Chapter 4
That night, I didn’t sleep.
Every sound outside made me sit upright.
Every passing car made my heart race.
At 2:17 a.m., I heard footsteps outside the house.
I froze.
Eleanor was asleep downstairs.
I reached for my phone.
Another sound.
A car door.
Then silence.
I moved toward the window.
A black SUV sat across the street.
My stomach tightened.
I stepped away from the curtain.
The phone in my hand buzzed.
One message.
Unknown number.
You should have stayed with your husband.
My blood ran cold.
Another message appeared.
He can’t protect you if he can’t find you.
I immediately called Marcus.
He answered on the first ring.
“Claire?”
“Someone found me.”
His voice changed.
“Where are you?”
I told him.
“Lock every door. Stay away from the windows.”
“Who is outside?”
“We don’t know.”
“Is Adrian coming?”
There was a pause.
“Yes.”
My heart stopped.
“How does he know?”
“We tracked the message.”
“How long?”
“Thirty minutes.”
I looked outside.
The SUV was still there.
“Marcus.”
“Yes?”
“Tell Adrian not to come.”
Silence.
“Claire—”
“Tell him.”
“I can’t promise that.”
“Then tell him I don’t want him here.”
A deeper voice came through the phone.
“Too late.”
My entire body froze.
Adrian.
I knew his voice instantly.
Three years of marriage had taught me every variation of it.
Anger.
Desire.
Exhaustion.
Amusement.
Coldness.
But I had never heard it like this.
Terrified.
“Claire.”
I closed my eyes.
“Go home, Adrian.”
“No.”
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“I know.”
“Then leave.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
His answer came quietly.
“Because you’re carrying my child.”
I pressed my lips together.
“You should have thought about that before.”
“I did.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“I know.”
The admission stunned me.
Adrian continued.
“I didn’t think about enough things.”
I leaned against the wall.
“That’s an understatement.”
“I deserve that.”
“Yes.”
A pause.
Then he said, “Open the door.”
“No.”
“Claire.”
“No.”
“I’m not coming inside.”
I looked toward the window.
“Then why are you here?”
“Because I want you to see me.”
“I’ve seen you.”
“Not like this.”
I said nothing.
His voice lowered.
“I came alone.”
I looked outside.
The SUV was gone.
Another vehicle sat farther down the street.
Adrian stepped out.
He was wearing a black coat over a white shirt.
No tie.
No visible security.
He looked exhausted.
For the first time since I had known him, he looked like a man instead of an empire.
He stood beneath the porch light.
And waited.
I opened the door.
But I didn’t invite him in.
He looked at me.
His eyes immediately dropped to my stomach.
There was almost no visible change.
But he knew.
His expression broke.
“You’re really pregnant.”
“Yes.”
He swallowed.
“Eight weeks.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
I stared at him.
“Because I already knew what you’d say.”
“What?”
“That now wasn’t a good time.”
He closed his eyes.
I continued.
“You’d say there were threats. There were investigations. There was the board. There were enemies. There was always something.”
“I would have protected you.”
“You couldn’t even admit I was your wife.”
His jaw tightened.
“I was trying to protect you.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“You were protecting your empire.”
He didn’t argue.
That hurt more than anything.
“I loved you,” I whispered.
“I know.”
“No, Adrian. You don’t.”
I shook my head.
“You knew I loved you. That’s different.”
He looked at me.
“I waited for you.”
“I know.”
“I stood beside you while strangers flirted with you.”
“I know.”
“I watched women introduce themselves as possible wives.”
His face tightened.
“I know.”
“I slept alone in our apartment while you attended galas with women who didn’t have to pretend they didn’t know you.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
He looked down.
When he finally spoke, his voice was raw.
“Because I was afraid.”
I stared at him.
“Of what?”
“That if everyone knew you were mine, someone would use you against me.”
I laughed softly.
“And hiding me made me safe?”
“No.”
He looked directly into my eyes.
“It made me feel safe.”
That silenced me.
He stepped closer.
“I thought if nobody knew, nobody could touch you.”
“And did you ever consider what it would feel like to be married to a man who acted like he wasn’t married?”
His eyes lowered.
“No.”
“Exactly.”
He nodded.
“I failed you.”
The simplicity of the words hurt.
“Yes.”
He reached into his coat.
I instinctively stepped back.
He stopped.
Then slowly removed a small box.
He opened it.
Inside was my wedding ring.
My original ring.
The one I had left behind.
“I found this before I left.”
I looked at it.
“I don’t want it.”
“I know.”
He closed the box.
“I’m not asking you to wear it.”
“Then why bring it?”
“Because I realized something.”
“What?”
He looked at me.
“I thought losing you would be losing my wife.”
His voice cracked slightly.
“I was wrong.”
I waited.
“It would be losing my family.”
My eyes burned.
“Adrian…”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“Let me finish.”
I said nothing.
“I spent three years thinking I had time.”
His eyes were red.
“I thought there would always be tomorrow.”
He looked at my stomach.
“Then I woke up and realized my child had already existed for eight weeks without me knowing.”
He took a breath.
“I missed eight weeks.”
I couldn’t speak.
“And I can’t get them back.”
He looked at me.
“But I’m asking you for the next eight months.”
My heart twisted.
“Why?”
“Because I want to be there.”
“Being there isn’t enough.”
“I know.”
“Then what are you offering?”
He stepped closer.
“The truth.”
I stared at him.
“No more secrets.”
“From everyone?”
“Everyone.”
“The board?”
“Yes.”
“Your family?”
“Yes.”
“Your enemies?”
His expression darkened.
“Especially them.”
I shook my head.
“You don’t understand.”
“I do.”
“No. You don’t.”
I touched my stomach.
“I don’t want our child raised in your world.”
His face changed.
“You want to leave.”
“Yes.”
“I can give you anything.”
“I don’t want anything.”
“A house.”
“No.”
“Security.”
“No.”
“Money.”
“No.”
“What do you want?”
I looked at him.
“A life.”
He went still.
“A normal one.”
He nodded slowly.
“I can give you that.”
“No, Adrian.”
My voice softened.
“You can’t.”
He looked devastated.
May you like
And that was when I realized something terrible.
I still loved him.
