جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 170

~CELINE~The waiting room at Dr. Martinez's office buzzed with the quiet energy of expectant parents. I sat beside Hunter, his hand warm and steady in mine, trying to calm the nervous flutter in my stomach."Celine Brown?" The nurse called from the doorway, clipboard in hand.Hunter squeezed my fingers as we stood. "Ready?" he asked softly.I nodded, though my heart was racing. Today we would finally know if we were having a boy or a girl. Part of me was terrified—not of the baby's gender, but of how real everything would become once we knew.Dr. Martinez greeted us with her usual warm smile. "How are we feeling today, Celine?""Good. The morning sickness has finally stopped, thank goodness.""Excellent. And you, Mr. Reid? Any questions or concerns?"Hunter shook his head, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. He had been quiet on the drive over, lost in thought."Alright, let's take a look at this baby," Dr. Martinez said, patting the examination table. "Same routine as befo

~HUNTER~The charity gala was a fucking nightmare wrapped in silk and champagne.I stood in the corner of the Grand Ballroom, nursing a whiskey I didn't want while Manhattan's elite preened and posed around me. Crystal chandeliers cast everything in golden light, but all I could think about was Celine curled up at home in her pajamas, probably reading pregnancy books while Caesar built pillow forts."Hunter Reid. Still brooding in corners, I see."I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Mia Blackwood's voice had the same effect on me as nails on a chalkboard—polished, perfect, and completely fucking grating."Mia." I faced her, taking in the emerald gown that probably cost more than most people's rent.She looked stunning. Objectively, mathematically beautiful.And I felt absolutely nothing."You look handsome tonight." Her smile was rehearsed, the kind they taught at finishing school. "Though you seem... different."Different. Yeah, that was one word for it. Six months

~CELINE~"Oh my God, this place is gorgeous!" Blake's voice echoed through Caroline's new apartment as we stepped inside. The space was everything I had expected from Caroline and Fredric, elegant but warm, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Central Park and furniture that probably cost more than most people's cars."I hope it's okay that I brought Blake," I said to Caroline, suddenly worried about mixing my worlds.Caroline smiled, pulling me into a hug. "The more the merrier! Besides, I need all the moral support I can get for my bachelorette planning."Three other women were already gathered in the living room, champagne glasses in hand and laughter filling the air. Caroline's work friends from her marketing firm—successful, polished women who looked like they belonged in this expensive space."Ladies, I want you to meet someone very special," Caroline announced, her arm still around my shoulders. "This is Celine, the woman who stole my heart before Fredric ever had a cha

~CELINE~The morning sunlight screened through the penthouse windows as I stood at the kitchen counter, mechanically spreading mayonnaise on bread for Hunter's club sandwich. The usual habit should have been comforting, but my mind kept drifting to that threatening text message from last night.‘We need to talk.’"Mommy, did you hear me?" Caesar's voice pulled me back to the present."Sorry, sweetheart. What did you say?"He swung his little legs from his chair at the dining table, a piece of toast clutched in his small hands. "I said Bryan showed me how to build a really big sandcastle yesterday. But then that mean girl Emma kicked it down and made Bryan cry."I turned to face him, forcing a smile. "That wasn't very nice of Emma. Did you help Bryan feel better?""Uh-huh. We built an even bigger one, and this time we put a moat around it so she couldn't reach it." His face lit up with pride. "Bryan said I'm his best friend now.""That's wonderful, baby." I added lettuce to the sandw

~CELINE~I stood at the end of Maple Street, staring at the small two-story house with its peeling blue paint and overgrown front yard. Four years. It had been four years since I had last stood on this sidewalk, nineteen years old with a duffel bag in my hand and my mother's cruel words ringing in my ears."Don't come back here with that bastard child. You've brought enough shame to this family."The taxi had already pulled away, leaving me alone with my memories and the sick feeling in my stomach that told me this was a mistake. But Margaret's words wouldn't stop echoing in my head.‘You're not her biological daughter. You're just the bastard child from some affair your father had.’I needed to know the truth. Even if it destroyed me.The front gate still squeaked when I pushed it open. The sound transported me back to childhood—racing home from school to tell my father about my day, back when I still believed he might protect me from my mother's sharp tongue.Before I reached th