chapter 1

Chapter 1

Nichole's POV

The subtle knock on the door jolted me, and my heart leaped inside my chest. My head snapped toward the direction of the door, and I forced myself to breathe.

My hands trembled like flickering lights as I stuffed the report I was holding into my pocket... my pregnancy report.

I was supposed to be happy—this was what I’d always wanted—but a pang of doubt gnawed at me.

It had been a while since I’d seen my husband, Blake Hamilton William, the heir to H. Group. He was the current CEO, which could explain why he was always so busy. I barely had enough time with him. But now… today, he was mine.

My hands fastened over the doorknob, and with a shriek, the door opened, revealing my handsome devil.

"Hey, beautiful," he greeted me with a smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Yet, it was enough to make my insides twist.

"Do I know you, sir?" I asked playfully, leaning against the doorframe and curling my hands against my chest.

"What’s wrong with you?" Blake’s tone had an edge of harshness that made me swallow hard. His eyes locked onto mine as he inched closer.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood still. Suddenly, his demeanor lightened, and his lips curved into a smile.

"Why do you get so tense so easily?" he smirked, tilting his head to the side. "I was just teasing you. There’s no need to get so serious over nothing."

I gave a small smile and nodded. Blake was a complicated man, and despite being married for over three years, I was yet to fully understand him. The way he could shut me out or switch moods in an instant was unsettling.

"Hey, Bee."

The feminine voice made my eyes widen. Bee? Who was that? My mind began to spiral out of control.

Blake turned swiftly, his face lighting up.

"Lydia," he called out, and then I saw the way she jumped on him.

My chest tightened. Her face looked a little familiar, but I couldn’t quite place her. The real question was, why was she here? Worse, how did she even know Blake?

"Oh my God, is this the Nichole I’ve heard so much about? It’s a shame we haven’t met sooner," Lydia squeaked, stretching out her hand to me. My jaw tightened as I turned to Blake with a furrowed brow.

"Who is this, honey?" I asked, forcing a smile.

Blake tucked his hands into his pockets, a grin appearing on his face as he turned to Lydia. They exchanged a glance that made me feel unsettled.

"She’s Lydia. A friend," he said in a dry tone.

"A friend, really?"

I tried not to make my jealousy obvious, but I was never one to hide my emotions.

"What is your problem? I just said she’s a friend. What other explanation do you want?" Blake barked, and I pressed my lips together.

Was he seriously yelling at me because of this girl?

"Hey..." Lydia’s soft voice broke the tension, her delicate hand brushing over his arm.

Her eyes lit up with emotion, and for a moment, I thought she was about to cry. "Bee, it’s okay. If I had known your wife was so delicate and sensitive, I wouldn’t have come here. I would have just sent my secretary to pick it up."

"Pick what up?" I interjected.

"Nichole, can you please stop raising your voice? Lydia can’t take much of that. She’s not well," he said sternly. His hands gripped hers as he nudged her. "Come, let’s talk in my car. I have your things with me."

He cast an eerie glance at me. I opened my mouth to speak, but his eyes darkened, silencing me.

I bit my lip, tension building at the back of my throat.

After Blake settled whatever he was doing, he came back to me with a frown.

"What’s your deal? You overreacted when you saw me with Lydia."

I turned my face away, crossing my arms tighter over my chest.

"I’m your legal wife. Don’t I have the right to be?"

He sighed, ruffling his hair. "You can, but I assure you, she’s just a family friend. I ran into her at the airport. She was having car issues, and I offered to give her a ride."

I scoffed. "Given that she drove here, I wonder what kind of car issues she must have been having."

Blake cupped my face in his hands, and I sighed.

"Babe, stop. Lydia has cancer, so the doctor warned her not to stress her body. That’s why I offered to help. She left some of her medication in my car and just came to collect it."

"Oh..." I mumbled under my breath, guilt washing over me. God, I was such a fool.

"I’m so sorry. I hope she’s okay," I said softly.

"Yeah, she is."

My mind wandered back to our conversation, shame filling me.

"Take my bags inside," Blake ordered.

It was as if my body was programmed to respond. I scooped up his luggage and dashed back inside the house.

"I made your favorite meal," I mumbled with a smile. "Happy anniversary, my love."

"You made my favorite?" he asked, his voice warm but distant. His gaze wandered over the house before meeting mine.

For a moment, I thought he was about to say something, but instead, he just smiled.

Today was special—our wedding anniversary. It was the perfect time to reveal the big secret I’d been hiding.

We were having a baby. God, how I wanted to scream those words.

Blake grinned after a while.

"Thanks, baby," he said, wrapping his hands around my waist and pulling me close. His lips found mine, and I melted into the kiss.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed in his pocket, and Blake jerked away.

Anger pushed against the back of my throat, and I hissed softly, pulling him by his collar so his eyes met mine.

"Can’t you just put work aside?" I pleaded softly. "At least for today."

Blake hummed under his breath and nodded.

"Don’t worry. I just want to silence the call so we won’t be..." he trailed off, mischief glinting in his eyes.

I blushed, giggling, as his gaze bored into me.

The ringing persisted, and Blake’s face dimmed, color draining from his cheeks.

"I..." Blake faltered, exhaling. "I’m sorry, but I have to take this."

My face tightened, arms crossing over my chest, ready to argue. But the click of him answering the call silenced me.

"Hey."

My brow arched at the softness in his tone. Who was he talking to?

Blake’s eyes flickered to mine before he spun around, blocking my path and drifting to the corner of the room.

He murmured something I couldn’t hear, his shoulders stiffening.

Blake always took his calls in front of me, but lately, even before this trip, he’d started acting shady.

Loneliness crept in as I sniffed and forced a smile.

My hand caressed my stomach. I still had hope. Once I told Blake about the baby, everything would change.

As he turned, I beamed with joy.

"Babe, there’s something I want to say," I muttered before he spoke.