Chapter 4

The hotel room was too quiet.

Elena sat alone at the edge of the king-sized bed, still wearing damp clothes from the rain.

The city lights outside the floor to ceiling windows painted the room in cold shades of gold and gray.

Luxury. Expensive. Beautiful.

Her suitcase remained unopened near the door. She could not bring herself to unpack because unpacking would make this real.

The divorce. The humiliation. Victoria returning. Damian letting her go without even trying to stop her.

She stared at the gold Lancaster initials stamped onto the leather case for a long moment before turning away sharply.

She suddenly hated the name.

Hated how proudly she once carried it. Hated how desperately she fought to belong in a family that never truly accepted her.

Her eyes drifted toward the wedding ring still resting on her finger.

She pulled it off. The diamond caught the city lights briefly before she placed it on the bedside table.

She slowly pulled the pregnancy test from her coat pocket again.

She pressed her hands against her lips to stop herself from crying too loudly.

This should have been the happiest moment of her life.

Instead, she had never felt more alone.

A broken laugh escaped her throat. “Great timing,” she whispered bitterly.

A child she had once believed might finally make Damian choose her completely.

Now the child was here.

And the marriage was gone.

She carefully placed a hand over her stomach. Fear and tenderness tangled painfully inside her chest.

Her phone buzzed and She flinched immediately.

The screen lit up.

Social media notifications. Dozens of them.

Her stomach dropped. She opened the first article.

DAMIAN LANCASTER REUNITES WITH CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART HOURS AFTER DIVORCE.

Below the headline were photographs. Victoria entering the Lancaster mansion smiling with Damian beside her.

Another image showed them leaving together through the front entrance less than an hour ago.

The comments were worse.

Finally he dumped the gold digger.

Victoria was always the real match.

Poor Damian wasted five years.

That ex-wife must be humiliated.

Elena locked the phone immediately. Her chest hurt so badly she could barely breathe.

Was this how quickly she became disposable? Five years together and he replaced her in less than a day.

Tears slid silently down her face.

But after several minutes, Elena wiped them away firmly. Not again….. Her baby deserved better than a mother constantly crying for love.

A sudden wave of dizziness hit her. Elena grabbed the edge of the bed.

Nausea rolled through her stomach violently. Panic rose immediately.

“My baby,” she muttered.

By the time she reached the hospital, her hands were still shaking.

An hour later, Elena sat inside the St. Alper's hospital examination room under bright white lights.

Doctor Miz reviewed her scans carefully before looking up. “You’re under severe emotional stress, Miss Elena.”

Elena lowered her eyes quietly.

The doctor’s expression softened slightly. “You also appear exhausted and malnourished. Have you been eating properly?”

Elena almost laughed.

Not recently.

Not after weeks of sleepless nights and untouched meals.

Not after sitting through dinners while Damian barely acknowledged her.

“The pregnancy is still early,” Doctor Miz continued gently, “but because of your stress levels, there are risks.”

Elena’s stomach tightened.

“Risks?”

“You need rest. Stability. No severe emotional distress.”

Doctor Miz hesitated. “Is the father involved?”

Elena went very still.

Images flashed through her mind instantly:

Damian smiling at Victoria. Damian handing her divorce papers. Damian saying this marriage should never have happened.

Her throat tightened painfully.

“No,” she whispered.

The doctor nodded sympathetically. After a few more instructions, she handed Elena ultrasound images.

Tiny. Blurred. Fragile.

Elena stared at them for a long moment. Then finally smiled through tears. The first real smile since the divorce.

“Hi,” she whispered softly to the image.

The picture was tiny and unclear, yet Elena could not stop staring at it. Somewhere inside her, a small fragile life already existed.

A life that depended entirely on her now.

Not Damian. Not the Lancaster family.

The realization terrified her almost as much as it comforted her.

For the first time since signing the divorce papers, Elena felt something other than heartbreak.

Responsibility.

Protection.

Love.

And for the first time in years, Elena had someone who needed her more than she needed Damian.

A knock interrupted the moment.

A nurse stepped inside nervously.

“Miss… there are reporters outside the hospital.”

Elena’s smile vanished immediately. “What?”

“They somehow learned you’re here.” the nurse said.

Her blood ran cold.

Nothing stayed private around the Lancasters.

The nurse looked apologetic. “They’re asking questions about the divorce.”

Elena closed her eyes briefly. She was too exhausted for this.

Doctor Miz frowned. “You shouldn’t leave through the main entrance.”

Another knock sounded. This time harder.

Then voices echoed faintly from the hallway.

“Miss Elena! Is it true Damian Lancaster left you for Victoria Clarke?”

“Did you receive a settlement?”

“Are the cheating rumors true?”

“Did the Lancaster family force you to sign the divorce?”

“Were there problems in the marriage before Victoria returned?”

Elena’s breathing became shaky. Her pulse pounded harder with every question.

To them, her entire life was entertainment.

The nurse hurried toward the blinds slightly and peeked outside. “Oh my God…”

“What?” Doctor Miz demanded.

“There are more arriving.” the nurse replied.

Elena’s fingers curled tightly around the ultrasound photos as another camera flash burst through the window.

The doctor placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “We’ll arrange another exit for you.”

But before anyone could move, the hallway outside erupted into chaos. Raised voices. Shouting. Security yelling.

Then suddenly—every voice outside disappeared.

No shouting.

No cameras.

Nothing.

The doctor frowned in confusion.

Elena could hear nothing except the sharp pounding of her own heartbeat.

Heavy footsteps approached slowly. Powerful.

Elena went completely still.