Chapter 3

The words hit me like a freight train, knocking the air out of my lungs. I froze, my mind scrambling to process what he had just said. Father? How could this man—this stranger—claim to be the father of a baby I hadn’t even known I was carrying until a few hours ago?

“What are you talking about?” I finally managed to whisper, my voice trembling as I fought to keep my emotions in check.

Kai stepped closer, and his presence seemed to fill the room, making it feel smaller, suffocating. I instinctively pulled the thin hospital blanket closer to my chest, as though it could shield me from his overpowering intensity.

“The sperm that was implanted in you,” he said, his tone unwavering and matter-of-fact, “it’s mine.”

Shock coursed through me, leaving me dizzy and lightheaded. My hands instinctively went to my belly, a feeble attempt to shield the life growing inside me from the storm of emotions swirling around us. How had this happened? How had he found me? And why was he here now?

I stared at him, my heart racing as a whirlwind of fear, confusion, and disbelief took hold of me. "This can't be real," I thought, though the certainty in his eyes told me otherwise.

“That’s impossible,” I said, shaking my head. “How—how did you find me?”

He ignored my question, his expression hard and unyielding. “It doesn’t matter how I found you. What matters is that child is mine, and I won’t allow my heir to be born out of wedlock.”

I stared at him, dumbfounded. “What?” I asked, a nervous laugh escaping my lips. “You expect me to marry you? I don’t even know you!”

His sharp gaze pinned me in place. “You don’t have a choice. My child will not be born illegitimate.”

The sheer audacity of his demand made my head spin. “We can co-parent,” I said firmly, trying to maintain a shred of control in this insane situation. “I don’t have to marry you to raise this baby.”

Kai’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing. “You have two options,” he said coldly. “You marry me and stay in your child’s life, or you give up the baby after birth. Either works fine for me.”

His words hit like a punch to the gut. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at him, stunned by the ultimatum. Give up my baby? This baby that I didn’t even know I was carrying until now? This baby that had already awakened an intense, protective instinct inside me?

My mother had died when I was a child, leaving me in the hands of my stepmother, who had made my life a living hell. I knew what it was like to grow up unloved, unwanted. I wasn’t going to let my child experience that—not for all the money in the world.

“No,” I said, my voice shaky but firm. “I won’t give up my baby. Never.”

Kai’s lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes unreadable. “Then we’re getting married, Lily” he said, as if the matter were already settled.

I swallowed hard, a lump forming in my throat as the weight of his words settled over me. The room felt too small, the air too thick. I couldn't fully process what he had just said, and yet every part of me knew he wasn’t lying. His eyes were cold, calculating, but there was an undeniable authority in them that made it clear he was used to getting what he wanted.

“How do you know my name?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. I couldn’t understand how he knew so much about me, how he knew I was carrying his child. My mind was spinning, but I had to know how he had tracked me down.

He looked at me as though my question was trivial, almost dismissive, before responding. “I had to find out everything I could about the woman carrying my child,” he said, his voice smooth but unwavering. “The gynaecologist that was paid to implant you has already been dealt with.”

His words struck me harder than I expected. The way he spoke made it clear that he was powerful, someone used to getting results. And I could see it in the way he dressed, the aura of wealth and sophistication that clung to him. He was someone who could provide everything I had never had.

I glanced at him, trying to reconcile the image of this well-dressed, seemingly heartless man with the reality of what I was facing. He was rich, aristocratic, someone who could ensure my baby and I would want for nothing. The idea of being married to a stranger was terrifying, but it was better than the alternative. I had no family, no home, nothing left after the betrayal. All I had now was this child—this tiny, innocent life growing inside me.

The love I once believed in seemed like a distant, naïve fantasy now. Love had only brought me pain, betrayal, and heartache. First, my fiancé, who had humiliated me, my half sister who hated me enough to do this to me, then my stepmother and father, who cast me out without a second thought. Everyone I had trusted had turned their backs on me. I had no illusions left. All I could think about now was giving my baby a better life, and if that meant enduring a marriage with this man, a man I barely knew, then so be it.

The door to the hospital room opened, and the doctor stepped in. The soft beep of the heart monitor filled the silence as the doctor approached, clipboard in hand. He looked between the two of us, his expression neutral.

“Is she well enough to leave?” Kai asked, his voice low, his eyes still fixed on me.

The doctor glanced at me briefly, then nodded. “Yes, she’s stable. She’s well enough to leave, though I’d recommend some rest. A follow-up appointment would be wise, but other than that, she’s fine.”

I was still reeling from everything—everything that had happened to me, the strange man in front of me who was now going to be a part of my life in a way I couldn’t fully understand—but hearing that I was free to leave the hospital gave me a strange sense of relief. At least, I could leave this sterile, clinical place behind.

Kai turned to me, his expression still cold and commanding. “We’ll be going to my mansion. That’s where you’ll be staying from now on,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.