Five Years Without an Heir

Seraphina did not answer Nina again that morning.

She told herself there was no reason to.

Camille Laurent was only Ethan’s new secretary. Whatever had happened between them belonged to the past, long before Seraphina entered his life.

That was what she repeated to herself while washing Chelsea’s dress by hand.

While folding Margaret’s towels.

While packing the leftovers from breakfast into containers.

Still, Camille’s name stayed in the back of her mind.

By noon, Seraphina had almost convinced herself she had forgotten about it.

Then Margaret called her into the sitting room.

“Wear something decent this afternoon.”

Seraphina looked up from the grocery list she was writing.

“Why?”

“We’re having guests.”

“Who?”

“Mrs. Delaney and her daughter.”

Seraphina waited for more.

Margaret gave her a pointed look.

“And please don’t wear that.”

Seraphina glanced at her plain blue dress.

“What’s wrong with it?”

“It looks cheap.”

Chelsea, who was sitting nearby painting her nails, laughed.

“It is cheap.”

Seraphina looked at her.

Chelsea shrugged. “What? It probably is.”

They had no idea that Seraphina still owned dresses worth more than Chelsea’s entire wardrobe.

They were stored inside a private apartment she had not visited in years.

Along with jewelry she stopped wearing when she decided to become Seraphina Gray.

None of that mattered here.

“I’ll change,” she said.

Margaret nodded.

“And make tea before they arrive.”

Of course.

Two hours later, Mrs. Delaney arrived with her daughter, Olivia.

Seraphina recognized Olivia immediately. She was the wife of one of Ethan’s business associates and had recently given birth to her second child.

Margaret welcomed them warmly.

Seraphina served tea.

“Sit with us,” Mrs. Delaney said kindly.

Seraphina had barely lowered herself onto the sofa when Margaret sighed.

“Perhaps seeing Olivia will encourage her.”

The room went quiet.

Seraphina already knew where this was going.

Olivia looked uncomfortable.

“Encourage me to do what?”

Margaret smiled as if she hadn’t meant anything cruel.

“To finally give Ethan a child.”

Seraphina’s fingers tightened around her teacup.

“Mom.”

“What? We’re all family here.”

Mrs. Delaney shifted in her seat.

“Margaret, these things happen in their own time.”

“Five years is a long time.”

Seraphina stared at the tea in her cup.

She had heard those exact words too many times.

Five years was a long time.

As though she didn’t count every month herself.

As though she didn’t feel something twist inside whenever someone announced a pregnancy.

She wanted a child.

That was the part Margaret never seemed to understand.

Seraphina wanted one enough that she had cried quietly in bathrooms after negative tests.

She had visited doctors alone.

Changed her diet.

Taken vitamins.

Tracked dates.

She simply refused to believe the responsibility belonged only to her.

“The doctor said Ethan should be tested too,” Seraphina said.

Margaret’s smile disappeared.

Olivia looked down.

“You keep saying that.”

“Because that’s what the doctor said.”

“My son is healthy.”

“Being healthy doesn’t automatically mean—”

“Enough.”

Margaret’s voice hardened.

Seraphina stopped.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then the front door opened.

Ethan came home earlier than expected.

Chelsea immediately stood.

“Ethan!”

He walked into the sitting room, loosened his tie, and greeted the guests politely.

Seraphina watched him with relief.

Maybe now Margaret would stop.

She should have known better.

“We were just talking about you,” Margaret said.

Ethan looked toward Seraphina.

“That sounds dangerous.”

Mrs. Delaney laughed nervously.

Margaret continued, “I told Seraphina she needs to take this fertility issue more seriously.”

Ethan’s smile disappeared.

“Mom.”

“She keeps insisting you need tests too.”

Seraphina looked at him.

This time, she did not speak.

She wanted to see what he would do without being prompted.

Ethan sighed.

“Can we discuss this privately?”

Margaret crossed her arms.

“Why? Everyone knows you’ve been married five years without a child.”

Seraphina felt heat rise to her face.

Ethan looked irritated now.

But not at his mother.

At the situation.

At the embarrassment.

At everything except the woman being humiliated in front of guests.

“Seraphina,” he said quietly, “let’s not do this here.”

Something inside her sank.

“I wasn’t the one who started it.”

His eyes met hers.

She saw the warning there.

Please don’t make this worse.

Seraphina gave a small nod.

“All right.”

Margaret relaxed immediately.

The conversation moved on.

Business.

Property prices.

A new restaurant downtown.

Seraphina sat beside Ethan without hearing much of it.

Once, beneath the table, his hand briefly touched hers.

She almost pulled away.

Almost.

Instead, she let him hold her fingers for a few seconds.

That was the problem.

Even when she was hurt, she still remembered the man he had once been.

After the guests left, Ethan found her alone in the kitchen.

“You’re upset.”

Seraphina continued wiping the counter.

“No.”

“Sera.”

She stopped.

“Your mother embarrassed me in front of people.”

“I know.”

“And you said nothing.”

“I asked her to stop.”

“After she had already said everything.”

Ethan rubbed his face.

“What do you want me to do? Fight with her every time she says something you don’t like?”

Seraphina stared at him.

“No. I want you to stand beside me.”

His expression changed slightly.

“I do stand beside you.”

“Do you?”

The question hung between them.

Before Ethan could answer, his phone vibrated.

He glanced at the screen.

Seraphina saw the name before he turned it over.

Camille.

Her chest tightened.

Ethan slipped the phone into his pocket.

“I need to take care of something at the office.”

“Now?”

“It’s important.”

“Is it Camille?”

He went still.

Only for a second.

But Seraphina noticed.

“How do you know about Camille?”

“Nina told me.”

Ethan’s face became unreadable.

“She works for me. That’s all.”

Seraphina nodded slowly.

She wanted to believe him.

So badly that it hurt.

“Okay.”

Ethan kissed her forehead.

“I’ll be back later.”

Seraphina stood alone in the kitchen as the door closed behind him.

A few seconds later, her phone buzzed.

Nina again.

Nina: Sera, I don’t want to scare you.

Then another message appeared.

Nina: But Camille doesn’t act like just his secretary.