Chapter 3

VIELLA.

"Babe. What are you doing here? Didn't I ask you not to come?" Lance said, his tone unnervingly calm.

Wasn't he even concerned that I had just walked in on another woman's head resting on his chest? Was this supposed to be normal? My heart raced as a whirlwind of thoughts clouded my mind.

"Ma'am Viella," Nora's small voice snapped me out of my spiraling reverie. "I'm glad you're here."

Before I could react, the pale-looking girl hurried over and wrapped her arms around me in a desperate embrace.

Guilt hit me like a brick wall. Nora looked so innocent. What was I even thinking? How could I suspect there was anything inappropriate happening between her and Lance?

Heat crept into my cheeks as embarrassment settled in.

"Noralie? What's wrong? How are you feeling?" I asked, inhaling deeply to steady myself.

"I feel so sick. My stomach hurts. My head feels light. I feel nauseous. My whole body aches. My joints..." Nora's list of complaints tumbled out, each one making me feel worse.

The poor girl was clearly going through so much. She needed someone by her side constantly. Maybe we could make arrangements for a maid to stay with her full-time.

"You'll be fine, okay? I promise you," I said softly, cupping her face in my hands.

"Thank you, Viella," Nora replied, her voice so innocent it tugged at my heart.

"Why did you come, Viella? I asked you not to bother about it," Lance said, his tone laced with gentle reprimand.

"I... Uh. I told you last night that I wasn't feeling..." I began, but the door opened, cutting me off mid-sentence.

It was the doctor. Hansel.

"Hello, Mrs. Rollins," Doctor Hansel greeted me with a formal smile.

"Doctor," I replied, managing a polite nod. "How is she?"

"She's fine. It's just her body adjusting to the changes it's undergoing. She needs more rest. It seems she engages in rigorous activities a lot..." His tone turned the statement into more of a question, making me frown.

I exchanged a curious glance with Lance.

"Not at all, Doctor. We make sure she doesn't do anything at all," Lance explained quickly. "We even have a maid who helps her out in the house every morning and afternoon."

"Maybe you should get a live-in maid for her," Hansel suggested.

The session ended shortly after that, and Lance was already making arrangements to take Noralie home.

"I'll come with you," I offered, not wanting to let them leave alone.

"Just go home. I'll meet you there shortly, okay?" Lance said, planting a kiss on my forehead like it would fix everything.

"But—"

"Viella," he interrupted with a tired sigh, "how do you intend to take the second car home if we all drive in mine?"

I bit my lip, realizing I hadn't thought that through. "Oh... I didn't consider that. Alright. I'll see you at home," I replied, forcing a weak smile.

Turning to Noralie, I tried to soften my tone. "Nora... I'll see you during the week, okay? Take care of yourself."

I watched them leave, an uneasy feeling twisting in my stomach as the door swung shut behind them.

"Mrs. Rollins," Doctor Hansel's voice swept through my thoughts like a velvet caress, deep and rich, wrapping around me in a way that made my breath hitch.

My stomach fluttered, a reaction I couldn't quite control despite my best efforts. The way he spoke, with that smooth, controlled cadence, made my heart race faster than I ever cared to acknowledge.

I turned to face him, ignoring the unwelcome flutter in my stomach. "Yes, Doctor?"

"I'd like to have a word with you," he said, gesturing toward his office.

I followed him inside, my heart pounding harder than I'd like to admit.

"Is everything alright?" I asked, avoiding his piercing gaze. My eyes darted everywhere but toward him, as I tried to steady my nerves.

He gestured for me to sit, "Viella... should I speak to you as a friend or as your doctor?" Hansel asked, reclining back in his chair.

The sound of my name on his lips sent a chill down my spine.

This wasn't sounding good.

I settled into the plush leather chair in Doctor Hansel's office, the scent of his cologne—a rich blend of cedarwood and sandalwood—clinging to the air, enveloping my senses.

His office was as meticulously arranged as he was, the warm hues of mahogany and gold creating an environment both inviting and intimidating.

"What is it this time, Hansel?" I asked, trying to hide my panic.

My eyes flickered to him. I couldn't keep up with being so nervous around him. He shouldn't have this kind of hold on me.

He was the kind of man who made heads turn and hearts race. But not mine.

Standing at 6'2" with a muscular build that spoke of strength and something a bit darker, Hansel moved around with an effortless charisma that attracted other women... Not me.

His short, brown hair was always styled with a precision that mirrored his personality—neat and controlled... At least, that's how I always imagined him.

I felt my pulse quicken as he leaned back in his chair, his deep green eyes—eyes that never betrayed any emotion—seemed to pierce the depths of my soul as he spoke.

"Why do you let your husband attend to Noralie all alone? Do you even make time to take care of her and attend to her needs?" he asked. His voice—God, that voice—could turn any woman on. Not me, though.

I cleared my throat. "My husband doesn't let me do some of these things. He prefers to do them by himself..." I explained, clutching my phone so tightly I thought it might crack.

Hansel shook his head with a small scoff. That small, black spot beside his lips—an imperfection that somehow made him even more irresistible—twitched as he smiled. It was a detail I caught myself staring at more often than I liked to admit.

"Do not let this be the greatest mistake of your life, Viella. Letting your husband all alone with a woman who is carrying his child? The havoc could be irreversible most times."

"Wh...what are you insinuating?" I swallowed hard.

"I won't be the one to insinuate anything, Viella. Make out time for Noralie. Do not let your husband do it all by himself. Do this and thank me later." That damned black spot twitched again with every word he spoke. I wished it would stop. It wasn't making this meeting any easier for me.

There was a brief silence.

"Does your husband know?" he asked, his tone softening as he leaned forward, those green eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my heart race. His gaze was magnetic, almost hypnotic, pulling me deeper into the whirlwind of emotions I had tried so hard to suppress.

"Hansel. We’ve talked about this already. He doesn’t know, and I’d like it to remain that way." I rolled my eyes, trying to mask the fire burning within me.

"So... He still doesn’t know I was the one who took your—"

"Hansel!" I cut him off sharply. My voice rose as I shot up from my seat. "That was all in the past! We were senseless teenagers who knew nothing! If this keeps getting in the way, I might as well get another doctor for my family!"

His gaze followed me, the coldness in his eyes momentarily replaced by a flicker of something softer, though no less intense. His perfectly proportioned lips curved into a smile—a small, devastatingly charming one.

"Have a pleasant day, Doctor Hansel!" I called out over my shoulder, my voice trembling slightly as I turned and headed out of the office.