Chapter 1

"You'll have the test results in about an hour."

The nurse's smile was gentle and reassuring as she took the vial of blood from Madeline Sanders.

Madeline held a cotton swab to her arm and settled into a chair in the waiting area. She was a bit pale, but her eyes sparkled with hope. She had a hunch she was pregnant, and that hospital visit was just to make sure.

Three years ago, Trevon Gibson was involved in a terrible car crash that left him comatose, with doctors saying he would never wake up.

Lydia Sanders, Trevon's high school sweetheart and Madeline's half-sister, did not waste any time and jetted off abroad for her studies.

Somehow, Trevon's grandmother—Edith Gibson—figured that Madeline was Trevon's lucky charm and insisted she marry him. The Gibson family promised to care for Madeline's mother, who was lost in her own world of madness. Madeline felt trapped but agreed to the marriage.

Little did everyone know that Madeline was secretly in love with Trevon for years. To everyone's surprise, Trevon woke up after the wedding. However, Madeline's joy was short-lived.

Trevon's first words to her were icy and calculated.

"Out of respect for my grandmother, I'll take you as Mrs. Gibson for three years. When Lydia returns in three years, I will marry her."

Madeline had braced herself to play along with that deal, ready to step aside when the time came. However, life threw a curveball a month and a half ago.

Trevon stumbled home after drowning his sorrows in alcohol that day, and Madeline single-handedly managed to drag him inside. Supporting a drunken Trevon was like moving a boulder—each step a battle of strength.

Madeline and Trevon could no longer keep themselves upright and crumpled to the floor just inside the front door. Their lips brushed together in the fall, an accidental kiss that sent Madeline's heart racing.

Trevon was a notorious germaphobe, avoiding physical contact like the plague. However, that unexpected kiss seemed to unlock something in him, and he leaned in for another.

Madeline was caught off guard, but she did not resist.

Later, in the quiet aftermath, Madeline could not bear to stay in the bed they shared. She tiptoed around the sleeping Trevon, erasing any trace of what had happened between them.

The hospital was a hive of activity, but Madeline felt alone in the crowd. With trembling hands, she opened the lab results.

'Early pregnancy. Recommend a follow-up ultrasound.'

Joy flickered across her face, quickly hidden behind her hand to muffle her giggles. Regardless of the state of her marriage, that baby was a precious gift.

She was eager to tell Trevon, her fingers hovering over her phone. However, she hesitated. Trevon's germaphobia was not just about objects—it extended to people. She had seen him scrub his hands raw after a mere handshake.

The Gibsons knew that Trevon and intimacy were like oil and water. His mother had even suggested IVF, which Trevon flatly refused.

However, alcohol had loosened his inhibitions that one night.

Would he believe the baby was his?

Doubt clouded Madeline's mind, bringing a headache and a wave of nausea. She was jostled as a group of doctors in white coats rushed by, nearly sending her phone flying.

"Emergency! Please step aside," a nurse said, flashing Madeline a quick, apologetic smile before dashing off.

Madeline took a deep breath, watching the commotion unfold. Her gaze drifted to the emergency room doors without much thought.

However, in a heartbeat, her eyes widened in shock.

Trevon was there, shielding Lydia as they stepped down from the ambulance. He guided her gently onto a stretcher and, with a team around them, made a beeline for the VIP suite.

A chilling shiver sliced through Madeline, her knees buckling as she clung to the nearby railing for support.

Lydia was back.

In the hospital room, the doctor briefed Trevon.

"It seems like a mild concussion, but we'll need the test results to be sure."

Trevon's expression was serious. "Speed it up. Use the VIP route."

Lydia, stretched out on the gurney, smiled weakly at Trevon. "You're always so kind to me."

Lydia pouted as she continued, "I wasn't paying attention. Who would've thought a bike bump could lead to a concussion? In Ameristan, people usually slow down on their own."

Trevon gave her a fleeting, detached look.

A flicker of worry crossed Lydia's face. "Trevon, with Skylandia's tight deadlines, isn't my accident going to set us back a lot?"

Skylandia was the latest venture from Trevon's gaming empire, Xystos Tech, and Lydia had returned to lead the art on it.

"I won't stay here. I have to get back to work," she declared, attempting to get out of bed.

Trevon was quick to intervene, his hand on her shoulder easing her back down. "Don't be childish."

As the tender scene unfolded, Madeline watched them outside the VIP room with gritted teeth.

Trevon was notorious for his meticulous ways, but he did have a soft spot.

He was not always distant. He just saved all his warmth for Lydia.

Madeline felt a wave of emotion as she teared up. She touched her nose and fought the tears. Without really knowing why, she found herself pulling out her phone and calling Trevon.

In the sterile silence of the hospital room, Trevon's face froze for a moment as he checked his phone, then casually handed it off to his assistant, Simon Taylors.

"Tell her I'm tied up in a meeting."

Madeline's heart clenched as Trevon's annoyed expression flickered across his face.

Simon, moving to the side, answered Madeline's call softly. "Hello, Mrs. Gibson. Mr. Gibson is busy in a meeting. Is there something you need?"

Madeline's lips twitched with a defeated smile. "No, it's nothing. I just hit the wrong button."

Simon frowned. "Mr. Gibson's schedule is packed. Please be more careful in the future, Mrs. Gibson."

The future? Was there even a future to speak of?

Lydia, overhearing Simon, gave Trevon a subtle glance. She casually showed off the pink Hello Kitty bandage on her hand.

Trevon's eyes snapped to it, his voice laced with a hint of longing. "You still haven't kicked that old habit, I see."

Lydia forced a smile. "Well, you know I've always been fond of Hello Kitty."

Their eyes met, and for a moment, the world around them seemed to soften.

Madeline could not stand it any longer. Clutching her phone, she turned around and left.

She thought one night could change things, but it was just wishful thinking.

Despite the autumn season, Redenbaugh City was sweltering, and the hospital's air conditioning was cranked up, sending chills down her spine.

She felt light-headed, as if she were floating on air.

Suddenly, a little boy darted into her path, bumping into her.

Madeline's face went pale as she caught the little boy, but in doing so, she lost her footing and tumbled to the ground.

The fall sent a chill up her spine, and she held her belly, too afraid to move.

The boy, however, started wailing, drawing curious glances from passersby.

His mother rushed over and gave him a quick once-over. When she found him unscathed, she pulled him into a tight embrace before turning to Madeline with fury.

"Can't you watch where you're going? You ran into my baby! How will you make this right?"

Madeline, her mind on the baby she was carrying, bit back her pain and chose not to retaliate. Instead, she made her way to the maternity ward upstairs.

The mother was not having it, yanking on Madeline's arm. "You think you can just hit someone and leave?"

Madeline, nearly tripping over, turned slightly and offered calmly, "Should we review the security footage?"

The woman, clutching her son, stormed off.

Madeline felt her vision darken as she clutched her chest. She leaned against the railing, immobilized.

In the VIP ward, Lydia gazed at Trevon longingly and leaned in for a kiss.

Trevon, who was aloof, felt a wave of nausea as she got close. His vision blurred, and his chest tightened.

He flinched and shoved Lydia away.