Semua Bab No Way to Win Me Back: Bab 291 - Bab 300

Grace’s POVI don’t know what pushed me to take the test that night.Maybe the leftover sting of my argument with Celeste. Maybe the exhaustion sitting behind my eyes is like bruises. Or maybe it was the strange heaviness sitting low in my stomach for days.Whatever it was, I found myself in my bathroom, standing in the dim light with a pregnancy test clutched so tightly in my fist the plastic creaked.I shouldn’t have been shaking. I’d always been the strong one, the rational one, the one with plans and backup plans. But the moment the two undeniable lines appeared I felt something inside me collapse.Pregnant.My knees buckled and I sank onto the cold tile floor.A laugh slipped out, broken and breathless, because of all the things that had gone wrong this week… this was the one thing I hadn’t even imagined.My hands covered my face. Tears soaked through instantly.Pregnant.With Gideon’s child.For a long time, I just sat there, listening to myself breathe unevenly, letting the shoc

Celeste’s POVI woke up before the alarm.Maybe it was nerves. Maybe it was exhaustion disguised as anticipation. Or maybe it was just the weight of the last few days pressing into my lungs before I was even fully conscious.But today wasn’t about me.It was Molly’s first day of school.She was already sitting on her bed when I walked in, her tiny backpack on her shoulders even though she was still in her pajamas. Her feet kicked nervously against the mattress.“You excited, sweetheart?” I asked softly.She nodded, but her little hands fidgeted. “What if I don’t make any friends?”Oh.I knelt in front of her and tucked a curl behind her ear. “Molly Edwards, listen to me.”Her big hazel eyes blinked up at me.“Friends aren’t made in one day. They’re made by being yourself. And you… you are the kindest, funniest little girl I know. Anyone would be lucky to be your friend.”She sat with that for a second, and then she whispered, “Okay.”On the way downstairs, Ryan was already waiting in t

Celeste’s POVI should have felt excited.Today was the day the results of the International Jewelry Competition were finally being announced.The ballroom was buzzing, decorated with strings of light and glossy marble.Every jewelry house worth its name was present.But all I could feel were eyes. Watching. Whispering. Flicking over me like I was some scandalous headline made of flesh.Rachel moved closer to me. “People need something to talk about,” she murmured. “They’ll get bored.”“I wish they’d get bored now,” I muttered, tugging at the cuff of my sleeve.Ryan took my hand like he’d been waiting for that exact moment. “Ignore them. Stay close to me.”“I always stay close to you,” I whispered, grateful but tense.We started walking the perimeter. I wasn’t ready to stand in clusters of people who’d pretend they didn’t read every filthy comment about me. About us. The smear campaign had been brutal.Grace should have been here.Jenny should have been here.Instead, it was just the t

Celeste’s POVI stepped down the last stair of the stage, still half-floating in disbelief, the award heavy in my hands, the applause echoing in my ears like a distant storm.Dr. Farinelli, one of the judges on the panel, intercepted me before I could reach Ryan or Rachel. His silver hair gleamed under the lights, his Italian accent warm, elegant.“Signorina Sinclair,” he said, offering his hand. “Magnifico. Truly. The way you cut the paraiba, cleanly, not relying on brilliance alone but on emotional geometry… it was bold.”I blinked, stunned. “Thank you. That means a lot.”“It was an exceptionally close decision,” he added, lowering his voice. “One of the closest we have ever had.” His eyes sparkled with something secretive. “Would you like to know who turned the tide at the last moment?”My breath hitched. “Yes… of course-”I didn’t get to finish.A sharp, shrill voice split through the congratulatory murmur around us.“You-”It was Vanessa.Every conversation in the immediate radius

Ryan’s POVI felt awful.Just straight up sick.My father’s words replayed in my head the entire drive home, each repetition cutting deeper than the last.Traitor son.Time-pass lover.Fraud.Celeste had been quiet beside me, one hand on my thigh in that absent, grounding way she does when she can feel me spiraling.We had dropped Molly off with Claire for the night before the ceremony, thinking we’d come back late. I’d imagined celebrating with Celeste afterward, maybe kissing her until the world faded.Instead, I was replaying my father’s sneer like a bruise I kept pressing.By the time we stepped inside Celeste’s house, both of us were running on fumes. She kicked off her heels in the hallway and leaned her forehead against my chest with a soft sigh.“We’re not talking about him tonight,” she murmured.“Yeah,” I lied.But she had already slipped her hand into mine and guided me to her bedroom.We didn’t even try to pretend we were going to wash up or check emails or do anything remo