Chapter 61

Damien’s POV“Whatever it is, you don’t have to face it alone.”Ofelia did not answer.She remained beside me on the terrace with the shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders, staring at the garden as though the darkness beyond the lights held an escape I could not see. Tears still shone along her lashes, but she wiped them away before they could fall.Ordinarily, her silence would have made me ask more questions.I would have demanded facts, searched for the cause, and begun arranging a solution before she finished explaining the problem.That was how I handled everything.A failing division required new leadership. A security threat required more guards. A difficult negotiation required better terms.People were more complicated.Ofelia was the most complicated person I had ever known.The harder I pushed, the farther she moved from me.So I stayed quiet.The city hummed beyond the walls of the estate. Cars moved along distant roads, their lights appearing and disappearing between

Chapter 62

Ofelia’s POVMy period was thirteen days late.I knew the exact number because I had checked the tracking app every morning, every afternoon, and sometimes in the middle of the night when sleep refused to come.Thirteen days.Almost two weeks.Stress could delay a period.Exhaustion could delay it too.Changes in food, sleep, and routine could affect the body in ways that felt frightening but meant nothing serious.I had repeated those explanations until they no longer sounded comforting.The first pregnancy test remained hidden inside the toiletry bag beneath my bathroom sink. I had not touched it since the night I bought it. Every morning, I told myself I would take it after work. Every evening, I found another reason to wait.I needed more time.I was too tired.Victoria was still awake.Damien might notice if I stayed in the bathroom too long.The excuses had protected me from the truth, but they could not protect me forever.On Thursday morning, I woke before sunrise and lay comp

Chapter 63

Ofelia’s POVDamien waited until Victoria left the private dining room.My mother had barely closed the door behind her before he placed his napkin beside his plate and turned toward me. The warmth from lunch had vanished. His expression was calm, but his eyes were too sharp.He had noticed.Of course he had.“Why did you react like that?” he asked.I reached for my water even though the glass was already nearly empty.“React like what?”“When Victoria mentioned pregnancy.”My fingers tightened around the glass.“She surprised me.”“That was more than surprise.”“You’re imagining things.”“I’m not.”I looked toward the door, hoping my mother might return and end the conversation. The hallway beyond the frosted glass remained empty.Damien leaned slightly closer.“You dropped your fork.”“It slipped.”“You went pale.”“I haven’t been feeling well.”“You’ve denied being sick for days.”His voice was controlled, but concern made it gentler than an accusation. That somehow made the panic

Chapter 64

Ofelia’s POV “Ofelia?” Damien knocked again. His voice came through the locked restroom door, calm but firm, and the sound sent another wave of panic through me. “Are you alright?” I remained on the floor with both hands pressed over my mouth. The two positive pregnancy tests sat on the counter above me, impossible to ignore. Two lines. Pregnant. The truth had barely settled inside my mind, yet Damien was already standing only a few feet away from it. I forced myself to breathe. He could not find out like this. Not through a bathroom door. Not while I was sitting on the floor with tears running down my face. Not before I had spoken to a doctor and understood exactly what was happening to my body. Another knock came. “Answer me.” “I’m fine,” I managed. My voice sounded broken. There was a brief silence outside. “You don’t sound fine.” I looked around the restroom desperately. I needed to hide the tests before he decided to call security or have s

Chapter 65

Ofelia’s POV The appointment was scheduled for eight thirty in the morning. I woke before six. For several minutes, I lay completely still beneath the blankets, staring at the ceiling while fear pressed heavily against my chest. The room was quiet, and the first light of morning had only begun to appear behind the curtains. Inside the locked suitcase beneath my bed, two pregnancy tests waited beneath a pile of folded sweaters. I did not need to look at them again. The two lines had remained in my mind all night. So had the word on the digital screen. Pregnant. Today, a doctor would confirm whether the tests were right. A small, desperate part of me still hoped they were wrong. Two faulty tests seemed impossible, but impossible things had already become part of my life. Perhaps some medication had affected the result. Perhaps stress had changed my hormones. Perhaps there was another explanation I had not found during my endless searches online. I clung to thos

Chapter 66

Damien’s POV “At my freelance meeting.” Ofelia answered too quickly. She stood several feet inside the entrance hall with her sunglasses still covering her eyes and her handbag pressed tightly against her side. The coat she wore was too heavy for the weather, and a few loose strands of hair clung to her face as though she had been walking in the heat. I studied her carefully. “Across town?” I asked. Her body became still. “Mrs. Ford works with clients in different parts of the city.” “That wasn’t what I asked.” She removed her sunglasses slowly. Her eyes were tired. Not only tired. Frightened. The same fear I had seen in the kitchen, in the office restroom, and on the terrace remained hidden beneath the surface. It appeared each time I came too close to whatever secret she was carrying. “I told you where I was,” she said. “No. You gave me an explanation.” “What is the difference?” “One is true.” Her expression tightened. “You think I’m lying?”