POV: LAUREN
I swallowed hard, my body responding to the comforting warmth of his hand against my face. I clung to that touch, searching for the courage to go through with my plan.
“I hope it is.” I confessed, closing my eyes for a moment, trying to ease the tightness in my chest. I pressed his hand closer to my face, as if I needed him to hold me together. “I hope you understand.”
When I opened my eyes slowly, I found his brows drawn together. Henry didn’t say anything right away. He just watched me, thoughtful, his eyes scanning every detail of my expression, catching every trace of hesitation. Then a faint smile appeared on his lips. But it wasn’t a casual smile. It was the kind of smile that said he already sensed something was coming—something I wasn’t quite ready to reveal.
Without another word, he pulled me into him, his lips finding mine with more hunger, more
POV: HENRYIn the past few days, work has been chaotic. Ethan’s pathetic excuse about a cyberattack and the theft of financial data didn’t convince me for even a second. The same thing had happened at Lauren’s father’s company. Coincidence? I seriously doubted it. I knew this dirty game, and he wasn’t going to fool me.On top of that, without Becker’s formal report about the harassment Ethan committed, we couldn’t use it as part of the case against him. And now the bastard had simply vanished. His absence at PharmaCare Industries was already being felt. No one knew where he was—not even at his own house. Like a plague, he had disappeared without a trace.“Damn sneaky rat!” I cursed, slamming my fist on the table so hard the papers on it shook. Blood pounded in my temples; my jaw locked in pure frustration. “Does anyone know where his wife is?”
POV: HENRYI rolled my eyes but didn’t press the issue. I walked straight into the nightclub, heading for the VIP area, feeling the discomfort growing in my chest. The loud music pounded through me, the scent of alcohol mixed with cheap perfume clung to the air, and the flashing lights made the place feel even more suffocating. Half-naked women moved between the guests, offering rehearsed smiles and opportunistic touches, trying to grab attention.The clients were already waiting for us, surrounded by expensive drinks and escorts rubbing against them like they were part of the furniture. I didn’t waste time with distractions, going straight to the point. After a few rounds of conversation, the deal was sealed without complications. I was gathering the documents when Lucian’s phone buzzed on the table. He hesitated for a second before answering. The moment he heard the voice on the other end, his expression changed. Worry hit his face lik
POV: HENRYMy head throbbed with a persistent pain. My mouth was dry; a bitter taste spread across my tongue. I blinked a few times, slowly opening my eyes, feeling the crushing weight of my own body. The light pierced through the curtains—aggressive—forcing me to frown.I tried to sit up, but everything spun immediately. My stomach twisted, and a suffocating nausea rose up my throat. I pressed my fingers against my throbbing temples, searching for any trace of control over my body.“Where am I?” My voice came out hoarse, almost inaudible. My throat felt raw. “What happened?”My eyes scanned the room. An unfamiliar bedroom. A hotel? The beige, personality-less walls, the perfectly arranged furniture, a strong scent of sweet perfume lingering in the air.My gaze dropped to my own body. My breath caught. I yanked the blanket up in a sharp motion, and my mind froze. Naked. Completely naked.My chest rose and fell rapidly. A shiver ran down my spine as my eyes swept the floor. Clothes sca
POV: HENRY“I'm going to take a shower, write down everything I remember, and call Lauren,” I said, trying to organize my thoughts.The truth was, I needed to act fast. Downstairs, the paparazzi were probably already gathering, ready to turn this story into an even bigger spectacle. On top of that, if I had really been drugged, the substance could leave my system at any moment. I needed to get my blood drawn as soon as possible.And above all, I needed to protect Lauren. I would fix this. I would make her believe me, because I would never betray her. Furthermore, I loved her. I loved the child she was carrying. I loved Theodor. Likewise, I would never destroy that. I would never destroy the family we were building.I stepped into the shower, feeling the hot water run over my tense body. My chest rose and fell unevenly. The weight of the situation made my breathing heavy. As I ran my hand over my chest, I felt deep scratches. The corner of my mouth stung, as if I had been bitten. But w
POV: HENRY“You don’t have to, Carter!” Lauren raised her voice, her tone thick with anger and pain. A sob escaped her throat, and she ran her hands through her hair, agitated, struggling to breathe. “We’re just a contract. It was foolish of me to think that a man like you would want something serious with a woman like me.”“Lauren…” I tried to cut in, but she didn’t let me.“No, Henry!” she shouted, stabbing her gaze into mine, her finger pointed at my chest like a blade. “I’m just the nanny who warmed your bed! The idiot who let herself be manipulated, who believed your words, who thought she actually meant something…”Her voice cracked. The air between us felt heavy. Tears streamed down her face, marking her pale skin. What I saw in her eyes wrecked me. Hurt. Disappointment. Love smothered by pain.
POV: LAUREN“What did you just say, Lauren?” Henry’s voice came out low, but it was laced with disbelief. His dark gaze pierced through me, and the tension in the air became suffocating.He ran a hand over his face, as if trying to process my words. His breathing was fast, his chest rising and falling heavily.“Are you telling me that this whole time, I’ve been walking around like a fool, believing that the child you're carrying is mine?”I swallowed hard, feeling a lump form in my throat.“I never said it was, Henry.” My voice came out hesitant, fully aware of the weight of my omission.His eyes lit up with a fury I had never seen before.“But you never denied it either!” he exploded, rage spilling from every word. His body was tense, fists clenched, and he shook his head, letting out a humor
POV: LAURENSilence swallowed us for a moment. My heart pounded desperately against my ribs, and my throat burned. I had to say it. He needed to know.“Because I love you!” I screamed. The force of it made Henry stop. He froze, his eyes locked on me with intensity. My body was shaking, and my breath came in ragged sobs. I had never said those words before. Never spoken them with so much truth.He didn’t move. He just stared at me, his eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t decipher.“And I was scared!” my voice cracked, a sob slipping out before I could stop it. “Scared of being rejected, scared that you’d hate me, scared that you wouldn’t want my baby… Scared, Henry. Scared of losing you.”What came next was a bitter laugh.“And look where all that fear got us,” he said, his tone dripping with
POV: HENRYWhen her body started to tremble and all the color drained from her skin, I found myself on the verge of giving in. I wanted to pull her into my arms, feel her warmth collapse against my chest, calm every sob, and wipe away every tear falling from those sweet, terrified eyes. I wanted to promise her that everything would be okay—even with chaos exploding inside me—because, damn it… I love her. Furthermore, I love her with a force that scares me. Like I’ve never loved anyone before.But the love I felt clashed violently with the bitter taste of disappointment.“In the end, Lauren.” I said, my voice lower and colder than I meant it to be, “The media was right about you.”I sat on the edge of the bed, elbows resting on my knees, hands clasped in front of my rigid body. She stood frozen by the door, sobbing, her shoulders shaking in silence. Her trembling fin
POV: LAURENThe hairs on my arms stood on end the instant I felt a gentle caress slide over my bare skin. I slowly opened my eyes, still drowsy, my body heavy and completely relaxed, as if every muscle had melted after the intense night we had spent together. I sighed, smiling as I found Henry sitting beside me, his eyes fixed on me. His fingers traced light circles on my skin, and there was something hypnotizing about the way he watched me.“Were you watching me sleep?” I asked in a lazy tone as I stretched, feeling a slight, pleasurable soreness in my aching muscles. Our physical connection had been intense and intimate, and my body still carried the marks of it. “Or were you guarding me to make sure I didn’t run away?”“A little of both,” he replied with a wide smile, his voice low and drawn out, making my stomach tighten. Then he handed me a cup of hot tea. I sat up slowly, yawning, and hi
POV: VIOLETI froze for a second. My stomach twisted. A chill ran down my spine, followed by a hot, acidic wave rising to my face.“What?!” I screamed, my voice cracking, the shock unraveling me from the inside. “That’s a lie! That bitch is trying to fool everyone again!”“It’s not a lie.” Ravi kept chewing slowly, savoring every second of my reaction. “I saw the first ultrasound. I was around at the beginning of the pregnancy. And, by the timing, she and Henry weren’t together yet.” He let out a short, soulless laugh. “When I hinted that I knew the truth, Lauren freaked out. She cried, stuttered, and totally lost it.”My fingers started tingling. Rage blinded me. That filthy whore could destroy all our plans and ruin my comfortable life.“That damn bitch… pretending to be fragile, innocent, sweet&hellip
POV: VIOLET“Talk, Ravi… I heard you wanted to see me.” My voice came out impatient, forced, as I removed the damn cucumber slices from my eyes and kept my hands extended, fingers stiff, waiting for the manicurist to finish applying the polish.He walked in like he owned the place. That smug smile, his eyes scanning every corner of my living room with a kind of contempt so well-disguised it almost looked like charm. Almost.“You really moved up in life, cousin,” he muttered, his voice slow, dripping with sarcasm, like poison seeping through. “When you said you’d manage to rope in a billionaire, I thought it was just one of your delusions. But you pulled it off. What a pathetic show.”I rolled my eyes and scoffed.“Did you come here to be jealous?” I shot back, with a mocking smile I knew would trigger the same fury in him that he stirred in me. I
POV: LAUREN“Forget about it, Lauren,” Henry murmured in a low, husky voice, caressing my bare arms with firm fingers, sending immediate shivers all over my body. “Mia didn’t get what she wanted that night. And she’s going to pay for every damn second of it. I’ve already filed a lawsuit against her and James. The media may have bought that manipulative liar’s story, but I have enough evidence to destroy them both.”I closed my eyes for a second, feeling the weight of reality mix with everything I feared. I opened my mouth, hesitant, trying to find steadiness in my voice.“And you think she won’t fight back?” I asked, sitting up in bed, sliding my fingers across his bare chest. The touch felt natural yet full of tension. My fingers trembled slightly, and still, he shuddered under the contact, as if every gesture of mine still affected him deeply.“That doesn’t matter to me,” he replied firmly, and in one swift move
POV: LAURENI closed my eyes, biting my lips, trying to catch my breath, but the words slipped out in a trembling whisper, full of emotion:“I accept...” I managed to say in a breathy, needy murmur.I rested my head on his shoulder, searching for his face. Our eyes met for a brief second before his lips crashed into mine with raw hunger. The kiss was wet, deep, desperate. We moaned at the same time, and in that moment, he thrust into me all at once, filling me completely. I let out a long, drawn-out moan, pushing my hips back, wanting more, wanting everything.“I love you, Henry Carter,” I confessed without fear, between heavy breaths, feeling my body open entirely for him.He turned me to face him with ease, lifted me off the floor like I weighed nothing, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. Our bodies were pressed together—skin to skin, sweat to sweat. When h
POV: LAURENI took a step back, but he moved forward too, until he pinned me against the cold wall of the room. The contrast between his warm touch and the hard plaster behind me sent a shiver through my entire body.His eyes were dark, intense, almost wild. Lust, desire, passion, anger, pain—all mixed in a stare that pierced right through me.“Do you love me?” the question came out dry, direct.“Henry, that doesn’t matter right now. This is crazy.” I tried to argue, but my voice came out weak, hesitant.“Do you love me?” he repeated, even more firmly. The tone was commanding, impossible to ignore. I felt a tremor run through my body. The wall behind me seemed to vanish under the weight of his presence.I closed my eyes for a second. The knot in my throat tightened even more. I couldn’t lie anymore. Not to myself. Not t
POV: LAUREN“What I should have done on the night of our date… when everything went wrong,” Henry replied, his voice heavy with intensity.I frowned, confused, watching as he opened a small box. Inside, there was a ring with a brilliant blue stone that reflected the light in the room. It was mesmerizing. Beside it, a folded note with my handwriting.“What is this?” I exclaimed, a lump forming in my throat. My hands visibly trembled as I brought them to my lips, in shock.“Our marriage was forged through a contract,” he began, his voice now lower but steady. “But I want it to be real, Lauren. I had this ring made especially for you. These stones are rare and unique, just like you.”My tears started falling uncontrollably, burning my eyes. There was so much about him that confused me: the provocative touch, the almost cruel desire, the domin
POV: LAURENHis hands slowly slid up my bare thigh, firm and commanding. The shirt I was wearing—his shirt—lifted gradually, revealing my skin as his fingers pressed with intention, claiming territory. The loose fabric, which looked more like a dress on me, rose along with the tension spreading through my body. And he didn’t stop kissing me. Henry’s mouth was locked on mine—hot, demanding, hungry. His tongue explored mine with such urgency, like he wanted to erase every boundary between us and take everything I was.A shiver ran up my spine when I felt his fingers slide into the crease between my thighs, teasing with soft, circular strokes over my most sensitive spot. My body arched, trembling beneath him, and my lip caught between my teeth to hold back a moan. My lungs gasped for air between one sigh and the next.“Henry…” I whispered, my voice weak, shaking, fighting against the storm
POV: LAUREN“Henry, please… you’re exhausted. Today was a hard day.” I tried to stay calm, but my voice cracked. I just wanted to stop him. Furthermore, I wanted to silence him before his words shattered me completely.“It’s been hard since we broke up!” he burst out, his voice firm and full of pain, throwing the truth at me without any filter. My body frozen. My eyes widened, and I felt the blood drain from my face. “Theodor ran away because he couldn’t handle the pain of not seeing us together anymore. And I know exactly how much that hurts. Every single day, Lauren. I hate coming home and not finding you here. I hate the silence. Furthermore, I hate not hearing Theo’s laughter echoing through the rooms while you two played. Furthermore, I hate this empty, cold bed—where you used to throw yourselves into my arms, barely leaving me space but filling me with so much more love. I hate prete