Chapter 4

I turned to Alexander and asked, "Who's outside?"

Alexander shifted to block the gap in the door, his voice soft. "Darling..."

"Elena! It's me."

Elena laughed and pushed past Alexander, slipping inside.

Her eyes landed on my hands right away. She tilted her head.

"Elena, what's in that pretty little box you're holding?"

"A gift for Alexander."

I answered calmly.

Alexander reached over and wrapped an arm around me.

"Darling, why don't you put it in the safe first? You know the code."

Elena hooked her arm through mine.

"Elena, I'll go with you!"

In the study, I put the box with the divorce papers and family seal into the safe. I turned around. Elena was watching me, that innocent look still on her face.

She asked, "Elena, I'm the person you love most in this world, right?"

"Of course."

I looked at her, a small smile on my lips.

"Then... if I did something wrong, you'd still forgive me, just like before, right?"

She blinked, her face as innocent as when she was a kid and used to beg for forgiveness after doing something naughty.

I smiled softly.

"Of course."

But there was none of the old warmth left in my heart.

Alexander's voice came from outside the door.

"Olivia, come out when you're done."

I answered and walked out of the study first, telling them I needed to grab something from my room.

But when I reached the corner of the stairs, I stopped and hid in the shadows.

At the end of the hallway, Alexander was hissing at Elena in a low voice.

"What the hell are you doing?! I warned you not to come to the main house. What if your sister finds out?!"

Elena's voice broke into a teary whine.

"I know it's wrong, but Alexander, I'm pregnant. I have to do this for my baby."

My breath caught for a moment.

I heard every single word clearly.

For the past five years, I'd been on birth control because Alexander said he wanted more time for just the two of us. He didn't want a kid to break what we had.

I thought he really didn't want children.

Turns out, he just never wanted one with me.

Hearing the word "pregnant," Alexander froze for a second, confusion flickering across his face.

He knew he'd been taking birth control himself.

But still, his voice turned gentle.

"Then you really shouldn't be running around. This is the family's future heir. We can't let anything happen to him."

Elena sobbed quietly.

"But I'm so lost and scared... The baby needs a father."

"Don't overthink it. I'll take you to the hospital for a checkup first."

He patted her back, soothing her softly.

I pushed down the searing pain in my chest and pretended I was just coming down the stairs.

When I reached the first floor, Elena ran up from behind and threw her arms around me.

"Elena, my girlfriends invited me to get our nails done. I'm heading out now!"

Alexander straightened his suit, his expression flawless.

"Olivia, I need to go to the office for some urgent business."

I looked at them calmly and gave a small nod.

That afternoon, I was quietly packing the rest of my things in my room.

My phone buzzed. A video call from Elena lit up the screen.

I answered. The screen showed an ultrasound monitor, the image of a fetus clearly visible.

From the video, Alexander's low, serious voice came through.

"Who are you recording this for?"

"Just showing a friend!"

Elena chirped.

Alexander's voice turned firm.

"Fine, but keep this serious. And from now on, it stays confidential, got it?"

"I know!"

Elena laughed and hung up.

I turned off my phone without a change in expression and went back to packing.

For the next two days, no one reached out to me.

Alexander used work as an excuse and never came home.

On the third day, Elena finally couldn't hold back anymore. She called.

"Elena, are you playing dumb with me?"

I stayed silent. Elena kept rambling.

"Doesn't matter if you are! The doctor just did the checkup. It's a boy. He's Alexander's only heir."

"I see."

I replied flatly.

"Elena, you love me so much. Just give Alexander to me, okay? Like how you always gave me whatever I asked for when we were little."

"Fine."

I didn't hesitate.

Elena paused for a second on the other end, then burst into wild, triumphant laughter, like she was mocking Alexander for being overly cautious and paranoid.

But she got one thing completely wrong.

I wasn't giving Alexander to her.

I was throwing him away like trash.

On the last day, the black sedan from Santoro Institute pulled up at the back gate on time and picked me up.

The sky opened up with a violent downpour. The closed windows fogged up.

I had a mild case of claustrophobia. My chest felt tight, so I pressed the window button on the armrest. The window rolled down halfway, and I could finally breathe.

That was when I realized the car was passing by Jasmine Manor.

Through the rain, a luxury car was parked at the front gate.

Elena wore a cream-colored maternity dress with Alexander's black coat draped over her shoulders. Alexander held an umbrella over her.

Just as the car sped past, something seemed to catch Alexander's attention.

He looked up. Through the half-open window and the raging curtain of rain, our eyes met across the air.

In that instant, I saw countless emotions flicker across his dark green eyes.

His lips parted, like he was about to shout something in my direction.

I pressed the button without a word and rolled the window all the way up, cutting off our future.

The next second, my phone started buzzing violently.

Alexander's name flashed on the screen. I looked at it, but didn't move.

The man sitting across from me was a secretary from the Santoro family. He said:

"Ms. Garcia, your love story with Don Alexander is well known across the city. We understand if you're having second thoughts."

I gripped my phone tighter.

He added, "Before the plane takes off, you can have this car stop at any time."

I shook my head.

"No."

I rolled down the window and tossed the phone out.

"I'm not looking back. Let's go."

I'd already signed the highest level of confidentiality agreement. I had to cut all ties with the past.

More importantly, I wasn't going to waver at the look in Alexander's eyes anymore.

I turned my head and watched the receding streets through the window. The rain blurred the entire city.