All Chapters of One pregnancy, two babies : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The first rays of sunlight spilled through the apartment windows, painting the room in soft golden light. May had been up for hours, not because she couldn’t sleep, but because planning had become second nature.Aiden had remained asleep in the guest cot, Aria curled beside him, muttering small adventures in her dreams. May watched them silently, a protective warmth settling over her chest. She had made a quiet promise to herself: nothing would harm them under my watch.Sophia was already in the kitchen, preparing breakfast while keeping a discreet eye on the sleeping children. The apartment smelled faintly of coffee and toasted bread—comforting, homely, safe.May’s mind, however, was on the task ahead. Vanessa had overstepped boundaries. Aiden’s fear had revealed that. But proving it… proving it would require careful planning, subtle intelligence, and absolute patience.She called a quick meeting with Sophia. “Here’s what I’m thinking,” May began, spreading out a small notebook on th

May had always trusted numbers.Patterns. Logic. Facts.But nothing in her years of building companies, surviving grief, or outsmarting powerful men had prepared her for the quiet, relentless pull she felt whenever Aiden looked at her.That morning, it was unmistakable.She stood at the kitchen counter, stirring tea absentmindedly, while Aiden sat at the dining table beside Aria, carefully peeling an orange the same way she did—slowly, methodically, removing every string.Her hand stilled.That’s how I used to do it.A chill traced her spine.“Mum,” Aria said brightly, swinging her legs. “Aiden likes oranges just like you.”May forced a smile. “Does he?”Aiden looked up, eyes wide. “Yes. Lily says I eat them weird.”Lily glanced up from her laptop, frowning. “It’s not weird,” she said gently. “It’s… precise.”Too precise.May turned away before anyone could see her expression.At the kindergarten drop-off later that day, May stayed back longer than usual. She watched from a distance a

Morning came quietly.Too quietly.May sat at the dining table, hands wrapped around a cup of tea that had gone cold minutes ago. Across from her lay the envelope Sophia had brought the night before—thin paper, heavy truth.Lily stood by the window, arms folded, watching the city wake up.“Aria’s awake,” Lily said softly. “She asked for you.”“In a minute,” May replied, her voice steady despite the storm inside her.Sophia sat beside her, calm but watchful. “You don’t have to open it now.”May nodded. “I know.”She stared at the envelope again.Five years ago, she had signed a contract believing she was giving life—not losing it.Five years ago, she had walked away with one baby in her arms and grief buried so deep she thought it would never breathe again.And now—She slid her finger under the seal.The paper whispered open.Her eyes scanned the page once.Twice.Then—Her breath left her in a sharp, broken exhale.Sophia reached for her immediately. “May—”“Confirmed,” May whispered

The Stone estate had never felt so cold.May felt it the moment she stepped inside—not in the temperature, but in the silence. The kind that watched you. Measured you. Weighed your worth before you spoke a word.Damien walked beside her, his hand brushing hers once—briefly, reassuringly—before he straightened, instinctively stepping into the role he had been born into.May noticed.She always did.Daxton Stone sat at the far end of the long dining table, cane resting against his chair, posture relaxed, eyes sharp. He didn’t rise when they entered. He didn’t smile.But he looked directly at May.Not dismissive.Not hostile.Appraising.“You’re late,” he said calmly.“We came as soon as you summoned us,” Damien replied evenly.Daxton’s gaze flicked to him for a fraction of a second—then returned to May.“Sit,” he said.Not please.Not both of you.Just sit.May sat anyway.Gracefully. Calmly. Like a woman who did not beg for space at tables—she claimed it.Daxton noticed that too.“I’ll

The office buzzed as usual, but the atmosphere shifted the moment Evelyn Royce arrived. May noticed it immediately—not just from the way her colleagues straightened, but the subtle way the air seemed to thicken around her.Damien followed May into the conference room, tense. He didn’t need to speak; she felt it. Daxton had planned this, and Evelyn was his first real move.Evelyn walked in, flawless as ever, heels clicking deliberately against the marble floor. She didn’t smile—she didn’t need to. Every gesture was calculated to make people notice her presence, to unsettle, to dominate.“May,” Evelyn said, voice smooth, almost casual, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything important.”May folded her arms. “Just the usual strategy discussion.”Evelyn’s eyes swept the room, then lingered on Damien. “Strategy is only as good as the people who execute it.”The subtext was obvious: she was implying May wasn’t enough. Damien’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. He knew May didn’t need his de