82

~Xander~

Gabriel and I left the party, seeking refuge at the hotel bar. As we settled in, the weight of my anger towards Aoife lingered, unresolved. We ordered a whiskey, hoping it would calm my racing thoughts.

“Gabriel, tell me why she did this to me.” I nodded to the bartender who slid over a glass, and I downed my first drink.

“Xander, we met when she was pregnant. She was seeking help from a psychiatrist.”

“Why?”

“Let’s start with the day she witnessed your engagement with Zareena. Right after she left your house, she received the news from the hospital. She was pregnant,” Gabriel revealed, causing shock to ripple through me.

“What?” I exclaimed, unable to comprehend the magnitude of the revelation.

“Yes, she was already hurting at that time. On the very same day, she lost her best friend, Matt. He had proposed to her, but she had chosen you over him. However, seeing you with Zareena shattered all her hopes. And then came the overwhelming news of her pregnancy. It broke her comp