An Almost Honest Affair のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 51 - チャプター 58

Jared noticed the silence first.The penthouse had always been loud in subtle ways music humming low, Mia’s heels clicking, Liam pacing during calls. Now it felt… muted. Like the air itself was holding its breath.He stepped out of the elevator with a slim folder tucked under his arm, adjusting his cufflinks out of habit. Liam had forgotten the merger addendum again. That alone was unusual. Liam Wolfe never forgot anything important.The living room came into view.Rosemary sat at the dining table, hands folded neatly over her stomach, her posture soft, fragile, rehearsed. Liam stood by the window, staring out at the city like it had personally betrayed him. And MiaMia sat on the couch.Still. Too still.Her hands rested on her belly, not protectively, not tenderly. Just there. Her face was pale, eyes dark and unreadable.Every instinct Jared had sharpened over years of reading rooms told him something had gone terribly wrong.“Morning,” he said carefully.All three turned.“Mia,” he

Liam had always believed guilt was loud.He’d imagined it as something that screamed sleepless nights, shaking hands, obvious tells. But this guilt was quieter. Heavier. It sat in his chest and pressed down every time Mia smiled at him like she still trusted him.Like she still belonged to him.He watched her from the doorway as she slept, her breathing soft, one hand curled protectively over her stomach. The moonlight traced her face gently the woman he loved, the life he had sworn to protect.And yet.He turned away before the thought could finish itself.At the office the next morning, Liam moved on autopilot. Meetings blurred together. Numbers meant nothing. Every email felt like a static. He hadn’t realized how bad it was until Jared stopped talking mid-sentence.“Okay,” Jared said slowly. “That’s the third time you’ve stared through me today. Want to tell me what’s actually going on?”Liam blinked. “Sorry. Just didn’t sleep well.”Jared didn’t buy it. He leaned back in his chair

Mia realized it one morning when she reached across the bed and touched cold sheets.Liam hadn’t come back.She lay there for a long time, staring at the ceiling, listening to the quiet hum of the city outside. Her body felt heavy, her limbs slow, like grief had finally settled into her bones instead of hovering over her head.She pushed herself up and padded into the hallway.The guest room door was ajar.Inside, Rose lay propped against pillows, a glass of water on the nightstand. Liam sat beside the bed, sleeves rolled up, rubbing slow circles into her back while she retched softly into a bowl.“I’m sorry,” Rose whispered weakly. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”“It’s fine,” Liam murmured. “Breathe.”Mia stood there, unseen, watching.This wasn't just care.It was worse.It was romance.The kind of care that used to belong to her.Her stomach tightened not with jealousy, but with something quieter and more devastating: recognition.She turned away before they noticed her.Later that af

Mia hadn’t planned on going to the gala.She was standing in her bedroom, halfway out of her dress, staring at herself in the mirror with a kind of detached exhaustion. The swelling of her belly was unmistakable now. Her body felt heavier, slower, like it belonged to someone else.After the photoshoot she had told Ava she’d stay home. She had told herself she didn’t have the strength for bright lights and fake smiles.Then her phone rang.Jared.She frowned, answering slowly. “Hey.”His voice came through tense, urgent, stripped of its usual calm. “Mia, I need you to come to the gala.”She straightened. “What? Jared, I’m not feeling great”“It’s important,” he cut in. “Really important. There’s something I have to tell you. You and Liam. In person.”Her pulse skipped. “Tell me what?”“I can’t say it over the phone.”That alone was enough to make her uneasy. “What is this about, Rose?”There was a pause. Just a fraction too long.“Yes,” he said carefully. “And Victor Grant.”Her stomac