three months ago.”

Cher’s lips curled into a small, triumphant smile as she met Allie’s gaze. “That’s right. We were together after that, many times.”

Nick snapped, his voice rising as he pushed Cher back. “Cher, enough!”

Allie let out a bitter laugh and looked at Nick with disappointment. “Do you really think I’m that gullible?”

A look of panic flashed across Nick’s face, and he grabbed her arm. “Allie, please. Just listen—”

Meanwhile, Cher staggered slightly from the push, glaring at Allie with renewed resentment. Even now, Nick only seemed to care about Allie’s reaction, not the supposed child.

Just then, the meeting room door swung open.

Liam stepped in, his gaze as cold as steel.