CHAPTER THREE

Juliet’s POV

Della’s stare was razor-sharp, slicing right through me as the car hummed softly beneath us. I clenched my hands in my lap, the words caught like thorns in my throat.

But I had to speak.

“I was set up,” I said quietly, the words scraping out like dry leaves. “My stepmother and stepsister… They arranged the artificial insemination behind my back. I didn’t even know until it was done.”

Della didn’t move. Not a blink, not a sigh. She sat still as ice, her fingers tapping against the leather armrest...measured and cold.

“You expect me to believe that?” she asked, voice smooth as glass.

I swallowed. “I don’t expect anything. But it’s true. I swear it. I didn’t ask for any of this… ”

“Whether you were involved or not,” she cut in, “you’re carrying the Ries heir now. That child represents this family. I will not tolerate scandal.”

“I understand,” I murmured. “I’ll protect the baby. I’ll be careful.”

Even if I had no idea what that actually meant.

A faint smile flickered at her lips. “Good. I don’t make investments that don’t pay off.”

I turned my face toward the window as my hands fell to my stomach instinctively. A baby from a man I didn't even know was already growing inside me… A deal made without my knowledge. I felt so much hate I could cry. But the baby was innocent. 

I could be strong enough for both of us. I had to be. 

The car rolled to a stop.

I blinked up at the towering gates and sprawling estate beyond them. 

So, this is where the billionaire heirs of America sleep. 

The mansion was more like a palace than home. My house seemed like a hut compared to it. 

Before we even got down from the car, a line of uniformed maids filed out in two rows. Standing at the center was an older woman with calm, perceptive eyes and a posture that made her seem like she ruled the place.

“Welcome home, Lady Della, Mrs. Ries,” she greeted with a respectful bow.

“This is Marie, the housekeeper,” Della said, stepping out. “If you need anything, ask her.”

Marie smiled warmly. “Yes, Mrs. Ries. If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.”

“Thank you,” I said, trying to smile.

Della didn’t pause. “Come, you should meet your husband first.”

I barely had time to breathe as I followed her through the gleaming halls of the Ries mansion. Everything sparkled. Polished marble, golden fixtures, heavy oil paintings...all untouched by time or emotion. It was beautiful... but it didn’t feel like anyone lived here.

“You’ll be staying in Nickolas’s room,” Della said as we turned a corner. “You’re his wife, after all. It’s only proper.”

I blinked. “But… he’s still... ?”

“Unresponsive. Yes,” she cut in. “But he is still alive. Still your husband and the heir, so you will treat him with respect. You will greet him every morning, speak to him like he can hear you. If anything changes, you tell me immediately.”

Her words were sharp, deliberate. A warning.

“Yes, mother,” I whispered.

We stopped at a thick wooden door. Della turned to face me fully.

“One more thing,” she said flatly. “You’ll be responsible for his physical care. The nurses won’t be here around the clock. That duty now falls to you.”

I blinked, stunned. “You mean…what?”

She tilted her head, watching me squirm. “You’ll clean him every night. That’s what a devoted wife does, isn’t it?”

I didn’t even know what to say. I’d never had a boyfriend, never been close to a man this way...and now I was expected to… clean him?

Before I could protest, she opened the door and stepped aside. “Come.”

I walked in.

The room was quiet. The soft beep of machines filled the air, alongside the sterile scent of antiseptic and linen.

And lying there… was him.

Nickolas Ries.

Wires ran from his chest to a heart monitor. An IV dripped slowly at his bedside. He didn’t move, didn’t stir...but even unconscious, his face was... striking. Perfect bone structure. Broad shoulders. A carved jaw. Like a marble statue from another era.

But cold. So cold.

They said he was unpredictable. Dangerous. I’d heard the whispers before—how his last personal assistant had jumped off a bridge from the pressure. How he could destroy careers with a single word. Even his own board members feared him.

I still couldn't believe this was the man I was married to. 

Della stepped over to the machine by his bed and checked the screen. Numbers flashed in green.

Just then, a soft knock came at the door.

Marie peeked in and entered with a man in a white coat.

“Dr. Hartley is here for the routine check, ma'am,” she said gently and Della gave a nod.

The doctor moved toward Nickolas, checking his vitals with practiced ease. “His condition remains stable, Lady Della,” he murmured. “No deterioration whatsoever.”

Relief flickered across Della’s face, tempered by something softer... disappointment, perhaps.

She turned toward the door. “Remember what I said. Talk to him. Take care of him. That’s your duty.”

I nodded obediently at her orders, and then she left, her heels clicking against the marble floor, leaving me alone.

With him.

“This is ridiculous,” I muttered. “Talk to you? You’re not even awake.”

But still… I sat beside him and started my awkward introduction.

“Hi, I’m Juliet Greenfield,” I began, letting out a long sigh. “First of all, I didn’t want to marry you. I was forced into this—trapped by my so-called family and ended up pregnant with your child. Shocking news, isn’t it?”

I glanced at his lifeless face. His lips were chapped. Cracking a little.

I pulled out a lip balm, cursing under my breath at how stupid this all felt. But still, I leaned forward and gently applied it.

“There. Now you look a little less… dead.”

I sank back into the chair, staring at him again.

“I heard about your horrible car accident… Are you going to stay like this forever?”

And then… Suddenly, his eyes opened.

No twitch. No warning. One second, they were closed, and the next, his blue eyes locked onto mine.

The chair screeched as I jerked back, my knees giving out. I crashed to the floor, palms scraping against the marble.

He was awake.