All Chapters of Pregnant With My Twin Sister’s Fiancé’s Baby: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

I'd bought the ring three weeks ago. It was a practical decision. Logical. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I couldn't imagine life without her.Or so I told myself.I stood in the bathroom of the penthouse, adjusting my tie in the mirror. The ring box sat on the marble vanity, a small velvet cube that seemed to weigh fifty pounds. It burned a hole in my pocket the moment I picked it up.Why are you doing this? a voice in my head asked. It sounded suspiciously like my brother James.Because it makes sense, I answered back.I ran the numbers in my head for the hundredth time.Variable A: Aria is pregnant with my child. Variable B: We are living together. Variable C: We are compatible. We work well together. We… care about each other.Conclusion: Marriage provides legal protection for the child, tax benefits, and simplifies the custody arrangement in the event of... well, anything. It solidified our standing against her family. It stopped the gossip at NeXus.It was

She walked through the door and I forgot every word I'd planned.It had been forty-eight hours since she left. Two days of silence in the penthouse that felt louder than a construction site. Two days of staring at the empty spot on the couch where she usually curled up with her tea.I had spent those forty-eight hours learning a hard lesson: I would rather be vulnerable and terrified than safe and alone.I stood in the center of the living room. It looked... different.I had sent the staff away. I had gone to the florist myself, feeling like an idiot as I bought armfuls of white hydrangeas and soft pink peonies. I had set up candles—dozens of them—but I hadn't lit them yet. That felt too staged. Too performative.Instead, I had just... prepared the space. I had cleaned the already clean counters. I had polished the ring until it sparkled like a star. I had paced a trench into the hardwood floor.I had called James three times."Tell her what she means," James had instructed, his voice

If I thought launching a video game expansion was stressful, I clearly had no concept of what it took to launch a wedding in four weeks."We need a cake, a florist, a string quartet, and a venue," Lily announced, pacing the length of Noah’s living room like a general inspecting the troops. She slapped a clipboard with a ruler. "And we need them yesterday."I sat on the sofa, feet propped up on the coffee table, eating a pickle straight from the jar. At twenty-eight weeks, my dignity had long since left the building."Can't we just go to City Hall?" I asked around a crunch."Absolutely not," James interjected from the kitchen, where he was attempting to make mimosas. "I didn't fly back from London to watch you sign a piece of paper in a government basement. I want a party. I want an open bar. I want to give a speech that makes Noah cry.""You will not make me cry," Noah said, walking in from his study. He kissed the top of my head and stole a bite of my pickle. "You will make me cringe

Lily Chen did nothing by halves. When she declared she was throwing me a bachelorette party, I expected neon sashes, phallic straws, and a humiliating scavenger hunt through Manhattan.Instead, she rented out the entire top floor of Aire Ancient Baths."No clubs," Lily announced, guiding me into the candlelit locker room that smelled of eucalyptus and orange blossom. "No strippers. No tequila shots. You are seven months pregnant, and I am a benevolent Maid of Honor. Welcome to Operation: Marinate the Bride."I laughed, the sound echoing off the brick walls. "I love you. Have I told you that lately?""Not enough," she winked. "Now, get in the robe. Your guests are waiting."I changed into the plush white robe and waddled out to the relaxation area.My "tribe" was there. Sarah from the development team, who waved enthusiastically from a lounge chair. Patricia West, Noah’s stepmother, looking elegant even in a bathrobe.And sitting quietly in the corner, reading a magazine... Sienna.I p

The morning light over Central Park was a soft, hazy gold, filtering through the sheer curtains of the Plaza Hotel suite. I lay still for a moment, my hand resting on the curve of my stomach, listening to the city wake up below me.It was my last morning as Aria Stone.My stomach did a traitorous flip, a combination of nerves and the lingering shadow of morning sickness that still liked to visit occasionally just to keep me humble."We're doing this, Emma," I whispered to the ceiling. "Your parents are actually getting married."A sharp kick answered me, right in the ribs."Ow," I laughed, rubbing the spot. "Okay, okay. I'm up."I sat up slowly, swinging my legs over the edge of the plush bed. The suite was filled with flowers—white roses, hydrangeas, peonies—sent by Noah every hour on the hour since yesterday. The card on the nightstand read simply: One more sleep. I love you.I picked up the card, tracing his handwriting. The fear that had defined the last six months—the fear of exp